The Pendragons Issue # 73	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

Zatanna found it hard to keep her eyes off the golden god at her side. She was used to being around handsome men, but Young Miracleman was a whole 'nother realm of Hot.

"Distracted, Zee?" Hal Jordan asked, his voice full of affectionate teasing. The two members of the Justice League were standing atop a roof, with the two Pendragons who had accompanied them to 1943. Young Miracleman and Red Sonja were busy scanning the horizon, noting the rubble that still lined some of the city blocks. The Blitz was a recent memory to the people of this time and it obviously affected Miracleman worse than anyone else. He'd been a hero in the Sixties, born in the wake of the second world war. He'd heard stories, even seen some of the after-effects that had still been in place during his childhood... but this... this was hard to take.

"Am I that obvious?" Zatanna asked, a slight flush to her cheeks. "I guess it's pretty pathetic -- here we are in the middle of trying to save the world and I'm ogling some guy in a tight suit."

"Don't worry about it. You're human." Hal's handsome features parted in a grin. "Besides, my own eyes are bugging out over this Red Sonja. Think she gets cold in that metal bikini?"

Zatanna's laughter drew a derisive glare from Sonja. The red-tressed warrior woman obviously didn't think much of her companion's levity. As far as she was concerned, this was sorcery at its worst -- and had to be dealt with quickly and harshly. "Can your wishing ring locate this device we seek?" she asked, hoping to get the group back on track.

Green Lantern nodded, his smile fading. "Definitely. Your King Brian gave me a good idea of what we're looking for, so it shouldn't be a problem." He held his fist up, the emerald ring on his middle finger flashing intensely. "We're not far from it, actually. I think it's down near the Houses of--"

"Mrof a cigam dleihs dnuora su!" Zatanna yelled, her hands sweeping through the air in a powerful arc. The four heroes were immediately protected under a shimmering pinkish-red dome of mystic energy. The dome was erected just in time, as magical flame rained down upon them. 

Young Miracleman gasped aloud, though his audible expression of surprise was lost on his companions. He recognized the man at the front of the colorfully garbed group who were hovering above... it was a man whom his friend Grace had spent many long hours discussing. He felt suddenly thankful that she were not here now -- and he wondered if Brian Braddock had known this man would be here when selecting the groupings of heroes. "That's Albion. He was a Pendragon."

"I am a Pendragon, lad... and I can sense the power of Avalon about you and one of your companions. That makes all this even more confusing. Why would champions of Avalon be involved in this madness?"

Young Miracleman stepped forward, stopping just short of Zatanna's mystic barrier. He nodded in her direction, letting her know that he felt it was safe to drop the shield. She hesitated but did so, obviously trusting that he knew Albion well enough to risk their lives. "Peter," he began, surprising Albion with the fact that he knew his true name. "You were always the most in tune of the Pendragons. Grace used to tell me that you could sense any disturbance in Avalon... Don't you feel it now? This world -- this reality -- isn't right. There never was a WW-era Pendragons. Some of those men and women behind you shouldn't exist in this world."

"What do you think, Albion?" the Fin asked, keeping his voice low.

"They don't seem like monsters, that's for certain." Spitfire agreed, though she hated being on Peter Noble's side about anything. 

"Set us down then, Peter... We can meet these blokes up close and get to know them. Maybe we were too quick to take Ravonna's story at face value." Union Jack re-holstered his pistol, trying hard to keep his eyes off Young Miracleman. The man was simply stunning.

Albion did as his teammate asked, though his insides were twisted up in knots. When his feet touched the rooftop, he immediately strode towards Young Miracleman, placing his hands along the other man's arms. "I've felt it for some time now, this sense... detachment. Like things are constantly rewriting themselves. But we met a woman who claims you and your friends are responsible. I need to know for certain...."

Rick exchanged a glance with Red Sonja, who had drawn her sword and stood at the ready. She was a strange one; difficult to get close to, but more than willing to risk her life if it meant protecting her teammates. "Go ahead, Peter. I trust you."

Albion opened his mind and his heart, sharing the glory of Avalon with a fellow Pendragon. He had no doubt that the man before him -- and the redhaired woman, as well -- were actual servants of the Green Knight. He could feel the power of Avalon flooding from them in strong waves. But could he have been corrupted somehow? Ravonna had been so believable, but perhaps she was merely saying the things the Pendragons wanted to hear. Your world is valid. The things you're sensing have an explanation -- and you can resolve them by defeating these strangers.

"What's he doing, Zee?" Green Lantern asked.

"I can feel magic in the air, but it's not a kind I'm familiar with. I'm not sure to be honest."

Albion's voice cut through all conversation, carrying with it the sound of one who is distracted by far-away events. "I see... a man named Brian. And Morgan Le Fey. Other heroes... this world merged with another... possible destruction... a sickness at the heart of reality... the woman, her device... wreaking havoc," Albion's voice began to tremble and mystic flame danced up along one leg. Rick's face -- still beautiful -- was suddenly wracked with pain, but he did not pull away. "Death, so much death... there's someone at the heart of Avalon... threatening us all. Kill the source... the Source... the source... aaaaagh!" 

Albion howled aloud as something dark and sinister plunged into the heart of their connection. It was a dark, malevolent force... one who worshipped death and sought the end of all things. 

Young Miracleman shoved Peter Hunter away from him, but mystic flame was dancing all over his perfect skin. Green Lantern and Zatanna both sprang into action, trying to use their powers to douse the fire, but to no avail. It burned Rick to the core of his being and his skin began to melt away, revealing white bone and red meat. 

He turned frightened eyes to Red Sonja, who watched with sick fascination. "Tell Linda that I loved her -- Please!!"

Spitfire buried her face in her brother's chest, letting Union Jack shield her from the sudden flash of fire and light. When it died down, there was nothing left of Young Miracleman save dust and bone. 

"You shouldn't have done that," Ravonna warned. "Now that they've lost one of their own, they'll redouble their efforts."

Her companion sat in the throne of the Green Knight, savoring the way the lush greenery was beginning to die away. He was a massive being, with a stonelike face and exterior -- which matched the hardness of his heart. "Let them flounder about. It is the same in every world. The heroes rise up and are swept away like so much debris."

"But you think this will end it all?" The blonde-haired woman wore a variation on Kang's uniform, complete with blue-tinted face plate. 

"Yes. The Brothers themselves will suffer when we destroy this hypertimeline... for Avalon is connected to all realities and all times. We should have staked its heart earlier."

"The Brothers can destroy us so easily if we are found out..."

"We won't be -- the Brothers cannot see the individual trees. All they know is the forest." He rose from his throne, moving towards her. He cupped her chin in one hand, tilting her face up to his. "All that will be left is your world... and mine. Together, we will build a new reality. One in which Anti-Life will reign."

Ravonna smiled at Darkseid's words, though they chilled a part of her. "You know I desire one thing only... to honor the memory of Immortus and all his variant selves. When he died, a part of me died with him."

"Death is not the horror that others make it out to be, Ravonna. It is a natural progress for all things. But once I control the Anti-Life Equation, once I have peered into the very depths of life itself... I will restore your love to you."

"And I will give him all of time itself, to rewrite as he sees fit."

Darkseid smiled grimly.

Lorna Dane opened her eyes, coughing as the smoke filled her lungs. She smelled burning flesh and the stench of the dead. "Where are we?"

The Black Knight reached out to support her, pulling her close. His sword dripped with blood. "The Crusades. You were hit on the head." He jostled her as he swept his blade out to decapitate a Muslim warrior. The two Pendragons stood atop a mound of bodies, as the Flash sought to locate the device that Ravonna had planted here. "Look at the sky."

Polaris stared upwards, her head still aching... what she saw made her mouth fall open in slack surprise. There was a field of white there, a field that appeared to be eating all it touched. She saw a bird flying away from it, its wings beating as fast they as could. The field overtook it, dissolving the bird in a wave of painful death. "What the hell is that?" she whispered.

"The end," the Flash replied, zooming back to their side. His scarlet uniform seemed ever darker than normal. "I found the device," he said, but his voice bore no victory in it. He held up a cylindrical device that looked inert. "We've been had, folks."

"What do you mean?" Dane asked, squinting through the smoke. The battle seemed to have subsided -- he would have preferred to have avoided all this conflict, but the device had been located right in the thick of the war. 

"This thing isn't active at all. It's just got a few lights on it and that's--"

The Flash's words trailed off as an arrow rocketed straight through the Black Knight's throat. Dane Whitman staggered away from Polaris, his words lost in a bubbling pool of red blood. He had once fought in the Crusades, tossed through time into the body of an ancestor. The memories of those dark times had haunted him for long after... and now he would die here, on the field of pointless battle.

"Dane!" Lorna yelled, catching him in a field of magnetic force just before he hit the ground. "Don't talk," she whispered, seeing his mouth working. Blood gushed out with every bit of near-speech that he performed. "We're going to help you. I promise."

His helmet fell back, away from his face... and he forced himself to smile. He'd always had a way with the ladies in his life, had always enjoyed seeing a pretty face. And this one -- Lorna Dane's -- even when streaked with dirt and tears, was a winner. 

The last thing he saw was a green-haired beauty cradling his head in her hands.

"You're taking far too much delight in this," Brian Braddock warned. 

Morgan sat nearby, her eyes fixated on the events unfolding in the flames before her. Dane Whitman had just died in his teammate's arms and it had elicited a small chuckle from the sorceress. "Oh, please. He should have died long before now. I just think it's ironic that you save him from the death of his timeline and he's killed so soon after in this one. This is going very badly for the Pendragons, isn't it?"

"We've made some tactical errors," Brian answered, his heart feeling leaden with guilt. He'd once considered Dane Whitman to be one of his best friends... but now he'd lost him, twice. The Dane Whitman of this universe -- the Lord of the Lake -- was unavailable, his every ounce of energy being expended to protect himself from being caught up in Ravonna's disruptions. And now the other Dane was gone, as well. "We've got to call the others back. If the Flash is right and those devices are nothing more than red herrings...."

"Then the rest of the team is in danger, yes." Morgan rose from her chair, moving to stand closer to Brian. "I'd gamble that they're striking at the heart of the matter now. Avalon itself."

"I would have sensed that."

"Would you? Your connection to Avalon is through your position as King of Otherworld only... and neither the Green Knight nor the Lord of the Lake trust you enough to share their truths. I should go there, make sure that the Green Chapel is still secure. If it falls, there's no helping us."

Brian nodded, wondering if the field of change surrounding the universe was beginning to affect him as well. He felt confused... befuddled. "Are you still worried about Mordred?"

"My son is of my blood. I'm sure he's safe," she replied, though her words lacked conviction. Mordred had gone missing early on in the affair, helping lead Morgan into this alliance with Brian. Though she was often cruel to her son and considered him a failure, he was her only heir and had to be protected.

"Godspeed," Brian whispered. He squeezed her hand before she went, turning his eyes back to the flickering flames. More death lay within the crackling embers, but he had no time to mourn the losses. He had promised Captain UK and Access that he would accompany them to the Brothers -- and time was growing shorter by the minute. He disappeared in an energy warp, grateful not to be forced to watch more of his friends die:

In the 30th century, the techno-being known as Korvac had allied himself with the Dark Circle, instituting a period of great despair for the residents of the United Planets. It was there that Francesca Lexley Grace lost her life. Micromax and Hawkeye attempted to revive her, performing CPR but the wounds from a battle-mech's blades were far too deep. She died with the name "Peter" on her lips.

In the early 21st century, two couples -- Black Canary & Green Arrow and Spitfire & Union -- found common ground before their own mission turned sour. Both Dinah Lance and Ollie Queen were seemingly killed in a powerful explosion, though neither of the Pendragons could locate their bodies. 

For Jacqueline Chapman, it was a nightmare that would not end.

Spitfire stood alongside her husband, Union Jack, watching as a field of white appeared in the sky above. It moved slowly, but inexorably, across the horizon, eating all it touched. 

"This has been a disaster. I never should have agreed to lead the team," she whispered, sounding exhausted and demoralized.

"You're too hard on yourself, Jackie. Nobody -- not even Betsy -- could have steered this ship any better than you have."

"Says the man who's questioned ever move I've made."

"It hasn't been like that," he countered. "I would have questioned Betsy just as much."

"But you wouldn't have needed to," Jackie replied. She took his hand, feeling reality itself begin to shake apart. "I love you so much, Joey... I wish I hadn't screwed this all to Hell."

Joey pulled her to him, pushing back his mask so that they could kiss. "You're the best, luv. Never doubt that."

The field of white moved ever closer as they embraced.

Morgan walked through the halls of Avalon, noting the decay that had begun to set in. The eternal realm had suffered much in recent years, with her own son's invasion followed not long after by Roma's attempts to poison the land. But this... this seemed deeper and more unsettling somehow. Though she'd often fantasized about seizing rulership of this realm, it disturbed her to see it so fragile.

The Green Knight's throne room was not empty, but the emerald spirit of the land was not present, either. In his place sat the dark-visaged figure of Darkseid, while Ravonna -- or Lady Kang as she sometimes fancied herself -- stood at his side.

Morgan smiled, though she was preparing several spells at the ready. "So. The villains reveal themselves. Still think you can rule over a smoldering ruin and feel happy with yourselves?"

Ravonna stepped forward. "You can join us, Morgan. There's always room for one more... especially one whose desires match our own. You seek power. So do we. We can carve up reality and create whole new Hypertime realms for each of us."

"And the Brothers?"

"They'll be dealt with," Darkseid rumbled.

Morgan laughed aloud. "You make it sound so simple."

"It is simple, mother. But Ravonna was wrong -- there's no place left for you."

Morgan whirled about, seeing Mordred advancing upon her. His bearded face was split in a leer and his emerald armor shone with a radiance that was blinding. "Mordred? What are you doing here?"

"Claiming my birthright, of course." Mordred stepped so close that his face nearly brushed that of his mother's. "You always said I had the blood of kings in my veins. It's time that I lived up to that -- just like you wanted."

Morgan's breath suddenly came in a shocked gasp and she looked down slowly, seeing her son's dagger deep in her breast. "No...."

The mystic weapon sucked her essence, her power, into its blade. "Goodbye, mother. I'll see you in Hell."

As Mordred laughed aloud, an alien robot known as the Recorder watched silently from the corner of the room. He had been warned by the Watcher that this reality was doomed, but he had not believed it. Hope was foreign to him, but he had witnessed the Pendragons triumph again and again. Surely, he reasoned, they would triumph once more.

But now he was not so sure.

TO BE CONTINUED

Three Pendragons dead in one issue? Yep and it only gets worse from here. Spitfire's tenure as leader has seen its share of problems, but how the group reacts to the horrific events of the Collision will tell you a lot about who they are and where they're going. Once we get past all of this, we'll have a leaner, tighter team who better understands what being a Pendragon truly means. 

This period is inspired by the Marv Wolfman-written Titans era where Nightwing abdicated leadership of the team and Donna's tenure as leader led to all kinds of struggles, but eventually the Titans came out of it a stronger family. I hated that story when I read it back in the 1980s because it upset the apple cart and hurt characters that I really loved... but now I look back and it's one of Marv's strongest works.

Stick with us -- the light will eventually return, I promise.

Bob Gansler wrote in with:

An interesting turn of events as the Collision hits. The Golden Age Pendragons seemed "right" to me. I can't wait to see what the other Collision eras feature. An unexpected foe and a clever way to pit the teams against each other.