HenryJonesJr

The Absolute Comics Universe Wants You!

The Absolute Comics Universe is under siege, and only you can save it! We are a game in its second season, and looking for some new dedicated players to supplement a dedicated poster base. The world focuses on a comic book world where Marvel, DC, and some select independent characters inhabit the same world. We currently have openings for a *ton* of big heroes like Captain America, Iron Man, most of the Justice League, among others. Ever have a story you wanted to tell about comic book characters? Think you can do better than the books or movies? Come prove it in ABSOLUTE COMICS!

SEASON ONE RECAP:
March 2019 - August 2019

In a world that has never had Superman, WONDER WOMAN was the first superhero to go public. Appearing during the First World War, Wonder Woman was later joined by the likes of CAPTAIN AMERICA and CAPTAIN MARVEL who fought alongside her during the Second World War. Despite this alliance, the age of heroes did not come from this time. Though the three heroes would go on to inspire the creation of a 'Justice Society,' all would just as suddenly fade from both the public's eye and its memory. Still, the idea persisted, and some would again follow the example set by those who came before them. Throughout the seventies and eighties, rumours flourished of a 'BATMAN' terrorizing Gotham's underworld. While in the decade that followed, message boards across the early internet were set aflame with fear. Fear caused by the metahuman scare that rapidly spread across North America and then the world. Children of the 'Atom,' the general populace feared these so-called 'freaks,' these 'mutants.' In some ways, they were right to.

The most powerful of them were Gods Among Men. At the height of this scare, a young man by the name of Charles Xavier decided to combat ignorance and dedicated his life to the study metahumans and their meta-gene. While across the country, a man with the ability to wield lightning protected the streets of Dakota until his disappearance in the 2000s.

In the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States, Wonder Woman came out of retirement. Returning when America needed her the most, Wonder Woman went on to become a global figure. She dedicated her time to lending aid to those in need, all while the United Nations kept a close eye on her activity. While the general populace admired the heroine, the government feared what she could accomplish if she ever chose to side against them.

Wonder Woman was soon followed by others like her. It was a slow-burning fuse, but it would quickly lead to an inferno. In the late 2000s, an alien pod was sighted over the skies of Delaware. This was the harbinger, the herald of an era to come.

An era of hope.

It began with the first sightings of the woman the media would go on to dub SUPERGIRL. A young hero who unlike Wonder Woman, was not associated with war. Rumours of the Batman resurfaced in Gotham while New York was plagued by menace dubbed SPIDER-MAN.

In fact, New York quickly became a breeding ground for these so-called 'superheroes.' Xavier's team of X-MEN soon descended upon the city to clear the good name of metahumans everywhere, while another group of TITANS banded together, united by common goals and needs. Hell's Kitchen is under the protection of a man without fear known only as the DAREDEVIL. Down on Bleecker Street, under the tutelage of the Sorcerer Supreme, the young MAGIK protects that which lies behind the mystic veil.

Even Boston has recently had a hero to call its own, as the odd flying craft belonging to the BLUE BEETLE has been spotted numerous times over its streets. The city of Dakota is now home to both STATIC and VIXEN. Central City has adopted a hero known only as the FLASH while a new GREEN ARROW has appeared to rescue Star City.

Appearing in the swamps of Florida, the Sky God, BAAL found himself in a world not his own and lacking the majority of his power. To the south, Jump City is under the protection of a group of displaced aliens known collectively as the LEGION while out in the coldness of space, a human and god have united to create the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.

Apart, each of these heroes has fought against vicious foes, some more powerful than even they themselves are. But together, they united to stop a threat meant to frame metahumans as terrorists. Led by the mysterious STRYFE, the 'Metahuman Supremacy Front' unleashed a horde of nanoscopic drones which upon embedded in a victim, drove the host into a frenzy. Based on a mysteriously reversed engineered technology from Stagg Enterprises, the drones were made to mimic a metahuman attack. Fortunately for all involved, the timely intervention of the heroes saved the day.

Come join us!

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Just want to do a quick roll call. Mostly because I forget who's dropped out and who's still around now that I'm defacto GM with Hound. (Also if you dropped out, please come back!)

@webboysurf, @stein, @roman, @Hillan, @Natty, @The Bork Lazer, @Moskau Spieluhr, @Inkarnate, @IceHeart, @Nightrunner, @Blue Demon, @Mao Mao, @Simple Unicycle, @Techne

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

IN

SPACE ODDITY

---

Thor took Star-Lord aside before the groups split apart. He had to admit he had come to look at the mortal, as frivolous as he often was, as a true friend. The God of Thunder could scarce remember if he had ever looked at a mortal in the same light. He had considered them brave warriors, useful tools, willing lovers, and strong workers in the past, sure. But never had he considered one a true friend until he met this odd human in the middle of a chaotic galaxy. That Quill continually rose to the occasion helped. But there was something else. He saw the propensity for greatness in this mortal, and the others he had gathered to Thor's cause.

"This is a trap," he confirmed to the human. He had no idea what that trap would end up being, but he was fairly certain it was the case. It was too easy to find this place. Too easy to go to the dwarves. "But I think more meant for me. Whoever has led us here is taunting me with my failures. They will try and kill you, for sure. But they are focused on me. Keep your wits about you, Peter Quill. Do nothing that will endanger you or the Hawk. If we do that, we can all come out of this alive."

"Awwwww," he smiled sarcastically, "you're worried about me. How cute."

"I am not in a gaming mood, Quiil," he shook his head. "We're in the lion's mouth now."

"Well, let's not get bit then," he nodded.

Thor patted him on the shoulder and moved to the hallway he had taken for himself. Rocket and Groot were going to head down the left hallway, Quill and Hawk the right, and he was tasked with the center. He looked over his ragtag team, hoping to all the cosmos that he hadn't led them to their death. He had already upturned them enough. Ending them would be his final failure. He would be laughed out of Valhalla, if he was even allowed in that hallowed hall in the first place.

"Keep your heads," he nodded to them. "We do that, we'll get out of here alive."

Rocket looked around at the others, "Wow, that's it? I mean, I know you're not the smartest guy in the room, but that was kinda crap, dude."

"I am Groot."

"I am not pumped up either, pal."

"He's right," Hawk rolled her eyes. "Stay smart. Stay alive. We used to say it all the time in the Thanagarian army. It's all you need to know. Now let's go. We have a job to do."

---

Thor had been walking for what felt like an eternity. His steps echoed off the bare stone walls of the Great Forge, but at least he found no dead of the Dwarven folk in this one. This was merely empty. At least before, his footfalls had been joined by the other Guardians. Now he was wholly by himself.

As you should be.

The voice filtered through his head, and he shook it out quickly. It was unlike him to be that fatalist. The only time he thought like that were the moments after he found himself on the rock floating out in space unable to lift his hammer. But since then he's had at least a little bit of hope. That hadn't changed by coming here. So where was that kind of thought coming from?

After what felt like another hour of walking, Thor found himself in the heart of the Great Forge. He had been here before, long ago with his father. On that day, the fires in the pits around him were raging like the fields of Musphelheim when Surtur had his blood up. But now the fires were a mere smolder with no one to tend to them. The bellows were still, and while there should be the sound of metal tempering metal, there was now silence. Thor's heart was heavy at the knowledge that the universe would never again know the beauty of the Dwarves' work.

All because of the monster Thor and his compatriots were hunting.

Footsteps from behind the great anvil in front of him brought his guard up. Jarnbjorn was in his hand in a flash, and he readied himself for whatever would come.

What did, surprised him. Confidently, almost mockingly, the girl they had saved on the last planet strolled out with a smile. Her void-black hair stood out against the gleaming white stone of the forge. Her green skin and even more strikingly green eyes burst with color in the monochromatic space. She was like a living exclamation point on a sentence Thor did not understand. She tilted her head at the God of Thunder and studied him curiously, before letting out a mischievous giggle.

"How did you get off the ship? How did you get past us?" Thor demanded and explanation. The pommel of Jarnbjorn strained against his tightened grip.

"Oh dear he still hasn't figured it out," the girl said the first words Thor had heard her speak. The words sounded like they had come from a little girl's mouth, and yet there was a strange, deep stab behind them. "You are such a sanctimonious oaf, you know that? I can't believe you fall for this every time."

With those words the glamour fell from Thor's eyes and the girl in front of him began to melt away. Her form stretched and grew until it was almost as tall as him. Her hair stayed the long, coal black it had been, but her skin turned as pale as fresh snow. The eyes, though...the eyes did not change. They were the same, piercing, mocking green. When the transformation was done, Loki, the brother of Thor stood and bowed to the God of Thunder.

Thor stood dumbfounded, "You...you survived."

"Of course I survived!" he laughed. "Honestly brother, you always underestimate me."

"And you're working with the being that killed our friends!? Our family!?" Thor raged. Loki had always been a trickster, that much was certain. But to participate in the genocide of his own people and family was beyond anything he had ever considered possible from his brother.

"No...well yes," the God of Mischief shrugged. "I did not help him perform Ragnarok. But he found me after I survived. Said he would kill me if I didn't help take care of you. And well, I couldn't pass up being a thorn in your side yet again. You should be thanking me. I did manage to ferry some of the Dwarves off this rock before he wiped the rest out."

"Who is he?" Thor seethed.

"Do you remember a few centuries ago? When you felled that great space dragon that was harassing that backwater world? You became their hero. Their great god," Loki strolled around the forge, fiddling with tools as he went. "But then you forgot about them, as all of us forgot about the mortals. The dragons returned after centuries and laid waste waste to the world. I believe you saw their handy work when you first attempted to retrieve Jarnbjorn. You ignored their prayers, and the locals were slaughtered. Well, all but one."

"Impossible," Thor shook his head. "That world was primitive. How could one of its inhabitants bring down Asgard?"

"Ah, and there was another of our faults," Loki wagged his finger at his brother. "We underestimate the mortals. You did until very recently. Too late of course, but I am proud of you brother. But a mortal with vengeance and rage in their hearts is just as powerful as any god. And Despero proved that."

"Despero," Thor growled. "Where can I find this villain so that I may relieve him of his head."

"Oh, you'll see him in good time," Loki smirked broadly. "Now that you've been separated from your little friends, it won't be long at all."

Thor realized that Loki was not here to fight. He was not here to kill Thor or incapacitate him. His brother was merely here to break up the Guardians from one another. Thor spun to go back and find his friends, but found that great stone doors had closed the way.

"Ah, ah, ah, brother," Loki chuckled. "Don't worry. They'll be fine. And you wanted to go to Despero, did you not? Wait around and you'll be taken right to him."

---

He is leading you to your death.

The voice echoed through Hawk's mind at the exact moment that the wall beside them exploded and a cadre of Chitauri warriors burst through it. Her and Quill turned to run, firing the entire way. She saw his element guns take out quite a few of the drone soldiers, but they kept coming. She really hated how much whoever they were up against had numbers against them. She hated being outnumbered, and deep down wished she had a Thanagarian battalion to call in.

Instead she had to run with her new ally. If they made it out of this one, maybe it would be time to call him a friend. But that was very much in doubt at the moment.

When the two of them once again reached the atrium they had started in, they almost collided with Rocket and Groot.

"You guys got an army's worth of purple alien guys chasing you?" Rocket deadpanned.

"Yup," was Quill's only response.

"Good, at least Groot and I got to share the wealth."

"I am Groot."

"Come on, we need to get out of here," Hawk motioned backed towards the ship.

"Not without Thor," Star-Lord protested.

"Now ain't the time for feelings, Quill," Rocket started to run towards the exit. "We got more company?"

Peter turned and felt his face fall at what he saw coming down the hallway Thor had gone through. Another teeming horde of Chitauri was charging towards them, firing their weapons. The two groups from their hallways weren't far behind. Quill's heart fell, and he knew that escape was the only means of survival.

"Sorry, Thor," he said quietly as he turned and ran.

---

"Your friends have been allowed to escape," Loki smiled. "Their bounties will be cleared, and Despero has promised to leave them alone. As for you, you will face him in combat. He has granted you that chance."

"Battle against the Destroyer, no doubt," Thor spat as his brother's feet as the Chitauri began to bind the God of Thunder.

"Yes, I am disappointed he got the weapon, but he is resourceful," Loki shrugged.

"And what will he do when I am gone? One does not merely use the Destroyer to kill one God."

"Maybe he will do what I plan on," Loki sat in front of his brother cross legged. "I long to try on a crown. Heavens know Odin was never going to allow me one. Maybe Despero will do the same."

"Or maybe he's played you and he'll exterminate you and all the other gods," Thor suggested. "Who's to stand against him?"

"Possibly," Loki nodded. "But he's given me his word that once you're captured I'm free to go. So go I shall."

With that, Loki dematerialized in front of Thor's eyes, with that smug smile disappearing last.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Houston had become a disaster zone in the hour since Booster had arrived in the city. Explosions had ripped through the downtown business district as rush hour began, and she saw that some of the city's extensive highway system had collapsed. Cars and people were strewn about along the ground, some under mounds of rubble that other people were trying to dig them out of.

She cursed herself as she looked over the scene. If she hadn't hesitated maybe she'd have been here to save people. Maybe if she hadn't considered following the rules Agger had given, she may have gotten here in time.

Those thoughts were nothing but distractions though. She got here almost as soon as she had heard about the explosions. Blaming herself for something these monstrous act was nothing more than self pity and doubt from her current situation. Booster couldn't allow her doubts about what Roxxon was doing to stop her from doing her job correctly.

And her job was to save people.

Swooping down towards the nearest pile of rubble, Booster moved between the citizens standing and gawking at the destruction and towards the ones doing their best to dig out their fellow commuters.

"How many are underneath!?" she asked, coming up alongside them.

A man beside her hurled a small boulder of conrecte down the hill. It clunked against the rest of the rubble before coming to a stop next to a crushed car. He shook his head, "At least three cars. Dunno how many people. But we don't need your help, supe. It's because of your kind this happened in the first place."

Booster recoiled as if she had been slapped by the man's words. She knew that the public sentiment towards the superpowered was turning ill ever since the incidents in New York and Star City, but she had never experienced anything like this. Usually she just got a dirty look or two. This was full on hostility.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she managed to get out. It was all she could say through the daze of surprise.

"I saw her," the venom in the man's voice was palpable. "Blond woman on a pink motorcycle. She touched the supports with her hand. They started to glow. She took off on the bike, and once she was clear the whole damn thing went up. Came crashing down. Because of you people."

There was no point in arguing with the man. He had made up his mind about her, and she couldn't blame him after what he had seen here and all the propaganda that the government was putting out. But he had given her enough information to start tracking the subject. She motioned for him to move, and he did reluctantly. Using her force field emitters, she scooped a large amount of the rubble off the top of the pile, and moved it to a safe location. Underneath, she saw the people in the cars were alive, but injured. First responders rushed by her and down to help them. With a nod to the man, she took off once again.

"Skeets," she asked her AI companion, "can you track the woman that guy was talking about? I figure it's the only way we're gonna stop whatever's going on here."

"Affirmative, ma'am," the robot said with a chipper demeanor. "Showing up on your heads-up display now."

Instantly, a line running away from the disaster site appeared on her visor, "Skeets, what would I do without you?"

"Probably very little, ma'am."

She took off towards the culprit, hoping she could stop them before anything else went wrong.

---

The door to John Henry Irons's lab slid open with a barely-audible whoosh, and a guard stepped in through it, before locking it behind him. The engineer peered up from his work thanks to the odd occurrence. Never before could he remember being locked into his own lab.

"Something wrong?" he asked, almost bored with the entire situation. He didn't think there was any reason for him to be moved here in the first place. Surely if he was going to be defended, it was better to do so away from a population center. Here in Houston there were far too many variables. As a scientist, that was disconcerting. But the people who signed his checks felt better with him being here, so here he was. He wasn't about to upset the cart and lose his funding.

"Wrong? No, Doctor Irons," the guard shook his head but continued to move around the room. "We just want someone in here with you until we have the all clear. With the superhero gone and all, we don't want to risk someone getting in under our noses."

"Mhm," the engineer's eyes narrowed at him. "Shouldn't you be standing by the door then? Just in case."

"No I think I'd rather be-"

Irons flipped one of the sonic gauntlets he had been designing for the suit around and shot it towards the guard. Unfortunately the impostor was ready for the move and rolled out of the way of the blast, which shattered part of the gleaming white wall behind them. The guard raised a gun and fired on the doctor, striking him in the neck with a tranquilizer dart. The guard smiled maliciously as Irons fell to his knees.

"Sorry about that, Doc," the guard grinned hungrily. As he did his face began to contort and change. It lost color, quickly become a pale, chalky white. The skin started to hang loosely on his face, almost as if it wasn't attached to the bone at all. Scars ran through it, and John Henry Irons was disappointed he hadn't added to them. "Name's Chiller. I've been paid a lot of money to bring you and your toys in. No hard feelings, okay?"

As Irons began to slip into a medically induced sleep, he heard the Chiller say into his comms device, "Package is secure. Waiting for extraction."

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

IN

SPACE ODDITY

---

The Halls of Niðavellir were dead. That much was certain as the group reached the atrium of the Great Dwarven Forge after a short entry hallway. The tall columns of glittering stone were adorned with carvings of the great Dwarven Lords and great victories of the past. They began to swirl when they got to the top, culminating in a swirling dome representing the sun of their world. It was incredible and a testament to their skill.

The beautiful, gleaming stone that had once echoed with the sounds of smithing hammers and the roar of the fires were now cold and silent, save for the sounds of the Guardians' footfalls. This was one of the most beautiful places in all the Nine Realms to Thor. He had always been fascinated by the creation of weapons, almost as much as he enjoyed wielding them. And the work the Dwarves did was unparalleled in the universe. That was something that he was always fond of.

Thor was taken aback at the amount of bodies that were strewn about the beautifully carved stone walkways of the Dwarves. These had been his friends and comrades in years past. Next to them laid Chitauri warriors, the drone army sent by their enemy to slaughter mindlessly.

Thor spat, and the liquid mad a strong slap on the stone floor. He couldn't help it. There was no honor in this battle. Their enemy had sent another army of mindless, killing machines to do their dirty work instead of doing it on their own. There was no honor in this slaughter.

He had seen many of these dwarves in the halls of Odin’s very castle. Some of them had carved the Throne of the Allfather themselves. To see them meet such an ignoble end was disheartening to say the least. That they were cut down for The Destroyer was made even worse. A weapon they never wanted to create had been their downfall.

Still, Thor could scarcely believe the amount of dead that were here. While the dwarven people were known more as smiths than warriors, they still could hold their own in most fights. For the Chitauri to have overwhelmed them, it meant their numbers were staggering. The Chitauri force must have numbered in the thousands. That was another sobering thought.

There were far too many set against them at this point, and more seemed to be piled on every minute.

“You know, for dwarves they’re pretty big,” Rocket murmured, trying to break the tomb-like silence.

“Dude, definitely not the time,” Quill hushed him.

“Dwarves being short was a tale they themselves spread,” Thor explained to the group, ignoring the raccoon’s discretion. “They believed it would lead anyone who wanted to invade their lands to underestimate them.”

In fact, the Dwarves were nearly seven feet y’all. Not as big as the giants, but large and very strong in their own right. But while they could hold their own and were dangerous in numbers, they had no natural affinity towards battle.

“They were slaughtered,” Hawk was equally disgusted. “There was no honor in this. Merely an extermination. Such an end was not fitting for the legendary smiths.”

Thor nodded to her with appreciation. She had begun to open up to them, and he was happy to see it. When they had first met he had thought she had no honor. It had been the only explanation for a Thanagarian warrior to be exiled. But instead he had found that it was the exact opposite. She was more honorable than any warrior he had ever seen before. She had sacrificed her people's goals for the good of the universe. It was astounding.

Still, the eyes that met his weren't completely trusting. She didn't trust him. She had always seemed to know more about him than the others did. That was enough for Thor to understand her distrust. The gods, not just the Asgardians, had disappointed and deserted the galaxy for ages. He saw that now. They had shirked their responsibilities and the mortals were suffering for it. He could feel it in his blood. It had been reawakening in him as he traveled with these weird, lost creatures he was beginning to think of as friends.

Now he needed to slay his enemy so he could get around doing something about that.

"So what is this Destroyer?" Rocket asked. "Could it say...blow up a moon? I've always wanted to blow up a moon."

Thor chuckled despite the ridiculous question, "It could, depending on the soul, or souls, that inhabit it."

"I am Groot?"

"Yes, the weapon is powered by souls," Thor allowed his embarrassment to tinge his voice. "As I told you, the weapon was designed to fight the dark elves. The war against them had ravaged the realms. Odin, my father, was both enraged and vengeful when he ordered the Dwarves to create the Destroyer. He used the souls of every elf he killed on the field of battle to power the weapon. He saw it both as a path to victory and punishment at the same time. A, what would you call it Quill, double whammy?"

"Yea that's a doozy, to be honest," Quill patted him on the arm.

"My father should have destroyed it, not hid it," the Thunderer shook his head. "Failing to do so was always going to be a problem."

"Weapons like that never stay buried forever," Hawk agreed.

"So it *can* blow up a moon," Rocket stroked his chin.

Suddenly, Quill put his arm up, "I got life signs. One down each of the hallways."

"Oh of course," Rocket put his face in his palm. "Because that doesn't scream trap or anything."

"I am Groot."

"Yes I am being sarcastic," Rocket sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if there's anything but bark inside your head."

"Trap or not, someone here may be alive and have answers for us. We need to find them," Hawk shrugged.

"Gang, let's split up and look for clues!" Quill exclaimed excitedly. Everyone else looked at him out of the sides of their eyes. "Sorry, I've always wanted to say that."

Titans: A DC Comics Roleplay

Kaldur'ahm stood on the roof of a building and overlooked the scene that was unfolding in New York City. It seemed to be some sort of alien invasion. How they had gotten to the planet, he did not know. There were no signs of spacecraft landings or any hovering in the skies above. Boom tubes were a possibility, but they did not resemble any of Apokalips's soldiers that he was familiar with. But it was no matter, in all reality. They had invaded Earth, which meant they needed to be dealt with.

Surveying the damage done so far, he found where the epicenter was, and made his way that way. He cursed having to traverse the land. Things were so much easier in the water. He truly did not understand how the surface dwellers dealt with this day in and day out. The fact that they could not go any direction they chose must have been maddening.

As he ran across the city streets, it was clear how much damage the interlopers had done to the streets of New York. Pavement was obliterated, automobiles were crushed like soda cans, and the windows at street level looked as if they had been hit with a concussive blast. Whoever these invaders were, they had no qualms about putting innocent people in danger.

One such person called to Kaldur from inside their flipped car. He could see the fear in their eyes, and could smell the gas leaking from the car. But a large column of concrete that once helped hold up the elevated highway had pinned them inside. He wasn't going to be able to get the person out with that there.

Beside the car, a fire hydrant had busted open and was spilling its contents into the street. Kaldur focused on the water, using the teachings Queen Mera had bestowed upon him in Atlantis. He felt the water call back, and he began shaping it around him. It swirled by him before diving underneath the massive concrete cylinder. With a flick of his wrist, the column was lifted into the air, freeing the person from the car. Once they were clear, he allowed the water to let the column back down to the ground with a thud. But he kept the precious liquid close to him. He was going to need it.

"Thanks, Aqualad!" the thankful civilain waved at him. "Those lizard things went that way! Chasing some pink girl!"

"Hm," he muttered to himself. So these creatures were not merely on Earth to cause destruction. They were hunting someone. That made things slightly more interesting, at the very least. Not only could he repel some invaders, but he could also save someone who needed it. He had to admit he liked the sound of that.

As he continued to follow the trail of the destruction, Kaldur began to hear the explosions from the ongoing battle. As they grew louder, he pushed his way through the escaping throngs of people to finally find his targets. The large, grotesque creatures were covered in green scales. Their squat, ugly heads with greedy, yellow eyes searched for their prey, whom Kaldur could barely make out. The glowing pink for looked like she was doing her best to keep the aliens' attention away from the fleeing bystanders, and for that Aqualad was thankful. It was clear she was losing steam, however. She wouldn't last much longer.

He charged, turning the water from the fire hydrant into two solid battle hammers in each hand. He managed to come up on one of the alien's blind side and smashed both against the side of its head. The creature tumbled backwards as Kaldur cried, "For Atlantis!"

Another turned on him, and while he managed to get a solid strike in on its shoulder, it backhanded him. The blow sent the Atlantean flying, and he smashed into a parked car. The offending alien then lept off the sidewalk, looking to pound Kaldur into the pavement. Instead, the Aqualad used the water to snag it in mid air, and toss it back at the group of aliens that had turned to face him. The creatue slammed into its comrades, knocking a few over.

"Who ever you are," he called out to them, "you are not welcome here! Surrender, or face the wrath of the Aqualad!"

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Guardians of the Galaxy

IN

SPACE ODYSSEY

---

The Hasselhoff travelled through hyperspace towards Niðavellir, the land of the Dwarves. It was a location known to very few in the Nine Realms. The Asgardians and the Dwarves had come to an agreement long, long ago to keep it that way. The Dwarves would make the Asgardians weapons while the Gods would keep the Dwarves hidden from others that would seek to use their skills for ill.

It had been a successful partnership for eons, until the Dark Elves had found their way there and forced the Dwarves to make them weapons to overthrow the Asgardians. The resulting conflict had nearly destroyed the Realms, and had pushed the Asgardians to the brink of destruction. The Dark Elf leader, a rogue named Malekith, was cunning and powerful, and with the Dwarves weapons backing him he was nearly unstoppable.

In order to turn the tide, Odin and the Dwarves forged a suit of armor made from the same metal that made up the great hammer Mjolnir. The amor, controlled by putting one's very sould into it, was so powerful that it ripped through the Dark Elf Army as if it were made from paper. Malekith was forced to surrender to the Asgardians and Odin, and the armor, dubbed The Destroyer, was hidden where no one could find it besides Asgard and the Dwarves, in case it was ever needed again.

"The Destroyer," Quill mulled over the name of the weapon as the Guardians sat around the ship's communal table. "That does not sound like something we should let fall into the hands of someone who wants to kill us."

Rocket stood up on the table, "It does, however, sound like something that should fall into my hands. I would like that very much, please."

The group had been sharing drinks and stories after their narrow escape from the Brood, as they had dubbd the insect-like creatures. It was the first time they had really sat down and talked as friends since they had become travelling partners. Thor wasn't sure if the five of them truly trusted each other yet, but this was a start. If they could break bread as friends, they could certainly learn to be true brothers in arms.

"Sounds like some good old fashioned karma that it might be used against you, too," Hawk added in with a wink. She had seemed to lighten up since she had rescued them from the depths of the previous planet, but there was still something holding her back from truly opening up to them. Thor thought it was the fact that she didn't trust him. She clearly knew more about what he was than the others. Since that was the case, he could barely blame her for not trusting him.

"Well, you gotta figure whoever this guy is, he's not going to stop with Thor," Quill added in. "With a weapon like that he could probably take over the galaxy. That's the last thing any of us need."

"Especially when he wants to kill us too," Rocket agreed.

"I am Groot."

From the bunk area, they could hear the girl stirring. She still hadn't spoken since they rescued her from the planet. Hawk theorized that she was traumatized past the ability of speech. It was possible. What had happened to the other settlers of the mining colony was horrific. Her parents were more than likely part of the slaughter that helped birth the massive Brood population of the planet. And all of that was done so the Brood's masters could find a weapon. That was enough to send anyone into a permanent state of silence.

The five Guardians had taken turns sitting with her and attempting to get her to open up. They had all failed, but Thor felt like the exercise had been good for the lot of them.

"So, Hawk," Quill looked over at her while he opened another bottle of ale, "why did you decide to come and help us down there? You could have easily left us to be eaten."

She looked over her glass at him, "I told you, I feel the urge to make mistakes sometimes. Plus, if you had gotten killed, I probably wouldn't have been able to claim the bounties on you all. That would have been a terrible, terrible waste."

Quill's eyes narrowed, obviously not believing her excuse, "Nah, I think there's something more than that. You're a good person."

"No, I'm definitely not," she shook her head, but a laugh managed to escape her lips.

"Haha!" Rocket pointed and laughed. "You totally are a good person. How embarrassing."

"I am Groot."

"No way am I one too!" Rocket protested. "How dare you even insinuate something of the sort."

Hawk chuckled before letting out a sigh. She looked around the room, meeting the rest of their eyes. She had never told anyone why she had left the Thanagarian Empire. Why she was made to do so. But if she went through life hiding from everyone, she wasn't so sure that would be much of a life at all.

"Fine," she shook her head. "I was exiled from Thanagar. Made to leave me home and the only life I ever thought I would know."

Thor had figured as much when they had met. No soldier of Thanagar leaves voluntarily. They were raised to believe that the Empire was the one true power in the universe. They were almost fanatical in their obedience and belief. For one to be exiled, though, meant they had betrayed their people completely.

"It was during the war with Rann," she continued explaining. "Such a small planet. Even at the beginning I didn't understand why we were going after such a minuscule prize. At least until I infiltrated the planet with my black ops team. Then I found it. The Zeta Beam Transport device. Capable of sending whole armies over the entire reach of space in moments."

"Very similar to the Bifrost," Thor mused to himself. He would have to remember that.

"The Empire wanted it," Hawk looked down. "With it they could conquer the universe. Or, as I found out, exterminate anyone that gave them too much trouble. With that knowledge, I realized I could no longer fight for a people whose goal was dominance at any cost. I defected and gave Rann the secrets to defeating our forces. In exchange they transported me across the galaxy, giving me a head start against the Thanagarian hunters. I've been running ever since."

With her story finished, silence hung over the ship. It made perfect sense to Thor, and he felt more respect for the bounty hunter than he had before. She was a warrior that knew what was right. There was nothing rarer in the galaxy. He should know, as one that all too often lost sight of just that.

"I just want you to know, you did the right thing," Quill tried to assure her.

"Ah, jeez," Rocket rolled his eyes.

"What you did took great courage, truly," Thor nodded. "I am glad to have a warrior of such honor fighting alongside me. Allfather knows I need some of that myself."

Before Hawk could respond to that, the ship alerted them that they had came to their destination. The five of them stood, and the girl they had saved emerged from the sleeping quarters, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

When they reached the bridge, Thor immediately knew something was wrong. The Realm of the Dwarves was famous for its intensely burning suns, where the great weapon smiths had created the legendary weapons of Asgard. But now there was nothing but darkness illuminated by light from the distant stars. In front of them stood the planet of the Dwarves, which was now coated in snow and ice.

"Prepare yourselves," Thor warned his comrades. "We have come to a planet of death. Who knows what waits for us below."

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Booster shifted restlessly in the lab as she watched Doctor Irons buzz around the lab like a very large and muscular bee. She had never seen a scientist that also looked like an NFL linebacker. He told her he had played football in college, not that it came as much of a surprise. Still, it was interesting to watch him work. For someone as large as he was, he worked on the machinery with incredible touch and delicate percision. She watched as he worked on the helmet for the suit he showed her when she walked in.

Then the edges of her vision began to blur, and she was back in the time she came from. She was in a lab, but totally different from this one. While Irons's was a bit disorganized, this one was sparking like someone was following the man working it constantly cleaning. Actually, there was. A tall, one-armed robot was following the salt-and-pepper-haired man like a puppy.

"Would you stop?" Tony Stark snapped at the robot. "You're like an orphan following Daddy Warbucks around. Except I have more money than he does."

She giggled. Booster wasn't sure if that was from her fractured memories or from her now. It was a good line.

The genius inventor put his head up and looked right at her, answering her question for her, "Can you grab that power core for me? Dummy here would probably drop it and vaporize us all."

Booster watched as she got up and grabbed a glowing blue cylinder and walked it over to the inventor. He took it and smiled at her. Again, she wasn't sure if it was her memory, but he seemed larger than life. The great inventor smiled warmly at her and took the part. He put it in the new suit of armor her was working on, "Thanks, Booster. I would be lost without you, you know that?"

From behind her a door slid open and Steve Rogers, Captain America stepped through it, smiling at the two of them, "Looks like things are going well here."

"Splending, El Capitan," Stark mock saluted, which drew another laugh from Booster. "We're just finishing up here."

"Good," Rogers, whose blue eyes had begun to pale slightly at his advanced age, turned to Booster. "Because we have a mission, Gold-"

She was shaken and came back to the present, where John Henry Irons was rocking her shoulder back and forth, "You okay?"

"Huh? Yea," Booster nodded, shaking the cobwebs out of her head. Skeets was hovering worredly next to her. "Was just lost in my own head there for a minute."

"You seemed to be in a trance, ma'am," Skeets responded with a hint of knowing.

"I'm fine, Skeets," she beamed back at the robot. "Tip top shape. I'm a superhero after all. Nothing gets by me."

"You sure?" Irons was unmoved. "You definitely seemed like you were somewhere else."

Her smile said she was fine, but she was beginning to worry. Her visions seemed to be becoming more frequent. So far they had failed to materialize during an engagement with an enemy, but she had begun to wonder when her luck would run out on that front. What happened when someone tried to kill her and she was paralyzed by some nonsensical flashback?

"So you really think Roxxon isn't going to sell your tech as weapons?" she asked him, quickly changing the subject away from her. She already felt uncomfortable as-is.

He looked over his glasses at her, "Seriously? You're the one asking me if Roxxon would use my work as a weapon? Isn't that exactly what they're doing with you?"

She probably should have saw that one coming. It's true, she was a hired good for Roxxon. A very well paid hired goon, but a hired goon none the less.

"Touche," she tipped her head to him. "That being said, I can leave whenever I want. They tell me to do something I don't agree with, I'll walk. It'll hurt to leave behind all those zeroes, but hey, that's the way the cookie crumbles. But they're going to own the patents for these things. You don't get to choose when and where these suits will go once you meet your deadline and hand them over to the boss man. I dunno, I'd be worried that they were going to do some shady shit."

"I can't think like that," he waved her away and went back to work. "If we all assumed the worst things could happen with our work, there'd be no scientific progress at all. We'd still be sitting in caves heating ourselves with meager fires. Plus, in a world where teenage girls can lift a skyscraper, I think we owe it to people risking their lives for natural resources to make their jobs easier. My inventions can do just that."

He made a lot of sense. She could see his passion regarding the suits as well, "This means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

"My grandfather died in a cave in," he responded, not looking up from the helmet. "My dad never even knew him. Was too young to ever really remember his old man. My grandmother barely was able to keep food on the table. My dad worked himself near to death in order to get me to a place where I could even think of college. Now that I got that education, you damn well better believe I'm going to do my best to help the kind of men that helped me get here. Paying it forward is the most important thing we can do. Way more important than padding your own wallet."

That was aimed squarely at her. She was tempted to fire back, but there was no need for it. He wasn't all that wrong. There was probably more that she could be doing to help. But there was also so many other heroes out there. They could take care of the people for now. She'd lend a hand if they really needed it.

"I think you could be great," he added. "You've clearly got all the tools. But something's holding you back. You gotta get out of your own way, kid."

Before she could really ponder whether he was right or wrong, and alarm started to blare through the compound. Booster sprung to her feet as two guards burst into the lab, "Booster, there have been explosions going off throughout the city. We have no idea what's going on. Orders from Roxxon are to stay put and protect Dr. Irons."

She recoiled at that. They wanted her to protect the investment. They didn't care about the people in the city. She was sent here to guard the guy that was going to deliver astounding tech to them, not play hero.

Irons caught her eye, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. This was the time to help people. If she listened to what the company wanted, she'd be the ultimate hypocrite. But more than that, she wouldn't even be a pretend hero. She'd just be a good, and that's not what she was.

"Yea, well, you're going to have to tell Mr. Agger that he can take that order and shove it where the sun doesn't shine," she said through gritted teeth. "There's no way I'm going to let innocent people die while I sit on the bench. Doc, looks like you're gonna have to look after yourself for a while."

"I think I can manage," he smiled warmly and went back to work on the helmet.

"Well, my number's on the fridge if you need anything," Booster winked at him.

---

One of the roof guards watched with a smirk as the hero speed off towards the smoke rising from the city. The plan had worked exactly as the Spymaster said it would. The hero would take the bait, because they always did. They were all so predictable.

In a flurry, the guard drew his weapon and fired a successions of shots that killed the other two guards he was stationed with. As their bodies fell, the guard began to morph and warp. In mere moments, what was once a Roxxon private security member was now an exact replcia of Booster Gold.

"Booster" made "her" way towards the entrance to the building, ready to take what was Onslaught's.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Guardians of the Galaxy

IN

RAMBLE ON

---

Quill's heavy, rapid footfalls echoed off the stone walls of the cavern as he and Rocket tried their best to put distance between them and the monsters behind them. Around his neck, the little alien girl held tightly, scared out of her mind, he was sure. Whoever she was, it was a miracle she had survived. She was either the luckiest girl in the galaxy, or had some mad survival skills. Either way, Quill couldn't deny that he was impressed.

"Any idea if all this running is actually gonna end with us getting out of here?" Star-Lord asked his furry compatriot. His lungs were already starting to scream. He wished he could use his rocketboots, but the lake water seemed to have affected them.

"How would I know!?" Rocket barked back.

"I dunno!?" Quill protested. "You have like animal senses! Can't you smell fresh air or something?"

"Oh that is just typical!" Rocket growled. "You've got a good sense of smell, so obviously you can magically tell everything about the planet we're on! Can't you see in the dark well!? How about taste a rock and find water or something! I got no clue what fresh air would smell like down here, numb nuts!"

"Okay! God!"

Suddenly, the two came to a halt as a shear cliff dropped off in front of them. Rocket nearly tumbled over as he pinwheeled his arms around to keep his balance, only for Quill to snatch him back from certain death.

"Well that sucks," Rocket sighed and threw a rock into the blackness laid before them. After an interminably long time, they heard the faint thud of it hitting the ground far below. "We're totally gonna die here, aren't we?"

"Oh, 100%," Quill groaned.

"Well, I guess there are worse people to die with," Rocket smiled weakly. "Assuming the girl isn't like a secret serial killer or something. But I doubt it."

"That's oddly sweet, for you," Quill clasped the raccoon's shoulder. "I'm going to choose to take it as a compliment."

"You probably should," he nodded. "That's about as close as I come to giving one."

That's when the ground shook below their feet.

---

The blood of the insectoid creatures coated Jarnbjorn like a thick, slimy film. Their bodies were piling up in front of Groot and Thor by the dozens, yet still more came, forcing the two comrades in arms back towards the way their escaping friends had went. The creatures were drones, nothing more, and nothing less. And if these were the drones, it meant that there had to be a queen somewhere. Whether on this planet or somewhere else. The latter was the more worrying prospect. If these creatures could be controlled from anywhere, the Guardians' enemy was far more deadly than even Thor had thought. These ravenous beings could be sent to any planet and eradicate any opposition. That was a power that could not be allowed to stand in the universe.

That wasn't even considering what Thor had discovered here, either. If what he suspected their enemy was after was obtained, nothing would be able to stand in their way. They'd be able to cut a swathe of destruction across the galaxy that was hitherto undreampt of. He needed to stop that from happening. Even if it was the last thing he did in the mortal realm, he would not let such a devastating weapon fall into the hands of a butcher.

Groot tossed one of the creatures into an advancing column of its brood mates. The tree was formidable, that much was certain. Thor was glad to have such a being to fight alongside. Thinking that of a mortal was an odd experience. He had never really found much worth from them, save from their praise and maybe their mead. But fighting with Groot, and the other Guardians, for that matter, had sparked something in him. If he hadn't already been ashamed of how much he had shunned his responsibilities as a god, he certainly was now. Their lives were short lived, sure. But there was a grace and a fierce struggle for survival in them. Hell, that's probably the only reason they were fighting with him now. Still, it was nothing short of admirable.

"Groot!" he called out to his partner. "They're going to overrun us if we don't get some breathing room."

"I am Groot!" the tree nodded. He understood exactly what Thor was getting at. The two of them struck simultaneously, Thor with Jarnbjorn and Groot with an extended, treetrunk arm. The wall of the cave around them shook as they took off running. Thor looked behind him, and saw the roof of the cave collapsing on top of the brood. He glanced over to Groot with a smile as they headed to meet up with Rocket and Quill.

---

Shayera Hol paced back and forth in the bowels of the Hasselhoff, wondering how long she had to wait to bail on this planet in order to give the appearance of caring about the people in the caves below. Not that she really needed to keep up appearances, of course. No one knew that she was here with these goons. Unfortunately that was a problem. If she did leave without them, she wouldn't be able to claim their bounties. It might be enough to clear her own.

You don't want to do that.

The voice in her head that she had buried for a long time whispered to her. The last time she had listened to it she had gotten exiled from her home and nearly killed in the process. Listening to it now was bound to get her killed for real this time. Still, it was there, and it was getting louder. Maybe it was a side effect from being around the intolerable Asgardian. She had heard stories about their kind. How they could sway the opinions and emotions of mortal folk. Maybe he was subconsciously making her his slave or something. That's all the powerful were good at. Forcing you into situations that you had no business or desire to be in.

You know that's not the case.

Hol, who told everyone who she knew to call her merely "Hawk", shook the voice out of her head again. No, she wasn't going to get caught up in some crazy crusade. Not again. She had done that once and it cost her everything. Since then it had been her mission to stay to herself. Doing that kept her safe. It kept her from getting hurt. And it kept her getting paid.

Then the ground rumbled below the spacecraft. The voice prodded in protest. She couldn't leave them down there to suffer the fate of whatever happened to those poor colonists that went into the mines foolishly believing they would be safe. No matter how much she tried to silence the voice, it kept calling to her louder and louder until it was deafening in her head.

"FINE!" she called out to herself and took the controls of the ship.

---

Thor came to a sliding stop in front of Quill, Rocket, and the girl, who were all waving their hands in warning as Thor and Groot turned a corner. The Asgardian saw that there was a huge cliff behind them, and that if the two escapees didn't stop the five of them would currently be falling quite a long way down.

"I assume we do not have an escape route this way?" Thor sighed.

"Sure, an escape route from life," Rocket shrugged.

"I am Groot."

"Yea, well, even if you survived a fall those bug things would eat you," Rocket shot back at the tree.

"I am Groot."

"I don't care if they eat meat," Rocket shook his head in amazement. "They clearly want to kill you!"

"Uhhhh..." Quill motioned behind Thor and Groot. "Looks like they're about to kill all of us."

Thor turned to see the brood wave approaching quickly. He snarled and gripped Jarnbjorn tightly. He turned to his new friends and nodded to them, "If this is where the song of Thor Odinson should end, let it end bathed in the blood of his enemies."

"Haha! Badass!" Quill smiled.

"I could live, er, die with that," Rocket nodded.

"I am Groot!"

The four of them stood in front of the girl, ready to make sure that none would get to her as long as they still stood. Thor felt the worst for her. She probably believed she would be saved when they found her in that cave. Yet all they did was get her fed directly to the monsters that had tormented her and took her away from her family. They had hand delivered her to them. He felt a pit form in his stomach over this fact.

The teaming mass of giant insects clambered over one another to get to them. The squeezed through the cave opening like a living avalanche full of snapping jaws and swiping, clawed limbs. As they began to get close, the four Guardians began to let out a war cry, ready for the coming storm.

But before they got there, a rapid fire of blue blasts flew over the Guardians' heads and slammed into the wave of creatures. The four heroes spun to see the Hasselhoff floating over the drop off. Behind its controls was Hawk, firing indiscriminately at the advancing hordes and motioning for them to come on board.

Without wasting a moment, they hopped onto the extended ramp, Thor scooping up the girl as he did. Once on board, he ran to the helm and laugh-yelled at Hawk, "I thought you weren't going to help!?"

"Yea, well, I felt like making a huge mistake," she smirked back at him as she began piloting the ship to the surface. "Do we have any idea where we're going next?"

"Niðavellir," Thor nodded. "I'll show you how to get there once we're as far away as possible from this planet."

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Houston, TX

Booster Gold landed softly on the roof of the Roxxon Compound on the outskirts of Houston. The heavily-armed, private security guards that patrolled that rooftop nodded stiffly at the superhuman newcomer. She could feel their animosity towards her. Not that she could necessarily blame them. If they brought someone in that could do her job better than she could, she would probably be just as annoyed. Granted there was no one that could do her job better than her, but she understood the sentiment.

"Nice to meet you too, gentlemen," she saluted and smiled.

"Up yours, meta," one of them called back.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" she asked as she was led into the building. It was located a few miles outside the city, and was located on Roxxon's first ever well. They had turned it into a kind of museum mixed with a design lab for future technology. Agger was sure that this would be a safe place for Irons to hide out and continue his work. It was defendable, separate from the city, and they could see anyone coming from a mile away. Still, there was something giving her bad vibes. Maybe it was just Agger. She didn't know. But there was definitely something wrong.

"Readings indicate that this facility is full of incredible technology, ma'am," Skeets chirped in her ear as he detached from her armor. "Doctor Irons seems to live up to his reputation."

Booster had done as much research on Irons as she could. Former soldier that served in the Middle East, but then came back and managed to get into MIT. There he got degrees in both mechanical and electrical engineering. If Tony Stark, Ray Palmer, and Reed Richards, among others, didn't exist, Irons would probably in the conversation as one of the smartest men in the world. As it stood, however, he was often overlooked. That's how he found himself working for Roxxon. He didn't have the private capital the other geniuses of the world did, so he had to work to prove himself.

"Yea, maybe we can get him to fix you," she looked at the robot slyly, who recoiled in horror.

"I am made from advanced future technology, ma'am," Skeets shook himself. "I do not believe that anyone in this time could fix me."

"Way to be humble, buddy."

"I do not believe you are one to talk on that front, ma'am," he responded matter-of-factly.

"Touche."

They were led by the leader of Roxxon's security detail, a man by the name of Williams. He looked back at her, "Sorry about my men up there. They're not necessarily thrilled about having enhanced back up."

"I get it," she shrugged.

"Nice robot buddy you got there," he added. "I got one at home. Plays my music whenever I ask her too."

"How dare you compare me to those antiquated things," Skeets was horrified.

"Whatever you say, Alexa," Williams chuckled.

He pressed a button on the wall and a gleaming, white panel split in half and opened onto a similarly immaculate lab. All around her as she stepped inside were automated manufacturing robot arms, welders, and workbenches filled with metal legs, arms, and torsos. She would have expected this kind of workspace to be dirty or grimy, but instead it was clean as a whistle.

"Doc's kinda a clean freak, to be honest," Williams whispered as they moved through the lab. That much was obvious, but so was the work of John Henry Irons. The mechanical limbs looked like a prototype of the armor she herself wore. That was impressive considering she had came from the future. Sure, they were bulkier and were several iterations behind, but Irons was on to something. She sure hoped that Agger was telling the truth when he said that they weren't weaponizing these things. They already looked like they could do some damage.

They turned a corner and she had to shield her eye from the sparks coming from a welding station. In front of it, a burly African American man sat controlling the welding arms from behind a protective barrier. Around his head she saw that he was wearing goggles to protect his eyes. As the sparks dissipated, she saw that he was putting the finishing touches on a completed suit. It was a hulking construct of metal, and she could tell that it was for mining.

John Henry Irons laid back and pulled the goggles off his head. She could feel the relief washing over him. He turned, revealing a face that seemed to be chiseled out of the same metal he had just been working with. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that he was a statue himself.

His deep, brown eyes narrowed at her, "Well, looks like my babysitter finally got here. How's it going, showboat?"

"Wow," Booster shook his head, "everyone is just so friendly here. Is it something they put in the food?"

"Sorry," he put his hands up. "Stressed after having to pick up everything I was working on and move it across the country."

"Sure," she nodded and presented her hand. "Booster Gold, pleasure to meet you, Doctor Irons."

He shook her hand with his oven mitt sized grip, "Glad you're here. And I appreciate you making sure one of my inventions didn't hurt anyone. Wouldn't have been able to live with myself otherwise."

"It's the job," she smiled. "What's that one do?"

He smiled with pride, clearly happy she asked, "Gives the wearer quite a bit of super strength, endurance, and durability. The idea is we'll get one guy to do the mining operations of twenty in a much, much safer manner."

"Quite impressive, sir!" Skeets flew over to examine the armor, before he shorted out and buzzed as he often did.

"Can you do anything about that?" she asked the engineer hopefully.

"Probably not," he shook his head. "I'm more of a nuts and bolts kind of guy. Not AI."

"Yea, that's what I thought you'd say," she sighed.