They're Watching You

What Has Come Before: Jennifer Kale, driven by visions of unspeakable evil, has begun assembling a new band of Seekers. The Seekers are the world's only hope of stopping a demonic entity calling itself Roland Fannin. Fannin has allied himself with Lilith, Mother of Demons, and has launched the first assault against the Seekers. Jennifer Kale, Magik, Firestar and Ghost Rider were all trapped inside a hospital when the building was caught in a tremendous explosion... their fates are unknown. Meanwhile, Marc Spector -- Moon Knight -- is returning from a magical expedition in Egypt, one that has left him infused with a new purpose in life....

"The best part of a woman is her ass, definitely." The black man chuckled coldly, showing off a gold tooth that gleamed in the diner's pale lights. "Baked, not fried. Keeps the flavor that way."

James McIntyre swallowed hard, his hands shaking. He was a young man, with a dark fetish that included fantasies of killing and murdering young women. His excursions on the Internet had led him to a meeting of like-minded individuals... a meeting that had ended up being crashed by the Spirit of Vengeance. James had barely escaped with his sanity intact. He'd woken up hours later, with the basement meeting room in a shambles... and none of his compatriots in sin around. "I don't wanna talk about that shit. I want to go home and forget all about it."

"That's bull, man... and you know it." The guy leaned across the greasy table. "I told you... I know you. I know what you want. And I can give it to ya. But you gotta join the group first."

James fumbled in his coat pocket for a cigarette. "Look... I don't even know how you found me. Were you at the meeting the other night?"

"Nah. They were amateurs. If all you're looking for is a quick thrill, they're fine... but if you want to really get those juices flowin', you're gonna need some brothers with connections. That cat you were with -- he gets skanks right off the street. For all you know, they're junkies, crackheads, got AIDs, all kinds of shit. We get you the primo stuff, though... prime meat, ready for fuckin' and cuttin'."

James looked about, but no one seemed to be listening. He couldn't get over how surreal everything had become. After hurrying out of the basement the other night, he'd gone home and evaded his mother as best he could. He'd been afraid to go outside and had lost his job as a result... it wasn't until he'd finally worked up the nerve to turn on his computer that he'd gotten the email that had brought him here. Its wording had been vague, but clear enough -- they knew about James' dark fantasies. "Are you a cop... or one of... them?" he asked, his fingers trembling too much to even light his smoke.

The stranger did it for him, producing a silver lighter with a strange red symbol on its side. "Nah, man. Not either of those. I ain't no pig... and I'm not gonna burst into flames, neither."

James inhaled noisily. "But you know about them, right? The girl with the magic fingers... and the guy whose face burned off?"

"Jennifer Kale. Ghost Rider. That's their names. Remember them, man, 'cause names... they give you power." He sat back, stretching one muscled arm over the back of his seat. "But you don't need to worry about them. They're dead. Barbecued." He laughed at that, his eyes twinkling. "So, fess up. You wanna know what I got for you, right?"

"This is some sort of club? Do you trade pictures, vids, what?" James felt himself growing hard at the thought of actually seeing his fantasies worked out in real life. He'd been so close the other night... the onset of desire made his fears of discovery lessen for now. "If I need to contribute first, all I've got is some old Dolcett drawings and a few stories."

"You're not listenin' to me, man. I'm not talking porno. I'm talking the real thing." He pushed a hand into his dirty overcoat and withdrew a small piece of paper, which he pushed towards James. "You join up with the Mabdhara and you're gonna be creamin' your pants every night of the week."

"What is this?" James asked, reading over the document. It was written in small print and appeared to be some sort of history... a secret history, of the whole universe dating back to the very beginning. Down at the moment was a blank for his name and James felt a chill go through him at the sight of it. "This is some sort of slave contract or something? I've heard about those, but I'm not into that -- I'm more of a dom, not a sub."

"It gives us your soul, James." A long moment passed before the strange guy with the gold tooth burst into laughter. "You should see your face, man. Classic."

James flushed angrily but said nothing. "You're full of shit. You want my soul?"

"You saw a guy whose head was on fire the other night, right? And some chick who cast magic spells... You live in a world where a guy in a tin can fights alongside some cat from WW II. You really think I'm making up this soul business? It's part of the package, 'bro. Sign on the dotted line."

"Then you join the fastest rising army since KISS hit the scene in the ' 70s, my man. You join the side that's about to win this war that's going on... and you're gonna get all the ladies you can handle. Now... You in?"

James hesitated a moment more, but his head was swimming too much for him to think things through. He saw long limbed young girls, stripped and roasting on spits. He felt himself pressing painfully against his jeans. "I'm in," he whispered, signing his name. "I'm in."

Angelica Jones fell to her knees, vomiting. Her entire body was shaking by the time she finished and her stomach burned with acid. "What happened?" she asked, wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve. Looking around, she wondered if she'd escaped certain death only to end up in a far worse place. "And where's Vance?"

Jennifer Kale ignored that last question -- she knew very well that they'd all been present at the site of a tremendous explosion... and that meant that Angel's lover was very likely dead. Instead, she turned to her other companions -- Ghost Rider and Magik. "Either of you have a clue where we are?"

Amanda Sefton nodded. The group of them were standing in the midst of something straight out of a Dali or Escher painting... the surreal had become very, very real. Numerous paths led off from the golden road on which they now found themselves and a signpost of sorts marked the way ahead of them. Countless arms were sculpted into the post, each pointing its fingers off in a different direction. Some of the arms looked human, but others were furred or multicolored, giving strong evidence that their owners -- if they'd ever had such -- were far from the norm. "This is the Crossroads of Time. When the explosion began to hit, I opened a rift and pulled us all into it... To be honest, I expected to end up in Limbo, but this is close enough. The Crossroads are a part of that realm, in a way."

Magik and Jennifer both turned to face Firestar. It was Amanda who said "I don't know. I only had a second to act and I chose to focus on us. I'm sorry...."

Firestar let out a strangle cry that was half anger and half pain. She ignited the air around her as her microwave powers kicked in and she soared upwards, tearing streaming down her face.

"Angel, no! We have to stick together!" Jennifer yelled, but it was no use... the mutant heroine was far past caring what was said to her. "Damn it."

"Leave her be," the Ghost Rider said. His empty eyesockets were blazing with some inner light and they seemed to flare ever brighter as he moved towards the signpost. "I will avenge the loss of her lover, if that is the case. I prefer to place faith in his survival, however."

"I have changed much since you restored my full memory to me, Jennifer Kale. I now know who and what I truly am."

Jennifer didn't reply, though she knew what he was talking about. She'd helped Noble Kale remember his past, placing some sense of order to the mess that was the Spirit of Vengeance's origins. After that, Noble had actually ascended to the throne of Hell briefly before returning to what passed for normality in their family. "Can you get us out of here, Amanda? I would like to check on those people in the hospital. Maybe we can help...."

"I can... but it'll take some time. I've been running on empty for days now." Amanda straightened her back and stretched. "I really need some sleep... good, hard sleep without any nightmares." She smiled wanly. "You guys look around. I should have another portal open in about five minutes."

Ghost Rider held out one hand and the chain he wore wrapped about his torso flew into it. "We are not alone."

The two members of the Kale family stood side-by-side, as Magik knelt behind them. Jennifer felt a slight tremor beneath her feet, followed by the bellowing of some inhuman creature. "What the hell....?"

"There." The Ghost Rider pointed to the left, where a figure was barreling towards them, looking impossibly large and dangerous. The creature's green skin stood in contrast to its torn purple pants and its face was locked in an expression of pure fury.

"No way," Jennifer said. "How in the name of the Seven Hells could the Hulk be here?! He's dead, isn't he?"

Magik was on her feet again, drawing her Soulsword. "This place is outside time and space, Jen. That could be a Hulk from the past or the future... or both."

"Perhaps he can be reasoned with," the Ghost Rider said. "At times he has been quite intelligent."

As the creature neared and his roars grew louder, Magik shook her head. "I don't think this is one of those times."

Jennifer glanced at the shimmering portal that was growing ever larger behind them. "Five minutes, right?"

Gordon Williams smiled and closed his briefcase. He'd been annoyed at being called out of bed at this time of night, but it was all worth it as long as he made a sale. "Excellent, Mr. Spector. I'll draw up the lease and you can sign it anytime you--"

Marc Spector, dressed in a dark suit and tie, shook his head. "No. I'd like to buy it, actually."

Gordon blinked in surprise. "Ah... I'm afraid these penthouse offices aren't available for sale. I'm looking to--"

Spector brought out a credit card. "I'm looking to buy the entire building. Right now."

Gordon took the crowd with one trembling hand. "That's... going to be quite expensive. In addition to the lavish living quarters and offices, there's the gymnasium and pool... Not to mention--"

Gordon stared at the card in disbelief. He nodded quickly and stepped out of the room, his mind filling with images of newfound wealth.

Marc, meanwhile, had moved to stare out the window. The night sky was illuminated by the raging fire in the distance... he'd thought about going to help, but the Avengers and Fantastic Four were both on the scene and there was no reason for Moon Knight to get in their way.

Marc glanced over his shoulder to see a thin, well-dressed man entering the room. The man's dark hair was tinged with white and he wore his moustache in a slightly eccentric manner. "Stephen. Why am I not surprised to see you? And as for my death... let's say I was given a new lease on life."

Arching an eyebrow, Strange said "There are powerful forces at work. I've been investigating them, trying to trace them to their source... the Orb of Agamotto led me to you." He tilted his head to the side. "You seem different than before."

Marc Spector looked away, his eyes growing more shrouded. "This is it. The end of my karmic merry-go-round." He clenched a fist. "And Khonshu's decided I should go out in style, as part of the Seekers."

"What do you mean?" he asked, a strange feeling going through him. The Seekers... the name was a familiar one to him, though he couldn't quite place it.

Spector unclenched his fist and Strange watched in growing amazement as light swirled around Marc Spector. Tiny bursts of golden light flashed in the center of a growing field of white... and everywhere they flashed, Marc Spector's appearance changed. When it was done, Marc Spector was seemingly gone, leaving behind the cowled Moon Knight. A golden ankh shone on the center of Moon Knight's chest, matching a set of bracelets and anklets. "You were right. I am different. I've gotten glimpses of things through this..." he held up a small sphere with a birdlike eye in the center of it. "The Eye of Horus grants me knowledge of the future, but it's sometimes distorted and hard to recognize. It's told me that I'm to fund this operation. And it told me that I was going to die... one last time. It told me I would be amongst strangers, far from home."

Strange noted that there was more than a trace of humor in Marc's tone. "You find this amusing?"

"Did Khonshu tell you why he's given you the Eye? Why he's decreed that this is to be your last life?"

Moon Knight hesitated before answering. "Yes... but I don't think I call tell you."

"Because when it's all said and done, Stephen.... you're not going to be on our side."

The Hulk delivered a backhanded blow that sent Ghost Rider hurtling through the void. The Spirit of Vengeance had felt the Jade Giant's strength before, but never had it been delivered so savagely. He landed in a heap, well beyond the signpost, beginning to struggle back to his feet as soon as he'd touched ground.

Magik, meanwhile, fought the urge to scream. There was no sign of Bruce Banner in this thing's eyes... he was either absent entirely or buried so deep that there was no reaching him. She ignored his snarls of anger and ducked beneath a swipe of his hands. She struck out with the Soulsword, burying it deep in the monster's belly. To her surprise, she pierced the flesh easily and hot, greenish-tinted blood gushed out over her arms.

She was so stunned that she didn't notice the Hulk grab hold of her wrist and squeeze. Pain flooded through her as bones ground together.

Jennifer Kale blasted the Hulk with an eldritch blast of Hellfire, causing the behemoth to roar in surprise. His wounded stomach was healing quickly but he still clutched it with one hand. He tossed Magik aside with the other. She hurtled into the void, ending up in the arms of Firestar.

"You okay?" Angel asked. Gone was her hesitation and pain... seeing her teammates -- she wasn't ready to call them friends yet -- in danger had caused her to go into battle mode.

"No," Amanda hissed, her wounded hand throbbing. "But I'll survive. We just need to be ready to jump through the portal when it's ready."

Firestar glanced that way, seeing that it wasn't yet large enough for a person to fit through. "You can't just teleport us or something?" Magik uttered something in a foreign language, one that Angel didn't speak... and she was glad she didn't. "Sorry, I was just wondering."

As Firestar set Magik back down and squared her shoulders to enter the fray, the Hulk was stalking towards Jennifer Kale, his nostrils flaring wildly. "Hulk hates it here! Hulk wants to go home! Yellow-haired girl hurts Hulk like Magician hurt Hulk -- maybe Hulk will make yellow-haired girl take him back home!"

Jennifer threw up a magic shield just in time to avoid one of the Hulk's powerful fists. The impact overloaded the eldritch spell and sent Jen to her knees. "Magician?" she asked, gasping. "Do you mean Dr. Strange? He sent you here, didn't he?"

The Hulk paused with both fists interlocked above his head. He had been poised to strike her again... and this time, the blow would have split her skull. "You know Magician?"

The Hulk's eyes bulged in surprise as the Ghost Rider's chain wrapped itself tightly around his throat. His emerald fingers clawed at the links as the Spirit of Vengeance pulled the chain tighter. "Use your magic to boost Amanda's portal," Noble Kale bellowed, his flames flickering higher and higher about his skull. "I will tend to the Hulk."

Jennifer frowned, but scrambled away. She'd seen something in the Hulk's eyes, for just a moment... he'd looked at her with a powerful forlorn glare, like a poor animal that had been beaten too many times. "Don't hurt him," she said.

"In his own way, he is an innocent... but he is also a threat to all who come near him." The Ghost Rider allowed Hellfire to rush along the length of the chain, searing at the Hulk's flesh. It burned far worse than any physical attack, gnawing away at the darkness within the monster....

Somewhere, deep inside, the child who would grow into Bruce Banner twisted and turned, hiding himself away from the Monster... not the green-skinned man-child that Bruce turned into when angry, but the real Monster. Brian Banner. Bruce's father, whose fists and caustic words wounded Bruce so deeply that even as a grown man, he was still a child within. A frightened, scared child... who lashed out in anger at the slightest provocation.

"Get out of Hulk's head!" the monster roared, pulling at the chain so hard that the links shattered.

Noble Kale stared in amazement... the mystic chain had withstood so much in the past that he'd begun to believe it impervious to true harm. He felt a sudden rush of gladness as the links began to reforge themselves into the chain. Despite it all, they would once again serve him.

The Hulk, meanwhile, was ignoring Firestar and Jennifer Kale, both of whom were showering him in waves of painful energy. He stomped towards Ghost Rider, rage replacing the emotional pain of having confronted his feelings for his father. "Hulk will make burning head man pay! Hulk will SMASH!"

The Ghost Rider felt the Hulk's hands pass through the protective field of Hellfire surrounding his skull... and grab hold. The behemoth began to apply pressure, even as the Hellfire burned his soul. "Unhand me, Banner! Or I swear to you, I'll unleash my Penance Stare... and you will beg for forgiveness!"

Firestar stopped her assault, unsure how to proceed. She didn't want to wound Ghost Rider, but she couldn't stand aside and let the Hulk kill him....

Firestar heard Magik's words and responded instantly. She thought only of being reunited with Vance, turning away from the struggle before her. She passed through the portal, joined a second later by Jennifer Kale, who dove through the shimmering hole.

"Noble! We need to go -- before the portal fades!" I won't have the energy to do another one, she thought to herself... Not without resting first.

Ghost Rider heard the crunching of bones, letting him know that his skull couldn't take much more. He hated to do it, but he opened himself to the power of the Penance Stare... and the unholy power washed over the Hulk, bathing him in its effect.

He felt the terror of all those who had fled before him, their lives forever altered by their encounter with a gamma-spawned monster... he knew the sorrow he'd brought to the lives of those around him, like Rick Jones and Betty Ross... and he knew the agony and shame of those he'd bested in battle.

As the Hulk released him, howling like a poor wounded thing, the Ghost Rider staggered away. He saw Magik move through the portal and he himself made to enter it....

The Ghost Rider turned to see the Hulk, still angry and hurt, standing behind him. "You hurt Hulk... and now you're going to run away. Hulk won't let you! Hulk will make you stay!"

Ghost Rider swatted away the Hulk's hand and threw himself backwards through the portal. He saw the Hulk lunge for him in the instant before it closed... and for a brief moment he thought the Hulk had made it through with him and would emerge on the other side.

But when the Spirit of Vengeance landed hard on the floor, there was no Hulk with him.

He looked up from where he lay, into the surrounding faces of Jennifer, Angel and Amanda... and one other. "Moon Knight."

The masked hero nodded once, offering him a hand up. The Ghost Rider glanced around the office as Moon Knight said "Welcome home, Seekers."

"Screw that," Firestar said, backing away. "I want to know about Vance... and I want to know now!" She bolted for an open window and soared through it.

"I'll go after her," Jennifer said. She nodded at Moon Knight. "Good to see you again, Marc."

"She won't find any sign of Vance Astrovik. I monitored the Avengers channels... when they found out he was supposed to be there, they looked for him. He's missing."

Jennifer sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Wonderful... One more thing to ruin Angel's life."

Next Issue: "Secrets Beneath Your Flesh" concludes! The Seekers are finally united, just in time to put a halt to a murder... a murder that might just unleash a terror beyond their comprehension! Guest-starring John Blaze!

Sorry if the brouhaha with the Hulk seems out of place, but I really wanted to write it, so there! ;-)

Several letters this time around, as my request for feedback paid off. First off is Jason Trenner:

Interesting issue. Of course the ending leaves things wide open (I don't know how many different planes of existence they could go to). On to the questions:

1)Will you sort out Moon Knight's activities here and in Super Villain Team Up? Though I'm sure he'd rather fight Whirlwind's Lethal Legion than the foe in this title.

2)Will the foe of this title resurrect the Incredible Hulk as a demon...giving new meaning to the term "Devil Hulk".

Thanks for writing, Jason! In time, Moon Knight activities here will match up with those in SVTU. For now, assume that the SVTU appearances are set prior to MK's appearance in the Front Line Special. The Hulk got a semi-revival in this issue, though I don't want to undo the wonderful ending that the Jade Giant got in his AV2K series. Century, Havok and Death's Head are all nice characters, but none of them will be showing up here... John Blaze, however, is going to pop up in our very next issue!

Barry just got done reading issues 1 and 2 of your new series, "Seekers", and got to tell you it is GREAT! I read volume one many moons ago and was thrilled when I saw issue one at "Avengers 2000". Looking forward to more, I like the group, Ghost Rider being my favorite, next to Moon Knight, looking forward to seeing a different Marc this time, with this his last reincarnation I would think this would play on his mind and cause some interesting choices on his part-will he have any of his powers from other reincarnations? Well that's it for now, keep up the good work, take care.

It's cool to hear from someone who remembers the old MV1 Seekers title. I wanted this one to be familiar to the older readers, but new enough so that folks who read both would still get some enjoyment out of it. Moon Knight's new purpose and methods were given some play in this issue, so you now have a good idea of where I'm going with him. Hope you'll find it interesting.

Just popping in to give my two cents. I've read Pendragons, I've read Union Jack, I've read Blade, hell, I've read the old Seekers, Moon Knight and Fist of Khonshu. None of that is shit. Seekers is where it's at, in my demented opinion, this is your best work to date, truly.

Sure, the "graphic" nature might perturb some, but you do it well. Really, even though your describing some stuff that could make the Marquis sick, you can do so with enough mystery to make it less "sick" than mysterious and alluring. Besides, you've got Moon Knight (my favorite character) and he's not a Terry Kavanugh Batman, he is in the supernatural realm, where he belongs. Some interesting stuff to come... I'm half anticipating half worried about his new "motivations" perhaps only because I've been so badly scarred by horrible Khonshu retcons, but I'll give you the benefit and figure the best will come.

Also, thank Ziploc bags... you're using Noble Kale as Ghost Rider, it's perhaps my most favorite of the GRs. The rest of the cast is cool too, even though I'm not familiar with Jennifer, but they all seem to be there for a purpose... as Kale herself eludes to. I'm a little weirded out by Angelica's appearance, as she is far from the mold for the series, but again, you seem to know where you're going, so I'll take it.

I don't think I need to comment on the writing itself, it's always good, solid and very easy on the ears (eyes?).

Overall, it's an atmospheric, chilly, tale with an evident beginning, middle and end in sight (at least by the author), yet obscure enough so that a heavy mystery is held over are heads. It's enough to keep me interested, as I'm quite enjoying myself with it.

Wow -- thanks, Mike! I'm an old fan of both Moon Knight and Ghost Rider, so I plan to do right by them... but on the other hand, I've written both characters many times before and I'm interested in doing a slightly different take on them. As for Dolcett, it's interesting, yes... I found myself surprised (and a bit disturbed) to find out that there's this huge sub-culture out there dedicated to cannibalistic fantasies. I've always wanted to play around with the really nasty stuff that you can find on the Internet and the opening scene to # 1 worked for that, as well as setting a darker tone for the series than anything else in the main AV2K universe.

Ask and thou shalt receive. I really liked it. I enjoy darker stories and I thought that this one offered a great setup to a larger story. You did a good job setting up the characters and establishing the villain. It got me to want to read more issues of this which is always a good sign to me. Keep up the good work Barry.

the seekers