This issue sees a guest turn by future new regular artist Mike Deodato, whose heavy T&A style would both please and offend fans in equal measure and makes a stark contrast to Nathan Massengill’s work in the previous issue to say the least!
This issue also sees the editorial reigns hand over to Paul Kupperberg.
The issue begins with Diana, dressed in a hospital gown, being forced backwards out of the upper floors of a hospital window as she is attacked by a demon like creature. A moment before she had been in Donna Milton’s room waiting for her friend to get back from surgery when a sudden ripping pain had thrown her against the window. Then the glass had broke and she had found herself hurtling through the cold air towards the ground as the creature continued to claw out her.
Although the beast appeared to have wings it apparently could only manage to carry its own weight and had no additional lift ability. So it too plummeted downwards with her in free fall. Her own flying ability had been slowly returning in fits and starts. if she could just summon a little bit of it she might be able to force the two against the building.
The Amazon Princess manages to find just enough of her flight power to direct them both through a window into the hospital canteen. Now, with a place she could stand she uses this leverage to throw her opponent off her.
She uses her legs to hurl the creature against the wall. She turns to face it, using a chair leg as a weapon. As the beast bites through the chair legs she is sure that this demon is no animal in origin and is in fact human, filled with a deep, killing rage. She knows she must waste no time and strike quickly before it destroyed her and the hospital.
She wraps her arms around its neck, squeezing hard. If the creature was human it could feel fear…pain…and it could die! But as she endeavors to choke it to death it suddenly erupts into fire and she just manages to hurl the flaming corpse to the floor. As quickly is it had started the threat was over leaving only the smell of sulphur…and questions…
Meanwhile across town Randolph and Paulie Longo, who has taken over the outfit following Sazia’s demise, are interviewing a man called John Naissi who tells them he wants to be a super villain. Naissi replies that he wants to join the big league alongside the famous criminal like Joker and Mr. Frost – plus he had heard that Mr Longo was only going to be promoting meta-humans from now on and he wants to be one.
Randolph nods approvingly and a smiling Longo tells the magician that he had been right about the guy and that unlike his former boss Sazia, he knew how to organise and find the right people. That’s why he and Randolph were going to make a great team together. Randolph stands up and asks if Naissi has done the made the necessary sacrifices? The man nods, replying he had killed the people as requested and murdered the cat – the later which he hadn’t enjoyed. With that, Randolph unleashes a magic spell and slowly transforms Naissi into a metal clad creature. As the new “super villain” wonders if he should give himself a fancy name Longo cannot believe how easy it has been and that this is the tenth guy this morning that Randolph has transformed. Longo’s gain is Sazia’s loss.
Randolph then hands his new thug a piece of paper with an address and says that his target can be found there and that he should only find two or three women to deal with. “And you can call yourself Dreadnought if you like.” he adds…
At Diana’s apartment block Camille Sly is watching one of her old swashbuckling movies, reminiscing of the time when she was a famous star nicknamed as the “Douglas Fairbanks in Petticoats”. As she smiles at those happy times she hears a crash downstairs. Intruders!
In the shattered hallway below, two of Randolph’s newest meta thugs have arrived to kidnap locate and kidnap their female targets. But they are surprised to see Camille standing at the top of the stairs with a sword in one hand and a broom in the other!
She warns them that nobody attacks her tenants and that they are all under her protection. One of the thus growls and stomps up the stairs intending to make mince meat of the old lady. But as he stretches out his hands to grab her she expertly slices through his visor, cutting his forehead and temporarily blinding him as his eyes fill with blood from the wound.
As he cries out in pain the other races forward with two daggers in his hands, She slices one of his hands causing him to drop one of the weapons and then quickly ducks down as he tries to slash at her with the other. She uses the broom in her other hand to upend him and sends him tumbling backwards. He lands at the bottom with a sickening crack. One down. One to go.
But she suddenly find her self being grabbed by the other thug who intends to revenge his comrade but she rams the sword into his chest. He lets go of her and she uses the broom to upend him and as he tries to remove the blade still stuck in his upper chest he tips forward and lands face first, which forces the blade all the way through his body killing him. Camille wipes away the sweat from her brow…
Elsewhere another meta-villain is attacking the police station. As the heavily armoured thus tears through the building sending cops flying and seemingly impervious to their bullets. Indelicato reloads and and says to his colleague that this makes no sense. Why would this guy try and attack a police station full of armed cops? His colleague replies “I think he’s after you inspector.”
Unaware of the carnage happening across town, Diana is having her burn wounds tended to by the doctor who tells her she has a talent for attracting trouble! Diana asks if she had managed to find anything about her opponent but is told there was nothing less. The doctor adds that she had tried calling the police but all their lines seems to be down including Indelicato’s direct line. The Amazon Princess replies that she is afraid this might be the beginning of some campaign of vengeance against Donna Milton orchestrated by Ares Buchanan’s allies.
As they set off down the corridor together towards the baby unit Diana asks how Donna is doing and is told that her friend has a lot of bleeding as whatever she was shot with did a lot of damage. And she is getting weaker.
Diana is surprised to hear that Donna was only shot once and replies that she was sure that her friend had been shot deveral times – and with a weapon specifically designed to kill meta-humans at that. The doctor replies that she herself had been under stress at that moment time and sometimes its hard to keep events straight.
As they arrive at the incubator where Donna’s baby girl is resting conformably the doctor reassures the unconvinced Diana that Donna is no meta-human as they routinely test for the gene. Diana smiles down at the infant and vows to be there for her whenever she is needed…
At Micah’s favorite drinking establishment meanwhile the private detective finds himself under attack from yet another of Randolph’s meta-villains. As Micah manages to dodge yet another power energy blast he asks his attacker if her owes him money? But the private detective is told that he is not after money. He wants Micah…dead or alive!
Cornering Micah, he raises his hands to unleash another salvo but suddnely cries out in pain as he is blasted with a shotgun by Juice the bartender. The villian erupts into flames as Micah thanks Juice adding “I owe you” and the bartender says “too right you do” pointing at the damage to his bar…
At the Kapatelis residence Quinn Thomas has just pulled up outside and as she walks up the path she notices a patch of grass is smoldering. Suddenly fearing the worst she rushes up to the front door only to see it broken open. She pushes the door open calling out to Julian and Vanessa and sees that the interior has been wrecked. As she walls through into the next room she is horrified to see a battered and bloodied Julia lying propped up against the wall. Barely able to speak she murmurs to Quinn that Nessie has been taken and that they said Diana has to do what they ask or else…
