Pendragon Comics - The Pendragons

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!

Suzi Endo coughed, the smell of burning flesh so thick in her nostrils that she could barely breathe. Her eyes were sealed shut somehow, a thick gummy substance binding her lashes to her face. Over the screams of the damned, she thought she heard her father's voice... he sounded old and full of wrath, just like he'd sounded on his deathbed. She'd gone to sit with him, wanting to be there with her brothers and mother. She'd wanted to hold her father's hand and hear him say he was proud of her. Instead, he'd berated her for not staying true to their traditions. "You're a stupid thing," he'd whispered to her, flecks of blood staining his bottom lip. "A harlot."

Suzi had fought long and hard to convince her father to let her study science. He had seen her as his little flower, something sweet and soft that needed to be coddled. Suzi, however, would have none of that. She could be just as hard and cold as any man... Or was that why she'd made the armor in the first place? To wrap herself in a shield that made her strong?

Suzi bit the inside of her cheek to avoid screaming out loud. Cold, dead hands were grasping her flesh and she realized with mounting horror that she was nude. "Father?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

He put his arms around her, pulling her close. For a moment, she remembered when things had been so much simpler. As a little girl, her father had frequently held her during storms or sometimes just after dinner. He had been so strong and had made her feel so safe. She could remember the smell of his aftershave and his soap. "I am here, little blossom."

Suzi felt her father peeling away at the coverings over her eyes. She blinked at her surroundings, her vision blurred and unfocused. When everything came into view, she was barely able to stifle a scream. Her father stood beside her, his skin bloated and tinged with blue. His face, which had always been so stern, was barely recognizable with most of the flesh burned away, revealing red meat and bone. All around them floated the souls of the damned and looming over all was the horrific visage of Blackheart.

Suzi looked down at herself, noticing that tiny pinpricks of pain were sprouting up all over her. She pushed herself away from the thing that resembled her father (she refused to believe it was truly him -- It can't be, she thought to herself. As bad as he was, he would never have deserved this.) and stared in mounting horror as her Cybermancer armor seemed to grow out from her body, enveloping her. "What's happening?" she asked, her mind trying to replay the events that had led her here. She'd been led to Nathaniel's apartment, wanting to ask him about the doubts that were plaguing her. Was he Mr. Sinister? Was the man who had been sharing her bed also a villain of the highest magnitude?

As if knowing her thoughts, Blackheart said "He'll be coming for you, don't worry. I didn't even know he had a heart until you touched it."

The mammoth face of Blackheart shimmered, to be replaced by the demon's human-like form. He wore a three-piece suit that seemed at odds with his inhuman features. "On the grand side of things, it's because he and I embody two philosophies that are eternally at odds. Long ago, the Bane accepted scientists as their flag-bearers. The forces of Avalon held their faith with mysticism." Blackheart's dark features seemed to shift with mirth. "I guess that means you and I are on the same side here, eh? Or at least, we should be. Your boyfriend is seeking to fight the rising tide of magic throughout his little experiments. He's created nanoprobes that can alter people on the molecular level. I think he's hoping to eventually "cure" people of the effects of the Barrier."

Cybermancer felt her "father's" gaze on her but tried to ignore it. "And I'm here as bait? To lure him into a trap? I don't think so!" She raised a gauntlet and fired a tachyon pulse at the demon lord. It passed through him harmlessly.

"You're still defending him?" Blackheart asked, sounding surprised. "I guess you don't know much about him, do you? He's not a nice fellow... and that leads us to the second, more personal reason he and I are fighting." Blackheart stepped so close that the brimstone stench almost overwhelmed Suzi. "I think he's a prick."

Lorna Dane sat up in her bed, heart hammering away in her chest. It was raining hard outside, lightning cutting jagged scars across the sky. Thunder rumbled again, so hard that her bed shook.

She slid out from under the sheets, wrapping a robe about herself. The wind had blown her window open and rain was splattering the floor. A simple gesture from her sent the window flying shut and the metal latch closed itself at her mental direction.

Standing before the window, she watched the falling rain and found herself oddly transported back in time. She was reminded of a desert trek alongside her former lover, Alex Summers. An unexpected lightning storm had come to the arid land, drenching them in an awesome display of nature's power. They'd made love that night, huddled together in a tent while the storm crashed around them.

I could have had you back, Alex. Lorna turned away from the window as another illuminating bolt of lightning cut through the clouds. When I stood in the center of the Causal Corridor, all of creation was in my hand*. I'm still shocked I had the strength to leave things between us as they were.

Her back was turned to the window when it exploded inwards, showering her in shards of glass. One of them embedded itself in her back, tearing right through the thin robe and her pajamas. She fell to her knees, hissing in pain. She slowly turned about, noticing that the curtains were whipping about madly. Something lay half hidden in shadows on the floor and Lorna realized with a sinking sensation that the object had been hurled through the window, shattering the glass. She could feel the metal in the object; it sang to her like a newborn. Summoning the mutant powers of magnetism that had worn her the name Polaris, she dragged the object across the floor until it stopped at her knees. Her eyes opened wide and her lips began to tremble.

Betsy Braddock's voice carried through the room and was followed by a loud knocking on the door to Lorna's bedroom. The team's leader and national icon as Captain Britain, Betsy was also a powerful telepath. She could no doubt sense Lorna's upset emotions, but she was too kind to do more than give a cursory mental scan. "I'm fine, Betsy. An accident, that's all."

Betsy didn't sound convinced. "Well, get into uniform if you can. Gully's sensors are picking up an unauthorized visitor to the island."

"Will do. Just give me a few minutes." Polaris waited for Betsy's footsteps to move away. She reached out a hand towards the object that had shattered her window, picking it up and holding it for a long moment. The familiar red and purple coloration chilled her. It was the helmet of Magneto. "What does this mean?" she whispered. "I thought you were off on your Avalon station*, fighting the Martians...."

Lorna rose, wondering if she should share this with the others. Something inside her screamed not to, though she couldn't fathom why. She placed it in her walk-in closet, sealing the door up tight, almost as if she was afraid it would escape. As she closed the latch, she felt a pressure against the door and she froze in place. She held it firmly for a moment and when the force lessened, she opened it slightly. A part of her wondered if Magneto would be waiting inside, wearing that helmet and wanting to take her back into his care. Was she his daughter or not? There had been conflicting evidence over the years and for a time it had played a part in Lorna's worsening mental condition.

She whirled about, making sure that the windows were still shattered. That, at least, still remained, giving some evidence that she hadn't lost her mind.

Nathaniel Essex was standing in the center of the Pendragons' meeting room, looking powerful and dangerous... but also a bit lost. It was the first time in all her experience as Captain Britain that Betsy had felt this uncertain about someone's motives. She'd been told again and again that Mr. Sinister could not be trusted. She had seen that firsthand, in fact, but there seemed to be a sincerity beneath his words now that made her doubt her own instincts. "So you never bothered to tell Suzi that you're one of the most wanted men on the planet?"

A hint of a smile touched Sinister's lips. "You flatter me. I have ever been in the shadow of my former mentor*. But I have made great strides as a geneticist, though some might offer up nothing but scorn for me."

"Maybe that's because you've screwed over more people than I can count," Union Jack murmured. His head was still heavily bandaged from the wound given him by Venom recently, but he'd refused to stay in bed. His wife was home with the baby and a visiting Kenneth, but the Pendragons had more than enough firepower to spare: around the room was scattered Union Jack, Captain Britain, Nocturne, Polaris and Ghost Rider. Most of them, like Joey Chapman, had suffered various bumps and bruises during their earlier clashes with Blackout and Venom.

"I am a scientist and a visionary. We are often appreciated only after our deaths."

"Anytime you want the appreciation to start, let me know," Union Jack countered.

"Joey! Reign it in," Captain Britain warned. She nodded at Sinister. "Let's get back on topic. You say Blackheart's got her?"

"Yes. He taunted me after taking her. Ordinarily, I would handle this matter myself but the demon has fled to the nether realms. I can pursue him, but I will be out of my element. You Pendragons, however, are mystically empowered by Avalon."

Ghost Rider made a sound that was half roar and half shout. He jumped forward with such speed that no one in the room could stop him. Grabbing hold of Sinister's collar, he unleashed his dreaded Penance Stare. "Then feel the weight of your sins! Because of you Stacy is dead and Suzi may join her!"

Sinister's lips thinned as the supernatural force surrounded him. He resisted with all his substantial will, but the power was too much for him. The floodgates of his soul opened wide and the pains and torments of those he'd harmed washed through him. He saw the sufferings of his victims and heard the wailing voices of the survivors. And most of all he saw the smiling happiness of Suzi Endo in recent weeks, having finally opened her heart to another.

Sinister's mind came back to the present as he fell to his knees. It seemed like a millennia had passed since Ghost Rider had gripped him, but he knew it could only have been a few seconds. He looked up to see Nocturne pulling the Spirit of Vengeance away from him.

"Is he going to be okay?" Polaris asked, kneeling beside him. He wondered how he must look to her, the once-powerful man brought so low....

"His mind's in turmoil," Captain Britain said. Sinister shoved her mind out of his own when he realized she was peeking within and she grunted in pain. "No need for that. I was only trying to help."

"I... apologize." Sinister rose unsteadily, allowing Polaris to help steady him. His eyes never left the burning pits of Ghost Rider's skull. "You have taught me something today. It's rare that I can tell another man that."

"You still live and breathe," Ghost Rider replied, his voice sounding as cold as death itself. "That's more than your victims can say."

"We need to get on with this," Polaris said. She sympathized with Ghost Rider -- or, more specifically, with Dan Ketch -- but she was also still unnerved by the experience with Magneto's helmet. She was anxious to resolve this whole affair with Cybermancer and get her home safe.

"I agree," Sinister whispered. He looked far less confident than before and everyone in the room could sense it. "Just over an hour ago, I learned that all of my holdings were seized by the British government. It's all part of Blackheart's move against me*, no doubt. I have one lair left, but I lack the equipment there to take me into Blackheart's realm. If you can do this, I will accompany you."

"I say we leave him here," Union Jack murmured. "We can't trust him and I don't want to have to watch over him while fighting Blackheart."

"I'm tempted to agree," Nocturne said with a shrug. "As far as I can see, he's as responsible for Suzi's situation as Blackheart is."

Captain Britain felt everyone in the room waiting for her answer. As leader of the team, it would ultimately be her call to make and she didn't shirk from the responsibility. When she'd joined the Pendragons*, the group had been led by Peter Hunter, the original Albion. He'd been a steadfast captain, never losing his cool even in the face of incredible adversity. Betsy had taken a little bit of inspiration from him and from all the other leaders she'd been around -- Professor Xavier, Cyclops, even her brother Brian -- and filtered their examples through her own life experiences. "He comes with us. I sensed some real change in him after Ghost Rider's attack... and we might need his power, since Spitfire isn't coming along."

"Thank you," Essex said and Betsy sensed genuine sincerity in his words. "More than you know."

He awoke, memories of burning flesh and great pain filling his mind. Clive Winthrop cried out, his mouth opening wide and his body rising and falling in spasmodic waves of agony. His eyes were blurred but he quickly recognized his surroundings: he was in one of Nathaniel's labs, but his mentor was nowhere to be found.

Images cascaded through his mind, of a vast and terrible demon burning him alive and stealing his identity. Hatred blazed in his heart and Clive was surprised to find that the pain immediately began to recede. He felt different than before... stronger... more dangerous.

He rose, his naked flesh looking sleek and wet. Stepping into the rest of Nathaniel's lair, he found a message for him on one of the computer screens. It contained detailed notes on the nanobots that had been introduced into his system, as well as a list of events that had taken place since Blackheart had stolen the identity of Clive Winthrop, rising politician. The demon had actually managed to coerce himself into the office of the Prime Minister before his lust for power had led to his defeat.

"But now you're back and Nathaniel's gone after you," Clive whispered aloud. He looked at himself in a mirror, seeing the tightness of his new body. Nathaniel had improved him quite a bit. "And I'm a dead man, aren't I? A dead man hated by everyone in Britain...."

Something seemed to snap in his brain, some tiny crack developed into a deep, dark fissure. The pain of his rebirth, the knowledge of all that had happened to him... it churned together into a cauldron of madness. He fell forward onto his knees, coughing up blood, intermingled with thick black chunks of eldritch matter and tiny clumps of nanotechnology.

Cybermancer struggled against the mystical barrier that Blackheart had erected around her and the thing masquerading as her father. Her every attack had been met by a more powerful force, leaving her exhausted and the energy cells in her armor near empty. "Shut up," she whispered. "You're not my father."

"You keep saying that," he replied, his gaze sweeping over hers. "But you know the truth. I am here. In Hell. And I am truly sorry for the misery that I have caused you."

Almost against her will, Cybermancer turned towards him. "I... I wanted so badly to have your approval."

"You were not meant for the things I desired for you," he replied. "You wanted to be like your brothers and I could only see your mother in your eyes. I wanted you to be a traditional woman like she was... but all I accomplished was to drive you away from me."

Suzi reached up and removed her visor, a single tear beginning to run down from her right eye. "I'm sorry I wasn't what you wanted...."

They came together in the midst of Hell, finding solace in forgiveness. For a moment, the horrors of Hell seemed to dim....

And then Suzi's father howled in agony, pulling away from her. A spiked chain was protruding from his chest and a small host of laughing demons were pulling him away from her, right through the magical barrier. "No!" she screamed, reaching out to grab his hand, but it was too late. He slipped from her grasp and disappeared into the darkness.

"Life sucks. Then you die. And you know what?" Blackheart asked, stepped up to face her through the prison walls. "Death sucks, too."

Blackheart turned his head as a winged demon flew to his side. "Is Essex with them?"

Blackheart reached through the magical field with surprising quickness, gripping Suzi about the throat and pulling her painfully to him. "Then it's time you served your purpose, woman. The damsel in distress."

Captain Britain nodded, but didn't answer her lover's words. She agreed with Gray Poldark, but it had been the quickest way to reach Blackheart's realm. The Pendragons had steered clear of Dane Whitman while in Avalon, but the so-called Lord of the Lake had still haunted her thoughts. He was so damned insufferable... and now he'd apparently formed his own group of Pendragons*...! The very idea showed how unstable he was.

"Look! There she is!" Polaris hissed. She stood close to Ghost Rider, who seemed quite at home in this realm. She remembered that Noble Kale had briefly ruled this place, after deposing Blackheart.

The Pendragons looked up from the deep ravine into which they had emerged. Above them lay a jagged cliff, one stained with blood. Around their feet lay the rotting carcasses of those who had either jumped or been pushed from that high cliff. Blackheart stood upon it now, Cybermancer dangling in his grip."Welcome, Pendragons! And an especially warm hello to Noble and Nathaniel!"

"Stop these games!" Ghost Rider warned. "You know firsthand the power I possess... and this time I will be certain that you won't return to torment anyone else!"

"Such petty threats," the son of Mephisto replied. "I hold all the cards, Noble. This time, you will die." At his words, a swarm of demons flew past his head, soaring high into the air before diving down amongst the Pendragons. They came in all sizes and colors, but certain things were common to them all: bat-like wings, sharp canines and sharper claws, and eyes that glowed. "Destroy them all!"

Nocturne dove to his right, avoiding a swipe of a demon's claws. He fired one of his retractable taser cables and was pleased when it wrapped tightly about the demon's neck. He gave a hearty pull, driving the beast to the ground, before unleashing an electrical charge that left his foe smoking in unconsciousness.

"Bet you never thought you'd end up fighting demons in Hell, did you?" Polaris flew past him, using her magnetic powers to their maximum effect. The iron in the demons' blood seemed to be of higher content than in most humans and she was easily able to manipulate it. Blood exploded from the monsters' orifices.

"Can't say I did. It's not much like my predecessor's fights, that's for sure." Nocturne sprang upwards, landing atop one of his winged foes. He delivered several powerful blows to the demon's head, thinking how true his words had been. Night Raven had been content to battle Oriental beauties, Mafia lords and the like... while Nocturne had already clashed with gods, demons and aliens.

Captain Britain soared high, hoping to confront Blackheart directly, but her flight turned into an errand of mercy when Cybermancer's armor burst into flames and the demon threw her far away. Betsy sensed her friend's terror and it spurred her on. She pushed her suit's mystical circuitry as hard it could go, accelerating past her usual flying speed. She caught Cybermancer in her arms just before the woman landed in a surging river of lava. Betsy landed quickly, helping to dampen the flames, but she saw terrible burns on her friend's body. "Hang in there, Suzi. We're going to get you out of here."

"Hush. He's here, but we're working with him." Even though I'm not sure it's the right thing to do, Betsy thought.

Ghost Rider's motorcycle roared as it moved up the side of the cliff. Demons clung to his shoulders and to the bike, raking their claws through the leather he wore. Their attacks hit bone, knocking chips of it into the air. "I will have... vengeance... Blackheart!"

The demon looked down at his old enemy and shook his head. "Not this time, Noble. I'm going to succeed where even my father always failed. I'm going to kill you and cut the Medallion of Power from your very soul!" He raised his hands and unleashed a powerful magic blast that slowed Ghost Rider's progress to a crawl. The eldritch energy melted away the clothing the Spirit of Vengeance wore, leaving him nothing more than a skeletal being atop a flaming motorcycle.

"Nice trick, Blackheart. A pity you haven't the ability to keep your focus on more than one enemy at a time."

Blackheart turned, shocked to see that Mr. Sinister had managed to ascend the cliff's jagged heights. "How--?"

"I'm resourceful." Sinister backhanded Blackheart, knocking the demon onto his back. "I'm constantly improving myself, Blackheart. Unlike you, I change. I evolve. That's the way of science." The master villain threw himself upon his foe, using his mutant abilities to control his own molecular structure to partially phase into the demon's form. He pulled out quickly, hardening his mass, ripping chunks from Blackheart's body.

Blackheart howled in pain but did not give up the fight. He wrapped his hands about Sinister's body, holding him tightly. "You are out of your native realm, Essex. This is a place of sorcery. Sorcery most black and foul!"

Essex felt his very soul contort as Blackheart drained the spiritual essence from him. He hissed between clenched teeth, channeling a force blast into Blackheart.

The two of them waged a private war as the realm about them began to suffer. The demons fought as their very lives depended on the outcome, which was very true. Blackheart's power fed many of them and as he suffered, the terrain began to splinter and crack.

"We should go!" Union Jack shouted, fighting back-to-back with Nocturne. The two men were surrounded on all sides by demons, while Captain Britain and Polaris handled the air war. Ghost Rider still continued his slow ascent to the top of the cliff, but most of his effort was being expended on battling the wall of creatures who had formed up between their master and the Spirit of Vengeance. "We've got Suzi! What more are we waiting?"

"I have to agree, Betsy! We can't keep surviving like this!" Nocturne grunted as one of the demons punched him in the side, shattering a rib.

Captain Britain held Cybermancer in her arms, a protective forcefield around them both. "I hate leaving Essex... but you're right. Pendragons, she projected telepathically, Let's pull back. When we're all in a group, I'll will us back to Avalon.

"No," Suzi whispered. "You can't leave him... No matter what he's done, he's not beyond redemption. No one is. Not even my dad."

Betsy frowned. Her friend was half-mad with pain and wasn't making much sense. "I'm sorry, Suzi, but we're going to die here unless--"

Captain Britain's words were cut off as she was blinded by a tremendous light. Everyone, from the demons to the Pendragons, broke off whatever they were doing, turning to stare at the battling forms of Mr. Sinister and Blackheart. The two men were standing face-to-face, unleashing every force at their disposal. Betsy gasped as the right side of Sinister's face tore away, revealing wet meat and bone. Blackheart seemed to be seeping energy, dark brown fluid spurting from his wounds. Their words echoed throughout the realm.

"I've made my mistakes, but I was never a villain! I was a scientist! A seeker of knowledge!"

"A purveyor of false truths! The universe was birthed in the belly of gods, not through scientific means!"

"I will not allow it! I will not allow her to be hurt again! I have done that enough!"

The light rose until no one could stand its glare. The ground shuddered and a streak of purple-tinged lightning cut across the dark sky, temporarily illuminating all of Hell.

Blackheart staggered, half his body laying in waste. At his feet lay a human skull.

Betsy pulled Suzi's face against her chest. "Pendragons. Let's get out of here. Now." Blackheart, she warned, letting her thoughts reach into the demon's mind, We'll be back for you. I swear it.

Blackheart saw his foes disappear in a flash of light. He swayed, finally falling to his knees. "I told you, Essex," he laughed hoarsely. "The age of science is dead."

Killraven blinked away the sense of nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. "Where are we?"

When Ravonna did not answer him, he looked around him. Sure enough, she was gone. The woman had appeared to him in the midst of battle, offering to take him to a time and place where he could prevent his horrible universe from coming to pass. But now she was nowhere to be seen.

The surroundings implied he was in the early 21st century. The city -- New York, he guessed -- lay in partial ruins but nothing like what was to come. A Martian tripod loomed in the distance, amidst smoke and screams.

"Yep. Temporal distortion, just like I thought. Mind telling me who the heck you are?"

Killraven whirled, sword in hand. He paused, staring up a woman of incredible beauty. She wore a dark bodysuit that glowed with celestial light, its surface dotted here and there by bits of machinery. A silver ring in her nose gleamed at him, along with several other pieces of jewelry in her ears. "I am Killraven."

"Nice name." The woman smiled. "You can call me Dark Angel... or, what the heck, let's go for Shevaun, okay?"

I think the current Cold War between Sinister and Blackheart one of the coolest yet. The use of Blackout and Venom is especially cool and someone ironic as Blackheart empowers a traditionally science guy (Venom) and Sinister empowers a traditionally magic guy (Blackout). The added addition of Suzi in a romantic relationship makes the plot all the sweeter. That said, I hope there is more action/revelations in the final arc, as the arc up until now just seems to be the masterminds moving their pawns into place.

Though I have to say, I'm dreading the next issue if for no other reason than it's one more issue closer to 100 (I'm a bury your head in the sand kinda guy ;)). We can see the light of the end of the tunnel, and it's a well written train. To that end, I propose we hire Gary Jones and David Wheatley to track down Barry Reese, and break his fingers in such a way he can only write Pendragons after writing Seekers, Ant-Man, Avengers, Green Lantern and Doom Patrol


CAPTAIN BRITAIN (Betsy Braddock)	CYBERMANCER (Suzi Endo)	DARK ANGEL (Shevaun Haldane)	GHOST RIDER (Dan Ketch)

NOCTURNE (Gray Poldark)	POLARIS (Lorna Dane)	SPITFIRE (Jacqueline Chapman)	UNION JACK (Joseph Chapman)