Titans of Justice Unlimited #40 – “Crisis: Omen of the Phoenix Part 7”
Written & Art by: Scotty2Hotty
Edited & Maxi-Micros by: Power Guy


Marvel Earth...


Power Guy soared through the sky, carrying Spider Girl in his arms. She had talked almost non-stop since they departed Avenger’s headquarters. Soon, they would arrive at their destination, the Baxter Building, to retrieve the orange gem.

“So anyway, I can do everything my mother does. Venom blasts, immunity to poisons and radiation, pretty much invulnerable, I can fly although nowhere near as fast as you can so again, thanks for the lift. Oh, I can also do one thing my mother can’t – create bio-electric webs from my finger-tips.” She smiled.





“That’s certainly interesting.” Power Guy noted, noticing Spider Girl kept snuggling closer to him.





“Most men find themselves irresistibly attracted to me. Tell me, how long have you and Satanna dated?”

“Her name is actually Sargona and we’ve known each other a very long time.” Power Guy said, becoming irritated with the young woman’s questions.

Thankfully, the Baxter Building came into view.

“Look, there’s the Baxter Building. It used to be home to the Fantastic Four. They were a MAJOR super hero group way back in the day. Now the building is kind of a super hero museum, but there is a top-secret facility underneath. That’s where we’ll find the gem. Mr. Fantastic hid it there years ago.”

Power Guy was amazed at the stories of the heroes of this world. Much like his earth, the heroes of this earth got their start in World War II and their legacies continued to this day. He landed softly on the roof of the building and sat Spider Girl down. She smoothed her hair and led Power Guy through a secret entrance, descending deep underneath the Baxter Building.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. maintains the facility. They keep things here that no one quite knows how to handle.” Spider Girl explained as the duo made their way to security checkpoint. She produced her Avengers ID card.

“Good afternoon.” The female security guard gestured. “Can I help you?”

‘”Yes, you can. Spider Girl here, top security clearance and this is my new friend, Power Guy.” We need to collect something. It is of the utmost importance!”

Power Guy cringed at Spider Girl’s overly dramatic statements—and he noticed he was beginning to feel an unexplained animosity towards her. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He felt like he was developing a fever.

“That’s impossible.” He thought. “Probably just a side effect of the dimensional travel. Surely they can’t be curating kryptonite here.”

“Your friend doesn’t look so well….in fact he’s turning purple.” The guard replied.

Spider Girl walked over to Power Guy. “Hey, are you ok?” She gasped as she saw that his skin had turned purple.

“NEVER BETTER!” Power Guy muttered, punching Spider Girl and sending her crashing through a barbed security fence.

The guard stepped forward and revealed her true identity. “Ah, the boys at S.H.I.E.L.D are getting careless these days. Anyone can sneak in here!” she giggled removing her disguise.

“Persuasion!” Spider Girl shouted, stumbling to her feet. She shot a venom blast in her direction, which Persuasion dodged.

“Power Guy! Did you see how Spider Girl tried to hurt me? Doesn’t that make you angry?” the purple skinned woman laughed.

“It makes me very angry!” Power Guy said, aiming his heat vision at Spider Girl. She jumped out of the way and crawled across the ceiling.

“Now, while these two kill each other, I can get the gem!” Persuasion said quite pleased with herself as she hurried to where the gem was stored. She was met by a group of agents who pointed their weapons at her.

“Oh boys, now you really don’t want to point those weapons at little old me, now do you?” she smiled. Seconds later, the agents all had purple skin and glassy eyes. “Why don’t you all shoot yourselves and stay out of my way!”

Thankfully, the agents’ guns were set to stun and soon they were all unconscious.

Spider Girl scurried through the pipework that covered the ceiling of the underground facility.

“I’ve got to get him away from her or at least in some water. That seemed to work on Persuasion’s victims in the past.”

BOOM! Power Guy’s heat vision ruptured a steam pipe, stunning Spider Girl. She fell to the ground and could hear Power Guy’s steps approaching.

She scurried underneath a security barrier. ‘I’ve got to get him outside—get some distance between him and Persuasion. That’s my best shot and hopefully she won’t have gotten far with the gem.” Spider Girl was beating herself up about Persuasion’s success at diverting them from their task. Just as she was about to scale a wall, she felt something grab her foot. It was Power Guy, eyes glowing red. Against his purple skin, he was terrifying to look at.

WHAM!!!! Power Guy slammed Spider Girl into a set of water pipes, bursting them. He grabbed her by the throat and held her head under the gushing water.

“He’s going to drown me!” she thought, gasping for air. “Only one chance….have to use that move Wolverine showed me….” Spider Girl strained to wrap her legs around Power Guy’s torso. “Now to shift my weight….”

Spider Girl said a silent prayer as she was able to position Power Guy in the direction of the water, which was spraying wildly everywhere. She punched more pipes and soon, Power Guy’s skin was back to normal. The water had interrupted Persuasion’s power.

“What happened to me. It was like my one thought was killing you---I’m so sorry! I don’t know what got into me. They must have some kind of kryptonite here.” The power house said, steadying himself. “And my head is splitting.”

“A side effect of Persuasion’s powers. If we are going to take her down, you are going to have to stay away from her. I have a pheromone power, and it must cancel out any effect she would have on me. I have a plan….”

Soon, Persuasion was running down an alley with the orange gem.

She spoke into her communicator. “Sebastian, come in! I have the gem!” She noticed he was not responding. “No matter, as soon as I can make it to the Hellfire Club’s headquarters, I’m all set! Wonder if they’ll make me the purple queen!” she laughed to herself.

“Orange is not your color.” Spider Girl said, perched from a fire escape.

“What!? How did you escape??” Persuasion screamed. Suddenly, a red bolt shot out of the sky, stopping her in her tracks. She dropped the gem.

“You!” she screamed, seeing Power Guy high in the sky, eyes glowing from the use of his heat vision. He smiled at her and said, “Looks like you could use some cooling off!” He aimed his icy cold breath at Persuasion and soon the villainess found herself encased in solid ice.

“I think it’s safe for you to come down now, big guy!” Spider Girl motioned.

Power Guy picked up the gem. “Good plan, Spider Girl!”

“Thanks! That breath of yours came in quite handy. She’ll be fine---and behind bars once S.H.I.E.L.D. thaws her out!”

Power Guy handed the gem to Spider Girl, lifted her in his arms and flew back to the west coast.

***

Deep in the Florida everglades, Millie Collins-Williams paced frantically. “If this fashion shoot wasn’t enough to worry about, now I am getting messages that my son was involved in a fight with some super villains! That boy is going to be the death of me!” the still beautiful former model sighed.





“Oh Millie! I was a super hero once and I turned out ok. I am sure Scott will be just fine. Besides, he’s not going to take any chances with his face, hahaha!” Patsy Walker laughed.





Millie was the wife of Simon Williams, the original Wonder Man and mother of Scott. She had taken over the Hanover Modeling Agency along with her friend Patsy Walker, the former Hellcat. Both ladies were supervising a photo-shoot showcasing summer fashions.

“I hate the Everglades!” Patsy huffed, swatting a mosquito.

“Me too, but it’s what the client wanted.” Millie replied.

“Did you hear screaming?” Patsy asked. “It sounded like it came from the make-up tent.

Millie and Patsy hurried to the tent. Models, photographers, and assistants were running screaming. Soon, both ladies could see why. Snakes were everywhere! Dropping from the trees, emerging from the ground, even appearing from the sky.

“Looks like we arrived just in time!” came a voice. Sargona had transported herself along with Red Hammer and Kid Comet to the Everglades. The purple gem was supposed to be hidden there by the Sub-Mariner.





“And it looks like we an additional problem!” Kid Comet said, repulsed by the snakes. His stomach was about to turn as he saw the ground covered in a writhing mass of serpents.





Red Hammer assumed his metal form and waded through the sea of snakes, many of them striking him to no avail.





“Please! Help us!” Millie cried as her crew had huddled together. “I know Red Hammer, so you all must be friends of my son!”

“I don’t suppose you know a way to get out back to New York in a hurry?” Patsy asked.

Sargona smiled. “I do! And when you get there have a drink for me. I hate snakes!”

Sargona gestured and said, “seldom nruter yefas emoh!”

In the blink of an eye, Millie, Patsy, the models and crew were safely back at the Hanover agency in New York.

Red Hammer was trying to clear a path, but the snakes kept coming. Sargona could hear snake fangs breaking on his armored skin.

Kid Comet said, “Sargona, Red Hammer…someone else is here. I’m picking up evil thoughts.” Thanks to his telepathy, Kid Comet was able to communicate with Red Hammer, despite his lack of English.

Just then, Red Hammer was lifted into a tree by gigantic serpent like arms. He struggled as Kid Comet and Sargona saw his feet disappear into the tree. The tree rustled and Red Hammer came hurtling out, in his human form. He landed in a nearby swamp where thousands of snakes emerged, wrapping around him and dragging him underwater.

“I hope there is no Legion of Doom in this swamp.” Sargona said.

“No legion. Just doom!” a voice hissed coming from everywhere at once. An elongated neck wrapped around Sargona’s torso. She was face to face with Anaconda. His forked tongue licked her face.





Anaconda’s legs wrapped around Kid Comet, catching him off guard. He struggled to free himself as both he and Sargona were pulled to the ground.

Sargona started to speak.

“Uh-uh, pretty lady. I saw what you did for the models. I have to shut you up!” he laughed, spitting venom in Sargona’s face. “Ah, sssssso pretty, your face frozzzzzzen that way!”

Sargon struggled to speak, but her face, tongue, and vocal chords were paralyzed.

Kid Comet couldn’t think straight, the way he was jostled about. “Got to find something…..” he thought. He turned his head and saw a legion of snakes following them. Anaconda’s body was unbelievable. He slithered along the ground, with Sargona and Kid Comet captured in his arms and legs, his head smoothly looking left and right. Kid Comet noticed him putting his head low to the ground.

“SSSSSSSuccesssssss!” he hissed. My pretty petssss will keep you company while I retrieve the gem!”

“Can’t let him get the gem!” Kid Comet thought. He noticed a rock nearby. Using his powers of telekinesis, he summoned the rock, striking Anaconda in the head.

“Agggh!!!” Anaconda screamed. His head whipped around and he opened his mouth, much like a python.

Kid Comet gasped as he saw Anaconda’s jaws separate, venom dripping from his fangs. ‘Why won’t my telepathy work on him!??” his thoughts raced.

Sargona had seen her share of horrifying things, but this was so unbelievable. She strained to say something.

“His brain…mind must be like a reptile…not human…maybe that’s why Kid Comet can’t mentally stop him.” She thought, struggling within Anaconda’s coils.

“I fed yessssterday, but there’ssssss alwayssss room for more!” Anaconda laughed as he prepared to swallow Kid Comet—whole and alive.

Just then the earth shook. Red Hammer emerged from the swamp throwing snakes left and right. He saw Anaconda about to feed on Kid Comet and ran full force at him. The earth shook with each step Red Hammer took, snakes fell from the trees as he ran. “NAIL!!!!” screamed the Russian hero as he began pummeling Anaconda relentlessly until he sent the snake-villain reeling. Anaconda’s neck looked like a giant rubber band sailing through the air. Red Hammer then shook Sargona and Kid Comet loose. He picked up Anaconda’s body and slammed it multiple times into a bunch of nearby rocks. WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!!!!

Kid Comet noticed the snakes retreating into the water and the mossy depths of the Everglades.

“Thank God! Red Hammer, you are amazing!” Kid Comet said mentally to the behemoth.

“Anaconda tried to hurt you, my friends. I would not let that happen.” He replied.

Sargona felt sensations in her face and realized the paralysis was only a temporary effect.

She hugged Red Hammer and looked into his eyes.

“Friend.” She smiled.

Red Hammer smiled back. Soon, the three of them located the purple gem. Red Hammer carried it. Sargona placed a spell on Anaconda which prevented him from using his powers.

“Red Hammer’s telling me where to send him, Sar. A facility that can hold him.” Kid Comet said.

“Perfect, the sooner I don’t have to see him or be in this humid snake pit, the better!” Sargona said. She sent Anaconda to a prison that dealt with meta-humans and the trio set out to join their teammates.

***

Back on the Titans earth, Wonder Man, Donna Troy, and Apotheosis could not believe what was happening.

“Scott, you guys have to get out of there! They just sent a nuclear missile to destroy the Phoenix. I can’t get there in time to help you!” Mindy Trevor said to her brother over her cell phone.

“Great Hera….” Wonder Man gasped. He explained the situation to his aunt and Apotheosis.





“Oh no….no. Look!” Apotheosis pointed to the sky as the missile came into sight. “I can’t believe they would do this! Has the government lost their minds?”

“Hmph, never doubt the stupidity of your elected officials or your government.” Frost said, assuming his diamond form. He hoped he could survive the blast this way.





Donna Troy could see Phoenix turn in the sky. “Look! Lilith sees it coming towards her!!”





“What is she doing? Is she….laughing??” Apotheosis asked.

Just then the sky turned orange as if it had caught fire. Lilith’s form disappeared and assumed the form of a giant flaming bird. The missile entered the bird.

Wonder Man, Apotheosis, and Donna Troy held their collective breath.

Seconds later, the missile emerged, headed back the direction it came.

Phoenix’s voice boomed. “Small minded humans! Attempting to destroy what they don’t comprehend, what they can’t understand! Sending primitive weapons against their superiors! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!”





Back in Washington D.C, Tom Tressor watched in a monitor screen in horror.

“The missile, she rerouted the coordinates! She’s sending it back here! Impact is IADC headquarters! In 7.5 minutes!!!!!”





“Not if I can help it.” Mindy Trevor thought. IADC agents silently watched their screens as the missile approached. Mindy found a secluded stairwell and transformed into Champion. She ran outside and began twirling her lasso.

“I wish I had listened more to Mother when she told me how she diverted a warhead once. Hera help me….and if I fail…..Grandmother, I will see you soon.”





The missile came into sight as Champion stood firm, lasso twirling.


TO BE CONTINUED!