PANEL 1:

A) ANNIHILATOR: HUNTER AND KILLER. THE TWEEDLEDUM AND TWEEDLEDEE OF THE VIGILANTE WORLD.

B) ANNIHILATOR: OF COURSE — ONLY THE TWO OF YOU WOULD BE STUPID ENOUGH TO TAKE ME ON.

PANEL 2:

C) KILLER: THE ANNIHILATOR. POMPOUS PSEUDO-INTELLECTUAL OF THE TRULY EVIL BASTARD WORLD.

D) KILLER: ONLY YOU WOULD BE TOO STUPID TO REALIZE YOU’VE ALREADY LOST.

PANEL 3:

E) HUNTER: NOT TO MENTION HIS FLUNKEY…

F) ANNIHILATOR: DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM-!

PANEL 5:

G) ANNIHILATOR: WHAT?

PANEL 6:

H) HUNTER: …THE INVISIBLE MAN?!

PANEL 1:

A) KYLE: YOU MEAN, LIKE, BY HEROES?

B) ANNIHILATOR: IF YOU CAN CALL THEM THAT.

PANEL 2:

C) KYLE: OH, GOD! IF THEY SEE ME WITH YOU…!

PANEL 3:

D) ANNIHILATOR: I’LL NEVER LET ANY HARM COME TO YOU, KYLE. YOU’LL ALWAYS BE SAFE WITH ME.

E) ANNIHILATOR: REMEMBER THAT.

F) KYLE: BUT-!

PANEL 4:

G) KYLE: >COUGH!<

PANEL 5:

H) KILLER: SO SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOUR BRUNCH DATE, BUT WE’RE HERE TO KICK YOUR ASS.

I) HUNTER: AND BRING YOU IN TO JUSTICE, OF COURSE.

PANEL 6:

J) KILLER: IDEALLY IN THAT ORDER.

K) HUNTER: BUT WE’RE NOT PICKY. EITHER WAY WORKS, REALLY.

PANEL 4:

D) KYLE: WHAT’S GOING ON?!

PANEL 5:

E) ANNIHILATOR: IT SEEMS WE’RE UNDER ATTACK.

F) ANNIHILATOR: OR AT LEAST I AM.

PANEL 1:

A) ANNIHILATOR: GOOD LORD!

PANEL 1:

A) KYLE: ALL RIGHT! ANYWAY! THIS IS A DATE, RIGHT?

B) KYLE: MORE DATE QUESTIONS!

PANEL 2:

C) KYLE: SO… DUNCAN… WHY AREN’T YOU OUT WITH ALL THE OTHER ADULT HEROES AND VILLAINS FOR THAT CALAMITY ON INFINITE SUPER-WHATSIT THING RIGHT NOW?

PANEL 3:

D) ANNIHILATOR: THE CRISIS OF COLLIDING TRANS-WORLD IDENTITIES?

E) ANNIHILATOR: I’VE DECIDED TO SIT THAT ONE OUT.

PANEL 4:

F) ANNIHILATOR: I HAVE NO INTEREST IN GALACTIC DOMINATION.

PANEL 5:

G) ANNIHILATOR: THE EARTH IS ENOUGH FOR ME.

H) KYLE: HA! YEAH. O.K…

PANEL 6:

I) KYLE: I ACTUALLY THINK YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO TWIRL YOUR MOUSTACHE WHEN YOU SAY THAT.

J) ANNIHILATOR: ALAS, I’M AFRAID I’M LACKING IN SUFFICIENT LENGTH.

K) ANNIHILATOR: AT LEAST IN THAT-

PANEL 1:

A) ANNIHILATOR: BUT YOU’RE HANDSOME, YOU HAVE A FINE SENSE OF HUMOR AND YOU ARE, I MUST ADMIT, A TRULY GOOD PERSON.

PANEL 2:

B) ANNIHILATOR: YOU ARE AN HONEST, GOOD MAN — IT QUITE FRANKLY DEFINES YOU.

C) ANNIHILATOR: AND I HAVE MET VERY FEW OF THOSE IN MY LIFE.

PANEL 3:

D) ANNIHILATOR: PERHAPS A LARGE REASON I’VE MADE… THE CHOICES, I HAVE.

PANEL 4:

E) ANNIHILATOR: SO I GUESS YOU COULD SAY I’M… CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT’S POSSIBLE.

F) KYLE: HUH… WOW… O.K…

PANEL 5:

G) KYLE: WELL… I GUESS I’M HERE BECAUSE MAYBE… I’M A LITTLE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT TOO…

PANEL 1:

A) KYLE: O.K. THAT TENEMENT FIRE THAT WE PUT OUT — WITH ALL THE PEOPLE…

B) KYLE: THE FIRE MARSHALL SAID IT WAS ARSON.

C) KYLE: YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO SEE ME AGAIN.

D) KYLE: AND YOU KNOW I HAVE FIRE POWERS…

PANEL 2:

E) ANNIHILATOR: AND YOU WANT TO KNOW IF I SET THAT FIRE?

F) KYLE: YEAH. SORRY.

PANEL 3:

G) ANNIHILATOR: NO. IT’S A FAIR QUESTION.

H) ANNIHILATOR: I DID WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. AND YOU KNOW IT HAS CERTAINLY NOT BEEN BEYOND ME TO PUT PEOPLE’S LIVES IN DANGER TO GET WHAT I WANT.

PANEL 4:

I) ANNIHILATOR: BUT I ALSO KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU VALUE. AND THERE’S NO WAY THIS IS GOING TO WORK IF I DON’T RESPECT THOSE VALUES.

J) ANNIHILATOR: SO, NO, I DIDN’T SET THAT FIRE.

K) ANNIHILATOR: I WAS ONLY THERE BECAUSE I SAW YOU ON THE NEWS.

PANEL 5:

L) ANNIHILATOR: AND, AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, I AM FAIRLY FAST ON MY FEET.

M) KYLE: O.K. GOOD. SOLID.

PANEL 6:

N) KYLE: SO, YOU, UH, REALLY THINK WE COULD MAKE THIS WORK, HUH?

O) KYLE: LIKE AS ACTUAL BOYFRIENDS OR SOMETHING?

P) ANNIHILATOR: WELL… NOW…. HARD TO SAY AT THIS POINT, NO?

Q) ANNIHILATOR: BIG DIFFERENCES, REMEMBER?

PANEL 1:

A) KYLE: RIGHT.

PANEL 2:

B) ANNIHILATOR: I’M SURE THAT MUST SEEM ANCIENT TO YOU.

C) KYLE: UM, NO. NOT AT ALL.

PANEL 4:

D) KYLE: ALL RIGHT. YEAH. IT’S A LOT OLDER.

E) KYLE: BUT… I DON’T KNOW…

F) ANNIHILATOR: WHAT DON’T YOU KNOW?

PANEL 5:

G) KYLE: YOU’RE JUST… WELL, IT’S SORT OF LIKE LAST TIME…

H) KYLE: I GUESS I’M JUST HAVING A BETTER TIME THAN I THOUGHT I WOULD.

PANEL 6:

I) ANNIHILATOR: THERE ARE BIG DIFFERENCES BETWEEN US, KYLE. THERE’S NO POINT DENYING IT.

J) ANNIHILATOR: BUT BEING WITH SOMEONE DIFFERENT CAN BE A GOOD. IT CAN MAKE YOU STRONG IN AREAS YOU’RE WEAK.

K) ANNIHILATOR: NOT SUCH A BAD THING FOR A HERO, NO?

PANEL 7:

L) KYLE: I GUESS…

M) KYLE: LOOK, CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING?

N) ANNIHILATOR: THIS IS A FIRST DATE. IT’S ALL ABOUT US GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER.

O) ANNIHILATOR: ASK AWAY.

PANEL 1:

A) ANNIHILATOR: WE COULD SWAP ORIGIN STORIES.

B) ANNIHILATOR: THAT’S ALWAYS A GOOD ICE BREAKER.

PANEL 2:

C) KYLE: YEAH. WITH ME, NOT SO MUCH.

D) KYLE: MY ORIGIN STORY… IT’S, UH, NOT A VERY GOOD ONE…

E) ANNIHILATOR: HOW ABOUT THE NAME THEN? DID YOU CHOOSE “RED HOT” YOURSELF OR WAS IT GIVEN TO YOU?

PANEL 3:

F) KYLE: THAT WOULD BE ME. AND I KNOW IT’S STUPID.

G) KYLE: MY ONLY EXCUSE IS I WAS TWELVE, ALL MY FRIENDS CALLED ME “RED” AND I HAD NO IDEA HOW PORN STAR IT WOULD SOUND.

PANEL 4:

H) ANNIHILATOR: HA! I ACTUALLY DON’T THINK IT’S ALL THAT BAD.

I) ANNIHILATOR: CERTAINLY NO MORE SILLY THAN “THE ANNIHILATOR”, NO?

J) ANNIHILATOR: IF THAT’S NOT OVERCOMPENSATING, I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS.

K) KYLE: HEH. YEAH, MAYBE.

L) KYLE: HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU CHOSE IT?

PANEL 5:

M) ANNIHILATOR:OH, I WAS PRETTY YOUNG TOO.

N) ANNIHILATOR: TWENTY-SIX… TWENTY-SEVEN…

PANEL 6:

O) KYLE: RIGHT. AND… UH… HOW OLD ARE YOU NOW?

P) ANNIHILATOR: I’M FIFTY-EIGHT, KYLE.

PANEL 2:

A) ANNIHILATOR: YOU REALLY SHOULD TRY SOMETHING. IT’S QUITE GOOD.

PANEL 3:

B) KYLE: I’M SORRY. I GUESS I’M JUST NERVOUS.

C) ANNIHILATOR: BECAUSE IT’S YOUR FIRST DATE?

PANEL 4:

D) ANNIHILATOR: OR BECAUSE IT’S YOUR FIRST DATE WITH A NOTORIOUS SUPERVILLAIN.

PANEL 5:

E) KYLE: HEH. A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH, I GUESS.