Pendragon Comics - The Pendragons 27

The Pendragons

Issue # 27

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.

Special "Silver Anniversary" Pendragons logo created by Kell Carpenter, inspired by the logo created by Des Davies!

Written by Barry Reese

What Has Come Before: While Adam Crown continues to worry over a newly unveiled addition to the Black Mass Prophecy, the Pendragons have attempted to regain control of their various personal lives -- to mixed success. A dinner party on Lyonesse was interrupted by the arrival of a wisecracking dragon, while several of the team's old foes were broken out of Darkmoor Prison. This conglomeration of evil now serves the Parliament of Darkness as their Emissaries, utilizing the name of a group of dimension-hopping villains once defeated by the Pendragons. Also, the man known as Paradox has allied himself with the Scrier Cult in hopes of becoming the new Sorcerer Supreme -- a goal that seems to be somehow linked to the strange arrival of the dragon on Lyonesse....

"...and so then I told him, 'No, Edley -- that's not a dragon hatchling, that's my wife!"

Betsy Braddock rolled her eyes, hoping that the team's guest -- a forty-foot long dragon -- wouldn't notice. Since the dragon's arrival on Lyonesse a half-hour ago, he'd spat out one horrid joke after another, with no end in sight. She was struck by the creature's resemblance to Kitty Pryde's pet dragon, Lockheed... though Lockheed had been far, far smaller. "Excuse me, but are you ever going to get around to explaining why you're here?" she asked, in what she hoped was her most congenial voice. It wouldn't do to upset a dragon, after all.

The dragon, who had taken to sitting back on his haunches and blowing smoke rings into the air, looked down at her and the assembled Pendragons. The entire group was still on the beach, though the moon hung heavy and fat in the sky above. Of the team's guests, who had been enjoying dinner with them, there was no sign, for Adam Crown had made sure that they were safe inside the castle.

With a wry smile on his lizard-like face, the dragon said "My apologies. Everytime you ask me a question, I'm reminded of another story. For instance, there was a time when a group of Scots decided they were going to rid the area of all dragons -- so they started by building this grand wooden structure in what they hoped would be the shape of a female of my species." The dragon shook his head in fond remembrance.

Captain Britain look at her teammates, each of whom seemed to be as close as she to losing their cool. She saw Adam Crown reaching for his sword and knew that he was bound to make a tense situation worse. Stepping forward before Adam could say anything, Betsy said "I'm sorry for interrupting, but we were having a quiet evening amongst ourselves -- the first in far too long. You're welcome to join us," she added, noting the surprised expressions on both Shevaun and Jackie's faces. "But if you're only stopping through en route to somewhere else, maybe we should let you be on your way...."

The dragon puffed a bit of smoke in her direction, looking both chastised and annoyed. "My apologies, little one. I didn't realize you were having a bit of social activity. I've been asleep for so very long that I'm fair to bursting with enthusiasm... and I have so many stories to tell! Ah, well. They will have to wait." He extended a single claw. "My full name would never be able to pass your lips, but you may call me Rathoon."

Both he and Captain Kerosene were staring at Rathoon with obvious distrust, but Captain Britain ignored them. Though the dragon's mind was almost impossible to read, she could sense no threatening thoughts from him -- just a general sense of friendliness, intermingled with a tinge of sadness. She took his offere claw in hand and shook it. "Hello, Rathoon. I'm Captain Britain. My friends and I are the defenders of Avalon -- the Pendragons." She named them off then, gesturing to each in turn. "Adam Crown. Dark Angel. Captain Kerosene. Union Jack. Spitfire. Albion." And Miracleman, she almost said. It was strange not having Micky with them, but she understood his need to find answers for his recent problems. "Can we offer you some assistance?"

Rathoon nodded. "Most assuredly, I would think, for it was the Lady of the Lake who did send me."

Union Jack groaned under his breath, attracting a stare from his lover, Spitfire. "Sorry, Jackie," he whispered. "I'm just praying to Avalon that he's not about to say he's our newest member."

Jackie smiled, lighting up her whole face -- and Joey Chapman felt a flush of heat overtake him. The woman before him was a natural beauty -- and as high-class as they came. How he had ended up with her was still beyond him. "You're rotten, Mr. Chapman. But quite funny."

"No," Betsy replied, but almost immediately Adam Crown was at her side, nodding.

"Only by reputation, I'm afraid," Rathoon replied. "The time of the dragons was far past when he ruled all of England. Sadly, this means that none amongst you will verify my tale -- though I hope that the Lady will vouch for me, should you ask." The great dragon stepped away from them, looking melancholy. He folded his smalls arms up against his massive chest and wrung his clawed fingers together. "My people once ruled the heavens and the earth. When man rose up and began his slow march to dominance, there were some amongst us who warred with them. They cast mighty, awful magicks against humanity -- and it was only through an alliance between the good-hearted dragons and mankind that the evil members of my kind were slain. But there were many humans who still distrusted us, who still feared our power. As a gesture of goodwill, we took all the magick from our kind and bound it up inside something called the Dragonstone. To protect it from being used against us or mankind, we created the Council of the Wyrm to protect it. I was a member of that august body and I slept nestled up alongside the Dragonstone, waking only when the great stone was threatened."

Gulliver Jones, the elder hero known as Captain Kerosene, found his voice and asked "And so you are here now because someone seeks to steal this Dragonstone?"

Rathoon shook his head sadly. "I wish that were but true... I awoke to find the Dragonstone gone, stolen right out from under me. I failed in my sacred trust. I had paid too much attention to the waking dreams that entertained me in my slumber. I had followed humanity's foibles, learning of this age and its peoples... and I had missed the scurrilous attack that robbed me of the dragonstone." The dragon clenched his clawed fingers together into a fist and smoke drifted from his flared nostrils.

Rathoon turned an eye towards Shevaun Haldane. Dark Angel had sensed immediately that her question had brought him pain and she exchanged glances with the team's other telepath, Captain Britain. Rathoon's words only confirmed her suspicions. "They were all dead, human female. Of all the great elder dragons... I am the last. And the wielder of the Dragonstone has all the power to remake this world as he sees fit."

In the midst of the darkness shall come sorrow and woe. A warrior of green shall die most horrible and the ancient evil shall ascend once more. The child cloaked in the raiment of his teacher will wither and change, his heart becoming one of ice and stone. The Black Mass will rise in pitch until the coming of the Red Lord and all life shall meet its Bane.

The words bore into Roger Aubrey's brain, making his head ache. He'd read from the passage more times than he could count, but the end result was always the same -- the final conclusion always seemed the same. The boy named Cam McClellan was going to be a problem.

Young Cam had claimed the costume and identity of his teacher, Albion. The Pendragons were by all accounts "warriors of the green," meaning that one of them would die and set the prophecy in motion. Perhaps, Roger mused, the warrior in green was already dead -- both the original Albion and Gawain had given their lives during the Blackheart battle, the same event that had plunged all of England into the Black Mass.

Roger closed his eyes, enjoying the silence of his quarters. He felt old, so very old. He had wanted to walk away from all this -- had, in fact, turned over leadership to his old sparring partner, Jim Hammond. "But then everything changed," he murmured. Roger sat back in his chair, wondering if his recent actions were correct and true... bringing young Cam into the V-Battalion allowed them to both spy on the Pendragons and monitor the boy's actions. But if it looked like the prophecy was indeed about to come to pass....

Roger glanced up at the sudden intrusion. The words had issued forth from something that had always been less than a man, yet had always possessed an inner spark of nobility that had inspired generations of men to follow in his footsteps. That nobility was gone now, replaced by a cold malevolence that saddened Roger greatly. "Hello, Jim. You continue to amaze me. How did you know what I was thinking?"

The thing that had once been the original Human Torch was now welded into a rolling apparatus, the upper portion of its body now a mass of synthetic flesh and wires. Of all those onboard the V-Battalion's ship when the Barrier went up, trapping the vessel in the mystic embrace, only Jim Hammond had 'survived.' He had been changed, however... In dark, twisted ways. "Because you've been thinking the same damned thing for too long. He's a child, yes. But he's also the key to stopping the prophecy. Why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?"

"I'm not positive yet... There may still be another explanation for the prophecy. He may be innocent."

Hammond's face, half-hidden by shadows, seemed to writhe in anger. "No one is innocent. You know that better than anyone."

Aubrey looked away, nodding. "If the time comes, Hammond... I'll kill him myself. Happy?"

Ginny couldn't resist smiling. She was standing with her lover, Adam Crown, just inside Adam's room. They had just finished a passionate embrace, one that had left her breathless. Since finding one another, they had been making love almost nonstop -- breaking only for Adam to go off on some amazing adventure. He still had wounds aplenty from Ultraforce's assault on Lyonesse, but she'd tended them as best she could. "Don't go," she whispered, kissing his cheek. "Stay."

"I'm tempted, believe me," he laughed. He stepped back, holding her hands firmly. He now wore his Pendragons uniform, with the mighty sword Excalibur sheathed at his side. He cut a very dashing figure. "Rathoon says that he may be able to track the energies released by the Dragonstone... and if even half of what he says is true, then we have to find it before someone uses it."

Ginny leaned forward to kiss him again, the heat of their contact making both gasp.

Out in the hallway, Shevaun Haldane did her best not to pick up on the emotions being released behind Adam's door. But it was hard -- especially when you were a young woman badly missing your own lover. Micky had taken off in hopes of finding out if he were the only 'miracle' out there. Shevaun wished him well on the mission, but she felt slightly hurt that he hadn't wanted to include her.

She found Cam in his room, the door standing open. He was at his desk, writing something down into his journal. He'd been different as of late and she had picked up on several worrisome thoughts -- stray ones that no telepath could miss. He felt guilty. "Hi, Cam. You ready?"

Cam turned, looking sheepish. He had always been a bit uncomfortable around Shevaun, being intimidated by her very in-your-face sexuality, but this was different. Shevaun could sense that, even without telepathy. "In a sec. I was just finishing up."

Shevaun stepped into his room, taking note of the way the bed was made and everything was in its place. Cam was a very orderly young man, with the clear beginnings of true handsomeness. The walls were covered with various pop music-related posters, mostly Robbie Williams, Blur and Oasis. "Listen, if you ever want to talk or anything...."

"Just... stuff. I mean, I was your age once, too. And it must be rough not having any friends your age around here. We like some of the same music...."

"I guess I've just been really down lately. My mum's in the hospital... the whole business with Dane upsets me.... and...."

Shevaun smiled mischievously. "That's really stupid. Peter gave you the power. He knew you'd do well with it -- and you have."

"Where are the bloody Pendragons?" the inspector bellowed, standing just outside England's premier metahuman detainment center. Only hours before, a small group of villains had entered the facility, setting free a number of Europe's most wanted.

"The government wanted to give someone else first crack at this," a female voice replied.

The inspector, flanked by a small paramilitary support team, blinked in surprise. He'd grown up in Middlesex, thrilling to the exploits of Miracleman, Union Jack and all the rest... but his childhood favorite had been Tommy Thunderfist, the hulking hero who had battled the Axis in WW II. He'd even traded collector cards of Tommy's short-lived successor, Tina Thunderfist... and, over a pint or two recently, he'd debated the merits of the even shorter-lived Thunderfist who had joined the Pendragons*. But he had never expected to see this. Not on his watch, certainly.

(*Thunderfist III -- Robbie Parkinson -- is in fact still active with the Dark Guard, though few people know that.)

The woman standing there was fairly average in height and build, but her clothing was that of the long-fabled Tina Thunderfist. Her gloves crackled with the power of the gods, looking slightly oversized on her slight form. "I'm here to help, Inspector."

"And who the hell do ya think you are?" he whispered, though he knew the answer.

The girl smiled, mindful of the cameras trained upon her. The breakout had been an unexpected opportunity to make her public debut and her handlers had coached her well. She'd show her stupid brother how it was supposed to be done... "Call me Tina. Tina Thunderfist." To emphasize her words, she slammed her fists together, creating a thunderclap that sent men scrambling away from her.

And then she was off, hurtling at top speed into the maelstrom. She knew from her briefing that many of the more dangerous criminals had already escaped -- including the newly-arrived Venom, who had been sent here after a capture at the hands of Union Jack and Captain Kerosene. Venom's escape was all the proof that Izzy Parkinson needed to know that this was all a set-up -- for the alien symbiote that gave Venom his power had been liberated from W.H.O. only hours before the prison break.

Izzy stepped into the smoke-filled passages, coughing when the acrid scent hit her lungs, searing them. She'd worked hard for this day, using all the anger that raged inside her as fuel for the fire. Her brother Robbie had destroyed their father's life, as surely as if he'd stabbed him through the heart with a knife. He fancied himself a hero, but Izzy had plans to show him that he was still a failure -- and that if anyone would follow in their mother and grandfather's footsteps, it would be Izzy.

Tina Thunderfist felt her foot strike something hard and she looked down to see an unconscious form below her. The villain was covered with a spiky exoskeleton, looking for all the world like an armored hedgehog. She shook her head, taking in all the carnage around her -- the dead guards, the blood splattered on the walls. It made her bowels weak and she cursed herself for not being stronger. If Robbie could do this, she certainly could....

A scream from up ahead froze the blood in her veins, but she hurried forward, throwing out a backhanded punch at a prisoner who was stepping forth from a cell. The blow thundered in the enclosed space, sounding like a rocket crashing to earth.

And then she saw the source of the scream. Smoke obscured a full view of the scene, but she clearly saw a man standing before her. A prisoner hung in his grip, shaking his head and gibbering madly. The man who held the prisoner was dressed in a dark shirt and trousers, some sort of mask hiding his features from view. He was saying something, but the words were difficult to make out. "Where brooding darkness spreads its evil wings...." was all she understood, but it was enough. No one else was supposed to be in here, so this being was just another threat to be taken care of.

"Stand down, mister. Or else I'll have to make it clear why they call me Thunderfist!"

The stranger ignored her, instead raising his right hand and driving it forward, onto the prisoner's forehead. A horrible sizzling sound reached Izzy's ears and the scent of scorched flesh nearly made her retch. In a second, it was done and the prisoner was tossed callously aside, like a forgotten piece of meat. He landed at Tina Thunderfist's feet, his eyes open wide and uncomprehending. There was a symbol on his forehead now, branded there. It looked like some bizarre bird symbol, though Izzy had never seen anything quite like it before.

She staggered back, noticing that other prisoners on the ground bore the same horrible mark. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to calm down. "Are you some kind of vigilante? A hero?"

The man inclined his head, staring at her through the smoke. He seemed to be receding into the shadows. His voice was soft, almost a whisper, with a slight lisp on every 's'. "There are no heroes here. Only criminals in need of punishment. Are you a criminal, Tina Thunderfist?"

"Heh," was the man's reply and he then jumped backwards, performing an acrobatic flip like no one this side of Union Jack could possibly accomplish. He landed a good distance away from her, drawing forth two pistols. He took aim to Tina's left, firing several bullets that missed her by inches.

To her shock and dismay, a body tumbled forward. It was one of the prisoners, a shiv clutched tightly in his left hand. Looking back towards the stranger, she whispered "You saved my life...." but there was no sign of the mysterious figure....

The being known as Paradox started existence as a splintered shard of Stephen Strange's soul. It had taken many long months before he had evolved past that -- had attained desires and a zest for life. But always there was the anger, the blind desire for justice. The parts of Dr. Strange's spirit that had always been repressed -- the edgy, dangerous side -- was alive and well in Paradox.

And now, with the death of Dr. Strange in the Black Mass affair, Paradox had seen his destiny.

Desiring to become this world's Sorcerer Supreme, he had returned to the Earthly plane and allied himself with the Scrier Cult, a mystical society with ties to the American named Norman Osborn. The Scriers had learned of a coming prophecy, though their original copy of the Black Mass tome had been stolen*... but they knew enough to know that the magic in the air would be increasing, and could be shaped.

He held the Dragonstone now, feeling the energies pulsing through him. The Scriers served him because he had promised them a place of honor beneath him -- and he meant to repay them. But they were also untrustworthy and the pale-skinned cultists watched him eagerly now, as if waiting for some sign of weakness.

His voice, so like that of Stephen Strange, echoed through the high-ceilinged room. "Within this stone lies the lost power of the dragons. When it is released, all the mages within a thousand miles shall seek to claim it. But only one will attain enough power to dwarf his peers' -- only one will claim the title that is rightfully mine."

Paradox applied pressure to the stone, augmenting his own strength with the magical energies that comprised his form. The great stone, shaped like a dragon's skull, flared with light... It grew brighter and brighter, beginning to shatter along its middle.

The Scriers ducked their heads, but many of them were caught in the unexpected rain of debris. Paradox and those closest to him, however, were protected by a magical field. "Who dares....?" the mage asked, his rage building. He expected to see Jennifer Kale or her partner, Satana. Or perhaps even the white-haired Pendragon known as Wynter.

The Lady Mandarin, clad in purple and blue, floated above the fray, born aloft on a silver flying disc. Beside her were her companions, three of whom hovered on similiar devices: Venom, Hurricane, and Jack O'Lantern*. Only Captain Englander, a hulking brute in red-white-and-blue, flew via his own power. "Hand over the stone, Paradox. The Emissaries of the Dark have plans of their own for that magic!"

(*Hurricane (click for more info) first appeared in Captain Britain Weekly # 3. Jack O'Lantern clashed with the Pendragons in issue 13 of our series.)

Paradox would have smiled, had his features allowed him that luxury. "I would have felt guilt for destroying my opponents, had they been men of honor. But you are criminals and thieves. Destroying you shall only be an act of kindness for the rest of the world!" He ended his threat with an upraised hand, forming a mystic symbol in the air. Eldritch energy shot forth, but the magic faded just short of its intended target, drawing laughter from the Emissaries.

Venom's long tongue flicked out into the air. "Looks like you underestimated our bosses... But I'm not surprised. Anyone who'd stoop to raiding Dr. Strange's closet can't be that bright!"

Hurricane howled with laughter, generating powerful gusts of wind that knocked many of the regrouping Scriers aside. The cultists were drawing energy weapons and beginning to launch their own attacks, even as Paradox set aside the Dragonstone and rose into the air, eager to defeat these interlopers.

Jack O'Lantern streaked lower, tossing explosive bombs at her enemies, while Venom leapt from his perch and landed amongst the Scriers. He began tearing into them with terrible ferocity.

Englander moved in front of Lady Mandarin, preparing to meet Paradox's attack. "I'd do as Mandarin asked, mate -- You really don't want to get into a row with me. It wouldn't be in your best interests."

"My interests are in providing this world with a mage that can lead it. The Black Mass has remade the lives of man -- and the Sorcerer Supreme shall have influence like never before!" Paradox evaded a blow from Englander's mighty fists, but the second attack hit him hard in the stomach.

Down below, the dragonstone waited. The fissure in its surface was bleeding out magical energy and it was this that caught Lady Mandarin's eye. She swooped down low, speeding her hover-platform towards the stone. Her masters would be very pleased if she could capture it so easily.

A flurry of energy blasts suddenly blocked her path and she jumped up, somersaulting over the heads of the Scriers. She landed beside the stone and reached for it....

All heads turned skyward, to see the Pendragons' floating inside a magically constructed sphere... alongside a huge, leering dragon. Rathoon showed all his teeth and winked. "Who's your daddy?"

Next Issue: "Dragons" concludes, as the Pendragons clash with the Emissaries of the Dark -- and Paradox uses the Dragonstone to unleash the power and glory of the Sorcerer Supreme! Who will control the power? Be here to find out!

This issue features the "debut" of Tina Thunderfist, who is actually the creation of the talented Gary Halpin. Check out Izzy's first appearance in issue 25 of Pendragons, if you haven't already! As for the mysterious figure that Izzy encountered in the prison, suffice to say that he'll be back -- and his identity should be obvious to longtime Marvel UK fans.

I like to think that this series is in a really tight groove right now, with so many potential directions we could go. I just hope I'll manage to get to all of them! I've considered launching another spin-off title that could deal with all the characters that I just don't have time to handle here (like the Dark Guard, for instance) but my schedule is pretty full with Pendragons and Captain Britain: House Braddock. The best option I've considered so far is the launching of an anthology title, one that could rotate different features on a regular basis. Think The Mighty World of Marvel sort of thing, only with a slight twist in title, of course. Any interest?

By the way, for those of you wondering where the whole Paradox/Scrier thing got its start, check out Ghost Rider U.K., one of our old Pendragons-related titles.

Meanwhile, we have an actual letter! This one's from Gary Dreslinski, who authors Black Knight: Destiny Walk and co-wrote our mammoth 25th issue:

I read #26 last night. I do have to say that the Pendragons recovered pretty quickly. I'm sure the actual damage is going to be shown in Captain Britain though.

Well, I did try to mention the psychological stress that they'd all been under -- thus setting the stage for them to want to "get away" at the museum and dinner. Perhaps I should have spent more time on that aspect of things, though. And yeah, Captain Britain # 7 will show a lot of the fallout, with Meggan's pregnancy in danger, Brian badly injured after his wound from the world tree (his healing powers aren't healing it very quickly at all, which means he'll actually be getting weaker over the next few issues) and so forth.

It's nice to have a quiet issue, although I have to say that I'm not really fond of Captain K. at this point.

Since you no longer hate Adam as much, I figured I should give you someone new who was unlikeable. :-) Seriously, though, I find him interesting on a number of levels -- I like the "crotchety old man" feel to him and his past relationship with Jackie intrigues me. The line-up will get its final tweak around issue 36, and that group will then run all the way through issue 50 (see, I was serious I'm planning that far ahead!). It's very likely that Gully won't be around post-36.

The new big bads are going to be interesting. I certainly didn't expect Venom to be among them! Of course does this mean that Joey's suit is going to escape too?

Well, Kwannon (the Asian chick whose body Betsy swapped with after going through the Siege Perilous and becoming ninja-babe Betsy) is dead. The new Lady Mandarin does have ties to Betsy's past, but she's not Kwannon. :-) Thanks for the comments, Big G.