X-Calibur

Issue #32 –The Second Age of Apocalypse – Part Six

The Crystal Palace

“This is crazy. You are all that’s left of the Time Task Force. You don’t have to do this. You can help us,” Micro said as he stepped forward.

Meggan clutched Drake tight as she stared at the two metallic beings. After an intense battle with the Time Task Force it had ended with some from both sides being destroyed or erased while the thirteenth ripple had escaped to Earth-295 with Century, Pete Wisdom and Geo in tow. This left the Time Hunter and Time Cleaner facing the small group of Power Pack, Psi-Blade, Lockheed, Skullfire, Dazzleshot, Meggan, Drake, Micro and General Freeze. Even with the alarms going off stating all realities was in danger, they had more pressing concerns to deal with first.

“Our mission is clear. We will not stop till you are gone,” Time Hunter said as he raised his gun and blasted Micro back against the wall. Before anyone could turn to see if he was okay, the Time Cleaner swooped by and erased him away forever.

“Power Pack, how’s that reprogramming coming?” Dazzleshot asked sent off a series of light blasts that hit the Hunter with no effect.

“I’m trying, but it’s heavily encrypted,” Power Pack answered as her fingers moved as fast as she could type.

“Sorry, can’t allow that,” Time Hunter said as quickly fired off a blast that hit the console causing it to explode and send Power Pack flying backwards.

“I got you,” Meggan said as Amazon’s bracelets she wore gave her the ability to fly and catch the girl and the strength to do so while holding Drake as well.

“We have to find a way to take these things down,” Skullfire said as he absorbed the blasts from the Hunter and used them to send blasts at the Cleaner to keep it from using its vaporizing beams on them.

“What about the kid? Have him do what he did to the Hound,” Psi-Blade said as he leapt out of the bath of Time Hunter’s laser blasts.

“No, I will not let him near those things,” Meggan said as she held Drake tight while Power Pack composed herself.

“Wait, I have an idea,” Drake said as he looked at Lockheed who nodded.

“Perfect. General Freeze now,” Lockheed said back into the boy’s mind and then projected into General Freeze’s mind.

General Freeze let loose as he engulfed the Cleaner completely in an ice beam while Lockheed pushed with all his might to tap into the magic that was now within him. When he had what he wanted he released the magic and sent a sparkling smoke ring at the Cleaner. Cleaner paused in confusion as the ring went around him and he felt no different as it ignored the fact that it was engulfed in ice. Then Lockheed blew another puff of smoke and sent it around the Cleaner. General Freeze turned off the ice as the Cleaner wobbled and then hit the ground lifeless. Psi-Blade brought his blades down hard enough that the Cleaner’s armor cracked enough to reveal it was completely frozen on the inside.

“I made its body intangible so it ignored my spell as it appeared it was helping it resist the ice beam. When I ended the spell, the ice on the outside didn’t hurt it but as it’s body became solid there was the ice beam passing through that ended up freezing the inside instantly,” Lockheed projected into everyone’s minds with satisfaction of Drake’s plan.

“Thanks for the information,” Time Hunter said as his weapons shifted and he sent two blasts, one nicking Lockheed’s wing and dropping him out of the air and the other hitting General Freeze directly in the face taking half of it off with it’s exploding impact.

“Lockheed!” Drake screamed as he ran to the dragon and held him and his smoking wing.

“Now to eliminate the final threat,” Hunter said as he pointed his guns at the boy and his dragon and fired.

Psi-Blade suddenly found himself doing something he never thought he would do, be a true hero. Pushing all his might in his tek and blades, he acted. The first blast hit his psionic hot blades with full force. Even though his blades and his tek field absorbed a majority of the blast he was still hit hard enough to weaken him. Without missing a beat, he pushed the rest of his strength to swing and bring his blades around and up hitting the second gun with an enough explosion to move it up and cause the blast to go wide. Time Hunter growled as he swung his gun so hard it hit Psi-Blade sending him across the room hitting the wall leaving a splat of blood where his head had hit and then trail down from where he slid to the floor, unmoving.

Time Hunter then turned and faced the others, shrugging off the blasts from Skullfire and Dazzler. He raised his guns and prepared for his kills. Just as he was about to fire he suddenly found himself deep within a large smoky cloud. Everyone stared as a bright yellow energy flashed and then the smoke vanished as a streak of light of light hit the floor in front of them revealing Power Pack. They all helped a very weak girl up as Time Hunter fell over and hit the floor hard, unmoving. Dazzleshot glanced at the Time Hunter and then turned back to the girl.

“I don’t know what you did but if this thing isn’t dead, it will be soon,” Dazzleshot said.

“I’ve noticed recently that there is more to my power than I thought,” Power Pack said with short breaths. “I really pushed myself and turned into smoke. From there I used gravity to pull smoke into the gun barrels or any possible hole that lead into the thing’s body and keeping it there. Once there was enough of me in him and called on my power to disintegrate as much of its insides as I could before turning to light and zipping away from it,” Power Pack said as she started to move.

“Way to go girl,” Skullfire said.

“You better rest for a minute. You looked very pale,” Meggan said.

“I can’t, I have to help get the console repaired and find our friends and comrades and get them back,” Power Pack said as she wobbled to the console as the others tended to their injured and fallen.

Earth-295

Under the Rocky Mountains

“We need to get in there before McCoy unleashes his evil,” Blink said as looked at Mimic.

“Easier said than done,” Mimic said as he glanced at the dark figure guarding the entry way.

When Blink, Mimic, Magneto and their forces arrived they were immediately met by a very darker mixed version of Gambit and Cloak and his forces. They were outnumbered but were holding their own. Only problem was that they needed to get through the doorway to get to McCoy and they couldn’t do that with Gambit blocking their way. They thought about teleporting past but when Lila Cheney tried she had met a tragic end. It seemed that his cloak and darkness was spread out and around the way in and was connected to his kinetic energy powers. Through the darkness he could sense and feel energy and when Lila teleported he not only sensed and felt it he was able to latch onto it and with the cloak latch on and pull it into himself causing Lila to reappear within his dark cloak.

Gambit’s eyes flared with dark energy as he released the screaming Lila from within his cloak of darkness. It wasn’t the scream that sent chills down their spines, it was the fact that Gambit was able to kinetically charge Lila’s whole body causing her to glow brightly. Her screaming stopped once she collided with Dazzler and exploded into a million pieces. Dazzler screamed as the whole front of her body had been burnt badly by the exploding impact. Thankfully, Viva had moved quickly and got to her side in time to use her powers to heal her enough to keep her alive and able to continue the fight. At that moment they dared not teleport anywhere to not risk the same fate.

“Erik, you cannot hold back. They may have been X-Men once but they turned and stand with our enemy. They cannot be saved,” Jean said as she used her power to grab Silver Samurai’s swords and drive them both deep into his body killing him while turning to face Psylocke in a mental battle.

“Jeannie’s right,” Weapon X growled as he extended a three claws from his arm stump and removing Vincente’e head while removing Skin’s head with his other clawed hand to then turn around to come face to face with Kirika who had her claws extended for the battle she’d waited her whole life for.

“I will not be stopped. I will rip this mountain apart to kill that beast,” Magneto said as he began to call upon his great magnetic might when a great power hit them all.

Everyone stopped fighting at once when Psylocke dropped to the ground screaming as Jean rose to the sky cast in a flaming glow. She was immediately in everyone’s minds, connecting them to something deep within the mountain. Blink and Mimic gasped as they suddenly found themselves looking at Dark Beast and everything that was going on down below.

“Unbelievable,” Dark Beast said as he watched the scene before him.

As soon as the man called the thirteenth ripple had arrived the man called Amor used the last of his powers to invoke his master plan. Amor’s body erupted in power as it swirled and expanded outwards while also apparently draining the life and energy from his own body. As the power hit Steelwind, his body morphed and became a giant rotating whirlwind funnel. The small end drilled into Apocalypse’s body while the open end rested atop Amor’s quickly fading body. Shamrock was then transformed into being of pure green energy and was thrust into the middle of the whirlwind causing it to turn green as well.

Parthenon and Lemuria both screamed and then fell silent to the ground as the Armaguard and its stones of power from Parthenon’s body and the Orbs of Energy from Lemuria’s body were ripped away and merged into two glowing balls of energy. The newly formed balls of energy each fastened themselves onto the back of each hand of the green energy being that had once been Shamrock. At that moment a power and light show like no other began as Dark Beast shielded his eyes. Lastly, the M’Kraan Crystal exploded and became a glowing screen of power at the opening of the funnel above Amor’s almost lifeless body. As Amor’s body fell dead to the ground a ghostly image began to visually take shape right before the M’Kraan whirlwind of power funnel entrance. Within seconds Dark Beast could make out the ghostly form of…

“Fitzroy!” A voice shouted as the ghostly image turned to see Pete Wisdom, Century and Geo standing in front of a closing portal.

“Those fools were supposed to kill you all, but either way the thirteenth ripple was freed and my plan has succeeded,” Fitzroy said as the power form the M’Kraan Crystal gave his spirit form and his words sound.

“We killed you, twice,” Pete Wisdom said staring at the old enemy of X-Calibur.

“You killed my body, but my psychic form somehow lived on in one of you. When you all sacrificed yourselves during Demon Storm I became sentient enough to observe but not posses or control. When you walked through the portal and arrived in that future, the effect ripped me free and merged with the Fitzroy of that time giving me dominance and the additional power. But before the world ended, I latched onto another of you and followed you to safety.

“During that brief time with Roma, I touched her mind and saw she was dying but had given birth to a son who would hold her power. Also at that moment I saw the image of her friend LaDonna and the Crystal Palace. As you all came to and Amor began to arrive, I took that moment to take possession of his body since he was newly created and hadn’t developed the proper defenses yet. I now had a body that had great power and would be slower to break down and die from my possession. Before coming to you I went to the crystal palace.

“I was there when the Exiles arrived and I watched and learned all about the Quake World and the Thirteenth Ripple. I saw learned about this Earth and saw how I could use Apocalypse and the Crystal Palace to create a body that could house me forever with enough power to rule everything. So using my new body’s powers and the Crystal Palace I sent X-Calibur from one reality to the next gathering the items and army I needed to take over all Time,” Fitzroy laughed.

“That’s not going to happen. I will put an end to you once and for all,” Captain Britain said as the wall blew in and he stepped though with Rouge, Creed and all their combined forces which had settled their difference and tended to the few casualties before using the power of Nightmagik, Nocturne and others to bring them here.

“Oh dear Captain, you’re too late for that,” Fitzroy said as he dove into the funnel.

“Not fair I have to wait out here,” Charles said as he stared at the great Rocky Mountain.

“I promised your mom,” Storm began to say when suddenly the ground shook and the entire mountain exploded.

Storm prayed to the goddess as she and Charles stared down at the wasteland that was once a mountain and in the dead center of it all stood a twenty foot tall muscular and armor clad figure.

“All shall fear the second coming of the Apocalypse!” The figure screamed as the whole world trembled.

New Avengers

Thunderbolts Disassembled – Part One

Prologue

Deep Below Stark Tower

“How is she?” Steve Rogers asked as he came up behind his old friend, Clint Barton.

“She’s stable, but still unconscious. Hank and Black Crow say she is fine and should eventually come out of her coma like sleep,” Clint said as he looked down at the woman he loved and thought dead many years ago.

“Hard to believe she’s alive but all scans and tests prove that this woman is the real Bobbie Barton,” Tony Stark said from the other side of the medical bed.

“How is this possible?” Clint asked looking up at his two friends.

“Well, we were about to find out. If you come with us, you can get caught up with the others on what happened to the Thunderbolts as well as seeing this,” Tony said as he held up a flash drive.

“What is that?” Clint asked.

“We were able to download a lot of stuff from their base. Has everything to know about how Zemo and the others created their S.A.F.E. Avengers,” Steve answered as they got up and headed to the meeting room were the rest of the American Defenders, Avengers and Thunderbolts sat waiting from their battle in Arizona.

Old Ruins of the Thunderbolt Headquarters

Years Ago – Right after the Avenger/Thunderbolt battle against Baron Zemo

“How are you doing?” Melissa Gold asked as she and Erik Josten stepped into the quiet and vacant room.

“I’m doing good. I wasn’t sure you’d come,” Abner Jenkins said as he got up and faced his two guests.

“Hey, despite everything, you were always the constant for the Thunderbolts and for us,” Melissa, the Thunderbolt known as Songbird said as he eyed the man she hated to love and loved to hate.

“It was our fault for following Zemo and once again getting duped,” Erik the Thunderbolt known as Atlas added.

“That pretty much ended the Thunderbolts,” Abe the Thunderbolt known as Mach-IV sighed.

“Even thought the Avengers helped us win the battle, Zemo got away and Techno or Fixer, whatever Norbert calls himself, vanished into hiding,” Erik swore.

“Which means that the Thunderbolts still came out as helping the Avengers in the end showing goodwill and that they are still needed,” Abe said as he looked at the two.

“Abe, you already said it. The Thunderbolts has officially ended. Moonstone is in custody and in a coma after the battle, Jolt has returned to Counter Earth and Blackheath is depowered and in jail,” Melissa said as she looked over at Erik.

“And Vantage lost all her power as well and now my poor Dallas is crippled and in a wheelchair. Despite that being my fault and everything that went down, we’re lucky she pardoned me and Melissa and didn’t lock us up along with Samuel Smithers,” Erik added.

“I know this looks bad but the Thunderbolts still have one last breath. With the three of us we can reform the Thunderbolts again and this time we control the team and make it a force of good, like the Avengers,” Abe said with hope.

“Who’s going to join? No reputable super hero is going to join a group of x-villains,” Erik said.

“No, but I still believe in the premise of the Thunderbolts. Those who have turned their lives around and truly want to be heroes, there has got to be others out there like us. What bout the other former Thunderbolts?” Abe asked now getting pumped for this comeback.

“Amazon has retired and running a bar. She’s made it clear she is done with it all. Cyclone is still in prison and Herrier is going by Cardinal again and he and Skein have gone off the radar. No one knows where they’ve gone,” Melissa said.

“We could always place an add or setup a website saying we are recruiting those who want to make a name for themselves as reformed and have the desire to be a super hero,” Erik said.

“Yeah, right,” Melissa joked.

“No, I think you have something there. I know we might get all kinds with different motives, but between the three of us we can truly screen the applicants and build a Thunderbolts team that will last and make a positive name for themselves,” Abe said with a smile.

“You’re crazy, you know that?” Melissa smiled.

“Yes, but we can all be crazy together,” Abe said as he jumped up as the three of them had agreed to give this idea and the Thunderbolts another shot.

Many Years into the Future but Not Quite the Present

Run Down House

“Despite the swarming demon and what is now dubbed, the Demon Storm, the Heroes of the world have prevailed. Even now many heroes, including former Avengers have pitched in with the clean up,” the news television was saying as an image of Captain America and other heroes could be seen.

“Curse him!” A man in a torn up chair shouted as he crushed a beer can with one hand and blew the television set apart with the gun in his other hand.

“Zemo, I see things have been good for you,” a voice came from behind him.

Zemo jumped up and fired his gun. The blast hit the intruder in the chest and blew a hole in it. The man laughed as his body shifted and the hole closed from the effects of his robotic body self repairing. The robotic man came fully into the room stepping over the dead body of a bald fat man. Zemo glanced at the man and noticed a figure in the shadows behind him.

“Norbert, I see you’ve finally come out of hiding. What brings you here and who’s your friend?” Zemo mumbled as he plopped back into his chair and opened another beer.

“This is my friend, Anastasia. I met her in a bar. Turns out her sister is the Black Cat,” Norbert began to introduce his friend.

“She is no sister of mine. The witch and her do gooder team put me behind bars,” Anastasia said with anger.

“How’d you get out?” Zemo asked as he continued to drink.

“I have my ways, prison’s can’t hold me, but I saw most of them on the news helping out after the Storm and it reminded me that heroes need to be knocked down a notch,” Anastasia said.

“And how do you plan to do that?” Zemo snickered, drunk from his many years of defeats by the hand of his hated enemy and others like him.

“We were talking and she liked your whole pretending to be heroes to take over the world,” Norbert said.

“Been there done that,” Zemo grunted.

“But, what if the world demanded the Avengers and you actually gave them what they wanted and a lot more than they bargained for?” Anastasia asked with an evil smile.

“And, I know who we can hook up with to get the money and additional tech we need,” Norbert said with a smile as well.

“And just how do you plan to pull this off?” Zemo asked as his interest peeked.

“Oh, I have my ways and a plan,” Anastasia said as she tapped her finger and she suddenly took on the appearance of Rhodes, the Avenger once known as War Machine and now in charge of the Vault who’s sample of blood allowed her escape from prison.

“Let’s do this,” Zemo said as he sobered up and jumped to his feet to begin their master plan to bring down Captain America, his Avengers and the other would be super heroes.

Next: Issue #33 –The Second Age of Apocalypse – Part Eight the Conclusion and Aftermath & New Avengers: Thunderbolts Disassembled – Part Two: Be sure to check out The New Exiles #36 for Part Seven of The Second Age of Apocalypse for the climatic battle with Apocalypse.