Avengers (1st series) #299

Times Square, New York City. Each year, the streets and sidewalks are flooded with tourists. They take pictures, spend money, block traffic and gawk at the sights. Today is an especially good day for gawking - as demons are running rampant through the city! A police man opens fire at some demons who emerge through a portal, while another large demon grabs a screaming woman by her hair. Another demon pulls up the end of car, causing the driver to fall out the front door.

Outside the city, of course, say in Connecticut, tourism isn’t such a big business, and life goes on pretty much as normal. Susan Storm-Richards a.k.a. the Invisible Woman kisses her son on his cheek, ‘Good night, Sugar’ she tells Franklin. ‘Sugar bear!’ Franklin exclaims. ‘Good night, Sugar Bear’ Susan corrects herself. She tells Franklin to sleep tight and not to let the bedbugs bite, while Reed Richards a.k.a. Mr Fantastic stands nearby. Reed and Susan go into their room and get into bed. Reed reaches for the lamp on his bedside table, “bedbugs bite” he quotes his wife, boasting that his son would be more than a match for any bedbugs. Sue queries Reed: ‘“Your” son? Weren’t we partners on that particular transaction?’ ‘Fathers get the sons, wives get the daughters’ Reed remarks. ‘Oh, so? I think maybe we should discuss this further’ Sue replies.

Back in New York: ‘What in blazes is happening here?’ Steve Rogers a.k.a. The Captain wonders as he ducks down when a demon leaps towards him. Wearing his black costume with the stripes across the front, he tells himself ‘If I thought things were strange before I was called away to the Arctic, Manhattan is ten times worse now!’ The Captain throws a punch and strikes one of the demons who lunges at him. Suddenly, a strange robot with a large wheel moves swiftly towards The Captain who turns to it: ‘You look a little familiar, mister… you don’t happen to know a car up on the West Side, do you? He and I had an interesting chat just a day or so ago!’ he jokes as he slams his shield into the creature, and he watches as the robot transforms back into what it truly is - a motorcycle. ‘Another one! It looks like transformers are all the rage this week’ Cap jokes, before deciding that the motorcycle has come just in time, as he gets on it, ‘I can use a good set of wheels’ he tells himself as he gets on and speeds down the street.

The radio on the motorcycle reports that National Guard troops are being dispatched to the Empire State Building, and that a major battle is taking place in Times Square. ‘That’s only a few blocks from here’ Cap tells himself, and moments later, he arrives on scene, and up ahead sees commotion which he assumes to be the battle, but realizes that the creatures are having a rough time of it. ‘So who’s giving it to them?’ Cap wonders, before exclaiming ‘It’s some costumed kids I’ve never seen before! And they’re giving a pretty good account of themselves!’ Cap declares as Sam “Cannonball” Guthrie blasts forward, knocking two demons aside, he tells them that he is beginning to think they all aren’t gentlemanly sorts at all. ‘But then, Ah guess neither are we’ Cannonball adds, while Rahne Sinclair a.k.a. Wolfsbane leaps forward, wrapping her clawed hands around a demon’s face. ‘Kill them! Kill them! N’astirh commands it! But spare the demon girl!’ one demon calls out as it flies overhead.

‘You won’t get the chance, demon-boy. Because you are about to get skragged!’ Bobby “Sunspot” DaCosta calls out as he reaches up and grabs the flying demon by its neck. And surrounded by the battle, a terrifying figure of steel and brimstone says nothing. She merely asks no quarter and gives none. She is Illyana “Magik” Rasputin and she slashes her way through the demons of Limbo. The demons return the favor, ‘Coming in above you, Magik!’ Sunspot alerts his teammate. Dani Moonstar a.k.a. Mirage is also amongst the battle, and wonders if she could create the embodiment of the demons’ greatest fear - but she doesn’t know what it is. Another demon cries out in pain as Wolfsbane leaps on it, and Cannonball blasts into yet another of the demons. ‘Miss! Miss! Behind you!’ The Captain calls out as he speeds towards Mirage, who is unaware that one of the demons is just about to grab her. Cap realizes that it is no use, she can’t hear him over all this noise.

‘That’s far enough, ugly!’ The Captain exclaims as he grabs the demon by its foot and pulls it away from Mirage. ‘The lady’s definitely not interested!’ he adds, swinging the demon around, it slams into a lamppost. ‘Wow! What an embodiment! And I don’t even know who he is!’ someone calls out. The Captain tells himself that the kids are doing okay, but up ahead, sees a man being pulled into the air by two demons. He speeds along the road, and uses one of the fallen demons as a ramp, driving over the demon, and onto a car, Cap’s motorcycle flies through the air, and slams into the two demons, knocking them off balance. Cap examines the situation, ‘That’s the last of these creatures! Now how about the -?’ he calls out, but turning back to the young heroes, sees none of them needs any assistance. He wonders who they are. ‘There’re so many super heroes around, I can’t even keep them straight anymore!’ he admits.

The heroes are the New Mutants, and they move towards Magik, who holds her flaming Soulsword over one of the demons. ‘Magik! Stop it! They’re all out already!’ Sunspot calls out to his teammate. ‘And who is that? I thought he was one of Dani’s creations, but…’ Wolfsbane begins, referring to the Captain. The alien Warlock stands with his teammates, ‘New-friend great ride putt-putt! Query: teach Warlock?’ the inquisitive alien asks. Cannonball tells Warlock maybe later, ‘You sure do know how to handle a motorcycle! And you look a lot like Captain America!’ Cannonball exclaims. ‘I’m called the Captain. You might say that Captain America and I are old friends’ he claims, before telling the kids that he doesn’t recognize them. ‘Well… uh… we’re just…’ Cannonball’s voice trails off, as the Captain tells him not to worry, that he isn’t here to blow anybody’s secrets, he is just trying to find out what is happening. ‘That much, we can tell you. It’s demons from a place called Limbo’ Cannonball replies.

Cannonball explains that there are a lot of them, led by a mean mother by the name of S’ym, who is fixing to invade Earth, starting with New York and spreading out. He reveals that there is another one, called N’astirh, with pretty much the same idea, and he has been trying to make some sort of nasty magic using babies. ‘We’re just getting a taste of their shock troops in Times Square’ Cannonball adds. The Captain asks the kids where they fit in, Cannonball informs Cap that they are the New Mutants, and that Limbo is something they have known about for a long time - and fought before. Cap asks them if they know what they are doing now, to which Cannonball claims that they sure do. ‘Good. But it sounds to me like we could all use a little help from our friends tonight. And I think I know where I can find some’ Cap remarks, bidding the kids good luck, he tells them to be careful, and gets on his motorcycle, he speeds away. The New Mutants watch him go, and Magik remarks that Cannonball told him too much, but Cannonball replies that he doesn’t think so. ‘The way he moved and handled those demons? I got a suspicion he’s a lot closer to Captain America than you might think’.

Far away in the rugged mountains of Northern Greece, hidden away from the prying eyes of man, the ancient city of Olympia, home of the mysterious Eternals sits in silence. Few Eternals still live within this gleaming metropolis. The streets are silent and the houses empty - but there does remain the occasional disturber of the peace! The flame-haired Eternal called Sprite leaps about, ‘Hello within the house! Arise! Awake!’ he exclaims. ‘Come out! Come out you anvient hero and dust off your courage! Would you lie abed while there’s man’s work to be done?’ he asks. A muscular, shirtless Eternal appears before Sprite and asks him for what mischievous purpose he has disturbed his meditations. ‘Is the city too quiet with our comrades gone?’ he asks. Sprite exclaims that it is monsters - thousands of them- they fill the skies over the new world. ‘And Thena?’ the muscular Eternal asks. ‘She’s already heard! She expects you in the chamber of council right now! Forthwith! Immediately!’ Sprite urges.

And shortly:‘Young Sprite has told you?’ the regal Thena asks as she sits on the throne of Olympia. ‘Some wild take of monsters. The truth?’ the shirtless Eternal asks. Thena confirms that it is more or less as Sprite said, and that their watchers have reported that the city of New York is falling beneath the heel of demons. ‘They have need of a monster slayer’ Thena confirms. ‘And I may go?’ the Eternal asks. Thena points out that he has been called the Forgotten One because of his long exile - but that is over. She adds that this invasion could threaten even Olympia. She instructs the Forgotten One to reforge his armor that he may shine like the sun, and then depart. ‘Will you take a name again?’ Thena asks. ‘If the need arises the Forgotten One replies, before he returns to his workshop and Sprite watches on as the Forgotten One forges his sword.

Meanwhile, in Connecticut: ‘What’s the matter, Franklin?’ Sue asks as the boy enters his parents’ bedroom. ‘Bogey Man’s coming, Mommy. I’m scared’ Franklin replies. He climbs in between his parents, and Sue tells him that he was having a bad dream. ‘We’ll protect you’ she assures him.

Outside, as the moon shines down from the night shy, a strange space ship appears over the Richards’ home. ‘There! Right below us! It’s a strong signal! This one’s going to be wonderful!’ a voice inside the ship exclaims. ‘Girls and boys, come out to play, the moon does shine as bright as day!’ an egg-shaped being sitting at a computer console sings, before declaring ‘Time to wake up, sleepyhead!’ There is a loud click, and a panel under the ship opens. Someone in armor drops down on a rope ladder, while the egg-shaped creature calls out ‘Now don’t forget to take all your toys. This one’s very well protected… so do like Nanny showed you and disconnect all those nasty, loud alarms’.

The armored being lands on the rooftop and fires a blast of energy at some cabling, destroying the security alarm. ‘You’d better give him my extra dusting of sand. We don’t want him waking up, do we? It will help Nanny make him sleep more soundly. And we’ll have saved another poor little orphan’ Nanny calls out, as the armored being - the Orphan Maker - climbs through a window and enters Sue and Reed’s bedroom. The Orphan Maker sprinkles the dust over Franklin and pulls the child out of bed. Holding Franklin up by the collar of his pyjamas, the Orphan Maker holds a weapon in the other hand, and suddenly, ‘Ummm? Mommy?’ Franklin utters, before sending his dream-self flying out of his body, ‘Mommy! Wake up! Bogey Man’s here!’ Franklin’s dream form cries. The Orphan Maker is surprised, and immediately fires a bullet at Reed’s head - but the bullet doesn’t even strike Reed, something makes it ricochet away. ‘Uh, oh. I can’t make him an orphan’ the Orphan Maker realizes.

He makes his way back to the open window, ‘Ohhh… Nanny’s gonna be so mad…’ he tells himself, while Franklin stirs and calls out for his Mommy. ‘At least ghost boy is gone’ Orphan Maker decides. Just down the street, though, The Captain is pulling up on his motorcycle. He sees the Richards’ house, and decides that if Reed can’t help, then nobody can. ‘Reed! Sue!’ Cap calls out as he bangs his fists on the door in the middle of the night. But when he gets no answer, he decides to check around the back of the house. He notices that the car is still here, and detects a smell of ozone. Cap also sees the scorch marks on the roof, and sees that the upstairs window has been forced. Cap climbs through the window and sees Reed and Sue asleep. He calls out to them and notices the energy shield around them. Touching it, Cap realizes that it is warm, and suddenly, it dissolves.

Reed and Sue wake up, and see the Captain standing over them. ‘What’s the matter?’ Reed asks, while Susan announces that she had a strange dream about her force field, before she sees that Franklin is missing, and she goes into a state of panic. Reed gets out of bed and instructs Sue to check Franklin’s bed, before asking the Captain what is going on. ‘You… know who I am?’ Cap asks. Reed replies that he wasn’t the leader of the Fantastic Four for years without learning how to keep track of super heroes. He touches a piece of artwork on the wall, and a wall panel slides open. ‘Even when they have new names and costumes’ Reed adds. Cap reports that his problem will keep, as Susan rushes back in and declares that Franklin is nowhere in the house. ‘Oh, Reed! What’s happened to him?’ she asks. The wall panel has a series of consoles and screens on it, and Reed tells Sue to stay calm, assuring her they will know what has happened to Franklin as soon as he activates the monitors.

‘There! Less than an hour ago! Franklin’s been kidnapped!’ Reed declares as one of the monitors depicts the armored intruder carrying Franklin up the rope ladder. ‘Oh, no! But why?’ Susan asks. Reed points out that it could be one of their old enemies seeking revenge, or a new menace that they have never encountered before. Reed adds that, either way, their foe is going to regret this to his dying day, and reports that he is tracking the energy signature of the ship. Reed frowns and remarks that the ship is heading into New York City. ‘That’s where my problem is, too’ Cap tells his ally. The trio soon depart in one of Reed’s hover cars, as The Captain explains his problem is in New York as well, where there is some sort of dimensional dislocation, and alien creatures like demons re flooding in. Cap adds that he came here for help, and didn’t expect to find Reed and Sue needing some as well. ‘Let’s move I! Maybe we can help each other out’ Reed replies.

Back in Olympia: ‘Excellent!’ the Forgotten One exclaims as he holds up a new horned headpiece. He puts on his costume, including a green cape, and goes to Thena, informing her that it is time. ‘Will you take no weapons?’ Thena asks as she stands up from the throne. The Forgotten One points out that he is long out of practice - a weapon too long in the scabbard whose edge has been dulled by time and rust. ‘This will hone me again’ he claims. ‘If it does not break you’ Thena points out. The Forgotten One takes flight and replies ‘That danger is faced by everyone weapon. It will make me live again’. He bids farewell to Olympia, his home. ‘Look for me again when all the monsters are slain’.

And above New York City, the small space craft operated by Nanny darts between the skyscrapers. Nanny declares that the confusion below is wonderful. She calls Orphan Maker “Peter” and tells him that it will help her. She instructs Orphan Maker to guide the ship while she looks at their latest child. ‘And watch those instruments’ she calls out as she enters another part of the ship, Nanny tells herself that she still wants to find the poor, unfortunate babies who were taken from the awful orphanage, before she stands over Franklin. ‘What a darling - but so hard to keep asleep. Even with the pixie sand, I can feel him trying to wake up’ Nanny remarks, deciding that he is a strong one. ‘What are little boys made of? Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails. That’s what little boys are made of’ Nanny sings, before stating that the cellular probes are engaged and recording is on.

She examines Franklin: ‘DNA structure… chromosomal departures… mutations including… incredible!’ she exclaims, declaring that she must know more. ‘You must sing for your supper. Tell Nanny who you are’ she calls out. ‘Franklin’ the boy replies. ‘Franklin who?’ Nanny asks. ‘Franklin Richards’ comes his reply. ‘Oh no!’ Nanny thinks to herself, before asking him what his Mommy and Daddy’s names are. ‘Susan and Reed’ Franklin responds. ‘Peter! Come here at once!’ Nanny calls out. ‘Yes, Nanny?’ Orphan Maker asks as he enters the other part of the ship. Nanny asks Orphan Maker to tell her truthfully if this child is an orphan. ‘Oh, yes, Nanny!’ Orphan Maker declares. ‘Bad! Bad boy! Nanny has told you never to lie!’ Nanny exclaims, holding a small whip in her hand, she shake her other hand at Orphan Maker, who turns away from Nanny and reveals that he couldn’t kill them, as they were inside a clear little house. ‘Hold out your hand!’ Nanny declares.

Orphan Maker does so, and Nanny starts to hit his hand with her whip that is charged with some sort of energy. ‘Bad! Bad! BAD!’ Nanny scolds the Orphan Maker who tells Nanny that he is sorry. Nanny starts to pace the floor, and declares that this child is the son of Reed and Sue Richards, which could mean real trouble. ‘We shall have to prepare at once!’ she exclaims. Rubbing his smacked hand, Orphan Maker assures Nanny that he can handle them, if she will tell him how. Nanny looks up at Orphan Maker and warns him that they will be more difficult that anyone they have ever dealt with before. ‘I wish you had told me’ she tells him, but decides that there is no use crying of spilt milk. Nanny instructs Orphan Maker to prepare an extra dose of pixie sand, and tells him that she will be in the forge, as she has an idea.

And shortly, ‘Tracer lock established. Visual ID confirmed. That’s it!’ Reed exclaims as his shuttle craft has closed in on Nanny’s egg-like ship. ‘Reed, do you think -?’ Susan begins, but Reed tells her that he is trying not to. In the back of the odd-shaped craft, The Captain instructs Reed to pull above the other ship, so he can leap across and surprise them. But Reed declares that he is not letting anyone else get hurt trying to save his child. He adds that they should be able to bring them down without harming either them or the occupants, as Reed fires a beam from his hovercraft, which starts to drain the energy on the egg-ship’s electrical systems. Reed announces that it will bring them down in a few seconds. Indeed, the egg-ship lands in a nearby park. ‘Wow! A UFO! That book, Communion, was right!’ someone exclaims.

The Captain leaps out of the Richards’ hover-car, ‘Nicely done, Reed. Now it’s my turn!’ he calls out. ‘Captain!’ Susan exclaims, but Reed just tells his wife to prepare to land and not to worry about the Captain. ‘There’s no stopping an old warhorse like Cap’ he adds. Cap lands on top of the egg-ship with a KATHUMP! The Orphan Maker emerges from a hatch on top of the egg-ship, and Cap remarks ‘The welcome wagon’s ready, I see’, before warning his foe that he will find him a different kettle of fish than a defenseless child. Orphan Maker moves forward, and Cap ducks, just, as the villain attempts to strike a punch. He slams his shield into the Orphan Maker’s side, but it doesn’t seem to dent his armor. Cap realizes that the armor will make it tough to score points against this foe, when suddenly, the Orphan Maker hits Cap on the head - but Cap rolls with the punch, just.

Susan rushes over and tries to throw an invisible force bubble around Orphan Maker, but discovers that he is protected by some kind of screening device. Reed tells Susan to try and lift him, but before she can, Orphan Maker grabs Cap and raises him overhead. Cap is unable to break from his foe’s grip, and realizes that he will have to be ready to roll with the throw, and hope that he doesn’t decide to take a little target practice against the trees! Orphan Maker throws Cap through the air, but Mr Fantastic extends one of his arms and grabs Cap. ‘HEY!’ Orphan Maker complains. ‘So you can talk! Good! Because I’ve got some questions I want answered right now!’ Reed tells the Orphan Maker. Susan calls out to her husband, alerting him to the gun that the Orphan Maker is now holding up. Cap tosses his shield, and it breaks the gun when it strikes the Orphan Maker’s hand. ‘Had some kind of gun!’ Cap exclaims as his shield swerves back to him.

‘He may be quick but he’s not a professional fast draw. I am!’ Cap declares after Reed puts him on the ground and remarks that they had a pretty good defense. ‘But you think it’s time we took the offensive away from him?’ Cap asks, adding that he agrees completely. Cap points out that he has had a good close-up view of that tin-can, and even an armored suit has its weak points. He tosses his shield once more, and announces that, in this case, it is below the chin. The shield strikes Orphan Maker under his chin ‘OHH!’ the Orphan Maker cries out as he falls backwards and slips off the egg-ship, landing on the grass below, he starts screaming ‘WAAAAHH!’ and calls out that he is hurt and wants Nanny. ‘What in the world?’ Cap asks as he moves closer to the Orphan Maker, who once again calls out to Nanny, asking for help.

A panel on the side of the egg-ship opens, but it isn’t Nanny who steps out -  it’s another being in armor, a red armor this time, similar to Orphan Maker but with some differences. ‘It… it sounds like a small child. But how can that -’ Cap begins, before hearing a noise behind him. Too late, though, as the red-armored being slams a fist into the back of Cap’s head, knocking the hero to the ground. ‘Cap’s unconscious!’ Reed calls out. They approach the red-armored being and Reed tells Sue to stay back, until they have taken this new creature’s measure. ‘But be ready for anything’ Reed adds, while Sue remarks that, if anything, this one looks more formidable than the other. ‘But who are they? And what do they want with Franklin?’ Reed wonders. Suddenly, the red armored being opens its mouth and breathes fire towards Reed and Sue. ‘Get behind me, Reed! Fast! My force field will protect us!’ Sue calls out as she throws up an invisible force field, blocking the fire, as Reed stretches his body so that he is behind Sue.

‘Nicely done! Deflect the flame to your right… and now it’s our turn!’ Reed exclaims as he moves his stretched body along towards their foe, and wraps himself around the being. ‘If I can pull him off balance, get him down -’ Reed calls out, but his foe generates electrical shocks like a living cattle prod, and Reed is unable to maintain his hold - he is flung about like a very large rubber band. ‘Reed!’ Sue calls out to her husband but sees that he has been knocked out, too. She wonders if she can contain this thing, and throws a force field around the being in the red armor, realizing that this one doesn’t seem to have a protective screen like the other one did. The being starts to tear holes in the force field, surprising Sue, who is unable to hold him back. She sees that the others are still out. Reed lies motionless nearby, and Cap is a little further away, with the Orphan Maker crouched over him. ‘Not bad. But Orphan Maker could do better’ he boasts.

Suddenly, Sue’s foe breaks out of the force field, and she is not able to throw a protective shield around herself fast enough. ‘No! It can’t end like this!’ Susan exclaims - and it doesn’t as a burst of energy crackles from above, and strikes the foe down. Mist forms around the figure who appears - it is the Forgotten One. ‘Stand away from the maiden, monster! I’ve not traveled half a world to stand idly by while you slay her’ he declares. Suddenly, Nanny emerges from her egg-ship. ‘Well, for goodness sake, now what? Another one? And Richards is recovering!’ she exclaims, annoyed. With her electric whip in hand, Nanny calls out to the being in the red armor and tells him to get up, as his homework isn’t complete yet. Nanny adds that she wants these people dead - all of them - and she wants them dead now. ‘But…I’m not sure I want to, Nanny’ a voice from inside the armor replies.

‘REED!’ Susan suddenly screams, while Nanny declares ‘You listen to me, young man! Nanny will take away your nice new suit of armor and punish you if you don’t do what Nanny says. And there’ll be no dessert for a month!’ she adds. ‘Oh, no, Nanny! Not that!’ the being inside the armor complains. A shocked Susan tells Reed to listen - as that is Franklin’s voice. ‘My son!’ Reed gasps. ‘Franklin’s inside that horrible thing!’ Susan declares, wide-eyed. ‘Oh, good! They’ve guessed! Now you will be able to take them easily. What parents could harm their own child?’ Nanny points out as Franklin and the Orphan Maker stand at her side.

‘He’s not my son, egg with a voice’ the Forgotten One points out, while deciding that if he tries to slay his own parents he is a monster - and slaying monsters is why he is here.

‘Reed, what are we going to do?’ Susan calls out, while Cap stands with them after regaining consciousness and tells Susan that, offhand, he would say they are in for the trickiest fight of their lives.

‘What’s so tricky about it? Nanny asks. ‘All you have to do is die!’ She then sings “Ring around the rosies, a pocket full of posies, Hush! Hush! Hush! Hush! You all fall down” She turns her attention to the Forgotten One: ‘And you too, whoever you are! “Egg” indeed!’ she exclaims, unimpressed, before ordering Franklin and Orphan Maker to kill them. ‘KILL THEM ALL!’