Pendragon Comics - The Pendragons #92

The Pendragons

Issue #92

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.

Pendragons logo created by David Wheatley
based on designs by Des Davies and Kell Carpenter!

Written by David Wheatley

What's Been Happening: The Pendragons brought down the Black Mass Barrier, resulting in many of the team being cast adrift in time, returning six months after the Barrier fell. Too late to participate with their comrades in fighting the Martian invasion, they headed to Otherworld to aid King Britain in defence of his realm, however Brian had been possessed by Kang and the only way to defeat Kang, was to kill Brian. Betsy gave up her role as Captain Britain and as a Pendragon to become the Queen of Otherworld. However, it was not the only change the Pendragons would face, as the Green withdrew deeper in to Avalon, leaving the fate of it's defenders in their own hands.

Adam Crown hated leaving Darkmoor, if only for a short time. The attacks by the Martians on Great Britain and the rest of Europe had done much to damage the country, and he had done his best to keep Darkmoor secure, against the advice of many friends and advisors. They thought he should be out there, fighting with his former colleagues, but he had insisted that Darkmoor had to be the priority, for it was from there that they could rebuild. He had been involved in several high profile shouting matches over his decision, but he would not be swayed.

Then the missing Pendragons had returned and had just as soon gone to Otherworld to fight for King Britain and Adam felt vindicated in his decision. If the Pendragons did not need to fight for the UK, then he was right in his course of action. His only problem was he had lost one of his closest advisors. Tangerine was missing and had been so for a while. Nobody could find her, but all her possessions were in her room and he had a feeling of dread. Even worse, he could no longer feel the presence of the Green within him and he wondered what was happening. Then word came from Otherworld, inviting him to the coronation of Queen Elisabeth Braddock, Ruler of Otherworld and a sense of doubt had filled him. He had accepted, Ginny opting to stay with their son Peter, and now he was here.

The others had filled him in on the battle, what had happened to Brian and Adam Crown’s sense of doubt grew. He could not shake the feeling he had been manipulated somehow, and that if he had done something differently, Brian may have lived, the Corps would not be in disarray and maybe they would have had more Pendragons to help in the fight. He watched the ceremony as Merlyn presented her with Excalibur, the Sword of Might and Roma placed the Amulet of Right about her neck. Betsy said some ceremonial words and the powers of Otherworld were transferred to her. Behind her stood Gray Poldark and Meggan, the Lord Protector and Bright Lady. After applause and the ceremony, Betsy addressed the congregation

"Thank you for all your support." She looked about, the sincerity of her words resonating amongst them. "The Pendragons has meant so much to so many... but to me it's been about family. And responsibility. There are times we'd all like to run and hide, to protect what's ours and not risk anything of value. But we bear a greater responsibility than that. We owe it to ourselves and our neighbours to care... to offer an open hand... to stand with them when the skies are dark and the chill winds threaten to drive us back into our homes.”

Adam shivered, as if the words she were speaking were directed at him. Had he been wrong?

“There are cycles to all things and this is no different. For every ending is a new beginning and every beginning is the ending of some old story. I cannot promise to be the equal of my brother. I cannot promise to cure all your ills or right all your wrongs. But I swear to you this: I will try to the very best of my ability."

She reached down to the sword buckled at her waist and drew it forth, and Adam could feel the power within Caliburn resonating at his side as she did. The swords were connected and he knew he had made a terrible mistake and in that moment he was lost, conflicting emotions of the man he was and the man he was meant to be flooding through him.

"Our memories will always remain... of the best of times and of the worst. Of stories never told and those that will never be forgotten. As you stand to salute me, I salute you.”

Applause surrounded her, save from Adam, who was trying to come to terms with what he had done. He had betrayed the Pendragons and the Green through inaction. He had betrayed Ginny and their son with Tangerine. He had betrayed Great Britain by leaving it to fend for itself. He was supposed to be the leader, the man who would unite the country as was his birthright and he had ignored it.

“What have I done?” he said. No wonder the Green had abandoned him, he had abandoned the Green. Soon the ceremony ended and he knew he had to speak with Elisabeth, to find out what he had missed.

“She won’t talk to you, not yet,” Merlyn said, approaching from behind. “You’ve not been very wise, Adam Crown. Sleeping with the enemy.”

“I thought you were a cabbage or something,” said Crown, not in the mood for a lecture from the old wizard.

“Interesting you should use that analogy,” Merlyn said, a flicker of a smile and Crown knew he’d been insulted, his hand reaching for Caliburn, but Merlyn grabbed him. “Arthur will hear counsel from Merlin. The Green has withdrawn deeper in to Avalon. The Lake no longer has a guardian and Arthur has fallen from the path. The Pendragons are now Pendragons in name only, the spirits of the Pendragons are no longer within them.”

“How long since you felt the call of the Green, Adam Crown? How long since any of you have? The fall of the Barrier fundamentally changed the status quo of magic, of science, of the Green and the Bane. You have residual energies, that is true, but not a true connection. Do you know why?”

“That is your answer.” Merlyn stared at him. “You must establish a new connection to the Green and if you cannot… another will.”

“Jessica Drew is dead,” Adam said, knowing of only one other who could challenge him. “She and Pen Dragon have been lost for months, the Dragon’s Claws disbanded and their gambit to end the war has failed.”

“If I have learnt only one thing from Pen Dragon over the centuries,” Merlyn smiled, “it is that it is foolish to count him out, and if he survives, so does she. They will return and if you cannot do the job, I promise you they will. Think on that, your Majesty.” Before Adam could reply, the wizard was gone.

“How do I restore the Green?” he whispered, and then he knew what he had to do. Now was the time to take hold of his birthright, to bring together the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Darkmoor would be the new capital city, from there he would establish his government, from Darkmoor he would make Britain whole again. There was much to be done, before the other Pendragons returned from Otherworld. He would need them.

“What did you just do?” Roma asked her father, as she stood next to him. “We have seen what he was doing from New Camelot, that the conflicts within him threatened to overwhelm him. You may have pushed him over the edge.”

“Yes,” said Merlyn. “A new game begins, daughter. Elisabeth is too naive, and your failure with Kelsey Leigh is evident you are not sufficiently prepared for such high stakes. Someone had to take charge of the board before the approaching storm, and I am the only one qualified.” He looked at her. “I love you, daughter, but I do not trust you.”

The wizard smiled. “And that is how it should be.” He looked to the newly crowned Queen. “It will be her turn to take charge soon enough, and then we can attend to other matters.” Roma nodded. Preparations needed to be made.

In the week or so that followed, Adam Crown gathered the remaining Pendragons. He was stunned to see how few remained. Kate had given up on them, Breeze, Hulk, Wynter and the Dragons had been lost in the first battle with the Martians, and they had lost Ghost Rider and the Young Pendragons when the Barrier fell. Betsy and Grey were on Otherworld, Polaris had rejoined the others in America, Mary Jane had been reunited with her husband Peter and Dane had gone to find the Knights of Avalon who had been missing for quite some time, and Sersi had gone with him. Something had happened to Molly, and she was almost comatose, save for some enimgamtic comments about a dream, or the dream, or something along those lines. It had never made sense and she had no other reactions. Killraven and Jack O’Lantern had gone after the Martians and hadn’t been seen since. That left Spitfire, Union Jack, Dark Angel, Etorian Kaine, Kenneth Crichton, Cybermancer and himself and Ginny.

He explained the situation, that the Green had withdrawn and he was going to do everything he could to restore the Green, but those of them that had received the blessing had for lost it for the moment. The power of the Green had been taken back, and Avalon was sealed to them. He apologised for not focusing on the rest of England and told them he had made a mistake, and that he would work to rebuild not only their trust, but the trust of the people of Britain. There were some doubts from them, as they’d seen and heard it from Adam before, and they knew they had needed him during the battle with the Martians that had cost them so much, but he seemed sincere enough and he swore it on Caliburn that he would make good on his word. The Pendragons would be the vanguard, leading the fight back, and he would go to London and finally assume control of the United Kingdom. He had spoken with his father in law, and with the Houses of Parliament destroyed in the first wave, and the British government in tatters and the Royal Family dead, and Prime Minister Halpin had handed over the UK to him. Leadership and he was going to do it, and he hoped it wasn’t a case of too little too late.

However, even with the help of SHIELD and other heroes, things were going badly and Crown knew it was a losing battle, and the pressures of fatherhood, of ruling a country, of rebuilding a faith, of restoring a reputation… it was all building, and the one thing he wanted most was Tangerine. He had no idea how much he missed her council, and even though he now doubted what she had said to him, she had been right at the time. He loved Ginny, he loved their child, but he wanted her and the more he was apart from her, the more he wanted her. He knew it was wrong, he knew it was a betrayal, but he was the King, why should he not have a concubine? This country was his to do with as he pleased… With that realisation, he realised he was changing, that he was not the same as he was before. Without the Green, the Bane was more insidious than ever, and growing in power.

“Please, no,” he said, barely able to touch Caliburn, unable to draw on the strength he had possessed with the spirit of Arthur. “Not that…” However the thoughts grew, and he also became more paranoid, the words of Merlyn echoing in his head, and he knew that Jessica Drew would return and challenge him, challenge his right to be King. He would not let it go without a fight. He was King, Ginny was Queen and their son would rule after him, not some American trash, no matter what her parentage. He kept these thoughts to himself, focusing on fighting the war, and then the news came. Jessica Drew and Pen Dragon had returned, they had brought Rick Jones with them and the plan was in effect.

It was an incredible battle and Adam had felt a surge of pride to the way his citizens responded to the telepathic call of Cable, and the surge of the Destiny Force within them all. While he had the power flowing through him, he felt there was nothing he could not do. The Martian forces were repelled with what felt like relative ease, the downsides being that the EM pulse initiated by Magneto had destroyed all technology and not just the Martian equipment, however for a place where magic had become part of the norm, he knew they would adjust and cope. The war was over, but he knew a civil war was brewing. Jessica would be coming and he needed to prepare for her arrival. Kaine had quit the Pendragons and taken her to Otherworld for instruction by Betsy and others, including the absent Wynter. Adam felt a sense of betrayal at this and he signed an order, declaring Pen Dragon and Jessica Drew enemies of the Crown, above the objections of the Pendragons. He told them what was happening, that Drew and Dragon would come and seize his throne and he would not allow a civil war, not while they were trying to rebuild.

On the Yorkshire Moors, Pen Dragon watched as the remains of the Martian War were cleared up. Jessica, who had returned from Otherworld, joined him and the two of them were discussing what to do next. The Dragon’s Claws had been disbanded so that Pen could focus on the upcoming Time Wars, and Jessica’s mission was to restore the Green, and the two of them needed a little bit of reassurance

“There’s a lot to do, Jess,” Pen said. “I’m a focal point of it now, more than ever. Saving the world is one thing. Saving reality…”

She looked at him. “You did it before.” He shook his head. He knew what she meant, but it had been close and he’d made mistakes.

“Almost blew it. Kate’s lost now, Limbo’s gone, collapsed on itself. I’m flying blind.”

“So am I,” she said and they kissed. It wasn’t a passion filled kiss, but one between two friends, who were more than friends, but not in love. They were special. He broke it off and smiled at her. “So what happens now?” she asked.

“You come with us,” said a voice and they looked to see they were surrounded by six guards wearing the emblem of Darkmoor. “Pen Dragon, Jessica Drew. You’re under arrest for treason against the crown.”

“Peaceably is preferred, forcibly, if needed. You are outnumbered, and we are elite guards. Even the vaunted combination Pen Dragon and Jessica Drew…”

“Vaunted?” said Jessica, in surprise at the vitriol in the man’s voice. “We’re not vaunted. Are we?” Pen shrugged

The Elite Guard responded to the threat quickly, but it was never going to go in their favour. Dragon caught the sword of one between his hands, kicked out at another, took the sword, which pulled the holder forward and slammed in to the face of a third. Jessica just used her venom blasts on two of them to take them down, while she stood against the third. They’d be sore, but they’d recover.

“That’s just showing off,” Pen said as he kicked the man on the floor while throwing the sword away. The man he had kicked was up and he tried to take Dragon from behind, but Pen’s battle-honed instincts flared and he threw a single hot knife, which halted right in front of the man’s forehead. His eyes were wide in realisation of how close he had come to being speared through the head and he fainted.

“And that isn’t?” said Jessica as she sparred with the head guard, and then she grabbed him and hoisted him up as if he were made of straw. “Go back to Darkmoor,” she ordered. “Tell your King we’re not looking for a fight. We’re on the same side.”

Jessica looked around and she could see that there were other figures surrounding them. The Pendragons, Union Jack taking the lead of Spitfire, Crichton, Dark Angel and Cybermancer.

“I was just thinking the same thing about you two,” Union Jack said. “You won’t win.”

“I wouldn’t mind putting that to the test,” Dragon said, thinking of the Joseph Chapman he’d known in his reality, and it was all he could do to not beat the crap out of him right here and now.

“Leave it, Pen,” Jessica said, knowing the look in her friend’s eyes. “We’re not here to make enemies, we’ve a job to do remember?”

Pen sighed. “You’re the boss.” He put his hands up. “Take us to your leader.”

“This seems way too easy,” said Spitfire as the Pendragons applied handcuffs to their prisoners. “From the way Adam talked of them, it was almost as if he expected them to fight.”

“You don’t suppose that Adam Crown’s lost the plot?” Dragon suggested. If the Pendragons listened to him, they didn’t hesitate and Shevaune transported them to Darkmoor, where Pen and Jessica were led to the cells and the guards to the infirmary, while Adam watched. He nodded to the team, congratulating them on a job well done. He would not allow Merlyn’s people to supplant those chosen by the Green.

“You are not my Meryln, old man,” he muttered. However, if Wynter had also turned against him, neither was he, and that just left Mordred. It was strange the way fate had led them to this point, and a messenger ran up to him.

“Her?” He had an idea of who he meant, but he needed some kind of clarification.

“The Lady Tangerine,” he said. “She’s in the Royal bedchamber.” Adam’s eyes narrowed, wondering what devilry was afoot. What was she doing there, and he feared for Ginny and for Peter.

“Explain yourself,” he demanded, and the messenger nodded his head as they made their way to Adam’s room.

“Say what you must,” Adam said, placing his hand on the man’s shoulder, fearing what was to be said.

“Sire, she’s been murdered.” At that moment, as shock and grief consumed him, Adam’s heart was filled with darkness and he was lost.

Not too far away, the Red Lord began to laugh. The Bane was in the ascendancy, and soon Darkmoor would be his once more.

Next Issue: The leader of the Pendragons has been influenced by the Bane, and the very future of the United Kingdom hangs in the balance.

That's what it said at the end of last issue, and in a sense it was, as Barry Reese, author of this title for almost the entire run, a feat unrivaled in fanfiction, not to mention the other series he has worked on at Pendragons Comics, was letting go.

But it's not the end. Otherwise you wouldn't be reading this issue. It's a new beginning and the Pendragons are going to change over the next few issues. The Martians are defeated, the Barrier is down, the Green withdrawn and now we have to deal with the aftermath, and that's where I come in. There are things in the issue that have happened that you haven't seen yet, and over the next weeks and months people like Gary Halpin, Dave Evans and Joseph Connell will be showing you the missing pieces, before they get back to the swing of things. Barry's hard at work on the new Captain Avalon series, so he's never far away, and then there's me. There's Pendragons and Dragon's Claws, coming together with a blend of new and old. I'm not Barry, I don't intend to be Barry. I'm going to be me, inspired by what has gone before.

Which, by the way, is the reason for going back to this old-style of look, with elements of the later style and a new logo based on the wonderful original by Des Davies, and inspired by the great 'It's All Over' logo by Kell Carpenter. I liked his colour scheme. The overall layout also ties in rather nicely with Dragon's Claws. It's almost like I planned it!