Earth Crusade
Denver, Colorado
July 6, 1998

The full alert call goes out, and the members of America's premiere super-team, Crusade, gather quickly at their majestic base, Crusade Citadel. Team leader Tradition is waiting in the War Room, and Silent Knight, The Covenant, Blue Lion, Gatling and Scorpion arrive one by one. Tradition is a little annoyed at the absence of the mystical Avalon, but has no time to ponder it. The team's worldwide communication center has begun pouring in strange reports, and wide-scale assaults have begun happening across America. Details are still coming in, but he dispatches his team to various cities within their jurisdiction. A report has just come in about a mass looting in downtown Denver, and the commander of the team once known as Pavilion sends street-level members The Covenant and Silent Knight to investigate. Tradition stays behind to coordinate efforts and monitor incoming information. Something big is happening. He just wishes he knew what.

Earth Forte
Seattle, Washington

At the home of Jack and Sabrina Parker, some very famous people are gathered for a very simple event. It's Sabrina's birthday. The woman who was once the Forte member Knightsabre is turning 35, and her husband, Dr. Jackal, is throwing a party for close family friends. These friends include former Forte members Phantasm (with wife Jeanette (Bluejay), and children Trixie (the current young version of the time-traveling wife of Johnny Quest, Prime) and Andy (the current young version of time-traveling Forte members Shrike, who died several years ago)), The Mist (with husband Stephen Strange and son Caleb), Cincoflex (with husband Bruce Wayne and son Morgan Tomas), Anvil (and daughter Bree), Tommarsuk, Prime (the grown-up one) and, of course, barbecue master Vanguard. Jack and Sabrina's kids are running around, too...Monique, Nichole, and the 19-year old Samantha Parker, visiting indefinitely from another dimension (see D'Arque Dominion). Tommy, in his bear form, is giving the kids rides, Vanguard's working the grill (wearing his famous "My Recipe is Classified" apron that Jack and Cinco bought for him years ago), and Jack, Phantasm, Bruce Wayne and Stephen Strange are sitting around a card table playing poker and smoking Cuban cigars Phantasm brought from Canada (Stephen's looking a little green). At one point Jack asks Phantasm and Bruce to cut out the poker faces, because they're scaring the kids.

The phone rings, and Jack hollers to Vanguard to grab the cordless. It's Johnny "late for the party" Quest, calling from Questar Labs. He says there's something big happening, something he's been monitoring all morning. And he's just had a visitor show up...a super-hero from the Midwest, one who wants to meet with some local heroes about what's happening. He asks that at least some of them get down there right away.

Jack says he'll go, and see what it's all about (hopefully something quick so they can get back to the party). He asks if anyone else wants to go along, and Phantasm, Cincoflex and Vanguard volunteer. They all hop in Sabrina's Volvo and head down to Questar, a Forte reunion of sorts. [Note for the trivia-minded...these are the best-known Forte characters of the original, founding four Forte players. Neat, huh?]

At Questar, they find Johnny running around checking big machines and video monitors, and find a young super-hero in a red costume there...with a very pronounced lisp. He says he's Slayzer (sorry, let me wipe that spit off your tie), and he's working with S.T.A.R. Labs in Cincinnati. Slayzer was once a member of the Midknights [the campaign that took place between the Paragons and Forte campaigns--Memory Mike], with Delta Fox, Starglider, Rising Son and Captain Avatar. This morning some strange things started happening with the walls of reality--the barriers between dimensions started giving off odd readings, and now seem to be breaking down! He's been in contact with Cleveland's new hero team on this...The New Paragons.

And speak of the devils...Johnny's huge video wall lights up with a call from Cleveland. On screen are Knightmare and Starman, founding members of the original Paragons, who've now gotten together and formed a new team. Knightmare reports that Indians are attacking Cleveland. We're talking American Indians in military uniforms that have the markings of the U.S.N. on it (United Sioux Nation). They're heavily armed and are pouring out of a big portal that popped up out of nowhere. The new 'Gons team's younger members--Blaze, Import, Helix and Avatar (successor to the now deceased Russian hero Captain Avatar) have got their hands full. And other strange reports are coming in from around the Midwest. They're letting other heroes know about it (and since nobody's home at the Forte base these days, they had to call Johnny to spread the word).

Speaking of strange reports...another call comes in, this one from L.A. The Forte members recognize former Armor Security hero Grav on the screen. Seems he and a couple of other former Armor guys--including Riptide and Triphammer--have formed a new company, a very slick and professional hero-for-hire business using the old name. They leased space at the old Baxter Building from Reed Richards, and hired some familiar support staff. Everyone recognizes Matt Collins--the former Forte brick called Hammer who's ever-morphing powers recently left him with no powers--and he moved to L.A. to be their financial planner. Though no one really knows the man in the wheelchair in the background who's their tech man, old Paragons readers know him as Clark Davis, the man who used to wear the armor of Energon. Grav says Riptide's busy down in Long Beach, because it seems pirate ships (yes, pirate ships) are attacking the Queen Mary. He's calling on behalf of Reed, who's busy trying to track this growing dimensional phenomenon.

Slayzer, engine of living light that he is, says he's got to pop back to Cincinnati and make sure everything's okay, and he teleports through a fiber-optic line and across the country. Johnny suddenly comes to a startling revelation!

A few months ago, Johnny started studying the dimensional barriers extensively, back when a thinning of the walls began, courtesy of Lucifer D'Arque (see D'Arque Dominion again). In his studies and mapping, he discovered something he calls Argole...essentially, the dimensional atom. The stuff is at once magical, scientific, and spiritual...the building blocks of reality that keep dimensions apart. The amount of raw power contained in these atoms is immeasurable. Suddenly, his machines tell him what's going on. Something--or someone--is drawing that energy toward a single location...drawing it out of the walls and causing them to break down. Holes between realities are already starting to form all over the multiverse, but if the process isn't stopped, and soon, all realities will crash down on each other, and they'll all be destroyed!

Cincoflex

Confessor

 

Earth M.A.G.I.C.
San Diego, California

The members of M.A.G.I.C. (Meta-Agent Global Interdiction Corps) are meeting at their base, one owned by this Earth's Reed Richards. Wingboy, Whiplash and Hologram are the last remaining members, and have been San Diego's premiere crimefighting trio for the past several years. They've recently accepted an offer to become an official part of S.H.I.E.L.D. (oh, you know what that stands for already), and to form a new international team of super-heroes. They're considering possible applicants (Wingboy's all for Tim Tyler, The All-American Boy. Hologram? Is not) when Reed alerts them to a big problem downtown.

They arrive at San Diego's famed Gaslamp District, only to find it overrun with...Nazi tanks? And not just any Nazi tanks. These tanks seem to be shooting lightning. The heroes jump into action, tearing open the tanks and finding them operated by futuristic Nazi robots. Robot Nazis? They hate robot Nazis. The trio makes quick work of them, and barely has time to survey the massive property damage when they receive a radio call from Reed Richards. He needs them back the base right now!

Reed tells them that the walls of reality are breaking down, something Reed has dubbed "The Jericho Effect". He, too, has found out about the siphoning of dimensional energy, and has traced the source through his dimensional tracker (hey, he's Reed Richards, okay?) to one particular dimension. M.A.G.I.C. needs to go there, to find out what's causing the catastrophe, and stop it. Reed gives them a tracking device that will allow them to zero in on the source of the drain (hopefully). And there's a time limit. Reed (like I said, he's Reed) is setting up a means to cut their Earth off from all others...forever. He hopes that, if the heroes fail, this will keep their Earth from falling victim to this effect. He gives them twelve hours. If they don't make it back, they'll be locked out...and likely rubbed out. Using a converted Negative Zone portal, Reed opens a dimensional gate, and Wingboy, Whiplash and Hologram leap together into the unknown...perhaps for the last time.

Earth Questors
San Francisco, California

A terrible calamity is happening in the middle of San Francisco...or so viewers are told by Jonathan Frakes, guest host (standing in for Ricardo Montalban) of the oh-so-popular show "In Quest Of". In Quest Of's cameras take us right to the heart of the disaster, and to three members of the great American hero team The Questors that have been dispatched to deal with the threat. Vice Grip, Sabot and The Confessor stand in the middle of the havoc, unable to believe what they're seeing. A giant robot T-Rex is smashing through the city by the Bay. Oh, and not just any giant robot T-Rex, mind you. This one's wearing big gold chains, and has monstrous speakers mounted on it that are playing the Beastie Boys' "Intergalactic". There are also big gold rings across each set of it's fingers...one spells out "Rap"...and the other, "Tor". San Francisco is feeling the might of Rap-Tor! And an old-time (and annoying) Questors villain, Homeboy, is standing on the sidelines, cheering for the robot.

Though Sabot and Vice Grip have had their differences over the years, they find themselves united in their deep-seeded hatred for rap music. The rocketing patriot and the avenging powerhouse assault and dismember the other-dimensional robot, while Confessor slaps Homeboy around on general principle. The beast is defeated, but the team's troubles have just begun. Dr. Adleman, the telepathic CIA leader of the team, calls them back to the base for an emergency meeting.

Dr. Adleman, too, has found out about the disaster all around them, the unraveling of reality, and has found its source as well. This is perhaps a greater threat even than the Eternal French Empire itself. His CIA scientists have prepared a dimensional portal. He needs to send a couple of his people through to the other reality that seems to be ground zero, so they can stop it. He'll need Vice Grip to stay behind and aid him in tracking the problem (and helping with new disasters cropping up all around their world), and the other Questors members, Mandarin and Airstrike, are busy undercover in the Free and Independent State of Texas (Sabot growls at the mention of those secessionist scum). It's up to Sabot and Confessor to make the journey and stop the threat. He gives an impassioned speech to Sabot, telling him they're in harm's way, and that this problem represents a clear and present danger to the United States. Sabot accepts his orders, loudly and proudly, the one team member that Adleman never has to mind control. Adleman gives them special dimensional cameras to mount on their costumes. Using these, they can send a video signal back to their own world if things go bad, and Adleman can pull them back. And, of course, while they're there, they can get lots of great footage for In Quest Of.

The man of God and the man of God and country stand at the opening to the portal. As soon as it's activated, Sabot blasts through it at top flight speed, making sure that whatever threat is waiting, it’s going to regret his arrival from the get-go.

The Covenant

Dr. Jackal

 

Earth Forte
Seattle, Washington

Johnny uses the supercomputer that runs his dimensional tracking/mapping workstation and pinpoints the reality that they're seeking. Punching the right coordinates into his Questar dimensional doorway, he opens the gate. He gives the heroes a new thing he's rigged up...a dimensional radio, one that should still be able to reach him so they can keep in touch. Vanguard, Dr. Jackal, Cincoflex and Phantasm step through without hesitation, knowing that their families, their world...ALL worlds are counting on them. There's a bright blue flash, a frantic roller-coaster of a dimensional journey, and...

Earth Crusade
Downtown Denver, Colorado

Silent Knight and the Covenant are fighting Vikings.

What seem to be honest-to-goodness Vikings, a whole horde of them, are tearing up part of downtown. Looting, raping, pillaging, the whole works. Their ship is sitting in the middle of 5th Avenue. The Covenant calmly trips a passing Viking that's chasing a pedestrian, slamming him into a car, picks up his ax, and casually starts walking toward an unfortunate group of pillagers. Silent Knight is doing what she can to keep up with large amount of combatants, turning invisible and popping up amongst them and smacking them around. The heroes are dodging swords and axes, trying to save unlucky local normals, and are starting to get overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.

There's a bright flash, and a round blue portal irises open behind them. Sabot comes flying out of it at top speed, right through the Viking mob, and sends Norsemen flying all over the place. Confessor leaps out in his wake, sizes up the situation quickly, and joins the fray. Then another portal opens nearby. Out come Wingboy, Whiplash and Hologram. Then a third appears, and with it, Dr. Jackal, Phantasm, Vanguard and Cincoflex. The odds are suddenly not looking so bad. The combined heroic force puts the Vikings down (and Sabot flies right through their ship. Guess they won't be using that to float away...).

And here stand eleven heroes from four different worlds, all a bit confused. The heroes that have met before during other dimensional adventures greet one another (Whiplash finally meets these Forte guys that Wingboy and Hologram are always talking about). Dr. Jackal finds out that Sabot and Confessor know Vice Grip, so he figures they're okay. When they work out that Covenant and Silent Knight are actually from this world, they explain the situation quickly (as best they can). Silent Knight calls Tradition back at the base on her radio, explains that there are a bunch of heroes popping up to save the world(s), and suggest they all meet back at Crusade Citadel. Tradition agrees, and the gathering heads up the mountain that houses the Citadel.

The heroes meet Tradition, who's busy monitoring a great wall of video screens, seeing strange things happening all over his world. Gatling calls in a report from Phoenix, Arizona, where he's fighting an army of Arthurian knights (and a couple of dragons). Introductions are made all around. Tradition finds he has an affinity for the all-American military-style hero Sabot, who introduces himself as Major John Millhouse Roosevelt. The group explains what's happening. Covenant pulls Tradition aside, and he's suddenly very angry. He says to his "leader" that this stinks of Deadzone, the dimensional despot that's one of Crusade's greatest villains...and the brother of Avalon. When they last left Deadzone, he was in the pocket dimension they called The Dead Zone (see Crusade History), powerless and imprisoned for life by the people of that place. This suddenly makes even more sense, considering Avalon has gone missing. Deadzone had taken his brother before.

The heroes discuss things and interact. Sabot is very disturbed at the large world map in the War Room, seeing at how small the United States is on this world (unlike his world, where there are 76 States scattered all over the globe). But then he sees how small France is, and feels much better. Covenant explains, in his own colorful, deadpan way, about Deadzone and who he is, and his likely connection to all this. Hologram hands Reed's tracking device to Vanguard, and Vanguard sees it localize the search and show the epicenter at just a few miles from the Citadel. With the help of Silent Knight, he plugs it into the Crusade Computer, and the location is pinpointed on a Denver city map for them. The address, to Tradition's "Great Scott!" shock, is Frontier Labs, a company very friendly with the team. And one that, in its dimensional center, houses the portal to the Dead Zone.

While Tradition gives explanations and the heroes discuss a plan of action, Phantasm pops his glider wings and jumps out a window, flying toward Frontier. Sabot, too, once he feels he has enough information, jets out a window. The rest of the heroes group up, and the non-flying ones join Covenant and Silent Knight in a Crusade Shuttle to head over. Before he leaves, Covenant growls to Tradition that if he'd just let him kill Deadzone in the first place, this wouldn't be happening.

Sabot circles high above the Frontier Labs building downtown, checking for any signs of trouble. Phantasm hits the roof, and using his skills at this sort of thing, bypasses their security and sneaks in. He crawls around the air ducts until he's looking down on a large lab with lots of computers and woman in a white coat running frantically around. He pops the grate and drops in, scaring the crap out of her (he's been Colonel John Clayton of B.R.A.N.D. for too long...it's been a while since he's gotten to put on the hood and spook people). He explains to Dr. Marsha Warren, Frontier's dimensional expert, that he's from another dimension...and explains what's going on. She's been tracking all the walls breaches, and discovered the same thing that the other worlds' scientific brains did. When Phantasm mentions the Jericho Effect, she gasps, because that's what she's been calling it, too (she and Reed ought to hook up...).

The other heroes arrive and head up to the lab (having a couple of Crusade members with you gets you past security real fast. Covenant merely hands the guard a cigarette and keep on going, and the guard, being no fool, steps aside). They find Sabot standing outside the lab door, waiting for them. They talk with Dr. Warren, explain that Johnny's tracker says the building they're in is the origin point of the drain. Confused at first, she tells them to wait a moment. She cuts the lights, and changes the lighting to something of an infrared effect. They can all see it now...the otherwise invisible energy, flowing from all sides, coming through the walls and through them, and all being sucked right through the huge steel Dead Zone doorway.

They know now that that's where they have to go, and Dr. Warren begins the sequence to unlock the portal...but it turns out there's no need, because goal-oriented Sabot launches and flies right through it. The door is all but destroyed, allowing the group a view, and easy access, into the other dimension that is Avalon's home.

And whatever they were expecting? They weren't expecting this.

Hologram

Phantasm

 

The Dead Zone

The valley before them, the Crusade members who've made this journey before know, used to have a peaceful, quiet village in it, one of many built in the shadow of the ancient stone castle that is the seat of power for this land. The village is now, all-too-literally, a concentration camp. The peoples are housed behind barbed wire (there was never barbed wire in this world before...), and most are being worked as slaves. One large, obviously newer structure has a smokestack on it, billowing white smoke into the night sky. A chill overcomes most all of them...all the heroes except for the Questors members--from a world that never had World War II--know exactly what the place is for. And the greatest chills and rage come from the members of M.A.G.I.C. when they see the guards that are running things. Their uniforms give them away immediately as agents of DREAM...the private army of the genocidal Baron Blitzkrieg.

DREAM? Here?

The questions can wait. Though the heroes know they have a bigger goal before them, this place does stand in their way, and they can't stand still for what they're seeing. They attack vengefully, Sabot first flying through what looks like a radio tower in hopes of keeping any of them from sounding an alarm. The DREAM agents are beaten (and badly, I might add), and the peoples are freed. They're weeping and grateful, especially to see Silent Knight and the Covenant again. They knew the heroes would come to free them.

A small band of locals approaches from the hills, ones who apparently stayed out of the camps. Covenant recognizes the group's leader, a young man who's a "Walker"--the holy men/warriors of the Zone. He tells what happened, how six months before, the madman (that would be the Baron) came in all his power. He freed the Dark One (this would be Deadzone) from his prison, and his army came in and took over everything. Other strange off-worlders would come, too, and rumors were heard of a great plan being set in motion. And just today, Deadzone and others--using Deadzone's gateway magic--returned from Earth with the beaten, unconscious Avalon. The heroes need to know where they are...and are told that they're in the Great Cave, the chamber in the nearby high mountain that houses The Nexus...the pool of mystical energies that give the Walkers their power to walk the worlds. Deadzone has taken it over and corrupted it again (see Crusade History again), and all the Walkers' powers are lost--those Walkers he hasn't found and killed already, that is.

The heroes start herding the surviving villagers through the portal to Frontier Labs, where they'll be safer. Dr. Warren gets security to guard the door (since they can't close it now), says she'll try to get a call to the police or other heroes or someone to help with the guarding...but most are tied up with the dimensional problems at home. Silent Knight, ever the altruist, immediately begins planning a benefit concert to get aid for the Dead Zone's recovery. The group discusses the best plan of attack, and a tension begins to grow between Vanguard and Sabot. The Covenant, tired of waiting, interrupts their talk by yanking up his mask and showing his face--that shuts them up and gets everyone's attention (one of the few...okay, actually about the only perk of being a leper). Covenant knows the caverns leading to the Great Cave, and can lead the way. It's decided that they'll all enter, with stealth folk Covenant, Phantasm and Confessor leading the way. That decided, the flying heroes grab those earthbound ones, and, en masse, they head for the mountain.

The group sneaks through the tunnels into the heart of the mountain, Covenant in the lead. Soon, their tunnel opens onto a precipice that overlooks what can only be The Great Cave, one roughly the size of football field. Great stone stairways lead down from both sides of the precipice, winding to the floor. The open floor of the cave is where the locals gather for ceremonies involving their religion. The center of that religion is on the opposite side of the cave, where the floor rises drastically into something of a large stone stage. Atop this great ledge is The Nexus, a swirling pool of dimensional energy and magic. During better times, this is where young Walkers come when their time of ascension is at hand, to go through the ceremony and take their magics from the Nexus.

But this time is anything but better. The heroes can see the Nexus, and those who've seen it before--Covenant and Silent Knight--know that something is terribly wrong. Its normal calm swirling has become a violent whirlpool, and the energies within it are discolored and corrupted. More shocking to them yet (but less shocking to the Covenant) is seeing the villainous Deadzone floating above the pool, his hands outstretched and his eyes glowing the same hue as the Nexus. Most shocking of all, though, is what they see behind him.

A huge machine of some kind stands there, cables feeding from it running into the Nexus itself. Strapped to the machine, crucifixion-style, is their fellow Crusade teammate Avalon. His face is twisted in a silent scream, and his eyes glow like his evil brother's do...but his not the color of the Nexus, but of the Argole the heroes saw earlier. He looks pale, barely living, and in agony.

The shocks are not for Crusade alone. The members of M.A.G.I.C. immediately spot their most hated enemy, Baron Blitzkrieg. He stands near the Nexus, holding (oh, crap), the Spear of Destiny. Sabot and Confessor can't believe their eyes...for standing next to the machine, and to Avalon, is their own hated nemesis from their world...the ancient French vampire they've battled in present and past...the Marquis de Marsan. And there's a fourth villain among them, a German-looking younger man that Vanguard can't place, but can't help but find disturbingly familiar...

The Baron's gaze suddenly turns to the far side of the cave, and to the heroes. He laughs, telling his compatriots he was right. He knew heroes from somewhere would show up to interfere. The Baron speaks to them in the booming tones of Aryan madness. Like any true villain, he's more than willing to boast of his plans.

Months ago, when Lucifer D'Arque's rapid multiple breachings of the dimensional barriers caused thinnings in the walls of reality, the Baron's scientists took notice. They discovered the Argole that Johnny spoke to the heroes of. It was an energy source beyond imagining, beyond measure. If the Baron could only find some way to harness it, he knew that his plans for a world free of mutants (and Jews, and Gypsies, and the like) were but the first in an infinite number of conquests available to him. For answers, he turned to his most prized possession, the mystical Spear of Destiny, to guide him. And it did.

Where it guided him to was another world, another reality...and another dimension within that reality. It brought him to Earth Crusade, and to the Dead Zone. It brought him to the cell of Deadzone himself, his prison, it was thought, for the rest of his days. Following the Spear's urgings, he spoke to Deadzone--power-mad ruler himself--of the things he'd learned, and Deadzone knew why the Spear had brought him here. For The Nexus. For years, Deadzone had sought to control The Nexus and its dimensional powers, to find some way to rule worlds beyond number. The Baron now came with his answer. By capturing the Argole energies--the building blocks of reality itself--and channeling them through the Nexus, they would not only control all worlds...but could rebuild them in their own image.

But the two of them alone could not accomplish this. The Spear told the Baron so (and for this kind of power, could even the Baron balk at the idea of sharing it?). They needed The Nexus, and someone who could control it. That was Deadzone, as soon as the Baron freed him and the two of them overthrew the fools who had imprisoned him. Once they had the Nexus controlled, they would need something the focus and wield its energy...that was the Spear, and that was in the Baron's hands. They also needed a means to draw and collect the Argole. A machine was required for this, and the Spear showed them the exact man they needed...one with both the knowledge and thirst for power himself.

At this point in the tale, the mysterious German man looks directly at Vanguard and smiles an evil, contemptuous smile.

"Hello," he says. "Brother."

What?!!

Sabot

Silent Knight

Well, not brother in the actual sense. This man introduces himself as Lord Kromatis, the son of Baron Kromatis--Vanguard's old nemesis and a major thorn in Forte's side. His brother reasoning is that Baron Kromatis created them both (gave them both powers). When last we saw Baron Kromatis, he'd just fallen at the hands of Forte, and his terrorist army, FORCE Command, was destroyed. Though the Baron (Kromatis, not Blitzkrieg) is still tucked away in prison, his son (no one knew he HAD a son...) has been following a carefully structured plan to bring about his father's final victory. Working behind the scenes, he's been slowly rebuilding FORCE Command, and preparing vengeance against Forte. How, on this latter part? Well, we'll find that out in just a little bit. But, in short, he's been getting things ready, and with his father safely in prison, the heroes have had no reason to suspect. The day would soon come when Lord Kromatis would free his father from prison, when the army was again ready and the unsuspecting world would regret the indignities they put upon him. But then some other-worldly gents came to him with a new plan, one that would let them rule all worlds. Suddenly, his father's simple dream of reshaping Europe to his will seemed wholly insignificant. Would not his father be more pleased if his son freed him from his jailers and handed him all of reality?

So Kromatis built the machine. But the machine was only a part of the process. It could draw the Argole in, but could not possibly contain it. They would need something else for that. And, as the Spear knew well in advance, Deadzone knew exactly what. His brother, Avalon. Avalon is more than just a super-hero on Earth Crusade. He's the reincarnation of the rightful ruler of the Dead Zone itself, and was born with a piece of the Nexus within him. His potential for dimensional power is all but unlimited, and Deadzone knew that his body could (in theory) contain the energies they sought. But they might well kill him, too, and as appealing as that thought was to Deadzone, it didn't help them in their plans. So they needed Avalon, and, at the right time, would have to go the Earth Crusade and take him. But they needed to guarantee that he'd stay alive during the process they had in mind.

Again, the Spear pointed the way.

It led them to Earth Questors, and to the Marquis. And as the heroes watch, the smiling vampire pulls Avalon's long hair aside, revealing the hero's neck, and the twin puncture wounds there. Though the process should be killing Avalon--and if there were any mercy, it would--the Marquis has made him immortal, and completely subject to his dark will. They can use his form forever if they please.

The machine draws the Argole, and sends it into Avalon. The machine feeds the Argole into The Nexus. Deadzone, using his birthright and dark magics, works the ceremony that is slowly bringing the Nexus under his total control (at last!). And the Baron stands by with the Spear, ready to wield the ultimate power once it is in their hands. Which looks to be any moment now.

And all of these villains seem oblivious to the fact that what they're doing is tearing all reality apart. Or are they? There's no more time to question.

Reactionary to the core, Sabot launches from the precipice and flies straight at the villains...only to slam (ouch!) into an energy field that surrounds them. Oh, they're quite safe behind it. Heroes always tend to show up at times like this, when the moment of a villain's final triumph as at hand, so they planned for that. And just to be on the safe side, they also have a way to keep the heroes busy while they finish the process.

Here come the bad guys.

From the shadows, and from side tunnels, the minions of these master villains come forth. Each of them has brought...well, bodyguards, if you will...from their own worlds, both to help with the overthrow of the Deadzone and for this very moment. The first to step out are from Earth M.A.G.I.C., and the blood of the M.A.G.I.C. men boils. There's F.I.S.T., the team's (especially Whiplash's) hated bane. And with him is Reaver. But Reaver only existed in the team's dream world (see M.A.G.I.C. history). It seems the armor was real, and inserted into the reality. But as this Reaver pops his blade, they realize it looks familiar. It's the blade from the sword Excalibur. It's Arthur in that armor! Their former teammate who'd disappeared was a DREAM plant the whole time!

Next, the Crusade people see familiar faces. The armored Diablo, terrorist for hire, is there. This armor was designed by Gatling and was stolen from the military, and Gatling has been hunting the villain ever since. With Diablo is Shroud, the sadistic marital artist member of Crusade's longtime enemy, the villain team Cadre.

The Marquis has brought a couple of "friends" from the Questors world, too. Confessor and Sabot know Dark Guardian all too well, the dreaded martial protector of the Marquis. What they aren't expecting? It's Blackwing! They haven't seen their friend and former teammate since he left the group abruptly (see Questors history). He's finally succumbed fully to his vampiric nature, and is under the Marquis' control. To save the world--all worlds--will they have to sacrifice their own comrade?

Finally, Kromatis's people step out, and Phantasm and Cincoflex are the first to freeze in disbelief and horror. First among them is someone called Nightshrike, who appears to be Shrike himself--Phantasm's dead son, Cinco's dead love. Someone calling himself Blackguard is next, and he looks exactly like Vanguard. Vanguard assumes this must be his doppleganger that Baron Kromatis created and tried to use to destroy Forte. Dr. Jackal is suddenly faced with seeing his own wife, Knightsabre, with her powers back again...now calling herself Nightsabre. And in the final surprise, Hologram shows up. The real Hologram is confused, but Forte members thought they had Hologram in their ranks for many months. Kromatis explains that it was all part of his plan. After Vanguard's capture back in Forte history (during the famous "Kromatis Victorious" issues) and the brain surgery performed on him, something of a "download" was done on the Forte hero's mind. The decryption and translation took years, but the son of Kromatis was able to access Vanguard's knowledge and memories. Using this, he developed the perfect plant--he created a light construct of the hero Hologram, who'd visited the Forte world before and interacted with the team on other adventures (see any number of Clobberin' On Infinite Earths games). Using the information gained from Vanguard's conversations with Hologram (Vanguard has a tendency to gather as much info as possible and create files on just about everyone he meets), he created a new Hologram, and gave it false memories. It thought it was the real Hologram, thrown to Earth Forte. Again, the perfect plant--chances weren't too good of the real Hologram showing up from his own world, so there was no reason to doubt the plant. He gathered plenty of information during his time with the team, information that Kromatis was just waiting to use. When his mission was done, the construct's programming kicked in and he returned to his creator. And now, in an unexpected irony, Kromatis gets to order him to kill the real Hologram.

The only way to get to the master villains is through their henchmen, so the battle begins. Still stunned by his impact with the field, Sabot lays on the ground with his powerful personal shielding down. Dark Guardian is on him, and will be able to kill the patriotic hero once and for all. But Vanguard teleports in, forgetting his personal clashes with Sabot and putting himself in harms way to save his life. Cinco prepares to face Nightshrike, but Phantasm steps in.

"Nobody take out my boy but me."

Father and "son" face off in the air, and Phantasm, not knowing if this is his real son or not, tries to talk him down. This Shrike's not having it, and taunts his "father", seeming to have the memories of the real one and blaming Phantasm for his death. Unable to reach him, Phantasm does, instead, what Phantasm does best, and the martial battle begins. Nightsabre flies for her husband, also talking as though she's the real deal, casting blame and anger. Jack sternly resolves, "You're not my wife," and won't play the game. He holds nothing back, and the two bricks go toe-to-toe. Hologram faces off against Hologram, and finds his doppleganger using his own tricks against him. Cinco's up against the "other" Vanguard, while Wingboy and Whiplash head straight for two of their most hated enemies...F.I.S.T. and Reaver. Confessor moves in to help with Dark Guardian, knowing how dangerous he is, and proves his point well when Guardian nails the holy avenger and sends him flying. Covenant and Silent Knight are set upon by their old Crusade enemies, and a battle royale rages all around. All the while, behind the field, the four master villains bring their victory ever closer...and the destruction of all there is. Already, the walls of the cavern are starting to shimmer in patches as reality begins to fall apart everywhere at once. The time is of the end is near.

Vanguard

Whiplash

While Covenant and Silent Knight double up on Dark Guardian (and Sabot is quickly back in form, using his devastating punch to dent the crap out of Diablo), Vanguard slips away and begins to use one of his abilities...using his force blasts to tunnel under the "stage" and up through it. He keeps at it, unnoticed, while the rest of the heroes get the upper hand with the minor villains and start dropping them, one by one. A couple of the heroes catch what Vanguard's up to...Phantasm hurries over to the tunnel and scurries through. Wingboy sees it...and sees Blitzkrieg up there, wielding the Spear. He spent so long being tormented and tortured by the man. Seeing him again is facing his greatest fear, and all his self-doubts. Whiplash tells him that he can face him...and has to. Wingboy flies into Vanguard's tunnel. With him gone, Whiplash looks down at the fallen Reaver/Arthur, and tears the blade of Excalibur from his armor. With it, he kills both Arthur and F.I.S.T., exorcising many of his own demons and executing some long overdue justice.

Vanguard breaks through the floor of the stage and leaps up, with Phantasm and Wingboy right behind him. Vanguard's first thought is to destroy the machine that Avalon is linked to, but would that kill this hero in the process? Phantasm tries a different approach to stopping the process, and does a flying tackle right over the Nexus, slamming into Deadzone and throwing them both clear. Yanked suddenly from the brink of being one with eternity, Deadzone loses control of the magics he was casting over the Nexus, and suddenly, all knowledge of all things in all places in all times slams right into his brain. His eyes go blank as his mind is fried, lost somewhere in the cosmos.

Wingboy sees only Blitzkrieg, who stands wielding the Spear, unable to believe this is happening at the moment of his final victory. With a scream of primal rage, Wingboy flies straight up, and then straight down into his former "jailer", and the one who's brought so much death and terror to his world. As the Baron is plowed, the Spear of Destiny goes flying, spinning through the air...

And is plucked from said air by Vanguard.

Vanguard, holding the very spear that pierced the side of Christ two thousand years before, is able to hold The Marquis--who had been about to rush the hero and suck his British blood--at bay. Gripping the mystical artifact of unthinkable power, Vanguard concentrates and says aloud, "Everything as it was!"

But, nothing happens. Guess it doesn't work quite the same way as the Cosmic Cube. Hey, it was worth a shot.

Phantasm has left the drooling Deadzone and is sparring with Kromatis Jr., who's beyond rage that his gift for his father is being so rudely interrupted. But it's no contest when it comes to hand-to-hand against the master, and Phantasm pops his glider wing extension pole to crack Kromatis in the ribs and put him down.

Now he's used to doing this and hearing ribs crack. What his not used to seeing is the skin itself crack...and light spill out.

For a moment, Kromatis doesn't notice, and then looks down and sees the cracks in his side start to grow and widen, and the light that's pouring from him brighten. He looks up again, a terrible realization in his eyes. He looks up and says, "Father...why didn't you tell me?" Lord Kromatis, it seems, was just a light construct , not unlike the fake Hologram. Baron Kromatis had created him and left him in storage, only to be activated if the villain was ever captured. It had programmed memories, thinking it was the Baron's own son, and had only one mission in life...to serve its "father" with complete loyalty, and rebuild his empire. Lord Kromatis sees that his whole life is a lie...just before he explodes.

There's a binding flash of light that fills the stage as Kromatis goes. As he does, so too do all the light constructs he'd brought with him...Nightsabre, Nightshrike, Blackguard, and Hologram. They all vanish in a flash. And something else happens when this being of pure light explodes...all this light hits the Marquis, and the ancient vampire screams in mortal agony, bursts into flame, and then explodes himself. Yuck! When this happens, Confessor sees something extraordinary happen below. His friend and teammate Blackwing, so long infected with the Marquis' vampire bite, loses all his vampiric attributes now that the head vampire is dead. The Blackwing he'd become all those years ago, after being bitten, is gone, and the Questors hero Jubillon is back again, and finally free.

But things still aren't okay. The machine is still soaking up the Argole, and reality is still coming apart all around. Phantasm, ever the believer in the direct approach, flips over the whirling Nexus of all reality, grabs the Spear of Destiny from Vanguard ("Give me that!"). and drives it right into the great machine. Sparks fly everywhere, and the machine melts down internally.

But...too late?

Everything becomes a whirling mass of color and motion for the gathered heroes, and they feel themselves spinning through the great void of nothing/everything.

And then, jarringly, it all stops.

The group finds themselves standing in a large conference room of the hero base type. A young man in a hero mask and martial arts garb spits out the root beer he was drinking and curses his surprise at the group's appearance.

"Kompeki," a female computer voice from all around them calmly tells him, "watch your language please."

Another couple of Tomorrow League members rush in--Sony and Masquerade--and the two groups have a couple of seconds more to stare at each other before the spinning colors start again and the heroes are gone.

They stop their mad journey again, and find themselves in a bombed-out hotel room. The burning city outside the window looks like Beirut...actually it is Beirut. And sitting in front of the window, at a wooden table, are four men apparently playing Indian Poker, each with a single card stuck to his forehead. Two of them are in costumes. One of them is dressed in normal clothing, assuming you find a tank top and a couple of large firearms in shoulder holsters normal. The last has guns on him, too, and has long blonde hair and a tee shirt that reads, "Guns Don't Kill People...I Do".

"Say," the massive Monument says, having noticed the group. "What goes on here?"

The other gents--Ramrod, Fury, and Rick Taggert, field leader of The FIRM--notice the group, as well. Fury considers them, thinks for a moment, as says, "Rick? I fold."

With that, Fury and Rick whip out their guns, Monument leaps up from the table, and Ramrod flies through the table, right at the gathered heroes, and the last thing they see is his screaming face before--

They're gone again.

And are now in a large warehouse, part of which looks like a converted living room. A woman in a silver outfit in on the couch, and Silverbolt reacts with surprise. Behind her, atop a large blue craft of some sort, a man in a blue costume and goggles drops his wrench with a start.

"Beetle Brigade!" the Blue Beetle calls out. "Assemble!"

Poof.

Wingboy

The heroes now stand in the middle of a major metropolitan city, at the intersection of two main streets. Large skyscrapers block out the sky around them, and the skyscrapers look pretty damaged. So does the whole block. Cars and large trucks are overturned and piled atop each other. Fire hydrants are spraying water everywhere. Unconscious supervillains and agents are laying around the street and sticking out of store display windows.

And as the heroes turn, the see a group behind them...and the mass destruction suddenly makes sense to a few of them.

The Paragons are standing there, having just taken care of business. The original Paragons--Superion, Knightmare, Gallahad, Energon, Komal, Starman and Diamond Fist, seemingly still together (and alive, surprisingly for some of them).

"So," Superion says, sizing them up. "The General called in reinforcements."

"A formidable looking group," King Gallahad says, drawing his sword.

"Life without challenge," Diamond Fist notes, taking a combat stance, "is akin to life without breath."

"And a day without blood," Knightmare adds, twirling his staff, "is like a day without sunshine."

"You people picked the wrong block to jaywalk on," Energon says, his armored hands glowing.

"And as ever," Komal says, "my brothers-in-arms waste time with talk when glorious battle is at hand!" He raises his hammer to the sky, and lightning crashes down and strikes it. "Have at thee!!"

"Paragons," Starman shouts, on the verge of laughter and way-too-ready to throw his light powers around again, "let's get it on!!"

And the heroes (thankfully) disappear again.

The heroes now find themselves in what looks like Colorado, and they're at a bus stop in the snow. Four eight-year olds are standing there, looking at them in shock. There's a big fat one dressed like Vanguard, a hairy one in a heavy jacket and winder hat with flaps, one in a Phantasm outfit and a wool cap, and a black-haired girl in a costume like Cinco's. The heroes look at their feet. Sabot seems to have landed on a little guy in a hood.

"Oh, my God!" the Phantasm kid shouts, pointing at Sabot's feet. "They've killed Shrike!"

The little Jackal points an accusing finger. "You bastards!"

And they're gone again.

Now they're in some kind of city square, looking up at a giant marble statue. They're all in shadow, because the statue's two enormous breasts are blocking out the sun. They can't make out any face on the statue from this angle. But they look around, and this seems to be a happy, utopian place. The people are peaceful and content, and all seem to be wearing tee shirts with the same buxom brunette airbrushed on them. This seems to be a world free of crime and care, and loudspeakers throughout the city are playing just heavenly music--songs being sung, they assume, by the same woman they built the statue for and put all over their tee shirts. Whoever she is, she most be quite a woman indeed. She seems to be able to take care of any problem. Why, the heroes get the idea that they wouldn't even be needed on a world where this woman was around...

Color, motion, nausea, a jerky stop.

Now things look like they might finally be okay. The heroes seem to be in Johnny Quest's office again! All right! But Johnny's nowhere in sight. They do hear music coming from a side door, though, and someone opens it.

This seems to be a side bedroom. There's a round bed in the middle of it. Johnny Quest, in the center of the bed, sits up suddenly from beneath the sheets.

"What the--?" he says, totally surprised at the sight of the heroes.

To his left, Sabrina Parker suddenly sits up, clutching the sheet to her chest. "What the--?"

And then, to his right, Ghost Girl sits up, clutching the sheet to herself as well, seeming to be wearing only her white mask. "What the--?"

Dr. Jackal screams.

And with one final blast of the cosmic roller coaster, the heroes find themselves back in the Dead Zone.

It seemed to them that reality had come apart, but, in fact, when Phantasm shut down the machine, reality basically "rebooted" itself, and the heroes, all close to the Nexus, where whisked through a sudden tour of reconstructing realities--other worlds, other Earths. Dr. Jackal hopes that some of them didn't survive the process. The Nexus is once again calm and pure, and it seems reality is safe.

Everyone gets oriented again, and Silent Knight and Cincoflex rush to the wearied Avalon and carefully unhook him from the machine. A call comes through to Forte. It's Johnny Quest--Phantasm takes the call and tries to keep from laughing. Johnny confirms that everything's okay. The heroes have stopped the Jericho Effect. What, he's calling it that now too? Actually, no...he got the name from M.A.G.I.C.'s Reed Richards. It seems that the four scientists--Quest, Richards, Adleman and Warren--discovered each other's existence while monitoring the situation and tracking dimensional movement from their different worlds. They got in touch, and worked together. Johnny says that when reality came back together again, the four of them managed to form stable portals between their worlds--a safe means to travel between the worlds of Forte, Crusade, Questors and M.A.G.I.C. These portals, located in Questar, Frontier Labs, Adleman's CIA Science Center, and the Richards Industries buildings, respectively, will of course have to remain top secret, but the scientists are excited at the prospect of being able to share information and ideas between different alternate Earths. And the heroes, of course, would be able to use them as well...in case they ever needed to get together for something big like this again. Right now, the best use they can imagine for the doors is just to get back to their own homes.

Someone finally notices that Wingboy is beating the living crap out of the unconscious Baron Blitzkrieg, shouting "Rule number two!" over and over again. Hologram comes over to him, and holds him back, telling him that this isn't the way, that it'll only make things worse for him...and that the Baron will have ultimately beaten him. Nearby, Covenant is busy "curb-stomping" the vegetative Deadzone. Avalon, shaky, but himself again, comes over, and tells his teammate that justice will be served...but in the proper way. After what Deadzone has done to the people of his world, the obvious punishment will be carried out, but in the ways of the people. Covenant only asks that he be allowed to be the one to "pull the trigger". Avalon can allow that. He's finally taking his rightful place as ruler of the Dead Zone, all that's just happened having taught him that he's needed here in his true home. The people need his protection, his guidance, and there's a whole new generation of Walkers to be trained. The first order of business will be the execution of his brother. And Covenant will be appointed executioner. Silent Knight, having grown closer and closer to Avalon, will now have to deal with the idea of him not coming home.

And as the cavern's being cleared out and there's no one around? Whiplash, Excalibur in hand, handles a little final execution of his own. Hologram was right to keep Wingboy from getting blood on his hands, he feels, but Whiplash's are already stained, and all the crimes committed on his world by Blitzkrieg must be avenged...and never allowed to be repeated. He kills the Baron, and with him, his dark dream.

The heroes gather back at the portal to Frontier Labs, and prepare to depart to their respective homes. The universe(s) is safe, thanks to a remarkable group of veteran heroes. They say their good-byes and acknowledge new friendships, all realize this probably isn't the last they'll see of each other...

 

Epilogue
Earth Forte
Somewhere in Europe

Hologram spends a little extra time in Forte's world. He and Vanguard have some business to finish up. Together, using Johnny Quest's tracking of dimensional movements, find the place where Blitzkrieg and Deadzone appeared to Lord Kromatis. They find a secret underground lair, one completely void of personnel. It was here that the "son" of Kromatis was born, and from here he carried out his plans to rebuild FORCE Command and take his vengeance on Forte. Part of his programming was acting in complete secrecy, and he did so, sharing his plans and information with no one. The two heroes get into his vast computer system. Within it are all the downloaded memories of Vanguard, and all of Forte's secrets. Also there are the memories of the other Hologram. During their time in that lair, Hologram learns all about his counterpart, and what he did during his time as a member of Forte. He feels anger at how his form was used as a traitorous plant, but at the same time, feels sympathy for the being that impersonated him. This other Hologram truly believed he was Hologram, and that he had a daughter back on M.A.G.I.C.'s world that he would have done anything to get back to. This creation was a pawn...in some ways, just like Kromatis own "son" was.

Vanguard and Hologram also find all the information on the growing cells of new FORCE Command activity...the whole network. They'll feed this information to Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D., and let him bust up these groups before they have a chance to grow and unite. They find Kromatis's great machines he used for creating his light constructs, and matrixes for the creation of the faux-Forte villains they'd fought in the Deadzone...and other ones not yet assembled. Without having to discuss the matter, the two heroes destroy the machines. Vanguard sends a virus through the computer, wiping out all his captured memories, and all the stolen information that could hurt the ones he loves. Everything that Lord Kromatis had accomplished is in their hands...and they destroy it all. Vanguard's victory over the Baron is finally complete, and Hologram has laid a ghost to rest. After a stop off for a meal in Switzerland, and a somber toast to the good guys winning in the end, and to friendship, two heroes from two worlds say farewell, and Hologram returns to his Earth, and to his place with the new M.A.G.I.C.

The End
...until next Con