A-Force (1st series) #4

The island of Arcadia, where the mysterious being called Singularity rushes down a street. A strand of Medusa's hair is wrapped around her wrist. 'Friends. Hurry? Danger. Danger. Gone... friends. Friends. Friends' Singularity utters as she rushes past some potted flowers, picks one up to smell it. She then hides behind a building as Gamora, Valkyrie and Sif of the Thor Corps run down another alley. Singularity makes her way out of the city, and into a forest. 'Safe!' she exclaims as Alison “Dazzler” Blaire, Carol Danvers a.k.a. Captain Marvel, Jennifer Walters a.k.a. She-Hulk and Nico Minoru are expelled from her cosmic-like body. 'Cute trick, soldier!' Carol declares, while Dazzler asks 'Where'd she learn to do that?' Nico points out that it is obvious – from them. 'She learned it from us. She was shapeless, she met us and she took a form. She watched us. She learned'. Nico grins as she wraps an arm around Singularity, pulling her close. 'Smile' Singularity calls out as she  hands the flower to Dazzler. She gives something to Carol, 'Fight' she tells her. 'Feel' she tells Nico as she kisses her on her cheek. 'Give' Singularity adds, looking at Medusa's hair.

'And me?' She-Hulk asks, putting a hand on Singularity's shoulder. She-Hulk hangs her head and reminds the others that she was meant to protect their people, but now she has harbored a traitor within their own borders, brought an army of vengeful Thors right to their very doorstep, cost Arcadia her freedom that has always made her a paradise. 'What could I have possibly taught you?' She-Hulk asks Singularity. 'Give... and forgive' the enigmatic being responds as she places the strands of Medusa's hair in She-Hulk's hand. She-Hulk points down at Arcadia and tells the others that a traitor has quite literally torn holes in the very heart of their island, that these portals are generated by magic, Arcadian magic, yes, but fuelled by something much older, something unstable, as the Sub-Mariners learned. 'Fuelled by what? What did you see, when you travelled through?' Carol enquires. 'I saw a rainbow bridge' Jennifer reveals. 'The magic that the Thors use?' Nico asks. 'The Thors, anyone else with a connection to Asgard' Carol remarks. 'Not...?' Nico gasps, wide-eyed. 'NO!' she screams.

At the Plaza of Arcadia, Gamora, Sif and Valkyrie are joined by Colossus, Nightcrawler and Sam Wilson, as Gamora announces that A-Force is no more, that they are disbanded and outlawed. 'Peace will reign in Arcadia whether by the bend of the knee or the point of the sword!' she calls out. Gamora, Sif and Valkyrie approach A-Force's headquarters and Gamora asks Valkyrie if She-Hulk has been found. Valkyrie replies that she hasn't, adding that it is only a matter of time. A voice calls out to the trio from down a corridor, 'I told you Arcadia is paradise'. The women approach the darkness at the end of the corridor, and Gamora replies 'Yes. And you have shown far greater senseb than the traitors of A-Force and that wretch Medusa'. Gamora adds 'Your loyalty to Doom though this insurrection will not go unrewarded'. Gamora tells the voice in the darkness that she has no doubt they will be crowned by the next Baroness of Arcadia. 'I've always thought “Queen” had a far sweeter ring to it' Loki announces as she sits on a throne, which Gamora, Sif and Valkyrie stand next to.

Loki gets off the throne and walks over to the table where Medusa's body lies. 'But do not speak of Medusa in such terms. She and I have always been natural allies, friends, queens... she was misled by She-Hulk. And She-Hulk is to blame for her death. I do not rejoice in her loss'. Loki goes over to the window and looks out into the night, announcing that she will take the throne of Arcadia, if Doom wills it, of course, adding that she intends for Medusa to be the last casualty on this island. 'I will see that no more of our people are taken from us. And that all we hold dear -?' she stops mid-sentence. 'Lady Loki? What -?' Gamora asks. 'There are no stars in -' Loki begins, before Singularity's face appears at the window. 'Hello!' she grins, causing Loki to fall backwards. She-Hulk, Dazzler, Captain Marvel and Nico burst into the chamber, 'You're gonna see more than stars, Loki!' Captain Marvel declares. 'This is for Medusa!' She-Hulk exclaims as she smacks Loki in the face. 'And the next part is gonna be for me!' She-Hulk adds as Loki falls back through a wall. Captain Marvel smacks her fist into Gamora's face, while Nico places her staff at Valkyrie's neck and tells her that she is sorry about this. 'I'm not' Dazzler sings as she casts light energy at Sif.

Outside now, She-Hulk stands over Loki and informs her that she found the rainbow bridge. 'This entire disaster – it was your doing' she declares, adding that all the years of peace they have known, Loki would gamble with all of Arcadia, with all of their lives, for power. 'Don't you dare speak to me of power' Loki responds. She gets to her feet and starts casting energy about, 'You let them take America from us. You would just as soon use your power to condemn one of your own than protect' Loki declares, adding that she was the one to act in their best interests, for Arcadia deserves a queen who can appears Doom – and keep her people safe. 'But you're so afraid to break rules that you're never willing to bend them' Loki tells She-Hulk as her magical energies have created a large rock-monster from the ground around them. 'You, on the other hand, I can break quite nicely' Loki remarks as the rock monster picks She-Hulk up and brings her towards its mouth. 'You'll never learn, Loki! Never change. When it comes to power -' She-Hulk begins, before the rock monster swallows her. The creature's eyes dart about, as if struggling with something – and an instant later, She-Hulk bursts through the creature's stomach, '- your eyes are bigger than your stomach!' She-Hulk shouts at Loki.

'I'm not going back under the boot heel of someone who deals in puns, Jennifer. I'm not going back to your blind justice, either' Loki tells She-Hulk, who lunges towards her. 'That's enough of your poison, Loki' She-Hulk declares as she grabs Loki's cloak, which suddenly turns into several snakes that start to wrap themselves around She-Hulk. 'Not quite' She-Hulk points out, before telling She-Hulk that she was going to let her live out her days on the Shield, was going to ask her to send America her love, and tell her that she would find a way to see her again. 'But now -' Loki begins, hovering over She-Hulk, who struggles against the snakes, and looking very angry, energy bubbling around her hands, until she is knocked out of the air by another's energy. 'Loki' Nico calls out, looking very unimpressed. 'Nico? Nico, child, what are you -' Loki begins as she falls to Nico's feet. She-Hulk gets up, free of the snake illusion. 'You. You did this to us. You brought Doom down upon us' Nico declares. Loki looks up at Nico and tells her not to cry, claiming that she did this for her, for the good of their people.

Loki takes Nico's hands and assures her that she can still save her, although it is too late for She-Hulk and the Arcadians. 'When I am crowned, Nico, you will be the princess of the island. We will make a better world than what we had – a paradise, where we can do and go and be whatever we please, with Doom never the wiser' Loki explains. 'The portals...' Nico cries. 'Your portals were opening before America was exiled. Your portal was the reasoon America was exiled' Nico points out. 'You loved us...but you always loved power more' Nico declares as she kicks Loki backwards. 'Traitor! Deceiver!' Gamora exclaims as she rushes over and puts her sword to Loki's neck. 'Jerk!' She-Hulk mutters as she takes Loki's horned headpiece and slams it down over Loki, pinning her to the ground. Nico stands over Loki and tells her that she will never rule the island. 'You lost America. You lost Arcadia. And you lost me'.

Loki looks forlorn, before scowling and narrowing her eyes, 'Well, child. I told your preciious leader that I would wager Arcadia – that I would sooner see us all free of her blind, obedient rule. Or all dead. If I cannot have you all – then I will leave you with nothing' Loki declares, when suddenly, green energy bursts from her mouth and pours upwards into the dark sky, where it travels onwards until it strikes the SHIELD surrounding Arcadia. The wall crumbles, and a growling sound can be heard, as dozens of zombies shuffle towards the gaping hole in the SHIELD. 'Oh God, the SHIELD...' utters a wide-eyed Dazzler. Captain Marvel frowns, She-Hulk looks very concerned and Nico looks scared. 'A-Force! For what may be the very last time...A SSEMBLE!' She-Hulk shouts as she, Dazzler, Captain Marvel, Nico and Singularity prepare to face the approaching zombies!