Pendragon Comics - The Pendragons 15

The Pendragons

# 15

Brought together in defense of Avalon and the British Isles, the Pendragons are the officially-sanctioned heroes of Great Britain. Originally led by the Black Knight, the group is composed of the remnants of the old Knights of Pendragon group, as well as several other heroes. Willing to die for their beliefs, the Pendragons stand united as England's best defense against threats of a superhuman nature.

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Written by Barry Reese

What's Been Happening: The Pendragons have been thrown through time and space by some unknown force and are now taking part in the legendary "Secret Wars" event. The group has been deposited on an alien world, where they have just witnessed the shooting down of a craft carrying Dr. Doom. The Latverian monarch mistook the heroes' concern for pity and lashed out at them, swearing that only Victor Von Doom would survive victorious in this war. Now, the war begins in earnest.... (Note: Some of the preceding contains summaries of events depicted in Secret Wars # 1.)

Joey Chapman thought he had seen and done most everything a superhero could do. He'd battled vampires, seen the devil himself pose as the British Prime Minister and even entered into a relationship with a 70 year old woman who now had the body of a 20 year old.

He and his Pendragon teammates had been kidnapped by an alien being known as the Beyonder and deposited right into an event that was, by all accounts, almost five years in the past -- a secret war in which heroes such as the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and Spider-Man were pitted in battle against such arch-fiends as Dr. Doom, Kang the Conqueror and the Wrecking Crew.

Union Jack turned to see Iron Man pointing towards the horizon, where a veritable army of super-villains had appeared on the horizon. They were obviously eager to take the Beyonder at his word: Slay your enemies and all you desire shall be yours.

Adam Crown, Excalibur in hand, moved quickly, yelling "Pendragons! Captain America's got the Avengers taking the wedge, we need to provide interior support -- pick your targets and stick to them!"

The golden god known as Miracleman nodded, taking to the air. He didn't feel slighted that Captain America hadn't deployed him alongside the other heavyweights like Thor and Iron Man. Even if the Sentinel of Liberty remembered that Miracleman had once defended England during the 1950s, he most likely had no idea of how powerful young Micky Moran truly was.

Miracleman recognized only a few of the colorfully garbed villains, but the ones that he did recognize were most chilling to behold. "Captain Britain! Is that really--?"

Betsy Braddock, dressed in the power-enhancing uniform of Captain Britain could only nod grimly. "Obviously we weren't the only ones thrown through time."

Miracleman sensed the pain that hid behind her words and wondered what could have upset the normally unflappable Betsy Braddock so.

The telepathic beauty sent a mental pulse to the rest of the team, saying Be careful, mates. Not only are heavy-hitters like Kang, Ultron and the Enchantress on the way, but some of our villains are mixed in with them -- Micky and I have spotted the Ebony Knight, Mordred and Slaymaster.

Spitfire, down below, felt her heart sink. She looked upwards, hoping to catch Betsy's eye. Failing to do so, she turned to Union Jack and whispered "Joey, make sure you take care of Slaymaster. He's the bloke in the orange jumpsuit, with the long moustache. Can you do that?"

"Because he's the gent who blinded poor Betsy! He ripped her eyes clean out of her head*!"

Union Jack paused, digesting that fact. He knew that Betsy had once been blinded and had received new eyes from the evil Mojo. Over the years, she'd regained her natural sight, but the current Captain Britain almost never discussed her first tenure in the role, which had lasted all of six months before her encounter with Slaymaster. "But I thought the blighter was dead -- Didn't Brian kill him?"

Spitfire shrugged. "Who knows, love? But we have to help Bets handle this as best we can." The former Invader dashed aside as a powerful blast from an energy cannon tore into the heroes' ranks. Many, like Grace, Prof. X, Rogue and Colossus, were thrown to the ground, where they lay unmoving.

Spitfire surged forward, hearing the villains bickering amongst themselves. That was, she knew, a factor that could work in the favor of the heroes -- as long as their opponents were not working as a well-functioning group, it gave a strong advantage to teams like the Pendragons and the Avengers who had experience working with one another. Coming upon the injured Captain America, she extended a hand to him. "Need a lift, Captain?"

"Appreciated, Jackie," he replied. The two of them shared a long history, having fought side-by-side in World War II and Jackie could feel his confidence in her. It was an uplifting thing, which seemed to infect everyone who worked with the Sentinel of Liberty. Turning to the rest of the regrouping heroes, he yelled "Their attack is disjointed -- undisciplined! That gives us a chance! Attack! Take out the guns!"

Wynter, striding forward slowly and confidently, ignored the chest-thumping antics of the Hulk. In this day and age, Bruce Banner had regained control over the Hulk's form, but he was slowly losing it -- an event that would eventually lead Banner to be banished from the Earth for a time. The sorcerer raised both hands, eldritch energy flaring from them. He fired a powerful magic blast that struck the Enchantress hard, sending the Asgardian to her knees.

The blonde woman who had bedeviled both Thor and the Avengers over the years, howled in fury. "Mortal mage! You think your magic can stand against mine! I am of Godly blood!"

Wynter, his pale features never reflecting a change in attitude, merely shrugged. "And I am the son of a wizard far greater than any produced by Asgard, as you will now attest." He generated a mystic shield which blocked her next assault, causing her blasts to fall aside harmlessly. He narrowed his eyes, sending forth a spell of affliction. It struck home, causing her lithe limbs to wither and grow weak. She screamed in horror as her beauty faded in a growing wave of wrinkles and lines.

The jade giantess known as She-Hulk approached the Enchantress from behind and tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned, the Avenger delivered a powerful blow that sent the Asgardian into unconsciousness. She flashed a grin at Wynter. "Nice work, pal! You're a regular Doc Strange, aren't you?"

Wynter flinched at the comparison. In his time, the mage known as Stephen Strange was dead... as was She-Hulk's absent teammate, the Scarlet Witch. Choosing to avoid any discussion of the two, the wizard replied "Keep your eyes about you. The battle goes poorly."

Wynter was right. With half the heroes felled in the first blow, the villains were now running roughshod through the battlefield. The Wrecking Crew were driving a walking cannon of death, firing deadly bursts of energy again and again from the top of the construct.

Adam Crown was moving to try and put a halt to their progress when the Ebony Knight stepped forward to block his path. The dark figure bore the Ebony Blade, which had consumed its owner's body and soul. "So... Whitman is not with you?" the Knight asked. "A pity. I still have a score to settle with him."

Adam brandished the mighty sword Excalibur with a grace the belied his relative inexperience as a fighter. "You're not fit to serve as Dane Whitman's squire, mate. Why don't you just surrender now and I'll make sure that your old cell at Darkmoor Prison is held for you?"

The Ebony Knight hissed, slashing expertly with his blade and Adam barely brought his own sword down in time to block the blow. The two men began an almost elegant dance of death, surrounded by men and women of awesome powers and god-like strength.

Mordred, the nephew and son of Morgan Le Fay, skulked through the battle, trying to avoid detection. How he'd managed to be plucked from his prison he knew not, but if this Beyonder was as powerful as he seemed, the riches to be gained were unimaginable. All I have to do, he mused, is stay low and let the rest of these barbarians do each other in. Then I'll swoop in at the last moment and feast on their remains.

Mordred glanced up to see the woman called Dark Angel floating above him. The man's lips curled into a sneer. "My, my. Some lass who fancies herself a hero. Go and run back to the kitchen, you little ninny."

"Did you mother teach you to talk about women like that? Hard for me to believe, given how strong she is. Still... sometimes parents can only do so much." Dark Angel flew low enough to box Mordred's ears with her fists, generating an electromagnetic pulse as her flesh met his. Mordred's eyes opened wide and his moan was lost in the 'pop' of the pulse's activation. His synapses fried, Mordred fell forward to the ground. "Not bad work for a mere female, I don't think," she whispered.

Dark Angel turned just in time to receive a wrecking ball to the face, delivered by the Absorbing Man. The blow was enough to send blood spraying from her face and she fell to her hands and knees on the ground, grateful that her uniform -- composed of a piece of the Fabric of the Universe -- had offered some protection.

The villain moved to stand over her, leering. "Bet you ain't bad lookin' under all those clothes."

"She's out of your league, my friend." Miracleman swooped low, picking the Absorbing Man up and hurling him straight into the midst of Kang and Dr. Octopus. Micky looked at Shevaun, who was rising slowly. "Are you okay?"

"I'll live. Thanks." She surveyed the battle, noting that the Hulk and Cyclops had combined to take down the Wrecking Crew's mobile cannon. Unfortunately, the thrill of that success was tempered by her seeing Union Jack felled by an energy blast fired by Ultron. The Pendragon had seemingly been intent on aiding the webslinging hero known as Spider-Man, who was engaged in battle nearby.

Joey Chapman had, indeed, been headed towards Spider-Man. The red-and-blue clad hero was finding his enhanced reflexes severely tested by the mysterious Slaymaster. Trained in the deadly arts of the assassin, Slaymaster had proved to be one of the most difficult foes that Brian Braddock -- the original Captain Britain -- had ever faced. He delivered a powerful left-handed chop to the throat of Spider-Man, cutting off one of the webslinger's trademark quips, and followed that with a shiv thrust to the hero's side. The blade slipped between Spider-Man's ribs and left a jagged wound as Slaymaster yanked it free. "A pity. You are a capable warrior but you lack discipline and finesse. In time, should you survive your wound, you could become so much more. Please feel free to look me up for training and advice."

Slaymaster turned slowly, his eyes taking in the sight that now stood before him. Hands on hips, Betsy Braddock faced the man who'd humiliated her in combat once before. She knew Slaymaster's history as well as anyone, thanks to having studied the man in detail since her blinding. His true name unknown, Slaymaster had armed himself with a variety of deadly weapons and trained his mind and body to near perfection, becoming the ultimate killing machine. He'd bedeviled Brian Braddock for years before finally turning his sights on Betsy... an act that ultimately led Brian to kill Slaymaster in combat.

The mercenary raised an eyebrow. "Ah. The new Captain Britain. How fitting that we should meet here, on the field of battle. You see, I had planned to confront you... And now you are delivered up to me. Surely Allah is smiling down upon me." He raised his left hand, the one that had been augemented to near-diamond hardness. "But do enlighten me -- What do you find so humorous?"

Betsy clenched her fists, feeling her heart skip a beat. So that explained it. This was Slaymaster, but he had somehow been plucked from a period prior to his confrontation with Betsy. But he knew of her as Captain Britain, which meant that it was sometime during her six-month run as her brother's successor*. She was unable to peer past his "I just can't believe you're lecturing someone else on their lack of finesse. You're nothing but a bull in a china shop, smashing everything you see. You're scum. A worthless piece of murdering trash."

Slaymaster tilted his head to the side, examining her. He had the ability to sense the weaknesses in armor and people, but it took none of his training to recognize that this woman hated him. "You feel that I have wronged you. Intriguing." He adopted a battle stance, confident that he could take this woman. He had studied her in detail and knew that she relied far too much on her powers. She was no fighter at heart. "Let us explore our relationship further, shall we?"

Betsy smiled coldly. This man was from her past... From a time when she was a fashion model playing at being a hero. She had grown much since then, becoming a ninja and a warrior who could hold her own with Wolverine and Grace. She matched his pose, summoning her psychic knife, which sizzled in the air.

Slaymaster felt a surge of confusion. What was this? She had never displayed such an ability before....

Captain Britain attacked first, dancing forward and slashing with her psychic knife. Slaymaster blocked the blow, but barely. He was visibly impressed, but he wisely bit his tongue. He could play with most opponents but he sensed a fury in this one that made it prudent to focus on the battle at hand. Verbal wordplay, though he dearly loved it, would have to wait.

The two fought hard, each occasionally slipping through other's defenses and landing small blows. Though the battle around them was coming to a close, with many of the villains being captured and the others fleeing, these two mortal foes continued their clash. For Betsy, it was years in coming, giving her the opportunity to put to rest long-standing demons.

Betsy cried out when Slaymaster managed to sneak in a backhanded blow with his left hand. The impact sent her reeling onto her back and the mercenary launched himself into the air, eager to finish her off. She feigned confusion before slashing upwards with her blade. The energy weapon, composed of her own psionic force, struck home. It delivered a fury-laced mental blow to Slaymaster, threatening to overwhelm him with pain. Only his intense training gave him the strength of will to roll off her and evade her follow-up attack.

"Yes. You did. You thought you could leave me wounded and helpless, but you were wrong. I came back. Stronger."

Slaymaster felt confusion over her words, but his reply never came. Instead, a metal tentacle wrapped itself in his uniform and yanked him skywards. The taunting voice of Otto Octavius, archfoe of Spider-Man, called out "Come with me, fool! The last thing we need is another of us captured by Captain America and his ilk!"

Slaymaster forced a smile, though his body was wracked with pain. "Until we meet again, mon capitan...."

Betsy started to pursue him, eager to put this fully to rest, but she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Whirling about she came face-to-face with Wolverine. "What do you want, Logan?"

Wolverine narrowed his eyes, anger coming through in his every word. "Chuck says you're a mind-witch -- So I'm telling you now, stay outta my head!"

Betsy blinked in confusion, until she realized that he was assuming she'd picked his real name out of his head. "No... I'm sorry. I didn't --"

"Never mind." He looked past her, at the rapidly retreating villains. "Don't let your anger get the best of you. Whatever problem you've got with him, let it ride. This is a war. Keep your head in the game."

Betsy nodded, knowing he was right. In fact, he'd said similar things to her in the past. No, it's a matter of the future for him. He doesn't even know me yet. "I'll try to remember that." She took flight, eager to be away from Logan. He was smart and canny, meaning that he might place her dilemma somehow. She wanted to avoid that -- if there was anyway to still salvage the timeline, she wanted to try.

The Pendragons found each other on the battlefield, where Grace was just beginning to rise. She looked pained, not only by her injuries but by the realization that she had missed the opportunity to help her friends. She accepted Adam's hand up, frowning when she saw the deep gash on his shoulder. "What happened to you?"

"You're lucky -- extremely lucky -- to still be with us," Wynter pointed out. He examined Adam's wound quickly. "The sword absorbs souls... You could have easily been sucked inside."

Union Jack glanced around. He was unsteady on his feet, still reeling from the effects of Ultron's blast, but Spitfire was helping him to stand. His costume was in tatters about his form, revealing burned patches of flesh. "We still don't know why we're here, do we?"

Dark Angel shook her head, saying "Not a clue. But I don't think we have to worry about altering history...."

Betsy looked over at Shevaun. The two women were old friends, though their reuniting had left little time to reminiscence. "Why?"

"Well, I've done a bit of time travel before... It's not something I normally do, for fear that I could accidentally prevent my own birth or something. But I've become adept at reading spectral auras in my travels. It's sort of a vibratory fingerprint that's invisible to the naked eye. All of us -- and even some of those villains we were fighting," she said, pointing towards Mordred, who lay unconscious near some of the other prisoners. "possess the same spectral aura frequency. But the other heroes and villains don't. This is not our past, no matter how much it may resemble it. That might not be the end of our problems, though. There's no guarantee that we'll be able to make it home at the exact instant that we left. For all we know, time might flow differently here than in our own timeline."

The mage glanced at Spitfire, shaking his head. "No... As with Dark Angel, something is impairing my ability to leave this plane."

"Company, guys." Captain Britain looked up at the Human Torch, who swooped down low.

Through the crackling of his flames, the Torch said "Hate to interrupt, guys, but we're moving out. Cap and Shellhead think they've spotted a base of some kind in the distance."

"We'll be along. Thanks." Betsy waited until the youngest member of the Fantastic Four had flown a safe distance away. She was still panting from her battle with Slaymaster and a part of her ached to renew the conflict. Trying to remember Wolverine's words of warning, she said "Let's follow them to the base... And then focus on getting our arses out of here."

"Where could they have gone?" Kate McClellan asked. She didn't really expect an answer and, for once, her expectations were directly on target. The other two people in the room -- her young son, Cam, and the Pendragons' newest member, Shamrock, only stared helpless about.

Molly Fitzgerald removed her mask, letting her red hair tumble down to her shoulders. If she noticed Cam's stare, she didn't let on. "I wish I 'ad a notion, Kate, but I don't! They went into that structure in 'yde Park and were gone, quick as you please!"

Kate sighed, wishing she had a fag to light up. But she'd quit the disgusting habit years before. She was annoyed and worried at the same time. She'd hope to leave the Pendragons and take Cam someplace safer, but with the team gone, she couldn't do that. And as for her worry, that was all centered around the wizard Wynter, with whom she'd forged a tight bond as of late. "How long has it been again, Molly?"

"A week. And my feet are killing me -- I've been running myself ragged trying to handle things on my own. I appreciate you helping me."

"No worries, love." Kate reached out and ruffled her son's hair. "Besides, Cam's enjoyed the chance to hang around the castle a bit, haven't you?"

Cam blushed a deep crimson, knowing all too well that his mother was aware of his crush on Molly. Stammering he said, "I like it here, mum. I don't see why we have to leave at all."

Molly looked away, while Kate tried to explain her reasoning. She was jealous in a way of Cam's relationship with Kate... It reminded her of how wrong her own family had gone. After her mother's death, her father had considered Molly a failure for not using her powers in the way he thought appropriate. In the end, he'd even tried to kill her.

Molly looked up, realizing that she'd let her mind wander. The team's communications module was flashing and emitting a steady drone. "Oh. Sorry."

Kate shrugged it off. She moved forward and answered the call, letting a holograph image of the Prime Minister's head appear in the air before her. "Mr. Blair! What can we do for you?"

"Sorry to disturb you, Ms. McClellan, but I've just gotten off the phone with agents of W.H.O."

Kate nodded, recognizing the acronym for the Weird Happenings Organization, England's premier paranormal agency. She sensed Shamrock moving up behind her. "Do they have a situation we need to look into?"

The Prime Minister shifted uneasily. "No, actually. They've been doing a bit of consulting for us. I don't need to tell you how important the Pendragons have become to the well-being of Great Britain. If not for the two of you assisting in putting down that army of trolls last evening, much of Kent might be in pieces by now."

Shamrock nodded, replying "Thank you. But what does that 'ave to do with W.H.O.?"

"Well... with the Pendragons missing, it's sparked some fears that, like many of the world's magicians, they might have been dispatched by some fiend unknown."

Kate felt herself bristling. "I doubt that, Mr. Prime Minister. Wynter and the others will return."

"Yes. We all hope so. But until they do... Well, W.H.O. has drawn up a list of candidates to fill out a reserve roster of Pendragons."

"Yes. Just to protect the realm until the others return. I've taken the liberty of approving them contacting their top three candidates. Combined with the experience that you and Shamrock bring to the table, we should be fine."

Kate shook her head. "It's not that simple! The Pendragons aren't just a collection of heroes like the Avengers! Most of us were charged with this duty by the Lady of the Lake and the Green Knight! We don't answer to the government, we answer to a higher power!"

"Be that as it may, I'm asking you to do this for the sake of the nation. We need an organized group of heroes to defend us."

Kate didn't answer with words, instead choosing to turn off the console. "How can they do that? Just tell us to take three new members and not even ask us first? Bloody politicians!"

Shamrock shrugged. "Maybe we should meet them, at least. If the Pendragons are gone for awhile, we might need them."

Kate looked over at Cam, but he only nodded in support of Molly. "Fine. We'll meet the buggers, but if I don't like them, they're not a part of the group. It's that simple."

"This place is gigantic," Shevaun murmured. She and the rest of the Pendragons were in a large auditorium, big enough to seat a thousand comfortably. Her voice echoed a bit in the spacious chamber.

After the group's battle several hours ago, they and the rest of the heroes had located a large abandoned structure that seemed to have been built just for them. Estimated to be close to the size of a major city, the structure contained living quarters, gymnasiums, kitchens and numerous other amenities.

Now, after recovering, the Pendragons had assembled privately, ready to discuss the strange events that had brought them here. Only Union Jack was not present, as the British icon was searching for a way to mend his torn costume.

Adam stepped forward, taking the opportunity to showcase his leadership skills. He seemed blissfully unaware that Jackie and Betsy both smirked a bit as he did so. His tendency to try too hard to live up to the legacy of Arthur was becoming a running joke within the group. "Okay, everyone. There's no telling how long we have before Captain America calls us together again for a debriefing. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions they feel need to be brought out?"

Miracleman raised a hand and, at a nod from Adam, spoke up. "I tried flying off the planet earlier -- I managed to reach the upper atmosphere but then I was slapped back down to the planet."

"Maybe that's not the best way to describe it. It wasn't painful, really -- more like being swatted away gently. It made me feel rather insignificant."

"And I've scanned the minds of everyone here, at least as much as I can without detection," Betsy added. "Even amongst the prisoners -- including Mordred -- there's no sign that they know anything about how we got here."

"Maybe we should leave altogether," Spitfire murmured. "I can't keep fending off Captain America's questions forever."

"Tell him the truth, then," Grace said. "It's not our past. Shevaun made that clear. So who cares if we royally screw it."

"Grace!" Betsy said. "You can't just go about revealing bits of their futures to them. Even if we leave this world soon, we're responsible for what they do with the information we give them. Imagine what would happen if I went in there and told Cyclops that the woman he's married to now is nothing but a clone of Jean Grey -- and that Jean's still alive, buried at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean? It would destroy his marriage!"

Grace shook her head. "How do you know that? What happened in our timeline? Is he still with his wife, even after Grey returned?"

"So maybe finding out this way and dealing with it in a rational manner before his ex pops up out of the sea alive and well could be a good thing!"

Betsy's eyes widened. "You want to save Peter, don't you? You want to warn someone about Blackheart and what's coming."

"Stay out of my brain, Betsy! And so what if I do? Why can't the Peter of this timeline live?"

"That's enough." Wynter's words were spoken softly but they seemed to carry great weight, nonetheless. "We should concern ourselves primarily with two things: 1) Finding out how and why we're here and 2) How do we return to our proper place and time?"

Spitfire nodded eagerly, hoping to defuse the argument that was brewing. "Wynter's right. But I think we really should look into getting out of here. The heroes won this war on their own last time -- they'll do fine without us. And that will save us from worrying about how much to tell them."

The sound of movement outside brought them all to a halt and both Betsy and Shevaun reached out with their telepathy, searching for anyone who might have overheard them. Finally, Dark Angel said "I don't think anyone's there. I agree with Spitfire, though. Let's leave here. We can find a base of our own and go from there."

Outside, moving so quietly that no one would suspect he was still there, was the X-Man known as Nightcrawler. He felt his mentor's presence in his mind and replied Herr Professor, they nearly discovered me.

My shields protected your mind, Kurt. Come back immediately and share what you've found with the others. I must admit to some confusion -- from what you overheard, it's obvious that my supposition was correct... these Pendragons are from somewhere in the future. That explains why this Captain Britain uses mental shields similar to the ones I teach my students.

Nightcrawler moved a safe distance away, so that the Pendragons would not hear (or smell) his teleportation. What will we do with this knowledge, Professor?

That, Kurt, is something I haven't decided yet. But I'm sure it will have its uses....

Joey Chapman was lost. He'd wandered through the alien citadel for almost an hour, frustrated by how empty the place seemed to be. At times it was almost like this building -- like the rest of the planet -- was cobbled together from many structures, preventing the building from attaining any true design sense.

A strange fluttering sensation came over him suddenly, making him temporarily lose his balance. His vision seemed to swim and when it finally righted itself, Joey found himself standing outside an open door that he could have sworn hadn't been there a moment before.

Union Jack stepped into the darkened room, his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. This room, like so many others in the compound, was filled with alien equipment, much of it with functions that were totally unrecognizable to human eyes. Joey looked around, wondering if he were ever going to find anything to help him patch his torn costume back together. He moved slowly, taking in the vast array of things laid out before him.

Something much like a terran microwave rested right next to a much stranger device, one with a chair attached and a half-oval piece of machinery above a small opening. No telling what all these bleedin' things do. I wonder if the Ebony Knight and his gang have found a base of their own... and if it has some of these same pieces of equipment. It'd be fair, I guess... Give both sides equal footing. No one said war was fair, though, not even one being scripted by some bored alien playboy.

Joey felt a twinge in his back and silently hoped that Jackie wouldn't mind giving him a back rub later on. It was amazing how right it felt with her these days. With Romany, it had been touch and go from day one. But Jackie seemed willing to let him be his own man, though they still had some differences in upbringing that occasionally manifested themselves.

Joey stood before the alien device and stuck his hand underneath the half-oval. Energy flickered briefly and for a second Joey thought he could almost see something forming. With a laugh he wondered if he'd just found one of those replicators like on the Star Trek show. The arrangement of the device, with the chair attached, did seem to imply that you sat in front of it and did... something.

Union Jack ran his hands over the side of the device, noting how it appeared to have several scratches along the interior, as if something had tried -- and failed -- to destroy the device in the past. Flowing alien script was mostly hidden along the back of the machine and Joey knew that it was only because he'd stopped and studied the machine that he'd noticed it at all. Had he been in a hurry, he never would have seen it.

The words were totally foreign to him, but they appeared to be some sort of directions or warning, most likely informing users of how to operate the device safely.

Sitting down, Union Jack tried to picture his old costume, but his mind kept going back to the early days of the Knights of Pendragon. Things had changed so much since then, both for the Pendragons and for the world at large. Would Blackheart's evil taint Great Britain forever? He hoped not.

A small black sphere seemed to drop down out of nowhere, landing in the palm of Joey's hand. "Strewth! What in the devil's name are you?" Joey tried to squeeze the sphere, feeling a strange pulsating warmth coming from within it. Suddenly the ball exploded outwards, rushing up his arm like some liquid lifeform seeking a new home.

"You know, love, talking to yourself is one of the first signs of mental illness."

Union Jack turned to see his lover entering the room. She was looking at him with obvious affection. "Jackie! The strangest thing just happened...."

"No, I... I think that I may have teleported somewhere else for a second. Either that, or I'm just going bloody insane."

"Do you want me to tell you which is more likely?" she asked, with a wicked grin.

Sighing, Union Jack shook his head. He would have been inclined to think she was right -- but here it was -- a new costume. One that seemed almost eager to clothe him in its embrace. Knowing that Jackie had already dismissed his concerns, he tried to reassure himself that it could all wait until he was back with Betsy. Hopefully, he mused, she would be able to scan his mind and get a clue as to what just happened.

"I like it. Very manly. And it shows off your build and emphasizes your bum." She kissed him on the cheek, whispering "We're leaving in the morning. We hope we'll find something on the outside that can help us."

And the alien costume that -- in Union Jack's own universe would have found itself in the possession of Spider-Man -- pulsed with pleasure. It would like this host. Oh yes, it would.

Next Issue: Shamrock and Kate meet the new Pendragons, while the rest of the team continues to delve into the mysteries of Battleworld. Plus: The identity of the team's mysterious manipulator is revealed and Slaymaster seeks out Betsy for another little 'discussion'!

The "Joey being teleported to the villain's compound to receive the alien costume" scene is one I had in mind from the first moment I dreamed up this storyline. Even though we're bouncing around in one of Marvel's classic storylines, the fact that it's not the Pendragons' correct timeline means that mucking it up a bit could lead to some fascinating twists and turns. I guarantee you this -- Union Jack's "alien costume saga" won't turn out to be an exact replay of Peter Parker's.

As for the warning on the device that Joey used, back in the Venom Super Special (1995, part 3 of the "Planet of Symbiotes" crossover) we learned that the alien costume was being held in a laboratory for study as it was considered insane for wishing to bond with its owners rather than leech them dry, as the rest of its race did. The 'warning' is exactly that -- something meant to tell those studying the symbiote about its dangers. Obviously, it failed here -- and was totally ignored by Spidey in Secret Wars # 8.

Hope you enjoyed the battle scene at the beginning of this issue. It was fun to write and I especially enjoyed showcasing the Betsy/Slaymaster relationship -- which will be a major factor in next issue, as well. For folks like me, who read the old Captain Britain series, the way that Betsy was brutalized was shocking -- and Brian's decision to kill Slaymaster in response (something that was never really followed up on at the time) was even more surprising. When I first began to formulate this storyline, it occurred to me that Kang, according to Jim Shooter, was pulled into the Secret Wars from a time prior to his death back in the Englehart run of Avengers (of course, later on Kang popped up alive and well with the Council of Kangs, etc. but at the time Shooter explained Kang's appearance in the above manner). That meant that Slaymaster could be brought back into play without having Nekros revive him or the Black Mass Barrier restoring him to life or something. This is Slaymaster, in his prime.