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Up from the planet Earth rockets a sleek, spaceworthy Avengers quinjet. At the controls, Iron Man and the Jack of Hearts watch as their homeworld recedes in the distance and the Moon looms ahead. Behind them stands Dr. Henry Pym, the Avenger known as Yellowjacket, currently in his civilian guise. JACK OF HEARTS: "I never thought that being your apprentice would bring me to the Moon twice inside of a couple of weeks, Shellhead!" HENRY PYM: "You never know what this line of work will hand you next, Jack." IRON MAN: "Buckle up, gentlemen, because the Blue Area's just ahead, and we're ready for final approach now!" The quinjet swoops down over the surface as, below, eyes follow its motion carefully... Van Plexico Presents "LUNAR ASSAULT!"
The quinjet rockets down over the Lunar surface and comes in for a landing. Nearby looms the giant metallic egg, a strange device apparently constructed by the Colonizers of Rigel.* Watching nearby, several figures stand in shadow. IRON MAN: "We're back in the Blue Area-- the ancient part of the Moon which contains a breatheable atmosphere. So we won't need suits or--" A shout cuts him off, and he whirls. VANGUARD: "Greetings, my American friends. I see you have returned. I trust this is a mere social call, and nothing more--?" JACK: "The Soviet Super Soldiers!" Three figures walk across the lunar surface towards them. One is clearly Vanguard, but the other two, while bearing a passing resemblance to his previous partners, seem somehow... different. IRON MAN: "Or-- is it?" Iron Man and Jack of Hearts act casual, but take up a defensive stance as they see that these are definitely not the same Soviet Super Soldiers who greeted them on their last visit to the Moon.* Pym follows their lead. [*Just a few weeks ago, story-time, in IRON MAN #109-110. -- Van]
VANGUARD: "Indeed, changes have been made since your last visit. Allow me to introduce my current lunar comrades:" Vanguard indicates the first of his two associates, a big, armored figure, similar to Crimson Dynamo but even more heavily armored and more elaborately--and noticeably-- armed. VANGUARD: "This is RED STAR." The big man bows. VANGUARD: "And this--" He indicates the other figure, a slender, dark-haired woman in a shiny, reflective metallic suit. "--this is VENERA." IRON MAN: (nods to them both): "And may I ask why you're still up here on the Moon, Vanguard?" VANGUARD: "Business of the State, Iron Man. Why else?" Iron Man, Pym, and Jack of Hearts exchange glances. IRON MAN: "And what business might that be?" Vanguard indicates the vast, metallic "egg" which hovers some distance away, also inside the periphery of the Blue Area. VANGUARD: "Merely the business of examining our new property, Iron Man." IRON MAN: "Your new property? How do you figure that?" VANGUARD: "This artifact was originally discovered by Soviet scientists, and first visited by myself and my previous comrades-- as you well know! We have claimed it and any other technology which might be found in this area, in the name of the People of the Soviet Union!" JACK OF HEARTS: "You've gotta be kidding!" IRON MAN (cocks his head sideways at Vanguard and addresses Jack): "I have a bad feeling he isn't kidding at all, Jack." VANGUARD: "Certainly not. We appreciate your visit, Iron Man, but I'm afraid this area is now off limits to you-- it has been designated a state security region. JACK OF HEARTS: "Off limits?! Why, you-- If not for Iron Man and me, you'd--" VANGUARD: "The decision has been made. Our scientists are already at work dismanting the Egg for transport back to the Motherland." IRON MAN: "Dismantling?! Are you insane?!" PYM: "You have no idea what might happen if you go messing around with that
device!" Venera and Red Star move forward, stepping between Vanguard and Iron Man. RED STAR (raising a massive, armored finger in Iron Man's face): "Back off, Avenger. Don't make us resort to force." VENERA: "This is our property now-- we have authority here." RED STAR: "Or did you think that you Americans could lay claim to the entire Moon, simply because you happened to get here first?" PYM: "We aren't here to claim anything for ourselves-- but the fact remains, you can't be fooling with that-- that egg-- without knowing what you're doing!" VANGUARD: "Who are you to say we don't know what we're doing?" IRON MAN: "We-- and you!-- already know that this 'egg' can open a teleportational window to at least one place-- the fleet of the Rigellian Colonizers. But we don't know what else it can do. If you should cause it to malfunction--" VANGUARD (leaning in close, teeth gritted): "That... Won't... Happen." As if on cue, a scream echoes from the vicinity of the Egg, and everyone whirls. Iron Man, Jack of Hearts, Henry Pym, and the Soviet Super Soldiers all stare across the Lunar plain. In the distance, beyond the fleeing Soviet scientists, the massive mechanical egg has taken on a bright, garish glow. At the center of the glow, a piercing bright light flares, followed by what almost seems to be a sucking-in of light, back into the depths of the egg. When the central glow has completely collapsed into the egg, all that remains within the nimbus of outer light is a near-circular patch of absolute darkness. And from that darkness emerges-- IRON MAN: "ANNIHILUS!!" Indeed, Annihilus, the green and purple, insectoid master of the Negative Zone, swoops out of the darkness at the heart of the egg, sending the nearby Russian scientists fleeing in terror. His huge, batlike wings beat once, twice, and then, casting his gaze about like a bird of prey, he notices the Avengers quinjet, and roars toward them.. IRON MAN: "Vanguard-- watch out! He's--" VANGUARD: "I am all to familiar with this being, Avenger." Vanguard raised his hammer and sickle in a defensive posture, even as Iron Man fires a warning shot from his repulsors, seeking to drive Annihilus back. PYM: (staring at the dark mass within the egg's portal): "Unbelievable-- It looks
like the Soviets have somehow caused the egg to open a doorway to the Negative Zone!"
IRON MAN (dodging a blast from Annihilus's cosmic control rod): "He's a dangerous character, Vanguard. You'd better let me--" VANGUARD (standing full in the open, as if daring the being to attack him): "We have studied numerous files on this creature. Your Reed Richards is all too eager to share his secrets with anyone who will listen. Had our own scientists discovered this-- this Negative Zone-- it would by now surely be a protectorate of the Soviet Union!" Iron Man ignores Vanguard's rhetoric, making his own plans. He points toward Annihilus, while lifting Pym into the air. IRON MAN: "Jack-- see if you can hold him off, while Hank and I disable that egg before anything else comes through it!" JACK OF HEARTS (roaring up into the sky to meet Annihilus): "You got it,
Shellhead! I'll make like Raid on this tin-plated pest!" Iron Man and Pym soar towards the egg, over the heads of the fleeing scientists. As
they near it, studying its surface for any signs of controls, a mass of giant tentacles
emerge from the darkness and lash about them, dragging them in. Before either can react,
they vanish into the blackness. Jack of Hearts continues his aerial duel with Annihilus, blasting away with his Zero-Fluid-derived energies, to little avail. The buglike creature deftly avoids the worst of Jack's attacks, and his armored hide deflects the occasional hits away. As the other two Soviet Super Soldiers rush to assist, Jack glances back at the egg and frowns. JACK OF HEARTS: "Hey! What happened to Shellhead and Pym? Where did they go?" In the moment of distraction, Annihilus connects with a savage blast from his cosmic control rod. Jack finds himself knocked nearly senseless, smashed into the lunar soil. As he struggles to regain his feet, he finds a hand helping him to stand. It belongs to Venera, the Soviet Super Soldier. She helps him to his feet. VENERA: "I saw what happened to your friends. They were taken by the egg!" JACK OF HEARTS: "Taken? What--?" The massive armored figure known as Red Star stomps past, his weapons systems unfolding. RED STAR: "It is true, comrade. Something from inside the egg took them both." Gritting his teeth, Jack flares up into the air, then rockets toward the egg. JACK OF HEARTS: "Then that's where I'm headed, too!" Jack passes into the blackness at the heart of the egg, and vanishes, as the Soviet
Super Soldiers look on in shock. The three Soviet Super Soldiers are retreating, covering their scientists, who are racing toward their own spacecraft nearby. All three continue to attempt to engage Annihilus in battle, but the armored creature darts just out of range, as if taunting them. Moments later, the egg flares again, and a horde of horrible creatures emerge from the portal, rushing out to the attack. RED STAR: "Lenin's beard!" VENERA (backing away slowly, continuing to fire bursts of some strange energy at the creatures): "The Americans-- like it or not, I have to admit it-- they knew more about these beings than we do. Without them--" RED STAR: "--What do we do now, Comrade Vanguard?" VANGUARD (rushing forward, hammer held high): "We may not know as much as the
Americans about such beings, but we do know how to fight! To the death,
if necessary-- but we fight!" Meanwhile, Iron Man, Jack of Hearts, and Henry Pym tumble through blackness... ******* NEXT ISSUE: Next Stop--the NEGATIVE ZONE!!
Writer's Note: This issue was written in an experimental
new style I've not worked with before. Those who've followed my writing in the past know
that I usually prefer a good bit of descriptive prose surrounding my dialogue. Here, I'm
trying something different; a more stripped-down, "comic-book" feel, for a more
script-oriented approach. Please let me know how effective and pleasing you find this
format, in comparison with what I've used in the past (on series such as MS. MARVEL,
CAPTAIN MARVEL (63-69), and previous issues of this very series). Thanks, and see you here
next time! UNTOLD TALES OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE-- SO FAR: #1-- The Uncanny X-MEN and the SOVIET SUPER SOLDIERS |