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90s Comics, 90s Marvel, Uncategorized

“Okay, Axis, here we come!” (Part 2 of 4)

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Welcome back to the dangerous days of the second World War…..but in the 90’s. That’s right. This is a story that would most likely take place before Marvel Comics was even called Marvel Comics…..only it is called that. You know, I’m just confusing myself here and run the risk of taking you Unspokenites down with me. Let’s just return to the story. (Sheesh!) I bring you “Invaders” #2…..

A nearly unconscious and severely beaten Miss America crashes through the window in the meeting room of the Liberty Legion! Shocked, Captain America leaps to action and stops her impact on the hard wood floor with his muscled frame. The other Invaders and the Thin Man kneel down to check on their comrade. The Thin Man recalls aloud that he thought she had been on a date this night with the Whizzer. Her love’s codename spoken aloud awakens Miss America and she demands to know his whereabouts! Cap manages to calm her, asking what had happened. She replies that five superpowered Nazis took the Whizzer captive and nearly killed her! In fact, they only let her be because they thought that they had! The Human Torch suggests that she rest while they look into the matter. Not to be denied her vengeance, Miss America finds a stone sculpture of Captain America’s head nearby and crushes it with a single blow! She won’t be left behind! (A simple, “Nah. I’m good, guys,” would be way too simple at this juncture it seems. Women. Am I right?)

The Thin Man suggests that he stay behind and find other heroes to help out. And though this hurts Namor’s pride to ask for aid, Captain America tells the Atlantean King that he feels they’re going to need all of the help they can get this time. Within moments, the Invaders are speeding away within Namor’s high-tech plane as the Thin Man wishes them his best. Meanwhile, over the Hollywoodland sign, a strange and ominous fog descends. Two police officers, out on their nightly patrol, spot this occurrence and slow to a stop in their squad car. They’re horrified as they witness a large, black balloon emerge from within the fog! A rope drops but no-one slides down. Instead, the officers hear a feminine voice from behind! It’s the Spider Queen! As she keeps the two entranced, Volton lands and electrifies both lawmen until their flesh blackens! (Yep. Crispy as KFC I’d reckon too. Damn. That sounds good now!) The other Nazis emerge now with a new ally, the dreaded Sky Shark! They carry a drugged Whizzer with them as yet another man descends the rope ladder. Dr. Death refers to this man as their “ace-in-the-hole”!

Elsewhere, Namor and the Human Torch land at their destination. They seek to give an ally, a Dr. Jacob Goldstein, sanctuary until this attack blew over with the Battle-Axis. Goldstein had once sent a set of armor he’d designed against the Invaders against his will and joined them when they’d given their word to liberate his brother from Nazi clutches. As it turned out, the heroes hardly had to intervene at all as the doctor had transformed himself into a hulking Golem, straight from Jewish folklore, and nearly saved his sibling alone! The two superheroes knock but the door creaks open! Peering inside with the Torch’s firey light, the duo spy Dr. Death and Goldstein together! The evil Nazi leader then orders Goldstein to attack! Begrudgingly, he obeys as he transforms into the clay behemoth, the Golem, once more! The two Invaders fight valiantly, but the creature’s sheer strength is too much in the end! Both lie injured and unconscious in the now flaming residence! Dr. Death orders the Golem to take the Human Torch and to leave the King of Atlantis to die in the fire! The Golem follows orders and Namor is left to perish! (And he didn’t want help! Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Am I actually siding with Nazis on even a marginal level?! Bad narrator! Bad!)

The Sub-Mariner tries his best to crawl through the burning wreckage, but now deeply dehydrated, he finds his enhanced strength completely gone. He almost collapses for good until a gloved hand catches him. Looking for the face of his savior, Namor sees a flaming skull staring back at him instead! (No. It’s not Ghost Rider. This is a Golden Age comic story, written in the 1990’s, and now brought to you in the year 2025. Damn! Got confused again.) Seeing the confusion upon the Atlantean’s face, the hero introduces himself as the Blazing Skull. He then picks up Namor over one shoulder and races from the burning home. Once outside, he states that the Thin Man sent him. He then asks if Namor needs further help. Instead, the aquatic hero looks to a tall water tower and smashes his fists into its wooden legs. It comes crashing down, drenching Namor in life-saving water! The Sub-Mariner roars that he’s now ready to go rescue the Human Torch and woe to any Nazi that’s holding him prisoner!

On their own mission, Miss America flies up to a high window at UCLA’s college campus with Captain America held in her powerful arms. Spying inside, they see three corpses and three of the members of Battle-Axis standing over them! The one known as Strongman holds an enormous high-tech device over his head. They call it an oscillotron and claim that it’s needed for their leader’s sinister scheme. Hearing enough, Cap and Miss America leap through the overhead window and straight into battle! But once again, the heroes are bested by the villainous Battle-Axis! But as they move in for the kill, they’re stopped by a woman clad in silver armor and a large handgun aimed at them! She calls herself the Silver Scorpion and warns not to cross her or they’ll feel the sting of her ray gun! The villains notice the blonde, female “corpse” is missing from their feet! Unimpressed, Spider Queen throws a web at the gun and pulls it from the Silver Scorpion’s hand! She aims it at the armored heroine but soon sees that she’s been fooled. This was no more than a strangly -shaped glue gun! (I’m constantly tricked into thinking long, cardboard tubing is in fact a cool lightsaber. I’m also extremely immature for my age.)

There’s a slight skirmish before Battle-Axis decides that they’re wasting too much time. They have memorized enough of the device’s inner workings to help their leader, so they destroy their ill-gotten prize and make a hasty escape, destroying the room’s foundations on the way out! Unable to give chase, Captain America and Miss America turn to their new ally. But the Silver Scorpion is already checking the others bodies. No hope. They’re gone. She tells how one was the designer of the oscillotron and her armor. The other was the man she loved. She was called this night to be on high alert from the Thin Man. Too little, too late it seems now. The two superheroes thank her and give their condolences before they turn to leave. But the Silver Scorpion won’t be left behind so easily. She wants revenge and while she was thought to be dead, overheard Battle-Axis’ next destination! Begrudgingly, she is allowed to join the heroes. (Blackmail is an excellent basis for a great, lasting partnership.)

To be continued……

And remember to plant a victory garden! (Hmmm? Oh, just Google it!)

90s Comics, 90s DC, DC Comics, Uncategorized

Behold the Blazing Angel (part 4 of 4)

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Well, here we are! The finale of my look back at the “Batman: Sword of Azrael” miniseries is here at last! And just in time for Thanksgiving too. So, when you’re stressed out from trying to get along with relatives you’ve hardly met (And some you wish you hadn’t met period!) this holiday season, why not grab yourself a turkey leg, sit back, and read my entertaining article? I’ll be back with another bit of my writing to save you Unspokenites from the horrors of Christmas next. Promise.

Armed men with savage guard dogs approached Azrael with violence in their eyes! They order the Avenging Angel to freeze as they run up to him. He does not. When the first man’s dog gets close enough, it’s quickly beheaded by the blazing blade from Azrael’s gauntlet! His owner runs to the animal’s corpse, but is stabbed by the same weapon through the chest! Alfred leaves the safety of the vehicle, pleading that this bloody violence is not needed. Nomoz verbally disagrees, in obvious appreciation of the grisly scene. Five more thugs and another guard dog encircle Azrael. Just as they close in, Azrael fires the firey blade as a projectile at one man, skewers him through the chest and into a tree! The rest are slain just as brutally and efficiently. They were hardly a threat at all to the new avenger for the Order of Saint Dumas. (For those of you saddened by the murder of the puppy, keep in mind that even Batman is a “cat person”. I mean, look at his love life. Ha! Little Catwoman joke there.) Azrael suddenly spies movement inside the mansion’s nearby greenhouse.

Garbed in Batman’s costume, LeHah stands over the body of the owner of this expensive estate. There is zero doubt in Azrael’s mind that this killer is not Bruce Wayne as he crashes through the greenhouse glass, weapons at the ready! (Could it possibly be the rather enormous bat-gut that’s protruding from under the infamous vigilante’s costume? Just a thought.) He pauses to look over the body but it’s a moment too long as LeHah attempts an escape! He leaps into a running car and speeds off! Nomoz roars that their prey is getting away! Azrael runs and leaps atop the racing vehicle, but is eventually thrown off due to a combination of LeHah’s erratic driving along with the positioning of an unseen tree branch. The murderer escapes this time. Later, as the young man’s injuries are bound, Alfred asks why he killed those men. Azrael answers that once the mask was in place, he became another person entirely. Nomoz chooses this moment to chastise the youth for letting his prey escape with his wretched life. The argument is halted, however, when Azrael suggests that this matter should be explored at a later time and that now is the time to find and rescue Bruce Wayne. The trio agrees. upon this at least.

After a bit of deduction and detective work, Azrael concludes that LeHah must be holding Bruce within his own oil refinery in Texas. Alfred agrees. A short time later, inside the aforementioned building, LeHah does in fact taunt a restrained and unmasked Dark Knight. Bruce finally speaks out about the madman wearing his costume. Wouldn’t his demon lord, Biis, be jealous that LeHah new wears the mantle of another man? A man that serves an even darker and more powerful demon? This ploy does seem to get to LeHah. Bruce has gotten inside this monster’s head it seems. LeHah turns with a heated knife! He will torture Wayne to death to honor his demonic master! This will atone for his act of disrespect. (Well, when you play with fire, there’s a chance you’re gonna get burned. I tried the same exact scheme with my dentist. I ended up with a root canal anyway. Sadistic bastard.) But, all is not lost. Azrael and his two companions are there. But before Azrael can don his mask, Alfred pleads that this dark avenger find another way to stop LeHah that doesn’t involve more killing. The young man says very little in reply. But before rushing into battle, Alfred asks the youth his true name. After a pause, he admits that he can’t remember.

After Azrael slices through a chain-link fence like melted butter, the trio approaches extremely thick metal doors that lead inside. Even Azrael’s heated blades would do little damage to them. Alfred examines the doors more thoroughly and determines that a power failure would be their only hope of entrance. Inside, the maniacal LeHah grins as he walks slowly towards the captive Bruce Wayne, weapon in hand! He then charges! But even an injured Batman is way too quick for this clumsy attack and brings both of his legs up into a mighty kick into the villain’s solar plexus! This not only knocks the wind out of him, but sends the blade flying just out of reach! Just then, as if Saint Dumas himself has intervened from beyond the grave, lightning strikes, creating a complete power outage through the large building! LeHah scrambles for his knife! He finds it and lunges! But Wayne kicks it out of his hand and now way too far out of reach in the pure darkness to be a threat anymore! But LeHah won’t surrender just yet! He pulls a handgun and aims it to Bruce’s temple! (Is anyone else biting their fingernails at this part? I know I am! Hell, I’m biting my toenails too! Come on, Azrael!)

The Avenging Angel them makes his presence known with a firey entrance! LeHah exclaims that he’s killed Azrael before, he can do so again! He fires at the anti-hero, but his bullets merely ricochet off of Azrael’s armor, hitting the pipes that are filled with highly flammable oil instead! The explosions are immediate! Flames engulf the factory! Azrael walks past the injured villain, instead rescuing a barely standing Bruce Wayne! Batman uses the last of his strength to tell Azrael that his costume is fireproof before passing out. Azrael takes the hint and wraps Bruce inside of his own cape before he, Nomoz and Alfred barely escape the inferno with their lives! Outside, Nomoz once again roars his disappointment at the Avenging Angel. Azrael removes his mask as he looks off in the distance. He replies that he is no angel. He is a man. And his name is Jean-Paul Valley.

End.

90s Comics, 90s DC, DC Comics, Uncategorized

Behold the Blazing Angel (part 3 of 4)

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She was born! My granddaughter, Lillian “Symbigal” Miller, was born at last! And now that I’ve actually held her in my arms, my “grandfather craving” has been momentarily satisfied and I can concentrate a bit better. So, onto Unspoken Decade biz. When we last left Azrael, he was shot several times and thusly forced through the glass of a high window by the impact. (Not how I like to spend my Friday nights, but we’re all unique.) Now, I give you my look back at “Batman: Sword of Azrael” #3…..

Azrael’s limp form hit an ambulance parked below and then rolled onto the street! At that precise moment, Bruce Wayne and Alfred’s vehicle comes to a screeching halt nearby. Having witnessed the horrendous scene, they exit the car and Alfred checks the young man’s vitals. Surprisingly, he lives! Bruce tells his butler/friend to watch over him while he leaps into the broken window and investigates. Strangely, Bruce enters the room as himself, not Batman. (Real smart move there, Brucie! Why not just flash the bad guy your Justice League ID card and Batman undies while you’re at it! Dumbass!) Bruce witnesses LeHah in costume with a large rifle aimed at a dwarven male on the floor! But the weapon jams! Taking this as a sign from his demonic lord, he flees the room. Wayne pursues the madman against the complaining dwarf’s grumblings and comes to a halt inside a hospital storage room. Scanning the small space quickly, he’s a fraction of a second too slow as LeHah drops a chemical contained within a beaker upon the floor. It shatters! Strange smoke fills the air before the room explodes!

Bruce Wayne rises, coated in ash and chemicals! Hallucinating and injured, he scowls at his prey! But instead of a strangely-garbed man, he sees a demon in front of him. Regardless, he attacks the “creature”! Batman strikes at his foe several times, but his attacks are clumsy and uncoordinated. LeHah parries every strike before surprisingly defeating the Dark Knight! LeHah then drags Bruce from the hospital exit and into the back of the running aforementioned ambulance. He is stopped by a shocked guard for a moment, (Not as shocked as he should be by seeing the secret, demonic member of the Village People in my opinion!) but the larger man kills him with ease before entering the emergency vehicle and peeling out! But too late! Batman has regained consciousness by this time and leaps to freedom! He rolls to a stop next to Alfred in the alleyway. Alfred barely has a moment to look over his employer before the ambulance screeches to a halt! LeHah exits. He walks over and strikes Alfred, nearly knocking him out! He picks Bruce up again and places him back in the vehicle. He then drives away without a word.

Meanwhile, Nomoz holds a blade to Alfred’s throat as he drives. The dwarf warns the butler to keep driving as Azrael lies unconscious in the backseat. Alfred replies that the young man should be taken to a hospital rather than wherever he was being forced to drive. This idea is refused. Alfred then suggests lowering the weapon. After all, with Bruce now captured, he needs their help as much as the dwarf needs his. Nomoz doesn’t reply. Instead, they pull over near a secluded house and carry the Avenging Angel inside. By now, Azrael has awakened enough to sit. Alfred remarks how quickly the youth has recovered from what seemed to be fatal injuries. Azrael replies that the armor contained within his duffle bag took the brunt of the impact from the bullets. Elsewhere, the crazed LeHah has discovered that his captive is not only the millionaire, Bruce Wayne, but the Batman as well! (Yeah. Way to go there, Bats. Gee, who could have forseen this development from years of loyal comic book reading? Oh yes, me! Point goes to Symbifan. ) Bruce asks why he’s still breathing. LeHah answers that he wants the Wayne fortune and will keep him alive just long enough to get it.

At that moment, Nomoz turns suddenly with a blade back in his hand, holding it once again to the butler’s throat! Damn! I’d be so sick of this crap with the knife if I was Alfred. It’s not like Nomoz can accurately swipe at the throat anyway. Not without a step stool that is.) He tells Azrael that Alfred has seen too much and must therefore die! Azrael refuses with the defense that Alfred has done nothing but help them. He’s obviously a good man. The dwarf is enraged by these kind-hearted words and roars about obedience and respect. Alfred replies that he can help them still. He has studied the tracking skills of Batman himself after all. He can aid them in their search for LeHah. Begrudgingly, Nomoz agrees. For now that is. Elsewhere, LeHah is welcomed into the home of another member of the Order of Saint Dumas. Since he is well trusted, the man doesn’t suspect foul play. He pays for this error with his life. The killer then ties Batman to a chair and calls for a doctor. He orders him to bring a powerful truth serum with him. He is determined to break the Dark Knight and learn all of his secrets.

Needless to say, even after hours of questioning under the powerful drug, Batman gives no information. LeHah is beside himself with anger. He raises his weapon to Wayne’s throat, but the Dark Knight merely smiles. Back to Azrael and his allies, Nomoz complains that they have no idea where LeHah will strike next. Alfred suggests a bit of detective work. Azrael looks at the facts and discovers that the madman is striking in a straight line acrossEurope. England would be the next likely target should any members reside there. Nomoz states that there is. Alfred tells them that his employer would now choose a direct attack at his foe. It is agreed. Later, LeHah does in fact strike next in London. As he gains access to the unsuspecting member’s home once again without hesitation, he walks behind his elderly prey. He slides out his dagger and, strangely enough, pulls Batman’s mask over his face, readying himself for a strike! (He’s wearing Batman’s mask now?! This guy’s so crazy, he’s actually trick-or-treating before he kills his enemies!) Outside, a car pulls up to the outside gate. A guard moves to question the occupants. As Alfred rolls down his window, Azrael strikes quickly from behind! The final confrontation is soon at hand.

To be concluded…..