The Pendragons Issue # 72	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 surviving members of the old Knights of Pendragon group, as well as several other heroes. Willing to die for their beliefs, the Pendragons stand united as Britain'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: Spitfire (leader), Union Jack, Red Sonja, Micromax, Young Miracleman, Captain UK, Polaris, Grace and the Black Knight
Written by Barry Reese

What Has Come Before: Two universes have been forced together -- one home to the mighty Pendragons and the other to the legendary heroes of the Justice League -- with elements of each coming together to form a new reality. It is all part of a plan created by two Brothers, ancient beings who now now desire unity. But in every stream of Hypertime that they have attempted this merger, they have encountered only failure and destruction -- for hidden enemies seek to foil their scheme....

April 16, 1941 -- London

Axel Asher vomited long and hard, his body wracked by spasms of pain and disgust. He was on his hands and knees, the smell of smoke and death thick in his nostrils, the screams of the injured and dying filling his ears with an ungodly sort of music. The ground shook once more, nearly causing him to keel over head-first into his own pool of filth, but he managed to grab hold of himself at the last moment. 

All around, the Blitz rained down hard on London. 

It had begun on September 7 of the previous year, this unceasing barrage of bombs and planes -- and it would not end for nearly another month yet. By the time it was over, 18,000 tons of explosives would have been dropped on England's greatest city and more than 40,000 would die. 

Axel wiped at his mouth with the back of an arm, staring up into the sky. Air raid sirens were ringing loudly in his ears and he fought the urge to rush into a nearby building -- there were people inside, screaming for help. The entire facade of the structure was about to cave in, however... and Axel knew he would have no time to help those within. 

He staggered through the smoke, his body occasionally coming into contact with others who were fleeing in the night. His head throbbed and his stomach felt like it was all tied up in knots -- but he remembered things clearly enough. He'd been in the company of the Justice League when the Collision had hit. The universes had been smashed together, resulting in a fractured timeline. If all went according to plan, the Brothers would eventually smooth out the contradictions and the end result would be a whole, cohesive universe. But nothing had gone to plan so far -- absolutely nothing. 

"I shouldn't be here," Axel coughed. "I've got to get to another era, one with more heroes in it. I'm going to need help." Squinting through the deepening haze, he tried to summon the powers that marked him as the guardian of worlds. Normally, he was able to shift seamlessly from one universe to the other, sometimes skating through the fields of Hypertime as well. But now, with a merged reality on this plane, he was limited to skipping through eras. With his current weakened state, however, he wasn't certain how far he could jump.

Hoping for the best, he moved through a rift in the continuum and left the Blitz behind, desperately hoping to find help on the other side.

July 1942

Sir Justin ran the cloth down the length of the blade, cleaning it slowly and reverently. In the dim past, he had once had a squire to handle such duties but in this dark day and age, it fell to the Shining Knight to keep his own armor and weaponry in fine form. "'Tis most unseemly that we should hide away while our enemies make ready to strike."

"We're not hiding," Spitfire pointed out. "We're planning. That's quite different. Besides, as long as Hitler holds the Spear of Destiny, there's only so much we can do."

The grumbling that ran the length of the table set Jacqueline Falsworth's teeth to grinding. The Knights of Pendragon had been formed just over a year before, with a number of heroes coming through the ranks since, but they had never been as close-knit as the press liked to believe. They were quite disparate in their approaches to battling the Axis, though all of them were committed to defending Britain and Avalon. 

From their secret lair located behind the face of Big Ben, the Pendragons had done wonders in restoring British hope that the war would turn around for them. And working in conjunction with the American groups the Justice Society and the All-Winners Squadron, they had put away more than their fair share of Axis super-agents.

The current roster was one of the best in the group's short-lived existence: the super-fast Spitfire; her brother, Union Jack; Sir Justin, the time-lost Shining Knight; Peter Noble, the aquatic Fin; the Greek beauty Helena Kosmatos, aka Fury; the mysterious British Bulldog; and Peter Hunter, the mystical Albion. These seven were the envy of many of the Allied countries, for they protected their homeland with a fierce devotion. Noble and Kosmatos were not British by birth, but both had come to feel the glory of Avalon and that was all the more important.

"When is the Prime Minister coming by?" Fury asked, eager to change the topic of discussion. Justin and Jackie generally got along, but if they started bickering, it was only a matter of time before Peter Noble jumped into the discussion -- and he was famous for getting under Spitfire's skin.

"Supposed to be here any minute," Union Jack answered. He seemed to share Helena's desire to avoid conflict today. Though both he and his sister were upper class sorts, Helena quite liked Brian Falsworth. He seemed to have no trouble dealing with the 'lower classes,' which was sometimes a problem for Jackie. "I think it's jolly good that he's coming to see us, actually. Given how busy he must be, the fact that he takes time out for blokes like us... it's a compliment, it is."

"I quite agree," Albion murmured, rising from his chair. Though the Pendragons had no official leader, it was obvious that everyone considered Peter Hunter to be the de facto chairman of the group. Active since the first World War, he was perhaps the most famous British hero of all, second only to Union Jack. "And I'd like to remind everyone that we're making headway in our war against the Axis." He cast a look at Justin, who seemed chastised by the man's attention. The fact that Merlin's spirit was rumored to exist within Albion always held great weight with the Knight. "We should remember what our focus really is -- the defense of Avalon and the British Isles."

"No need to be so rough on the fellow, my good man -- all of us are eager to see Hitler and his ilk driven from our shores." The stirring voice of Prime Minister Winston Churchill brought all of the Pendragons out of their seats. He entered, flanked by a bodyguard, and looked ruddy-faced and tired. A burning cigar hung from one corner of his mouth. 

"Mr. Prime Minister, please take a seat." Albion gestured for Churchill to take his own chair and the Prime Minister settled himself down with a huff. 

"Thank you, Albion. You've certainly done your share of fighting on England's behalf -- all of you have, in fact. But I'm afraid there's more terrible work for you to do." The Prime Minister took a long drag on his cigar, allowing the Pendragons to settle back into place. Albion remained standing, just off to the side of the Prime Minister. 

"Is it Baron Blood again?" the Fin asked. "We've heard he's been active in London."

Spitfire bristled at her teammate's question, but held her tongue. Her familial connection to Blood wasn't known by all -- and she wanted it kept that way.

"No, lad. I only wish it were. At least then we'd have some idea of what's truly going on. Last week, a Yank superhero known as the Blazing Skull was having a donnybrook with the Monster Society of Evil... in the middle of the confrontation, all of them were seemingly struck down. Erased, as it were. No sign of them remained."

"Odd," Albion murmured. "Perhaps they were spirited away by some unknown foe? Or ally?"

"Possible," the Prime Minister agreed, chewing on the cigar. "But there's more, I'm afraid. Have you ever heard of Gotham?"

"Only as another name for New York City," the Fin answered. "Why?"

"Because it appeared last evening, as part of a global shift. The planet actually re-aligned, grew slightly larger, to accomodate this new city. The Americans were understandably shaken, but the truly odd thing is that this morning... they no longer were so. They informed me that the city had always been there and were in fact quite direct in questioning my sobriety."

"Bloody hell," the British Bulldog whispered. He was the 'common man' of the group, seeming to embody the ideals of the working class. "What can that mean?"

"It means that someone is rewriting history... and it's probably not the first time, either." Albion stroked his chin, his eyes half-closed. He seemed to be observing something beyond normal human sight. "In addition to the mystic flame I control, I'm sometimes able to get flashes of mystic import... and the Prime Minister's words are hitting home with me. The world seems to have shifted several times in recent weeks, as people and places are rearranged in this new...."

Albion's words trailed off, leaving him looking somewhat confused.

An embarrassed silence seemed to fill the room before the Fin spoke up. "I hate to be the one to ask this, guys, but what the hell were we talking about just now?"

"I have no idea," Fury admitted. Her youthful face bore an expression of utter dismay. "This feels bizarre."

The Prime Minister puffed on his cigar thoughtfully. "I believe... Were we discussing Baron Blood?"

"I believe so," Spitfire confessed, stealing a glance at her brother. Union Jack was nodding, obviously feeling the same reluctance to confront the matter that Spitfire did. "We'll deal with it, Mr. Prime Minister. We always do."

Axel Asher fell into Otherworld, his insides still quaking. He couldn't help his immense surprise, for he'd hoped to end up somewhere else entirely -- in the presence of heroes who could help undo this looming threat. Inside, he found himself surrounded by the lush greenery of King Brian's realm. "What the heck?" he whispered.

"You're the one called Access, right?" a woman asked.

Axel turned on his heels, staring upwards at the figures who were floating above him. The mere fact that they were together at all suggested just how far wrong all this had gone. One of them, Lorna Dane, was a resident of the Pendragons' Universe -- as Polaris, she was the team's newest recruit. At her side was Carter Hall, the Hawkman -- longtime hero of both the Justice Society and League. "That's me."

"He's the one who accompanied the Flash," Hawkman murmured. He held a mace in one hand, but Axel could tell from the man's demeanor that he meant no harm. Directing his attention to Access, Hawkman said "King Brian's got the rest of the teams back at his palace -- and he's anxious to speak with you."

Access nodded with a start as Polaris lifted him from the ground, holding him on waves of pure magnetic force. "You guys know what's going on?" 

"Brian's made it clear to us. He managed to bring us to Otherworld just after the collision. Your powers sent you spiraling through time, so he had to wait for you to make a jump. Then he was able to pinpoint you and bring you here."

Access didn't really admire the scenery as they flew over the kingdom, but he couldn't deny the power of the place. It made one feel confident and safe, even in the midst of disaster. He had a million questions, but he held off on them until they'd arrived at the palace. The Pendragons and Justice League were both assembled in Brian's throne room, standing before the King of Otherworld and his bride, Meggan. 

Joey Chapman -- the Union Jack of the 21st century -- stood off to the side, holding his wife's hand. Spitfire looked concerned and Access couldn't blame her. She'd been leader of the team for only a short time -- and she wasn't sure that she was capable of steering them through this sort of mess. Her husband seemed more confident. "He's here, Brian. Mind telling us how we can end this mess?"

Brian Braddock smiled softly, admiring Joey's ability to remain calm -- and cynical -- in the face of almost anything. "Hello, Axel. It's amazing we haven't met before now, since our realms of expertise are similar."

"Are they?"

"I'm the guardian of the Omniverse, which means I oversee all realities. I've been aware of the Brothers' actions for some time now -- and I've been busy seeking out answers as to why they keep failing."

"Is there some way to contact the Brothers?" Zatanna asked. The sorceress was standing near Grace, having already struck up a fast friendship. "They need to know that someone is sabotaging their actions."

"And they need to know that we don't want to be merged at all," Captain UK said. "I don't know about you League types, but I like my home universe just the way it is. I've gone from one reality to another before and I'd like to leave it be for now, thank you very much."

"I can get an audience with them," Access said, "but they always ignore me. I'm just a speck of reality to them."

"I think I can get their attention," Brian interrupted. "The reason I disbanded the Dark Guard was because I knew they were being watched -- and targeted. Someone's been attempting to interfere with my plans for awhile. And it's the same person who've been sabotaging the Brothers."

"Please tell me it's not Roma again," Spitfire whispered.

"It's not Roma." Brian took a deep breath before continuing. "The best I can guess is that she's united with some force from the League's universe, but I haven't ascertained their identity yet. The League's world has always been difficult for me to peer into -- the Brothers have kept them as separate as possible until their recent decision to merge. But I know that the dangers from our universe aren't working alone."

"Stop being so bloody mysterious and tell us who it is," Grace shouted. "If our world's are going to be destroyed like all those others, we don't have time to waste."

"You're right," Brian agreed. "In order to stop her, we're going to have to send you in groups to various points in time. She's erected devices that will work to destabilize the Brothers' attempts to merge the universes. You need to destroy them while I take a select group to the Brothers themselves. If we can convince them to stop the merger and leave us be, we can retain our own histories. Otherwise, you're going to find your own pasts changing. You probably won't even be aware of it but your personal continuities are changing."

"You're avoiding the question that was asked," the Flash pointed out. "You still haven't told us who's behind this."

"Then what are we to do?" Spitfire asked, trying to take charge. She wanted the Pendragons to feel that she could handle this.

Morgan answered her. "As Brian said, time is of the essence so splitting up is necessary. There are four time periods in which you must journey -- but be prepared, for Ravonna may have defenders guarding her sites. We will need to disperse you to the 1940s, the Crusades, the modern day and the 30th century."

"Seems obvious which I should take," the Black Knight said, though there was an obvious reluctance on his part. Living through the horrors of the Crusades had been rough on him, but he respected Brian Braddock immensely. If he believed they should work with Morgan and do these things, he would do them to the best of his ability.

In short order, the teams were drawn up:

The Crusades: Black Knight, Polaris & the Flash
The 1940s: Young Miracleman, Red Sonja, Zatanna & Green Lantern
Modern Day: Spifire, Union Jack, Green Arrow & Black Canary
30th Century: Micromax, Grace, Atom & Hawkman

"Linda, if you don't mind accompanying myself and Access...?" Brian inquired.

"Why me?"

"Like you said, you know what it's like to lose a universe. I could use your perspective." 

"And what's Morgan going to be doing?" Union Jack asked. 

The sorceress smiled at him. "I have plans of my own, Joey Chapman. But don't worry -- I am on your side this time."

Before the groups dispersed, Scott Wright managed to bring himself alongside Red Sonja. The warrior woman regarded him out of the corner of her eye, steeling herself for the words to come. She often felt like she was a passenger in the life of Mary Jane Watson, only being allowed to take control when the situation was dire. But she knew of the romance that had flared between Mary Jane and Scott, the temptation to cheat on one's vows... and it had affected her, as well. 

Sonja held up a hand before Micromax could speak. "Everything that can be said has been said. Let us leave it at that."

"I can't do that. I... I'd like to speak with MJ, if I could."

"She is present... and she doesn't wish to discuss this with you. If she did, I would bring her forth, believe me... the affairs between man and woman have never been something I was comfortable with."

"Same here," Micromax admitted. He looked lost in a way that touched the woman's heart within the warrior. "I... Just let her know that I respect whatever she wants and I'm sorry if I pressed her in any way."

Sonja reached out, surprising Scott by squeezing his arm. "You... are a good man."

With that, she turned away from him, moving towards the group headed to the 1940s.

"You'll be fine," Grace said, stepping up. Scott blushed furiously, wondering how much she'd overheard -- but the brunette woman smiled reassuringly. "Ready to save the world?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, smiling despite himself. "I could really do with breaking some heads at the moment."

July 1942

"You're a bastard," Jackie whispered under her breath. She stood in the doorway of Peter Noble's room, dressed in the scarlet and gold costume that had become famous throughout Britain, but her mask was off, revealing a pretty face stained with tears.

The Fin rose from his bed, frowning. "Are we going through this again, Jackie? How many times do you have to hear that I'm sorry?"

Spitfire entered his quarters, letting the door fall shut behind her. "There are some things that don't need to be discussed. Ever. Not in polite company."

Peter sighed heavily. "I didn't know who he was, Jackie. We had a few drinks in the pub. He asked a few questions about gossip he'd heard. I spoke out of turn."

"I've had to pay that reporter quite a bit of money not to run that story, Peter. My brother's reputation could have been ruined."

Peter couldn't keep the annoyance out of his voice -- he'd has this argument too many times in the past. "If your brother's a queer, he should damn well expect it to get out eventually!"

Jackie slapped him faster than the eye could see. 

Peter staggered back, anger rising to the fore. 

Before he could respond, however, Albion's voice rang out through the team's static-filled P.A. system. "Pendragons! We have a situation. Please report to the meeting room."

Jackie spun about to leave, saying disgustedly "You'll get yours eventually, Peter Noble. Of that, I have no doubt!"

In the meeting room, the team found themselves confronted by a stunning beauty dressed in garments that looked more at home in a Flash Gordon strip. Albion stood next to her, watching her closely. "Everyone, this young lady appeared a few moments ago. Her name is Ravonna and her story is worth hearing, I think."

"Thank you, Albion. I know this sounds beyond reason, but villains from the future -- the next century, in fact -- are en route here. They mean to destroy this device," she said, holding up a small cylinder that pulsed with reddish-orange light. "It's the only thing protecting your time from a chronal wave of powerful destruction. You've noticed the way time is behaving so strangely?"

Her words seemed to stir something within the heroes and Sir Justin nodded eagerly. "Aye! Earlier today we experienced an oddity like that. We seemed to lose track of ourselves for a bit."

"Then it's begun... and only this device can halt the damage that's coming. But you must defend it." She set it on the table, its pulsing seeming to increase each second. "Please. Will you help me?"

The beseeching look in her eyes seemed honest enough. She needed help. Badly.

"I think I speak for us all," Albion said. "If the men and women who are coming mean to harm our country and our world... they'll be stopped."

TO BE CONTINUED

This issue was really dense and I apologize for that. I hope that with the smaller teams starting next issue we'll have space for more characterization. 

Hopefully there were some things here worth enjoying, even with all the exposition.