Family portraits, part one
It's been a month of madness for us all but, every Saturday, LJ's games have provided an oasis. When the kidlet said she was ready to take a step into the future of her personal continuity, she wasn't kidding. As should be well and truly expected by now, LJ had the entire thing all planned out.
There will be big epics again but, first, LJ believes she should introduce each member of the new generation of super heroes. Individually. IDW's My Little Pony: Micro-Series is a big inspiration; one-shot tales that get into the histories and personalities of these meta-powered munchkins while seeding the over-arching storyline to come. Who could ask for anything more? So join us (won't you?) for the first three "issues" (each sure to be a collector's item classic) of the kidlet's latest series...
Super Hero High Micro-Series #1: Robin, the Boy Wonder
Damian Wayne is the son of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, and Princess Diana of Themyscira, aka Wonder Woman. Just 10 years old, Damian is a natural genius. He is also already a highly-accomplished warrior thanks to training sessions with his Amazon "aunties". Unfortunately for everyone, he knows this and isn't afraid to boast. Possessed of a precociousness bordering on narcissism, Damian has the uncanny ability to get under the skin of pretty much everyone with his near-constant declaration that he is "the prince of the Amazons... and Batman". He fails to understand why his father refuses to immediately retire the mantle of the Bat and hand over his utility belt. And while he deeply respects his "uncle" Nightwing, Damian loathes the Robin costume. "Mother and father insist on my wearing this," he tells his contemporaries. "I am confident it is a phase they will eventually outgrow."
Damian's moment of truth involved two of his father's deadliest enemies. First he confronted an unimpressed Joker, insulted the clown by not being afraid of him and finally enraged the harlequin by defeating him! Wonder Woman was impressed but Batman was furious, lambasting Damian for taking foolish risks and putting himself in danger. The harsh lecture only spurred Damian to further action and, when Bane went to break Joker out of Arkham Asylum, Damian made sure he was the first on the scene. Unfortunately the mercenary had been counting on the boy's impulsiveness and, empowered by the improved "NuVenom" steroid, quickly defeated the fledgling Robin. When Batman arrived, grief and anger got the better of him - giving Bane the upper hand. The monster brought the Dark Knight down over his knee with a sickening sound, freed the Joker and left, confident he had at last "broken the Bat".
Iron Man's new medical equipment tended to Batman's wounds (chronic muscle damage but, fortunately, no spinal injury) while Damian wrestled with his guilt and loss of self-confidence. He decided to give up his dreams of super hero-dom and focused instead on school work and being a "normal" 10-year-old. When the Avengers went in search of Bane and Joker, the caped crusader asked to speak to his son. In an emotional conversation, Batman confessed he was hard on Damian because, when he was 10, he'd lost his entire world. The Dark Knight couldn't bear the thought of that happening to his new family. However, he knew both he and Damian had to take that risk because Bane and the Joker were "Wayne family problems". Damian had created this situation and it was his duty to fix it, once and for all, no matter the dangers. With new insight into his father, Damian pulled on his costume, "borrowed" a motorcycle from the garage and headed out. He had a great idea.
Thanks to NuVenom, Bane was nearly unstoppable - even the Hulk couldn't bring him down! As Iron Man and Captain America stumbled, Damian threw himself into the middle of the fight with seemingly reckless abandon. It was, however, all part of the youngster's plan. The motorcycle, which he'd rammed into Bane, was coated in super-sticky glue. The vehicle stuck to Bane's chest and arms like flypaper, limiting his attacks. The monster tried to stomp on Damian instead, one again playing into the hero's hands. Damian had tipped his boots with thin, fine knives that nicked Bane's skin, opening up dozens of tiny cuts from which NuVenom-enhanced blood leaked. The more he exerted himself, the quicker Bane's heart beat and the faster he pumped the NuVenom out of his veins. Robbed of his chemical advantage, Bane was no match for the Hulk and, robbed of his ally, Joker couldn't trump Iron Man and Cap. The Avengers had saved the day - all thanks to Damian Wayne.
Bane and Joker were led away to Arkham Asylum, each swearing vengeance upon their new foe. Damian's victory was hailed by his friends and his mother - but it was his father's reaction that mattered most. Batman was not only proud, he offered his son the full-time role of Robin. Though secretly upset at not being handed the cowl, Damian nonetheless accepted a "partnership in the family business". His self-confidence well and truly back on the upswing, Damian swaggered out of the medical bay... but Batman, of course, got the last word. "Think of it this way, Robin," he said with a wry smile. "Would you have found the courage and determination to take Bane on again if I hadn't talked you into it?" Damian stormed off in a huff as Batman chuckled.
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Super Hero High Micro-Series #2: Torunn, Princess of Thunder
Torunn is the daughter of Thor, prince of Asgard, and of the berserker Lady Sif. With sword and shield in hand, the 14-year-old is every inch her mother's daughter - but lightning flows through her veins, and the storm heeds her command as it does her father's. Unlike her contemporaries, Torunn's upbringing has been fragmented. Though deeply in love with one another, neither Thor nor Sif would put romance before their duties. He stayed on Midgard while she remained in Asgard, meaning Torunn has split her time between worlds and parents. She prefers to be in Asgard, where she can adventure with her mother and the Warriors Three, peer into the cosmos with her uncle Heimdall and learn at the side of her grandfather, Odin. Torunn has friends on Earth but finds life there restrictive and limited. Her father is incredibly over-protective to the point of refusing to let her leave Hero Headquarters.
Torunn's moment of truth began with teenage rebellion. Chafing at her father's restrictions, no longer amused by the holographic training room built by "Uncle Tony", the princess of Asgard floated down from her tower and ran away from home. Walking through Super Hero City for the first time was like an epiphany and she reveled in the unfamiliar sights and sounds. She met the Mayor, Commissioner Gordon and J Jonah Jameson, sampled new foods and saw amazing things. A hero to the core, she even leaped into the path of a runaway ice cream truck to save an old lady who'd tripped while crossing the road! The lady was so grateful she insisted on rewarding her young saviour and insisted she come to her home for a cup of tea. Naive and trusting, having never been taught to question the motives of strangers, Torunn happily agreed. The old lady smiled... almost too happily.
Meanwhile, Thor was fuming over his latest argument with Torunn. Iron Man calmed his old friend down, explaining that teenagers needed freedom and treating them "like fairy tale princesses" forever wasn't healthy for anyone. "How is it that you were the worst of us with women," Thor mused, "and yet have become the best parent of us all?" Wanting to turn over a new leaf, Thor went to Torunn's room... and, finding her gone, flew into a panic. "The girl does not realise the danger she is in," he cried, taking to the air to search. He scoured the city, eventually speaking with the Mayor and Commissioner Gordon. He also talked to the driver of the ice cream truck, who offered a very different perspective on the old lady's near miss. According to the driver, the woman had thrown herself in front of his truck when he rounded the corner "like she wanted to get hit or something." Thor gasped - his worst fears were coming true!
Nearby, Torunn had cheerfully sipped, tasted and munched on every delicious morsel the old lady had put in front of her. She didn't think she could fit another thing in, but also didn't want to offend her host. And so when the lady begged her to drink a cup of her "specially-brewed tea", she lifted the delicate china to her lips... and dropped it in surprise as her father crashed through the wall! His hammer crackling with lightning, Thor ordered Torunn to "get up and come home". She angrily refused, calling Thor rude and pig-headed. Clouds swirled overhead as father and daughter argued, and electricity arced across the gap between them. Before they could come to blows, the old lady snatched Torunn from behind and blasted her with a bolt of pink magic! She was no doddery pensioner - she was really Amora the Enchantress! "I've waited 14 long years for this moment, Thor," the sorceress sneered, "14 long years to pay you back for breaking my heart! Now, I shall take from you what you love most in all the worlds!"
Thor tried to aid Torunn but, with a wave of her hand, Enchantress bewitched her furniture and sent it to attack the thunder god. Driven outside by squirming, swatting, tasteful upholstery, Thor could only croak "your helmet" as he fought. Torunn's pained, fumbling fingers found a button inside her helmet. She pressed it, activating the anti-magic feedback loop Iron Man had secretly installed long ago. Enchantress fell back and Torunn snatched up her weapons, ready to "fight and die like an Aesir". Cackling, long-since driven mad by jealousy and resentment, Amora welcomed the challenge and the battle was on. Torunn struggled valiantly but was no match for her immensely-powerful foe. Just when all seemed lost, a shadowy stranger appeared behind Amora and struck her down! Torunn gazed up at a man she'd never seen before... a man wearing a horned helmet and carrying a long spear... and, after thanking him, asked his name. "A conversation for another day," he answered cryptically and, with a smile, vanished.
With Amora defeated, her spells evaporated. Thor rushed inside and gathered Torunn up in a bear hug. "Enchantress was the reason I kept you inside all those years," he explained. "I knew she meant to kill you and so I did my all to keep you safe. I'm sorry for not trusting you - I clearly should have, as your strength alone was more than her match!" Torunn was about to correct him, to tell him about the shadowy stranger, but thought better of it. She had beaten Amora... kind of... and really did want the freedom that would come of her father's assumption. And so she said nothing to change his mind and soaked up his adulation, looking forward to further exploring Earth and perhaps even going on missions with the Avengers. As father and daughter bonded, Torunn's rescuer - Loki, the god of lies and mischief - watched from on high and smiled. It was not a nice smile...
----------
Super Hero High Micro-Series #3: Shield Maiden, the Super-Soldier
Peggy Rogers is the daughter of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, and SHIELD Agent Sharon Carter. Because her mother went "missing in action" soon after her birth, Peggy was raised solely by her father. Cap never remarried, convinced that Sharon will one day return - just as he did after World War II. Of all the "next gen" heroes, Peggy - better known as Shield Maiden - is the most experienced because she's been going on adventures with her father her whole life. A total tomboy, she shares Cap's love of baseball, boxing, drawing and riding motorcycles. The 14-year-old's special talent is driving: put her in the seat of any vehicle, no matter how unfamiliar or complicated, and she will be able to drive, fly or sail it within minutes. She carries two hi-tech (Stark-built) shields, one of which absorbs and re-directs kinetic energy while the other does the same with lasers, rays, energy waves and radiation.
Peggy's moment of truth came amidst a backyard baseball game with her dad... on the hi-tech "pop-up sports field" created by Tony Stark. The family's innings were interrupted by Nick Fury, who asked if he could "borrow" Shield Maiden for a while. Beyond Cap's hearing, the super-spy told the young heroine she was needed for a mission - specifically, to complete her mother's last mission. Fury revealed Sharon Carter had died foiling the Red Skull's plan to flatten Super Hero City with a tsunami generator. Her battle with Skull and his offsider, Arnim Zola, fused most of the devilish machine's controls. The villains fled in an escape pod, leaving Sharon with just two choices: let the city be flooded, or change the wave's direction so it would destroy the machine and her along with it. She had chosen the latter, saving the lives of millions - including Steve and baby Peggy - at the cost of her own. The threat was over... or at least it had been, until that morning.
Fury and Shield Maiden were joined by Black Widow. She had detected the tsunami generator's signature radiation coming from a factory owned by the ARI Corporation. Widow wanted to take it down but, remembering the last mission, Fury insisted she take super-soldier back-up. Fearing Cap would want to search the factory for Sharon, and would therefore be distracted, SHIELD's best choice for the mission was Peggy. The heroine signed on, wanting to honour her mother's memory and "finish what she started". Shield Maiden and Black Widow first visited Arkham Asylum, where the Red Skull had been held prisoner for more than a decade. The bitter despot was offended by Shield Maiden's existence and insulted her, suggesting the blue-eyed, blonde-haired girl would have "made a good Nazi". That earned him swift kick between the legs and an... intense interrogation... at the Widow's hands. Fearful of further beatings, the ghoulish tyrant admitted he knew nothing of the ARI Corporation.
The heroines set off in the SHIELD hover-car to infiltrate the factory, but shot out of the skies by by Crimson Dynamo and Scorpion! Widow was knocked unconscious by the crash, leaving Shield Maiden to fight alone. Despite her training she panicked because Dynamo's Arc Reactor whips were solid chains that crackled with energy - too much for either of her shields to handle! Forcing herself to be calm, Peggy realised success lay in using both shields at once, blunting Dynamo's assault. As the armoured goon re-calibrated his systems, Scorpion snared Peggy from behind with his pincer-like hands. Born with the super-soldier serum in her blood, the girl prised his fingers open and burst free. She turned to face their next attack, but both men jerked to attention, jittered for a moment and then fell flat on their faces. The recovered Widow blew smoke from her stingers. "Time to play infiltrators," she grinned.
They found a second pair of guards - Titanium Man and Shocker - inside the factory. Peggy handed Widow her energy-absorbing shield, then leaped out and provoked the massive armoured Russian. He chased her for a while, fists swinging, until he landed a booming punch... right on her kinetic energy shield, which threw his own force back at him. Widow played a similar trick on Shocker, presenting herself as an easy target. Once he took the bait, the borrowed shield made him sorry he'd been born. Unfortunately, Widow herself had been manoeuvred into a trap - an electrified net dropped from the ceiling and ensnared her! Peggy turned to see the real power behind the ARI Corporation: Dr Arnim Zola! Freed of Red Skull's influence, the once-meek scientist had turned Hydra into a legitimate (if morally dubious) scientific outfit and made millions on the stock market. Now he wanted Super Hero City gone so he could sell the vacant land for an even bigger profit!
Zola didn't consider Peggy a threat. That was his big mistake. She attacked without fear, thinking he'd be a pushover... but that was her mistake. Beneath his suit, Zola wore a harness with the same energy-absorbing properties as one of Peggy's shields, leveling the playing field. But whatever he had become, Zola was still no hand-to-hand combatant. He crumpled beneath Peggy's super-strong blows - unfortunately, he crumpled onto the tsunami controls, sending an enormous wave hurtling toward Super Hero City! Peggy found herself faced with the same disaster, the same fate, that had befallen the mother she never knew. But unlike her mother, Peggy understood controls just by looking at them. She quickly hot-wired the panel to her shields, using them to drain the energy of the wave and cancel it out. The day was saved, and Sharon Carter's final mission completed at last.
And that's when Cap arrived in the Quinjet with Hawkeye. They'd finally convinced Nick to give up details of the mission and had come to the rescue... not that, as Cap noted proudly, it was necessary. Taking command of the situation, he ordered the heroes to spread out and search the base for Sharon. Hawkeye and Widow shifted uncomfortably. Peggy took her father by the hand and, in the gentlest terms possible, explained it was time for him to let go of his hope. A little tearful, Cap admitted he'd always known his love was gone but he couldn't give up because he'd wanted Peggy to have a normal family. Shield Maiden hugged the sentinel of liberty, saying she'd had "the best family" because he was her Dad. Cap gratefully returned the embrace as Widow handcuffed Zola and Hawkeye made good-natured vomiting noises. Cap told Clint he would be grateful for "this sort of mushy stuff" one day; Widow arched an eyebrow and told Hawkeye not to "get any ideas".
----------
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF
There will be big epics again but, first, LJ believes she should introduce each member of the new generation of super heroes. Individually. IDW's My Little Pony: Micro-Series is a big inspiration; one-shot tales that get into the histories and personalities of these meta-powered munchkins while seeding the over-arching storyline to come. Who could ask for anything more? So join us (won't you?) for the first three "issues" (each sure to be a collector's item classic) of the kidlet's latest series...
Super Hero High Micro-Series #1: Robin, the Boy Wonder
Damian Wayne is the son of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, and Princess Diana of Themyscira, aka Wonder Woman. Just 10 years old, Damian is a natural genius. He is also already a highly-accomplished warrior thanks to training sessions with his Amazon "aunties". Unfortunately for everyone, he knows this and isn't afraid to boast. Possessed of a precociousness bordering on narcissism, Damian has the uncanny ability to get under the skin of pretty much everyone with his near-constant declaration that he is "the prince of the Amazons... and Batman". He fails to understand why his father refuses to immediately retire the mantle of the Bat and hand over his utility belt. And while he deeply respects his "uncle" Nightwing, Damian loathes the Robin costume. "Mother and father insist on my wearing this," he tells his contemporaries. "I am confident it is a phase they will eventually outgrow."
Damian's moment of truth involved two of his father's deadliest enemies. First he confronted an unimpressed Joker, insulted the clown by not being afraid of him and finally enraged the harlequin by defeating him! Wonder Woman was impressed but Batman was furious, lambasting Damian for taking foolish risks and putting himself in danger. The harsh lecture only spurred Damian to further action and, when Bane went to break Joker out of Arkham Asylum, Damian made sure he was the first on the scene. Unfortunately the mercenary had been counting on the boy's impulsiveness and, empowered by the improved "NuVenom" steroid, quickly defeated the fledgling Robin. When Batman arrived, grief and anger got the better of him - giving Bane the upper hand. The monster brought the Dark Knight down over his knee with a sickening sound, freed the Joker and left, confident he had at last "broken the Bat".
Iron Man's new medical equipment tended to Batman's wounds (chronic muscle damage but, fortunately, no spinal injury) while Damian wrestled with his guilt and loss of self-confidence. He decided to give up his dreams of super hero-dom and focused instead on school work and being a "normal" 10-year-old. When the Avengers went in search of Bane and Joker, the caped crusader asked to speak to his son. In an emotional conversation, Batman confessed he was hard on Damian because, when he was 10, he'd lost his entire world. The Dark Knight couldn't bear the thought of that happening to his new family. However, he knew both he and Damian had to take that risk because Bane and the Joker were "Wayne family problems". Damian had created this situation and it was his duty to fix it, once and for all, no matter the dangers. With new insight into his father, Damian pulled on his costume, "borrowed" a motorcycle from the garage and headed out. He had a great idea.
Thanks to NuVenom, Bane was nearly unstoppable - even the Hulk couldn't bring him down! As Iron Man and Captain America stumbled, Damian threw himself into the middle of the fight with seemingly reckless abandon. It was, however, all part of the youngster's plan. The motorcycle, which he'd rammed into Bane, was coated in super-sticky glue. The vehicle stuck to Bane's chest and arms like flypaper, limiting his attacks. The monster tried to stomp on Damian instead, one again playing into the hero's hands. Damian had tipped his boots with thin, fine knives that nicked Bane's skin, opening up dozens of tiny cuts from which NuVenom-enhanced blood leaked. The more he exerted himself, the quicker Bane's heart beat and the faster he pumped the NuVenom out of his veins. Robbed of his chemical advantage, Bane was no match for the Hulk and, robbed of his ally, Joker couldn't trump Iron Man and Cap. The Avengers had saved the day - all thanks to Damian Wayne.
Bane and Joker were led away to Arkham Asylum, each swearing vengeance upon their new foe. Damian's victory was hailed by his friends and his mother - but it was his father's reaction that mattered most. Batman was not only proud, he offered his son the full-time role of Robin. Though secretly upset at not being handed the cowl, Damian nonetheless accepted a "partnership in the family business". His self-confidence well and truly back on the upswing, Damian swaggered out of the medical bay... but Batman, of course, got the last word. "Think of it this way, Robin," he said with a wry smile. "Would you have found the courage and determination to take Bane on again if I hadn't talked you into it?" Damian stormed off in a huff as Batman chuckled.
----------
Super Hero High Micro-Series #2: Torunn, Princess of Thunder
Torunn is the daughter of Thor, prince of Asgard, and of the berserker Lady Sif. With sword and shield in hand, the 14-year-old is every inch her mother's daughter - but lightning flows through her veins, and the storm heeds her command as it does her father's. Unlike her contemporaries, Torunn's upbringing has been fragmented. Though deeply in love with one another, neither Thor nor Sif would put romance before their duties. He stayed on Midgard while she remained in Asgard, meaning Torunn has split her time between worlds and parents. She prefers to be in Asgard, where she can adventure with her mother and the Warriors Three, peer into the cosmos with her uncle Heimdall and learn at the side of her grandfather, Odin. Torunn has friends on Earth but finds life there restrictive and limited. Her father is incredibly over-protective to the point of refusing to let her leave Hero Headquarters.
Torunn's moment of truth began with teenage rebellion. Chafing at her father's restrictions, no longer amused by the holographic training room built by "Uncle Tony", the princess of Asgard floated down from her tower and ran away from home. Walking through Super Hero City for the first time was like an epiphany and she reveled in the unfamiliar sights and sounds. She met the Mayor, Commissioner Gordon and J Jonah Jameson, sampled new foods and saw amazing things. A hero to the core, she even leaped into the path of a runaway ice cream truck to save an old lady who'd tripped while crossing the road! The lady was so grateful she insisted on rewarding her young saviour and insisted she come to her home for a cup of tea. Naive and trusting, having never been taught to question the motives of strangers, Torunn happily agreed. The old lady smiled... almost too happily.
Meanwhile, Thor was fuming over his latest argument with Torunn. Iron Man calmed his old friend down, explaining that teenagers needed freedom and treating them "like fairy tale princesses" forever wasn't healthy for anyone. "How is it that you were the worst of us with women," Thor mused, "and yet have become the best parent of us all?" Wanting to turn over a new leaf, Thor went to Torunn's room... and, finding her gone, flew into a panic. "The girl does not realise the danger she is in," he cried, taking to the air to search. He scoured the city, eventually speaking with the Mayor and Commissioner Gordon. He also talked to the driver of the ice cream truck, who offered a very different perspective on the old lady's near miss. According to the driver, the woman had thrown herself in front of his truck when he rounded the corner "like she wanted to get hit or something." Thor gasped - his worst fears were coming true!
Nearby, Torunn had cheerfully sipped, tasted and munched on every delicious morsel the old lady had put in front of her. She didn't think she could fit another thing in, but also didn't want to offend her host. And so when the lady begged her to drink a cup of her "specially-brewed tea", she lifted the delicate china to her lips... and dropped it in surprise as her father crashed through the wall! His hammer crackling with lightning, Thor ordered Torunn to "get up and come home". She angrily refused, calling Thor rude and pig-headed. Clouds swirled overhead as father and daughter argued, and electricity arced across the gap between them. Before they could come to blows, the old lady snatched Torunn from behind and blasted her with a bolt of pink magic! She was no doddery pensioner - she was really Amora the Enchantress! "I've waited 14 long years for this moment, Thor," the sorceress sneered, "14 long years to pay you back for breaking my heart! Now, I shall take from you what you love most in all the worlds!"
Thor tried to aid Torunn but, with a wave of her hand, Enchantress bewitched her furniture and sent it to attack the thunder god. Driven outside by squirming, swatting, tasteful upholstery, Thor could only croak "your helmet" as he fought. Torunn's pained, fumbling fingers found a button inside her helmet. She pressed it, activating the anti-magic feedback loop Iron Man had secretly installed long ago. Enchantress fell back and Torunn snatched up her weapons, ready to "fight and die like an Aesir". Cackling, long-since driven mad by jealousy and resentment, Amora welcomed the challenge and the battle was on. Torunn struggled valiantly but was no match for her immensely-powerful foe. Just when all seemed lost, a shadowy stranger appeared behind Amora and struck her down! Torunn gazed up at a man she'd never seen before... a man wearing a horned helmet and carrying a long spear... and, after thanking him, asked his name. "A conversation for another day," he answered cryptically and, with a smile, vanished.
With Amora defeated, her spells evaporated. Thor rushed inside and gathered Torunn up in a bear hug. "Enchantress was the reason I kept you inside all those years," he explained. "I knew she meant to kill you and so I did my all to keep you safe. I'm sorry for not trusting you - I clearly should have, as your strength alone was more than her match!" Torunn was about to correct him, to tell him about the shadowy stranger, but thought better of it. She had beaten Amora... kind of... and really did want the freedom that would come of her father's assumption. And so she said nothing to change his mind and soaked up his adulation, looking forward to further exploring Earth and perhaps even going on missions with the Avengers. As father and daughter bonded, Torunn's rescuer - Loki, the god of lies and mischief - watched from on high and smiled. It was not a nice smile...
----------
Super Hero High Micro-Series #3: Shield Maiden, the Super-Soldier
Peggy Rogers is the daughter of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, and SHIELD Agent Sharon Carter. Because her mother went "missing in action" soon after her birth, Peggy was raised solely by her father. Cap never remarried, convinced that Sharon will one day return - just as he did after World War II. Of all the "next gen" heroes, Peggy - better known as Shield Maiden - is the most experienced because she's been going on adventures with her father her whole life. A total tomboy, she shares Cap's love of baseball, boxing, drawing and riding motorcycles. The 14-year-old's special talent is driving: put her in the seat of any vehicle, no matter how unfamiliar or complicated, and she will be able to drive, fly or sail it within minutes. She carries two hi-tech (Stark-built) shields, one of which absorbs and re-directs kinetic energy while the other does the same with lasers, rays, energy waves and radiation.
Peggy's moment of truth came amidst a backyard baseball game with her dad... on the hi-tech "pop-up sports field" created by Tony Stark. The family's innings were interrupted by Nick Fury, who asked if he could "borrow" Shield Maiden for a while. Beyond Cap's hearing, the super-spy told the young heroine she was needed for a mission - specifically, to complete her mother's last mission. Fury revealed Sharon Carter had died foiling the Red Skull's plan to flatten Super Hero City with a tsunami generator. Her battle with Skull and his offsider, Arnim Zola, fused most of the devilish machine's controls. The villains fled in an escape pod, leaving Sharon with just two choices: let the city be flooded, or change the wave's direction so it would destroy the machine and her along with it. She had chosen the latter, saving the lives of millions - including Steve and baby Peggy - at the cost of her own. The threat was over... or at least it had been, until that morning.
Fury and Shield Maiden were joined by Black Widow. She had detected the tsunami generator's signature radiation coming from a factory owned by the ARI Corporation. Widow wanted to take it down but, remembering the last mission, Fury insisted she take super-soldier back-up. Fearing Cap would want to search the factory for Sharon, and would therefore be distracted, SHIELD's best choice for the mission was Peggy. The heroine signed on, wanting to honour her mother's memory and "finish what she started". Shield Maiden and Black Widow first visited Arkham Asylum, where the Red Skull had been held prisoner for more than a decade. The bitter despot was offended by Shield Maiden's existence and insulted her, suggesting the blue-eyed, blonde-haired girl would have "made a good Nazi". That earned him swift kick between the legs and an... intense interrogation... at the Widow's hands. Fearful of further beatings, the ghoulish tyrant admitted he knew nothing of the ARI Corporation.
The heroines set off in the SHIELD hover-car to infiltrate the factory, but shot out of the skies by by Crimson Dynamo and Scorpion! Widow was knocked unconscious by the crash, leaving Shield Maiden to fight alone. Despite her training she panicked because Dynamo's Arc Reactor whips were solid chains that crackled with energy - too much for either of her shields to handle! Forcing herself to be calm, Peggy realised success lay in using both shields at once, blunting Dynamo's assault. As the armoured goon re-calibrated his systems, Scorpion snared Peggy from behind with his pincer-like hands. Born with the super-soldier serum in her blood, the girl prised his fingers open and burst free. She turned to face their next attack, but both men jerked to attention, jittered for a moment and then fell flat on their faces. The recovered Widow blew smoke from her stingers. "Time to play infiltrators," she grinned.
They found a second pair of guards - Titanium Man and Shocker - inside the factory. Peggy handed Widow her energy-absorbing shield, then leaped out and provoked the massive armoured Russian. He chased her for a while, fists swinging, until he landed a booming punch... right on her kinetic energy shield, which threw his own force back at him. Widow played a similar trick on Shocker, presenting herself as an easy target. Once he took the bait, the borrowed shield made him sorry he'd been born. Unfortunately, Widow herself had been manoeuvred into a trap - an electrified net dropped from the ceiling and ensnared her! Peggy turned to see the real power behind the ARI Corporation: Dr Arnim Zola! Freed of Red Skull's influence, the once-meek scientist had turned Hydra into a legitimate (if morally dubious) scientific outfit and made millions on the stock market. Now he wanted Super Hero City gone so he could sell the vacant land for an even bigger profit!
Zola didn't consider Peggy a threat. That was his big mistake. She attacked without fear, thinking he'd be a pushover... but that was her mistake. Beneath his suit, Zola wore a harness with the same energy-absorbing properties as one of Peggy's shields, leveling the playing field. But whatever he had become, Zola was still no hand-to-hand combatant. He crumpled beneath Peggy's super-strong blows - unfortunately, he crumpled onto the tsunami controls, sending an enormous wave hurtling toward Super Hero City! Peggy found herself faced with the same disaster, the same fate, that had befallen the mother she never knew. But unlike her mother, Peggy understood controls just by looking at them. She quickly hot-wired the panel to her shields, using them to drain the energy of the wave and cancel it out. The day was saved, and Sharon Carter's final mission completed at last.
And that's when Cap arrived in the Quinjet with Hawkeye. They'd finally convinced Nick to give up details of the mission and had come to the rescue... not that, as Cap noted proudly, it was necessary. Taking command of the situation, he ordered the heroes to spread out and search the base for Sharon. Hawkeye and Widow shifted uncomfortably. Peggy took her father by the hand and, in the gentlest terms possible, explained it was time for him to let go of his hope. A little tearful, Cap admitted he'd always known his love was gone but he couldn't give up because he'd wanted Peggy to have a normal family. Shield Maiden hugged the sentinel of liberty, saying she'd had "the best family" because he was her Dad. Cap gratefully returned the embrace as Widow handcuffed Zola and Hawkeye made good-natured vomiting noises. Cap told Clint he would be grateful for "this sort of mushy stuff" one day; Widow arched an eyebrow and told Hawkeye not to "get any ideas".
----------
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF