AVENGERS 2009: THE WAR PART II

By Ralph L. Angelo Jr

Splash page: Jim Rhodes standing on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The waves crash powerfully against the rough-hewn cliffs. The smell of salt fills the air. He's dressed in civvies and obviously in deep thought. The sky is the burning gold we saw last issue

Page 2:

Rhodey: "Time."

Disembodied voice: "11:56 P.M."

Rhodey: (Middle o' the freakin' night and it's bright as day. Another thing we have to thank this mysterious enemy for. Like we need this, now it's tough to get even a good nights sleep.)

Rhodey: "Armor up." (Touches his belt buckle with the first two fingers of his right hand at the same time he speaks)

In a flash of light Jim Rhodes is gone! Replaced by the knight in shining silver and gunmetal grey, WAR MACHINE!

Page 3

With a roar of jet wash War Machine flies up and away. Rhodey covers the five miles inland to the new compound, (the compound which used to be the Las Vegas Grand casino) in about two minutes.

Rhodey looks at the blasted surface of the former adult playground and his heart breaks. He thinks about all those who died when California fell into the ocean during Thanos' last major assault five years earlier. Only the combined powers of the Avengers, the FF and the Defenders were enough to defeat the insane cosmic god. But at what cost. Rae La Coste lived in LA. Jim hadn't seen her in a few years, but they still kept in contact, speaking on the phone once a month or so. He missed her.

(Scene of war Machine landing on the compounds roof, throwing up dust as his jets slow his descent.)

Page4

Rhodey : "Honey I'm home."

Instantly the roof peels back like a great circular eye unfolding open. He lowers through it. Inside we see a just landed quinjet with Hawkeye disembarking.

War Machine: "Evenin' Hawk."

Hawkeye: "Hey Rhodes, see things've been quiet here huh?"

War Machine: "Armor off."(In another flash the suit disappears and Rhodes is back to his civvies) "Yeah Clint. Nothing new here."

Hawkeye: (Obviously impressed by the suit change) "I don't think I'll ever get used to that suit transporter thingie Stark whipped up for the both of you."

War Machine "Yeah, well, it makes things a lot simpler then havin' to carry a briefcase everywhere."

They walk together to the deep recesses of the building, lowering deep underground to the living quarters and command area.

Hawkeye: "One thing I don't understand, how come Stark changes his armor once a week and you've never changed the suit, except for that one time when you lost it and had that weird alien thing?"

Page 5

Rhodey: "Why mess with perfection? Want to know the truth? This thing is constantly updated as much as Tonys' is. But where I go for pure power and durability, Tone goes for everything he can, stealth, speed, strength . . . Basically he's a stealth strike plane, able to fly four times the speed of sound. I'm a modern, fast tank, rumbling my way through things, smashing and blasting'em outta the way."

Hawkeye: "Cool"

Rhodey: " Nothings cool anymore buddy, not this week. Maybe never again."

Hawkeye: "Hey Rhodes! No more doom and gloom. We got jobs to do, we do'em period. When we kick this guys butt, whoever he is then everything'll be back to normal."

Rhodey: "Wish I could be that confident Clint."

Page 6

They walk into a huge command center. Here we see Living Lightning, Spider woman, US Agent, Photon, Hercules and Darkhawk.

Herc: "Greetings my friends! How are you this evening? How was your trip back to us good Hawkeye? Uneventful I hope? "

Hawkeye looks at Herc and smiles. Since he regained his immortality, he's been on a constant high he thinks.

Hawkeye: " I'm fine big guy, nothing to be concerned with. The mid west team has things well under control in the nations interior."

DarkHawk: "Well that's good to hear, like we all care anyway."

Photon:"Hey DarkHawk, what's with that attitude all the time? Can it. We need to concentrate on getting things done positively, not having someone whining in our ears to distract us."

DarkHawk : " Well I'm sorry miss Mary freakin' Sunshine, maybe I'll just go out and bust some heads if I'm bringing you down."

Without another word he flies upward and out the opening iris above.

Page 7

Hawkeye: "What's his problem? I mean besides the usual stuff?"

Living Lightning: "Well amigo, when the dome of fire went up yesterday, Chris was in his dark Hawk aspect, and now can't change back. Unless that dome of fire goes down, he's stuck as Dark Hawk."

Hawkeye: "Well I could see that bein' a thorn in the butt. Maybe he's got a good reason then, but to me he's just cryin' as usual"

Spider woman: "Maybe to you Clint, but you've never seen his face under that thing."

Hawkeye: "Oh."

War Machine: "Hey gang, I'm turning in for the night. See you all in the morning."

Hawkeye: " 'night Jim."

Rhodes walks off to his quarters.

Hawkeye: "Hey Julia, want to go catch a late night vid? I think we can tune in the last Star Wars flick for the hundredth time."

Page 8

Spider woman: "Sorry Clint, I think I'm going to shadow Powell* and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

*Chris Powell is the Amulet wielding Darkhawk

Hawkeye: "Webs, don't nursemaid the guy. He's got it a little rough right now, let'im work it out on his own."

Spiderwoman: "Clint, maybe you don't remember what it was like when you lost your wife, but Chris lost his whole family when California dropped to the bottom of the ocean."

Hawkeye: "No Jules, I haven't forgotten, I know what the kid was feeling. What a thing, take your family to Disneyland to die. "

Hawkeye stands shaking his head for a moment

Hawkeye: "C'mon Julia, I'll go with you, let's find the punk."

They ascend the elevator to the top floor, then Hawkeye and Spider woman board his skycycle and fly into the night.

Hercules: " Hhhmph, Methinks I should be going with them as well, and they did not even offer."

Page 9

Darkhawk flies above the burned Nevada skyline. As in New York fires burn in overturned cars, buildings are devastated and pandemonium reins supreme.

EEEEEeeeeeeeeeeee~!

Darkhawk: "What the . . . ?"

Diving down he enhances his vision with the alien suits powers and targets the source of the scream, a young woman carrying groceries, being dragged into an alleyway by five thugs. With a ferocious slap one of the hoods silences the sobbing woman

Thug 1: "Shuddup witch, you are nice to us, you live. Otherwise, we have our fun the other way."

He pops a switchblade. But that's all he gets a chance to do, suddenly and silently with a whoosh, he disappears

Page 10

Thug 2: "Bennie? Where is ya man? Stop scarin' us, where is ya?

Darkhawk: "Where he'll never bother anyone again you piece of garbage."

A brutal kick sends the second hood flying into a brick wall, he slumps to the ground unconscious. The others attack. They converge on their target, all carry some sort of weapon. Beneath his mask Powell smiles.

Dark Hawk: (I'm going to enjoy this)

A savage punch lifts another punk into the air, shattering his collar bone on impact.

Darkhawk: "Three down, who's next? "

The remaining two look at Darkhawk and attack as one unit.

Darkhawk : "Perfect."

He fires his amulet blast directly at the two thugs, blasting the punks out of the alleyway and into the street, unconscious before they hit the ground.

He turns to the young woman

Page 11

Darkhawk:"You okay Miss?

She eyes him suspiciously, then nods and walks away, quickly.

Darkhawk: "Great, I scared her almost as much as those punks did."

Off page voice: "Maybe if you weren't so brutal you wouldn't ve."

Darkhawk looks up and sees Hawkeye and Spider woman in the skycycle above.

Spider woman: "You've got to admit you could've done that a little less savagely."

Cut to the same cliffs we saw earlier. Out of the oceans depths suddenly come a force of armed men. Their skin color is blue. In the lead is a big man, wearing a horned war helmet. His name is Attuma

Page 12

Morning comes to the compound,

Hercules: "Good morning my friends! Did you all sleep well?"

Herc enters the command center. Behind him is a clock reading 10:00 a.m., U S Agent is at the monitor, going through several field reports and casualty lists the army has compiled. Photon stands at the monitor looking on, sipping coffee. Both turn at Hercs greeting.

US Agent: "Morning big guy, ready for another quiet day of watching the empty screens?"

Herc: "Bah! I crave action as well as the rest friend Agent, but it will come to us, let there be no doubt."

Photon " Action is something we could actually do without here. The last offensive by the one globe left us in bad shape in some areas of the new coast line, that's why we're here."

Page 13

Suddenly a blaring sound emits from the speakers above their heads, all turn as one toward the monitors as a scene of horror fills the screens. Blue skinned Atlanteans rampaging through the streets of Nevada.

Herc: "By Zeus, there be thousands of them!"

US Agent: "Well you wanted action, looks like you got it. Lets gather the others."

Within minutes all the West Coast Avengers currently at the base are present

War Machine: "People, we're missing the Hawk brothers and Julia."

Living Lightning: "What? Where could they be? Computer show us our missing friends."

The computers' answer was chilling, the heroes never returned from a night patrol.

Page 14

Photon: "Great. Undermanned and against a few thousand Atlanteans. Better call the President and let him know about the invasion."

War Machine: " He's not the only one we should call. Lets see if any other team doesn't have its hands full at the moment."

War Machine begins to contact the various other super teams in the background as Monica contacts President Jameson.

Photon: "......and that's the situation sir."

Jameson: "Good lord, I'll get an air force strike team out there immediately as well as some ground troops."

Photon : "Mr. President, the ground troops are definitely needed, but I don't see us needing to burn what's left of Nevada to the ground with air strikes.

Jameson: "I beg your pardon dear woman, but I am President of this great nation and I will make the command decisions here. You dang super people are always trying to run things your own way as it is. Do you some good to learn the chain of command."

Photon :" Excuse YOU President Jameson, but I know the chain of command. I was a harbor cop before all this nonsense ever started as well as a business owner. You're not running your damn newspaper anymore sir, this is a whole lot bigger and I feel for you with the pressure you must be under, I really do. BUT I've been from one end of the galaxy to the other and saved this planet with my fellow Avenger - Including Spiderman - (At this Jameson practically bristles with fury) more times then anyone will ever know. So I suggest you try a little better to understand me and my ilk. We're the ones as much as the troops who're holding this nation together right now."

Page15

Jameson says nothing for a moment. His angry eyes bore into Monicas' and then he simply says

Jameson:" Carry on Photon."

And shuts down his end of the transmission.

Cut to the blasted desert landscape surrounding Las Vegas. In the distance you see a cloud of dust rising. It begins to get closer. You think it's a dust storm or such until it comes into view.

Atlantean troops as far as the eye can see. Attuma on a floating step with a railing around it commands his warriors.

Attuma : Forward my brave fellows! Destroy all that you see! I claim this land for Atlantis and the One Globe!

Off panel voice: "That's far enough bone head."

Floating in the air in front of Attuma is War Machine.

Page 16

War Machine: "Now why don't you and your kiddies turn around and take this party back where it came from, before I decide it's time to make last call?"

Attuma: "Arrogant dog, you'll do no such thing while I have this!"

Several soldiers bring forth a bound and gagged Hawkeye and Spiderwoman. Darkhawk is nowhere to be seen.

War Machine: (Well that answers that question as to where they were)

War Machine: "Last chance to surrender bone head, otherwise this is gonna get ugly fast, not that you need any help in the ugly department."

Attuma: "Your human witticisms aren't lost on Attuma Dolt, and you will pay for them when I peel your tin suit off you with my bare hands."

War Machine: "Okay bone head, you had your chance. Photon, Lightening, let's do it."

Page 17

Suddenly in a flashh of light from under the sand come two streaks of energy,one of pure electricity that blasts through all the troops, the other as infrared radiation that does the same.

In the flash of an eye more then half of the Atlantean troops are unconscious, and those that are left awake are in bad shape.

Attuma :"NNNNNNOoooooooooo!"

With a crazed leap he throws himself off his floating platform at War Machine, but before he can get anywhere near him a powerful hand gabs his ankl;e and slams Attuma to the ground by it.

Herc: "Foolish sea urchin, the Prince of Power bids you welcome! Come, let us play!"

Page 18

Attuma throws himself at Hercules and the two begin trading awesome blows.

War Machine: (Through his communicator) "Lightning, are you and Monica okay? What's your status?"

Living Lightning: "We're fine amigo, just catching our breath. That stunt took a lot out of both of us. Photon seems in worse shape then me though."

War Machine: "Monica, you okay hon? "

Photon: "J-just give m-me a minute Rhodes."

War Machine : "Miguel, watch her back."

Lightning: "Si Amigo . I'll watch her like she was my own Nina."

War Machine: "Okay sport, I've got other problems heading my way."

Page 19

On War Machines imaging system he could see several dozen sleek attack craft rising out of the Pacific and flying toward them.

War Machine: "Agent, what's your status? ."

US Agent: "Up to my armpits in fishmen."

Scene of The Agent grabbing one by the throat, while firing off a photon shield into several more, as dozens surround him.

War Machine: "I'll get you help as soon as I can"

US Agent: "Don't worry about me tinhead, do what you gotta. Everything here is under control."

Agent fires off another salvo of the disc shaped photon Shields.

Page 20

Cut to the two Atlanteans holding Hawkeye and Spiderwoman.

Atlantean 1: " Our warlords plan works admirably. They haven't attacked us as yet."

Atlantean 2: "Of course not you dolt! We hold their friends, why would they harm them?"

Both begin steady laughter when suddenly and silently a hand grabs each of them by the back of their steel uniforms, crushing them into a handhold and lifting them into the air

DarkHawk: well now that you no longer have my friends what's going to protect you hhhmmm?"

For the sake of the weak of constitution we now cut back to War Machine. Rhodey stands in mid air, floating in front of the oncoming fleet.

Page 22

War Machine:"Last warning suckers, turn it around or get dropped."

They answer by firing off salvos of lasers and such

War Machine swoops in, avoiding the blasts and returning fire, first from his repulsers, then from his back mounted pulse cannon.

War Machine: (This is tougher then I thought. These guys are precision troopers and some of these blasts are startin' to find their mark.)

A large ship rises up from behind the others, easily three times the size of its companions.

War Machine : "Uh oh."

Page23

Cut to Dark Hawk tearing the steel cables off of Spiderwoman and Hawkeye

DarkHawk: "Wake up you two, c'mon."

Hawkeye: "Easy there tough guy, they zapped us with something pretty good, I can barely stand."

Dark Hawk: "Great."

Suddenly War Machines voice fills dark hawks helmet.

War Machine: "I need some help here people. I've got big trouble."

Darkhawk; " Dark Hawk here War Mach, I'm on my way."

War Machine: "Great to hear you kid, now get over here. Quick."

Page 24

Living Lightning: "We are coming as well War Machine."

War Machine: "Then hurry it up Miguel, how's Photon?"

Photon:" I'm fine Rhodes, just save some for us."

War Machine:" NO problem there Monica, plenty to go 'round."

The three streak off into the sky towards the spot where War Machine is.

Cut to Hercules

Herc: " I give thee credit villain, thou art a true warrior, I salute thee!" (As he slams Attuma 10 yards backwards with a devastating uppercut.)

Attuma shakes his head from side to side to clear the cobwebs, then throws himself back at Hercules.

Attuma: "Idiotic godling, Attuma will defeat you, no matter your strength, I have beaten Namor the Sub Mariner himself!"

Herc: "Aye, perhaps that is true, or perhaps not. Either way you are no SubMariner!"

Another devastating punch from Herc throws Attuma upwards. As he begins to come down Herc fires off a tremendous right and blasts Attuma away.

Page 25

War Machine is under fire from the large vessel, each miss boils the ocean with its passing.

War Machine : "Ain't this great guys?"

Living Lightning: "It depends on how you define "Great " my friend."

Lightening zigs and blasts several of the smaller craft as he speaks

Photon: "I'm going for the big one Rhodes, let's take it out together."

War Machine: "You got it hon."

War machines back mounted missile launcher comes up and online, he fires off a massive explosive warhead that Pulverizes the side of the ship. Then he fires at high speed his repulsors, and his pulse cannon.

Photon :"Leave some for me Jimmy."

Photon turns into an electro magnetic beam and flies through the ship, frying at least momentarily all the electronics. Slowly the great ship begins to turn as it loses all power and almost in slow motion it falls beneath the waves with a shuddering splash.

War Machine: "Good job crew. Lets get back to Hawkeye and the others. They're still out manned by the hundreds, and even with Herc there, it may be way to much for 'em. Darkhawk you go ahead of us."

DarkHawk :"I'm there War Machine, and By the way, good job."

War Machine :" You too kid." As DarkHawk dissapears ahead of the others

Living Lightning: " Rhodey! Come quick! Monica, she never came up out of the ship!

Scene of War Machine standing above the water obviously scanning for the ship that disappeared using his suits systems.

War Machine: "What? Monica! Monica! MONICAAAAA!!!!!!"

Next: Where is Photon? Where are the promised troops? How long can The west Coast Avengers hold out ?