PANEL 1

COMMANDER

LOOK, YOU KNEW I WASN’T GOING TO GIVE YOU A PEP TALK FULL OF PLATITUDES.

THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS. THE HARDEST TASK WE’VE EVER FACED AS A TEAM. IT WON’T BE EASY.

PANEL 2

COMMANDER

BUT YOU HAVE THE SKILLS, THE TRAINING AND THE WILL. I HAVE NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT WE CAN DO THIS. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT YOU CAN DO THIS.

PANEL 3

COMMANDER

THEY THINK THEY’RE UNSTOPPABLE.

PANEL 4

COMMANDER

WE’RE GOING TO SHOW THEM, THEY’RE WRONG.

PANEL 5

COMMANDER

ALL RIGHT, MITCH.

LET’S GO SAVE THE WORLD.

PANEL 1

COMMANDER

NO BATTLE PLAN, NO MATTER HOW GOOD, EVER SURVIVES CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY.

IT’S NOT A QUESTION OF IF SOMETHING IS GOING TO GO SIDEWAYS, IT’S A QUESTION OF WHEN.

PANEL 2

MCU, COMMANDER.

COMMANDER

WE’RE GOING UP AGAINST EXPERIENCED, VIOLENT CRIMINALS.

WE’RE STARTING OUT WITH LUCK ON OUR SIDE, BUT WE’RE GOING TO BE BURNING IT FAST GOING TOE TO TOE AGAINST THESE TWO.

PANEL 3

COMMANDER

ONE OR MORE OF YOU WILL LIKELY BE INJURED. ONE OF US MIGHT EVEN BE KILLED. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, YOU WILL NOT STOP. YOU WILL STICK TO YOUR TRAINING AND YOU WILL WORK THAT MUCH HARDER AT THE SPECIFIC TASK I’VE ASSIGNED TO YOU.

PANEL 4

COMMANDER

I’LL KEEP A PSYCHIC LINK ACTIVE WITH ALL OF YOU AND GIVE YOU NEW INSTRUCTIONS AS NEEDED.

IF I’M THE ONE TAKEN OUT, SPOOKY IS IN CHARGE. IF BOTH OF US ARE OUT, THEN IT’LL BE GORDON AND THEN KYLE.

PANEL 5

COMMANDER

STOPPING THIS RITUAL IS EVERYTHING. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, ONCE WE’RE IN THIS, WE’RE IN IT 100% TO THE END. IS THAT CLEAR?

PANEL 6

KYLE AND FLUKE

CLEAR.

TSUNAMI

UNDERSTOOD.

FLYBOY

GOT IT.

PANEL 1

COMMANDER

TRUST ME, THAT’S PLENTY, MITCH. AND IT’S THE PRIORITY.

I’LL NEED YOU IN THE AIR, EYES OPEN, AND KEEPING YOUR DISTANCE FROM THIS.

PANEL 2

TSUNAMI

I KNOW YOU REALLY WANT TO BE PART OF THE FIGHT, BUDDY, BUT YOU’RE GOING TO NEED TO LISTEN TO AMANDA ON THIS ONE.

PANEL 3

WS. THE WHOLE TEAM.

FLYBOY

DON’T WORRY, GORDON. I’VE SEEN THE MOVIES WHERE THE STUPID KID SCREWS EVERYTHING UP BY IGNORING ORDERS AND TRYING TO PROVE SOMETHING.

PANEL 4

FLYBOY

I’M NOT THAT GUY.

PANEL 5

FLYBOY

I’LL HOLD MY POSITION. YOU’LL GET YOUR INTEL.

COMMANDER

I NEVER DOUBTED IT.

PANEL 6

COMMANDER

ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE.

MITCH IS GOING TO DROP US OFF WITHIN JOGGING DISTANCE OF THIS RITUAL, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN IN COMBAT BEFORE, THERE’S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND.

PANEL 1

FLYBOY

LOOK, I KNOW YOU GUYS THINK THAT FLYING IS SOME LAME POWER THAT’S ONLY GOOD FOR BEING, LIKE, A CHAUFFEUR AND STUFF, BUT I CAN DO A LOT MORE THAN YOU THINK I CAN.

PANEL 2

FLYBOY

IF I’M FLYING, I CAN LIFT PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING I’M TOUCHING. I COULD DROP A MOUNTAIN ON THEIR HEADS IF YOU WANTED!

PANEL 3

FLUKE AND FLYBOY.

FLUKE

REALLY? YOU COULD ACTUALLY DO THAT?

FLYBOY

WELL, I MEAN, THE MOUNTAIN WOULD HAVE TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE GROUND ALREADY. BUT I COULD DO IT WITH A BOULDER EASY!

PANEL 4

FLYBOY

AND I CAN FLY CLOSE TO MACH TWO AND THE THINGS I LET GO OF KEEP THEIR MOMENTUM. THAT MEANS I COULD THROW THAT BOULDER FASTER THAN A BULLET! WHICH I BET WOULD HURT EVEN THE ANNIHILATOR.

WHEN IT COMES TO FIGHTING, I’VE THOUGHT UP LOTS OF STUFF I CAN DO!

PANEL 5

MS, COMMANDER.

COMMANDER

I’VE THOUGHT OF THOSE THINGS TOO, MITCH. AND THERE MIGHT COME A TIME WHEN I’LL NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE SKILLS.

PANEL 6

COMMANDER

BUT NOT TODAY. YOU’RE GOING TO STAY IN THE AIR, OUT OF THEIR SIGHT.

YOU HAVE THE LEAST EXPERIENCE OF ANY MEMBER OF THIS TEAM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I NEED YOU TO GIVE ME A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE FIGHT.

PANEL 7

COMMANDER

ONCE WE’RE IN COMBAT, THINGS WILL HAPPEN FAST. VERY FAST. AND KNOWING WHAT’S GOING ON OVER THE ENTIRE BATTLEFIELD WILL GIVE US A HUGE ADVANTAGE.

PANEL 8

FLYBOY

I KNOW. AND I’LL DO THAT.

BUT ARE YOU SURE THERE ISN’T ANYTHING MORE I CAN DO?

PANEL 1

FLUKE

DAMN. THAT’S ELEGANT.

I COULDN’T HAVE THOUGHT OF ALL THAT IN A MILLION YEARS. YOU’RE A GENIUS!

PANEL 2

MS, COMMANDER.

COMMANDER

IT’S A PLAN, AT LEAST.

AND IF AND WHEN IT NEEDS TO CHANGE, I’LL BE IN TELEPATHIC COMMUNICATION WITH ALL OF YOU.

PANEL 3

TSUNAMI

AMANDA… IT IS A GOOD PLAN… BUT YOU KNOW I’M NOT THAT GREAT WITH PRECISION WORK… TO EXPECT ME TO MANIPULATE THIN WIRES INSIDE THAT THING…

PANEL 4

COMMANDER

IT WON’T NEED TO BE FANCY, GORDON, JUST DESTRUCTIVE ON A SMALLER SCALE.

I WOULDN’T ASK IF I DIDN’T KNOW YOU COULD DO THIS.

PANEL 5

FLYBOY

AND WHAT ABOUT ME?

PANEL 1

COMMANDER

HE’LL THEN COME OVER AND MANIPULATE WATER THROUGH THE AIR HOLES TO SEPARATE THE WIRES AND DISABLE THE DEVICE.

PANEL 3

CAPTION

“AND THEN THAT’S THE WHOLE BALLGAME.”

“THE SPELL IS STOPPED. WE’VE SAVED THE SACRIFICES. WE’VE SAVED THE WORLD. THEY’RE DONE.”

“ALL THAT’LL BE LEFT WILL BE FOR THE MILITARY TO ARRIVE AND MOP UP.”

PANEL 1

COMMANDER

ONCE THE MINIONS ARE OUT OF THE WAY, FLUKE AND I WILL GET TO THE ELECTROCUTION DEVICE AND FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO SHUT IT DOWN.

PANEL 2

COMMANDER

THE LAST THING THEY WOULD WANT IS FOR THAT THING TO GO OFF AT THE WRONG TIME, SO IT SHOULD BE TRIVIAL TO DISCONNECT THE JUICE WITHOUT TRIGGERING IT.

PANEL 3

BATTLE PLAN.

CAPTION

“ONCE I KNOW WHICH WIRES TO DISCONNECT, I’LL SEND OUT A PING TO KYLE AND HE’LL GO ALL OUT ON THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS.”

PANEL 4

BATTLE PLAN.

CAPTION)

“AT THE SAME TIME, SPOOKY, YOU’RE GOING TO DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO BACK KYLE UP AS WELL AS GIVE GORDON SOME COVER.”

PANEL 1

SPOOKY JONES

WELL, I DEFINITELY WON’T BE ABLE TO CAST ANY OTHER MAGIC WHILE I’M DOING THAT, BUT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO MULTI-TASK A BIT —

PANEL 2

SPOOKY JONES

— AND I’VE GOT A FEW TRICKS UP MY SLEEVE.

PANEL 3

SPOOKY JONES

BUT LIKE I SAID, THAT CELL IS ALMOST CERTAINLY SHIELDED AGAINST MAGIC.

PANEL 4

KYLE

AND EVERYTHING’S SEALED INSIDE CRYSTAL WHATEVER-IT-IS. SUPER-HARD DIAMOND, RIGHT? EVEN THE TIMER.

PANEL 5

COMMANDER

RIGHT. BUT FLYBOY SAW AIRHOLES, WHICH IS ALL WE’RE GOING TO NEED.

PANEL 1

COMMANDER

THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE ANY POWERS, BUT WE CAN’T LET THEM GET TO SPOOKY.

PANEL 2

COMMANDER

LOOKED LIKE MAYBE TWENTY ON TWO.

NOT A PROBLEM, RIGHT?

PANEL 3

FLUKE

NOT WITH A LITTLE LUCK ON OUR SIDE…

PANEL 4

KYLE

ALL RIGHT, THIS IS GOOD.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE? THE SACRIFICES?

COMMANDER

DON’T WORRY. I HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN ABOUT THEM.

PANEL 5

COMMANDER

SPOOKY, ONCE YOU’VE GOT THE ANNIHILATOR IN THE AIR, IS KEEPING HIM RESTRAINED GOING TO TAKE ALL YOUR CONCENTRATION?

PANEL 1

COMMANDER

I’LL TRY HITTING HER WITH A PSYCHIC BLAST AT THE SAME TIME AS THE GATE IS KNOCKED OVER.

SHE’S STRONG SO IT PROBABLY WON’T DO MUCH, BUT IT MIGHT THROW HER OFF BALANCE.

PANEL 2

COMMANDER

SHE DIRECTS HER POWER THROUGH HER STAFF WHICH MAKES IT ESSENTIALLY A DISTANCE WEAPON. AND THAT MEANS THE MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM WITH DISTANCE POWERS WILL NEED TO ENGAGE HER FIRST.

PANEL 3

COMMANDER

KYLE AND GORDON, ONCE THAT GATE IS DOWN, START BLASTING AT THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS WITH ALL YOU GOT.

NO HEROICS HERE. YOU JUST NEED TO KEEP HER OFF-BALANCE AND AWAY FROM SPOOKY AND THE REST OF US.

PANEL 4

CAPTION

“IF YOU SEE AN EASY WAY TO SET THE BOOK ON FIRE OR OTHERWISE INTERFERE WITH THE RITUAL, HAVE AT IT, BUT NEUTRALIZING THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS IS YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY.”

PANEL 5

TSUNAMI

I THINK I CAN DO THAT.

KYLE

DON’T WORRY. WE’LL KEEP HER BUSY.

COMMANDER

GREAT.

PANEL 6

COMMANDER

IN THE MEANTIME, FLUKE, YOU AND I ARE GOING HAND-TO-HAND AGAINST THE DUDES IN BLACK ROBES.