Pendragon Comics - The Pendragons

The Pendragons

Issue # 40

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!

Pendragons Roll-Call: Captain Britain, Dark Angel, Rathoon, Spitfire, Breeze, Big Ben, Miraclewoman, Shamrock

Written by Barry Reese

Though nothing
Will keep us together
We can beat them
For ever and ever
Oh we can be Heroes
Just for one day
-- Heroes, David Bowie

It had started so simply, with a single Fury -- a melding of Death's Head II and Doombots -- marching across the plains of Darkmoor, its inhuman eyes gleaming with a pressing need. The realm of the Red Lord would fall, Victor Von Doom had sworn. And he had just launched the opening salvo in a war that could potentially ravage post-Barrier Europe.

That first Fury had not made it to the walls of the Bane city. It had been met by a wave of dark sorcerers, augmented by the shadow-things of the Bane. They had torn it apart, tossing its components to the four winds.

The second Fury had come within seconds. It would prove more difficult to beat, having witnessed its brother's defeat... and having learned from it. The other Furies came, one after another, each proving more capable than its predecessor. Eventually, Darkmoor was crawling with them and even the hordes of the Bane were finding themselves overwhelmed.

Dark Albion -- who had once been the Pendragon named Cam McClellan -- watched all of this with mounting dread. He had joined the battle late, preferring to sate his dark desires with his playthings first... and he now regretted that decision. He recognized many of the dead and dying -- several of them had been his pupils in how to master their pain and rage, channeling it into power. He had taught them as the Red Lord had instructed Cam himself. But nothing could have prepared them for the greatest melding of man and science ever created. The Furies, each one of them, were cold and deadly, preparing defenses based on their opponent's previous actions. Some of them -- the most dangerous of them all -- stayed out of the main confrontations. They stayed in the back of their advancing army... and they paid close attention to all that happened around them.

Cam pointed towards them, his voice amplified by the power of the Bane. It rang out over the din of battle, over the screams of the dying and the tumult of war... "Focus your assault on the ones in the rear! They're studying us and relaying the information to the others!"

A few of his pupils listened, launching powerful magic assault on the watch-units. Some of their attacks struck home, shattering their foes... but too many had little to no effect.

The voice, ancient and deadly, shook Cam to his core. It was not audible to anyone else, but the Red Lord had summoned him to a council of war. And Dark Albion knew that meant only one thing: that the Red Lord feared losing this day. Up til now, the leader of the Bane had not seen fit to plan for the moves of his enemies -- they were beneath his notice. But now... He's going to tell us to pull back. Is it really that bad? Can we really lose?

Uatu the Watcher stirred in his great citadel, located in the so-called Blue Area of the Moon. He had observed the spinning blue-and-green orb called Earth for many long years... but the past two had been possibly the most intriguing of the planet's brief existence. The Black Mass Barrier... the rise and fall of dark powers... and now the world-altering effects of a full-scale Jaspers Warp....

"Reality is frayed to the breaking point," Brian Braddock said. The exiled King of Otherworld stood at Uatu's side, staring out the large window which dominated this particular room. Like most of the rooms in the Watcher's abode, it was sparsely furnished and gleaming white. "If you don't aid us, the Jaspers Warp will continue to grow. It can affect this entire universe and then spread to the rest of the Omniverse. We're talking about the possibility of the entire multiverse being infected."

Uatu turned his massive head to regard the being beside him. Brian Braddock's existence had always been one of extremes, but he had recently begun to grow into his potential. He had a royal bearing about him, a confidence that he would achieve the impossible if only given the chance. It was almost enough to stir something in Uatu, a desire for adventure and heroism... Almost. "I have taken a vow, King of Otherworld. I may only observe, not interfere."

"If I had a Euro for every time you've broken that vow, Uatu.... All I'm asking is that you tell me where to find what I need."

"You speak of its power so easily," the Watcher replied. "This thing you seek could not only undo Jaspers and his Warp. It could also destroy the universe, utterly and completely. And its use would require the sacrifice of your own life, as well."

Brian Braddock nodded only once. He knew these things and had discussed them at length with his sister, the current Captain Britain. Betsy had argued against it at first, but she'd come to see his reasoning. Brian had taken an oath as the King of Otherworld... He had to protect the multiverse and sometimes that meant making hard decisions. The Jaspers Warp could not be allowed to expand past this universe. If necessary, it was better to destroy this realm and hope that the damage Jaspers had done could be halted here.

Brian looked up in surprise. The Watcher's great orbs were still locked upon him. "What do you mean?"

"Your thoughts concerning the Warp. This Warp is different from the prior ones in that it did not originate within a specific reality. Jaspers manifested himself this time inside the Forever Crystal... and the Warp was given birth at the very heart of all realities, Otherworld. Destroying it is not an option."

The Watcher said nothing, but he looked away, lost in thought. The death of all realities was not becoming a distinct possibility -- and he was being asked to aid in this. Should he take this step? What would his brethren think? They have ever considered me an outcast, someone too tempted by the desire to tamper, to help, to change. This would only confirm their worst suspicions of me.

The Watcher stared out at the planet called Earth and he felt the tugging of something inside him. He had come to love this world, with its heroic inhabitants who always seemed to strive against greater powers. They often acted rashly, but with a nobility that appealed to Uatu's true nature. "Taa II is currently located in the Varos System. But Galactus will not give up the weapon without resistance."

"Right or wrong means little, man of Earth. It is the doing that shall condemn me in the eyes of my peers. But so be it." He raised a great hand, starting Brian. The King had expected nothing more than information, for his own powers had faded in the presence of the Warp, making him incapable of sensing the other galactic powers and their current locations. But it seemed that Uatu planned to do more. "I shall speed you on your way, for a I fear that you have little time to accomplish your task."

Brian found himself wrapped up in a wave of energy, one that crackled and popped all around him. His senses touched the Power Cosmic as he was transported from one place to another almost instaneously.

He reappeared on a vessel of impossible size and design. It was so utterly foreign, so massive, that even Brian Braddock's enhanced senses were overwhelmed. It took a few seconds for Brian to get his bearings, but he soon launched himself into the air. He flew down the corridors of Galactus' massive ship, eager to find his goal before the World Devourer discovered him. With any luck, he could be in and out before--

Brian flew around a corner and halted in mid-air. A being, some thirty-feet tall at least, sat in the center of the room, staring down at him. It was Galactus, with his infamous helmet lying on a table nearby. The man beneath was handsome enough, bearded and of indeterminate age. Brian had to remind himself that Galactus was not human, but was merely appearing to his guest in a form he could comprehend.

The elder being spoke gently, but his voice carried the undercurrent of threat. "So. You have come at last."

"Of course. This universe lies on its deathbed, eager to plunge straight into a form of eternal dementia. You wish to avoid this fate, in any way that you can. And this has led you here, to me."

Brian nodded, feeling dwarfed in power and intelligence but refusing to bow before this being. "You'll give me what I need?"

Galactus did not answer at first, choosing instead to lower his head as if in ponderous thought. "I am not certain what would happen if all of reality were to fall. Would I continue to exist? Or would I at last join my long-dead brothers and sisters in oblivion?"

"Hopefully you won't have to find out. This is a last ditch effort, only. We'll exhaust everything else first."

Galactus regarded him evenly. "You all ready have, or you wouldn't be here." He rose then, slowly but with purpose. "Come. I will give you what you want. The Ultimate Nullifier will be yours."

Adam Crown stood at Jim's side, the weight of his sword heavy in his hand. He dreaded what he knew was coming, but a small part of him twitched in anticipation. Since his resurrection in Avalon, he'd felt strangely out of step with the other Pendragons, like some wall separated him from them. After his time in Glastonbury, he'd thought he'd moved past all that... but Ginny's love had been a lie and so had everything else in his life. The Pendragons had known about her deception but hadn't bothered to tell him, instead choosing to laugh at him behind his back. "They're coming."

Jim Jaspers leaned back in his beach chair and grinned. He held a cigar in his left hand, the acrid smoke curling upwards. A dapper black suit was draped over Jim's slender form, but there was precious little that could be done to elevate Jim's demeanor beyond that of a carnival barker. "You can feel them, can't you, my boy?"

Adam nodded, looking upwards at the darkening sky. He and Jim were waiting on the beach of Lyonesse, the grand castle the Pendragons called home looming behind. "I still have some sort of connection to them, but I don't know why. If they've lost their way, they should have lost their Pendragon abilities."

Jim rose from his chair, touching Adam's shoulder. He looked at the boy with an expression of feigned shock. "You don't think... Could the Bane have tainted Avalon itself? That would explain why they'd lost their way but retained their powers."

Adam's heart lurched at his friend's words. It seemed ludicrous at first, but it gained plausibility the longer Jim stared into his eyes. "You might be right. If that's so... then I don't know what I have left to believe in. Avalon's the purest place in all existence."

"You can believe in me, lad. And in England." Jim turned away then, sensing something... The feelings that something was amiss had been growing as of late. His own attention had been split on multiple fronts and he was beginning to fear that he was missing out on something important. He reached out with his incredible powers, bolstered by the Forever Crystal which lurked in his soul, and studied the most likely areas where danger might lurk. The Bane/Doom altercation was spilling out of control rapidly, with the forces beginning to spill out from Darkmoor. It was going to get uglier and uglier, Jim knew, but he had faith that the Furies would win out... and then he'd swoop in and claim them for himself, turning them against Doom and securing his own power in Europe.

Confident that his ill feeling was not caused by anything in Darkmoor, he looked elsewhere. Otherworld, with Roma on the throne, was quiet, just as Jim had left it....

Unreality seemed mad, as always. He did not immediately sense Brian Braddock's mind, but that was not unusual as the strange dimension played havoc even with Jim's powers.

London, Jim thought. The feeling's coming from London... Something's going--

Jaspers looked upward, following his pet's gaze. The great dragon Rathoon was there, the other Pendragons arrayed about him. Some, like the living dead girl Breeze, were crouched on his outstretched arms. Others, like the perpetually annoying Captain Britain, flew under their own power. It was Betsy Braddock who spoke first, pointing a figure accusingly at Jim. "This is going to end. Now."

Jim stepped forward, the skies darkening with every step. Lightning flashed overhead and Jim's every word rumbled out like thunder. "You think you can stop me? Oh, that's rich. Your brother mewled like a little baby before I was done with him -- and you're not fit to call yourself Captain Britain. You're nothing more than a little tart with a nice bum. You parlayed your sexuality into a modeling career and then proceeded to bed every male hero you could get your hands around. So don't taunt me, you silly bird. I'm Jim Jaspers. I'm God."

Jim's pronouncement was punctuated by a burst of fire that sprang forth from his left hand. The plume of flame enveloped Betsy in its grip, but failed to penetrate the force field generated by her uniform.

"He's using you, Adam!" Spitfire exclaimed. She and the other land-bound members of the team were being set down by Rathoon, whose own mouth was releasing growing amounts of smoke and flame. "I know how beguiling he can be -- but none of this is real. We've been living a lie!"

Adam's resentment flared into outright anger. "That's something we can agree on, you prim little bitch! How many times did you and Ginny talk about me, sniggering like fools over my blindness? And to think I trusted you! I looked up to you! You're all an embarrassment to Avalon!" He moved forward then, swinging his blade with every intention of killing whomever it struck.

Big Ben caught the edge of the blade with his umbrella, drawing sparks. "You shouldn't speak to ladies like that, good man. It's not very proper."

While teammates turned on one another, Jim Jaspers began to grow before the eyes of the other Pendragons. He became a giant, his eyes twinkling with tiny starlights. He became much larger than even the great old dragon called Rathoon, letting his clothes rip away to shreds. Naked and laughing, he regarded the Pendragons with deadly amusement. "I've so waited for this... Lurking about all of you, watching as you played out my little pantomimes. But now's come the day of culling the weak from the strong. It's like when Take That broke up and we all had to wait to see -- who's gonna make it? Gary Barlow or Robbie Williams? Well, my friends, I'm a cheeky chappie like Robbie and you're all boring little Barlows... so let's not have any false assumptions about how this is going to go, shall we?"

Big Ben, ducking a swipe of Adam's blade, muttered under his breath "Boy bands. I can't abide them...."

The team's heaviest hitters -- Rathoon, Captain Britain, Dark Angel and Miraclewoman -- all attacked Jim at once, while the female speedsters of the team attempted to disarm Adam Crown. Breeze managed to snag hold of his wrist, her own heart hammering in her chest the whole time. She knew what 'victory' would mean today -- her probably return to a state of death. But she was a hero at the core and willing to sacrifice herself if it would mean freedom from Jim's insanity. The thought of dying terrified her, though, and that fear caused her grip to weaken just enough for Adam to pull his arm free. He brought the swipe down hard on Spitfire's shoulder. Blood spurted into the air, staining Adam's face.

Meanwhile, Jim grunted as Dark Angel's energy blasts hit home just as Miraclewoman drove a powerful blow into his midsection. He was enjoying this and his concern over whatever was happening in London proper had gone completely out the window. He backhanded Miraclewoman with all his might, sending her flying up high into the atmosphere. Winter Moran, still new to this world of superheroics, had never been hit so hard.

Leering at Captain Britain, Jim said "Come and let daddy deliver your spanking like a good little girl...."

The scene outside 10 Downing Street was rapidly turning ugly. Several protestors, accompanied by some angry trolls, were busily smashing their way into the Prime Minister's offices. The energies unleashed by Chanda's death were continuing to spill over the city and out into the outlaying areas, providing a solid glimpse into the way things were truly meant to be. Locked inside her mind had been the full history of the true universe... and with her death, that history had been shared with others.

Some people, outraged over the way their lives had been twisted and ruined, had gone wild. The seat of government was an obvious target, as people realized that "Gentleman" Jim had conspired against them.

Union Jack watched them from a nearby rooftop, wondering if he should take some kind of action. He wasn't sure what he could do against the surging mob, however -- and wasn't even sure if he should. I feel like joining them, in fact.....

The sound of movement brought him spinning about, his pistol in hand. The white-skinned figure who stood there was a comforting sight, calming the raging inferno that always seemed to burn in his heart. "Wynter. Why aren't you at Lyonesse?"

The son of Merlyn moved closer, his enigmatic eyes dancing in the light. "Shevaun contacted me, but I didn't respond. I thought that you would need my counsel more than they would need my sorcery."

"Kind of you," Union Jack replied. He holstered his weapon and sighed. "I did it. I killed the girl... and I absorbed the Pendragon essence."

"Wonderful." Union Jack reached up and removed the mask that hid his features, revealing a handsome face that was weary and worn. "Why me, Wynter? Why am I the one to do this?"

Wynter held his tongue, for his words would bring no solace to Union Jack -- that much he knew for certain. The web of fate was oft-times cold and heartless, as the mage knew very well. "One way or another, the world changes today... We shall either be reborn into the world we once knew or we will continue on a reality increasingly strange and frayed."

"True." Wynter held the young man's eye. "A part of you would welcome that, wouldn't you?"

The man smiled sadly, revealing a set of teeth that looked slightly irregular. The canines were much too long, giving ample evidence to his vampirism. "Very much. You should have left me dead... I hate you so much for bringing me back."

Kenneth Crichton stared up into the sky, a blood-red tear streaking down one cheek. "Fuck you."

Jim Jaspers generated a large spear in his right hand. He cupped it lightly at first, letting it loll about his oversized fingers. And then he tightened his grip and thrust the spear forward, driving it completely through Dark Angel's body. It pinned her to the beach, where horrible little creatures -- monsters and villains from Jim's favorite childhood stories -- began tearing at her clothing and flesh.

Lightning flashed in the sky again, a jagged bolt of it reaching out to strike Miraclewoman as she flew back towards Earth. The energy channeled through her, causing the reaction that turned her from human into goddess to reverse itself. Once more Winter Moran, she fell into the ocean, being swallowed up by the unforgiving waters.

Betsy Braddock knew that things were falling apart but she could do nothing about it. She'd been forced to block out the minds of her friends, unable to concentrate with their pained thoughts crashing into hers. Adam Crown had managed to disable several of the Pendragons, but both Breeze and Shamrock remained standing. She wasn't sure if Adam's abilities had been boosted by Jim or if his own rage was pushing him over the edge, but either way he was holding his own much better than she would have thought.

Captain Britain looked up into the grinning face of Jim Jaspers. His manhood, nakedly displayed, was in full elevation, which only added to the surreal nature of the battle. We're just meant to distract him, she reminded herself. Give Brian time to get back with the Nullifier. Activating her psi-blade, she flew forward, Rathoon circling about on the other side of Jaspers. The great dragon's scales on one side were missing, having been burned away by a powerful energy blast unleashed by the villain. His eyes were full of righteous anger. "There's still Rathoon and me to deal with, you bastard. And neither of us is going down easily."

Rathoon grinned, showing a cracked set of teeth. "She's right on that, you nutter. I'm going to personally kick your ass from here to Darkmoor!" The great dragon swooped forward, drawing up his legs and forelimbs. He extended his claws to their furthest and drove them deep into Jim's back, scraping out huge chunks of flesh. The blood fell like rain into the waters below.

Jim hissed like a serpent, whirling about to face the dragon. He grabbed hold of the Pendragon's neck with both hands and channeled pure electricity through his foe. The smell of burning flesh filled the air and Rathoon screamed long and lustily. Mad Jim tossed the dragon away, watching as he crashed through the grand Castle, shattering it into thousands of stone pieces.

Betsy struck just then, driving her blade deep into Jim's psyche. The blow sent sparks flying and Jim's eyes opened wide at the sudden violation. He fell forward, shrinking down to his normal size. Betsy caught him before he hit the ground, striking again and again by driving the psi-blade deep into his skull, withdrawing and then plunging back in. She was merciless in her assault, stopping only when she realized that Jim had stopped moving and was lying completely motionless in her arms.

Down below, Adam Crown lay on his back, clutching feebly at his own blade as Shamrock twisted it deep in his belly. The Irish heroine was little better, as her head lolled at a dangerous angle, revealing bone and gristle where Adam's sword had nearly decapitated her.

Breeze, swaying nearby, was sobbing in her hands. Betsy saw the girl's skin beginning to blacken and peel away from the bones. When she looked upwards, Breeze's face was gone, revealing the skull beneath. She was dying before Betsy's eyes, even the bones turning to dust....

Captain Britain felt nausea overtake her and she looked away from Breeze, not wanting to see the girl crumble away into nothing....

She opened her eyes to see that she lay in her bed, back at the Manor. Emma was there beside her, looking all frumpy and safe. Her eyes regarded Betsy with much kindness and the chicken soup she held on a tray before her smelled delicious. "Emma... What?"

"You were having a frightful dream, dear. I thought some warm broth would do you good."

Betsy looked about herself, seeing only the familiar sights of her old bedroom. She noticed she was wearing a warm cotton nightgown. It had been a favorite of hers during her teen years. So wooly and safe-seeming. "Thank you, Emma. It was a bad one. Horrible. There was a man in it... He hurt people. Did horrible things to them."

Betsy wrinkled her nose, hating the very thought of trying to remember the details of the nightmare. They were already beginning to fade and she was quite please with that. "Jim, I think. I really would rather just forget about it all."

Betsy turned to the white lace curtains which hid her room from the outside world. She reached out with a trembling hand and pulled the curtain aside....

And saw Hell itself. Armed soldiers were patrolling the grounds of the Manor, wearing the strange beetle-like armor that Jim's men had worn during the previous Warp. "No," she whispered.

Betsy turned back to Emma, only to find that Jim was there. He wore Emma's apron and dress, leering out at her from beneath the scarf that she'd always worn around her hair. "You bastard. Stay out of my head!"

Arms sprang up out of the bed, pulling her down. They held her even as she bit and screamed.

Jim reached out and carefully gripped the sides of her head. He gave a mighty twist... and lifted her head clean off. "Hush, my little bird. You look so dreadful when you fuss."

Walking towards the mantle in the living room, Jim set her head up on the shelf. Alongside it were the other Pendragons, all wearing the same shocked expressions.

Brian Braddock's return from Taa II was a disturbing one. He'd managed to salvage enough of his power to step through to Otherworld and then re-emerge on Earth... but what he'd seen in his former kingdom had chilled his blood. There could be no denying the presence of the Jaspers Warp, for there had been madness at every turn. The grand castle that he'd called home had become a living thing, wrapped in scales, undulating like a snake. And former friends and allies had been sighted, as well -- with horrific new forms that would haunt Brian for some time. He had not seen his beloved Meggan and was relieved... for he was trying to avoid considering what awful fates might have been reserved for her. It will all be over soon, he promised to himself. One way or another.

He soared over Lyonesse, his unease only growing as he did so. It was like a Salvador Dali painting had magically come to life, with all the surrealistic overtones of the artist's greatest works. The ground and sky merged together in places and the capering forms of the Crazy Gang could be seen, playing a deadly game of hide-and-seek amongst the ruins of the Pendragons Castle.

And there was Jim Jaspers, dressed like a beach-combing tourist in Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts. He was standing there on the beach, holding a sea shell to his ear. He didn't bother looking at Brian as the hero landed nearby. "You should listen to this, my boy... Fascinating!"

Brian tried to reign in the anger that always threatened to overwhelm him when he faced madmen like this. He was an ordered sort of man and despised chaos in all its forms. "Where are the Pendragons?"

"You really don't want to know," Jim replied with a chuckle. He held out the shell and Brian could hear a familiar voice from within -- Meggan. "But you might get a clue if you take a listen!"

Brian heard her screaming for him, begging for help. Other sounds, guttural and deep, intermingled with hers and helped paint a picture of depravity in Brian's mind. Was she being raped? Tortured? "I wish you had stayed dead, Jim. If any being in all the Omniverse deserved death, it was you."

"Harsh words from a pitiful excuse for a king," Jim replied. He plucked a crown out of thin air and set it crookedly on his own head. "Brian Braddock, I hereby decree that as a king, you did suck like a hoover!"

"'Orf wiv his head!" someone bellowed from far away and they were joined by a chorus of boos and cheers.

Brian looked about himself in surprise, noting that he was now standing in a large courtroom, with Jim sitting in full judge's robes and wig. The Crazy Gang, along with several human-sized puppets, sat in a jury box.

Brian retrieved the Nullifier from a pocket and held it up. A gasp escaped the crowd and several of the jury made moves to bolt and run. Jim leaned back, his smile fading. "I'm prepared to end this farce. Completely, if necessary."

Brian noticed that the courtroom's bailiffs had begun to move forward -- they were Furies, each of them regarding him with cold malice. They paused when Brian placed his thumb on the device's trigger. "I'm willing to take the chance, Jim."

"But what about the rest of us? Are you going to choose for us, too?" Brian glanced over to see Breeze standing up from the crowd. She was dressed in plainclothes and had obviously been crying. "I want to live, Brian. Please don't do this... Death is so cold and lonely. There's nothing better than this -- no heaven, no God to warm us. It's just darkness, forever and ever." She wrapped her arms about herself and looked so forlorn that Brian's will almost weakened.

It was then that he felt strong hands tugging at the Nullifier. He resisted, staring into the maddened eyes of Jim Jaspers. There was fear there, intermingled with the madness, and Brian knew that he'd been right to do this. The Nullifier was capable of destroying this whole reality, including the Warp and its master.

"Give it to me, Brian! I'll make sure you and your bird get a happy ending! I'll write you a whole slew of adventures that you'll always win! I'll give you a talking unicorn and an elf companion and--"

"It has to stop, Jim." Brian pulled the Nullifier closer, feeling the power of Jaspers beginning to wane. "You've perverted the universe long enough! You've taken our free will and turned it into a joke, made us act as your puppets for far too long!"

"You'll die!" Jim wailed, summoning every last ounce of his power and unleashing it all at once. The world around them twisted and turned, shifting through multiple planes of existence. "Why would you die rather than live under my rule? That's just wrong!"

"Because living without freedom isn't living at all! Because what's real and true -- even if it's not what would you have chosen -- is better than living a fantasy!"

Brian felt pain throughout his every nerve and he knew that his fingers were nothing more than skeletal nubs now, but he held on tight. There was a sense of peace in his mind and his heart... it was the light of Avalon, of Eternal Love, of Endless Summers and True Friends. He heard his sister's laughter, felt the warm touch of Meggan's caress and the gentle, loving stare of his Creator, whose fingers seemed to dance on the keys of a typewriter even now, speeding him towards victory.

Brian Braddock smiled into the eyes of his enemy and said "My story won't ever end, Jim. But you? You're nothing more than a third-rate villain with stilted dialogue and a vacant heart. It's time to put you to bed."

And before Jim could stop him, Brian squeezed the activation trigger and unleashed the power of the Ultimate Nullifier. Its energies were halted momentarily by the forces of the Forever Crystal, which still lurked within the soul of Jim Jaspers... but then they overwhelmed them, eradicating all that had existed.

In the center of the universe's heart, two men were locked together for a few seconds, for a few millennia, for longer and shorter than the human mind can comprehend.

Betsy Braddock sipped her tea and wrapped her shawl tighter about her shoulders. It was chilly today and the wind outside was whipping about like a banshee. "So what happened then?" she asked, finding it all a bit hard to take in.

Her brother Brian stood next to the fireplace, dressed in a festive sweater and jeans. Meggan sat on a pillow nearby, with most of the Pendragons arrayed in various spots throughout the room. Braddock Manor had not been the site of a party like this in far too long and both Braddocks couldn't deny that it was good to hear laughter and voices throughout the house again. "I can only imagine that the energies released by Chanda's death rushed in to fill the void. For all intents and purposes, our reality has been restored to the way it was before the Jaspers Warp took place."

"That's not quite true," Miraclewoman pointed out. "Time passed, people died...."

"Yes, but our history was restored. All the events of the Warp still took place, but they're fading just like before. People will remember that the Prime Minister died, that there were riots, that the world became darker and more dangerous than before... but they'll begin to forget the details. It's the universe's way of repairing itself."

"What about Joey?" Spitfire asked. She was cradling her grandson in her arms, holding him so tightly that Brian worried if the child could breathe properly. "I don't even know how he really died."

Shamrock moved closer to her friend, wrapping one arm about her waist. "I'm sorry, Jackie. I really am."

Spitfire looked away, aware of how uncomfortable everyone had become. Though they'd all suffered greatly, none of them had lost quite as much as she had....

Adam Crown sat alone in the rear of the room, his fingers steepled before his face. He had said little since the Warp had faded, all too aware that he'd betrayed his teammates and driven away the woman he'd loved. How much of all that had been true? Any of it? Was Ginny a liar or was he just a fool for having believed it? Either way, nothing would be the same again.

"What do we do now?" someone asked. All eyes turned towards Breeze James, who was staring out the window, watching as the trees whipped about in the wind. She had inexplicably remained behind in the wake of the Warp, aware that she was dead in the eyes of the world... but living still, somehow.

It was Betsy who spoke up, aware that this moment would come and having prepared for it. Despite the fact that Brian held a special position with the group, it was she who was the leader. As Captain Britain, she was an icon -- and she'd worked hard to live up to the expectations of a nation. "We take a little bit of time to regroup. To put our personal affairs in order. And then we start to rebuild this country. We've lost a PM. Doom's forces have been shattered somehow -- some wonderful gift that we're lucky to have -- but he's still got a huge army and the Red Lord still occupies Darkmoor. Those things aren't just going away on their own." She set down her tea and regarded her friends, seeing the pain in their eyes. "We came so close to losing it all... but we're here, victorious despite the odds. I can't think of any group of people I'd rather share this moment with. You're family to me."

Shevaun Haldane smiled at that. "We've all lost family... loved ones. But I agree. We've made new ones. Let's not waste this second chance at life. Let's do all the things we planned to, but never got around to. Let's tell everyone we care about that we love them. Let's make this count."

Betsy nodded and glanced over at Emma, as she stepped in with a tray of drinks. The matronly woman passed them around and stepped back to watch as Captain Britain held up her glass. "To Avalon. To the Pendragons. To Love Everlasting."

Everyone joined in, though there were tears and mournful smiles throughout the room.

There you have it. "Tempus Fugit" is over. Was it a successful storyline? I'll leave that to you to decide. The fallout certainly isn't over, not by a longshot. But we won't be seeing anymore time travel storylines, reality altering villains or mass killings for quite a while, I promise.

Look for a new Union Jack limited series in the near future, as we delve more deeply into the return of Kenneth Crichton. Look for Spitfire to get some major play in that series, as well. Also, Miraclewoman and Big Ben will be returning to Miracles, Inc. as part of Trav Hiltz's cast. The changes will continue in this book, as we'll tweak the lineup a bit starting next issue.

Awesome series. Though I'm beginning to wonder how much more reality warping the Pendragonverse can take. I'm sure soon some really weird stuff might show up. On to the questions:

1) Is there any chance of Superman showing up( after all Clark Kent has been showing up in the MU for years now, and with all the reality warping, I'm sure him showing up wouldn't be much of a mess)?

2) Exactly how far down into the ground does the barrier go? I mean if it doesn't go down, you can always go under it.

1) No plans for this. Maybe someday I'll do a Pendragons/JLA but not for a long time.

2) I haven't established just how large the Barrier is, but I suspect they've attempted to tunnel under it without success. So, pretty far down, I'd say.

4) Neil Gow's had plans for something called The Finn and someday we'll hopefully see that, though it's not really Norse in design. That's the closest you'll get, sorry.

5) Given her connection to Canada, probably not. I believe she's somehow linked to that land?