Pendragon Comics - The Pendragons

The Pendragons

Issue # 47

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: Adam Crown, Breeze, Captain Britain, Dark Angel, Rathoon, Hulk and Shamrock

Written by Barry Reese

What Has Come Before: Darkmoor, long held by the forces of the Bane, has been freed. Adam Crown, the living reincarnation of Arthur, has claimed dominion over the newly liberated lands and has made it clear that he seeks to re-take the throne of England, as well.

Adam Crown leaned back in his chair, watching as the new Prime Minister -- Harrison Halpin -- paced before him. The PM had arrived this morning by private plane, surveying the newly freed Kingdom of Darkmoor. He had been accompanied by several high-ranking military types, all of whom had taken a good look at the Kingdom's defenses. Adam knew that they considered the re-taking of the Kingdom to be a long-risk venture. That would be their mistake, he mused. "I asked you to bring Ginny with you."

Halpin's eyes narrowed. "I know bloody well what you asked -- but she doesn't want to see you." He stepped forward, placing a foot on the bottom stair leading up to Adam's throne. This room, like everything else in the palace, had belonged to the Red Lord. It had been crafted magically when the Bane had re-entered the mortal plane and its darkly enchanted nature still remained strong. It was enough to slightly unsettle Halpin, which brought a small smile to Adam's lips. "You hurt her badly, Pendragon. She'll never forgive you."

Adam rose from his throne, managing to look both regal and threatening. He'd begun growing a beard in recent days and it had done much to age him physically, making him look less like a gawky young man and more like a ruler of men. "I accept full responsibility for my actions... Though I hope she will consider that I was under the spell of a madman at the time."

"You have 24 hours to give up control of this settlement. You have no power or authority here."

"But I do." Adam walked towards Halpin, stopping so that he remained one step above the other man. "I am Arthur, reborn. My claim to the throne is clear as day."

"The monarchy hasn't acknowledged that. And even if they do, you have no authority to--"

Adam placed a hand firmly on Halpin's shoulder. His piercing blue eyes shone with an intensity that silenced the Prime Minister. "The world has changed, Harrison. Magic holds sway over the land, no matter how much we might cling to the technology of the past. I have returned because it is the will of Avalon... And I am here to lead the British people through these dark days. I would like to work with you, not against you. So please accept my offer of friendship."

Halpin swallowed hard, held by the power and majesty that lay behind Adam's eyes. He'd lost much to these so-called heroes, for his own wife had perished during the Pendragons' failed attempt to stop Blackheart from erecting the Black Mass Barrier... and his niece, Ginny, had then suffered through a broken heart because of the man before him. These events had hardened something in Halpin, making him colder than before. But now... Now he saw fields of green and gold, heard the chanting of druids and felt the abiding love and power of Avalon. "Are you... trying to control me somehow?"

Adam and Harrison both turned to see Shevaun Haldane standing nearby. The slender beauty was dressed in torn jeans and a Robbie Williams' "Live at Knebworth" t-shirt, but her face was drawn tight with barely repressed anger.

Adam nodded slowly. "All right. Are you sticking to your ultimatum? About us being out of here in 24 hours?"

"No," Halpin admitted. He looked a bit dazed, as if the images that had flooded his mind were still blocking his vision. "But... I still think you should stay away from Ginny. For her sake."

Crown watched as Halpin slipped from the throne room, narrowly avoiding the hobgoblins who guarded the door. They were amongst the few who had survived the departure of the Bane and they had readily accepted Adam's offer of clemency in return for service. Once the Prime Minister was gone, he flashed a dazzling, if somewhat weary, smile at his teammate. "Welcome, Shevaun. Did you get a chance to tour the city?"

Shevaun nodded, casting a glance towards the open window. She could see several hundred people working hard to repair the damage wrought by the Pendragons assault on the Bane. "It's shaping up beautifully. Where did all those people come from?"

"They've been arriving by the dozen every day since I made my speech. Would you like something to drink?"

"It looked like you were using the power of the Pendragon to bring him to your side."

"I was trying to calm the madness that's inside him. He's been in such pain that he can't think straight."

"It's exactly the sort of thing that the Green Knight did to me." Adam moved back to the throne and sat down. He shrugged at Shevaun, looking a bit sheepish. "I know what it looked like. Really. But I wasn't trying to force him to see things my way. I just wanted to lessen the pain for him. Honestly."

Adam couldn't hide his surprise. "I'm surprised. I haven't acted in the most honorable of fashions since that whole affair with your father*."

"You were being manipulated. Just like Cam, only not so severely. In your heart, you're a good person."

"I'm happy to hear you say that," he admitted. He gestured towards a plush chair that a hobgoblin was bringing towards her. "Please. Sit."

Shevaun accepted the offer and then leaned forward. "Betsy wants to know what your status with the team is. Are you still on the roster or not?"

Shevaun grinned. "Maybe because the two of you have never seen eye-to-eye? She isn't too keen on this idea of you setting yourself up as king, either."

"Well... Tell her that I consider a friend, despite it all, and I hope she'll consider me the same. I'm not available for routine missions, but make sure she knows that I will aid you in all your endeavors, however I can. Is there something you need at the moment?"

"Not really. Wynter and Kate have taken Cam home with them... and Betsy's sent a few Pendragons on a mission to exact a little bit of revenge on those guys who hurt him to begin with. Other than that, nothing major is going on."

"I'm organizing an order of knights to defend the kingdom -- That's the first order of business, since there's always the chance that Parliament will authorize the use of force against us. Then I plan to establish schools, both normal and magical, to train the children that will begin to arrive. Then there are the arts, sanitation issues, on and on." Adam's eyes twinkled as he spoke and Shevaun realized that he was truly enjoying this.

Adam's expression shifted a bit at that. Mordred had served the Red Lord of the Bane, standing against Adam in the recent conflict. But something within Adam saw a glimmer of hope within Mordred, a hope that might someday lead to the villain's redemption. As such, he had gained Mordred's allegiance -- for whatever that was worth. "On that issue, Shevaun... I have not a clue."

The young woman known as Tuck stood on her bedroom terrace, staring out into the Symkarian countryside. It looked so very different from most of the places she'd known in her life... so pristine and pure. She wondered if Minion would enjoy this, or if his adventurous nature would chafe at what amounted to imprisonment here in the castle. No... There's no wondering to it. Death's Head would be smashing this place to bits in minutes. So why haven't I?

Because I don't have anywhere else to go, she answered to herself. With Minion shredded by Doom* and used as the template for his new robotic guard, I'm all alone here. And that sucks.

A flash of light suddenly dazzled her and she stumbled back in confusion. As her vision cleared, she could make out three figures standing beside her on the terrace. One of them was gigantic, standing nearly eight feet tall and with shoulders far broader than any normal human could ever possess. Tuck didn't need to wait for her vision to clear and identify the green nature of his skin... For she would have recognized this behemoth anywhere. "Hulk," she whispered, lashing out with her telekinetic abilities. She heard him grunt as he was thrown backwards, smashing through the balcony railing, but her victory was short-lived for one of his companions -- a woman dressed in red and yellow -- moved forward with superhuman speed. Tuck had been slapped three times before it had even registered that she was under attack.

"No need to be quite so rough," the third stranger said. As Tuck shook her head to clear it, she slowly recognized the two women before her. Breeze and Shamrock, both of the Pendragons. It had been Shamrock who'd spoken up in Tuck's defense, which meant that it had been Breeze who'd....

Tuck swung a powerful kick at Breeze's head, catching the other woman off-guard. The blow would have sent the Pendragon tumbling over the edge, had the Hulk not caught her ankle as he pulled himself back over the edge.

The Hulk's eyes were narrowed as he took in Tuck's fighting stance. "Now, I normally love a good cat fight, but I think we can call a truce on this one, can't we?"

"We're not here to harm you," Shamrock added. There was a note of sincerity in the hero's voice that made Tuck relax somewhat.

"If you mean why aren't we coming in through the front gate, it's because we're here to shut down this little operation." Breeze had removed her helmet and was staring at a crack on the front view-plate. "Blimey. It's going to be hell seeing through this now."

The Hulk plucked it out of Breeze's grasp and tossed it behind him. It hurtled through the air and out of sight. "I'll buy you a new one." He stared into Tuck's eyes, trying to read whether or not she could be trusted. "You work for the Penance Council?"

"Not really... They're interested in recruiting me, though. You know about the Council and the V-Battalion?"

"You could say that," Shamrock replied. "The V-Battalion are the footsoldiers for the Council, led by Citizen V. Right?"

Tuck nodded. "V rescued me from Latveria after Death's Head was caught by Doom. They've been nice enough since, though I haven't met their leader yet."

Shamrock looked over the edge of the shattered railing. Bits of the railing lay in full view down below. "Someone's going to notice that."

"Maybe," the Hulk answered. "And maybe not. Wynter enchanted the three of us so we'd sneak past the Battalion's sensors, so maybe nobody will see that either. Depends on how far his stealth spell goes, I suppose." He cracked his massive knuckles. "Listen, Puck--"

"Whatever. This group screwed with a young man's head not too long ago and partially led him to becoming possessed by the Bane. One way or another, this group is taking a beating today... You in or out?"

Tuck hesitated. The Council had been a bit tight-lipped about some things, but overall they had treated her well... and Citizen V seemed honest enough. But there was no doubt in these people's eyes... They truly believed that the Council was, at least on some level, evil. And they have refused to let me leave here... For my own safety, they said. But what if they were trying to brainwash me or something? "I... I won't stop you. Fair enough?"

"Sounds great. Now, I'd recommend that you get as far away from here as possible."

"To quote an oft-remembered little chestnut..." the Hulk grinned, showing off a set of pearly white teeth. "Hulk Smash."

Elsa Bloodstone shivered in the cold air, wrapping her arms tightly about herself. She hated the weather in this country, with its cloudy skies and a perpetual nip in the air. It made her yearn for the sunny west coast of the USA... She could picture herself on a beach, decked out in a skimpy bikini and sipping a pina colada....

Elsa glanced over at her companion. The enigmatic being known as Doctor Strange was floating in mid-air, his legs crossed lotus-style. The mage had recruited Elsa in Germany, showing her horrific visions of what lay outside the Black Mass Barrier. She'd learned that there were great horrors waiting for Europe when the Barrier fell -- an alien race that used Mars as a launching pad had begun a terrible war against humanity*. It was enough to convince her that the mage was right -- the Barrier had to remain in place.

Doctor Strange glanced in her direction, his face unreadable behind the metallic helmet he wore. When he spoke, his voice was androgynous and cold. "Death holds no meaning for Noble Kale. His soul is forever denied the rest of the dead."

"Oooookay." Elsa stepped up next to him, casting wary glances at the undead about her. The zombies were residents of Highgate, having risen from their graves when the Barrier had gone up and flooded the countryside with magic. The more intelligent of the undead had left behind the cemeteries and gone underground in the cities, but the dumber ones seemed to stay near their final resting places. "So why are we still shivering our buns off here then? Let's go someplace warm."

Elsa heard movement from behind her and she spun around, drawing a wooden stake in case it was one of the ghouls. Instead, she saw a tall, broad-shouldered man with piercing blue eyes and a small goatee. "Who the hell are you?"

"Quite a greeting," he replied. "My name is Anthony Druid. I was an associate of your father's."

Elsa grunted in reply. Considering that she'd barely known the man herself, being a friend of his made little impression on her. "And why are you here?"

"I summoned him." Doctor Strange allowed his feet to touch the ground and he nodded once at Doctor Druid. "You know the reasons behind this call?"

"I got your message very clearly, Strange... That is what you'd like for me to call you?"

"Very fitting, as well." Druid agreed. "After all, your current existence is rather strange. How many minds are in that head of yours, hmm?"

Elsa stared from one to the other. She'd wondered just who or what this Doctor Strange truly was... and it was readily apparent that this Druid knew the truth.

Doctor Strange reached up and removed his helmet, sliding it up and off his face. What Elsa saw there made her gasp... for there was no one set of features to greet her. Instead, Strange's face was a constantly shifting mix of eyes, mouths and noses. At one moment, he appeared to be a man of Haitian descent... in the next, he was a woman with Gypsy features... and in the next it was an old, weathered woman. There were flashes of Stephen Strange there, as well, intermingled with all the others. "I am amalgamation of those wizards who were killed by Blackheart*. Stephen Strange, Wanda Maximoff, Jericho Drumm, Agatha Harkness and so many others... they all make up the sum of who I now am."

Druid smiled cannily. "And now you're attempting to keep up the very same Barrier that was linked to your deaths. How ironic."

"Your own power is linked to the continued existence of the Barrier," Strange replied. "You have many reasons to aid us in our quest to keep Europe within its confines."

Druid nodded. "I don't plan for the rest of Ultraforce* to know about this... It has to be done in secret. Agreed?"

"That's no problem," Elsa said, cracking a grin. "Last thing we want is to piss off U-Force or the Pendragons. Especially not with Ghost Rider missing."

"Then you can safely consider me part of your new Secret Defenders. May the Barrier reign for many years to come."

Jim Hammond sat in his motorized wheelchair, ignoring the sounds of alarms all around him. He was lost in the past, reliving days of grandeur and heroism. He'd been a hero once... part of the fabled Invaders and All-Winners Squad. He's been a contemporary of Captain America, the Sub-Mariner and Spitfire. But he had always been apart from humanity, for he was an android... a machine shaped in the likeness of humanity. He'd yearned to be real, like some motorized Pinocchio.

"And for what?" he murmured to himself, staring into the darkness of his private quarters. "To let myself be less than I was meant to be?"

Jim looked up, watching as Roger Aubrey entered the room in a rush. Aubrey wore his Destroyer uniform and it had a few flakes of blood on the right sleeve. "Who bled on you, Roger?"

"Jenkins, from security. He's alive, but barely." He stepped up to Hammond's chair and leaned down to him, bringing his masked face closer. "Didn't you hear me? The bloody Pendragons are here!"

"They're angry about young Cam, no doubt." Hammond's eyes flickered as flame engulfed his entire body. Aubrey barely escaped being burned, jumping back at the last second. The original Human Torch rose from his fiery wheelchair, ignoring the damage he was doing to his surroundings. He rarely walked these days, his robotic legs having been damaged during the horrible events that had altered him forever... The Barrier had twisted something inside him, taking all the darkness and exposing it to the light. "How many did they bring?"

"We think there's just three... But one of them is the Hulk. We don't have enough agents to handle this, Jim. Most of the Battalion's super-soldiers died in the accident."

The Torch rose into the air, a bit unsteadily. "Then I shall have to kill them myself. Begin pulling back our forces -- Retreat to Base 16-C. We can always salvage our equipment here later."

The Torch chuckled and the sound sent a ripple through Aubrey's soul. "Burn them."

Shamrock crept down the hallway, trying to ignore the sounds of battle from behind her. The Hulk and Breeze were making short work of the Battalion's forces, but Molly was surprised that there wasn't more to this place. From what Cam had said, the group was an international force capable of leveling a small country. But so far they'd encountered only normal men and women equipped with impressive -- but not awe-inspiring -- weaponry.

Molly paused outside a door marked "Access Restricted -- Wyndham Cloning Chamber." She wondered if this was what the High Evolutionary had warned them about during their battle with him. He'd claimed that some of his work was being used here and--

A powerful blow sent her falling forward, knocking the doors open before her. She landed hard on the floor, feeling lucky that the blow hadn't connected fully. She felt another attack coming and rolled out of the way, just as a sword slashed against the spot where she'd been laying. She recognized the colorful figure and did a quick handstand to get back to her feet. "Citizen V!"

"It's nice to be recognized... But you and your friends aren't welcome here." He jumped upwards, raising his sword in both hands. Molly dodged the attack, however, and managed to deliver a strong kick to the man's midsection as he passed.

"Your group has hurt the Pendragons in several ways, Citizen V. It's going to stop today."

"We're only doing what needs to be done, Shamrock. Look at yourselves, setting your team up as some sort of quasi-religious group! And now one of you is claiming to be King!"

Shamrock caught Citizen V with a backhanded blow, knocking him off-balance. He tumbled against a glass tube, whose interior was smoky and indistinct. Molly thought she saw a human figure within, though. "Adam's got a right to that claim, mate. If you'd pay more attention, you'd know that."

"V!" a voice crackled to life, startling them both. Molly realized it was coming from some sort of radio that Citizen V was wearing. "We've got the order to pull out -- Hammond's buying us time with the Pendragons, but I want you to torch the Cloning Chamber."

Citizen V cursed under his breath. He had refused to wear his telepathic communicator today, having grown tired of Hammond's intrusions. But he'd forgotten about the radio mic on his uniform. "You're kidding me, Aubrey! You're not really going along with that!"

Shamrock took advantage of Citizen V's hesitation, pressing a hard attack. She elbowed him in the chest and followed that with a karate chop to his neck.

Gasping, V swung out with the blunt of his blade. It caught Shamrock on the cheek and knocked her to the floor again. He began to turn away, about to carry out Hammond's foul orders, when Shamrock surprised him by reaching out with her feet and catching his legs. She brought him to the floor next to her and grabbed his mask quickly, using it to smack his head against the floor repeatedly.

When it was obvious that V was unconscious, Shamrock slowly rose to her feet and looked around the room. There were several of the tubes here, each filled with a body. Acting on instinct, she knelt beside V and pulled his uniform up and off. The face that greeted her was handsome enough, with dark brown hair and a kind, expressive face.

She quickly moved to one of the tubes and wiped her hand against its surface. Inside the tube was an exact duplicate of the man on the floor. She went from one to the next, finding three more of that man... along with several other beings who seemed vaguely familiar to her. Then her heart dropped as she revealed the contents of the final tube...

Betsy Braddock took a deep breath, savoring the scent of the forest. Here, in the heart of Lyonesse, she felt free and complete. It was a sensation that came to her all too rarely. "Blessed Lady... I beseech you, please come and offer counsel."

Betsy's eyes closed as a stiff wind began to blow. She could smell the slight cinnamon-tinged air of Avalon as the portal between worlds widened and then closed. When she opened her eyes, she knew she would see beauty itself, wrapped in the feminine form of--

Betsy gaped in surprise. The Lady of the Lake was not who had been summoned before her... Instead, she saw Dane Whitman, his body flickering in the moonlight. He was composed of water, his face looking both familiar and unexpected. "Dane... Where's the Lady of the Lake?"

Dane crossed his arms over his chest. As the Black Knight, he'd founded the current Pendragons... but he'd also been the first to be summarily booted from the group*. "No. You don't."

Betsy's psi-blade flared around her right fist. "Don't make me kick your arse again, Whitman."

"The Lady of the Lake is dead*. I've inherited the job... and apparently that means that whenever you stub your toe and need guidance on how to affix the band-aid... Here I am."

Betsy felt like she'd been slapped. "Dead...? That's impossible. We would have felt--"

Dane looked away and Betsy saw something in his eyes that she didn't like... Guilt. "I was the one closest to her when it happened."

Dane started to reply, but thought better of it. "I don't have to explain anything to you. But next time, you might remember that I'm responsible for part of your power these days. Might pay to be a bit nicer."

Betsy let out a roar of impotent anger, which was only fueled by the tiny smile on Dane Whitman's lips.

"Bring it on!" the Hulk roared, rushing into a large group of soldiers. He'd barely noticed that most of them were beginning to retreat... In the midst of battle, the part of the Hulk that was Bruce Banner began to revel in the violence. It was the open expression of all his repressed fears and anxieties. In his giant, jade form, he was Power.

Breeze had to admit that she liked being at the big man's side. She could focus on using her speed to take out soldiers one by one, while the Hulk did the heavy-duty bashing. All in all, they made a good team.

A wall of flame suddenly appeared before Breeze and she skidded to a halt just before hitting it. In the air above her was a flaming being, giving off tremendous amounts of heat. "Johnny Blaze?"

"I'm not that little punk, girl. I'm the original. Accept no substitutes." The Human Torch sent a volley of fireballs at her, sending the speedster on the run again. Though her speed was incredible, she found that one of the fireballs hit home regardless. She tumbled to the ground, screaming as the fire refused to be beat out. "That's magic fire, little girl. I'm a bit different these days."

"Not too different to get your tin can kicked all the way back to the States," the Hulk said. He tossed aside the last of the soldiers, stalking towards the Human Torch. "What the hell's happened to you, Hammond? When did you get involved in this nonsense?"

"I run this operation, Banner... Or should I call you the Hulk? Which do you prefer in this form?"

The emerald giant grabbed hold of the Torch, ignoring the searing pain that shot through his hands. He managed to drag the former hero to the ground, squeezing hard enough that Hammond felt his insides beginning to crack. "Unhand me!" The fire grew hotter, until even the Hulk had to release him.

Bruce stared at the cooked remains of his hands. "You're one sick little bastard, aren't you?" He swung out a backhand that sent the Torch hurtling through the air. It would have torn the head off a normal man, but Hammond's android body was far more resilient than that.

Hammond regrouped and sent a jet of fire back at the Hulk. It elicited a cry of both rage and pain, but did not stop him from rushing forward at top speed. He slammed into Hammond and drove him through the wall. As the debris rained down on the both of them, Hammond directed a fireball straight into the Hulk's eyes.

Blinded and in agony, Bruce staggered away. "I'm going to tear you a new one, Hammond!"

"I doubt that, you irradiated idiot." The Torch drew himself back up to his feet, grimacing in agony. His wounded legs ached, just as badly as if they were flesh and blood. "The Penance Council does what's necessary... Once upon a time, you would have agreed with us and our methods. It's a shame you've lost sight of that."

As his vision cleared, the Hulk noticed that Hammond was gone. Breeze lay unconscious and burnt on the ground, but seemed mostly unharmed. But all around them, Castle Masada was in ruins. Even if the leadership has escaped, the Battalion and its masters on the Council had suffered.

The Hulk looked back to see Shamrock walking towards him. Her lip was bruised and puffy, leading him to reach out touch it. His stroke was surprisingly gentle considering the violence he'd been committing only seconds before. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, squeezing his hand with her own. "But I found out what the Evolutionary was so worried about."

"Clones. They were trying to generate cloned copies of various World War-II era heroes."

"But they only had one success," another voice said. The Hulk saw Citizen V, sans mask walking towards them. He held out a hand in greeting. "My name is James Barnes, but my friends used to call me Bucky."

Next Issue: Adam Crown is finally reunited with his lost love, while an old enemy returns with a deadly new ally. The countdown to issue 50 is on!

This issue was aimed at picking up a number of dangling plot threads and either moving them forward or putting them to bed completely. Not the best "jumping-on" point for new readers, I realize, but a necessary one. As for the resurrection of Bucky, I make no apologies. And if you're shocked, you haven't been paying attention -- I gave big hints as far back as the Citizen Doom arc. :-)

Another classic arc of the Pendragons has come to a close with...well that would be spoiling it for you guys but the title may give you a clue. As usual the interaction and banter between the team mates is well written and genuinely funny at times, Barry has a good feel for the characters he writes and the fact that he enjoys writing them shows in the words. There was only three things that I didn't like about the tale, one is a spoiler that involves Dark Albion. Another is the Hulk, sorry but as well as he's being written the guy is leaving me cold and I don't see what he brings to the team, which already has super-strength in Betsy and Rathoon and super-science in Shevaun and Suzi Endo. Lastly is the fantastically written climatic battle against the forces of the Red Lord, what there was of it at least, the fight was just too short. Another great arc from the Pendragons Universe, go out and read it, I can't recommend it enough.

Thanks for reading and commenting, Gary -- I always appreciate your comments :-) You're spot-on that I enjoy writing these characters and their dialogue. There are times that they seem so real to me that their words just flow right out -- it's only frustrating that I never feel like I truly capture the essence of their lives in prose. It's way cooler in my head, lol. Sorry that you didn't enjoy Dark Albion's fate -- I thought his comeuppance was fitting and made sense given the characters involved. I never saw Cam as a true villain, but rather someone who's been broken inside so many times that he fell prey to despair. Whether or not he ever returns to the Pendragons remains to be seen -- but I would imagine he'll be dealing with all of this for quite some time. The Hulk's presence continues to be a source of great debate -- some people seem to really like him there, others feel I've sold out or something, lol. Gary Halpin first suggested the Hulk to me and it was something I'd pondered a few times before... Anyway, I'm re-reading the great Peter David/Dale Keown stuff right now so I'm in the mood for Bruce to be there. Besides, his possible relationship with a fellow teammate has me intrigued enough to keep writing about it. As for the fight scene being too short, you're probably right. :-) Handling a fight scene between 7 or 8 heroes, 4 or so major villains plus a few hundred hobgoblins, sorcerers, etc. is a real pain in the ass, lol. I try to capture the essence of the combat, make you feel like it's a major event and yet focus on the characters involved as well. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

The comments I wrote came out harsher than I intended, this story is one of the classics... Case in point is the Hulk. This is perhaps the best version of him I've read in fanfic, even though this is the Professor Hulk you can read the difference between him and Banner. But in my mind he doesn't work well with the Pendragons, there is of course bound to be people who think he is the best thing to happen to them. What happened to Cam was also well written but again it is my opinion that I would have liked to see the opposite happen (still trying not to give what does away). Anyway this in my opinion is the mark of a good take, one that makes you think what could have happened rather than what did. P.S. Where is the next part of the Song of Lost Summers, the only thing I've been waiting for as much as Alien Vs Predator.

I wrote Neil awhile back asking how he'd like to proceed on the next issue but he didn't write me back :-) At present, I have no idea.

Hi Barry, I claim the No-Prize John Smith is Jack Staff Marvel Character from the 70's. Am I right? Other than that I just finished reading Pend #45 and 46 and I have to tell you that I really enjoyed them. The one thing that I think is overlooked in this series are the snippets of dialogue that infuse these characters with life. The argument between Betsy and Shevaun in #46, about being more popular than Posh Spice grounds these characters and make them "more real" in a sense. You do this so well that I think we, as readers, take it for granted. Your continued work with Adam Crown is great and I look forward to how his character will progress over the next few issues.

The one complaint I have with the issue is that I think the Red Lord was defeated to easily. He had been built up as a major menace, fought and defeated Doom, and at the end of #46 fled without a fight. I felt let down a bit by the ending.

John is indeed Jack Staff, though I don't plan to use him in his heroic identity. I just thought it was a nice in-joke. Jack Staff is the creation of Paul Grist and is currently published through Image Comics. As I've said before, it's a lot of fun writing these characters. All of them have so much life that it's exceedingly easy to come up with their dialogue.

Until the Hulk arrived, Adam was by far the most controversial Pendragon. Some people (like Gary D!) despise the guy, lol. I agree that he's annoying at times but that's what makes him interesting!

It is true that they never confronted the Red Lord directly, but I was trying to convey the whole 'avatar' aspect -- for the duration of the battle, at least, Adam Crown *was* the Green Knight and Mordred *was* the Red Lord. Their battle was more symbolic than anything -- for awhile there, the Bane were supreme in the magical landscape. Now, or so it appears, the forces of Avalon are going on the offensive and the Red Lord has realized that he might need to marshal his own powers.

First of all, you promised us a nice little trap with this issue, and BOY did you deliver! I don't think though that we've seen the last of Ghost Rider and Blackheart. Those two WILL never rest until they have both been destroyed, and that won't be till the end of time. And for Issue # 50 I have a few suggestions. 1) A SPECIAL COVER! 50 issues deserves a very special cover. 2) Reunion! Not just all the Pendragons, original team and current members, but maybe, just maybe, a few members of Excalibur as well. Maybe a certain brunette, ninja trained, computer whiz by the name of Katherine Pryde maybe? 3) If possible, break the barrier! Its time that England and the rest of Europe made contact with each other.

Thanks, Harry! Ghost Rider and Blackheart will pop up in an upcoming issue of Tales of the Pendragons ! As for what I'm planning for issue 50, I hope you'll be happy with it -- your suggestions are great ones and I might incorporate one or two of them into what I'm planning!

The Good: Hasn't been an issue since Tempus Fugit that I haven't liked. Good plots, good characterization and good pacing for the most part. I was hoping Wolfsbane would join, but oh well. Glad we say what she and Moira were up to, and that they're there to begin with. I'll cross my fingers for Banshee ;) I'm likely one of the few who likes Hulk on the team and his relationship with Shamrock. 'Professor Hulk' (lord I hate that recon) was criminally underused in mainstream. I understand why he wouldn't join the Avengers long term, but sometimes it's fun to see characters go down the wrong road just because it's the wrong road, ya know? And Hulk isn't a team player imo, no matter the Hulk or team. Glad Cam's back on the side of the angels. I had a hard time seeing him staying evil, honestly. Well, threateningly evil. He came off fairly nasty before hand, but in a pathetic evil kind of way. Looks like Crown is becoming less of a jerk now. As I started reading with Heathen Chemistry, I may not be able to recognize the character!

The Bad: Some long standing subplots seems to have disappeared. Back in 25, the Everlasting were brought up and never heard of again. Who is the new Dr. Strange? What's the V-Battalion up to? That, and Suzi Endo hasn't really done a lot. She needs more air time. My last comment is more about personal taste, but I wasn't that impressed that Martians were on the other side. The Skrulls, Badoon, Kree, Brood etc et all have all be beaten back, and they've always come across as more impressive than the Martians.

Glad to hear you're enjoying things on your end!

As for Wolfsbane, she might show up again in the near future -- no plans for Banshee right now, though. It's kind of surprising how large the Pendragons Universe has become....

The Hulk and his place on the team will be addressed soon, I promise. I agree that he hasn't had a good track record as a member of organizations (even his time with the Pantheon was filled with strife), but maybe this will turn out differently. I do promise that you won't see me revert him back into the 'dumb Hulk' though.

Cam and Adam both have interesting roads to travel in the future. Cam was never really intended to be incredibly evil... he was definitely meant to be more along the lines of pathetic, like you said. :-)

About the subplots... I feel your pain. To be honest, part of this comes from the fact that I'm now sharing characters in this universe. I know who the new Dr. Strange is, for instance, but another author is planning to reveal his identity in upcoming issues of his series -- so you have to wait. :-) As for some of the other things you mentioned, how's this issue for answering some of those dangling questions?

Suzi is frequently ignored, I admit. The cast I have is so large that it's hard to find time to fit her in. I'll try harder, though.

The Martians were chosen to be on the outside so I could tie my Pendragons stuff into the Killraven alternate reality. I thought it would be neat to tie our universe into a pre-existing Marvel reality.