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

[Assistant]
Mad Dogs & Businessmen
Black Widow, Hercules, Iceman and Ivan stand in shock at seeing Rampage stood over the body of an unconscious Angel, threatening to kill him if they move any closer. Hercules challenges Rampage’s threat but Ivan tries to get in his way, knowing that Rampage is not kidding. Iceman, thinking that there is no other method of stopping the demi-god, blasts him with ice to cool him down. Hercules’ anger is now pointed towards Iceman, and the two square off. Black Widow and Ivan step between them trying to calm them both down.
Meanwhile, Rampage is in a rush and, as time is money, tells them to stop arguing and make a decision or he will end Angel’s life. The team turns their back, walking away at the protest of Hercules, but Iceman has a plan, asking the Black Widow and Hercules to be ready to move when he does. Iceman apologies for his earlier actions, but Hercules has already forgotten about it. Lowering his body temperature to near absolute zero, Iceman turns and hits Rampage with a surprise freezing blast, encasing him in a solid block of ice.
Hercules and Black Widow spring into action, knowing that the ice won’t hold rampage long picking up the unconscious Angel. However, before they have time to escape, Rampage smashes free of the ice block, charging towards them. Black Widow stands in the way, ready to deploy her widow’s bite to allow Hercules to carry Angel to safety, knowing that Iceman needs time to recover from creating the icy blast. Ivan is worried that the Black Widow will not be able to handle the ‘bruiser’. The Black Widow fires her widow’s bite but it doesn’t work on rampage in his protective armor and, as rampage brings down his fists on her, Ivan steps in the way taking the full brunt of the attack, whilst the Black widow watches in shock.
On seeing the attack, Hercules comes back and punches Rampage, knocking him into a parked car. Although Rampage is protected by his armor, he still felt the punch and thinks he must be a mad to be taking on these heroes. Worried that he may have killed Ivan, he decides its time he ran. Picking up the car, Rampage throws it directly at Hercules. Surprised at how fast the vehicle flies towards him, Hercules punches with all his might to shatter the vehicle, causing a fire in the process. As the smoke clears, Hercules curses that Rampage has fled and is nowhere to be seen.
Up on a nearby rooftop, Rampage looks down on his foes, cursing Iceman for ruining the boot-jets in his armor. With no means of escaping with the aid of his suit, Rampage contemplates his downward spiral into oblivion. He stores his armor in a crate and believes that he’ll be able to sneak past the heroes in his plain clothes, as no one will notice an ordinary workman carrying a crate.
Rampage is right as he walks past the heroes, who are to preoccupied with getting Ivan into a nearby ambulance. Black Widow is worried about Ivan. Angel tells her, no matter the cost, Ivan will be taken cared of. The doctor tells her that they will do everything that they can but it is a serious injury and that it be in the hands of God. The Black Widow is enraged. She wants to track down Rampage down and show him how deadly the Black Widow is. Angel interjects, telling her that they will stop him, BUT only to stop him from hurting anyone else. After all, they are the Champions, not the Avengers.
The Black widow thinks he is playing semantics, but agrees with him. Angel thinks that the reason Rampage was able to get away was because they went into the fight half-cocked and didn’t plan their attack. Angel thinks the team needs a leader, to which Hercules agrees but is unsure of following someone as young as Angel. Angel doesn’t want the job and suggests the Black Widow, because of the way she took charge in the battle with Pluto. The Black widow is surprised but Hercules vocally agrees stating he’d follow her on any quest.
Iceman also agrees but thinks to himself that, once the Champions are running smoothly, he is going to retire from super heroics and think about his future. Iceman doesn’t think the missing Ghost Rider would disagree, so with all in agreement the Black Widow decides that there first stop should be the hospital to check on Ivan, Hercules agrees and adds that there shall be a reckoning once they find the villain.
Later on the 6 o’clock news, there is a piece on the bank robbery, showing footage of Rampage and stating that there is an all points bulletin for his arrest. Amos Crawley, Stuart ‘Rampage’ Clarke’s recently fired attorney, realizes that the suit looks like sketches Stuart had shown him of an exo-skeleton design. Amos decides that, being the public-spirited attorney that he is, he’ll phone the police, paying Stuart back for firing that very morning.
At Clarke Futuristics, Stuart looks down on his rampage suit mulling over the fact that inflation and unfair competition had sunk the company and forced him down this villainous path. Stuart decides that he was lucky at the bank robbery but he needs to dismantle the suit before it’s too late. As if on cue, the police have surrounded the building and asking for him to come out and surrender. Frightened of going to prison and no way he could fight the police, Stuart wonders what he could do, especially because the boot jets are still damaged.
The police decide to go into the building, as there has been no response. Standing by the door, they here a noise from the other side, only for it to be suddenly broken open by rampage flying out using an experimental ionic jet pack knocking one officer unconscious. Rampage thought that the jet pack would get him to safety without having to harm anyone, but because he hit the officer on his way out, he believes that he may have murdered him. With hardly any fuel in the jet pack rampage doesn’t think he’ll stand a chance of getting out of the city alive.
Meanwhile at the hospital, Black widow informs Hercules and Angel that Ivan was lucky and will recover from his injuries. Outside the room, Iceman hears the news on the radio of Rampage trying to escape. Realizing it was a good decision by the Widow to keep an ear out for any reports on the radio, Iceman informs the others that a second chance at rampage is imminent.
Back on Hollywood Boulevard, Rampage jet pack has run out of fuel, and the only thing he can do is throw blocks of concrete at the police, who are firing at him. Rampage just wants to be left alone, and one of the officers can’t believe that Rampage thinks they’ll let him escape.
Out of nowhere, the Champions arrive, ready to take down Rampage. The Black Widow lets Angel lead the attack, who is carrying Hercules’ golden mace. On getting to Rampage first, Angel smites him with the mace knocking him to the ground. Rampage tells him he just wanted to slip out of town quietly but now he is going to have to fight his way out. He lunges at Angel, but misses, only to be hit by ice daggers fired by Iceman.
Whilst Rampage is distracted, the Black Widow uses her rope to swing down and kick rampage hard with both feet. Rampage is surprised and decides that, if he is going to be treated like a super villain, then he is going to be the deadliest menace the world has ever seen. Rampage goads Hercules, who hits him harder than he previously had. Rampage is surrounded, and the Champions try to reason with him and make him give up, but he believes that he’ll end up behind bars, so rushes at Iceman. Iceman creates an ice wall, which rampage runs straight into. The Black Widow kicks Rampage, telling him that he has had his chance to come peacefully.
Hoping he can squeeze out a little more power from his jet pack, he attempts to fly away but Angel smites him with Hercules’s mace, knocking him to the ground. Hercules then swings Rampage by his arm into the side of a building. With his jet pack no loner functional, Rampage decides he only has one choice. To throw the jet pack to the ground, causing it to explode. Iceman quickly reacts and puts up an ice shield to protect the champions and Rampage. Although badly injured and unconscious, rampage is still breathing, trapped amongst the rubble. The champions decide to leave him for the authorities and go home.
Amos Crawley is watching over the scene and realizes that it turned out to be a pleasant evening after all. If he moves quickly enough, he can sell Clarke Futuristics and make a tidy profit, even after paying all its creditors.


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

[Assistant]
Divide and Conquer
Hercules, Angel, Iceman, Ghost Rider, Ivan, Emerson Bale and Richard Fenster look in shock at the photos that have been delivered to them at the Champions Headquarters. Each of the photos displays an image of the attack by the Titanium Man on the Black Widow.
As Ivan looks at the photos, he wonders how much it will have hurt the Black Widow to have failed in combat. Hercules slams his fist down on the desk in anger at seeing the photos and confronts the man who delivered them: Rampage. Rampage is not scared by Hercules’ threats, especially as he feels that he holds all the aces. Ivan tries to calm Hercules down, before demanding that Rampage tell them where the Black Widow is. Rampage doesn’t want to be rushed into giving up the answer or the reason why she was kidnapped. This enrages Ivan, but Rampage who reminds him that it wasn’t long ago that he almost killed him.
Iceman warns Ivan that he doesn’t stand a chance but, as Ghost Rider states, he is not listening. Ivan doesn’t believe Rampage has the brains to come up with this scheme; he thinks that he has just been hired to deliver the message. Ivan thinks it something to do with Mother Russia. Rampage has no idea who is responsible. All that he can tell them is that the person running the show is really interested in Ivan and goes by the name of The Outcast. Ivan is shocked to hear that name and calls Rampage a liar, punching him in the face. Hercules is impressed by the power of the strike, and Ivan tells him that it almost broke his hand but it was worth it. Ghost Rider points out that it doesn’t seem to have affected Rampage that much, who has shook it off as if it was nothing. Angel tells Rampage that he thought he was misguided but now realises that he is just plain nuts.
The Champions surround Rampage who picks up a bust of a horse’s head, crushing it in his hand. Rampage thinks that he can have some fun fighting the Champions but, before he can do that, he must deliver his final message. Rampage tells the Champions that, once he presses the stud on his chest, they will have audio contact with his employer, the Outcast. However, things do not work out as expected for Rampage. On pressing the stud an intense energy starts to burst from it causing Rampage extreme pain and then blowing him up. Hercules protects Ivan from the blast and Iceman creates an ice screen to protect the rest of the team. Angel thinks that Rampage must be mad to do blow himself up, but Ghost Rider surmises that it was unexpected, as he looked as stunned as they are.
Flying outside the building, Darkstar and the Griffin look at the flames billowing from the window. Knowing that the ‘message’ has been sent, they turn and leave. The Griffin laughs at Rampage’s misfortune, and jokes that it was a shame he never got time to spend the money he was given for delivering the message. Darkstar, on the other hand, tells Griffin that she is not as cold as him and believes that someone should only be killed if it is absolutely necessary. Darkstar tells the griffin that there master, Yuri, may command her obedience but not her conscience. For all the good it does her, it belongs to her.
Back inside the office, which is burning, thanks to the explosion, Ghost Rider tells the others to leave before all the exits are blocked by fire. He alone will recover Rampages body. Iceman tells him to hold his horses because he doesn’t want the building to turn into a towering inferno, and starts to create a snowstorm to put out the flames. With the immediate threat taken care of, Hercules cannot believe how powerful the blast was; the oak furnishings in the room where blown around like leaves.
Richard Fenster and Emerson Bale come out from behind the cover of Angel’s wings. Ghost Rider reaches Rampage and is surprised to find that he is still breathing. Iceman instructs Richard Fenster to phone for an ambulance, whilst Angel removes Rampage’s helmet to help him breathe. There is nothing else the team can do and these five powerful beings stand around in silence, totally helpless, as Rampage lies dying. But an enraged Ivan wants to know what has been done to the Black Widow and who this Outcast is, demanding a barely conscious rampage to tell them.
Rampage thinks that he is finished and that the Outcast double-crossed him, so he tells Ivan that he only knows that the outcast said he was close to Ivan from a long way back. An upset Ivan lashes out at the wall, knowing that they have no answers, only riddles. Angel tells Ivan to relax and Hercules tries to console him, telling that they will rescue the Black Widow no matter what. Ivan thinks that just because they’ve known her for a few weeks that they have the right to care, but Ghost Rider reminds him that caring is part of the job description for heroes.
Ghost Rider doesn’t believe that Rampage will live if they wait any longer for the ambulance, so decides that he will take him to the hospital on his bike. When he gets back they will all go and find the Black Widow. Angel thinks that he could get Rampage there faster but Ghost Rider dismisses him; they’ll have a race another time. As Ghost Rider leaves, a shocked Richard Fenster realizes that unlike the others Ghost Rider isn’t wearing a mask and that is actually a flaming skull. Emerson Bale tells him that is why he had to sit down.
After Emerson Bale has left, Richard Fenster tells the remaining champions that, as their public relations man, they have an appointment in 2 hours, for their inauguration, and both the team and their temporary headquarters look an absolute mess. Angel thinks they should cancel, seeing as two of the team are not with them. Ivan is upset with this remark. He knew the Black Widow believed in this group and can’t believe that Angel wants to throw in the towel. With that, he storms out. Iceman feels like a leper at seeing Ivan leave, but Hercules points out that Ivan is feeling helpless and that’s why he has left upset. Richard Fenster thinks that Ivan needs some time alone, to cool down and figure out how to track the Widow. Whilst he is doing that the rest of the team can start getting the headquarters cleaned up.
They start to tidy up, but Iceman tells Angel that he would like to go and help Ivan out; he isn’t interested in the press conference. Angel lets him go, and shares his doubts over the whole inauguration, thinking that the press will smell trouble as soon as they turn up. Hercules is not so down hearted and believes that, even with just the pair of them, no one will give a thought to anything other than the magnificence of their presences, especially the ladies.
In the older, seaside section of Los Angeles known as Venice, the Black Widow wakes from unconsciousness in an abandoned warehouse with her former teacher, Alexi Bruskin. They are both tied up, unable to move. Darkstar enters and asks if the Black Widow requires anything as she has been made their temporary jailer. The Black Widow wants to know who the others are. Darkstar explains that they are herself, the titanium man, the griffin and Yuri and she will meet them soon. The Black Widow is worried about Commissar Bruskin and whether he was hit too hard. However the titanium man enters the room and tells her it was only as hard as was necessary. Darkstar asks him if there has been any news. The Titanium man tells her that everything is going according to plan, but doesn’t want to talk about it in front of their ‘guests’. Darkstar thinks the Black Widow should know what is to become of her and why she is wanted back in Russia but leaves with the Titanium Man. The Titanium Man detects concern in Darkstar’s voice, and knows that Yuri would not be pleased. Darkstar believes there is more to this attack than just getting the Black Widow back into the service of mother Russia, The Griffin thinks that all they do is talk and is eager to fight especially with Angel. The Titanium Man tells him to be patient and wait till they give the word. However on saying this, the Titanium Man is hit in the back with an energy blast coming from the Crimson Dynamo. The Crimson Dynamo tells him that it is only when he gives the order, no one else. Lifting up his mask it is revealed that the Crimson Dynamo is Yuri Petrovitch, the Outcast. He has been given the honor of returning the three defectors, The Black Widow, Commissar Bruskin and his father, Ivan Petrovitch.
Meanwhile on the rooftop of the Champions headquarters, Ivan is demonstrating to Iceman his new Tracking scope device he has built. He shows him the black pearl they found inside the missile that had attacked them earlier and explains that they are only carried by one man, Alexi Bruskin. He thinks that he will more than likely have another black pearl on him and by using the tracking device they will be able to follow the pearl’s energy signature. Using the scope, Ivan identifies the pearls frequency which provides a trail for them to follow. Iceman tells him there is no time to lose and creates an ice slide for them to get where they are going faster. Ivan apologises for his earlier outburst and tells Iceman that he’ll keep him in popsicles for a year if he can get him to the Black Widow. Iceman thanks him, but he’d appreciate it if he stopped calling him a kid.
Across town, Ghost Rider is racing on his hell cycle through the traffic to get the injured Rampage to Los Angeles hospital. Ghost Rider is worried as he lost track of Rampage’s pulse 10 minutes ago and might not make it in time.
On arriving at the hospital Ghost Rider asks for help, but the hospital porter is angry, stating that he can’t just drop off dead bodies without explanation. Ghost Rider snaps back that there isn’t time to explain because the delay would surely cause Rampage to die. Ghost rider tells the porter to make sure he is cared for other wise he will be held accountable when he returns. With that Ghost Rider turns and speeds off.
Back at Champions headquarters, Richard Fenster has supplied Angel a new costume for the one that was earlier damaged. Angel is surprised to find that the outfit is identical to his old x-men uniform except for the color, where his X-Men uniform was Blue this new suit is Red. Richard Fenster apologises but Angel can live with it. Richard explains that it is too late to worry as outside the building. everyone has arrived for the inauguration. Angel, Hercules and Richard Fenster head down to the stage to meet the adoring public and the press reporting on the event. Hercules can taste the adoration, but Angel thinks it’s all too much. Angel and Hercules wave at the crowd, and Governor brown comes onto the stage to greet them. He asks one of his aids how many members are there in the Champions, as he believed that there was 5. The aid starts to tell him that there are rumors, but before he can finish Richard Fenster comes across to greet them. Moments later Angel gives a speech, that written by Richard Fenster. Angel tells the crowd that this day is the start of a dream and the emergence of a group of individuals dedicated to fighting for every individual’s right to be free. Angel announces the Birth of the Champions, but before any celebrating can get underway The Crimson dynamo, The Titanium Man and The Griffin swoop out the sky ready to let the crowd witness their death.


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

[Assistant]
One Man’s Son is Another Man’s Posion!
‘You are going to die, Champions - and you’ll never even know why!’ booms Yuri Petrovich a.k.a. the Crimson Dynamo as he, Laynia “Darkstar” Petrovna and the Titanium Man a.k.a. Boris Bullski stand over four members of the Champions of Los Angeles, held prisoner. The glamorous Darkstar tells the Crimson Dynamo that the Champions are waking, and that she cannot maintain her Darkforce field around them much longer. ‘Bah! Let them awake! The Titanium Man fears them not!’ boasts the green-armored villain.
The four male members of the Champions rouse, and Ghost Rider exclaims that Darkstar is holding them in some kind of energy field. Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Angel rubs his head and remarks that the last thing he remembers is their battle at their inauguration, but that was in Los Angeles. ‘Where in blazes are we now?’ he wonders.Laynia becomes overwhelmed by the use of her powers, and calls out to Yuri, who assures her that it will not be much longer. ‘Just enough to enjoy their helplessness!’ he exclaims. ‘Base villain!’ booms Hercules as he slams his fists against the Darkforce field, boasting that no mere power of darkness can hold the son of Zeus. ‘By Achilles’ shield!’ Hercules gasps as he is repelled. ‘Nothing! The field defies you, Olympian!’ Ghost Rider points out.
Bobby “Iceman” Drake suggests to Ghost Rider a.k.a. Johnny Blaze that they combine their powers to see if they can do any better. ‘That is - if you can drop the Bela Lugosi routine long enough to go into action!’ Bobby adds. ‘If you knew the source of my power, frozen one, you would not question its manifestation!’ Ghost Rider retorts, his human appearance now replaced by a flaming skull, as fire and ice bombard Darkstar’s force field. Darkstar falls backwards, but the Crimson Dynamo catches her as she exclaims that it is too much, that she cannot hold them.
Crimson Dynamo suggests to his Russian comrades that they prepare to depart at once. ‘We will do our gloating at a safe distance!’ he exclaims. ‘But the Champions -’ Titanium Man remarks as the heroes move towards him. Darkstar assures the Titanium Man that the Champions will be held by a force even greater than hers. ‘Heads up! The girl’s up to something!’ Angel exclaims, pointing at Darkstar, who announces ‘It is done! Nothing can stay our departure now!’ With that, Darkstar uses her Darkforce to teleport herself and the armored Russians away. ‘Good Lord! They’re fading out! The field around them is gone!’ Angel exclaims. ‘But so are they!’
Moments later, Darkstar, the Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man re-appear. ‘We are on the surface once more!’ Laynia exclaims, while the Crimson Dynamo remarks that the accursed, interfering Champions languish imprisoned in a place yet unknown to them.
Indeed, Angel exclaims that the Russians are gone, and left them inside some kind of steel cubicle. ‘If they think they’ve trapped us - then they’ve reckoned without Hercules!’ Ghost Rider remarks, as Hercules grabs the steel wall, ‘Thou speakest true!’ he tells his teammate, remarking that there is no metal - forged by god or man - that may hold against the Prince of Power. But, as Hercules rips the steel wall apart, he finds nothing but stone on the other side. Suddenly, there is a mighty rumble, and the four men are knocked off their feet. ‘What in Satan’s name -?’ exclaims Ghost Rider, while Angel declares that it is an earthquake, which started when Hercules stripped the wall away.
‘But why? And where are we that we’re surrounded by solid rocks?’ Iceman asks. Suddenly, ‘You have not yet guessed, youth?’ asks the Titanium Man as a visual-scan, courtesy of Darkstar, appears, so that the Champions can see and hear the three Russians, just as they have observed the Champions. ‘They were watching the whole time!’ Iceman gasps. Warren tells his long-time friend to be quiet, and to hear them out. Titanium Man proceeds to inform the Champions that they are encased within a vault set deep in the San Andreas Fault.
The Titanium Man explains to the heroes that there is no way out except for Darkstar’s powers of spatial displacement. ‘Any move on your part to escape will activate the Fault, and cause a series of earthquakes which will leave Los Angeles no more than a memory!’ the Titanium Man explains. Hercules lunges at the display of the Titanium Man, which causes his teammates to call out to him, telling him to wait. ‘Stop him, Bobby!’ Angel exclaims. ‘If he hits that wall -’ Warren adds - but it’s too late, as Hercules crashes into the wall. ‘Not that I could have held back a god, even if I’d wanted to!’ Bobby adds.
Suddenly, another earthquake shakes the heroes from their feet. ‘What madness rules here?’ Hercules wonders, while Warren tells him to take it easy. ‘There’s more than us at stake! There’s the whole state of California!’ he points out. ‘Thou speakest to Hercules, winged one - whom even Zeus once feared!’ Hercules remarks, before shouting that he will not be shackled. Before Hercules can do any further damage though, Ghost Rider uses his hellfire to ensnare Hercules, telling him that he will be shackled if it means his home town is at stake. ‘And I don’t need my spook-act to stop you!’ he adds.
Hercules turns to Ghost Rider and reveals that he never trusted him, for his power seemed to be a gift of Pluto and the Stygian depths of Hades! Hercules adds that the Lord of the Dead failed to hold him: ‘What hope hast thou?’ he asks Ghost Rider. ‘Stop it, both of you!’ Angels exclaims as he rushes over to Hercules, telling his teammates that no matter what they think of each other, they are a team now. Bobby agrees, and tells Hercules to calm down. ‘Maybe Blaze jumped the gun, but you gotta admit you do have a tendency to act before you think!’
Outside, the Titanium Man remarks that it is revealing to see how the Capitalists turn on each other in a moment. Crimson Dynamo tells the Titanium Man that he is a fool to see everything in terms of class struggle, remarking that there were no politics in his desire for revenge. The trio fly towards a jet which approaches overhead, and Titanium Man remarks that the Crimson Dynamo talks treason. He assures the Crimson Dynamo that once they have returned home, their masters will hear of that. ‘Quit the yappin’ and get aboard!’ the Griffin shouts from where he stands in the jet. Dynamo tells Bullski that he lives in a Stalinesque dream. ‘The homeland has changed! There are masters there no longer!’
Inside the hovering jet, the final member of the Champions - Natasha Romanova a.k.a. the Black Widow, is shackled, alongside Alexi Bruskin. ‘Ivan!’ the Black Widow calls out to another man in the jet, but he does not acknowledge her, he simply stares away. Bruskin tells Natasha that it is no use. ‘He has not spoken since the Crimson Dynamo was revealed as his son!’. The Crimson Dynamo enters with Darkstar and the others, declaring ‘A son he abounded! A son he left for dead! You remember that, don’t you, father?’. The reasonable Darkstar tries to calm Yuri down: ‘Yuri! Must you?’ she asks, to which Yuri quickly replies ‘Yes, Laynia! I must! My dear father will be made to remember - and I hope the memory kills him!’ he exclaims, removing his helmet.
‘But not too quickly!’ Yuri adds, remarking that he wants his father to suffer, the way he has been made to suffer. The Black Widow calls out to Yuri, revealing to him that she has known Ivan for years - even before he defected - so she knew that he had a son, but that both the boy and Ivan’s wife are dead, killed in a motor accident. Yuri sneers at Natasha as he replies that is the story his father told the world. ‘But if you wish to know the truth, Madame Natasha, then hear the story of Ivan Petrovich, beginning in Moscow…nineteen years ago…’.
Flashback:‘We go to zoo today, Poppa?’ a young Yuri asks his father, as they walk through Moscow, causing his mother to smile and remark that little Yuri will soon be as big as father. ‘Lenin’s Beard! The boy is only five!’ Ivan replies.
Present:Yuri explains that although he was just a boy, he still remembers the day everything changed.
Flashback continues:Some years later, Ivan was visited by two Americans, who tell him that the days of the revolution are past. ‘Communism is dead’ one of them tells him, adding that he is a scientists and master technician. ‘The West needs you, Petrovich!’ the American exclaims, while Ivan clutches wads of cash, unaware that his wife and son are in the next room and can hear what is transpiring. ‘No! Get out!’ Ivan exclaims, throwing the money back at the Americans while declaring that he froze in the snows outside Leningrad to save this land. ‘Russia is my home! If there is wrong in it - it must be changed, not destroyed!’ In the next room, young Yuri asks his mother what is going on, to which his mother tells him to hush, as his father is very angry.
A short time later, Ivan packs his wife and son into a car, telling them that they must leave Moscow for a while, as Stalin’s death has made things ugly here. Ivan’s wife tells her husband that she understands, and assures him she will write to him from the mountains, while Yuri tells his pet dog to stay with his father. However, they never reach the mountains, as shortly after, they are gunned down in their car by another car that speeds up alongside them. Mrs Petrovich screams only once over the roar of the machine gun - and then, she was beyond screaming, as her body lay half out the driver’s door. Moments later, young Yuri was taken by one of the American’s who was at his home, Medvedev. Yuri calls out to his motionless mother, unaware that standing some yards away, is his solemn father.
Present:‘I could imagine my dear father’s grief’ Yuri remarks, pointing out that the men who had taken him had just offered his father a fortune to leave Russia. ‘What better way to sever all ties?’ he asks. Natasha asks Yuri if he is mad. ‘How can you possibly believe that?’ she begins, but Bruskin informs her that there is much she does not understand. ‘Much even the boy does not know’ he adds, suggesting they let Yuri Petrovich finish his story.
Suddenly though, the Titanium Man announces that they have just picked up what can only be the American Air Force on their radar. ‘Yeah, “comrade”, and they’re moving in fast!’ the Griffin adds, reminding the Crimson Dynamo that he is in charge, and asks if he has any orders. Crimson Dynamo tells the Titanium Man and Darkstar to fly outside and stop the American Air Force, but Laynia declares that she will not work with the Titanium Man any further, as he is a butcher. ‘Hah! That is the name they called me in the camps, fair one! It is a name I relish, as the American pilots will soon see!’ the Titanium Man boasts proudly as he flies out of the ship and into the air.
‘Shall I go on, Father? Or do you still pretend not to know?’ Yuri asks, before he continues his story, revealing that the American agents - such as they were - who kidnapped him held him in West Berlin for nine years, training him, educating him and brainwashing him to work against the State - ‘But to no avail!’
Flashback continues:‘This is Caged Bird to Home Perch! I fear that soon they will discover this radio I have built. If I am to be rescued - it must be soon!’ Yuri whispers through his secret radio transmitter, while his captors stand at the other end of the room, occupied with discussion. ‘Tonight, then, Caged Bird’ comes Yuri’s reply. Later that night, true to his word, Home Perch - a.k.a. Alexi Bruskin - breaks into the facility and rescues Yuri. ‘These scum will never hurt you again!’ he exclaims, while his companion takes out the American agents. Bruskin tells his associate to clean up this den of thieves, while he takes Yuri back across the wall - home.
Present:‘Home. Home to a grave bearing my mother’s name and the disgrace of learning that my father had defected!’ Yuri exclaims, adding that his suspicions were confirmed - his father had sold them out. ‘Ivan Petrovich was a traitor!’ he exclaims. Bruskin informs Yuri that there is another side, but before he can say anything more, the Griffin interrupts, telling the Crimson Dynamo that he ought to see what he comrade is doing to the planes outside, ‘And taking his own sweet time while we hover like sitting ducks up here!’. Yuri looks out the window and horror spreads across his face, as he sees the Titanium Man blowing up the American Air Force jets, though the at least some of the pilots managed to parachute to safety. ‘Lenin’s Ghost! I ordered him to stop the planes - not destroy them!’ Yuri exclaims, before soaring out of the jet and flying towards Bullski, telling him to return to the command ship at once. ‘Why not? That was the last of the swine’ Bullski remarks as the last ship explodes.
Back inside the command ship, Ivan turns to Bruskin and exclaims ‘You said there was another side, Bruskin! What do you know?’. Bruskin remarks that now Yuri is gone Ivan decides to speak, before exclaiming ‘Very well, Ivan Petrovich! Know then - how you and your son were betrayed!’
Flashback:Before Yuri’s inexplicable rescue, Bruskin met with Medvedev, and asked him how things were going. ‘As planned, Bruskin! The boy believes himself held by the Americans! He has never guessed that it is his own people who kidnapped him!’ Medvedev replies. It wasn’t until Yuri hated the West enough, that his “rescue” was faked. Then, with Yuri “rescued” by Bruskin, Medvedev announces that he is ready, believing any lies Bruskin feeds him. ‘When the time is right - he’ll even hunt down his defector father!’
Present:‘And all for the glory of the State, eh? Bruskin? You pig!’ Ivan exclaims furiously. ‘You played both sides against the middle - and destroyed my family to do it!’ Ivan adds that Bruskin later set the Black Widow up the same way, but Bruskin claims that he did as he was ordered, and that when he could stand no more, he too defected. The Crimson Dynamo renters the jet, followed by the Titanium Man. Yuri announces that the planes are “gone” and tells Laynia to inform the Griffin to proceed. But Laynia informs Yuri that there is something he must hear about his father.
‘I have no father!’ the Crimson Dynamo snaps, telling Darkstar that he forbids her from talking to the Black Widow again. ‘I’ll not have you listening to her lies!’ he exclaims as he storms over to the Black Widow and slaps her across the face. Ivan calls out to Natasha, while Darkstar exclaims ‘Yuri! No!’. Ivan grabs hold of the Crimson Dynamo, pulling him away from the Black Widow, while he shouts at Bruskin, asking him if he sees what he has done. ‘You’ve made my son a killer!’ Ivan exclaims, while telling his son to listen to his teacher: ‘Let him tell you how he murdered your mother!’ Ivan exclaims. ‘LIAR!’ Yuri shouts back, throwing his father to the ground.
‘He’s telling the truth, Yuri!’ Laynia calls out to the Crimson Dynamo, who just shouts ‘No! No!’ back to her. Darkstar takes a stand, and uses her power to blast the shackles restraining the Black Widow and Bruskin, telling the Crimson Dynamo that if he will not listen of his own will, then he must be made to hear. But Laynia’s brave rescue attempt comes at her own expense, as the Titanium Man shouts ‘Stop her! Your wretched female is jeopardizing the whole operation!’ The Crimson Dynamo knocks Dakrstar back with a blast of energy, telling Bullski that he does not need to be told his duty, while the Black Widow calls out with concern to Darkstar.
Laynia lands on her knees and announces that she is unhurt, assuring Madame Natasha that Yuri would never hurt her. ‘But he must be made to hear the truth - before the lie he has been living…destroys him!’ Laynia exclaims, declaring that although they here lack the strength to force Yuri to hear, there are others with such strength. Laynia sends a beam of Darkforce through the jet, sending it down below the ocean.
‘Your mystic flames shall restrain me no longer! Hercules will be free!’ Hercules snaps at Ghost Rider, while Iceman reminds Hercules that there is a city at stake. ‘Maybe the whole state!’ he exclaims. But Hercules shouts ‘Lies! Our captors deceive us, hoping to keep us prisoners of false words!’ as he prepares to smash the steel prison once more. ‘No! We can’t take the chance!’ Iceman exclaims, to which Hercules reminds everyone who he is, and boasts that he has known thousands of generations of men and many times met similar deceit. ‘I will take this “chance”!’ he declares, when Angel announces that something is happening.
Indeed, something is happening, as the Darkforce engulfs the four men, and an instant later, deposits them outside. ‘Grass! Rocks! Trees! I don’t know how, but ‘ we’re out!’ Angel exclaims. Ghost Rider declares that may be, but that he is not finished with their self-appointed god. ‘Later, Blaze! Now all we’ve got to do is -’ Warren begins, but Iceman interrupts, exclaiming that they must make it to the airbase about a mile from here, commandeer a plane and head coastward. ‘Huh?’ Warren asks, confused. ‘Don’t ask me, Warren! It just popped into my head - like the old days when Professor X would contact us telepathically!’ Iceman exclaims, confused.
Back onboard the jet, the Crimson Dynamo fires a blast of energy at Black Widow, while shouting ‘Accursed witch of a traitoress! You’ll not live to stand trial!’. Natasha easily dodges the blast, telling Yuri that he has a lot to learn. ‘First, that it takes more than armor to make a warrior!’ While the Titanium Man holds Bruskin captive, Natasha tells Yuri that there are things he has yet to master - like tactics. With that, she fires her widow’s sting at the Griffin, declaring that no good commander would leave his pilot uncovered. ‘Cripes! She shot out the master control!’ the Griffin snarls, informing everyone that they are going into a dive.
The Crimson Dynamo goes up behind the Black Widow and grabs her, before ordering the Griffin to radio the submarine that awaits them and tell them to surface and pick them up here. The Griffin picks up the radio and tells the Crimson Dynamo that he will do it, but he doesn’t like it, reminding him that they are still inside the three-miles limit. ‘And while I don’t mind fighting superheroes, the feds are something else!’ Moments later, a submarine rises from the ocean.
Shortly, the Crimson Dynamo, carrying Darkstar and the Black Widow, the Titanium Man carrying Ivan Petrovich, and the Griffin carrying Alexi Bruskin, land on the submarine, with the Crimson Dynamo telling the captain that he has done well. ‘I will see you are cited for’ he assures him. ‘Spare me, comrade! I only do as I am ordered!’ the captain replies, before remarking that he disapproves of these witch-hunts instigated by forces within their government. Suddenly, one of the other soldiers alerts his captain to a fast-approaching American fighter. ‘It has seen us!’ he exclaims.
The submarine proceeds to fire at the jet, whose passengers consist of the male members of the Champions. ‘Look out, Bobby! They’re firing at us!’ Warren exclaims. Bobby avoids the blasts, remarking that this aircraft is slower than an x-plane, but that it still moves. ‘It got us here - but we better get down there before the sub dives!’ Angel adds. Moments later, Hercules leaps from the jet, while Iceman creates an ice-sled for he and Ghost Rider to get down to the sub, while Angel flies himself down. Bobby asks Hercules if he is sure he knows what he is doing, to which Hercules replies ‘Aye, lad - Hercules is sure!’, as he then drops down on the Titanium Man.
‘They’ve escaped! The Champions are here!’ the Griffin exclaims as Ghost Rider snares him in his hellfire. Angel tells his teammates to keep their foes busy, but to find the Black Widow also. Hercules can’t though, as he forces the Titanium Man into the water, remarking that the Titanium Man felled him last time. Back on the submarine, Angel spies the Black Widow, still held prisoner in the arms of the Crimson Dynamo. ‘There she is! The Dynamo’s got her!’ Warren declares. ‘And the Dynamo shall keep her!’ Yuri retorts as he fires a blast of energy at Angel. ‘Some heroes! This is like shooting fish in a barrel!’ the Griffin boasts as he throws Iceman across the submarine.
Darkstar calls out to Bruskin, informing him that the Champions dare not fight at full strength so long as Yuri holds the Black Widow prisoner. ‘Then Yuri must be made to let her go!’ Bruskin then grabs a soldier from behind and steals his rifle - which he uses to pelt the Crimson Dynamo in the back. This causes Yuri to lose his hold over the Black Widow, ‘Bruskin, you are a fool!’ he exclaims, spinning around, he fires a beam of energy at Bruskin, telling him that he will soon be a dead fool.
Suddenly, Darkstar traps Yuri in a Darkforce field, telling him that if he knew the truth, he would understand the act he just committed. ‘But knowing your ignorance - I know now that you are no more than a cold-blooded murderer!’ Laynia tells her boyfriend. ‘And though we two have shared love - now will you face the power of Darkstar!’ the glamorous blonde exclaims. ‘Laynia! My love, no!’ Yuri pleads.
One of the soldiers informs his captain that the commissar was not slain by the Dynamo’s blast, and motions to where Bruskin is reaching for a grenade from a fallen soldier. ‘Bruskin! I beg of you, comrade - stop!’ the captain exclaims. ‘I’m afraid I can’t do that’ Bruskin replies as he picks up the grenade - but, before he can throw it, the captain shoots him in the back. ‘Then, forgive me, old comrade - but I must defend my ship!’ the captain remarks. Bruskin collapses, replying that he understands, but that he has so much to make up for. ‘So much…pain caused to those who were to be the vanguard of the revolution. ‘we are…old, captain - but they deserve their time to…try!’. But, Bruskin drops the grenade, and explodes on the part of the submarine where he fell.
‘I don’t get it - who was that guy?’ Iceman asks after the explosion. Angel points out that the Widow and Ivan seemed to know him, only they don’t look like they want to talk about it right now. At that moment, Hercules emerges from the water, with the Titanium Man as his prisoner. Hercules exclaims that it would appear the blackguards are all but vanquished, while Ghost Rider once more traps the Griffin in his powers, enabling Iceman to trap the Griffin in a solid pillar of ice. ‘Back to the spook-routine, huh? Oh well, it’s your scene! I won’t knock it!’ Bobby tells Blaze.
Darkstar stands over the Crimson Dynamo and informs Ivan Petrovich that his son is down. ‘Tell me what I am to do with him!’ Laynia exclaims. ‘Kid, I -’ Ivan begins to reply, but pauses, and turns a way, tears falling from his eyes. ‘Comrade! You must decide! I am his lover! How can I?’ Darkstar pleads. ‘You’re gonna have to, kid! I don’t even know him! It’s been too many years!’ Ivan replies, telling Laynia that if Yuri has any good points, she will know them better than he ever will. ‘Do what ya want with him, kid. I just don’t care any more’. A desperate Darkstar is forced to release the Crimson Dynamo, who immediately takes off skyward, shouting back ‘Fools! You haven’t seen the last of the Crimson Dynamo!’
Later, Darkstar uses her phenomenal power to carry Iceman, Black Widow, Ghost Rider and Ivan Petrovich in a bubble, while the Titanium Man and Griffin are held in a bond attached to the bubble, with Hercules watching over them and Angel flying alongside Darkstar. Angel remarks that he hope someone has an explanation for what went on back there - for why the Crimson Dynamo was allowed to escape. Natasha remarks that there was a side of this battle known to only a few of them, and tells Angel that he must trust that what they did was right, and that maybe someday all of them will learn.
Darkstar thanks the Black Widow, ‘I hope I will prove worthy of that trust!’ Laynia adds. ‘Swell! The team for the “common man” now even keeps secrets from itself! Maybe you were right, Ivan! Maybe the Champions are a bust!’ Ghost Rider snarls at Ivan, who says nothing, his eyes hooded by a mask which will take years to draw away. The rest of the trip back to Los Angeles is made in silence….


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

[Assistant]
The Shadow from the Stars
Los Angeles, where, twenty-five stories about street-level, the Champions’ shiny new sky-car begins a 1.5 second out-of-control plunge towards sudden death! ‘What do you mean the controls are frozen?’ Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Angel shouts. ‘Just what I said, Warren! We’re in a power-dive - and I can’t pull the ship out of it!’ Natasha Romanova a.k.a. the Black Widow snaps back. The Olympian Hercules remarks that he did distrust this frail craft from the start, while Bobby “Iceman” Drake says nothing. The heroic Champions however do not seem to notice a dark-skinned man wearing a lab coat on a nearby rooftop as they fall past him. ‘The Champs are in trouble - bad! And there’s nothing I can do to help them!’ he thinks to himself.
‘Do something, lady! Pull back on this stick! Kick it! Anything…but do something!’ Angel - a former member of the X-Men - shouts. The Black Widow frowns as she assures Angel that she is trying - despite his senseless commands. An instant later, the Champions’ sky-car straightens out and no longer falls - and just in time too, several feet above many civilians below. Angel remarks that the steering is back, and asks if the landing controls are too. Bobby - another former member of the X-Men - tells his friend to lay off the Black Widow. ‘I mean, not all of us were born to fly!’ he exclaims.
‘Just what we need - advice from the peanut gallery!’ Angel mutters, to which Hercules quickly asks him who made him ‘Boss-man of this team?’ the Black Widow tells her male companions to be quiet as she is trying to land, while the mysterious man on the nearby rooftop thinks to himself ‘Here they come - and fast!’. Angel spreads his wings and takes to the air, telling the Black Widow that she must slow down, otherwise she will overshoot the roof. ‘She’s trying!’ Bobby exclaims, before calling out to Warren to come back here.
Angel assures Iceman that he is not bailing out, simply clearing the way, as he flies over to the man on the rooftop and asks him to move it. ‘This could be a rough landing!’ he exclaims. The man rips his lab coat off as he replies that he would like to oblige, but that given he designed that sky-car, he does not aim to see it crash! With that, the man suddenly increases in size as the sky-car speeds towards him. ‘Holy smokes!’ Angel exclaims. ‘By my troth - a giant!’ gasps Hercules. ‘Giant or not, he’s just made himself a bigger target - and we’re gonna hit him dead center!’ Iceman exclaims.
The “giant” wraps his powerful arms around the front of the sky-car as it moves towards him, replying ‘I wouldn’t worry too much about that, son! You see, a certain amount of power goes along with the size!’ But as the force of the sky-car pushes the “giant” backwards along the rooftop, Hercules leaps from the sky-car, exclaiming ‘Methinks ‘tis not enough, giant!’. ‘Methinks you’re right, Herc!’ Bobby agrees as he also leaps onto the rooftop. The “giant” remarks that the sky-car has more momentum than he thought: ‘I’m going over the edge!’ he shouts as he heels reach the edge of the rooftop.
‘There! I cut the power!’ the Black Widow announces suddenly, but Iceman points out that it is too late, and calls out to Warren, who picks him up, enabling Iceman to create an ice-ledge behind the “giant”, preventing him from falling off the roof. ‘Teamwork does it again! Just like the old days in the X-Men!’ Bobby exclaims, before forgiving his friend. ‘I don’t believe it! A platform of solid ice!’ the “giant” exclaims, still holding onto the sky-car with the Black Widow inside. Natasha tells her newfound ally to ponder it later, once he is back on the roof.
Some minutes later, Natasha asks Warren if he has any idea as to why two million dollars worth of aircraft does not work. Warren replies that he doesn’t have a single idea, before suggesting that their large friend might. ‘Speaking of whom - just who are you, big fella? I mean you’re sure not the original Giant Man I met while I was with the X-Men!’ Bobby remarks. Hercules agrees, remarking that he is neither Henry Pym nor Clint Barton, remarking that he has fought beside both - ‘And thy skin color doth mark thee as another!’ Hercules adds. ‘I’d think so!’ the Champions’ new ally replies, adding that since his cover went the way of his clothes, he introduces himself as Bill Foster: ‘Or Black Goliath! L.A.’s hardest-to-miss, spanking-new super-hero - who also happens to be Tony Stark’s West Coast rep!’ Bill explains. ‘No applause, just throw money!’ he jokes.
Black Widow thanks Black Goliath for his efforts, before adding ‘But if it was you who built the ship…’ her voice trails off as Iceman - returning to his human form - explains that the Black Goliath designed it, but that it was built by a crew hired by the Champions’ lawyer, Emerson Bale. ‘Which isn’t half as interesting as who just dropped in!’ Bobby adds, motioning to the glamorous Laynia “Darkstar” Petrovna, who drops down onto the rooftop. Natasha greets her fellow Russian femme fatale, and asks ‘I trust the customs authorities were not too hard on you?’ The Soviet defector replies that they weren’t, thanks to the intervention of Natasha’s friend, Nick Fury. ‘Darkstar thanks you, Madame Widow…from my heart’ Laynia declares. ‘And speaking of hearts…’ Bobby mumbles, eyes fixed on Laynia.
Meanwhile, Eastward, specifically, the deserts of Arizona, where the final member of the Champions - Johnny Blaze a.k.a. Ghost Rider - speeds through the desert on his motorcycle. ‘Ghost Rider! Man, what a mess of trouble I’ve had since I picked up that handle!’ As Johnny’s handsome face slowly shifts into that of a flaming skull, he thinks to himself that the Champions don’t seem to mind the Ghost Rider much - except for Hercules, who somehow equates his power with demons or something. ‘Most folks outright panic when my skull starts blazing’ Johnny thinks to himself, while telling himself that it is strange, as he is not used to getting so much understanding.
Blaze grunts, and tells himself that it would be just like him to blow it, just when he is beginning to feel as if he belongs. Suddenly, he brings his motorcycle to a screeching halt - ‘There it is - coming fast and on the hoof - STAMPEDE!’ Blaze exclaims as he leaps from the stampeding cattle, but they surround him as they speed past. Blaze realizes that the cattle are running blind, panicking, and that his flaming head is not going to make them any calmer. Seeing his motorcycle squashed flat, he realizes his only chance is to whip up a fast flame-cycle - and hightail it out of here! Blaze does so, and rides up the side of the canyon wall to escape the stampede.
As the ghostly cyclist guides his mystical bike above the horns of the fear-maddened steers, there is an explosion. ‘An explosion? But what -?’ Blaze thinks to himself, only to look up and see an arrow soaring. ‘Question an answered!’ Blaze tells himself, only for the arrow to strike behind him. ‘Whoever’s playing Robin Hood has sealed the cattle in by creating a landslide at either end of the ravine!’ Blaze realizes, admitting also that it was some pretty fancy shooting as he rides up the top of the canyon, able to gaze out below and see the results of the two landslides. ’Too bad about my bike’ Blaze tells himself, while wondering if the danger has passed, then why he is still appearing as Ghost Rider - why he has switched back to his human form.
Moments later, Ghost Rider gets his answer, as several farmers carrying an assortment of pitchforks and rifles move up behind him. ‘Hold it right there, Mister Spook! This little darlin’s loaded - and I’d sure as spit like to see if you’re really the ghost y’ pretend t’ be!’ one of the farmers snarls at Ghost Rider. Blaze thinks to himself that he better go into his act, and spins around exclaiming ‘Have a care, mortal, for my power is not to be sneered at!’. Suddenly, another voice exclaims ‘Maybe not, but your dialogue is a downright scream!’ before assuring the farmer that Ghost Rider is okay. ‘Well, if you say so, mister’ the farmer replies.
‘You! I should have known!’ Ghost Rider exclaims as he gazes upon the two new arrivals. ‘Hawkeye! What’s going on out here big enough to bring in the Avengers?’ Blaze asks Clint “Hawkeye” Barton. The Archer asks Ghost Rider where has he been, explaining that he left the Avengers. ‘The papers were full of it’ he adds, before remarking that he teamed up with the masked man behind him. ‘Say hello to a living legend - Matt Hawk - the Two-Gun Kid!’ ‘How do, hombre?’ the Two-Gun Kid remarks to Ghost Rider. ‘The Two-Gun Kid? You’ve gotta be kidding!’ Ghost Rider exclaims. ‘Nope’ Clint replies. ‘It all started when Kang -’ he begins, before remarking that he doesn’t feel like reeling it off again. ‘Let’s just say we’re here, and the ranchers need our help!’
Two-Gun Kid suggests to Hawkeye that he explains why, to which Clint announces that there is something strange going on out here - something that has got the farmers spooked. ‘That stampeded you just squeaked out of was a prime example!’ Clint adds. Motioning across the canyon, Hawkeye points out a glowing area, with a black smoke surrounding it. ‘Like any good sci-fi story, it started with funny lights out in the desert - near a place the locals call La Mesa de Las Almas Perdida - The Mesa of Lost Souls!’. Clint adds that they were just about to head over there, when, suddenly, the glowing area is revealed to be flying saucer, which Two-Gun Kid points out. ‘I see it!’ Clint exclaims, while Ghost Rider suggests they get to the Mesa, and fast.
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Champions, Black Widow and Darkstar enter a workshop, where Hercules, Iceman, Angel and Black Goliath are working on repairing the sky-car. Natasha thinks to herself that the rest of the Champions have accepted Darkstar without question. ‘Perhaps it is that she is so like a younger Black Widow that causes me to worry…I hope her defection will be easier’ Natasha thinks to herself.
Black Goliath announces that he has found the problem, revealing that the basic design of the sky-car is flawless, but the actual metal used in construction seems to have crumbled under stress. Hercules holds the sky-car up with his impressive strength, while the Black Goliath repairs the damages, and Iceman uses his powers to cool the heat from the repairs. ‘You’re saying we paid a cool two million for a structurally unsound aircraft?’ Bobby asks. ‘What I’m saying is - you’ve been robbed!’ Bill replies.
Angel turns from where he has been on the phone, informing his teammates that Bale cannot explain what happened, but that he says he will call the contractor in the morning. Angel tells everyone that something doesn’t sound right and remarks that he will look into their friendly lawyer’s dealings, when, suddenly, the Champions’ high-tech computer disaster scan opens. ‘At least something we paid for is working!’ Warren mutters, motioning to the news report, suggesting it will likely be something they want to hear.
The news reporter declares that the ranchers in Arizona are on the verge of hysteria, awaiting the National Guard and unable to deal with what appears to be a spacecraft from another world. ‘Oh, great! Instead of news, we get a Japanese space movie!’ Angel exclaims, only to realize that this is real when an image of Ghost Rider, Hawkeye and Two-Gun Kid appears on screen. The reporter continues, revealing that tension has not been eased by the arrival of three costumed heroes, only two who have been identified.
‘Ghost Rider! That flaming cycle-freak’s right in the middle of it - and we have to hear it on the boob-tube! So much for all our “one for all” jazz’ Bobby remarks as he and the others gather around the monitor. The reporter announces that an unconfirmed report claims that those ranchers nearest the Mesa have all been afflicted by some form of mania, savagely attacking people they have known all their lives, as if controlled by some force. Indeed, the monitor depicts several of the ranchers waving farm instruments in the air.
The Champions head towards the sky-car, with the Black Widow declaring that they have heard enough, before asking Bill if the ship will get them to New Mexico. ‘If you keep it to within five times the speed limit, yeah, it should!’ Bill replies while Iceman climbs into the back of the sky-car, suggesting they should head out, adding that it is too bad they don’t have a catchy assembly call. ‘Y’know, like “Champions convene” or something!’ Bobby suggests, as he extends his hand to Laynia, who does not respond. ‘Hey, pretty lady! My hand’s waiting!’ Bobby exclaims. Laynia smiles, and tells Bobby that she sincerely appreciates his offer, but that she prefers her own mode of transport. With that, Laynia takes flight. ‘Yeah, I see!’ Bobby calls out, watching her.
Natasha tells Bobby that she will need a navigator, before asking where Hercules is. As if on cue, the sky-car is suddenly lifted off the ground by Hercules, asking his teammates if they forgot that the craft needs to be launched from the roof, and that only he possesses the strength to take it there.
Moments later, the sky-car with the Black Widow, Iceman and Hercules inside takes off, while Darkstar and Angel fly alongside it. ‘Tell Stark I’ll pay for a launching silo, Goliath - or else I’ll have an Olympian with a hernia wanting medical benefits!’ Angel calls out to the Black Goliath, who stands on the roof and watches his allies go. ‘Will do, Angel - and good luck!’ Bill replies. Iceman remarks that all systems are go - so far at least, to which the Black Widow thanks him for the information. Natasha turns her attention to Laynia, thinking ‘Look at her! She has joined us without being asked! Why does she presume? Or…is it that I - the Black Widow - feel threatened by a younger woman whose power appears without limit?’ Natasha wonders.
Meanwhile, at the Mesa of Lost Souls, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye and Two-Gun Kid stand against the side of the canyon, while several ranchers attack each other. Hawkeye tells Two-Gun Kid that they cannot hurt the ranchers, before pointing out that something is making them attack them. ‘Kill!’ ‘Kill!’ the ranchers exclaim as the move towards the heroes. ‘I reckon you’re right, Hawkeye - but that won’t stop them from hurting us!’ Two-Gun Kid replies, before exclaiming that the ranchers have just sopped, and are no longer moving - as if they are waiting for something to happen. ‘But what could they -’ one of the other ranchers asks, before he too becomes overcome, and shouts ‘Kill! Kill’ standing motionless. ‘What in thunderation?’ Two-Gun Kid asks, confused.
Suddenly, Two-Gun Kid sees a shadow moving on it’s own and fires at it with his two guns, before pointing out that as soon as the shadow caught up with his rancher, the rancher changed, becoming as strange as the rest. Ghost Rider puts some of his fire onto the shadow, which Two-Gun Kid thanks him for, remarking that the fire seems to be keeping the shadow away. ‘We now know the real enemy! Be on your guard, mortal!’ Ghost Rider replies, to which Hawkeye exclaims that Ghost Rider’s hellfire seems to be holding them off, so if it is light that the shadows do not like, he wants to see how a blinding flare arrow grabs them.
The shaft flies from Hawkeye’s bow, glowing brighter as it gains altitude, it casts its eerie light on the scene below - revealing giant, strange looking, shadows hovering over each of the ranchers. One of them suddenly speaks: ‘Very resourceful, humans - but this will not keep us at bay for long!’ it exclaims. ‘Behold, mortals! Revealed in the glare - the true enemy!’ Ghost Rider exclaims as he, Clint and Matt stand before the shadow-infested ranchers. ‘The shadows!’ Clint gasps, while one of the shadows declares ‘Of course, fool! The shadows - soldiers of Warlord Kaa!’
‘Kaa? The alien shadow being? I remember him from Avengers files!’ Clint exclaims, informing his allies that Kaa has attacked Earth twice before, and just barely been driven off. ‘That is the past. Fool! Each time I have come back stronger!’ the shadow exclaims, before beginning his tale….
Flashback illustrations, narrated by Kaa:‘The second time out science had enabled me to become a shadow duplicate of the Hulk! I defeated him, but our battle had carried us into a military base’. It was there the surrounding floodlights caused Kaa to fade away. However, the lights were not bright enough to dissipate Kaa entirely, and after many months, he was able to reform against a rock face. Kaa explains that he managed to contact his home-world and have them send a ship to rescue him, where upon he left this world, bowing to return - and conquer.
Kaa declares that this day he fulfils that oath, for his picked Shadow Warriors and he have returned to establish the beachhead for their final all-out invasion, explaining that they have developed a new power - the power to possess humans’ minds by inhabiting their shadows. ‘This time, nothing can stop us!’
Present:‘And Kaa will rule supreme!’ the mighty shadow booms, looming over everyone, he dives towards the group of ranchers. ‘No! You will be defeated - by hellfire!’ Ghost Rider exclaims, before Kaa asks him if he would harm his own people. ‘I think not!’ Kaa declares as he takes possession of one of the ranchers, adding that therein lies the key to his victory. ‘For we would sacrifice all our human slaves to defeat you, and never risk endangering ourselves!’ Kaa boasts. ‘Here it comes, gang! Get ready to -’ Clint begins as the possessed rancher rushes towards them waving a large stick at them, only for the Black Widow to drop down on him, kicking him over.
‘You should learn to finish a sentence, Hawkeye! It’s impolite to leave a lady dangling!’ the Black Widow tells her long-time companion, who exclaims ‘WIDOW!’, clearly surprised to see her. Angel and Iceman make their way into the melee, with Warren exclaiming ‘She’s not here along, you know!’. But Bobby points out that, to Hawkeye she is, as they used to know each other. ‘What gets me is not even a word of welcome from spook-stuff here!’ Bobby remarks as he approaches Ghost Rider, who retorts ‘You have done nothing worthy of my notice!’
Darkstar flies into the Mesa and sees the ranchers from the news report. ‘A simple dark field should suffice to -’, but as she surrounds the ranchers with her Darkforce, she is interrupted mid-sentence, and surprised as something penetrates the force field - the Shadow Soldiers. ‘Foolish female! How can darkness shackle beings whose essence is darkness?’ one of them asks as they move towards Darkstar, who stares at them in uncomprehending horror. ‘The being approaches my own shadow! His fingers reach for it - and as he touches it, my soul begins to scream within me!’ Laynia exclaims with concern. ‘Power such as yours will serve us well, woman!’ Kaa declares, when, suddenly, Bobby shouts ‘Maybe, creep - and maybe not!’
Kaa is confused, declaring that Darkstar’s shadow is gone. ‘There is nothing to possess!’ he booms. ‘Iceman!’ Laynia exclaims as Bobby casts an ice-shade over Darkstar and Kaa. ‘Ah, my heart melts to hear my name slip from your lovely lips, fair maid!’ Bobby grins, telling Laynia to remain beneath his ice shade, then they can figure out how to put their would-be conquerors on ice. ’If you’ll pardon the pun!’
Hercules remarks that Iceman has struck a solution: ‘If yon beings cannot work their evil lest there be light - then I shall keep them from the light by burying them beneath this mountain of stone!’ Hercules exclaims as he lifts up a huge amount of stone. But, just as the mighty Olympian heaves the massive weight above his head, a Shadow Warrior appears through the rock, remarking ‘Smash us, braggart? Is that what you hoped to do? Before touching Hercules’ shadow. ‘Now that your shadow and your mind have merged with mine, perhaps you’ll feel more like smashing…’ ‘The Black Widow! Thy time has come to die!’ the possessed Hercules concludes as he stares at Natasha, still carrying the massive rock.
‘Fight back, Hercules! Their hold on you can’t be as strong as that they achieve over a mortal!’ the Black Widow exclaims. Darkstar and Iceman watch in horror, and Laynia points out that Hercules is hesitating - as if he battles with his own soul. Bobby calls out to the Black Widow, telling her to get out of the way. But Natasha replies ‘No! He must see me, and know that if he lets them possess him it won’t only be a friend he’s doomed - but perhaps a world as well!’
Hercules continues to bear down over the Black Widow, but if the son of Zeus understands those words, the only sign of it is the sweat that begins to drop from his brow and the knotting of mighty sinews beneath his sun-bronzed skin. ‘Get thee…from me, demon! Tis Hercules thou dost face - not some son of man - but Hercules! He who is called Prince of Power - son of Zeus, all-seeing…and I will not shame my birthright!’ Hercules booms, as he throws the large stone far away. ‘Depart, vile shadow - and possess yon stone if thou canst!’ Hercules exclaims, while, behind him, the Black Widow smiles.
Meanwhile, nearby, Angel, Ghost Rider and Hawkeye approach Kaa’s mother-ship. Clint tells Ghost Rider that he hopes this plan of his works, as they may not be able to get this close to the mother-ship again. Ghost Rider declares that they should begin, and takes one of Hawkeye’s arrows, causing it to be engulfed by hellfire, and therefore it glows with a light from which none may hope to hide. Angel tells Blaze to knock off the spook routine and get on with it. ‘Kaa could return any second and -’ Warren remarks, but, Kaa suddenly takes him over. ‘Kaa is here, fools! And you three will be the first to die!’ the shadow exclaims.
‘Noooo! Warren shouts as he struggles with Kaa. ‘Cease struggle, human! Kaa now inhabits your shadow! Your will is mine!’ Kaa declares while Angel shouts ‘No!’ and takes flight, declaring that he will not let Kaa take him over. ‘Must…resist!’ Warren exclaims. High above the canyon, Warren boasts that he did not spend all those years with Professor X without learning something about closing his mind to outsiders. ‘And while I may not be anywhere as good at it as Marvel Girl was - I’m still the Avenging Angel, Kaa, and you’ve messed with the Champions!’ Angel declares.
The higher Angel flies, the more Kaa feels his power waning - and the shadow he foolishly dared possess grows smaller…until finally, it is too small to preserve his life essence. There is a terrified shriek inside Warren’s mind - then Kaa and his evil are…gone! Warren realizes that he flew too high, and in the process strained his wings as he begins to plummet back to the canyon. ‘Got to keep going! Just enough strength to finish the job!’ he exclaims. Hawkeye tells Angel not to stop, remarking that he can tell from the way Warren is fluttering that they are only going to get one shot at this. Warren swoops down and picks Hawkeye up, lifting him high enough to fire an arrow flaming with hellfire at the mother-ship. ‘You’d better not miss, Avenger!’ Warren tells Hawkeye.
‘Ex-Avenger, X-Man! I wish you people would remember that!’ Clint exclaims as he fires the arrow into the mother-ship, remarking that they will now find out whether the Champions’ resident demon has got rocks in his skull, or whether a crazy stunt like this will actually work. One of the Shadow Warriors calls out to his fellows, declaring ‘They have slain the Warlord Kaa - and they attack the command ship! All units regroup! Reach them before it is - TOO LATE!’ Indeed, it is too late, as Hawkeye’s most powerful blast arrow - imbued with a full, searing brilliance of hellfire - blows the alien ship apart in a blinding flash - and a virtual tidal wave of deadly incandescence sweeps through the Shadow Warriors’ ranks - ending their threat. And the Champions and their allies appear as shadows themselves in the brilliance of the blast.
Later, one of the rangers stands by the Black Widow as he thanks her. ‘I guess the army would’a come eventually - but you got here first and that’s what counts!’ he remarks. ‘They tell me that’s why we formed the Champions, old timer!’ the Black Widow replies, adding that Los Angeles Information has their number should he need them again. Two-Gun Kid stands near Ghost Rider and Angel, remarking that it looks like Hawkeye left him to say goodbye, while he says his own goodbyes to the Black widow. ‘Maybe we’ll meet again!’ Matt adds. ‘I hope so, Two-Gun, so you can explain how you reached one hundred without getting gray!’ Ghost Rider replies.
Suddenly, Iceman calls out to Warren and Blaze from within the sky-car, announcing that they are getting a call on the closed-circuit - from Black Goliath. Everyone returns to the sky-car, where the Black Goliath apologizes for cutting in, but explaining to them that a girl has just showed up at their headquarters in deep troubled - scared half to death, and carrying a box that was stolen from his lab a week ago. ‘The box has started glowing and she says the guy who is after her is -’.
‘ - the Stilt-Man, fool!’ exclaims the Stilt-Man as he bursts into the room where Black Goliath is communicating with the Champions. The Stilt-Man boasts that he already has the z-ray, and senses there is enough power within the box that the girl was carrying to make him the master of the world. The Black Goliath tells the Champions ‘You better get yourselves back here! Stark told me that box this clown’s after belonged to a dude named…the Stranger!’….


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

[Assistant]
Did Someone Say…the STRANGER?
Champions headquarters, Los Angeles, where, the Champions are returning from another mission - only to find their ally Black Goliath battling the Stilt-Man on the roof of their headquarters. ‘I owe you, Stilt-Man, from the last time we fought!’ Black Goliath a.k.a. Dr Bill Foster exclaims, boasting that he is going to make the Stilt-Man pay - in spades.
But, before the Stilt-Man even knows what hit him, Natasha Romanova a.k.a. the Black Widow, piloting the Champions’ sky-car, moves it close to him, enabling Angel and Darkstar to fly out of it and towards the Stilt-Man, while Iceman exit’s the sky-car on an ice ramp. But when Hercules jumps from the sky-car, he almost tips it over, causing the Black Widow to scold him. While Johnny “Ghost Rider” Blaze remains in the sky-car with the Black Widow, Hercules asks the Black Widow to forgive his haste, reminding her that Black Goliath saved their lives, and so he will repay him.
Bobby “Iceman” Drake tells Hercules not to forget the rest of them. ‘Or did you forget that we settle our accounts as a team?’ he adds. Angel a.k.a. Warren Worthington III swoops downs towards the Stilt-Man, with Black Goliath cautioning him to watch Stilt-Man’s blaster. ‘It’s called the Z-Ray and it’s -’ Bill begins, but Angel smacks his fist across the Stilt-Man’s face. ‘It’s skunked, high-pockets - but good!’ Angel exclaims, while the glamorous Laynia “Darkstar” Petrovna tells Angel that he has succeeded, for the Stilt-Man has dropped his weapon.
‘You fools! I am the Stilt-Man - and my entire hydraulic exo-skeleton is a weapon!’ the Stilt-Man booms as he retracts his leg units down the side of the Champions’ headquarters, as he reaches out for the falling Z-Ray weapon. Black Goliath tells his allies that he doesn’t mean to nag, gut that the weapon of the Stilt-Man’s has more snap, crackle and pop and than an ocean of rice krispies. ‘Snag it before he snags us!’ he urges. ‘Consider it done, Goliath!’ Darkstar exclaims as she encases the Z-Ray gun in a Darkforce funnel. ‘What -?’ the Stilt-Man gasps, before he moves towards Darkstar, exclaiming that she has enclosed the Z-Ray within some kind of shadow. Laynia replies that it is called the Darkforce, and admits that she does not understand why it serves her. ‘Serves me it does, and well!’ Laynia adds as she opens the funnel, revealing the crumbled remains of the Z-Ray after she crushed it.
‘Woman! Know that it took me months to devise that gun! Months of pain while I rotted behind bars - lost in a second!’ the Stilt-Man exclaims, while Darkstar watches as he grows taller and taller, then without warning, grabs her, suggesting to Darkstar that she think on those years while he crushes the life out of her.
While Darkstar struggles with the Stilt-Man high over the street that runs alongside Champions’ headquarters, down below, a young woman with an afro observes the goings-ons, and tells herself that she thought she would be safe at Champions’ HQ, but even there he came after her. But, she also tells herself that she was a fool to run back out into the street, as that is just what the Stilt-Man wants. She rushes back into Champions’ HQ, thinking to herself that the Champions will beat him. ‘They got to! They gotta help me get rid of this box!’ she exclaims, still clutching the box, she knows that she has seen what it can do - what it did to Jerry - and what it can do to a lot more people if it isn’t destroyed.
The woman presses a button inside the elevator - and moments later, arrives on the 24th floor, which leads to the rooftop, where Ghost Rider exclaims that the Stilt-Man still has Darkstar. ‘That may be, spooks - but not for long!’ Iceman exclaims  as he slides down to the street on an ice-pole, remarking that he has taken a liking to Laynia, and boasts that no walking sardine can is going to hurt her. ‘Let’s see how well Stilty walks on a street that’s turned to ice!’ Bobby exclaims as pours ice onto the road around Stilt-Man - only for it to melt away almost instantly. Hercules tells Iceman that it was a noble try, but that the villain radiates heat beneath the pods that hold him aloft.
Hercules rushes towards the Stilt-Man, pointing out that Stilt-Man has shifted is weight to the side that was entrapped. ‘And ‘tis for Hercules to show him the folly of his deeds!’ the Olympian booms, smashing his powerful body against the Stilt-Man, who topples to the ground. ‘He’s not kidding! I felt that all the way through my armor!’ Stilt-Man tells himself as he drops Darkstar, while wondering who are these beings, and how did he stumble into this mess of super-heroes - including Black Goliath, whom he thought he had killed - when all he wanted was the girl with the glowing box - bursting with more power than he had ever dreamed possible.
Darkstar and Black Goliath join Hercules and Iceman on the ground, and Black Goliath cautions everyone to be careful, ‘Just cause the man’s down, doesn’t mean he’s out!’ he adds, to which Bobby points out that Black Goliath knows the Stilt-Man better than they do. The Stilt-Man decreases his leg size, while thinking to himself that he must get his enemies into position. ‘Me? I just me the dude last week!’ Black Goliath tells Iceman, while Hercules declares that it appears their foe is defeated, but Darkstar notices that Stilt-Man is tensing, and about to strike - but her warning comes too late, as Stilt-Man suddenly shoves his legs forward at a furious speed, his feet smash into Black Goliath and Hercules. ‘Using the power of my hydraulic lifts to catch you off guard - and smash you into oblivion!’ he exclaims.
Up on the rooftop, Angel, Black Widow and Ghost Rider watches the situation below. ‘Stilt-Man is holding them off! How!?’ Ghost Rider exclaims. ‘By turning their - our - own overconfidence against us!’ the Black Widow replies. ‘Yeah? Well, we’ll see how long that lasts - when the Avenging Angel power-dives a call!’ Warren exclaims as he leaps from the rooftop and flies downwards, with Natasha warning him to be careful. ‘The Stilt-Man’s no fool!’ she exclaims. ‘As if I haven’t been a mutant long enough to know how to take care of myself!’ Warren calls back as he begins flapping his wings in the Stilt-Man’s face. ‘Wings! Accursed wings tearing a my eyes 0 like that Falcon that almost blinded me!’
Warren wonders what gives with the Stilt-Man, ‘All I do is flap my little pinions and he starts screaming like Oedipus - covering his eyes!’ Warren exclaims, before the Stilt-Man lashes out with an extended fist, ‘Get away from me, carrion fowl!’ he shouts, batting Warren away. ‘Like the Widow said - over-confidence!’ Warren exclaims as he falls towards Hercules, who awaits him with open arms and asking if he is okay. ‘Only my pride, Herc!’ Warren admits.
Back on the rooftop, Ghost Rider thinks to himself that the stilt-walking skunk is tearing his teammates apart. ‘He’s already walked out of ice - but he hasn’t reckoned with hellfire, yet!’ before Ghost Rider begins firing intense hellfire down towards the Stilt-Man, who exclaims ‘This is insane! The sky is raining fire - and my pods are sinking into molten tar!’. Moments later, Stilt-Man realizes that he cannot move, to which the Black Goliath remarks that he is glad to hear it. ‘Cause I want you to hold that pose while I knock you off the map!’ he exclaims, only for the Stilt-Man to eject his legs from his base-pods, ‘I’m afraid not, Goliath!’ he boasts as he then strides over high-rise rooftops, exclaiming that he may have been stopped from reaching the box and the girl carrying it, ‘But I won’t be held by a second rate group of heroes!’ he exclaims, adding that no one will ever cage the Stilt-Man again.
‘Gone! He just walked off, covering miles in a single step! And there wasn’t a thing we could do to stop him!’ Bobby exclaims. Hercules tells the young mutant that it would be best to save their self-reproach and seek after the villain. ‘Uh-uh, muscles! No way! I’m gonna end this the way it started - just me and him - even if it’s to the death!’ Black Goliath boasts as he rushes after the Stilt-Man.
Hercules, Iceman, Angel and Darkstar, all tired after the recent battles, make their way back to the penthouse of their HQ, where the Black Widow greats them, before introducing her somewhat over-zealous teammates to Mrs Reggie Clayborne - the target of the Stilt-Man’s attack. ‘So you’re the girl he wanted!’ Iceman exclaims. ‘That’s right, Bobby! Or rather, he was after the box Mrs Clayborne was carrying!’ Natasha explains. Mrs Clayborne suggests that she should tell her story. The frightened woman tells the heroes that Jerry - her “old man” - is into drugs real bad, and got himself messed up with a bunch of gangsters to get money.
‘Anyway, he done stole this box from Stark International. I tol’ him to take it back an’ I walked out on him when he wouldn’t!’ Mrs Clayborne declares, revealing that when she came back, Jerry was gone and the box was glowing. ‘I got scared and then I remembered hearing about the Champions on the TV…how you help the “common man” and…well…I’m common, and I need help!’ Mrs Clayborne pleads. Hercules puts a hand on Mrs Clayborne’s shoulder and swears to her that she shall have help. Hercules adds that if the box she carries does belong to Tony Stark, then he must be contacted. ‘Mayhap we will learn that the disappearance of thy “old man” is in some way linked to the strange glow that doth surround the box, and - ehh?’ Hercules remarks, stopping his sentence short when the inner wall of the Champions’ headquarters suddenly burns with the light of the sun, as Hercules points out.
Not quite though, but the aurora of color is indeed magnificent, as well as momentarily blinding. Before any of the Champions can even begin to recover their sight or senses, the cosmically mighty being known as the Stranger comes striding through the solar blaze that was once a wall! ‘Humans! Hear me! There is not much time!’ the Stranger booms. ‘By my mace!’ Hercules gasps. ‘Holy smokes!’ Bobby exclaims. The Stranger announces that they possess a device of his creation - a bomb capable of destroying this entire star-system. ‘You must surrender it to me at once!’ he announces.
‘Wait a minute! This “bomb” can wipe out Earth - and you expect us to just fork it over - to you? A guy who’s tried to destroy Earth before?’ one of the Champions asks. ‘Idiots! I am here to save you! But - there is no time to make you understand!’ The Stranger exclaims as he reaches towards Mrs Clayborne he exclaims ‘You! You bear that which I seek!’. The woman leans backwards, telling the over-sized entity to stay away from her, while Bobby informs his teammates that the Stranger is after Mrs Clayborne.
‘He shall not reach her!’ Laynia exclaims as she encases the Stranger’s head within a Darkforce field. ‘The Darkforce will blind him until he can be made to explain -’ Darkstar begins to say, only for beams of energy to pour out of the Stranger’s eyes, and through Darkstar’s field, smacking into the blonde heroine. ‘Woman, you are a fool! How can you blind one who can see in the blackness of interstellar space?’ the Stranger asks. ‘That cups it, Stranger! You just blew whatever credibility you might’ve had!’ Bobby exclaims, concerned for Laynia.
Blaze tries to calm Bobby down, but Iceman tells Blaze to shut up: ‘That big weirdo just messed with a lady I like!’ Bobby exclaims as he bombards the Stranger with ice. ‘Blast it - maybe he was just defending himself from her attack!’ Ghost Rider suggests to Iceman. The news report on the television behind the battle reports that Black Goliath and Stilt-Man are battling still in L.A., though it goes unnoticed by the confused Champions. ‘Drake won’t listen! He’s gone too far to understand - that I only become the “Ghost Rider” when there’s danger around - and since I’m still Johnny Blaze, I’ve either blown a fuse - or the Stranger wasn’t lying about being here to save us!’ Blaze thinks to himself while Iceman continues his attack on the Stranger.
Suddenly, the Black Widow jumps in front of Blaze, telling him to either help or get out of the way as she blasts the Stranger with her Widow’s Sting. ‘Widow, no! You don’t -’ Blaze begins to shout - but the Stranger releases a blast of energy from his hand, knocking the Black Widow into Blaze, who suddenly transforms into Ghost Rider. ‘Oh, man - that did it! If there wasn’t danger before, there is now - to the Widow!’ Johnny thinks to himself as he sees that the Black Widow is unconscious. He wonders if he read the Stranger wrong. ‘What if he is out to get us? I think it’s time I quit trying to think this out - and let hellfire decide!’ Ghost Rider decides as he bombards the Stranger with his hellfire: ‘Back, mortal - or immortal, whichever you are!’ Ghost Rider warns the Stranger. ‘Reel before the hell-spawned power of the Ghost Rider!’
The Stranger shields himself from the hellfire, while remarking that he has wandered worlds where Hell would be deemed a paradise. ‘And if they held no threat to the Stranger - why should you?’ the Stranger booms as he causes a shocked Ghost Rider to levitate: ‘And BEGONE!’ the Stranger booms as he throws Ghost Rider out the exterior window.
Meanwhile, the news report announces that Police have cordoned off Hollywood Boulevard, and that serious doubts have been expressed as to Black Goliath’s ability to deal with the menace of the Stilt-Man.
Mrs Clayborne looks at the glowing box, and exclaims that this is all Jerry’s fault. ‘If he hadn’t kept the - the BOX! Something’s coming out of it!’ she suddenly yells.
However, nobody is paying much attention to Regina Clayborne - which may well be the story of her life - as well as a big mistake for everyone else.
Darkstar stands on the edge of the building - at the smashed window, knowing that Angel is too far away to reach Blaze in time. ‘Only the Darkforce can help him now!’ she exclaims as her mighty power extends from her, and wraps around Ghost Rider, mere inches from the street below. ‘She caught me!’ Ghost Rider shouts, looking at the concrete in front of him. Moments later, after Ghost Rider has been reeled in like a fish on a crackling black line however, Darkstar praises Lenin that she was in time, to which Blaze snaps ‘Very impressive - almost enough to make me believe your defection is for real! But that’s what you want, isn’t it - our belief?’ Ghost Rider asks Darkstar.
‘Defection? I don’t understand’ Laynia replies, to which Ghost Rider just shrugs, turning from her. The sound of the battle reminds Darkstar and Ghost Rider that this is not the time for questions - or answers, while Hercules calls out to the Stranger, challenging him as he holds up a large metal beam.
On the continuing news report, a startling new development is announced as Black Goliath rips off one of Stilt-Man’s legs and begins to beat the villain with his own leg.
The Stranger melts the metal beam that Hercules attempts to attack him with, ‘Can I not make you understand that my mission here means salvation?’ the Stranger asks.
Unbeknowst to the battling heroes, Regina Clayborne sits beside what remains of the box - nothing - now, the box has been covered by a the thing which moments ago emerged from it. ‘And nobody else sees it!’ Regina exclaims. ‘They’re all so busy fighting! Got no time for me!’ she exclaims, before, suddenly, she gets sucked inside the strange object. ‘It’s like the whale that swallowed Jonah!’ she thinks to herself, before she begins screaming for help.
Regina’s scream is heard by the Stranger: ‘That scream! It has begun!’ he announces, while Bobby exclaims ‘Warren, now - while he’s turned away!’. Angel does as his long-time friend suggests, though mutters ‘First the Widow, and now the junior Champion is giving orders! Maybe you folks don’t realize it - but the Angel doesn’t need to be told what to do!’. But with that, Warren flies towards the Stranger, fists ready, and smacks the cosmic being in the face. ‘Fools! You have doomed us all!’ the Stranger shouts as he grabs Angel in his fist.
Suddenly, ‘Look…behind him! What in blazes is that?’ Angel exclaims as the Stranger’s right leg is swallowed by the same contraption that engulfed Regina Clayborne. For the first time, the fighting stops, as six competing egos realize there may be something more involved here than a testing of strength.
And, still caught up in their dealings with the Stranger, no one notices the television report, which announces that it is over - Black Goliath has beaten the Stilt-Man.
As more of the Stranger’s body becomes engulfed in the mysterious contraption, the cosmic being declares that this is the reason he journeyed to this wretched planet. ‘Gaze on the Null-Life Bomb - the danger I sought to save you from!’ the Stranger booms, pointing out that the bomb was reactivated and allowed to trigger itself while he was fighting the humans. ‘And even now I can see you do not grasp what I am saying!’ the Stranger exclaims, an exasperated look on his face. The Stranger tells the Champions that, had they let him finish earlier, he would have told them that he had forsworn the bomb’s original purpose - as he was made to see that what he had perceived as the irrational chaos-element in man, was in truth, reason of a kind incomprehensible to him. With that, the Stranger begins a tale…
Flashback images, narrated by the Stranger:
The Stranger remarks that the Silver Surfer saw the value in the human species - and fought to preserve humanity when the he, the Stranger, first brought the Null-Life Bomb to Earth. The Stranger explains that while he and the Silver Surfer battled, the bomb was found by one self-less human who succeeded in disarming it - at the cost of his own life. The Stranger then departed Earth, contemplating that noble act, and questioning his own judgment of humanity, while the bomb remained on Earth - inert, or at least the Stranger thought.
The Stranger reveals that mere Earth-days ago, he sensed that the Null-Life Bomb had somehow been re-armed, and journeyed to this solar system, intending to save the world and return the device - only he was delayed on Earth’s Moon, by another matter which currently concerns him. The Stranger continues, explaining that he arrived at this place with but seconds to spare - precious seconds which the Champions have now wasted. The Stranger explains that the bomb has begun its expansion. ‘And though it seems to pass harmlessly through solid objects it encounters, nothing once engulfed can escape. Not even…the Stranger!’. The cosmic being informs the Champions that the Null-Life Bomb will grow to encompass the Earth - the entire star system - and when it reaches the limits of its expansion, it will solidify and contract, crushing and destroying all within!
Present:
‘There is no way now that I can reach the one object in all the universe that can stop the bomb once detonated! It is…over!’ the Stranger exclaims. ‘Wait! If a way exists -’ Black Widow quickly replies, but the Stranger, now completely engulfed save for one hand, remarks that he senses the Black Widow’s thoughts, and declares that if he can slow the bomb’s growth from within… ‘Perhaps you six -’ he exclaims while the six Champions stand beside the Null-Life Bomb. ‘We six what?’ asks Angel. ‘I dunno, Warren, but from the funny way he’s waving his hand at us, I got a feeling something’s gonna happen!’
Indeed, something does happen…and the heroes find themselves transported through space - not that they are aware of it at that moment.
But at the Champions’ HQ, over sunny Los Angeles, the Null-Life Bomb begins to spread through the building and into the busy streets around it. ‘Look! Something’s growing right through the walls of that new Champions’ building!’ someone shouts, pointing upwards. ‘What is it? What in the name of the Lord does it mean?’ someone else asks. ‘It means they’re just like the rest of their kind - carrying out all kinds of crazy experiments and not giving a damn about us “mere humans” below!’ another shouts.
Of course, the unsuspecting civilian could not be more wrong about the Champions, who suddenly materialize in a strange concrete structure. ‘Where - where are we?’ Angel asks as he takes in the strange surroundings. Hercules frowns as he tells his teammates to prepare themselves. ‘They will be upon us any moment!’ the Prince of Power announces. ‘They?’ Natasha asks. ‘The Beast-Men, milady! Evil servants of he who is called…Kamo Tharn!’ Hercules exclaims as Kamo Tharn and his savage Beast-Men arrive on scene, surrounding the Champions.
‘Cursed though I be with blindness, well do I know that voice!’ Kamo Tharn exclaims as he stands on a platform over the Champions. ‘It is he, my subjects! He whole stole my life - my rune staff - ‘tis Hercules! And by my holy word, this time he shall DIE!’ booms Kamo Tharn….