The Pendragons Issue # 74	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 (with an assist from Joseph Connell)

Grace stood in the middle of a grassy meadow, a cool breeze blowing her hair gently away from her shoulders. Warm tears were running down her cheeks. "Peter....?"

Peter Hunter, who had protected Britain for nearly 80 years as the heroic Albion, smiled at her. He looked like any history professor that you might imagine, with wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose and an open smile. "It's me, I'm glad to say. You're looking well."

Grace laughed aloud, running to the man who'd won her heart years before. She'd been corrupted by the Bane and turned into the very antithesis of her true nature... but Peter had seen through all of that. He'd appealed to the woman within and given her hope. Now they embraced, holding each other so tightly that Peter feared his spine would crack.

"It's going to be okay, my love. I promise," he whispered.

Grace pulled away, wiping at her tears. "I... remember dying. Am I dead?" she asked, her smile faltering only slightly.

"Yes. And you're not the only one, I'm afraid." Peter gestured behind her, where Grace saw Young Miracleman and the Black Knight materializing. They looked confused, but also at peace. Just like her. 

"Then...we're in Heaven?"

"You're in Avalon. The portion of the realm eternal where all the true Pendragons go to rest. There's to be no more war or strife for any of you."

"What about the others?" the Black Knight asked. He was fingering his neck self-consciously, as if he expected to find the arrow that had killed him still lodged there. "They need us!"

"There's nothing more we can do," Peter replied. "We just have to have faith in the others that they'll be able to undo the damage done to our universe."

Grace kissed her lover on the cheek. "I don't mind being dead... not if it means I'm back with you."

"You say the sweetest things," Peter replied, the smile returning to his lips. 

Captain UK floated in the midst of Gods. 

Not the garden-variety 'Thunder Gods' that she had sometimes run into over the course of her heroic career. Those sorts were usually immortal and extremely powerful, but they didn't fit the vague definition of "god" that Linda McQuillan carried around in the back of her head.

The beings before her -- the Brothers -- fulfilled virtually every item on her mental checklist, however. One was predominately red; the other blue. Their hands were now interlinked.

They had birthed not just the universes, but a multitude of them. The multiverse, the omniverse, the Hypertimelines... all stemmed from these two beings. It boggled the mind.

At her side were two men, both of whom looked like they were not nearly so amazed. For them, this was much more old hat, she supposed. That thought made her feel a bit sorry for them.

"They don't even notice us," Brian Braddock murmured. "Even though we're right in front of them... Makes the 'Omniversal Guardian' thing seem kind of unimportant."

"That's just the way they are," Access replied. "I've seen them give the Spectre the cold shoulder."

"Who?"

"Never mind."

Captain UK floated forward, trying to keep her mind from being overloaded. All around them planets tumbled to and fro -- Brian had tried to tell her they weren't really floating in some cosmic playground; that it was all just how her mind dealt with the overwhelming nature of things, but she found that hard to fathom. "What are we going to do?"

"Well," Brian replied, trying hard not to look directly at her, "We need to find out what's really going on. Even if the Brothers won't acknowledge us, we've got to do that much."

"Is there something wrong, Brian? You seem... distracted."

By the fact that your lover's been killed? Brian thought dejectedly. He hadn't told her because he needed her strength, but every minute he put it off made him feel even worse. "Just worried, that's all. Axel, you have a plan?"

The younger man nodded. "Normally, my power allows me to slide back and forth between the Brothers' universes. Since they're now merged together into one, maybe it'll allow me to find out more about our situation." He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He felt his body begin to flutter from one reality to another, but nothing happened this time, for there was no other reality to escape to. On the periphery of his consciousness, though, he felt -- saw -- something. A funnel leading into the heart of something. The meaning of it all escaped him for a moment, but then the voice of another entered his mind: cold and clinical. "Metron," he whispered to himself. The New God obsessed with knowledge above all else, he was obviously present somewhere in this maelstrom of sight and sound.

"Access, what you are viewing is the Causal Nexus itself. The origin point of everything that ever was/will be/can be. From it even the Brothers sprang forth. Nothing can be that is not first birthed in causality."

"Tell me more, Metron... hurry! I can't keep this up...."

"Brian?" Linda asked. "Who's he--?"

"I don't have a clue," Brian replied. He took his friend's hand in his own, pulling her closer. "Let's just hope it brings some answers."

Inside Axel's mind, Metron continued to lecture, the images changing slightly to match his words. "Ravonna, Darkseid and Mordred have managed to gain access to the Nexus, something heretofore unimaginable. This has disturbed the chain of causality that binds all existence together. Undo one aspect of it and all those tied to that event are cut loose from causality... with perilous effects. The Brothers sensed this and came together in hopes of forming a union strong enough to withstand the causal waves. Unfortunately, with causality rendered unstable, their efforts continue to fail. Ravonna and her allies hope to change the cause and effect bonds that hold reality together. In effect, they will remake reality to suit their whims."

"How can we stop them?"

"By sending agents into the Nexus itself. This is a dangerous course of action for the Nexus is home to unrealized possibilities of every decisions and course of action that ever was."

Access grunted as his mind was kicked back into his body. He saw that the Brothers had actually turned to face him and their gaze sent chills through his very soul. He forced himself to look away from them, focusing on Brian and Linda. "I know what we need to do," he began, telling them of everything he had seen and learned. "I think I can teleport a few people into the Nexus, but not very many. Four or five, tops."

"I'd love to go myself, but I need to return to Otherworld to check on Morgan." Brian rubbed his chin. "If you're game, Linda, you're in. I'll pick the rest from the Pendragons and JLA."

"Sounds like a plan," Linda agreed. "Just make sure you choose Rick. We'll need him."

Brian felt like someone had punched him in the gut.

Lorna Dane held her bloodied gloves in one hand, wondering if she should save them or burn them. It was an odd thought, she knew, but it kept coming back to her. Would it be less offensive to keep them or toss them? "I can't believe he's dead," she whispered.

The Flash rubbed her back, not quite knowing what to say. He barely knew this woman, but he did know pain... losing Iris had nearly destroyed him before he'd learned she was still alive in the future. "At least he had a friend with him at the end."

"Brian? What's going on? Why are we all back here? Why are we missing some people?" Spitfire asked from across the room. She was part of the group reassembled in Otherworld by Brian Braddock, composed of the entire surviving rosters of the Pendragons and Justice League.

"You know about Ollie Queen and Dinah Lance, Jackie. They weren't the only casualties, either. Everyone who is not present -- save for Captain UK and Access, who are waiting for reinforcements -- has died in the line of battle."

"Bloody hell," Union Jack whispered. He quickly scanned the room, noting that Dane, Rick and Grace were all missing. He reached for Spitfire, but she shrugged him off, a stunned look on her face. He grew worried, knowing how fragile her self-esteem had been lately. How would she react to leading three Pendragons to their deaths?

"I know how difficult this must be for all of you," Brian continued, stepping into the center of the room while voices buzzed about him. He saw that some of them were having difficulty believing their friends were truly gone, but he had no time let them mourn. "But we have to move forward. I believe that our enemies have accessed something called the Causal Nexus via Avalon. We have to make it there and wrest control of the Nexus from them -- but Access says he only has power to take a few of you. I've already asked Linda to go, but I'd like to send four more of you. I'm placing the choice in your hands -- choose wisely."

"I want to go," Hawkman declared.

"So do I," countered Union Jack. "We've lost more than you blokes have -- we deserve more spots on the final team."

"This isn't some form of accounting, Joey. Everyone's suffered." Spitfire gestured for the Pendragons to close in around her. "We need a mix of power and skill. It's only fair that each group send two representatives -- and Joey, we'll have more than them on the final group, if that's important to you. We have Linda there, already." Spitfire felt a stab of pain. Did Linda know that Rick was dead? She cast a glance at Brian and realized that the other woman probably did not. You're a cad, Brian Braddock! "Polaris and Micromax -- I'd like you two to go."

"Jackie!" Union Jack exclaimed. "Send me in -- I've got more experience that Scott by a long shot!"

"He's more powerful, Joey. And Lorna's got a wealth of experience. I've made my decision."

Red Sonja glanced over at Micromax. "Do you feel up to the task? If not, I can--"

"No," he whispered. "I can do this. Believe it or not, I used to wonder if I had the stomach to be a Pendragon. But now... I'm not afraid. I just want to end this."

The warrior woman surprised him by kissing him full on the mouth, her tongue dancing inside his mouth. When she pulled away, he thought he saw a hint of Mary Jane in her eyes. "You are a brave man, Scott Wright. Return to me."

Scott swallowed hard, wondering what she meant by that. Could he have Red Sonja, while MJ stayed true to Peter?

"We've made our choices," the Atom declared. He was perched on Hawkman's shoulder, both of them looking displeased. "The Flash and Zatanna will go to represent us."

Brian nodded. That would make the final team consist of Captain UK, Micromax, Polaris, the Flash and Zatanna. An odd grouping, to be sure, but one that offered quite a few possibilities. 

He just hoped they'd be enough.

Less than ten minutes later, Access was groaning in pain. The trip into the Nexus had been pure agony for him, feeling like it was going to rip him into a million pieces. But he'd made it, his five companions in tow. "We're here. You're on your own," he whispered, coughing up small splatters of blood.

"Doesn't quite look like how I pictured it," the Flash said, scanning the horizon. The Nexus manifested to their limited perceptions as a barren plain, dominated by a vast three-sided fortress. Elements of the fortress were recognized by different members of the group, but this was not comforting to any of them. Instead, it only reinforced the danger.

One side of the fortress was made up of black, soot-covered buildings and huge open-air furnaces. It was Darkseid's realm, a tiny bit of Armagetto built inside the Nexus.

Next to that was the shiny future city of Chronopolis, once home to mighty Kang and now the residence of his love, Ravonna.

The final side was a dark, twisted mockery of Camelot... here it was that Mordred ruled with an iron fist.

All three sides were previews for what lay ahead if the villains were not stopped, for their plan to divide reality in thirds would inevitably lead to worlds like the ones before them.

"And how exactly are we to undo all of this?" Polaris asked. She'd stuffed the bloody gloves into a pocket, not wanting to wear them.

"Get to the center of the Nexus. From there you can access all the possibilities... someone needs to select the one that will leave our universes the way they were. Don't get tempted," Access warned. "Making changes from there could unsettle everything!"

"I'll run ahead and scout things out," the Flash said. He raced forward, towards the three-sided fortress. There was something in the air here, something that lent itself to the temptations Access had warned them about. He encountered variations of himself as he ran, seeing himself dressed in Wally's old Kid Flash uniform, playing junior partner to Jay Garrick; he saw himself as an old man, mentoring another generation of heroes; and he saw himself and Iris with several kids, no sign of powers in any of them -- including himself. Would it be so wrong to rewrite time, to fix all the mistakes of the past? To create a utopia?

Don't think like that, Barry, he told himself. The way the world was -- even with all its ups and downs -- that's your home. 

The Flash rocketed through the stages of the fortress, trying to ignore the scenes all around him. It was hard, but he found that the more they bothered him, the faster he ran. 

In the center of the sprawling facility, he skidded to a stop. What he saw was almost beyond belief, but it also offered up hope. He turned on his heels, running faster than the speed of light until he stopped next to his companions. "You guys have got to see this."

"What's wrong with them?" Polaris asked, staring at the figures before them.

Ravonna, Mordred and Darkseid stood in a semi-circle, encased by a yellowish-gold energy. None of them appeared to be aware of their surroundings, taking no interest in the heroes who were now present.

"They look frozen," Micromax replied. "You think someone's already done them in?"

"We couldn't be so lucky," Captain UK laughed. She was quite aware that both Polaris and Micromax had evaded her attempts at conversation... and she suspected it had something to do with Rick not being part of the team now. Fears about him being hurt ate away at her, but she pushed them aside. This was important work and Rick would want her to give her all. She moved forward, staring at Darkseid first. "He looks like evil itself."

"That's a good description," Zatanna answered. She ran her fingers through the air, saying "Laever eht hturt ot su!" 

"What is she doing?" Micromax asked.

"Her magic requires her to speak backwards," the Flash answered. "I think she's asking for her spell to tell us what's going on."

Zatanna nodded, smiling at her teammate. "They're caught up in a struggle. Apparently they came here and each tried to betray the other, trying to seize the final power and rewrite history. As a result, they're locked together now."

"Are they still a threat?" the Flash pondered.

"I'd say s--"

Darkseid's head whipped around as the energy field dropped. His eyes blazed with power. "I knew I felt the presence of others... You have made your final mistake, Terrans!"

Micromax lunged forward, his fist clenched. He didn't have time to think, not really, but a very clear image went through his head -- and it was not of Mary Jane. That would have surprised him later, no doubt... but in the last moments of his life he saw Breeze James. He remembered the smell of their sex, the taste of her lips, the way her hair fell over her shoulders when she laughed. God, I miss you were the last things that passed through his mind. 

He was obliterated as Darkseid's Omega Beams blasted into him, throwing limbs and bone into the air. 

"Scott!" Linda screamed, her body splattered with gore. She whirled on Darkseid, snarling like a jungle cat. "You bloody bastard!" Captain UK flew forwards, ramming into him with all her strength.

The battle was soon joined on other fronts, as well. Ravonna shot an energy blast at the Flash, but he was able to dodge it easily. He found to his surprise, however, that her ability to shift through time meant she could speed up to match him. 

Mordred, meanwhile, drew the mystic dagger that had killed his mother. He slashed at Zatanna, drawing blood from a long gash in her belly. He grinned like a lunatic, aware that he was now closer than ever to claiming his supposed destiny... and he would do it on his own terms, without the Bane or his mother to answer to. 

Polaris stood apart from the battle, noting that Darkseid had tossed Captain UK aside like a rag doll. Flash had managed to disarm Ravonna but she was far from finished. Zatanna and Mordred were exchanging curses and physical blows.

"And that leaves me," she said aloud. She propelled herself forward on a wave of magnetic energy, landing in the center of the room. The yellow-gold energy swarmed about her suddenly and on all sides, she saw a myriad of decisions and their consequences. She saw herself at Magneto's side, lording over humanity... there she was with Alex Summers, on their wedding day... there she stood with the members of X-Factor, accepting an award from President Gore... on and on they went, possible lives, possible paths. 

"Lorna!" someone yelled. The Flash, perhaps? "Wish it back the way it was! Don't give in to temptation!"

Polaris ignored him. She could feel it... the opportunity to undo every wrong that had ever occurred to her. Humans and mutants could live together, free of strife. She could halt the Martian invasion before it ever began. She and Alex... 

So many possibilities.

"Lorna! Do something!" someone screamed, just before Darkseid slew them and turned towards the Mistress of Magnetism.

It was time.

Wish it all back, they said. How secure would they feel if they'd know how nuts I've been the past few years? I wonder if Dane Whitman knew I'd be here, at this point. Is this why he chose me to infiltrate the Pendragons?

"Lorna! Remember what Brian said! Don't change too much! Just wish it back the way it was--!"

Wish it all back.

The ghost of a smile danced upon her lips. "In the beginning," she whispered, "God created the heaven and the earth."

There you go -- the Collision, for all intents and purposes, is over. There will still be some tie-ins coming from other authors and next issue will deal with a lot of the fallout Pendragons-wise, but basically it's in the past. It turned out to be much bigger and more difficult than I'd imagine but in the end I found some good emotional hooks, I think. Look for some genuine surprises next issue and beyond, as the Pendragons try to recover from the deaths and disappointments of their recent adventures. 

Thanks go to Joseph Connell for the notion of the Causal Nexus.

First comment is from Gary Halpin:

My fav issue in a long time. The shocks just keep on coming, as the Pendragons are changed
forever. Fact.

Glad you enjoyed it so much, Gary. I hope that this issue continued to hit all the right notes for you!

Next up is Dave Evans:

Cool issue! My experience went something like this this read-shock-read-shock-read I'm sure you get the idea. I am disappointed the new Dane Whitman was killed before he had really done anything. I was looking forward to more of him, as the Black Knight I know and love from Destiny Walks is now something completely different, not that this is a complaint I just thought I was going to have my cake and eat it. By the way is Destiny Walk still alive? I would also like to have seen more of the other eras specifically the 30th century. Overall I enjoyed the issue and can see how this story line is really going to mess up the Pendragons I look forward to the outcome.