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Conflagration (First Story)<br>Breakdown (Second Story)
First Story:
In the Baltic nation of Slorenia, specifically the war-torn city of Tblunka, Force Works have just encountered Black Brigade, who addresses them as “foreign interlopers” and explains he is the appointed protector of Slorene nation. ‘My country demands justice for your unprovoked acts of aggression!’ he exclaims. Tony “Iron Man” Stark explains that they came here on a mission of mercy, and assures him that Force Works wants no fight with him. ‘A pity…because that is what you are about to get!’ Black Brigade replies, but suddenly, Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch fires a blast of hex power in front of Black Brigade and his drones. ‘What is the meaning -?’ Black Brigade demands, while the Scarlet Witch speaks to him in the local language.
‘Woman…you quote from the Declaration of Allegiance…the passage concerning loyalty and trust. What manner of creatures are you?’ Black Brigade asks. ‘Ones who are not so quick to judge others’ Wanda replies, before suggesting to Black Brigade that he contacts his superiors to validate their intent. Black Brigade replies that he will do as the Scarlet Witch wishes, and orders his Black Brigade drones to stand-by mode.
Shortly, at Slorene Parliament Buildings in Central Tblunka, soldiers patrol the snowy exterior, while inside, Iron Man, the Scarlet Witch, John “USAgent” Walker, Julia “Spider-Woman” Carpenter and Century are greeted by a man named Boshlovor, who speaks on behalf of the assembled Tabissara, the Ruling Council. He apologizes for the unseemly welcome, before welcoming Force Works to Slorenia. Black Brigade stands to one side, while soldiers line the large chamber, and the Tabissara sit at a table at the head of the room. Boshlovor explains that the Tabissara have not governed long, that it is only short months since they threw off the yoke of the Soviet overlords.
Boshlovor adds that it has been an uphill struggle for them, as an ethnic minority known as the Dudak are militating against the Slorene majority. ‘Sadly, it was this civil unrest you encountered on your arrival’ Boshlovor explains, grinning as he declares that they are overjoyed to greet emissaries of the great western industrialist, Anthony Stark. Black Brigade suddenly reports, with regret, that the rebel scum Ember has once more escaped before he could take punitive measures. ‘Bah! Ember again! It is not good…’ Boshlovor declares, frowning. Iron Man informs Boshlovor that Force Works has come in response to an emergency signal that suggested Slorenia was facing a grave crisis. Iron Man adds that their encounter with Ember seems to confirm that, and remarks that he was supernaturally powerful.
Boshlovor explains that Ember is the accursed champion of the Dudak rebels, a demon from folklore who has come back to haunt them. ‘It was to counter this barbarous terrorism that the Tabissara employed Black Brigade and his squad of robot drones’ Boshlovor reveals, adding that Black Brigade was a special unit in the red army until their withdrawal, and has served his new masters well. Boshlovor smiles as he tells Force Works that the Tabissara will gladly accept any additional help that Force Works can offer in stopping the genocidal monster.
Boshlovor adds that he is puzzled, pointing out that Slorenia sent no emergency signal, to which Wanda explains that the signal came from their own Chaos Databank, a device they use to predict crisis situations, and introduces herself, explaining that she was born in their neighboring country of Transia. Wanda declares that she has no wish to see the people of this region persecuted by a threat like this. One of the Tabissara stands up and announces that they are delighted by Force Works’ warm support and offer of assistance, and tells them that they have the Tabissara’s full consent to search for the Ember menace, and adds that Black Brigade will escort them as their envoy.
Shortly, ‘Since when did we become patsies for communist regimes, Iron Man?’ USAgent asks as he and his teammates begin their search for Ember. ‘Spare me the red menace sermon, USAgent. Ember is clearly the key, here’ Iron Man replies, adding that until they find him, they cannot make any value judgments on this situation. Wanda announces that she will liaise with Black Brigade and devise a workable search pattern, to which Iron Man tells her that is a good idea, remarking that if they are going to work alongside him, they had better make it civil. Suddenly, Iron Man reports that he is getting a communication from the Pegasus, and informs everyone that he will join them shortly, while Black Brigade tells a ground crew of soldiers to prepare his gunship for take off.
Inside the Hex-Ship, Iron Man turns on a communications monitor, and is greeted by Captain America, calling from New York City. ‘What’s up?’ Iron Man asks, to which Cap explains that he wanted to forewarn Tony that he was right to be concerned about War Machine. Cap tells Tony that there is growing outrage about War Machine’s actions in Imaya, adding that the fact War Machine is wearing Stark-designed armor reflects badly on Stark. Captain America declares that with SHIELD and the United Nations gunning for War Machine, he thought a friendly warning was in order. ‘Tell me to mind my own business, but Slorenia is a powder keg…’ Cap adds.
‘This team operates responsibly, Cap - and frankly we don’t need a watchdog’ Iron Man retorts, Tony remarks that Cap has his own problems these days and tells his old friend not to worry about Force Works, as they will do fine. ‘Thanks for your concern…and take care’ Tony adds, before ending the communication, though he knows the War Machine situation must be confronted soon.
An hour later, in a bunker complex beneath the Tabissara Parliament, a man sits on a throne in the shadows, and as Black Brigade and Boshlovor stand before him, he asks ‘Well, man-machine, what is the situation?’. Black Brigade replies that their Yankee guests have so far failed to trace the rebel scum, and addresses the man is Comrade Supreme Commander. Black Brigade adds that for all their sophisticated western technology, they are useless and are simply getting in his way. Boshlovor tells the Supreme Commander that Black Brigade is too harsh, and proclaims that Force Works is their best chance of smoking out the Dudak monster. ‘After all, has he not spent fruitless months trying himself?’ Boshlovor adds, to which Black Brigade quickly asks him if he is dissatisfied with his endeavours. He begins to argue with Boshlovor, but the Supreme Commander tells them both to be silent, and orders Black Brigade to let the American do-gooders lead him to his ancient enemy. ‘Then you can destroy him - no matter who gets in your way!’.
Meanwhile, at the northern sector of Tblunka, Century swings his staff, parallax, above his head, while Iron Man tells the Scarlet Witch that all of his sensor apparatus has drawn a blank, and asks her what makes her think this is going to work instead. Wanda replies that neither Iron Man nor Century is equipped to detect Ember’s arcane energies, but if she can enhance Century’s  tracking skills to a mystical level with her hex power, they might have a chance. The Scarlet Witch tells Century to stand by as she proceeds to surround him with her hex energy. Parallax is designed to navigate and map dimensions of Time-Space, and as Wanda’s probability altering hex interacts with it, dark mystical landscapes are suddenly revealed.
‘Holy - where’d that come from?’ Walker exclaims, while Black Brigade utters something in his native tongue, and Spider-Woman asks if that is Ember’s energy signature. With some equipment at his hands, Iron Man replies ‘Let’s hope so’ and announces that the scanners are getting a fix on the source - the old palace outside Tblunka.
Shortly, the Hex-ship soars up along the palace, as the Scarlet Witch explains that it was once the stronghold of the old Slorene dictator, and has been abandoned since the communist regime was overthrown and the Tabissara took over. Wanda adds that this may be nothing, except she wasn’t familiar with the word Tabissara, so she checked it through the language archive. ‘There were ten members of the council, right? But Tabissara means “Eleven-fold”!’ she reveals. ‘So the locals can’t count! Big deal! Let’s just go down there and get this over with, shall we, guys?’ USAgent exclaims, while the Scarlet Witch signals Black Brigade with their intent.
Shortly, as the whine of landing jets dies away, Force Works looks around at the massive palace, while Iron Man remarks that Black Brigade won’t be joining them, as his helicopter remains in the air. ‘Why would he? He’s got us to do his dirty work’ USAgent points out, to which Wanda asks him to try and keep it to a dull roar, otherwise they won’t be able to hear Ember if he decides to jump them again. Up in his chopper, Black Brigade radios the Tabissara control, informing them that Force Works claim to have located the Dudak’s hideout, and that he is preparing to deploy drone units.
Making their way into the palace now, Force Works take in their surroundings. ‘This place is huge!’ Walker exclaims. ‘Indeed. I suggest we fan out to search’ Wanda remarks, before reminding her friends how dangerous Ember proved on their first encounter. ‘Any sign of trouble…signal for back-up!’ she exclaims. Spider-Woman sees some cobwebs and comments on the décor, while Century suddenly suggests / advises / recommends to her that she duck, as Black Brigade’s drones suddenly burst through the palace walls and begin attacking them. ‘Looks like he couldn’t wait after all’ Julia remarks, to which Century exclaims that they shall not wait either, as he retaliates. Julia traps Black Brigade in a psychic web as she uses her communicator to contact her teammates, asking for back-up.
Iron Man is the first to arrive and goes straight for Black Brigade, smashing him in the face, Iron Man tells him to back off, while giving permission for Spider-Woman and Century to trash the drones, but he wants Black Brigade taken down cleanly and without injury. ‘Oh, sure’ Spider-Woman replies as she kicks one of the drones in the back. ‘Out of my way, Yankee fool! Ember is mine! Your work here is finished!’ Black Brigade picks up a large pillar and hits Iron Man with it, while Tony retaliates with a electro-magnetic pulse which he thinks should disable Black Brigade as he thinks that Spider-Woman is right to be dubious, as they are not here to take lives. ‘Your toys are harmless, American. Now take your team and flee before I crush you all!” Black Brigade warns Iron Man, unfazed by the electro pulse.
Nearby, in the catacomb vaults below the palace, USAgent hears the commotion above and tells himself that it sounds like a party has started without him. ‘Better get topside and - hey, is it just me or did it just get colder in here?’ he wonders, when suddenly, Ember lunges at him from the shadows, spouting something in his native tongue. ‘Come on, you son of a - HEY!’ Walker exclaims as he tries to grab Ember, but Ember flips himself a round and lashes out at him. ‘Shield ignite!’ Walker orders, summoning his photon-shield, which blocks Ember’s punch just in time. Walker releases his shield, which blasts energy at Ember, knocking him back, but only for a moment, as he Ember smashes his fist into the ground, knocking Walker off his feet.
‘Nice move, fella…but you’re not packing half the power you did when we first met! What’s up? You tired…or out of batteries?’ Walker asks. Ember prepares to attack USAgent with his energy claws - until he is knocked aside by a hex blast courtesy of the Scarlet Witch, who quickly speaks to him in his language. ‘Finish him, Wanda! What’s with you? What did you say to him?’ Walker exclaims. Suddenly, Ember removes his helmet, revealing an elderly man, who speaks English and explains that the Scarlet Witch was inviting him to surrender, in perfect Slorene. ‘I am weak…drained…I cannot fight…I will surrender as you request’ he announces. ‘Smart move, buddy’ Walker tells him, before asking him what his story is. ‘Try and get your testosterone levels under control, Agent’ Wanda tells Johnny, before asking ‘Who are you, Ember?’
Wanda and Johnny follow him down some steps lined with various artefacts as Ember reveals that his name is Pavel Chenklo, a Dudak by birth and historian by profession. ‘But you must follow me to know what I am’ he explains as they walk behind him. Pavel reveals that when the Slorene dictator was overthrown, he came here to catalogue the countless art treasures in the palace, and found a priceless holy triptych, fashioned by Dudak craftsmen over a thousand years ago. He motions to the glowing green artefact, and explains that when he enclasped it, he was bathed in a power that transformed him, becoming Ember, the long-lost champion of his beleaguered people.
‘Is this guy for real?’ Walker asks Wanda quietly, but Wanda shushes him as Pavel continues, explaining that with the champion’s sacred blood pounding in his veins, he began to sense an overwhelming disaster set to befall the Dudak, and he knew it was the duty of Ember to prevent this. ‘By slaughter and destruction?’ Wanda asks. ‘Have you considered that the return of Ember might be the very disaster you hope to prevent?’. Ember replies that he has, which is why he has returned here, not to renew his waning strength, but to destroy this power so that it may never be abused again.
Suddenly, Black Brigade smashes Iron Man into the chamber. ‘Shell-head! And he’s in trouble!’ Walker exclaims, while Black Brigade sees Ember and exclaims ‘At last! The true enemy in my sights!’ and fires a blast of energy at Ember, despite Iron Man telling him not to. The blasts do not hit Ember directly, but strike the ground around him - causing the floor to give way. ‘Look out! The entire floor is collapsing’ Wanda exclaims as Pavel and the triptych fall to the black space below. USAgent is also knocked down - ‘Grab hold of something!’ Wanda calls out before Spider-Woman casts a psi-web at USAgent, telling him to go limp as she catches him.
With everyone except Ember safe, Iron Man turns to Black Brigade and asks him if he is happy. ‘Ember’s gone…and you nearly wasted my team in the bargain!’. Black Brigade tells Iron Man to be silent, while Spider-Woman helps Walker out of the hole. ‘Good to see you, Century’ Wanda remarks as the alien approaches her, before Wanda marches over to Black Brigade, and calls him a mindless idiot. ‘We had the situation under control. There was no need for this -’ she exclaims, but Black Brigade interrupts, declaring that there was every need. ‘The Dudak butcher was an enemy of this country. Now that threat is extinguished. Thank you for your assistance’.
Wanda points at Black Brigade as she stands right in front of him, telling that this is not over by a long way. ‘I’m going to take this up with the Tabissara! There’s more to this th -’ she begins, before Iron Man interrupts: ‘Overruled, Wanda. We’re leaving right now’ Tony exclaims. ‘WHAT?’ Wanda shouts. ‘Are you kidding?’ USAgent asks. ‘I mean what I say. We’re leaving. This is not up for discussion’ Iron Man declares sternly.
Twelve minutes later, just outside Slorene airspace, inside the Hex-Ship, Tony, Wanda and Johnny sit around a meeting table, while Century stands nearby and Julia pilots the jet. ‘No! I’m not defending Ember’s actions…he was confused, and dangerously misguided. But there was more at stake!’ Wanda exclaims, slamming her fist on the table. Johnny back Wanda up, telling Iron Man that they should have stayed. Wanda explains to Iron Man that Ember told them he feared the Dudak people were at risk. ‘And having witnessed the Tabissara’s brutal methods I’m afraid he may have been right’ Wanda adds.
The Scarlet Witch declares that she is certain Ember’s bloody attacks were only part of the crisis situation they came here to contain. ‘We can’t turn our backs…’ Walker begins, but Iron Man replies that they must for now, and motions to a scanner which indicates that the moment Ember fell into the Chasm, Plato relayed the Chaos Computer readings to him. ‘The crisis peak dropped away the second he died’ Tony adds. ‘So the computer says it’s okay, and that’s good enough for you? I don’t accept that, Tony! You asked me to command this team. I look forward to the day you let me do just that!’ Wanda snaps.
‘Blast it, Wanda! I won’t allow Force Works to become a gung ho outfit!’ Iron Man retorts, telling her that they cannot let emotional gut responses dictate their business. The moment they step off the moral tightrope…like Rhodes has done recently…that’s the moment they forget the whole thing!’
Meanwhile, at Works HQ in Ventura, California, an alert appears on a the chaos dataflow monitor, signalling trouble in Central China - a priority one crisis currently peaking, a magnetic anomaly of unknown origin blanking all technological activity in a 660 square mile area, with immediate attention advised. Monitoring the alert is the enigmatic Recorder, who remarks ‘How fascinating. And so eminently suitable for the attention of heroes’. Suddenly, Plato appears, and asks the Recorder what he is doing in here, as this is off limits to him.
Plato suddenly notices the priority-one alert and declares that he must contact the team, but the Recorder looks Plato in the eyes and tells him that he will contact no one. ‘You will recall none of this. Your memory banks will store nothing about a crisis notification’ he declares. ‘Oh. Okay’ Plato replies, before the Recorder asks him if there was something he wanted. ‘No. Nothing. No problem at all’ Plato replies, looking slightly confused, while the chaos alert on the monitor clears and goes into standby mode.
Second Story:
‘I am the RHINO!’ booms the villain as he stands before Rachel Carpenter, the daughter of Spider-Woman. Rachel introduces herself, seemingly unafraid, when a voice suddenly exclaims ‘Workout sim “Rhino” cancelled’ and the hologram of the Rhino vanishes at the click of a button. Rachel calls out to Fisher Todd, Force Works’ tech-specialist, and asks where he went. Fisher approaches Rachel and explains that it was just a hard-light hologram, one of over a thousand that the Vroom Room can create to help Force Works train. ‘Wow! Show me some more!’ Rachel asks, grinning.
Fisher replies that as the Works’ Technical Chief he is rather busy, to which Rachel complains ‘Awwww…’, but Fisher remarks that as he has to run maintenance on the Vroom Room suite he might be able to call up a few more sins. ‘Ever met Thor?’ he asks. Just outside the Vroom Room however, the Recorder enters a code on the panel, selecting a Vroom Room program, before locking the doors as the program is activated. ‘Advanced sin “Scatter” running’ the computer announces as three hard-light Scatter holograms appear before Rachel and Fisher. ‘Whoa! What’re they?’ Rachel asks. ‘They are a very serious malfunction!’ Fisher exclaims, shocked.
Meanwhile, in the Hex-ship hangar bay, three floors up, the bay’s extractor vents hum as they pump away the exhaust fumes of the recently arrived Hex-ship, and five tired figures disembark. Amanda Chaney, publica relations manager to Force Works is waiting to greet them, and welcomes them back, asking Iron Man how his trip to Slorenia was. ‘Fine, Ms Chaney, just fine’ Iron Man snaps back, while the Scarlet Witch stares at him. Amanda tells Iron Man that she has been unable to reach Mr Stark, so will have to deal with him. ‘”Deal” with me?’ Iron Man asks.
Amanda declares that if she is going to handle the team’s public relations there are certain things they need to discuss. ‘The status of the alien, Century, for instance…and the cyborg Recorder…not to mention the ill-advised intrusion into Slorenian affairs and the stream of angry un-answered messages from NATO, SHIELD, the Avengers, the UN…this can’t go on…I need to speak to Stark about this!’ Amanda declares. Iron Man replies that he works for Stark, but will speak to him.
Spider-Woman approaches Plato and tells him that she has been looking for Rachel everywhere. ‘Can you locate her?’ she asks. Plato replies that he logged Rachel going into the Vroom room with Fisher Todd seventeen minutes ago. Spider-Woman makes her way to the Vroom Room and discovers that the door is locked and that there is a level nine program running. ‘Open this hatch, now!’ Julia exclaims, to which Plato replies that he cannot. ‘Then I will!’ Spider-Woman exclaims, concerned for her daughter’s safety, she uses her incredible spider-strength to smash the door open, and discovers Fisher attempting to protect Rachel from the Scatter holograms. ‘Get away from her! Get away from my child!’ Spider-Woman exclaims as she leaps into action, distracting the Scatter from Rachel and Fisher, who make their way to the panel on the wall.
‘Mom! Be careful!’ Rachel calls out as Julia kicks the Scatter holograms, before Fisher shoves a wrench into the panel, ‘Let’s blow this nightmare away!’ he exclaims, and the Scatter holograms vanish. Spider-Woman hugs her daughter while asking Fisher if he is out of his mind. ‘She could’ve been killed!’ Julia exclaims, to which Fisher apologizes and explains that he didn’t activate the deck, that it was a malfunction. Julia tells him to forget the excuses and warns him to stay away from her daughter in the future. ‘But, Mom -’ Rachel begins to protest, while Julia drags her daughter out of the Vroom Room, ‘Not now, honey! Not now!’ Julia tells her.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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Hands of the Mandarin, part 1: Goodbye Hong Kong
Hong Kong, sunrise. It is a fine, clear morning on this island-state where high-technology lives side by side with ancient tradition. Just west of the high-rise banking district, Hong Kong’s most advanced workplace hums to busy life. Star Industries’ Far East Division, home of the corporation’s cutting edge cybernetic research facility, and the scientific prodigy who runs it.
Deep inside the facility, cybernetics scientists go about their tasks, when suddenly, one of them calls out to Suzi Endo, announcing that they have a problem with the modem link to Beijing University, and remarks that he thinks the link went down overnight. Another worker informs Suzi that it appears they have a wide-spread problem. An assistant approaches Suzi and asks her if she wants coffee, but Suzie doesn’t answer as she stares at a monitor and another worker motions to the links to Kowloon and Shanghai, pointing out that they are also down. ‘This can’t be right. The monitor shows no electromagnetic activity on the mainland at all!’ Suzi exclaims, before asking her staff to run a systems diagnostic. ‘Let’s see if we’re -’ she begins when suddenly the room is plunged into darkness. ‘What the?’ someone gasps. ‘Oh Lord! The building just…’ another calls out. ‘I felt it too! Was than an earth tremor?’ Suzi asks.
The staff of Stark Far East will soon wish it was just a tremor, for in the rush hour streets below the sprawling Stark Industries facility, all hell has just broken loose - five of the Mandarin’s Avatars have appeared and are wrecking havoc throughout the city. In their native Mandarin Chinese, the Avatars speak as they cause destruction. ‘Rejoice my Avatar kin!’ the woman in the blue dress calls out as she hovers in the air. ‘No longer must we restrain the powers that burn within us! In the name of our master, let this cess-pit fall!’ she cries. A horrid skeleton-like man in a traditional armor calls the woman Butterfly and tells her to cease her prattling and practice what she preaches, while he rips the roof off of a car.
A large being with a monstrous appearance smashes the ground beneath him, causing the tremors and calling the skeleton- like Avatar Lich, tells him to beware, or else Butterfly might let her curse-shadow fall on his fetid bones. A watery Avatar calls the monstrous Avatar Q’wake and tells him he would laugh to see that, as he could do without the rotten stench of Lich assaulting his nostrils. A golden-armoured Avatar smashes away at a nearby building, and the watery Avatar calls out to him, addressing him as Foundry. Foundry just tells his teammate, Deluge, to be quiet and drown the wretches, and Deluge complies, releasing a surge of water across the street.
Gazing out the window, Suzi sees the Avatars and wonders what they are, while telling her staff to run and evacuate the building. Back on the street, Deluge causes water to burst through the pavement, while telling Foundry to keep his wretched flame away from him, as he cannot concentrate with his furnace heat in his face. ‘Don’t taunt me, Liquid-Man, or I’ll turn you into steam!’ Foundry boasts, before releasing a burst of flame, which catches on to several nearby civilians, who scream in agony. Q’wake sees several police cars pull up nearby, and smashes his fists against the ground. ‘Let the ground consume them all!’ he booms, while Butterfly hovers overhead and points out that some police officers have escaped Q’wake’s seismic shock.
‘No matter - the ill-luck in my shadow will deal with the rest!’ Butterfly announces, and her shadow looms over the escaping police officers, causing their guns to suddenly explode and maim them. Lich suddenly lashes out at the officers, and Butterfly asks him why he does so, to which Lich asks her if his visceral methods shock her. ‘Not at all’ Butterfly replies, adding that she is just annoyed he is wasting time when there are others to kill. Back inside Stark Industries, Suzi tries to contact help over the communications monitor. ‘If anyone can hear me -’ she calls out. ‘We are under attack by…by indestructible monsters! Repeat…urgent assistance required in central Hong Kong! We are under attack! We are -’ but Suzi is interrupted when Q’wake bursts into the room. ‘Ohhhh!’ Suzi gasps.
At that moment, inside the Chaos Computer Vault of the Works HQ in Ventura, California, home of Force Works. ‘And that was all she wrote’ John Walker a.k.a. USAgent announces as the monitor with Suzi’s distress call ends when the transmission is cut off. Walker tells Julia “Spider-Woman” Carpenter and the holographic Plato that it was a direct call to Stark Enterprises but that the emergency flagging system relayed it here. He adds that the link went dead ten minutes ago and he was not able to raise the link since. Plato suggests that this incident may be connected to the recent anomalies his systems have detected in the Far East. He adds that as far as he can ascertain, a considerable section of the Chinese mainland has been silenced by an inexplicable electromagnetic event.
‘WHAT?’ Spider-Woman asks as she sits on a meeting table. ‘Surely the Chaos Computer should’ve alerted us to something like that?’ Julia points out, before asking Plato what is going on. Plato replies that cannot answer that with any confidence, as his memory shows no record of the alert, but that the Chaos Computer clearly registered the problem several hours ago. ‘Looks like it’s turning into one of those really cruddy days’ Julia mutters, while she leaves the room, she tells Walker and Plato that one of them should find Century while she locates the Scarlet Witch.
Julia does not have to look far to find her long-time teammate and friend Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch, who is talking via the communications monitor with Bethany Cabe, head of Stark Security. ‘Very little to go on, Wanda. The two fools, War Machine and Iron Man practically destroyed Stark Enterprises during their fight - but they seem to have vanished. There’s no sign of them anywhere’ Bethany announces. Wanda replies that it seems Iron Man was right to be concerned about War Machine. ‘We don’t know what has gotten into him…’ but Wanda is interrupted by Julia, who calls out to her. Wanda asks Beth to keep them posted, announcing that they need to get hold of Iron Man as soon as possible.
‘You’ve heard about the Far East crisis?’ Julia asks. Wanda replies that Plato flashed her a report on her monitor, which is why she was trying to reach Tony. ‘So…where is he?’ Julia asks. Wanda doesn’t respond, so Julia calls out to her, asking her what is going on and where Iron Man is. Wanda replies that he has vanished. ‘Whatever this problem in the Far East is…we’ll have to tackle this without him’ Wanda announces.
In the quarters of the alien Century, Force Work’s newest member sits hovering in the air as Plato enters his room and asks him if he didn’t hear the alert signal, pointing out that he is needed. Century apologizes and explains that he was in a deep meditative trance attempting to recover his lapsed memories. Plato asks Century if he has had any success, to which the alien raises his staff, Parallax, over his head a rainbow of colors streams from it as he replies ‘None whatsoever’, before asking Plato to inform the others that he is gating directly to their position. ‘Perhaps you’re not the only one with a faulty memory, alien. Why didn’t I know about the Chaos alert?’ Plato wonders while Century vanishes…
…and reappears an instant later in the Hangar Bay. ‘About time. We nearly left without you’ USAgent tells Century as Force Works enter the Pegasus. With Wanda, Julia and the Century inside the ship, USAgent follows them in and prepares to close the door. Julia announces that she is initializing the Hex-Engine start-up, while USAgent declares that it doesn’t feel right leaving without Iron Man. ‘Too bad, Agent’ Wanda replies as she orders him to close the hatch. But just as Johnny prepares to click the door into place, a robotic voice calls out ‘Please wait’, and a hand grabs USAgent’s. It is the enigmatic Recorder, who announces that he will be accompanying the team, and enters the Pegasus.
‘Get your butt out of this card right NOW, Recorder!’ USAgent commands. But the unimpressed Recorder replies ‘Statement. My operational systems have fully repaired the damage that I sustained during the incident with the Kree’. He continues, announcing that he has dedicated his function to the recording of this team’s endeavors, so in pursuance of this dedication, he will be accompanying them. ‘This is insane, Scarlet Witch!’ USAgent shouts. Wanda turns to Johnny and tells him that they do not have time to argue with the Recorder ‘Just strap him into one of the rear seats and get this ship moving!’ Wanda orders. An instant later, the Pegasus takes to the sky.
Meantime, somewhere in the Chinese interior, ‘Helpless’ remarks the Mandarin, arch for of Tony “Iron Man” Stark, who stands several feet in front of the Mandarin’s throne. At Iron Man’s side is James “Rhodey” Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine. To the Mandarin’s left stands three more of his Avatars - Ancestor, Old Woman and Warfist. ‘Mandarin…you son of a -’ Iron Man remarks, unable to move. ‘Hush, old foe. Ironically, you are both prisoners of that corrupt genius which you have wielded against me so many times before’ the Mandarin remarks. The Mandarin announces that an aura surrounds this castle for many leagues, and within it, all technology - including their armor - ceases to function.
The Mandarin frowns as he declares ‘You have cast yourselves in iron, Westerners, and now cast iron statues are all you are’. The Mandarin moves his hand towards Iron Man’s helmet and announces that he longs to know his identity. ‘I long to strip away that impassive mask of metal and enjoy the despair etched on your revealed face. But…I will not spoil that delight with the anticlimax of unmasking this dull pretender to your role’ the Mandarin declares as he turns to War Machine. ‘Let us first see who you are - by relinquishing you of your mask!’ the Mandarin announces as he removes War Machine’s helmet. ‘Remember me, Mandarin? Been awhile, hasn’t it?’ Rhodey remarks, frowning. ‘Yes. The black man who defeated me in the guise of Iron Man. I have not forgotten you, impostor, not shall I ever’ the Mandarin replies as he sends a surge of painful shockwaves through War Machine, causing him to scream in agony. ‘Rhodey! In the name of God, Mandarin -’ Iron Man calls out. The Mandarin frowns and tells Iron Man to know this - ‘There is no God here - but me!’
Back in Hong Kong, the island city shakes and writhes as if in pain. Dense black smoke coils from wounded streets, and those citizens still alive turn and flee, pushing past each other to try and escape. Behind them, the architects of this destruction level city blocks and demolish high-rise towers. The burning air rings with their wicked cackles and the their howls of triumph. Lich literally howls as he crouches on several bodies, when suddenly, he notices something in the air above - Force Works have arrived!
Wanda orders the Pegasus to hover-standby, as she welcomes her team to Hong Kong. ‘Let’s got to work!’ she exclaims as she drops out of the Pegasus hatch. ‘Shields ignite!’ USAgent commands his photon shields as he drops out after the Scarlet Witch. Century follows him, while Spider-Woman has already lowered herself down on a psi-web. ‘I don’t know who you are - and I don’t want to know how you got so ugly…I just want you to shut up!’ Spider-Woman tells Lich, while the Recorder remains standing over the hatch in the Pegasus.
USAgent lands on the ground, he squats down and releases his photon shields’ energy beams at Foundry, knocking him back. ‘What the heck are these freaks?’ Johnny asks. ‘I do not the heck know, USAgent’ Century replies as he engages Q’wake in battle, adding that he will attempt to analyze them. ‘Is he getting smart with me again?’ Johnny asks, while Century raises Parallax to his opponent. ‘You threaten me, small one?’ Q’wake asks. ‘How presumptuous’ Q’wake remarks as he smacks his fists onto the ground - but before the attack can strike Century, he teleports away, and appears behind Q’wake. Century attacks Q’wake and remarks ‘A simple self-displacement and this creature is - how is it in Agen’s vernacular? Oh, yes - TOAST!’ as Q’wake falls to the ground. ‘Now I shall…’ Century begins, before Parallax’s analysis of Q’wake’s energy signature begins to show him something. ‘Please, no. Let this not be so’ Century utters, concerned.
The Scarlet Witch approaches Deluge and tells herself that he seethes with elemental power. ‘But if I can hex apart the molecular bonds of the water he’s -’ Wanda tells herself, before Deluge sees her behind him. ‘Another flesh-thing? Away with you!’ he shouts, sending a wave of water towards the Scarlet Witch, knocking her over. ‘He made a flash flood from that busted hydrant!’ Wanda realizes as she attempts to hang on to a nearby wall or else be swept away. USAgent commands his shield to re-ignite and he calls out to Wanda, telling her to stay with them while he aces Deluge. But Butterfly appears above Agent. ‘Eh? Outta my face, lady! What’re you gonna do? Kimono me to death?’ USAgent asks her.
Suddenly, Johnny is knocked backwards by a surge from his photon-shields, and Butterfly smiles. ‘How unreliable your toys become when the ill luck of my shadow sweeps across them’ she tells him. Wanda calls out to Agent, but she sees that Deluge will reach her in a moment. Desperate, she fires an unfocused hex-bolt at Deluge - and knocks him back, anyway.
At that moment, Lich lashes out at Spider-Woman. ‘You hurt me, Bright-Hair! Now you shall pay!’ he declares. Julia falls backwards, but sees a cable above her, and reaches out for it - managing to grab it, she swings her lithe body upwards and kicks Lich over. ‘Get away from me, creep! Get away!’ Julia exclaims. Dropping back down to the ground near where Lich has landed, Julia shouts ‘And stay away!’ as she fires her psi-web at Lich, hoping it will keep him down for a while. But Lich snaps through the psi-web like it was a twig.
Julia turns around and calls out to Century, asking him for some help. However Century still stands over Q’wake and holds Parallax, remarking that there is no mistake / error / misapprehension. ‘The signature is like a stain’ he declares, before raising Parallax over his head, and announcing that he must track this to its source without delay - and with that, he teleports away. ‘Century? I don’t believe it! He’s bugging out on me! Great!’ Julia exclaims, while Lich rushes towards her, growling. Suddenly, a photon blast courtesy of Walker’s shields knocks Lich backwards before he can attack Julia. ‘Thank, Agent! I thought I was history there…’ Julia tells Walker, who replies that one thing is for sure - ‘That chicken-hearted alien will be if he ever shows up again!’
Above, in the hovering Pegasus, the Recorder continues to look out the hatch at the chaos below, and states that it is with curiosity he notes that the alien Century has unexpectedly exited from the battle site. ‘His actions are inexplicable’ the Recorder ads, Suddenly, Plato radios the Pegasus, announcing that he has received an information update from Stark Enterprises, and announces that a thorough search of the Stark Facility has found no sign of Iron Man or War Machine. ‘They are officially missing’ Plato states. The Recorder replies that he will inform Force Works, before stating that this will not help the situation, as they are now two men short.
In China, ‘Enough Mandarin! You’re killing him!’ Iron Man shouts. The Mandarin turns to him and points out that is his intention. ‘To boil away his moral soul with excruciating slowness…before your very eyes!’ the Mandarin declares, adding that he will then do the same to Iron Man, before remarking that if War Machine’s weakening howls upset him, he will muffle them, and orders Warfist to replace his helmet. The near-naked Avatar does as commanded, but Iron Man just asks the Mandarin to stop this. As his helmet is replaced, Rhodes tells Iron Man not to give him the satisfaction. The Mandarin smirks at this and remarks that the pretender shows more courage than the original.
‘Have you softened in your declining years, old foe? Begging for your colleague’s life?’ the Mandarin asks. The Mandarin tells Iron Man that he has lost, that he is beaten. ‘After all these years… I have won!’ the Mandarin boasts, adding that he shall afford him no mercy and no quarter and no dignity. ‘Not even the chance to plead for your worthless existence’ the Mandarin adds, before telling Iron Man to watch as his friend burns. Suddenly, though, the blast of the teleport gate sounds like a depth charge in the enclosed chamber as Century drops out of nowhere. The Mandarin calls out to his Avatars and orders them to contain the intruder while he finishes this wretch. ‘The rings! Who here has the rings?!’ Century demands as he lashes out at Warfist.
‘Century! Forget about them! Protect War Machine!’ Iron Man orders. Century responds at once, hurling himself to War Machine’s aid. He arrives in front of War Machine - but the Mandarin is there already, and energy pours from his rings - War Machine and Century vanishing, leaving Parallax to fall to the floor. ‘Obliterated! Hah! Both of them, scorched to dust and nothing left save this metal staff’ Mandarin exclaims with glee. He tells Iron Man that he shall share this fate, boasting that he will leave nothing of Iron Man save the motel relics of his metal shell. ‘Century…Rhodey…you’ve destroyed them, Mandarin!’ Iron Man declares. Mandarin raises his glowing hands above his head and asks ‘Now how does it feel, Iron Man? How does it feel to be the LOSER??’….


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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Hands of the Mandarin, part 4: Heart of Darkness
Deep within China, black smoke roils from the crash site in the side of the Mandarin’s fortress where Force Works’ Pegasus Hex-Ship has just crashed. However the mood of John Walker a.k.a. the USAgent is a whole lot blacker. The mighty hero narrows his eyes as he is surrounded by several Chinese soldiers. ‘Say your prayers, meatballs…it’s butt-kicking time!’ Johnny shouts as he lunges head-first towards the soldiers. It was only USAgent’s pilot skill that kept the Pegasus in tact when it punched through the castle’s curtain wall. USAgent should be grateful he is alive, but instead he is just mad as heck. His superior combat skill means he can take down the soldiers with ease. But his thoughts are on Spider-Woman and the Scarlet Witch, who may have died in the crash - he has had no time to check on them. But the grim possibility puts bone-shaking fury into his every blow.
His photon shields are inoperative thanks to the anti-technology field, so he improvises, but taking one of the soldier’s shields. However, the Mandarin’s troops have strength of numbers on their side, and more and more attack the mighty hero. He raises the shield to protect his face as one of the soldiers brings their sword down towards him. Suddenly, ‘Hey, Agent - I’m just guessing, but could you use a hand here?’ the hero with a heart of gold, Julia “Spider-Woman” Carpenter calls out as she drops down into the battle, and kicks two of the soldiers aside at once. ‘Spider-Woman!’ USAgent gasps. ‘But I thought -’ USAgent begins, while Spider-Woman drops to the ground and fights alongside her long-time teammate. ‘Thought what? Wanda and I bailed - just like you told us to!’ Julia reveals.
‘Hey - I knew that! I was just worried that …uh…you might’ve chickened out, like Century did’ USAgent replies. ‘Perish the thought’ Spider-Woman declares as she punches one of the soldiers back. ‘Yeah, well…that looks like the last of them’ USAgent points out as the final soldier falls, before USAgent asks where the Scarlet Witch is. Spider-Woman explains that the Scarlet Witch told her to come back up here. ‘Last I saw, she was angling her descent to another part of this rock pile’ Julia reveals, adding that she thinks the Scarlet Witch has a lead on Iron Man’s position. The duo race off down a corridor, with Spider-Woman suggesting that they find the Scarlet Witch. ‘Yeah…and fast’ USAgent declares.
In another part of the sprawling complex, specifically, the lofty throne chamber of the Mandarin, bitter enmity is about to be resolved - in the Mandarin’s favor. Tony “Iron Man” Stark is held up by one of the Mandarin’s draconian hands, claws tighten around his unprotected throat, as his Iron Man armor lies useless on the floor. The Mandarin’s other hand is raised above him and it burns with incandescent energy as it prepares to unleash a lethal blast. The Mandarin declares that he will savor this victory for all time. ‘Let that be your pathetic life’s final thought’ the Mandarin tells his arch-foe.
Suddenly, there is a crash from above - as Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch drops through a skylight window. ‘TONY!’ she shouts. ‘The Scarlet Witch!’ the Mandarin exclaims, annoyed. The Mandarin tosses Tony to the ground with ease and mocks him, remarking ‘Your redemption comes in the form of one of your decorative female companions!’, while asking the Scarlet Witch if she is so eager to embrace death with her master. Wanda makes no reply, as fierce concentration triggers a precise hex configuration. Even as she drops to the ground, a blinding charge of mutant energy ignites around her up-raised hands. ‘Ha ha! A pretty light show against my power?’ the Mandarin sniggers. ‘Yeah, right’ Wanda replies, although she feels the sting of the Mandarin’s scornful slight.
As an Avenger, Wanda’s hex power was often seen as a useful trick, a minor weapon of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Now, as she buries a foe as awesome as the Mandarin in a blitz-storm of hex-driven flagstones, she makes sure he will never doubt the magnitude of her mutant hex-power again. With the Mandarin buried under a wall of rubble, Wanda rushes towards Tony, who struggles to get off the ground and asks Wanda how she found him. Wanda replies that the tracer-signal from his Force Works badge may be dead, but that even from the air there was no mistaking the magic energy in this chamber. ‘I took a wild guess’ she adds as she helps Tony to his feet. But at that instant, the Mandarin bursts through the rubble, and apologizes to the Scarlet Witch for under-estimating her. He announces that it is not a mistake he will repeat, before asking the Scarlet Witch if she thinks she stands the slightest chance of surviving more than the next ten seconds, as power resonates around him.
In the echoing hallways nearby, ‘What’s this…some ancient broad with a walking stick?’ USAgent asks as he and Spider-Woman are confronted by the Avatar called Old Woman. ‘Careful, Agent…’ Julia tells Johnny. Old Woman is an elemental sculptress. One tap of her staff, and the stone floor convulses in response, as USAgent finds himself sunken into the floor, and stuck. ‘HEY!’ he shouts. ‘I warned you!’ Julia tells Johnny, before telling him to brace himself as she will web him and yank him loose. ‘Make it fast! The ground’s crushing my legs!’ Johnny replies. The psi-web wraps around him, and Julia pulls him free - using him like a human slingshot, she hurls him to intercept and body slam their frail aggressor.
Old Woman is taken out, and Julia thinks to herself that Wanda would be proud of this teamwork, when suddenly, she notices someone sneaking up behind her. He is the Avatar called Sickle. His intent is as murderous as his razored blade which he holds overhead. Sickle’s eyes are as dull and lifeless as a zombie. He lunges towards Julia, who manages to grab the sickle. ‘Gimme that before you cut yourself, chuckles!’ Julia exclaims, before kicking Sickle in the head. There is no respite, no moment for celebration, though, as from nowhere, Warfist catches Spider-Woman in a vising, crushing bear hug. Suddenly, USAgent’s make-shift shield slams into the back of Warfist’s neck, knocking the Avatar out. ‘Not quite as aero-dynamic as my old drain-cover, but it did the trick’ USAgent declares, before asking Spider-Woman if she is okay.
Spider-Woman doesn’t get a chance to answer, as the Avatar called Ancestor approaches USAgent and tells him not to worry about her, nor to presume that his own problems are over. ‘Another one? Look, buddy…I don’t speak Mandarin Chinese…do you speak body language?’ Walker asks as he raises his fist to punch the Avatar. But Ancestor barely flinches as he blocks Agent’s blow. His frail knuckles simply tighten their grip, as Ancestor draws upon the strength of his ancestral spirits, adding their power to his on. In a moment, Ancestor has doubled in size, and his strength has multiplied a thousandfold. Overwhelmed, USAgent falls to his knees.
Elsewhere, on the China mainland, voices are raised in the encampment of a warlord who claims direct descent from Fu Yi, the last Emperor of China. Inside one of the tents, the warlord is surrounded by several soldiers, as well as James “Rhodey” Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine, in his remodelled armor. ‘A cancer! A rotten, putrid growth in the belly of this sacred land! We must take our steel and cut it out!’ the warlord declares. The warlord continues, announcing that this pretender to the throne of Kahn, Mandarin, he will personally shear his arrogant head from his silk-clad shoulders and feed it to the carrion birds. ‘Let us ride together and rid our homeland of this vile impostor!’ the warlord declares.
His soldiers rally in support. ‘Yes! Yes! To the ends of the Earth! To the grave of the sun!’ one of them shouts. ‘Tell us! When do we attack?’ another asks. Suddenly, War Machine interrupts, ‘Call me a wet blanket…but do you guys have any idea how powerful the Mandarin is’, and he calls the warlord Chu Lo Yan. ‘Prudent counsel, War Machine’ the warlord replies, announcing that he has witnessed the strength of the Mandarin’s Avatars. ‘But I stand firm…the Mandarin DIES!’ he declares, before asking War Machine if he stands with them. War Machine replies that he would like another crack at the sunuvagun, before announcing that he is going to wake up Su Yin. ‘Excellent, then! Muster your forces! We ride!’ Chu Lo Yan shouts. As he leaves the tent, War Machine warns Chu Lo Yan that after this little trip of theirs, he and his army are going to pay back big time for the damage they did to the village.
War Machine soon finds the alien Century, and tells him that the warlord and his clan are busting blood vessels, but that he thinks they are ready to ship out. ‘Century? Hmmm…nice, uh - patterns’ War Machine remarks, referring to the drawings that Century is making in the sand with a stick. Century looks up at his ally and replies ‘Seven trees dancing. It’s a nursery game’. He explains that the rules just flooded back into his mind and he started to play. ‘I learned it as a child…or when part of me was a child. I remember being small / fragile / alone… “sing-song the seventh tree…sing-song and dance with me”!’ he quotes.
War Machine helps his associate to his feet, as Century remarks that he is, as USAgent would say “losing it”. ‘Aren’t I, friend Jim?’ But War Machine assures Century that he is not losing it, and informs him that they are going to follow this warlord as he assaults the Mandarin’s fortress, then they will get his staff-thing back. ‘You’ll be okay’ Rhodey assures him. Century clenches his fist and replies ‘Yes…of course. Once I have Parallax in my grasp again, I will conquer this inexplicable chaos in my brain’. He tells Rhodey that he cannot imagine how painful this sudden, disjointed return of memory is. ‘I…I…’ Century’s voice trails off and he goes wide-eyed.
‘Century? What’s the matter, Blue?’ Rhodey calls out ‘This…this is not my hand!’ Century replies, looking at his hand. He sings the song once more, before exclaiming ‘The cataracts of Reyshal! See! They shine, father! How they shine!’ And with that, Century passes out. War Machine catches him before he hit’s the ground. ‘Oh, boy! C’mon, Century - snap out of it, buddy!’ Rhodey calls out, before assuring Century that it will be okay.
Meantime, back at the Mandarin’s fortress, the powerful villain rises like a vengeful ghost and spits fire from his disintegrator ring. Despite all of her years of experience, the Scarlet Witch has never faced a foe this powerful single-handed. Diving for cover, Wanda doesn’t get the chance to recover, as the Mandarin dowses her in searing white light, which pins her to the floor. ‘Is that the best you’ve got, Mandarin?’ Wanda calls out, as she hex-folds the light back on itself, dispelling the brilliance with an explosion of local darkness. ‘Extraordinary!’ the Mandarin gasps, remarking that the Scarlet Witch is implacable as her iron-clad master. ‘My compliments, Scarlet Witch’ he adds, before announcing that he wearies of this contest, and casts forth  more energy at the Scarlet Witch.
The blast of the Mandarin’s impact beam ring can destroy human tissue. Wanda screens herself with a hex-field that detonates each impact pulse before it can strike her. ‘Don’t you get it yet, Mandarin? I’ll match anything you can throw at me…and give it back with interest!’ Wanda boasts as she moves towards the Mandarin and punches him in the face. ‘Such bravado! Yet I detected desperation in your voice…and actions, woman. Do you really think you can best me with your fists? From what I had seen of you today, I had expected more!’ the Mandarin declares as he readies more energy to attack Wanda with. ‘Keep talking, big mouth’ Wanda declares, and her taunts hold the Mandarin’s attention as he is not aware of Stark creeping up behind him until the broken Iron Man helmet cracks against his skull, and the Mandarin cries out in pain.
At that moment, events take another turn, ‘Agent!’ Wanda gasps as USAgent smashes through the wall, ‘One second, Witch’ Walker replies as he smacks Ancestor over and cracks his head against the ground. Spider-Woman follows Agent into the throne room, with the Avatar Warfist behind her. ‘These Avatar creeps were trying to keep us out of the party, Wanda!’ Julia tells her friend. ‘But, like they say - there’s a will’ Julia begins, before seeing Tony, alive. ‘Glad to say the same for all of you’ Tony tells his team, before turning to the Mandarin and pointing out that this changes the odds. The Mandarin grimaces, and energy surges around him, as he declares ‘You mass your forces and believe you now have some advantage? Oh, Anthony Stark…I’d have thought you’d know me better than that after all these years’ the Mandarin tells him.
The Mandarin tells Force Works that they have merely saved him the effort of hunting them down one by one. ‘Now I can simply burn you all!’ he declares. ‘Just. Try. It!’ the Scarlet Witch shouts as she releases a powerful charge of hex-power, the ability to manipulate probabilities so that they become impossible, the unthinkable becomes absolute fact. It is an uneasy art, so difficult to perfect, so vulnerable to the vagaries of chaos. At her best, Wanda is adept. The tiniest distraction, the slightest lapse in concentration, and her powers go awry. Hers was never the most exact or reliable skill. But now, despite her weariness, despite the fact that she has gone head-to-head with this god-like being and stood her ground…the Scarlet Witch summons a hex-wave of frightening power and devastating precision.
As one, the Mandarin’s dreadful, powerful rings fire. The result is…apocalyptic, as his rings interact with Wanda’s hex power. The explosion is spectacular, and Wanda tells her friends to run. USAgent picks up Tony and tells him that they are getting out of this pit. It is a full three minutes before the devastation ceases. As the Mandarin regains control of his rings, he tastes blood in his mouth and feels a throbbing pain in his wrenched, wracked limbs. Two Avatars have fallen - Ancestor and Warfist, who has been destroyed involuntarily by the Mandarin himself. The uber-villain clears his dust-chocked throat, as Sickle and Old Woman rush into his chamber. Sickle tells the Mandarin that the Americans have fled and asks if they should pursue him.
‘No, Sickle, no’ the Mandarin replies, as he raises Parallax to his hand. He announces that outside this fortress, there is nowhere they can run to. ‘They are a thousand miles from nowhere’ he points out. The Mandarin declares that it is time they ignored such distractions and pressed on with their work. ‘By the time Stark and his accomplices do reach civilization…civilization will no longer exist!’ the Mandarin boasts.
Outside, on the Scree slopes, the heroes gather themselves, and USAgent remarks that he was expecting the Mandarin to send an army after them, especially after what Wanda did to him back there. ‘Why isn’t he chasing us?’ Walker asks. Tony explains that they don’t matter to the Mandarin. ‘We’re as good as beaten’ he declares. ‘you mean he doesn’t care if we escape? But, we hurt him - and sprung you from the lion’s den itself!’ Wanda declares. ‘To what? This waste-land?’ Tony asks, pointing out that the Mandarin was just playing with him, that killing him was just a diverting entertainment to him, like when he murdered Rhodey and Century.
‘Whoa! Time out! He did what?’ Julia exclaims. ‘They’re dead?’ Wanda asks. USAgent remarks that he thought the alien creep ran out on them. ‘You saying he was here?’ Walker asks. ‘Didn’t you send him?’ Tony enquires, before explaining that Century teleported in from out of nowhere and tried to free he and Rhodey. ‘I told him to protect War Machine, and - the Mandarin vaporized them! All that was left was Parallax!’ Tony explains. ‘Would that we had time to mourn then’ Wanda remarks. Tony asks her what she means, while Walker exclaims ‘Oh, geez! I think she means…’ his voice trails off, ‘That!’ Julia concludes as a large army races towards them. ‘Apaches? This far North?’ USAgent asks. Wanda tells USAgent to shut up, remarking that she doesn’t want to reach the afterlife with his crass humor ringing in her ears. ‘and chances are that we’re dead where we stand!’ Wanda adds.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, the wounded island trembles as unnatural lighting lacerates the sky. ‘Breathe it in, Avatars! The electric stench of a technological Gomorrah!’ the Mandarin booms as he and Q’wake, Sickle, Old Woman, Butterfly, Deluge and Foundry manifest in Hong Kong. They arrive amid the savaged streets in a blister of teleportation light, courtesy of Parallax. The Mandarin declares that it is fitting that the cradle of modernity becomes his bridgehead, and remarks that the power in the alien staff will draw his null-field here, and broadcast it out beyond these tainted shores, conquering all technology that opposes it. He adds that before this day is out, the entire world will kneel before its God - its one true God…the Mandarin!….


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Tidings of Comfort and Joy
Works HQ, Ventura, California. A man stands in the shadows on a cliff that overlooks a large gully. On the other side of the gully, a high-tech facility is built into the side of the mountain, a waterfall streaming out from beneath it. It is 7:45 PM, on December 25th, and the stars shine in the sky above.
‘God bless us, everyone…’ a voice can be heard saying. ‘Bah, humbug!’ another exclaims. The voices are coming from the television, which the alien known as Century sits in front of, cross-legged and hovering off the floor. ‘Bah, humbug! Bah, humbug! Humbug…humbug…’ Century repears over and over as he watches the television. Nearby, ‘Julia…is he…like, okay?’ asks Amanda Chaney, Force Works’ Public Relations Manager asks as she and Julia “Spider-Woman” Carpenter, both wearing evening dresses, stand next to a Christmas tree and decorate it. Julia tells Amanda that Century is obsessed with the TV. ‘Culture shock, I think’ she explains.
Julia’s daughter, Rachel, is holding onto a stuffed toy, “Mister Muppet” she calls it, and remarks that Mister Muppet is helping them, as she places a decoration on the tree. ‘Why doesn’t Century help us, too?’ Rachel asks. Julia tells her daughter that Century is busy, to which Amanda mutters ;Yeah, right. Bah humbug’. At that moment, Force Works’ resident tech-guy, Fisher Todd enters the living area, carrying a large gift. ‘Fisher! Merry Christmas!’ Rachel exclaims. Fisher greets Rachel and holds out the gift, it is for her. ‘Wow! What is it?’ Rachel asks as she drops to the floor and begins to rip it open. ‘Just something I ran up in the lab’ Fisher replies.
‘Very nice’ an unimpressed Julia declares as the gift is revealed to be a small skateboard-like hovercraft. ‘Oh, Spider-Woman. Hi! Hope you don’t mind…’ Fisher remarks. ‘A hover board! Far out!’ Rachel exclaims as she gets on it and hovers out of the living area. ‘I thought she’d like it’ Fisher remarks. ‘Sure, I thought she’d like this talking muppet. Shows you how much a mother knows’ Julia mutters as she picks the toy up off the ground. ‘But…I didn’t mean…’ Fisher begins, only Julia is half-way out of the room, not interested in listening to him. ‘Better luck next time, Fisher’ Amanda tells him, reminding him that after the incident in the VROOM Room, he is going to have to work hard to get back in Miss Spider-s good book. ‘I tried! So shoot me! I tried!’ Fisher declares, slamming his hand against his forehead. ‘Curious’ the enigmatic Recorder remarks as he stands nearby.
The Recorder enters the kitchen, where John Walker a.k.a. USAgent is pouring some alcohol into a bowl. The Recorder tells the hero that he has a query, but Walker replies ‘Not right now, Recorder. Fixing this eggnog is a matter of scientific precision’. The Recorder ignores Walker and asks if striking the forehead repeatedly is a traditional custom for humans at this time of year. ‘No. It ain’t. Now look…why don’t you so live up to your name and record this party for posterity’ Walker suggests, handing the Recorder a video camera. ‘The proposition appeals to my programmed directives’ the Recorder replies. ‘Great. And getting you out of my hair appeals to mine’ Walker remarks quietly to himself as he holds up the bottle of alcohol.
8:12 PM, Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch has entered the living area and looks at the Christmas tree, telling Amanda that the decorations look wonderful. Amanda thanks Wanda but explains that Spider-Woman and Rachel deserve most of the credit. Suddenly, the holographic Plato materializes before the women and announces that the first of this evening’s guests are arriving in the foyer.
Indeed, waiting in the foyer dressed in suits or evening dresses are eight of Tony Stark’s long-time friends, allies, employees and confidants - Happy and Pepper Hogan, Bethany Cabe, Bambina Arbogast, Abe Simmer, Erica Sondheim, Felix Alvarez and Phil Grant. ‘Where is everyone?’ Felix asks. Abe suggests that they may have the wrong night, to which Mrs Arbogast tells him ‘Surely not’.
‘Oh, great start to the evening this is…’ Amanda mutters as she follows Wanda down a corridor. Wanda tells Amanda to go on and greet the guests while she flushes Tony out of hiding. Amanda continues on, while Wanda turns to go in another direction, annoyed, she wonders what Tony is playing at, as this party was his idea - relaxation therapy for everyone after that Mandarin business. ‘Plato? What’s Tony’s current location?’ Wanda calls out, when suddenly, she is almost knocked over by Rachel, on the hover board. ‘Gang-way!’ Rachel exclaims. ‘Careful, child!’ Wanda declares as she grabs Rachel and pulls her from the board as it slams into a nearby wall. ‘Sorry, it’s kinda fast’ Rachel tells Wanda, who tells her not to mow down any guests, and that her mom need never know.
8:!8 PM, inside the Chaos Vaults, ‘Tony? What are you doing? People are starting to arrive!’ Wanda announces as she enters the vault. Dressed in a tuxedo and sitting in a chair before a monitor, Tony apologizes to Wanda and reveals that he has just received a message from Rhodey, who cannot make it to the party due to his business back east. ‘Blast it! I thought we’d begun to patch things up after the Mandarin affair. The whole point of tonight is to try to heal some old wounds!’ Tony declares. Wanda takes Tony’s hand and reminds him that the whole point is to build morale, his included, and suggests he take his own advice. ‘Or do I have to hex you into submission?’ she asks. ‘Better you than Agatha Harkness’ Tony replies as he gets up and accompanies Wanda out of the vault. ‘I’ll be sure to tell her that when she arrives’ Wanda remarks. ‘By the way…what about Iron Man? There will be people here who don’t know’ Wanda points out. Tony tells her not to worry, as he has taken care of it.
8:31 PM, on the roof, the figure in shadows has climbed on to the top of Works HQ.
Inside the living area, the guests are mingling with each other, while the Recorder has started to film the party. ‘So what’s keeping you?’ Walker whispers as he checks his watch. Suddenly, ‘Hello Jack’ a voice calls out. Walker turns at hearing his alias and sees Captain America a.k.a. Steve Rogers standing nearby. ‘You! I mean…Captain. Uh, glad you could make it’ Walker claims. Captain America extends his hand and tells Walker that he hopes there are no bad feelings between them, particularly on a night like this. ‘Hey - what the heck, it is Christmas’ Walker replies as he shakes Captain America’s hand.
‘Now there’s a sight that makes the trip worthwhile’ Dr Hank Pym, dressed in a white tux remarks to Tony as they look at Captain America and USAgent. Tony calls Hank a cynic and announces that USAgent is not as bad as everyone thinks. Tony adds that he thinks this this team is what USAgent has always needed, as it has stopped him from feeling like a Little League player. ‘Trying to live up to Cap’s standards? Don’t we all do that, one way or another?’ Hank asks. ‘Maybe. Surely, we all make our own standards’ Tony replies, to which Hank smiles and tells him that he didn’t come this far to get into an ethical debate with an ironclad philosopher. Hank tells Tony that he is glad he was invited, and remarks that it is food to see most of the old Palos Verde crowd together again, before announcing that he was shaken to hear of Wonder Man’s death.
‘Duh - there I go spoiling the party mood. So anyway, Mr Stark - would you mind explaining that?’ Hank exclaims, motioning to Iron Man who has mysteriously appeared in the room, and is standing next to former Avengers West Coast member Miguel Santos a.k.a. the Living Lightning. Iron Man remarks that he believes the party was Mr Stark’s idea. ‘Yeah, but surely…’ Miguel begins, while Bethany Cabe and Fisher Todd stand next to him. ‘Surely what, Miguel?’’ Iron Man asks, unimpressed. ‘Errmmm…nothing!’ Miguel exclaims quickly. Tony tells Hank that it is just a hoax, a remotely-operated suit controlled by Plato, the building’s master computer. Tony adds that there are people here who don’t know that he and Iron Man are one and the same. ‘And I thought alter egos went out with changing in phone booths!’ Hank jokes.
Living Lightning quickly avoids more awkward moments by rushing over to Julia. ‘Miguel!’ Julia exclaims upon seeing her old teammate. ‘Have you met the Living Lightning, Mrs A?’ Julia asks Bambina Arbogast, Tony’s executive assistant. Bambina replies that they have not been formally introduced, but that she remembers him from the Avengers West Coast roster, before asking him what he is doing these days. Miguel reveals that he has taken some time off to go to college, to which Bambina tells him is a wise decision.
9:09 PM, at the skylight level, the shadowy figure drops down from the roof. ‘YAHOO!’ Rachel calls out a she speeds along on the hover board, suddenly coming to a stop when she is confronted by the shadowy figure. ‘Ooooh. Hi’ she smiles.
9:36 PM, back in the reception lounge, Wanda stands near her mentor, Agatha Harkness, who remarks ‘And tincture of mandrake every time. Works a treat!’, to which Wanda tells the old woman that she will take her word for it. Suddenly, Agatha turns to the Recorder and pokes him in the arm: ‘Do you mind, young man?’ she asks. Wanda covers her mouth and smiles. ‘Look out, Recorder…’ she whispers, while Agatha stares down the video recorder and announces that she is discussing secrets known only to the enlightened few, and that she doesn’t appreciate having that thing thrust in her face.
So, the Recorder moves on to the other party guests. ‘I’m Happy Hogan…say is that thing on?’ Happy exclaims, er, happily. Julia frowns and asks ‘Who told you to do this? Agent? I’m going to kill him’, clearly unimpressed. The Recorder moves on to Hank and Tony, catching them in the middle of a conversation in which Hank remarks that Jan is acting like butter wouldn’t melt in her - ‘Not now, Recorder’ Tony declares, shooing him away. The Recorder finds Bethany Cabe, who has her arms around Felix Alvarez. ‘My confession is…I’m Iron Man!’ Bethany smiles, to which Felix shouts ‘And so am I! And so’s my wife!’ Abe Zimmer appears before the camera next, reaching out to touch the Recorder, remarking ‘Best wishes and so on. Now tell me, you’re not exactly human, are you, son?’
The Recorder moves on to USAgent and Captain America. Rachel appears and begins tugging at Walker’s jacket, trying to get his attention. ‘…I had no idea…geez, if I had known…’ USAgent tells Cap, who asks ‘What could you have done? Staged a benefit concert?’ Rachel begins calling out to USAgent, who turns to Cap and tells him that he is needed, and he begins to follow Rachel away. Walking down a corridor, Walker asks ‘This isn’t a joke, right, kid?’ to which Rachel replies ‘No way’, and takes Walker into another room. ‘In here. See’ she exclaims. ‘Well, I’ll be…a gatecrasher!’ USAgent frowns as Clint “Hawkeye” Barton is standing before him, bow and arrow ready, and looking very annoyed!
10:16 PM, the party continues, and Captain America tells the Scarlet Witch that from what he has seen of this place, Tony has put together quite an impressive operation. ‘And you’ve notched up some significant success’ Cap adds, pointing out that the crisis in Houston, for instance, had a result that any team would be proud of. Wanda tells her long-time friend that it has been an uphill struggle, to which Cap asks ‘And it wasn’t in the old days? You and me…your brother Pietro…Clint… don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how tough that tour of duty was?’, before pointing out that now Wanda is team leader, and that she deserves it. Wanda replies that she relishes the challenge, even if Tony sometimes forgets who is in charge. Wanda adds that Tony is used to being his own boss. ‘That’s Tony. Drive, determined, self-reliant…and not without a sense of humor, it would appear’ Cap replies as he looks over and sees Tony and the fake Iron Man standing next to each other.
10:26 PM, USAgent and Hawkeye shake hands, while Rachel lies on a sofa and watches them. Walker remarks that he was beginning to think Hawkeye wouldn’t show. ‘And after the trouble I went to make sure Plato would let you in on the sly’ Walker adds. ‘I don’t know, Agent…I still ain’t sure I should’ve come at all’ Hawkeye replies. ‘You know how I feel about Stark. These days I’d like nothing better than to kick his butt’ Hawkeye remarks. Walker puts a hand on Clint’s shoulder and tells him that this is an ideal time to kiss and make up. ‘I’m telling you, Barton, Stark’s been doing a lot of thinking lately’ Walker begins.
USAgent continues, telling Hawkeye that Stark knows he has hurt a lot of people, played them for fools, screwed them around, now he is out to make amends. Walker adds that Stark has even been talking to Rhodes again. ‘And the beef they had makes yours look like a schoolyard tiff!’ Walker points out. Clint frowns, and reminds Walker that he is the one who got him to give up his “living in the woods” lifestyle, but that it is not the old days anymore. ‘I can’t just waltz in here and pretend nothing’s changed!’ Clint exclaims. He adds that after Bobbi died, he lived out in the wilderness, in every sense of the word. ‘I need space’ he explains, adding that now Stark has this new team, and he is not sure whether he fits in anymore. ‘Bottom line, Agent? I don’t trust Stark’ Clint reveals.
Hawkeye remarks that Stark plays around with people’s feelings to get what he wants, as it is just business to him. Walker asks Clint to come and talk to Stark, promising him that it is the right thing. Clint asks Walker to let him cool off here for a while and get his mind straight. Walker motions to a monitor and tells Clint that Stark wants to see the old West Coast team in private later on, and that Plato will let him listen in on the monitor. ‘I’m sure what you hear him say will reassure you’ Walker adds, before suggesting Clint then come and join the party, as it will freak everyone out. ‘Maybe’ Clint replies, while Rachel keeps watching him.
10:15 PM, the Recorder films Century and Amanda Chaney, who are standing away from the rest of the guests. ‘So, Century…how do you like Christmas?’ Amanda asks. Century replies that, in the normal way, an endorphin response triggers the pleasure centers of his brain. ‘No…I meant what do you think of it’ Amanda declares. Century replies that he does not think he likes / enjoys / appreciates it at all. He points out that it is a human custom, and he is not human. Century announces that it reminds him of the ritual of Ud Gathion that they used to do. ‘No kidding’ Amanda replies, before turning to the Recorder and telling him to scram.
Amanda turns back to Century and tells him that she thought his past was an amnesiac blank. Century holds his head as he replies that it is - it was / has been / persists in being so. He reveals that lately, fragments have been returning. Century goes over to a chair and sits down. Amanda follows him and asks if he is all right. Century replies that his mind hurts, that there is a flashing, like lightning. ‘Ud Gathion…the procession…people singing…’. Amanda announces that she will go get someone, and tells the alien to stay put as she rushes off.
‘Query. Explain this distress’ the Recorder states as he holds the camera close to Century. The alien explains that the Mandarin took his staff, Parallax, from him for a while, and only in its absence did he learn how dependent he is upon it. He explains that his minds destabilized and that they have not yet recovered. ‘So many…in my head…screaming to get out. Pieces of memory…a girl…in the procession…my child! And with her - my life-mate! I see their faces…but I can’t remember their names!’ Century exclaims. He gets up off the chair as Wanda arrives. ‘Amanda said you were ill…’ Wanda begins. Century replies that he is not, but explains that as in China, his recollective faculties are returning. He adds that it is a matter of time until he remembers who he is - and what he is.
11:01 PM, Wanda, Julia and Walker, as well as Hank and Miguel are gathered in a private lounge, while Tony stands before them. ‘Bear with me…this won’t take long’ Tony announces, explaining that he needed to have a private word with them, and that it is long overdue. Tony declares that he has done some things he is not proud of. ‘As far as you’re all concerned, I walked out on the West Coast team, and faked my own death’. He tells his companions that he never apologized to any of them for that deception and abandonment.
11:03 PM, Hawkeye is sitting with Rachel, and holds out an arrow, explaining that it is a signaling arrow, that air rushes through it and it whistles. He tells her that she could tape it to her new board and drive everyone in the building nuts. ‘I ain’t much big on gifts…but Merry Christmas anyhow, kid!’ Clint tells Rachel, who smiles and exclaims ‘Whoa! Cool! Thanks, Mister Hawkeye!’ Clint notices on the monitor that Stark is saying his piece, so Clint orders the computer to increase volume, where Stark can be heard saying ‘Never forget Simon Williams. I hope you can all make the memorial service next week…and Hawkeye. Always the clown. Always the joker, driving me crazy with his loud-mouthed opinions’. This doesn’t impress Clint, who mutes the sound, and declares ‘So he’s been thinking lately, huh? About what? New ways to insult old friends?’
If Clint hadn’t muted the monitor, he would have heard Tony say that he regrets Clint’s absence tonight more than he can say, as Clint was the backbone of the West Coast team. ‘I hope one day to count him a friend again’ Tony adds. Tony remarks that the break they made with the Avengers wasn’t on the best of terms, and he wants to make sure there are no hard feelings. ‘And if you guys ever need our help…’ he says to Hank, who smiles and replies ‘You’re in the book, right?’ Tony admits that he had no business running out on his responsibilities to the West Coast team. ‘And I didn’t see fit to trust any of you, and I’m ashamed of that’. Tony then says ‘In plain English…I’m sorry. And I wanted to tell you that in person’. Tony assures his team that from now on there will be no more deception, before suggesting they rejoin the party.
11:35 PM, Fisher and Amanda stand before “Iron Man“, asking him why he cannot tell them who he really is. ‘Stark’s given us top clearance on everything else!’ Fisher exclaims, to which “Iron Man” replies that he is a very private person. Captain America goes over to Iron Man and tells him that Hank has told him about the memorial for Simon, and that he will be there. Tony replies that it would mean a lot. ‘I know you haven’t been feeling too good lately’ Tony adds, explaining that he has sent notice to everyone who knew or worked with him, so it should be quite a crowd. Cap and Tony shake hands, as Cap tells Tony that despite his loss, his new team looks like it is working out, adding that it deserves to. ‘Just give Wanda some breathing room’ Cap suggests. ‘She’s been talking, eh?’ Tony asks, before assuring Cap that he will try.
The partygoers mingle around, while USAgent squats down beside Rachel and asks ‘Gone?’ to which Rachel replies that Hawkeye listened to Tony on the monitor, then got real mad and left. ‘He said to tell you sorry’ Rachel adds. USAgent declares that he doesn’t get it. ‘What’s it take to get through to that guy?’ Nearby, close friends Wanda and Julia are discussing Tony, with Wanda remarking that his apology had been a long time coming. Julia replies that it sounded like to her as if Tony got a weight off. ‘Things he needed to say. I think he meant every word’ Julia adds. ‘Let’s hope so’ Wanda frowns.
‘Playback’ Century calls out to a monitor as he sits in a chair and re-watches the Recorder’s video tape of him. ‘I see their faces…but I can’t remember their names!’ Century can hear himself saying on screen. ‘Rewind. Playback’ Century orders as he listens to that phrase once more, and again’ sitting in the darkness, he frowns….


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Orphan (1st Story)<br> Sense of Loss (2nd Story)
1st story:
A million years away…that’s how close the nearest human being is…one day, a hundred millennia from now, this volcanic wilderness will be called Australia, and this man will be called Willie Walkaway…he will be a police officer in the outback town of Kagoona Crossing, and, on one impossible midnight, he will clothe himself as his ancestors did…to fight alongside the American super heroes Force Works to protect his hometown from a living, waking nightmare. And, in the middle of that struggle, in the blink of an eye, time will snap out of joint…and he will find himself alone here now…a million years away. He stands on a ledge as lightning crackles in the sky above, and volcanic ash billows from the raging volcanoes.
Over the howling assault of the wind, Willie Walkaway hears a voice in his head. ‘Who are you? How can I hear you?’ he calls out. The voice is so loud, it shakes his inner ear, his sinuses, his soft palate. Blood streams from his nose. It repeats one word, over and over…. ‘Orphan? What…does it mean?’ Willie calls out, before the voice resonates once more: ‘You have dream-sight…you can understand me…I am Orphan…’. Again time jumps the rails, space slides sideways, and Willie Walkaway becomes a witness to events that occurred before human history began, floating alongside a spaceship that plummets to the earth below.
The Orphan’s voice resonates once more, announcing that he came to this place long ago, from beyond the Dreamland. ‘I was orphaned…and fell from the sky…I fell because my mother-ship died above your world…in the flames of my arrival, the living beings inside me also perished’. Still in the past, Willie hovers over the crash-site, where his ancestors have gathered. ‘For ages I slept’ the Orphan reveals, explaining that Willie’s ancestors felt his presence and came and watched over him, keeping him safe. ‘In a heartbeat, that was twenty of your generations, they came to venerate me as a sacred place. A place of dreams’ the Orphan reveals.
The Orphan continues, explaining that this was because he was built to be controlled by the power of the mind. So, instinctively, he tapped into their mental rhythms and made their dreams into reality. ‘So that’s how you’re messing with me head’ Willie declares, before shouting ‘ENOUGH!’ as he hovers in a chasm, and asks here his friends and Force Works are. ‘We were being attacked…by you or by someone using your power!’ Willie declares. Orphan replies that he doesn’t understand, and asks Willie why he is alarmed, as it was only one of his kind dreaming. ‘A man called Shane. He is dreaming through me. That is how it has always been’ the Orphan explains. Willie replies that Shane is a crazy man. ‘You must realize that! He must be stopped!’
‘Let me go! Let me -’ Willie calls out, before he finds himself back in reality, as time shunts back into place, throwing him down by the wreck of the Works Wagon. He sees Alf lying sprawled by the wreckage and he asks where the others are. But Alf is silent, his face horror-stricken. ‘Looks like another poor galah died of fright’. Willie looks upwards and calls out to the Orphan, asking him where his friends are ‘Have you killed them, too?’ he demands.
 A split second ago, Tony “Iron Man” Stark was with his teammates in the Works Wagon as the nightmare apparition attached. ‘What in blazes?’ Iron Man calls out as he finds himself alone. ‘Wanda? Agent? Iron Man to Works personnel! Report your position!’ Iron Man calls out through the communication system. Disorientated, he checks his armor’s time / location monitor and finds he is exactly when and where he was a split second ago. Tony is surprised when he sees some kind of techno-organic growth sprouting from the landscape and spreading like wildfire. Suddenly, the growth wraps around Tony and invades his armor, burrowing into the on-board systems. ‘I’m trapped!’ he tells himself. The growth inside the armor. Tony has no choice, he has to evacuate the armor before it’s too late - ‘NOOOO!’ he cries out as the techno-organic growth overwhelms him.
Meantime, Spider-Woman remembers being throw across the tilting cabin of the wagon, and then…finds herself crouched on a very large spider web. ‘Hello? Where - where is everyone?’ Julia Carpenter calls out. Her surroundings make no sense to her. She feels a clammy, stale breeze against her face, and hears the crack of thick, fleshy cables, and then a voice at the heart of the web - ‘Mom!  Mommy! Help me, Mom! I’m scared!’ Rachel calls out to her mother. ‘Oh my God! Rachel!’ Julia gasps. She moves swiftly across the giant spider-web towards her daughter - but not fast enough, as the alien Scatter erupt from the flesh of the web…Julia’s greatest fear. The bugs overwhelm her, and Julia screams - and screams!
Elsewhere, Century freezes. His teammates have just vanished. They were under attack. A dark power was ripping open the Works Wagon’s hull. And then…calmly, his analytical alien mind comforts the enigma. Perhaps it is he who has moved. But Parallax, his staff, tells him there has been no change of location. ‘This is Century. I request a response. Is there anyone else present?’ the alien calls out via communicator. Suddenly, ‘Yes’ a voice replies. Century spins around and sees a colorless black-and-white version of himself. ‘What? It is not possible!’ he gasps. ‘Away from me, phantom!’ Century shouts as he attempts to swipe his doppelganger with Parallax. However, countless more black-and-white doubles appear. ‘Get away or…NO!’ Century gasps, ‘NOOO!’ he calls out as the doubles overwhelm him, completely engulfing him. .
Elsewhere, ‘Well, Scarlet Witch? We’re waiting…’ Iron Man calls out to Wanda Maximoff who exclaims ‘What on Earth? Where did it go? Did I black out, or -?’ she asks, confused. ‘What are you talking about, woman? You’re losing it, aren’t you? I knew it was a mistake putting you in charge!’ Iron Man declares. ‘Your dumb calls are gonna get us wasted, Witch!’ USAgent shouts. ‘Yeah! Rachel’s going to be an orphan thanks to you!’ Spider-Woman remarks. Wanda begins to cry, and asks ‘Why are you doing this? WHY?’, to which Century raises Parallax over the Scarlet Witch’s head and suggests it would be best / preferable / safest for them all if she was dead.
Meantime, Johnny Walker a.k.a. the USAgent wonders how he came to be so alone. Because when you are alone, there are scary things that come for you. He is a young boy. He shovers and curls up tight as he sits on his bed. His clothes are too big. He must’ve been playing the dress-up game. Now it’s way past bedtime. And there’s something in the closet…. Johnny’s Pa always told him there was nothing to be scared of, no bogey man out there in the dark. But the closet door swings open. Pa was lying. ‘No! No! No! NO!’ Johnny screams as the hideous monster looms over him.
But, Johnny turns his hand into a fist - and throws the best punch of his life. There is a massive WH-KRIIISH noise as little Johnny Walker is replaced by his handsome and heroic present self - as USAgent shatters the illusion plaguing him. Reality slams back into place, and Johnny stands up, while his teammates are still trapped in their nightmares. ‘Streuth! Where did you all come from?’ Willie Walkaway exclaims as he stumbles across Force Works. ‘Easy now, Lady Spider’ Willie tells Julia as he helps her up, while Century struggles to sit up, confused. ‘Gone! It’s gone!’ Iron Man declares, while USAgent asks Wanda if she is okay. ‘I was locked in one mess of a bad dream there for a second’ USAgent announces. Julia remarks that she was too, while the Scarlet Witch asks USAgent how he managed to break out of it.
‘I slugged it’ Walker smiles, explaining that he knew it could not be real, so he hit it with a knuckle burger. ‘Hey, what did you expect from me…brain surgery?’ USAgent asks. Willie informs Force Works (calling them “mates”), that he had a dream of his own, and wised up to a thing or two. He announces that they are dealing with an alien presence here, who calls itself the Orphan and responds to human thought. Willie informs Force Works that the Orphan came here thousands of years ago and that it can manifest their greatest dreams, or their greatest nightmares, although it does not know the difference between right and wrong.
‘What’s worse, right now that maniac Shane is in control of it!’ Willie motions upwards and suggests they get to the Orphan before Shane starts mind-mauling them again. The Scarlet Witch climbs up the side of a cliff, leading the way. Spider-Woman climbs up on a web, while Willie and Century follow, and USAgent brings up the rear. Iron Man flies overhead, and informs Wanda that he will go on ahead and scout the cliff top area, but the Scarlet Witch tells him to hold it, and informs him that they stay as a group, against something this volatile, they cannot afford to weaken by splitting up. ‘If Hell breaks loose again, I want to know where everybody is! I don’t want to have to worry about you off grand-standing on your own’ Wanda declares. Annoyed, Iron Man replies that he doesn’t “grandstand”.
‘I do my job. Under these circumstances, I think -’ Tony calls out, but an even more annoyed Scarlet Witch firmly tells Iron Man that it is not open for discussion. ‘We keep together! Agreed?’ she orders. ‘Fine’ Iron Man mutters as he continues to hover overhead, while Wanda and the others reach the top of the cliff. ‘Okay, people! We’re almost there!’ Wanda calls out, before everyone looks on in shock. ‘I thought I’d seen it all!’ Iron Man gasps. ‘Oh my…’ Wanda utters. ‘That’s Orphan all right’ Willie announces.
It lies in the crater, like a bullet in a shot hole. It lies where it fell a million years ago. The landscape has molded itself around it in the intervening ages, like a nest. It hums with quiet, awesome power. It is Orphan. ‘Wanda?’ Tony asks. ‘I’m thinking, Iron Man!’ Wanda retorts as everyone stares at the massive, sprawling Orphan. Wanda then informs everyone to get down there, and to stay alert. The heroes make their way down the cliff face towards the crater. ‘Curious…’ Century begins. ‘What is it?’ Spider-Woman asks him. Century announces that local energy readings are rising at an exponential rate. ‘See how Parallax vibrates / twitches / resonates?’ as he holds his staff overhead.
Suddenly, ‘No! Again! I can hear it again!’ Willie cries out. Spider-Woman turns to him, and informs him that his nose is bleeding. ‘Don’t mind me, darling - I know what this means’ Willie replies, before declaring that Shane is coming out for round two. Suddenly, the manifestations of demons and a large skeleton appear over Force Works. ‘Okay, team! You know the drill! Everything you’ve got and then some!’ Wanda orders Force Works, who attack the creatures, and the skeleton. The skeleton punches Century, knocking the alien backwards, while Willie announces that they have got to get inside and disconnect Shane’s rapport with the Orphan. ‘I hear that! Follow me in! I’m immune to this creep’s tricks!’ USAgent calls out as he punches one of the creatures with his photon shield.
Wanda calls out to John, telling him that he doesn’t know that, and orders Julia to back USAgent up. ’Whatever you’re planning, Wanda - do it soon!’ Iron Man exclaims as the skeleton grabs him.  ‘Wait up, Agent!’ Julia calls out. ‘Shields ignite!’ Walker shouts as he leaps down into the sprawling Orphan, while calling back that he is not waiting for anyone. ‘So hurry up, Spi, cuz I’m almost there!’ Walker announces. ‘You got it!’ Julia tells him as she dodges the jagged teeth of one of the demon manifestations. USAgent and Spider-Woman both land near a man, slumped against the wall of Orphan, and Spider-Woman suggests that he mist be Shane, and that it looks like he is in a coma. ‘Yeah’ Walker agrees as he puts his hands on Shane, despite Spider-Woman telling him to be careful.
‘Of course I will’ Walker declares, before he cries out in pain. Julia immediately throws up a psi-web to pull USAgent free from Shane, but she receives a backlash when the psi-web conducts the dream energy, and the feedback strikes her. She screams, while a voice resonates around them: ‘What - is - this?’ the voice asks.
Back at the scene of the battle, Willie tells the rest of Force Works that he is sorry to break the news, but he thinks they are losing. ‘Never say die, Willie Walkaway - not while -’ Wanda begins, when suddenly, ‘Good Lord!’ Wanda gasps, as the manifestations dissipate. ‘They’re vanishing!’ Willie exclaims, surprised. USAgent and Spider-Woman return to the others, and Wanda asks Walker what happened. Carrying Shane’s body, Walker announces that it is over, as Orphan killed Shane. Julia explains that while she was stunned, she thinks her psi-web linked her unconscious mind with Orphan’s dream-state, and Orphan learned from Agent and her, their minds showed it a different set of values, and made it realize through Shane it might be doing wrong.
Iron Man supposes that Orphan was shocked by that realization, and it reacted in an extreme way, killing what it perceived as the evil party. Iron Man remarks that Shane was a killer, but that he didn’t deserve summary execution this way. ‘Orphan’s like a child…eager, curious, innocent. When it realized what it was allowing Shane to do, it acted impetuously’ Willie suggests. ‘The kid’s got a lot to learn’ USAgent remarks.
Sunrise, Force Works and Willie have gathered at the base of the crater, and Willie announces that he will stay, as Orphan needs a new Dreamguard to watch over it. Willie adds that he will try to teach the Orphan a thing or two about the world it is in. Wanda shakes Willie’s hand and wishes him luck, while giving him a Force Works collar stud communicator so he can stay in touch with them. Wanda points out that Orphan is a wonder, but that it could be a potential threat to them al. Force Works walk away from Willie, who smiles and looks at the communicator. ‘Hey! Does this mean I’m a member of - ?? NAH’ he exclaims, before calling to Force Works, telling them to “dream good”.
2nd story:
‘Friends…I wish that today’s gathering was not necessary…’ Iron Man says to the huddled assemblage of heroes - including USAgent, the Scarlet Witch, Spider-Woman, and another dozen or so who have worked with Wonder Man over the years, such as the Beast, Captain America and Hercules.
Nearby in the cemetery, standing under a barren tree, Force Works’ PR manager, Amanda Chaney, is with the alien hero called Century, and asks him if he is sure he doesn’t want to sit with the others. Century replies that it would seem inappropriate. Amanda asks Century if he feels awkward about participating in a human custom, to which Century explains that he did not know the man they are mourning. ‘I’m sure that doesn’t matter’ Amanda tells him. ‘Perhaps…but I am sure it does matter that I’m responsible for his death’ Century points out.
‘How can you say that?’ Amanda asks. ‘With all conviction’ Century replies, reminding Amanda that he led the Scatter to Earth, and they destroyed the Kree starship, causing Wonder Man to die. Century informs Amanda that the other members of Force Works have never confronted him with this, but that he senses that in their hearts they know it is true. He points out that this service today brings it all back to them, and wonders whether they will want anything to do with him when it is over. ‘Can I be frank with you?’ Amanda asks Century. ‘You wish to assume a new name?’ Century asks, misunderstanding. ‘I mean blunt / honest / direct’ Amanda explains, using Century’s common device of stating three words.
Iron Man can be seen standing several feet away from them as he performs the eulogy, while Amanda tells Century that she is no analyst, her job at Stark Industries is public relations, and perhaps this is not for her to say: ’But will you snap out of it?’ she asks Century. Amanda informs Century that she has read Iron Man’s mission report, and reminds him that he has told her himself, that the Scarlet Witch’s hex power brought him here, that he had no choice in the matter. ’You didn’t lead the Scatter here deliberately’ Amanda tells Century, adding that he is an unknown quantity to everyone, but that his track record on the team has been exemplary. Amanda declares that Century has been integral to the success of every mission so far, that he has saved lives, at the risk of his own. ‘Without you, War Machine would’ve died in China, and it was you who suggested the ultimate means to defeat the Mandarin…need I go on?’ Amanda exclaims.
Amanda takes Century’s hand and tells him that he is punishing himself for something he didn’t do, and suggests that the best way he can expunge those false feelings, is to fill the gap Wonder Man left and do his memory proud. ‘I…thank you’ Century replies. ‘Any time’ Amanda tells him.
Later, on the Desert Highway, Route 1010, homeward bound. The occupants of the limousine are silent, each lost in their own private sorrow conjured unbidden by the funeral mood. At the wheel of the limo is Happy Hogan, who feels the weight of grief in the seats behind him, and dearly wishes he could think of something to say. They all think of Wonder Man - and more.
For the Scarlet Witch, she thinks of her children, deceptive enchantments that she nonetheless loved with all her heart. For Spider-Woman, her broken marriage and the subsequent death of her estranged husband, Larry. Iron Man mourns the sudden disappearance of Veronica Benning, his girlfriend. While USAgent, well, none of them know the personal grief locked in his heart…and that perhaps is the saddest thing of all.