Thinking Out Loud: Big Hero 6 Versus the 7 Guns

I really should get around to doing a "Superhero Media" on Black Summer, but for those who don't know, it's an indy graphic novel written by Warren Ellis, in which a cadre of university students develop technology to give them the super powers they need to strike back at the corrupt private police force who have a strangle-hold on their city. In Big Hero 6, a cadre of university students develop their experimental technology into superhero suits to avenge the death of their friend. Chicken and egg time, is Big Hero 6 the family-friendly Black Summer or is Black Summer the gritty and brutal Big Hero 6? Well, neither, really, as the two only have superficial commonalities, but it's kind of fun to compare and contrast the two works. For my money, Big Hero 6 is the better effort, if only because Black Summer was written as a response to the Bush Administration's handling of the War on Terror, so is pretty ranty and agenda-driven in sections. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Ellis is better when working for a big studio, where he has some editorial oversight. 

The core concept of both works, that super powers aren't given, but are made through ingenuity and research, is one that I really like, and feel could really have legs in your own narrative, be it miniatures or an RPG. More and more school-leavers are moving into tertiary education and, in my personal experience, most roleplayers are the kind to have at least dropped out of university, if not wasted too many years on postgraduate qualifications like myself, so a game where the players start as students would have plenty of near-universal themes. This idea is a great way to introduce powers to a setting that previously didn't have them as well, as I've met a few people for whom this mechanical detail, which I tend to find rather trivial, is hugely important in designing an original setting. For a more collaborative approach, literally having the players in the group set what the technology level is and how powers work through their original characters lets people be the arbiters on their own limits. Got that one killjoy in your group who insists that one particular thing never works? Make him happy by setting that limit in the technology from the get-go. 

The options for tone in this approach should be pretty obvious, if only due to the two works I've chosen to demonstrate it. Yes, Big Hero 6 is probably a little twee and light-hearted for most wargamers and roleplayers, but I'd argue that Black Summer is probably a bit too grimdark for the kind of game I'd really want to play. The "society is so bad we need to take up arms and kill cops for justice" concept has some potential, and whilst I could see running it from an ANTIFA angle, I'd be worried that it would be like running a Vampire: The Masquerade game where the group loses sight of the intended point and just starts reveling in murder and mayhem. A balance between the kind of youthful optimism that drives you into postgrad study and the brutal reality that makes otherwise sane young people develop super-suits is pretty much were I'd want this to sit. I have no plans for any games along this line anytime in the near future, but if you decide to give it a go, please let me know, chuck a link in the comments or whatever.

Miniatures Finished: Vampire Soldiers

Having needed some henchmen for the MI-13 Campaign, I picked up some of these Malifaux "Witchling Stalkers", which where about the closest match for the Vampires in sun-proof suits from Captain Britain and MI-13 I could find in miniature.

I also took another pass at some crates I had to make them a bit more worn and dirty. 
 

The Vampire soldiers are the baseline henchmen of Dracula's forces, being tough for henchmen, but still weaker than an average hero. 

Name: Vampire Soldiers				BP: 85
Affiliation: Dracula				AP: 6
Strike: 5	Strength: 5	Dodge: 5	Sense: 6 (1)
Toughness: 6 (1)	Mind: 2	Resolve: 2	Damage: 6/6
Powers
Drain 3 (Limited) - 2AP after a successful Strike Attack, reduce opponent’s physical characteristics up to 3
Density Decrease – 3AP, Immune to Damage rolled against Toughness, Cannot make melee attacks, may move through terrain, immune to fall damage, Cannot be Knocked Down
Combat Reflexes – May break from Combat with an Opposed Dodge Test and Charge again
Super-Toughness 1, Super Sense 1
Henchmen Team – 6 Members

Miniatures Finished: Polished Turds

Needed some MCU Dark Elves for my SS4RPG campaign but I didn't like the Heroclix offerings. With a bit of scrounging, I came up with some 3rd Ed 40K Dark Eldar and went about making them less terrible. I now have a decent "force" for SS4 or maybe some smaller Sci-Fi games. 

 The full force, seven "characters" for SS4. 

 The Dark Elf Sorcerer is flanked by two Kursed. The Sorcerer is converted Reaper Bones with a spare GW Squig as her familiar, Kursed are Heroclix.

 Dark Elf squads are supported by heavy weapons. 

 In the tradition of all great (and not so great) Science Fantasy, NCOs are armed with melee weapons. 

 The new heads look a lot better than the ones in the kit, mostly GW Dark Elves and Eldar. 

 Far from my best work, but good enough to have hordes of minions for the heroes to defeat.

MI:13 - Part X

The team is understandably anxious as they prepare for what could be their last mission, even the return of Purple Shadow (back from a dangerous real estate-related mission) is met more with grim determination than celebration. In short order, the teleportation ritual is completed by Pete Wisdom, Wizlord and Quincey Harker and the team step into the circle to face their destiny. In a flash of mystic light, the quartet of heroes find themselves on the deck of a gigantic sailing ship, far wider than even the Victory, with seven masts and traces of circuitry woven through the planks. Vampires of all forms surround our heroes, closing ranks quickly as they're spotted, protecting the poop deck where Lilith waits, standing by a ship's wheel manned by an incongruent pirate. Knowing where their target is, the team leap into action! 

Sandman changes into his sand form and slithers up the deck, only to be stopped in his tracks by a blast of magic from Lilith, knocking him out cold. Purple Shadow dives straight into the fight, battering her way through the vampire soldiers, though she suffers wounds of her own as she does so, Union Jack joins his comrade, but is intercepted by an elder vampire. The Medic heals Sandman back to consciousness as he passes his strength onto Purple Shadow, not wanting to almost die again, Sandman changes to his sand form and moves under the boards of the deck. Union Jack fends off multiple vampires, their bites and raking claws unable to penetrate his ridiculous defenses, as Purple Shadow finishes off the remaining vampire soldiers. With a clear line to their enemy, Purple Shadow and Union Jack charge at Captain Fate, but the mysterious pirate fends off their blows with his flashing, golden blade. 

Sandman and the Medic move up to support their teammates, the latter healing the sympathetic damage he took earlier, mystical blasts from Lilith scattering wide around them as they advance. Union Jack batters Captain Fate with his crushing fist, but the cursed pirate refuses to buckle; fortunately, Purple Shadow, wielding her mysterious aura like a blade, brings the villain down, proving herself the superior hero. As the magically-bound ship around them starts to break up, Union Jack and Purple Shadow find themselves drawn to the golden sword, still grasped by the unconscious Captain Fate; Union Jack reaches for the blade, but just as his fingers are about to brush the hilt, the crash of splintering wood fills the air. Dark energy swirling around him, Dracula himself strides onto the deck of the sip, roaring in rage as he realises that his plan is failing and he will soon burn up in the atmosphere of Earth. 

Before the team can react, Dracula has crossed to Purple Shadow and run her through with his broadsword, her limp body falls to the deck and blood pools around it. The Medic, sensing the immense power flowing through Dracula's form, attempts to drain his strength away, but receives only pain for his efforts. "Thinking" on his feet, Union Jack kicks the cursed sword of Captain Fate towards Dracula, who sneers and flicks it away with his own blade. Sandman is next to join the fight, stabbing with blades of hardened glass, but the weapons shatter on impact, Dracula's retaliation leaves the veteran hero fighting for life on the deck. Desperate for a weapon, Union Jack rips the ships wheel off its stand and swings wildly at Dracula, failing to connect with anything other than the deck. As Dracula rips shreds of flesh from Union Jack's bones, the Medic wonders how they can possibly survive the Lord of the Undead. 

Through the impending concussion, Union Jack hears the squelch of his radio, and the voice of Pete Wisdom tells him to stand clear. With a flash of light, another magic portal opens and through it steps the might of MI-13, including not only Wisdom and Psylocke, but also Manchester Black, Spitfire, Thin Man, Black Knight, UNIT soldiers and their scientific advisor. Dracula laughs and mocks the heroes for thinking this will be enough to stop him, but his gloating is cut short by a loud booming sound and a second portal opening. Yes, it is a Boom Tube and the Champions of the Omniverse have arrived! Union Jack takes a moment to note that the skull-masked Ulysses is not among the Champions, but now is not the time for reflection. UNIT open up with blessed silver bullets, keeping Dracula pinned in place long enough for the heroes with long-range powers to provide a more powerful blast, staggering the monster. 

Union Jack, Manzilla and Thin Man go in next, pinning down their target as the ranged attacks break off. The magically-powered heroes, including Pete Wisdom and Black Knight drive their weapons into the writhing form of Dracula, who staggers under the combined assault. Knowing that this is the best chance the heroes are likely to get, Koga activates the Motherboxx, opening several Boom Tubes at once, sending the British heroes back to England, giving an escape route to the Champions and transporting the all-but-helpless Dracula straight into the Sun. Our heroes watch a spectacular light show from a hill in Devon as Fate's ship burns up in the atmosphere; the Medic heals any injured he finds whilst the Gregarious Gigawatt draws Purple Shadow, Sandman, Union Jack and Psylocke aside. The Champion asks what happened to the Motherboxx they left the Crooked World with. Purple Shadow explains the encounter with Ulysses and Gigawatt pales; that was a grave mistake, Ulysses is one of the Champion's most dangerous foes...

To be continued? 

A big thanks to Liam, Carol, Nim, Jacob and Ryan for playing my campaign and putting up with my lack of interest in the latter half. SuperSystem's RPG addition is adequate, but I think I still prefer the TSR Marvel Super Heroes game for this particular genre. SuperSystem, despite being one of my favourite miniatures game, is pretty open to abuse and power gaming if that kind of mindset is something your players bring in. So with that in mind, I can't really recommend it as an RPG, though I may give it another go in the future. 

MI:13 - Part IX

As Pete Wisdom and the team return to MI:13 HQ, Quincey Harker requests that the trusted members of the team are brought into a meeting separate from the rest of the Ministry to start the investigation. With a returned Sandman, the Medic, Union Jack and Wisdom gathered around Harker who mumbles something about vampire spies before splashing the quartet of superheroes with water from a bottle hidden in his shawl. Harker explains that it is probable that Vampires have infiltrated MI:13 and the first order is to discover how many spies are in the ranks. The Medic, Union Jack and Sandman are handed UV torches and told to look for people's reactions, Vampires will begin to sweat and panic under the light. The heroes are sent to the main MI:13 office, several floors down, told to keep things quiet so as to not cause a panic and let any vampires slip away. 

Being subtle and clever have never been strong suits for the team, so it takes the trio a while to get the hang of looking through the office workers for any signs of vampire infiltrators. Quite by accident, Union Jack uncovers a vampire in an office and, reacting in panic, punches the undead square in the face. In panic at being uncovered, the vampire turns to mist and starts to flee; all of this supernatural activity starts a panic and the remaining office workers begin to flee for an exit. Leaping into the fray, The Medic uses his power to drain off the abilities of others to remove the vampiric talent of turning into mist, leaving the panicking vampire defenseless. To cut off the monster's escape, Union Jack throws Sandman towards it, luckily, Sandman lands safely and is able to use his gas gun to knock the creature out and trap it. Acting in the best interests of Occupational Health and Safety, The Medic convinces the fleeing workers to take the stairs rather than the lift. 

Charging into the fight, Union Jack fails somehow to hit the sleeping vampire, so withdraws and places himself in front of the fire exit. Seeing that the vampires are vulnerable to his sleeping gas, Sandman begins to dose the fleeing workers and search them, finding that one was, indeed, a vampire. Whilst Sandman and the Medic continue to check the officer workers for signs of vampirism, Union Jack proceeds to beat the vampires into unconsciousness with a combination of his fists and nearby cubicle walls. As the remaining workers stampede towards the blocked fire exit, Sandman spays his gas once more to keep them from escaping. After missing a sleeping vampire for the second time, Union Jack finally connects and takes another monster out of the fight. As some of the workers come to, they run back towards the lift, only to find that the Medic is blocking their path.

Quite by chance, Sandman uncovers another Vampire, which immediately turns into a pall of mist and attempts to escape the rampaging superheroes, but only gets a few meters before the Medic deactivates its powers. As the workers panic around him, Union Jack grabs the vampire, running around the room for no discernible reason. The Medic sabotages the lift to prevent any health and safety violations before charging towards Union Jack and his captive. Between the three heroes, short work is made of the last Vampire. Taking the three captives to Harker, MI:13 soon learn that Dracula is planning to attack an enchantment that is keeping him out of England. Harker explains that in 1941, a coven of witches cast a spell to deny Hitler and the Axis forces access to the British Isle, which, as the Axis included Dracula at the time, also prevents Vampires from crossing the channel. Dracula's Forces are planning to attack the magical circle in New Forest and dispel the enchantment. 

Our trio of heroes camp for a couple of days near a stone circle in the New Forest, keeping an eye out for any vampiric action. In a flash of eldritch light, a seductive and demonic figure appears, with a bodyguard of vampires; wasting no time, she begins to weave her magic, spellfire blasting Union Jack. In return, Union Jack charges the demonic sorceress, who hardcore Marvel comics fans may recognise as Lilith, only to be immediately dog-piled by the vampires. The Vampire soldiers surround the Medic, keeping him pinned down. No one seems to be bothering with Sandman, who is throwing up in a nearby bush due to chemotherapy induced nausea. The trio of vampires sink their teeth deep into Union Jack's flesh and drink his blood, preventing him from closing on Lilith whilst she casts her spells. Things look bleak for a moment, as the Medic is unable to drain the magic from Lilith and Sandman finds he can't land an attack on the vampires. Thankfully, Union Jack's [slightly bullshit] powers enable him to walk straight out of combat with no damage and kick Lilith into unconsciousness in two quick rounds.

Harker does his best, but Lilith is such a powerful entity that she soon escapes, but not before MI:13 is able to extract Dracula's plans. Dracula has allied himself with Captain Fate, a mystical entity capable of creating magical ships that can travel through space and the air; together they have constructed a giant battleship, filled with vampires, on the moon. Soon, the ship will descend on the United Kingdom and the only hope our heroes have is to intercept it and try and eliminate Fate's control. The plan is to use magic provided by Wizlord and Pete Wisdom to teleport the team to Fate's ship, where they will engage in battle, hopefully preventing the attack and somehow surviving reentry. Desperate times call for desperate measures. 

MI-13: Part VIII

The halls of MI-13 are buzzing with activity after the declaration of war from Dracula. Almost the entire agency has crammed into the briefing room, with Pete Wisdom up the front gesturing to a screen displaying pictures from the Jaspers Murder. 
"Ok, first things first, vampires are real and pretty much always have been. British intelligence services first became aware of the threat in 1875, when Vladimir Tepes Dracula arrived on our shores and began a brief reign of terror. The incident was hushed-up and fictionalised, but the version you know from popular culture is close to the truth. 
The next major incident came when Dracula joined the Axis powers in the Second World War, supplying Nazi High Command with several Vampiric operatives, the most infamous being Baron Blood, son of the original Union Jack. What Dracula never let on to Hitler was that he maintains mental control of all vampires, no matter how far away they are from his presence, even lasting when he sleeps for decades. When it became apparent that the Axis were going to lose the war, the Vampires withdrew and weren't heard of again for quite a while. 
Since the 1980s, worldwide Vampire activity has been at an all-time low, but now it seems Dracula has been planning an invasion of Great Britain, presumably for that entire time. Why here? We don't know, but what we do know is that Dracula is the leading military strategist of our time. Trained from birth. Centuries of experience. We are in a game of chess against him. Everything from here on out is keeping pace with an immortal genius, any questions?"

A silence falls over the room, spawned mostly by disbelief, when someone finds his voice, Union Jack asks if something so absurd could possibly be real. Wisdom points out that less than 48 hours ago, Union Jack himself was trapped in an alternate universe battling a killer robot. Questions abound of how good a strategist Dracula can really be if he announces his attacks and murders public figures, leading Wisdom to attempt to explain that they are not facing a man, but an immortal monster with unlimited power and abilities beyond imagination. As there is currently no expert in Vampires at MI-13, the first mission is to recruit a man called Quincey Harker, Britain's leading Vampire expert and the descendant of Jonathan and Mina Harker. As Purple Shadow and Psylocke are currently on a mission, and Sandman is undergoing chemotherapy, Wisdom elects to take Union Jack and new recruit, the Medic, with him as bodyguards. 

Landing the MI-13 helicopter on top of a multi-level car park, the trio of heroes walk through the shadows, not knowing what could by waiting out there in the darkness. With a shriek and flaps of loose clothing, a creature leaps out of the shadows, hurling itself at the Medic, only for Union Jack to step between them, absorbing the damage from raking claws. Using his powers to transfer strength and health between people, the Medic 'steals' some muscle mass from the attacking vampire and 'loans' it to Union Jack and Pete Wisdom. Ahead of the team, a squadron of paramilitary-attired figures suddenly transforms into a pall of mist and drifts towards them, leading the Medic to cry out in panic and demand if anyone knew that Vampires could do that. Not wanting to get boxed in, Union Jack charges towards the nearest Vampire, fining Pete Wisdom right alongside him. 

With his strength increased by the Medic's powers, Union Jack quickly pummels the first vampire into submission. Using the mystical knives that are his trademark, Pete Wisdom slashes at the cloud of mist that was a squad of Vampire soldiers, but even the magical energies that he wields seem to have no effect. The final Vampire charges into Pete Wisdom, baring its fangs, but the intelligence officer is surprisingly spry and dodges the flashing canines. As the Vampire Soldiers circle Wisdom, the Medic drains strength from them until a couple collapse, meanwhile Union Jack rips off the boom arm at the front of the parking garage, swinging it with enough force to bisect the last Vampire. Together, the team make quick work of the remaining Vampire Soldiers and quickly make their way to their rendezvous with Quincey Harker. 

The aged and wizened Quincey Harker is spending his twilight years in a rest home, but despite the wheelchair and blanket over his knees, a keen intelligence burns in his eyes. When Harker comes face-to-face with Wisdom, the elderly Vampire hunter is ready with his question; 
"He's back, isn't he?" 

MI-13: Part VII

As the dust settles and the echo of the Boom Tube fades away, the heroes of MI-13 take a breath and begin to wonder just how they will return home. On the wind comes a chilling laugh, lilting madly, seemingly coming from everywhere at once. Extending her psychic senses, Psyloke tries to detect the source of the foul laugh, only to discover that it is in their very minds. The laugh is replaced by an equally unnerving voice, 
"Oh stop, please, my sides can't take anymore, I haven't had this much fun in ages," the voice comes from a comical figure descending from the sky like Mary Poppins; a funny man dressed in a derby hat and tweed suit that our heroes recognise as Lord James Jaspers. In their home universe, the Minister of Defense, in this crooked world, however, he is god. 
"I thought I was done with all the superheroes," he pulls a comically-long cigar from nowhere and lights it with a snap of his fingers, "I'm so glad I get to play with some of you again. Other people's toys are always the best to break." 

The members of MI-13 are on edge, they know they can't possibly fight "Mad Jim" Jaspers, but they don't have a choice, having been abandoned by The Champions of the Omniverse. Union Jack signals for the others to get behind him, bracing to attack and provide a distraction when Purple Shadow points out what Jaspers is holding; the Motherboxx. 
"Lovely, isn't it?" croons Jaspers, catching Purple Shadow's eye, "with this little beauty, I can take my show on the road, make all realities as fun as my one. Jim Jaspers, Mad God of the Omniverse, how does that sound?" In response, Union Jack shouts and leaps towards Jaspers, reaching for the Motherboxx, their only way home. Taking advantage of the confusion, Psylocke tries to wrest the Motherboxx from Jasper's grasp with her telekinesis, but with nothing more than a twitch of his eyebrow, the mad god turns Psylocke into a teapot. Union Jack attempts to place his handcuffs on Jaspers, but instead finds himself holding onto a venomous snake. 

Purple Shadow charges into the fray, attempting to envelop Jaspers in her mysterious aura, but the giggling madman just seems to be constantly out of reach. In desperation, Union Jack swings the snake in his hands at Jaspers, who is regarding the super-soldier with a critical eye. 
"Love the look," Jaspers purrs, his weskit changing to one emblazoned with the Union Jack, "suits me, don't you think? How about a new look for you, while I'm at it?" With a wave of his hand, Jaspers turns Union Jack into John Bull. Despite his new rotund form, John Bull continues to grab for the Motherboxx, but it always seems to be in a different hand. Purple Shadow is experiencing similar trouble, as none of her blows seem to land; with a wink, Jaspers turns her into a literal shadow. Knowing that his failure will mean the end of the multiverse, John Bull struggles bravely on, hoping against hope that he can destroy the Motherboxx before Jaspers can use it. 

Just when John Bull's strength is at its last ebb, a boom and flash of light fills the air, and Manzilla of The Champions of the Omniverse is standing behind Mad Jim Jaspers. Turning further than a human neck would allow, Jasper's head spins to take in the newcomer, grinning madly. 
"More toys?" Jaspers squeals like a child. 
"No," grunts Manzilla in response, "Manzilla here to save day!" In the monstrous Champion's claw is a clasped a second Motherboxx, which he activates, summoning another Boom Tube. When the light fades, another terrifying form is left looming over Jaspers; The Fury. 

Jaspers stares at The Fury for a moment, the cyobite monster assessing its target in return. The eerie silence is split only when Jaspers utters a concerned whisper. 
"You're not the one I made." Taking the opportunity provided by a momentary distraction on Jaspers' behalf, Manzilla leaps towards the mad god, grabbing for the Motherboxx. Time slows and reality changes, what was a bombed-out section of alternate London becomes an endless void of unreality, chunks of matter from across the Omniverse drift by as both Jaspers and the Fury rapidly shift their forms in a deadly embrace, each using their endless versatility to attempt an advantage. Knowing that the Motherboxx is their only way home, Psylocke levitates as close as she dares to the swirling melee of Jaspers and the Fury, but is unable to make out the device in the flail of limbs.

Purple Shadow kicks some debris from the chunk of reality the team finds themselves on, gauging how it drifts to assess the gravity of the void; reaching a conclusion, she takes a run-up and leaps towards the next island in the abyss. Union Jack, restored to his true self, takes a leap of his own, towards the chimeric Jim Jaspers, attempting to batter the monster into submission, for his trouble, a failing limb bites deep into his flesh. The keen, animal eyes of Manzilla spot the Motherboxx in the tangle of Jaspers and the Fury, he reaches for it, but is blasted by the Fury, the cold, cyobite intelligence determining the Champion to be a threat. Not wanting to get any closer, Psylocke manipulates the Motherboxx with her telekinesis, trying to lift it away, but a spiked tendril lashes out from Jaspers and hits Psylocke with enough force to knock her out.

Scrabbling for the Motherboxx, Union Jack finds himself caught in a shifting mass of what was once Jim Jaspers, with any solid purchase slipping from his grasp. Landing on a section of concrete floating in the void, Purple Shadow finds a portable toilet and hefts it towards the swirling melee ahead of her, offering a hearty "Eat shit!" at Jaspers as she does so. Unfortunately, her throw misses everyone except Union Jack, however, the blow activates Jack's powers, temporarily increasing his strength. Surrounded, Jaspers turns himself into a swirling vortex of blades, ripping through everything around him. Union Jack, Manzilla and even the Fury are torn apart. Rearing back several mustached heads, the Jaspers-beast laughs in victory. 

Seeing her last chance, Purple Shadow leaps from the safety of the concrete platform towards Jaspers, reaching out for the Motherboxx in the quivering bulk of flesh and snatching it clear. Before Jaspers can stop her, Purple Shadow hammers every button on the device she can find, opening a dozen Boom Tubes. In an instant, Union Jack, Psylocke and Manzilla are sucked away. The last thing Purple Shadow sees as she is drawn into the closest Boom Tube is Jaspers and the Fury being torn to shreds as the conflicting pulls of all the open portals creates a gravity rift; both monsters die screaming in each other's embrace. 

Purple Shadow, worn out from the extended conflict, loses consciousness as she tumbles through the omniverse, she finally comes to on the floor of the MI-13 training room where she left what seems like days ago. Standing over her is a male figure in a green coat and a sinister-looking skull-shaped helmet. 
"Good afternoon, Miss Ashwood," the newcomer's voice is polite, "welcome home. My name is Ulysses, I am one of the Champions of the Omniverse and I am here for the Motherboxx." 
Purple Shadow gets to her feet wearily and backs away from the stranger, looking around to see both Psylocke and Union Jack unconscious on the floor behind her.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" demands Purple Shadow, "This could be anywhere!" Ulysses pauses to consider a moment, before threatening to take the Motherboxx by force. 

Purple Shadow is not moved, demanding to know why MI-13 cannot keep the Motherboxx and how Ulysses arrived before her. Ulysses explains the the Motherboxx is too dangerous to be allowed to remain in this primitive time, as it has the power not only to open trans-dimensional portals, but also to rearrange matter itself, and this his own, innate powers also allow him to travel between realities, but the process is time-consuming. Purple Shadow is not moved, and demands a demonstration of the Motherboxx, holding it just within Ulysses' reach so that he can heal her teammates. When Union Jack and Psylocke revive, they too have questions, such as why they should be afraid of Ulysses when the other Champions of the Omniverse have proven to be such incompetents. Ulysses explains that the Champions that MI-13 met are the "Canaries" and that Eon reserves the competent warriors, such as himself, for the truly important missions. After some deliberation, the team reluctantly hands the Motherboxx over and Ulysses departs, promising to see some of them again. 

Once the stranger has departed, the team wastes no time reporting to Pete Wisdom what happened and where they have been. Within an hour, the full force of MI-13 is brought to bare against the unsuspecting Lord James Jaspers MP. Wisdom and the team lead the charge, hoping their combined power will be enough to win out before Jaspers becomes "Mad Jim" in this timeline; they are shocked to find the Lord dead, sprawled over his desk and drained of blood. A quick investigation yields several letters in Medieval Romanian and a missive scrawled on the bedroom mirror in blood:

“Wisdom -
        I declare, on behalf of my landless nation, war on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Tell any of you that are left: we will be coming, you will be the last,

        Tepes of Wallachia”