PANEL 1
COMMANDER
THE ANNIHILATOR MIGHT BE STRONG AND FAST, BUT EVEN WITH ALL HIS POWERS, HE CAN’T FLY AND IF HE’S ISOLATED, THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE HE CAN DO IS ESSENTIALLY NIL.
PANEL 2
COMMANDER
DO YOU THINK YOU’D BE ABLE TO GET HIM OFF THE GROUND AND RESTRAIN HIM?
SPOOKY JONES
RAISE HIM UP? ABSOLUTELY.
RESTRAIN? WELL, RUMOR HAS IT, HE’S CRAZY STRONG AND FAST.
I CAN DEFINITELY KEEP HIM OFF THE GROUND, BUT IF HE DECIDES TO CHUCK THOSE THROWING STARS AT ME, I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO MUCH ABOUT IT.
PANEL 3
COMMANDER
THEN THAT’S YOUR FIRST TARGET. GETTING THOSE STARS AND KNIVES OFF HIM AND OUT OF REACH.
HOW QUICKLY DO YOU THINK YOU COULD DO THAT?
PANEL 4
SPOOKY JONES
IF WE TIME THIS FOR THE SAME MOMENT KYLE AND GORDON HIT THE GATE, WITH THAT KIND OF DISTRACTION…
YEAH, I CAN TOTALLY MAKE THAT HAPPEN BEFORE HE CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
PANEL 5
SPOOKY JONES
OF COURSE, I’M SURE HE’LL BE PUSHING AGAINST MY ECTOPLASMIC RESTRAINTS HARD SO I DON’T KNOW HOW HIGH I’LL BE ABLE TO RAISE HIM…
BUT JUST KEEPING HIM OFF THE GROUND AND AWAY FROM STUFF? SHOULD BE VERY DO-ABLE, EVEN WITH HIS POWERS.
PANEL 6
FLUKE
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS?
SPOOKY’S GOING TO NEED TO BE LINE-OF-SIGHT AND SHE’S NOT JUST GOING TO SIT ON HER HANDS.
PAGE 69 (6 PANELS)
PANEL 1
FLUKE
HEY, DON’T LOOK AT ME. WE’RE LUCKY TO HAVE FOUND THEM IN TIME TO STOP THEM AT ALL!
YOU KNOW I CAN’T CONTROL EXACT OUTCOMES.
PANEL 2
TSUNAMI
AND YET IT’S FUNNY HOW GOOD LUCK SO OFTEN SEEMS TO LINE UP WITH EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO HAPPEN…
PANEL 3
COMMANDER
WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, WE’RE NOW IN IT. WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE.
PANEL 4
COMMANDER
AND IF THIS IS GOING TO SUCCEED, WE NEED TO ALL BE TOGETHER ON IT.
TSUNAMI
I KNOW. SORRY.
PANEL 5
SPOOKY JONES
YOU HAVE A PLAN?
COMMANDER
YES.
PANEL 6
COMMANDER
TELL ME, WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY CAN’T COMPLETE THE RITUAL BEFORE THAT TIMER GOES OFF? HOW SOON WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO TRY AGAIN?
PANEL 1
FLYBOY POV.
SPOOKY JONES
LOOKS LIKE A TIMER, LOCKED TO THE ALIGNMENT THEY NEED.
WHEN THAT GOES OFF, ODDS ARE THE PEOPLE IN THE BOX WILL BE KILLED AND THE SPELL WILL BE CAST.
PANEL 2
SPOOKY JONES
AUTOMATED SACRIFICE. VERY 21ST CENTURY.
TSUNAMI
SO, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME? TO CALL IN THE CALVARY?
PANEL 3
WS. BACK INSIDE GLIDER.
COMMANDER
I’VE ALREADY ACTIVATED THE GPS BEACON BUT THE MILITARY’S GOING TO NEED TIME TO MOBILIZE.
PANEL 4
COMMANDER
THEY’RE AN HOUR AWAY, AT LEAST.
BY THE TIME THEY GOT HERE, IT WOULD BE ALL OVER. THOSE PEOPLE WOULD BE DEAD AND THE SPELL WOULD BE CAST.
PANEL 5
TSUNAMI AND FLUKE.
TSUNAMI
RIGHT. OF COURSE IT’S TOO LATE.
PANEL 1
COMMANDER
HOW BAD IS IT, SPOOKY?
SPOOKY JONES
THEY’RE NOT DONE, BUT IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE WE’RE CATCHING THE END OF THE SHOW.
PANEL 2
COMMANDER
THOSE GUYS IN BLACK ROBES. YOU THINK THEY’RE MAGIC USERS?
SPOOKY JONES
DOUBT IT. THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS WOULDN’T WANT THE CRAZIES ANYWHERE NEAR THIS.
I’M BETTING FLUNKY WANNABES.
PANEL 3
SPOOKY JONES
THEY MIGHT GET A BIT STABBY, BUT THEY WON’T BE ABLE TO CAST ANY SPELLS.
PANEL 4
KYLE
WHAT’S THAT THING ON TOP OF THE CRYSTAL BOX? YOU KNOW, WITH ALL, THE, UH… THOSE PEOPLE.
PANEL 1
CAPTION
HOURS LATER.
PANEL 2
PANEL 3
TSUNAMI
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
PANEL 4
FLYBOY
IT’S THEM.
IT’S THE ANNIHILATOR AND THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS.
PANEL 1
ANNIHILATOR
IT IS TRUE — I DID RATHER SURPRISINGLY ENJOY MY TIME WITH THE BOY.
AND IT IS OF COURSE ONLY NATURAL TO HAVE SOME MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THE DRASTIC ACTIONS WE ARE TAKING. SOME DOUBT.
PANEL 2
ANNIHILATOR
BUT I AM NO IDEALISTIC CHILD, PLAYING AT BEING A HERO.
PANEL 3
ANNIHILATOR)
AS AN ADULT, I KNOW FULL WELL, THAT TO ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS —
PANEL 4
WS, VERY LARGE PANEL.
ANNIHILATOR
— SACRIFICES MUST ALWAYS BE MADE.
PANEL 2
ANNIHILATOR
ENOUGH. YOU’VE MADE YOUR POINT.
PANEL 3
MCU, THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS.
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
HAVE I?
PANEL 4
ANNIHILATOR
YES, MY DEAR, YOU HAVE.
PANEL 5
ANNIHILATOR
PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES FOR… AN UNCHARACTERISTIC, AND UNATTRACTIVELY PENSIVE MOOD.
YOU ARE OF COURSE RIGHT. WE HAVE PLANNED THIS RITUAL FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND IT IS THE ONLY WAY.
PANEL 1
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
I CAN SEE IT.
AS YOUR ORGANS MELT AND LIQUIFY, THE BOY GENTLY STROKES YOUR HAIR, FORGIVING YOU FOR ALL TRESPASSES, SO OVERCOME WOULD HE BE BY THE SACRIFICE YOU ARE MAKING IN HIS NAME…
PANEL 2
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
DON’T FEEL LIKE BEING A SUPER-VILLAIN TODAY, SWEETHEART? THEN BY ALL MEANS, GO BE A HERO.
PANEL 3
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
AND REAP ALL THE REWARDS THAT COME WITH THAT CHOICE.
PANEL 1
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
YOU’RE THE ONE WHO BEARS THE MARK OF LAAMPROS. YOU’RE THE ONE HE SHALL SLOWLY BURN OUT FROM THE INSIDE SHOULD YOU FAIL HIM!
PANEL 2
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
IS THE WEIGHTY RESPECT OF A PUBESCENT CHILD REALLY SO IMPORTANT TO YOU?
PANEL 3
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
THEN GO TO HIM RIGHT NOW! I WOULDN’T DREAM OF STOPPING YOU.
PANEL 4
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
TELL HIM IT WAS ALL A TERRIBLE MISTAKE.
THAT YOU MADE IT FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS, BUT NOW FOR HIS SAKE, YOU WANT TO TAKE IT ALL BACK.
BEG HIS FORGIVENESS!
PANEL 5
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
AND THEN LET HIM WATCH YOU, AS YOU DIE IN AGONY RIGHT BEFORE HIS EYES.
DOUBLE-PAGE SPREAD
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
I HAVE OUTLIVED EVERY CIVILIZATION CREATED BY MAN!
NOT MERELY SURVIVED OR SCRAPED BY — I HAVE TIME AND AGAIN RULED YOUR KIND WITH A HARSH AND TERRIBLE MIGHT!
IF THE WALLS BETWEEN HELL AND EARTH ARE TORN TO SHREDS, NOT ONLY WILL I SURVIVE IT, I WILL RISE TO POWER AGAIN!
IT MAY TAKE LONGER AND WILL CERTAINLY BE LESS PLEASANT THAN OUR CURRENT PATH —
— BUT HAVE NO DOUBT —
— I WILL BE A GODDESS ONCE MORE!