Pendragon Comics - The Pendragons #102

The Pendragons

Issue #102

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

The Thigg Brothers, Lloyd and Dai were sat about their room, playing poker and waiting for the oncoming storm.

They were part of the inner circle of the Crey Gang, Great Britain's most wanted criminal organisation, run by 'Glowie' Crey. Nobody knew his first name, not even his girlfriend, and second in command of the group, Marian Gledin. The four of them were the main figures in the infamous Crey Gang, a group with a reputation that had put them amongst the most wanted in the entire United Kingdom, and they'd been linked to various crimes – robbery, blackmail, drug dealing and more, and that was the tip of the iceberg. They were the Crey Gang and the others under them, their henchmen, and assorted rogues and thugs were the gang through intimidation and the persuasive powers of 'Glowie' Crey, a man who had up to now been one step ahead of the law at every step. It wasn't all him, as law enforcement had been hard pressed to catch them, as they were still quite stretched during the rebuild of the UK after the Martian Wars but in the last few days and months things had changed.

The Earth had been reformatted to a certain extent and the planet was in a more natural state. There was still magic and there was still science, but the Earth was fertile, natural and the damage done after years of abuse by humanity and the wanton carnage of the aliens had been undone. The Inter-Regional Taskforce had had their hands full on way or another, dealing with other things, but it seemed that the old problems were behind them and under the guidance of Commander Tyrone Wilding, the IRT were getting back in to the game in an operational effectiveness reminiscent of the Dai Thomas era.

With this in mind, things had become a lot easier for law enforcement and become a lot trickier for the criminal element. They had been safe in this mansion in the village of St Fagan's on the outskirts of Cardiff, but it was not the local law enforcement or the IRT that was the problem but the Pendragons, or specifically Captain Britain and Union Jaq. The confrontation with the Phoenix had been intense and exhausting and now they were turning their attention to the criminal element in a way that had not been done since the first Captain Britain had been seen in the United Kingdom. It was obviously not the same man as he had once been as the last one had been a woman, but that did not mean that the new one was any less effective. The latest person to put on the suit was a little more ruthless than the others, and he was certainly more aggressive.

"I've never gone against a Cap before," said Lloyd as he looked over his hand. Dai kept silent. He'd been a junior with Vixen's organisation, long, long ago. He'd been there when they'd staged their foolhardy assault on Braddock Manor, when Jamie Braddock and Sat-yr-Nin had gone after Excalibur. He'd seen the Braddock Captain in a rage, and from the word on the street, this Captain seemed to have a permanent mad-on. "Hope Glowie knows what he's doing..."

"Me too," Dai answered, and turned his gaze to the wall that was being pounded against from the other side, and he could hear from that and from her screams of pleasure that Glowie and Marian were screwing. Marian was a nymphomaniac, there was no mistake about it, and the only thing that got her off more was killing. "Wish we had a different room," he muttered. "Can't concentrate on the cards..."

Then the pounding stopped and Lloyd sniggered. "Guess they heard you." Dai shook his head. He hoped not, because if she'd heard him, Marian would tear out his throat...

Next door Glowie was on his back, resting after their latest session as Marian racked her nails down his chest, drawing blood. She liked seeing Glowie's blood because it literally sparkled with power, but she knew that this was their last sex session. The Captain was coming, and there was nothing they could do, so she and Glowie were making sure they enjoyed their freedom one last time, but she also knew that they weren't going down easily.

"Anytime soon," Glowie said. "He'll probably have her with him, the other one." Captain Britain and Union Jaq had been cutting a swath through the underworld, making up for their self-perceived failings in the last fight and they'd put a serious cramp in the operations, so Glowie had left a trail for them to find. He had a surprise or two ready for them when they got here and then he pushed Marian out of the bed. Playtime was over. "Put some clothes on, you silly bitch, let's get ready for the party..."

Pete Wisdom was waiting in Latveria with the guards around Dream Summers, watching as Feron entered the meeting room to talk to the World Council about her fate. He was here as a favour to Pen Dragon, so if he couldn't make it then he would pretend to be him and speak on his behalf. He was a bit wary of his alternate self, but he knew how he thought and what his values were, so if he believed in Dream Summers, so did he. Then there was a strange groaning noise and he turned to see Doom standing there, but Doom was inside his chamber so this had to be a Doombot.

"Powered by magic?" Pete mused and then he was amazed to see hear alarms sound as the front of the Doombot opened up and Dragon's Claws emerged from the front of the machine. "What the hell?" The guards stood no chance as Kylun and Elsa took them down in a flurry of fists and swords and before Pete could do anything, Wynter and Meggan had taken Dream inside the Doombot and Pen stood there and gave him a piece of paper.

"Give Jessica this. Tell her I'm sorry." Then he headed back in to the Doombot and the whirring groaned, the Doombot's eyes flashed with an eerie light and the Doombot had gone, leaving Wisdom stood there in stunned amazement.

"What the hell just happened?" he said as he looked at the note just as the council emerged from the chamber.

"They came from nowhere," said Wisdom, softly. "They came out of a Doombot, took everyone out and took her and were gone."

Pete handed Jessica a note, which she read then screwed it up. "I'll kill him..."

Wisdom looked at them. "I owe you one celestial avatar – PD." He looked at Jessica. "He said he was sorry."

"I'll bloody KILL HIM!" Jessica exploded and Feron and Pete looked at each other, never having seen her this apoplectic with someone before. "Get word to the UK, tell them the moment that Pen Dragon shows up he's to be arrested and shoved in to the deepest, darkest prison in Darkmoor until I can be bothered to KICK HIS ASS!"

"We were going to find Dream innocent of crimes against humanity due to mitigating circumstances," said Magnus, softly as he and the other members of the World Council held an impromptu discussion in the hallway. "This changes things."

"It does indeed," said Doom. "Never before has someone dared such an assault within my castle. I demand that when Pen Dragon is taken he is turned over to me."

"Done," said Jessica without hesitation and she looked at Feron and Wisdom. "Have you told the Pendragons yet?" The two men looked at each other. "JUST DO IT!"

Feron and Wisdom headed for the roof where Feron would use his magic to contact Darkmoor. This was not going to go down well with anyone...

"That's the place," said Joey as he and Jackie hovered above the building that the Inter-Regional Taskforce had reported as the hideout of the Crey Gang. It was a large house that had formerly been a large natural history museum, but it had been damaged during the Martian invasion and the people had relocated to Cardiff. It wasn't quite a ruined old house, but it was.

"I loved this place when it was a museum," said Jackie, wistfully. "Arrogant bastards, taking such a place and using it..." She trailed off, thinking that there was an element in the world that no longer cared about the history of the planet, and that what had happened in the recent past outweighed the things that had happened in the distant past. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Jackie smiled back at him. "How about age before..." Joey gave a proper laugh and she realised what she was saying. "Oh, forget it." She shot off and Joey knew he was never going to match her speed.

"Leave some for me!" he called as he flew after her. There were a few guards on the outside of the property, but by the time he'd caught up to her, she'd taken care of them and they'd not even had chance to cry out or fire off a shot.

"The Crey Gang," she said, shaking her head in disappointment. "You'd think that..." The gardens lit up around them as powerful spotlights came to life and they had to shield their eyes from the glare. Nothing in nature was that powerful which meant they were using some kind of technology.

"Captain Britain and Union Jaq," a voice boomed out, and they looked at each other, knowing it had to be Glowie Crey, but there was something oddly familiar about the voice. "We've been expecting you..." Automatic weapons fired at them and the bullets simply bounced off the forcefields that were generated by the uniforms they wore and they looked at each other. "So you are every bit as invulnerable as your predecessors," the voice continued. "Impressive. Queen Elisabeth has chosen you well." That got Joey and Jackie's attention – not everyone would know exactly how they'd gotten their powers and even less would know from whom they were bestowed. "Take them!"

The guards came at them and Joey drew his sword as Jackie started to move at high velocity. They were trying to kill them so Joey had little regards for mercy in this instance and he was as clinical and deadly with the sword as he had been with his pistols as Union Jack, but then the normal guards disappeared only to be replaced by guards, wearing a dark green armour, with glowing red eyes.

"STRIKE's version of the Mandroid," she answered. "Anti-superhuman squads, seen during the first Jaspers Warp, when the UK was under his domination and there were concentration camps and the rest. They didn't have energy weapons though, back then."

"So they've been touched up, they're still antiques," said Joey and he deflected the blasts with his sword, and they were sent back towards. "STRIKE..." He'd heard of them, the Special Tactical Response for International Key Emergencies but they had been disbanded after they'd been taken over by the crime lord Vixen, and replaced by the Weird Happenings Organisation. "Bunch of fucking muppets..." Joey's arrogance caused him to grow lax and one of the Beetles managed to grab hold of him, working through the forcefield and putting the armoured hands around his throat and began to squeeze, pitting armour against armour. Joey struck back, hitting it once, twice, three times with a head butt and the third seemed to stagger it and it released at which point he slammed his fist in to it throwing it back where it exploded in a shower of sparks.

"Joey Chapman?" the voice said. "Is that you in the suit? Then that must be the delightful Jackie? Oh, I am glad I prepared for this now..."

"Who the hell is he?" muttered Joey as he watched his wife work through the enemy and he'd had enough. He pulled back his arm and threw the sword, and it spun through the air, slicing and striking at the Beetles as it flew, hacking and damaging the armours before returning to his hand and the compromised suits also exploded, leaving the place awash with flames and only he and Jackie were left standing in the middle of it. "IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT, CREY!?" he shouted at the voice. "I'VE HARDER SHITS!"

"Tut tut, Joseph, you've got a hell of a temper these days," said Crey. "Is the power too much for you? Let's face it; you're not exactly Brian Braddock, are you?"

"Who cares?" said Joey. "I'm going to take this place apart brick by brick until I FIND YOU, CREY!"

From out of the darkness two figures stepped – Lloyd and Dai Thigg. In the light and devastation they seemed to be rather weak specimens and Joey chuckled.

"No," said Lloyd. "You're making me angry. You wouldn't like us when we're angry..."

"I've fought alongside the guy who coined that phrase," said Joey, "and you two are no..." The words began do die in his throat as Lloyd and Die began to change colour, taking on a green hue and their bodies began to grow larger and more muscular as they did so. "Hulks. Oh crap..."

Molly's eyes opened wide, as she felt the presence of Bruce Banner, but before the Barrier had fallen he had found peace and calm. What she felt now was pure rage, a rage beyond even the most savage moments that he had previously been the Hulk and for a moment the sheer primal anger caused her to lose concentration and she plummeted from the sky, only just gaining her control back before she hit the ground.

Bruce was alive, and out there somewhere, she could feel him and then she felt in her mind what was happening with Joey and Jackie – they had just come across two gamma spawned juggernauts and she knew that they would be the clue as to what had happened to Bruce, but right now her friends were going to need the other available Pendragons, but who was there? Kaine was in back in America but, Jessica, Feron and Wisdom were in Latveria, so that left her and Kate, who had just returned from London, and she sped in to the city to find her, so they could use the Box of Delights and get to Joey and Jackie before they were killed...

Kate was in Wynter's Darkmoor sanctum, which was being transferred from Darkmoor to Dorneywood, where he was working as a member of the Dragon's Claws, looking for a certain manuscript. She knew he had it, and it would aid her in finding a way to Avalon, so they could confront the Green Knight about the curse of the Pendragons, and somehow work to remove the taint that was a part of the Blessing. They were fated to die or live with personal tragedy, and she could not believe that the Green Knight had allowed them all to be like this.

She needed to find what she knew Wynter possessed – The Chronicle of Avalon, a history of the Pendragons. He had compiled it himself and it was in several volumes, and she was aware the later volumes were at Dorneywood, but she needed the earlier tomes. She needed to find out what roads there were to Avalon, to find out how to undo this curse and she pulled the first volume from one of the cabinets. This was going to take some reading, and she wished Wynter was here to help her, but she had used to Box to go to Dorneywood and found only broken windows and the Claws were not home, so now she was here doing this by herself.

"Molly?" Kate answered. "What's wrong?" Molly told her what was going on telepathically as she headed for where Kate was.

"We need to get the others, Joey and Jackie are in trouble." Suddenly Molly was there in full Phoenix mode. "Can you use the Box to get us to Latveria?"

"Of course," said Kate, and she put the book on the edge of the table and pulled the Box from her pocket. "Hold on..." she said and they were on their way in a flash, but as they left the book fell to the floor and a page slipped from it and drifted under the bookcase unnoticed by anyone.

"He did what?" Adam Crown shouted as Feron transmitted what had gone down in Latveria. If he had been able to stand, he would have done, but this would damage relations beyond anything. It had taken him some time to get to the mystical gemstone they were using for long range communications using the wheelchair.

"Jessica wants him arrested when he returns," said Feron. "I've instructed the guards to send word to all police and law agents."

"Thank you," said Adam, knowing if Feron had waited there would have been a much larger delay, and he closed his eyes in sorrow at what had happened. "This was not what we planned." He and Jessica had been working on a solution to the Phoenix crisis and now it was all blown to hell. "Idiot. There's going to be hell to pay for this."

"Kate?" said Feron suddenly and Adam looked up and around, not seeing her anywhere nearby.

"I'm here," said Kate, using the crystal. "I'm sorry Adam, we have to go, Joey and Jackie need the Pendragons, and quickly. I'll explain later" The connection was broken and Adam closed his eyes. He felt like half a man, trapped in a wheelchair, unable to represent his country, unable to help his friends.

"I don't know what to do," he whispered. "Help me, Ginny..." But there was no reply from her or the Green. There hadn't been since the Phoenix crisis, and Adam wondered if the changes that Dream had wrought had done something to the Green.

Anthony Stephenson staggered and stumbled down a backstreet of London, clutching at a stab-wound, trying to keep the blood from pouring out of his gut, but to no avail. He wasn't going to be missed if he died, he knew that, but he wanted to live. His parents had died in Martian invasion and he'd got nothing and nobody who knew of him. He was an administrative clerk in a small firm and he'd never been noticed by anyone, except the mugger who had wanted his watch. He'd refused to give it and had paid the price. In a crowded street nobody had noticed him being stabbed, had noticed him bleeding or staggering down the alleyway.

The song Mr Cellophane was echoing in his head as he collapsed to the floor and he looked up at the sky.

"Help me," he pleaded to whoever was in charge of things and then he felt a wave of peace come over him and he closed his eyes and his spirit left his body. As it did so, the man who had been Anthony Stephenson passed another spirit who entered what had been his corpse but he could hear a voice telling him everything would be fine, and that he wouldn't be ignored again and he believed it to be true and surrendered to the light what surrounded him. He had thought it would be a bright white light, not one with a green tint.

On the floor the corpse opened it's eyes and looked down as the wound in the stomach healed up and he got to his feet. This was only a temporary host, but desperate times called for desperate measures. The Bane had Avalon, and he needed to get the Pendragons and take Avalon back once more. The Green had used the last vestiges of free power he had to make this happen, and he would make sure the Knight's faith was not in vain.

He looked at a pane of glass and he knew that wasn't his face, so he focused, drawing on the power within him and he looked again. It was good to be alive again, but there was work to do and Peter Hunter stepped out of the alley and wondered where he was and just how he was going to get to Darkmoor...

"Where the hell are they?" asked Joey as Dai's fist smashed him to the floor. He had avoided it for long enough, but he couldn't do it forever and this was bad. The two of them were no match for two Hulks. Hell, he doubted the Pendragons combined could take even one of them, but they needed help and quickly, and he knew Molly was getting the others. It was nice to have telepathic backup again, but they had relied so much on Shevaun so much for getting around.

"On the way," said Jackie. "We just need to keep going until they get here," she replied.

"Try not to kill them yet," Crey's voice echoed and something registered in Joey's mind. He knew where he had heard the voice before.

"Oh God," he said, pausing a moment in his horror at the Pendragons having forgotten that he was out there. There had just been so much happening and so much time had passed. "It's Winthrop. Glowie Crey is Clive Winthrop..."

Then he realised he'd done it again, paused in the middle of a fight and once again he'd left himself open and the Hulk that was Dai Thigg slammed him repeatedly with both fists...

Next Issue: The Pendragons take on the Hulklings as Clive Winthrop watches on, but where is Bruce Banner and what part does he have to play in all this? Plus more on the return of Albion...

Yeah, they're all starting to make comebacks now, aren't they? Clive Winthrop and the Hulk were always in my head, but Peter's comeback took even me by surprise. There's much to be done though before Albion and the Pendragons are going to be reunited, so hang on tight! Anyway, here's a quick note from our Legacy and Young Pendragons scribe Joe Connell:

Sometimes you just get on a roll and I'm going to try and get an issue of both series out as close together as possible and as often as possible! Pendragons as a site is on a roll and the flagship title (and it's companion!) should be out there as well.

I'm envious. I'm way behind.

You did loads for Pendragons #100 and Young Pendragons has just seen a new issue. You're just building up speed.

I'm confused. The Green's blessing is now a curse?

The Blessing is still a Blessing, but base humanity has tainted it over the centuries. Everything has a price and lets be honest the Pendragons have had more than their fair share of tragedy over the years.

The 'Claws off on another Kross-Tyme Kaper in a TARDIS?

Yeah, that's pretty much it. Makes it interesting and gets us in to the Time War quite easily, as well as putting some distance between the series again.

I truly fear what might be coming next. Do NOT keep us waiting too long, please. I'm on pins and needles for it.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the issue, there's been a few surprises this issue and I hope you liked what you saw and are as eagerly awaiting the next one, and yes, I have started work on the new issues, but if you have any comments, you can reach me as always at dewheatley@yahoo.com. See you next time.