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1930 Namor: The Submariner
This is similar to the Atlantis series in that it was written before Black Panther 2. I want to keep the MCU Namor for the It's All Connected universe, but MCU Namor was young in the 1570s! Not sure I could write about that region in that time period.
I wrote something fairly close to the comics, so they don't really match up.
Would still be good to see Namor as a teen or young man and the rivalries and intrigues of being groomed for the throne. Namora could still be Namora (and the lady in BP:WF could become Namorita) but everything else (the Pierce's, the oil rig etc) has to go.
Alternatively you could have a fully adult Namor have an encounter with a fully adult Sandy Pierce and do away with the Namor as a young man stuff.
However, while this entry may be stricken from the IAC, I spent some time writing it, so I'm going to post it anyway!
Starts in 1930 and goes close to WWII.
Namor, Namora, Byrrah and Merrano had been playing in shallows near the American coast. They mostly speak in English, as Fen has taught them, but curse at eachother in Atlantean.
Byrrah dares them all to explore a cave, sort of reverse spelunking. They do and take themselves above water, Byrrah gets them lost. We join the action as the argument begins, Namor tells him to admit they're lost, Namora says it was a stupid idea in the first place (Merrano is too timid to say anything, something he is teased for throughout, though there should be hints at his intelligence). Namor tries to take the lead, so Byrrah mocks the 'half breed', asking him 'what are those things on your ankles anyway?' Namor obviously takes offence and fights him, winning easily.
Namor wants to go up to the light but the others are worried about being above the water for too long. Byrrah wants to keep going but the others don't trust him. He bullies Merrano into going with him, Namor goes up and Namora tries to retrace their steps.
Namor keeps going up and eventually finds a way out only to come up onto a road at night and get hit by a car (the Pierce family). He is shaken but pretty much fine.
"Please let us take you to the hospital."
"Don't touch me surface dweller! You've done enough."
He runs away. Makes it to the beach and back to (Atlantic) Atlantis from there.
Fen is at first relieved and amazed that he survived so long above water. Then angry that they were all so foolish. Not behaviour fit for a possible heir to the Atlantean throne, she expected better from him etc.
Angry in his room, Namora visits, says he should have come back with her. She got back first and led a team to find the others, found Byrrah and Merrano huddled together in shallow water, but couldn't find him. She is also amazed he survived.
He doesn't tell her about the car but has a little flashback and shouts at her to get out. She leaves, he smashes something, calms a little and sneaks out, swimming back up to the surface, feels sorry for himself on a rock.
He wakes up next morning on the beach with the Pierce's standing over him, thinking that he's been there all night.
He is a little unsure and aggressive at first but Clarissa manages to calm him and they were just making sure he was alright.
Sandy is friendly to him and he relaxes with them, before realising how long he's been there and saying he has to go. Sandy shouts that she'll be on the beach tomorrow and he dives in prompting Henry to wonder exactly where Namor is going.
Namor meets Sandy the next day and then mini montage, she is teaching him how to surf etc. Then one day he waits on the beach and she doesn't come, and again, and again and we see him getting a little older each time but she doesn't come back then eventually, sadly a teen Namor gives up.
Fen says "Never mind that surface dweller, that was years ago...you wanted to try out for my Tri team?" and they investigate a wreck for salvage with the Tri team. The other teens come along and Byrrah is jealousy muttering about how Namor is going to be chosen for the Tri team because of his mother blah blah... He sabotages the boom to fall on Namor. It knocks him over but it falls on Fen instead, pinning her. Byrrah tries to remove it, he can't, nor with Merrano, he calls for the Tri team, they can't. Namora manages to rouse Namor, he removes the boom and has to be held back from Byrrah by the Tri team and Merrano and Namora. Everyone realises how super strong he is.
Confirming Byrrah's fears, Namor is put on the Tri team (with Namora and a new friend Bobo) and is on shark duty when he saves a surface dweller, who was surfing, from a shark. It is Sandy Pierce. Namor is sulky at first, saying he kept going to the beach for years, but she never came back. Sandy explains that her father was called away suddenly for work and they had to go. She says Namor never gave her his number or asked for hers. They drove by that beach when they left but he wasn't there and they had been skiing the last few years instead of the beach. They make up and start to have fun again (new montage with some callbacks).
He takes her to visit his mother's Atlantis with a breathing apparatus reverse engineered from Atlantean tech by Namora. His grandmother is visiting and talks about the oil leaking up from the ground in the Antarctic Atlantis. Sandy says her dad might be able to help as he is in oil.
Namor talks to him about where Thakorr's Atlantis is and promises to take him there to talk to his grandfather. He sees this as a way back into Thakorr's good graces and the Atlantean throne for his mother.
He takes Henry and convinces Thakorr to make a deal to allow the drilling. Then takes Sandy to Namora's birthday party to celebrate.
Sandy confides her worries that Henry will exploit the Atlanteans and their resources.
Nevertheless drilling commences.
Leaks get worse.
Byrrah appeals to the king to allow his own Tri team wannabes to tear the rig down as an attempt to discredit Namor (he is in league with Krang to take over the throne. Krang and Merrano have been sowing seeds of discontent over the drilling with the Artic Atlanteans).
Namor advocates diplomacy and talks to Henry. They not only patch the leak with concrete, he also gives them a motorized fishing net. A triumphant Namor takes the news to Thakorr and wins him over.
While Namor is pleased with himself, Byrrah has used the distraction to take Sandy and Clarissa hostage and kidnaps the whole family when Henry gets home.
Byrrah and the goons take them to the oil rig. Leaving her parents as bait, Byrrah sends Sandy down to fetch Namor. With her parents life under threat, she has no choice.
Thakorr agrees to the Tri team rescue (Sandy goes with them) and they head up finding the goons trashing the rig. Namora and Bobo fight them and halt the destruction temporarily. Sandy goes to free her parents. Namor goes in search of Byrrah, he finds him about to turn on the drill where Donald and Clarissa are underneath, with Sandy attempting to free them. He does so, breaks off the knob and runs off beginning the trashing once again.
Down below the people are starting to revolt against Thakorr because of the prolonged surface dweller presence and the oil leaks. He tries to reassure them but Merrano and Krang stir up an angry response, drowning him out.
Namor manages to hold off the drill long enough for Sandy to free her parents. As they make their way out charges start to explode, Namora and Bobo say they are trying to destroy the rig completely and they have to go. "Savages!" exclaims Henry.
Krang and Merrano take the signal and launch their rebellion against the Royal family they have some of the Atlantean army on their side and citizens join in trying to storm the gates.
Massive battle between loyal soldiers/citizens and rebels. Rebels look like they are winning but Namor and Namora return (Bobo is taking the Pierce's to safety) and start to turn the tide. All the while bits of the rig are crashing into Atlantis.
The mob is contained, the rebels nearly defeated and Byrrah captured when the oil starts coming out from the drill site, making battle impossible. Thakorr lies dead, Korra gives the order to abandon Antarctic Atlantis.
They retreat to the Atlantic Atlantis, Byrrah and the others have escaped. Namor feels it is his fault.
Korra is incapacitated, says Thakorr welcomed the loyalty shown by Princess Fen and so reinstates her as the heir to the throne and acting monarch. She tells Namor it is not his fault, but that he shouldn't trust humans. She says that some have ill intentions and others good, but no good shall come of either.
Despite the warning, Namor goes to meet Bobo and the Pierce's on the familiar beach. Donald is furious, elaborating on his savages comment and how much this has all cost him. Namor is also furious, elaborating on how Donald has lost nothing compared to him. Donald is still angry but concedes the point.
He is sorry for their loss.
Clarissa spirits him away to let the young'uns talk.
Namor confesses that his grandmother asked him not to trust humans. Sandy confesses that having seen Atlantean life, she doesn't think she is prepared for it.
He says he supposes that this is goodbye. She supposes it is. She says if Atlantis is ever at peace, to give her a call and gives her his number. He says darkly that he doesn't know when that will be.
They kiss.
It is a kiss goodbye.
He watches them drive into the distance.
Bobo puts a hand on his shoulder in sympathy and then leaves.
Namor looks one last time, then also turns and leaves.
Post credits - Guards on night watch at Atlantis are snatched one by one. We look from the last guards pov as they hear the commotion then see their bio luminescent lamps dropping down in the ocean. The unseen attacker gets closer and closer snatches the guard's partner and then them, Merrano's face (just for a second), blackout.
1941 The Human Torch
Johann Schmidt, a high ranking nazi science officer is menacingly threatening Dr Abraham Erskine as they are not making enough progress with their formula. Erskine is reluctant as he knows what Schmidt will use it for. Several Nazi soldiers and prisoners have died after being used as guinea pigs by Schmidt.
Schmidt wants to find another scientist and decides to activate his American sleeper agent to find one.
Dr Phineas Horton and his assistants (Fred Raymond and James Bradley) demonstrate his "synthetic man" at the first Stark Expo. He takes a volunteer from the audience, Jim Hammond (a US soldier in uniform, volunteered by his date) and uses his brainwaves to make the android move and talk. People think it's just a stunt until it bursts into flames. People leave shocked.
Howard Stark is interested and starts to talk to Horton but we don't really hear their conversation as we focus on Jim leaving with his date, Julia Koenig.
Jim is moved out to Hawaii at Pearl Harbor.
He has made friends with Willie Lohmer, son of German emigres, who is conflicted about the prospect of the US going to war in Europe. They take tea in the Lotus Café and have clearly done this regularly as they banter with Lady Lotus. She subtly uses her secret psychic powers to stop an argument that was threatening to turn violent after Willie was overheard sympathising with the Nazi cause, with Jim vehemently disagreeing along with other American patrons. Lady Lotus says "stupid Americans" (baka Amerikajin?) back in the kitchen.
After the two go back to base, still in a heated argument about what was going on in Europe, the Japanese attack, seemingly killing Willie and the next hit takes out Jim. (This seems like a long preamble but each scene could be done in 5-10 minutes)
He wakes up in a private room in the Stark mansion. Stark refers to Horton here as "Doctor", so Jim asks when he can go home from the hospital. They gently try to explain that he is not Jim Hammond, he is an android (Horton's newest model), and they were not expecting him to have Jim's memories.
Jim thinks it's a prank, he laughs. They persist, he gets angry, creating a surge of energy and flames up.
Horrified, he runs. His super strength and flaming body, which he doesn't know how to control leave a trail of destruction. Howard and Horton eventually catch up with him standing outside Julia's house, his last memory before going to war, and they talk him down. We see Julia see all this through the window. She makes a phone call saying she has found something interesting.
Underneath his synthetic skin he is red, just like Vision will be in the future. He does not look like the actor playing original Jim, he is Paul Bettany obvs.
Back at the mansion Agent Flynn of the Strategic Scientific Reserve says this synthetic man, a walking torch, is a great danger to society and must be contained.
Jim, Howard and Horton comply, planning to encase him in an airtight container surrounded by concrete. Jim is worried about breathing and eating, Horton reminds him he is an android and doesn't need to breathe and he is powered by the sun (although he can eat, it all gets converted into energy).
Jim: What will happen?
Horton: It will be just like falling asleep.
Howard: We'll be working round the clock to help you get this under control.
Fred: Then Flynn will have to let you out.
Toro: Don't worry Jim.
Jim: Jim's not really my name, is it?
*They don't have an answer*
It is done. But there is a slow leak in the tube because of the installation of the radio system (James Bradley not communicating with Fred properly there).
Jim panics at the thought of not being able to breathe, as he still feels human. The panic grows as he flames up. The flames grow stronger eventually bursting through the leak point and causing an explosion in the lab.
Jim calls out but no one answers, he doesn't know if they are alive or dead. He wants to help them but realises he's aflame.
He runs in shame and panic, causing destruction again and this second incident draws the attention of the press, earning him the (incorrect) nickname of "Human Torch".
He eventually crashes into a swimming pool, putting out the flames.
Later that night, he breaks into a department store for clothes (burnt off) and make up (cover the red). He is interrupted by Anthony Sardo who is stealing from the cash register. Initially not believing what he's seeing (a completely red man), Sardo takes pity on Jim and takes him under his wing. Montage of Jim making himself look human, showing Sardo his powers and using said powers to get money for Sardo, food, and clothes and make-up to cover himself after continually losing control when flaming up.
The police (Officer Betty Dean and her partner. Officer Dean is referred to by name by her partner) catch up with them. Sardo says, "stay here kid" and gives himself up, pretending that Jim has legged it. Jim feels guilty and anxious and flames up a little ("not now!"). The cops notice him and tell him to "freeze!", if only he could. He flames up and finds that he is flying. He is impervious to their bullets, though he doesn't like being shot at. He escapes, flitting across the rooftops using his new found power.
The next day he sees in the newspaper that Howard Stark has been kidnapped. He tracks down Horton and surrenders himself, offering to help find Tony, who was taken to Europe, behind enemy lines.
The SSR are reluctant, but Howard is being held in a heavily fortified base in Germany and they have lost two teams.
Jim doesn't really understand/can't control his powers yet so...training montage! Practicing powers, hydrogen helps him control the flame.
Howard is reluctantly helping Dr Erskine under threat of both their lives, building the machinery for phase 2 of the Nazi super soldier program. New volunteer Willie Lohmer, rescued from a field hospital by Hydra agents after learning of his friendship with Jim and his Nazi sympathies, tests the final iteration of phase 1, finding a working formula that works but doesn't kill anyone. Schmidt is pleased with the results and dubs him Master Man ("that should keep the Furher happy"). Erskine tries to give him some warnings, but he doesn't want to hear.
Julia wants some, none left. Phase 2 formula untested and more dangerous, needs machine.
Jim turns up with Dum Dum Dugan and his unit and they rescue Stark and Erskine.
Jim is surprised to see Willie. Willie is shocked at Jim's appearance but says that he looks different now too. They are both a little reluctant to start fighting, having been friends, but Julia shoots Jim and tells Willie (MM) to do his duty.
Jim sees Julia and is hurt and confused at her using (original) him to spy.
MM decides he must do it for Germany. His strength is superior but Jim is on fire!
In the resulting struggle, the machine and some of the phase 2 formula explodes, injuring Julia. They douse him with water, but he can control his flame better and will be able to get it back if MM would stop pounding on him.
MM's formula wears off and he goes back to normal. He is defeated.
Schmidt says he'll have to take matters into his own hands and takes the untested phase 2 formula, despite Erskine's warning. His skin starts melting.
The allies escape.
Phineas Horton can still be a dbag but he got funding from Stark and Stark now answers to SSR. So despite his protestations, he has to keep his work confidential.
Post credits - Lady Lotus is found by Johann Schmidt (his RED SKULL hidden with prosthetics) and he retells her story in a montage with his voiceover (her family was taken to an internment camp after Pearl Harbor, she used her powers to escape).
He knows that she is angry and says he knows about her power but that she doesn't need to use them on him.
He offers her a chance at revenge for her and her family, her people. He asks her to head up a team to keep Jim busy as he is working on something very important.
1941 Namor the Submariner Vs The Human Torch
Be prewarned! This is a long post people!
This was written long before I saw Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but only needed some minor edits to make it work with that movie.
The Talokanil have extremely long lifespans compared to humans, though none as long as Namor or Thor (for example). This way we can start to build a relationship between Namor, Namora and Attuma here.
Open on Talokan at night time. Guards on night watch are snatched one by one. We look from the last guards pov as they hear the commotion then see their comrades bio luminescent lamps dropping down in the ocean. The unseen attacker gets closer and closer, snatches the guard's partner and then them, Merrano's face (just for a second), blackout.
Cut to Jim Hammond (Human Torch) in his human disguise. He has been given a placement with the NYPD through the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR). As an employee of the SSR he must secretly keep his ear to the ground for shenanigans in New York (mainly Hydra). He proudly vows to serve and protect.
Cut to another night time raid on Talokan.
Namora: Namor, wake up it's happening again.
He chases and loses Merrano but finds a seaplane with Talokanil being bundled inside. He swims towards it but it takes off. He flies after it and disables the engine. It lands bumpily. He frees the prisoners and interrogates the crew. They are Americans, just taking payment to deliver Talokanil (the Americans refer to them as Atlantis people and mermaids) to a floating fortress in the Atlantic. He leaves them stranded (with a warning) and heads for the fortress location with the Tri team (Namora and Attuma with water breathing apparatus). The scientists are from all over the world but they all work for Hydra (complete with snazzy green and yellow uniforms!).
They split up to scout the structure.
Jim is finishing up his first shift when he gets a call from Howard.
He was made aware of American seaplane pilots being repatriated after being stranded at sea off the coast of Mexico.
They have an incredible story of kidnapping mermaids and a floating fortress and a man with ankle wings. Something in the tale leads Howard to believe them.
Namora and Attuma come across the Atlantean living quarters. They are kept in a room with several sea water sprinklers which they all gather around, desperate to get some water over their gills. The Tri Team are horrified.
Attuma sets to working on their escape. Namora continues to scout.
Namor comes across Merrano in a seawater tank. He knows he should carry on covertly and meet back up with the team, but he can't ignore the traitor. He smashes the tank and engages in battle.
Merrano is much stronger than Namor remembers. He gets regular doses of a specially adapted version of Erskine's serum that adds to his Talokanilian strength. If he misses a dose, the strength wears off.
They are fairly evenly matched, but Namor is gaining the upper hand. Then Hydra goons arrive and set the flamethrowers on them. Namor, dehydrated, is subdued and captured.
He wakes to Merrano complaining about how he could have been killed by the flamethrowers. This is addressed to Johann Schmidt who is admiring his unusual specimen. His colleague, Arnim Zola, is particularly fascinated by the ankle wings and the fact that Namor isn't blue out of the water. Schmidt asks a suffering Namor where his friends are and, getting unsatisfactory answers, boasts about the horrible experiments his people are undergoing (discovery requires experimentation). The continued threat to his people does not break him.
Merrano is still complaining…
Schmidt: Do you still want to conquer Atlantis?
Merrano: Yes, of co-
Schmidt (interrupting): You can achieve this without Hydra?
Merrano: No.
Schmidt: Then shut up!
Arnim Zola: We need more specimens to study. We need more technology from Atlantis before we can strike.
Namor (spying Namora above, grinning): Actually, it's called Talokan.
She takes them by surprise, besting Schmidt and the scientists. She frees Namor from his arid prison and protects him as he is weakened. As they are surrounded by onrushing guards Attuma arrives with refreshed Talokanil.
The Talokanil are strong, but only the Tri Team have their weapons. They more than hold their own in the fight but are starting to fall to Hydra's flamethrower troops.
Outside we see the Talokanil conch division surface (they were always part of the plan but Namor couldn't keep his rage at Merrano in check leading to an early confrontation). This division will mind control humans in BP:WF but here they summon a Kraken with their toot horns.
Namor has been trying different tactics to limit their losses and stay in the fight until reinforcements arrived. When he hears the conch division he has Namora lead a retreat to the submarine bay. The Talokanil are escaping to the water with Hydra in pursuit when the Kraken strikes.
Namor has his Warriors take out any land dwellers escaping from the sinking fortress. No mercy. Though Schmidt, Zola and Merrano will all have to make an escape.
The survivors are returned home to much fanfare and remembrance of those who were lost. Namor is pissed off.
The next day.
The SSR go to investigate the reports of the floating fortress and find the wreck. They are mistaken for a raiding party by the Talokanil. They are attacked and their boat destroyed. Howard witnesses these incredible scenes (i.e. his team getting attacked by blue people and dragged underwater) from his propeller plane. He just about manages to get away from Namor who chases after him. He radios a message to HQ telling Jim to get back to work and listen out for anything out of the ordinary, especially if it involves blue people.
The SSR team are taken prisoner, though they protest their innocence. They are American.
Namor takes the Tri Team to attack a target on American soil. They trash the Coney Island lighthouse in retaliation and anyone who tries to stop them is put in their place.
Namor wants to go further inland, but Namora and Attuma are unsure as they cannot breathe the air like he can.
He sends them back and goes on to New York alone.
Jim overhears the call about blue people trashing the Coney Island lighthouse and takes Betty to investigate. She complains that it is not their beat and that it sounds ludicrous, but Jim says he has a hunch.
Namor is accidentally sucked into a sewage pipe, and comes out near a power station. He trashes the power station.
Jim and Betty survey the massive damage done to the lighthouse. The people who tried to stop the vandalism say it will take years to restore it it, but restore it they will. Jim asks about the blue people. They say they didn't think the police believed them. Jim says he does.
They say that two blue people swam back thattaway but the one with wings on his ankles swam up the river towards New York. Betty rolls her eyes.
Namor is accosted by a nervous security guard and accidentally kills him in anger after being shot. He flees another after being shot at again, though they miss this time. He is too tired, injured and weak to fly away so he runs.
NYPD Police start a big manhunt for a man with winged ankles. This information is not released to the press as Howard used some leverage to make them do it. The officers naturally don't believe the story. Jim does, of course, and he and Betty take part in the hunt.
Namor is fairly easy to spot on the run with his swimming costume and winged ankles (also with a bullet wound), too tired and injured to fly and can't get close enough to the water.
Whilst being pursued he causes havoc, wrecking New York along the way. Sometimes accidentally because of his strength while fleeing, other times on purpose using his super strength to help him escape. He is also still pissed off but pretty scared now.
Namor disguises himself with a homeless man's clothing. He manages to hide out in Central Park till near dark. He has a flashback of the security guard's death. He is quite terrified, out of his depth, literally.
He climbs in Central Park lake to calm down, but is spotted and soon has police on his tail again.
He escapes and swims down the Hudson. Namor is tiring. Police helicopters and boats are closing in. He can't outrun them.
He makes it to the Statue of Liberty. He uses his superhuman strength to barricade the door. Some sightseers are trapped inside, terrified. He says he will only harm those who would harm him or his people. He makes his way up to the head to recuperate.
Police set up outside. Officer Betty Dean is trying to talk him down with a megaphone. Jim says tell him that The Human Torch is on his way (The Torch is well known on the streets of New York for fighting crime). Namor says he doesn't care. He can beat the surface dweller's champion. Jim makes excuses and leaves the scene, turning on his flame in secret.
(If we're going with Sandy as a grown woman/romantic partner in Namor's solo movie then she can have a small role in this movie. Say, the Pierces are watching this on TV. Sandy says she has to go, she can help. Then she does go, despite her parents' protests.)
Torch flies up to Lady Liberty's head and tries to threaten Namor into coming down, Namor does not respond well to threats.
The police have breached the doors, released the civilians and are coming up. Namor decides to fight. Somewhat rested he is now able to fly and fight. He takes on the Torch and fights well. He has to break from the Torch periodically as his touch is dehydrating. In flight Jim is his match, but Namor will not run away. The Torch thinks he has the upper hand, but Namor really shows his strength. He strikes Hammond and knocks him all the way down to the police gathered at the base of the statue, including Betty
Namor stops the fight to check she's alright.
The Torch is back up…
THT: You nearly killed those police officers.
N: You were attacking me! I have a right to defend myself and my people.
THT: You trashed New York! And what's more, you did kill a man...at the power station.
B: He's right, you did.
Namor says the death was an accident but refuses to apologise, America attacked Talokan first. They both tell him America is not attacking his home as they didn't know it existed but he doesn't believe them.
The argument escalates.
Namor and Jim basically tell Betty to stand back (her response is something like 'for goodness sake') so they can fight again.
Namor is quite durable so can stand up to the heat without getting badly burned but he is becoming dehydrated. This is his weakness. Jim notices and tries to press his advantage.
Namor plunges back into the river and swims south, heading for open water.
Jim manages to catch up and grabs him, tries to pull him out of the water. The contact with water weakens Jim a little, Namor notices and tries to pull him down.
They do make landfall and have an epic battle back on Coney Island, wrecking the place. The residents are up in arms! 'Not again!' they cry.
After crashing together into an industrial building Namor mistakenly jumps in a water tank thinking it will lead into a tunnel like the one at the power station. Instead he is trapped.
Jim busts open the water tank and the spill knocks Namor out.
He comes to behind Howard Stark's unbreakable glass, though Namor tries.
Stark, Torch and Agent Flynn are discussing what can be done.
Officer Dean is being kept in an interview room nearby as Namor seemed to respond to her. Jim reveals his true identity and asks for her help.
((If we are having a Sandy storyline) Dean picks out an officer radioing that he has been approached by a Sandy Pierce, a woman, who is claiming to have befriended Namor. She also claims her father, Henry, went into business with the Talokanil. This would corroborate Namor's story that he is a prince of the underwater kingdom. Stark says he knows a Henry Pierce who's in the oil business.
Officer Dean goes to Namor says is it okay if she brings in a visitor, who claims to know him. He gets flustered when he sees it's Sandy.
Dean is called out. Sandy half convinces him that the USA is not attacking Talokan).
Officer Dean comes back with another visitor after a raised voices outside (Flynn doesn't think the visitor should go inside). President Roosevelt!
The PUSA further convinces Namor they are not enemies, "In fact, if your people are under threat, we will lend you our Human Torch and the resources of the fine men and women of the SSR to find the culprits"
"Thank you President Roosevelt"
"I must insist on a written apology for the family of the security guard that was killed. Accidental or not.
It won't bring him back, and I can't guarantee a pardon, it is a serious crime. But it would be a first step towards an understanding between our people."
Namor is uncharacteristically lost for words.
"Perhaps, with the help of your (two) friends here, we can negotiate a peace treaty between our nations...
And then, Prince Namor, I would ask for your help in return."
(Sandy and) Officer Dean encourage Namor through this whole exchange with the PUSA.
The SSR prisoners taken at the fortress are released at an agreed location and taken back to headquarters for medical checks.
Cut to boat with Jim, Betty Dean (Namor insisted she came) and Howard Stark following Namor, Namora and Attuma (J (aside to Betty): They really are blue… BD: Says the bright red man…)) to the ruins of the fortress where his people were taken. Hydra is long gone but Howard has a macguffin which allows them to track Talokanil. Most traces lead back to Talokan, but there are some heading to Europe. They follow the trail to (country? Spain maybe?) and discover Meranno and his mind controlled Talokanil army. They divide and conquer (dehumidifier for Stark, Betty Dean, Namora, Bobo and Jim's group, super strength for Namor) and manage to rescue the majority of Namor's people. Merrano is defeated but escapes again.
Namor returns to Talokan with Betty and the peace treaty and declares that he will help the allies against the axis.
Post credits:
Super-Axis
Lady Lotus, Master Man, Warrior Woman, Meranno/U-Man.
Lady Lotus admonishes Meranno and introduces him to the other members of the Super-Axis
1942 Captain America:First Avenger
Ah, the first MCU movie to be IAC'd!
This film is not building up to the Avengers Assemble movie (2012) so we can excise the future portion at the beginning as it is no longer necessary.
Starts in 1942 but continues to 1943.
The break in to the Hydra facility to rescue Bucky, Howling Commandos (HC) etc is the same but escape from the can be a lot more in depth with slightly longer fisticuffs between Skull and Cap before Zola separates the bridge section. This gives us a longer, more satisfying action sequence, adds more to the Steve/Bucky relationship, establishes more of a rapport with the HC and more of a rivalry with The Red Skull.
It is also pretty much the climax of the movie now and so has to be impressive enough for that.
Peggy still goes to the pub to call him in for 0800, gets mad, shoots the shield etc.
Ends with Cap leading the Howling commandos into battle for the first time we see the propaganda cameras filming the scene that Peggy watches, though she won't see it now till the next film. Then they find the Hydra base they were looking for and run in and look cool in slo-mo all together and...scene.
CGI of Chris Evans' face on a smaller actor's body should be replaced by Michel Gondry/Peter Jackson style technical wizardry with forced perspective, as the CGI attempt is very distracting.
Howard Stark should be played by an age appropriate John Slattery throughout the MCU films and TV series.
The Germans should speak German to eachother (with subtitles).
Tripp's grandfather has to be one of the Howling Commandos. I think it's Gabe Jones. Seen suggested here.
Post credits: Jim and Namor have teamed up to beat axis troops, tanks, artillery, navy, air force etc and are then approached by Howard who tells them there's someone else he'd like them to meet.
1944 Captain America: The Invaders
We should learn more about Hydra and how they operate. Introduces the Invaders team.
Build up the relationship between Cap and Stark, as well as Cap and Peggy and Cap and Bucky. Also Cap and the Howling commandos.
Peggy should get to kick butt in this movie.
This takes place after D-Day. The allies are beginning to turn the tide of the war. Our heroes, however, are fighting a different battle.
Now that Red Skull has shown his true colours, his experiments are becoming less tolerable to the Third Reich. Hydra is a massive threat to the whole world and so Cap and the others are engaged in a somewhat secret battle in France.
Because of where we ended the IAC version of First Avenger, Cap and Peggy are still estranged. The last time she saw him she shot at him!
We open on the scene where Peggy sees that Cap has a picture of her in his compass from the propaganda film, but now from her point of view. This could be proceeded by an actual newsreel on D-Day.
Peggy: Where was that video taken?
Howard: Somewhere in the French countryside I think.
Peggy: Let's find an assignment in France, shall we?
We see Cap, Bucky and the Howling Commandos (HC) following a lead to a small Hydra factory, manufacturing one type of component. This is not the first one they have discovered.
They destroy the factory, wondering what Hydra are building. It is obviously some kind of weapon, but it is hard to tell what kind from the limited number of factories and components they have found.
Meanwhile Namor and his Tri Team have been pursuing Merrano and destroying experimental tesseract powered U-boats and other Hydra naval forces along the way.
Jim Hammond (The Human Torch) has been after Master Man. He has been destroying experimental tesseract powered air support and other Hydra air and ground forces along the way.
Peggy and Howard are now in the countryside, investigating whole squads, allied and German, that seem to have been beaten to death. They find one survivor who is embarrassed to tell them that it was a woman.
They surmise that it was Julia Koenig and that she must have gained her powers from the phase 2 super soldier serum in the lab accident from the Human Torch movie.
In the debris of another battle they fine no survivors at all. Allied and Nazi soldiers bodies alike, in no fit state to send home to their mothers, as Howard puts it. There is earth overturned and scorch marks everywhere, huge tank tracks in the ground...
They wonder if Red Skull has outgrown the Nazis. They follow the trail.
Namor's team pursue Merrano to a river based field laboratory where Cap's team have also traced their next components to.
Namor: The famous Captain America. I believe our meeting is long overdue. Now we shall see if you are as great a warrior as they say.
Steve: Pleasure to meet you Prince Namor. Please, call me Steve.
(Namor proceeds to call him Captain for the rest of the movie)
After a big laboratory fight including brainwashed Talokanil and experimental tesseract weapons the heroes triumph. Namor's team captures Merrano and rescues his people and Cap's team has their new component and new leads. They destroy the factory.
Namora and Attuma head home with Merrano and the freed Talokanil. Namor joins Cap to track down the next component.
In the countryside Master Man is supposed to be marrying Warrior Woman. A propaganda wedding to please the Führer. Master Man (aka Willie Lohmer) is quite excited about it, Warrior Woman…is not. Peggy and Howard arrive at the church in disguise as guests. Peggy, of course, speaks flawless German. She has told Howard to keep his mouth shut.
They manage to overhear that not only does Julia not want to go through with the wedding (not into arranged marriages or Willie) but her powers are on the fritz. Her super strength and agility come and go as a result of getting her powers in an accident, though she keeps her enhanced physique.
All very useful until Howard forgets himself, opens his mouth and soon they are running across the countryside with shots fired after them from Hydra and the Nazis present. Howard gets caught by Master Man but then The Human Torch shows up and challenges him to a fight. Willie can't back down in front of Julia. Jim keeps him busy and then Colonel Phillips and his troops arrive. They engage the enemy and Howard is freed. Cap, Bucky and the HC arrive (they were in the area obvs) and mop up the remnants. The whole wedding party (excluding Julia) is captured. Cap and Peggy are reunited.
The prisoners are relocated to their European base. One, Lotus Newmark, appeals to Howard. She says she started working for Hydra because they could get her family out of their detention centre in New York. Two years later, the centres are still intact and her parents still interred. If they can get them released, she will take them to where Schmidt's super weapon, Panzer Max ('Panzer Max? Sounds a little patriotic for Schmidt…'), is being built. She doesn't know what it is exactly, but it is meant to end the war. It sounds like the kind of machine that could cause the horrific scene that Peggy and Howard found in France.
Howard falls for it, no mind control necessary, and gets the crew together. They all head out to this rather large but otherwise unassuming factory back in the French countryside.
When they arrive the factory is empty save for something big covered in canvases up the back and a series of workrooms and offices behind that. They smell a rat, but Lotus is gone. From a safe distance, she mind controls them to fight eachother. It is clear she is toying with them, she could have them kill each other. Cap does get shot but it is fairly superficial.
Steve and Namor are able to resist due to their powers, Jim is unaffected as he is synthetic. They are surrounded by their friends and allies. Namor is happy to kill them all but Cap and Jim won't let him. They prepare to fight.
Lotus releases them and (psychically) tells them that her part is done, and that the allies are a-holes for the way they treated their own citizens.
Then, as everyone is recovering, Panzer Max rises from the canvases. At full height it nearly reaches the ceiling. It is ridiculously decked out with minigun hands and missiles on it's shoulders. Oh and a tesseract powered laser.
Zola, Warrior Woman, Hydra goons and the Red Skull are piloting. This is the second field test, the first was unsatisfactory as it only contained two opposing military companies and some light artillery. Red Skull is disappointed that Herr Rogers didn't bring more firepower. Panzer starts to lay into our heroes. They warm up the laser.
Dugan says reinforcements are ten minutes out. Cap says they have to hold out till then.
They assault Panzer from different angles to make themselves difficult to target. Cap, Bucky and the commandos try to damage the tank treads. Namor and Jim take to the air and try to break into the cockpit.
It appears to be impervious to conventional weapons, even Cap's shield. They have also made it fireproof and waterproof to combat Namor. Peggy and Howard hit it with rocket/grenade launchers from cover (crates or something? idk), the plating holds.
The laser finally fires and hits close to the crates. Peggy and Howard go flying but survive with minor injuries.
Red Skull is disappointed as it takes the laser a long time to charge. He shoots the goon operating and takes his seat. He asks for time to get it warmed up again.
Namor gets his spear to make a dent but it gets jammed in the plating. He gets hit with a flame thrower taking him out. The group are tiring and the blasts/bullets are getting closer.
Morita gets the call on the radio, reinforcements are here, open a wall and clear a blast zone. The Torch makes the hole and the others get clear. Cap helps Namor.
Panzer takes a volley from missiles, tank shells and mortars. It is unscathed.
The laser is ready. Red Skull retaliates and takes out a tank division with the laser and some missiles.
RS: See? It's not so hard to shoot a laser.
Dying goon: '…'
Then the mini guns go on the advancing infantry. Things are not going well for the heroes. But the distraction for Red Skull gives them a chance to regroup.
Howard and Peggy have some ideas. Howard thinks that the vibranium in Cap's shield could redirect the laser to the shoulder missiles causing them to explode. Peggy didn't like that one as it puts Steve in danger. She reasoned that the operators need to breathe so their must be an intake or exhaust somewhere and they have a powerful and sentient flamethrower.
Steve says they should do both to maximise their chances. Peggy and Howard get Namor to a workroom at the back of the factory.
Surviving reinforcements start arriving at the factory and immediately start getting picked off. Steve makes his presence known and goads Red Skull into concentrating fire on him. He has a hard time avoiding the miniguns but his agility just keeps him from any serious harm.
Jim quietly searches behind it for an intake or exhaust.
The laser warms up, the miniguns fall quiet and Cap stands his ground. Taking up his shield at the strategic moment, he redirects the laser. It is difficult, and the heat is almost unbearable but he manages to get it back to the rockets before Schmidt manages to shut it off.
BOOM!
An entire minigun arm comes off.
Meanwhile the Torch has found an opening and concentrates his flame in there. As the operators frantically try to assess the damage from Rogers' strike, the fierce flames disable the operating system and spread to the cockpit.
Realising the experiment has failed Zola suggests they are now outnumbered and should retreat. The Red Skull says he will deal with Zola's design failure later and they exit with 49 Hydra goons as cover. They head for the back rooms!
As the allies head for the back rooms, Panzer explodes and Jim is caught in the blast. He is thrown into the brickwork and gets buried in rubble.
Cap, Bucky and the commandos pursue Schmidt's party to an underground tunnel. The commandos engage Schmidt's personal goons while Cap and Bucky take on Red Skull.
Zola has quietly made his way to the tesseract powered high speed underground rail transport and is frantically trying to get it started.
Schmidt manages to grab Bucky and puts him between him and Cap. This gives him an opportunity to get on board the transport but with Cap in hot pursuit. Cap manages to get Bucky clear. Schmidt uses that distraction to force Steve off as well and the transport disappears into the distance.
Meanwhile, Julia discovers Peggy and Howard protecting Namor from some goons. She goes for Peggy and Howard tries to be all manly and get in the way. She says she never got the chance to thank him properly for ruining her wedding and she means it. But then she starts to strangle him. Peggy tries to intervene but Julia easily sends her flying. Peggy picks up a wrench and knocks down the goons and stands with it. Julia derisorily asks what she means to do with it.
With a wry smile she knocks a nearby water pipe open and it floods the room. Julia realises what this means too late and is soon in a pitched battle with a revived Namor. The goons recover and keep coming for him until Julia gets the upper hand. Peggy goes to intervene again and Julia hits her but it only lands as a normal punch.
Peggy: What's the matter? Powers on the fritz?
Peggy decks her and, being in a weakened state, she is knocked out. Namor bests the goons. He is impressed with Peggy. Probably tries to flirt with her because…Namor.
Then a debrief back at their European base. Colonel Phillips congratulates the allies for ensuring that Hydra didn't turn the D-Day invasion into a failure.
Howard has charmed some Locals into giving a crate of champagne. He starts passing out glasses and bottles as Phillips speaks. When he finishes, Howard proposes a toast to his favourite Invaders (too on the nose?).
Cap should have a moment with Peggy and with Bucky while Jim is welcomed to the gang by the Howling commandos. They ask where Namor has gone. Jim says he went home to have a party of his own.
Cut to Namor having a lavish ceremony to celebrate the capture of the traitor Merrano and the return of the kidnapped Talokanil. Big celebrations!
Then we track down to the prison where Merrano can hear the celebrations. But instead of being sad, he is SMILING…
Post credits:- Lady Lotus complains to the Red Skull that her parents haven't been released yet…"You said you would free them all, raze the internment camp to the ground".
Schmidt has realised that if Steve Rogers can resist her then he can too and he needed some insurance that she would stay and carry out the next part of the plan. He will need her talents very soon…
Panzer Max idea inspired by this article:
1945 Captain America: Super-Axis
Need a better title…
We open with the scene from Captain America: The First Avenger, where SS officers demand to see Schmidt as the Führer wants the tesseract weapons for regular soldiers, not just Hydra. In addition he is worried about the growing threat that Schmidt poses.
Here we see that he means to conquer the world, including Berlin. He kills the officers, shocking Arnim Zola.
This scene would be cut from CA:FA and put here instead as, up till now, he has had the support of the Nazi party.
He now needs to bring his plans forward before he loses the element of surprise. He goes to visit Lady Lotus.
She has Hydra goons waiting on her, hand and foot. Schmidt remarks that she seems to be making herself very comfortable (implying that she is mind controlling them (which she totally is)). She says if she's going to be stuck with Hydra she may as well make the most of it.
Schmidt asks her to enact the next phase of their plan as the murdered officers will be missed soon and the Nazis will investigate their "disappearance". They can't allow any disruption after all they have worked for. She reminds him that it is not her plan. He says her parents are not safe in the internment camp so she should do as she is told. She agrees through gritted teeth.
She has installed sleeper agents at the London SSR base and also in Talokan. They had been in Hydra's custody but were 'liberated' by the allies and Invaders in the previous movie.
She activates them by psychically reciting a series of seemingly unconnected words to them, similar to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This means she doesn't have to control them all the time they just follow more general psychic instructions (e.g. you work for Hydra now).
The brainwashed Talokanil free the captured Meranno and Krang who lead them in an assault on Talokan. Namor, Namora and Attuma lead a resistance.
The brainwashed SSR agents free the captured Warrior Woman and Master Man who lead them in an assault on the SSR base in London. Agent Carter, the Human Torch and Howard lead a resistance.
Meanwhile Captain America and the Howling Commandos have just gone radio silent as they hunt down Zola, who is still on the Hydra train. The train scene proceeds as per the movie. Bucky is lost.
After 3 films showing Bucky and Steve's friendship, the fall will have more emotional weight.
Not knowing who is friend or foe, Namor's Tri-Team are forced to flee Talokan. They head to London.
Steve and co arrive at the SSR base early on the second day of the siege, Namor's team in the evening and turn the tide of the battle. Members of Super-Axis escape.
Peggy and the team are forced to fight their friends, some of whom are killed. Those who survive activate their cyanide capsules and die. The London base and the surrounding area is badly damaged.
This gives more urgency to the Zola interrogation scene and more poignancy to the blast damaged pub scene between Steve and Peggy.
Zola gives up Schmidt's last stronghold. The whole team head out there to stop him using his tesseract powered weapons of mass destruction on the world.
Steve gets them in and they spread out, looking for a way to defeat Super-Axis and stop Red Skull. Peggy and Jim find Master Man and Warrior Woman and a battle ensues. Jim goes toe to toe with Master Man and his personal squad of Hydra lackeys. Julia plays a game of cat and mouse with Peggy. It gets perilous for Peggy at times, but she is canny and manages to wound her with her pistol. Willie is bested by Jim again. Both the super soldiers retreat.
Steve and the Howling commandos are mopping up Hydra minions and pursuing Red Skull.
Howard and the Tri-Team find Lady Lotus with her brainwashed Hydra goons. Attuma and Namora easily defeat the goons. A furious Namor tries to kill Lady Lotus (she cannot control him). She turns Attuma and Namora against him.
Howard calls for them all to stop and listen.
He manages to convince Namor that despite her actions she is also a victim of the Red Skull, that she's not really had a choice. That she told him at least part of the truth when they captured her before. That her parents really are interred in California and Schmidt has been using them as leverage.
Howard suggests releasing all the brainwashed Talokanil in return for her release. Namor cannot countenance this. Howard says if she removes her control, you can defeat Meranno without fear of harming your people. He tells him about the harrowing scenes at the SSR base and the cyanide capsules.
Namor says he cannot let her go after what she has done.
Howard says why would she release your people if you don't.
Namor thinks. He says if she betrays him he will find her and kill her.
She releases Namora, Attuma and all the others. We have a very brief scene of Meranno, about to have himself crowned king of Talokan, being turned on by dozens of formerly brainwashed subjects. He flees.
Lotus says what about my parents?
Namora says, why not get them yourself? There aren't many who could stop you.
She says what about Red Skull?
Howard says leave Red Skull to us.
Steve meets up with Peggy and Colonel Phillips in the hallway as per the movie and they get after Schmidt, Steve stowing away on the plane.
Meanwhile, Meranno has arrived and joined up with Super-Axis and the remaining Hydra soldiers. The SSR team converges on their position. We cut back and forth between their battle and Steve's infiltration of the plane.
The fight between Cap and Skull should be huge as this is the last time they will fight.
Peggy manages to finish what she started and caps Julia (not before kicking some SSR butt though). Willie tries to get to her and gets caught in the crossfire. As she dies, Julia calls him an idiot.
Willie appeals to Jim as they were friends. Jim is conflicted as he has the real Jim's memories, but ultimately decides that that isn't really him and leaves Master Man to die alone. Meranno and the other Hydra forces are holding their own, but then the pursuing Talokanil turn up and the base is overrun.
Red Skull acidentally makes himself disappear with the tesseract at the climax of the battle. Steve takes control of the plane.
Peggy joins him on coms. Crash. Downer.
Red Skull has now been an impressive antagonist 3 times in a row for Cap, much better.
1st Post credits:-
We see an older Japanese American couple playing Go while others internees mill about and chat etc.
We see the guard outside wandering off.
We zoom out and see ALL the guards wandering off.
We see the residents start to realise something is going on. They look out the windows. The older couple look up momentarily but then continue their game.
We see Lady Lotus enter and say (in Japanese), "Nothing ever interrupts your Go game, does it…"
They finally look up and see who it is, their daughter.
"Hasu chan!"
They embrace. Everybody else crowds around. She smiles and says (in Japanese), "Let's go"
1945 Wolverine Vol III
Logan looks 23/24.
Inspired by this scene from The Wolverine movie.
World War II is nearing it's end. The Marine unit of Victor Creed and Logan has been sent to the invasion of Okinawa. The mood amongst the men in the transport is low, but they are trying to banter and make light.
Logan is surly, not wanting to join in. He is a soldier because he is good at it, not because he enjoys it. He is there to do a job.
Victor is the complete opposite. He seems to be having the time of his life. He laughs raucously at the jokes and chastises Logan for his attitude. He says this is a once in a lifetime opportunity (for some of you) to win a war, beat the enemy…to death. The others, save Logan, cheer at this.
Victor sits with Logan…
V: You should be happy, this is a good life. We do a job we're good at, we make our living from it…you should at least try to enjoy it.
L: You enjoy it too much.
V: Why shouldn't I? I've lost count of my enemy kills, but I know it's higher than yours.
L: Don't you ever get tired of killing?
V: What else are you gonna do? Watercolors? Wildlife photography?
L: …
V: We're made for killing. You certainly aren't much good for anything else.
L: …When we were in Spain-
V: Are you still pissed off about that? Logan that was nearly a decade ago.
L: Those men were-
V: We are not men. We're not like them. You end up caring for them and then get upset when they...
L: Victor-
V: Stop trying to protect them.
The other conversations have died down and the brothers realise they are being listened to.
L: You're damn right I care. What about these men we serve with. Are they not our brothers too? Would you kill them Victor?
V (grinning): In a heartbeat.
Silence.
One of the marines asks Victor if he's joking. Victor lets out a hearty laugh and the others, save Logan, join in.
Logan knows he means it.
Then we cut to a fighting, moving, sweeping across the Island, capturing an airbase and Logan and Victor's differing-responses-to-the-violence montage. Logan tries hard not to react with sadness when members of their unit are killed. He responds with anger instead.
Then we see the remaining marines pinned down under heavy fire. Victor and Logan become separated from the rest of the unit and try to make ground themselves rather than get shot where they lie.
They come across a pillbox embrasure. They both take some hits. They storm the pill box, get inside and kill the soldiers. Logan is efficient, Victor slaughters them with glee.
Logan starts to admonish him when the pillbox is destroyed by an American shell.
Cut to black.
Logan comes to, heavily restrained in a basic treatment room. There are scratch marks, lacerations and deep gouges on the walls. Also a certain amount of blood.
A young Japanese guard sits, skittish, by the door. Recovering his wits a little, he strains against his bonds.
The guard jumps up and tries to grab his rifle. Snikt! The claws come out. The guard runs out.
Logan can't break the restraints nor angle the claws to cut them. He accidentally cuts himself in the struggle. The pain snaps him out of his instinctive reverie. He retracts the claws. The wound starts to heal.
There is shouting, in Japanese, outside the room.
The officer in charge of the camp, wearing his arm in a sling, enters. He sees that Logan is relatively calm. He sees Logan's fresh leg wound healing up. He remarks that Logan has some unusual gifts. That he survived a direct hit from an American shell. His body was still healing when they brought him in.
He introduces himself in his best English. His name is Ichirō Yashida. He says that he knows his men sometimes talk behind his back, they say he is too lenient. He says they are all men and should be afforded some respect, even in captivity.
He says that Logan is not a man, he is something else. They have had to treat him differently.
Logan asks if he caused Ichirō's injury. He did. He apologises. He says sometimes he is not in control of what he is doing. Instinct takes over.
He asks if anyone else was brought in with him.
Ichirō says there was another. The same gifts as Logan. When he woke he killed three men, injured more, and escaped. They believe he is long gone as there is no sign of him.
Logan says they are both very good at hiding and covering their tracks. He may still be here.
They have a few conversations, Ichirō is trying to get an understanding of the threat level.
I: What is your role in the military?
L: I have been an engineer, saboteur, sapper, sniper, assassin…you name it, I've been it. I started by following men to their deaths, now I lead them to theirs, only I can't die.
L: Killing…it's what I do best.
I: Is that a threat?
L: No. Just a fact…It's the only life I know.
I: Are you here to kill anyone?
L: No. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I: Are there more like you, in your unit?
L: I only met one other like me, and you said he's long gone.
Gradually they come to an understanding and Logan is released from his bonds and into the camp.
He starts to get to know the guards and other prisoners. He tries to take on more than his share to save the others from hard labour. The guards don't argue because they are scared of him.
Against his better judgement he begins to like the other POWs. He starts to develop a mutual respect with the guards and staff, especially Ichirō.
Then it starts. Late one night a guard is brutally killed, as if by a beast.
They think Logan did it.
Despite his protestations they lock him up in the recovery room like before.
It happens again, two guards this time.
They put him in solitary, down in a solitary underground cell.
It happens again, a POW spots the culprit and is killed too.
The guard in the tower sees it is not Logan and tells Yashida.
Logan knows exactly what is happening and pleads to be let out to face him. Victor is looking for Logan and won't stop until he finds him.
He comes again so they relent and release him. It obviously is Victor and he wants to take out the whole camp. The Japanese who run the camp and any witnesses. Logan is already angry at Vic for his brutality but he cannot countenance any further killing when they could just escape. Victor won't take no for an answer.
They fight having not done so seriously for decades. And when they did Victor would always win.
The fight is epic, brutal and bloody. Vic has the upper hand but is exhausted and totally focused on Wolverine. Ichirō uses this distraction to put a bullet in Vic's head.
Logan says Vic will recover, they have to put him in solitary.
The guards and the POWs are terrified of them both and put them in separate underground cells (I'm pretty sure they only have one in the film but we're having two for narrative purposes).
Then the atom bomb warning comes. The camp is evacuated as per the film.
Yashida hesitates momentarily but then frees Logan. He isn't sure about freeing Vic.
Logan steps forward and cuts the chains. Vic is angry and wants to kill Yashida and get revenge on Logan.
Logan says you want to fight us or you want to try and outrun that bomb?
Vic growls that he won't forget this.
Logan knows.
Vic leaves.
Logan wants to get back in the underground cell. The other officers want Yashida to join them in committing seppuku.
Logan rushes him to the cell and shields him from the blast. He is horribly damaged by the blast but regenerates in front of Yashida.
They spend some time in the cell together and then come out to survey the damage.
They are both left wondering whether Logan or Victor or mankind are most monstrous.
Mid or post credits: Essex, now Sinister, En Sabah Nur's envoy, ushers in another sacrifice. Aaaaah!
1945 Agent Carter
Feature presentation!
This is Peggy Carter's first and possibly only movie with her name in the title.
Peggy, the Human Torch (Jim Hammond) and the Howling Commandos dealing with Hydra cells left after the war.
Espionage! Infiltration! Fighting bad guys!
We open on a memorial service for Steve. They believe he is lost to the icy waters he crashed into.
Peggy Carter, Howard Stark, the Human Torch (Jim Hammond), the Howling Commandos, Colonel Phillips etc attend. Then they share Steve stories at the wake.
Emotions are still raw, especially for Peggy and the commandos.
Howard is still looking for him, the SSR has stopped funding the search so Howard is using his own money. Peggy suggests, however hard it may be, that they try to move on. Howard doesn't believe Peggy, he knows she can't move on. He can't either so he won't give up.
Cut to two young adults being chased down the street in liberated Paris. They are kidnapped. They try to reason with their captors, the young man says, "Do you know who I am?" and the kidnappers know exactly who they are. Not the response he was expecting.
The young woman says "Our father has money, he can pay you". But they are not interested in the money…Hail Hydra.
Back at SSR HQ (or 'the playground') Jim is discussing a mission to locate and take out a Hydra bunker (believed to be in northern Italy) with Peggy and Howard. As they finish Peggy is approached by Lord James Montgomery Falsworth, member of the Howling Commandos, revealed here to be a major financier of the SSR. It was his children, Brian and Jacqueline, that were taken, in Paris, just like their mother. There is no ransom note either, also like their mother.
He is trying to maintain a stiff upper lip but failing miserably. Jim offers to stay and help. Peggy points out that, unfortunately, Hydra won't defeat itself. They resolve to find them. Jim wishes them luck and sets off for Italy.
Cut to Brian and Jacqueline in a holding cell with other prisoners. A Hydra scientist, Werner Rheinhardt, enters carrying the Obelisk artifact in special safety gloves. An armed guard insists one of the prisoners hold it, bare handed. They turn to stone. The stone person is taken away.
They then start harassing Brian to do it, so Jacqueline steps in to volunteer, despite his protests. To their relief, she does not turn to stone. Instead, Rheinhardt utters, 'discovery requires experimentation' and she is taken away as Brian is beaten unconscious with the butt of the guards rifles.
Peggy, Howard and Lord James and the other HCs have travelled incognito, posing as journalists. In their hotel room Gabe and Howard present them with discreet gadgets they designed and produced together. All are impressed with Gabe's hidden talents. Howard laments that he is too well known now to go with them and hopes they don't blow themselves up with the exploding toaster. Jacques excitedly says, "There's an exploding toaster!?". Howard points out that he was joking. Jacques looks disappointed. Howard says maybe next time.
They have traced Brian and Jacqui's last known location to a small café near the city centre. They make discreet enquiries and deduce there is a new waiter who served them on the day and hasn't been to work since.
They go to his address and he seemingly isn't home. Jacques suggests a small controlled explosion to blow the lock. Gabe counters that to be more discreet, they should use the laser disguised as a pack of cigarettes to cut the lock. Jacques is disappointed.
They cut the lock and enter, the apartment is empty but the bathroom window is open. Lord James spies a man on the rooftops who flees. The gang take to the streets while Falsworth squeezes through and pursues across the rooftops of Paris.
The suspect is very good at rooftop running, but not quite as good as Falsworth and they engage in a thrilling chase. Lord James is in constant communication with the team using their walkie talkies disguised as American quarters. Peggy has an idea if he can force the man down to street level.
He is able to corral his quarry down a fire escape and through an apartment window and down the main staircase into the street. The team then begin to cut off his escape routes, through coordination with Peggy, until he is forced down a narrow sidestreet. There he sees Peggy, having not spotted her in the apartment, pleads in French for her help from a gang of pursuing thugs. Je suis désolé, says Peggy pulling out her pistol, my French is a little rusty. The suspect turns away from her to flee again but is punched out by Dugan instead.
Jacques offers Peggy French lessons. She says she lied, she's actually fluent in French, but it was a good line. Jacques looks disappointed.
Falsworth is praised by the group for his amazing free running skills, they ask where he learned them. He says he studied under Georges Hébert who in turn had learned these skills from "indigenous tribes he had met in Africa" (quote from Wikipedia) for a special military project in WWI.
Peggy surmises that he was the mysterious WWI hero Union Jack. Peggy and the gang are astonished and asked why he didn't show those skills (rooftop running, parkour, amazing feats of agility) before. He says Steve did all that stuff and was better at it too.
Peggy says oh pish posh (or something else peculiarly British like that) and tells Falsworth to take the compliments.
They take the suspect for questioning.
Back at the Hydra research facility, Rheinhardt is monologuing to Jacqui about how few people could survive contact with the Obelisk and how they are yet to exactly determine why they do. From what they have discovered by interrogating and dissecting other survivors they believe it is something to do with their genetics being different to other humans. Genetics, muses Werner, you appear to share with your mother. Jacqueline asks if they took her mother, if she is still alive. Werner says she escaped and they don't know how (he is irritated by not knowing things).
He resumes monologuing. There are mentions of a ritual, he says, for beings such as you…to awaken their true potential. The ritual involved crystals and Rheinhardt has actually managed to procure some. He instructs the guard to break it and leaves for the observation room.
The guard follows the instructions and the gas from the broken crystal turns both them and Jacqui into stone. Rheinhardt is disappointed as he believed they were finally getting somewhere. He tells his assistant to put the stone bodies into storage.
Brian, meanwhile, is about to have the latest batch of Hydra brand super soldier serum. It uses the blood of the Obelisk survivors to make up the gaps in Erskine's original formula. After the procedure, they are surprised to see he has survived as the last 47 batches have resulted in death for the test subjects.
Their success is short lived however as Brian, unaccustomed to the super-strength, breaks the lab and accidentally kills the technicians.
The café waiter/suspect wakes up in the basement of an abandoned building. He is interrogated by Peggy (good cop) and Dum Dum (bad cop).
He eventually confesses that he was blackmailed under the threat of being revealed as a Nazi collaborator. An old contact had heard of the Falsworth children coming to Paris. The Café was a favourite of the Falsworths in the interwar years. They had installed the young man as a waiter with instructions to call if they came to the café. They ask for the number and Jim radios Howard to call back to base to trace it to its origin.
The young man says he couldn’t do it before because he was too scared.
Peggy says "Do what?"
The man says that he is now more scared of what will happen if he is found out. He says they are executing collaborators.
Peggy says perhaps they can come to an arrangement, then she realises his intentions. It is too late. He bites the hidden cyanide capsule and dies.
"It's Hydra" says Peggy, "of course it's bloody Hydra."
The number then comes back as Austrian. Howard, glad to feel useful again, will fly them. Dugan realises, entirely too late, they could have used the hand-held hypno-beam disguised as a hair dryer.
The Hydra research facility is masquerading as a grand hotel. Peggy checks in with Howard as he's terrible at espionage and is under strict instructions to keep his mouth shut. Her German is still good and she even manages an Austrian accent. Their disguises are top notch and so they go to their room without suspicion. They do some reconnaissance and Peggy finds an area that is off limits to guests and the staff don't know what's in there.
Peggy goes back to the room and calls reception for help as her "hair dryer" has an American plug. It is secretly a hypno beam. She convinces the receptionist to let the Howling Commandos in the service door. They are disguised as staff and the hypno beam makes the receptionist tell anyone who asks that they are new.
Howard, putting on a slightly different accent, plays the brash American tourist (not a big stretch for him) and wanders into the restricted area and starts taking pictures. The receptionist makes a fuss about not being allowed in there.
The Howling Commandos rush over and Gabe, who also speaks good German, assures them that they'll take care of it. Peggy hurries over with the pretense of rescuing her 'dummkopf' American husband.
The camera is actually a portable x-ray scanner and shows a secret door that is sealed electronically.
The receptionist is starting to get suspicious when Gabe activates the EMP joy buzzer which lets them in the door. They slip away unnoticed in the ensuing chaos. When the lights come back on the receptionist goes to check up on them and they are gone. With no knowledge of the secret door they reason that they simply didn't notice them go past.
They gain access to the underground bunker (it's always an underground bunker isn't it?), stow their gear and change into Hydra uniforms. Jim Morita uses the UHF Pin to radio for backup with instructions on how to get in.
They try to go stealth mode for a while but arouse suspicions when they don't know some of the new Hydra protocols. Howard confirms it with his feeble attempt at a 'Hail Hydra'.
Aware that Hydra research subjects tend not to survive, they launch a full on assault of the facility with back up already on the way.
Jacqueline awakens from what we now realise was terragenesis and has gained pyrokinetic powers. She and her brother make their own way through the compound, with somewhat unintentional violence.
They are heading away from the labs, towards the centre of the huge underground complex of corridors and tunnels. Peggy's team are heading down through the tunnels to reach the labs. They all converge near the centre of the complex.
Lord James is obviously thrilled that they are both alive and seemingly well.
His kidults tell him to stay back and relay some of their harrowing experiences. They are both afraid of their powers.
Human Torch arrives. He destroyed the Italian base and left an SSR clean up crew. He followed a lead from that base to Austria. Word in Italy was that Werner Rheinhardt is the last head of Hydra.
Seeing Jacqui's fear, the Torch remembers his own struggles in learning to control his own powers.
He reassures her that she can't hurt him and he will help her learn to control it.
Brian wants to be left behind and is distraught at all the death he has caused. Peggy and Lord James convince him to join, albeit reluctantly.
Rheinhardt has escaped to a storage facility. As it turns out, the kids powers prove useful in accessing the escape tunnel, though the transport is long gone.
Werner is desperately trying to load up as many artefacts as he can before he escapes, especially the Obelisk. He laments that he cannot experiment further on Jacqueline as she not only survived but gained powers too. He is relieved to hear they have more samples of the batch of serum that gave Brian his powers.
Peggy's team arrive, with backup (and the Torch) and get the drop on Werner. They arrest him and his goons. Peggy volunteers to interrogate him.
In the chaos of securing the base, Brian is able to destroy the whole batch of serum. Howard is livid at losing a possibility to complete Erskine's work. Peggy however, approves. She believes that Steve was unique and worries that they could end up with hundreds of Johann Schmidts running around instead.
She sees that Brian has recognised that risk too and that says something about his character.
Peggy arrives at the Playground after her first interrogation of Rheinhardt at the Rat.
Colonel Phillips has been leading the debrief. He notes that Jacqueline and Brian have been reunited with their father. He says their presence here indicates they have some degree of control over their powers.
Jim Hammond says their training is going well. Jacqueline says she hasn't set anything on fire today, at least, not by accident. The two are clearly getting on well.
Brian is more reticent. He hasn't managed to get through a training session without injuring an instructor. Peggy volunteers to help him as she has some experience with super soldiers.
Phillips asks if she got anything useful from Rheinhardt. She says he may have lost his marbles, he keeps going on about blue angels. Besides, she has seen the results of his experiments for Hydra and isn't sure if gaining his knowledge is worth the moral cost.
Colonel Phillips says there are two big announcements. First, after days of research and fact checking and double checking, it appears Hammond was right. Werner Rheinhardt appears to be the last head of Hydra. It's over.
(Many congratulations all around. Apart from Peggy who shakes her head).
Second, he is retiring.
(Various reactions).
He'd been thinking about it and, with the last piece of news, it just seemed like a good time.
He hands over to the new Agent in Charge, John Flynn.
Flynn: Hello everyone. A pleasure to meet you. If I could get straight to business…with the war over and Hydra defeated-
Peggy (interrupting): Don't be so sure they're gone. We have to-
F (interrupting back): Settle down, sweetheart.
P (standing): What did you just say to me?
Howard manages to convince her to sit. Flynn continues. They will be relocating the SSR base from London to New York. Effective immediately. Everyone will have to relocate. Uproar. Colonel Phillips settles everyone down.
Flynn says the Falsworth children will need to stay on base until they are deemed to be safe. The Falsworths are not happy.
Flynn is starting to get flustered. He apologetically tells Howard that they can longer justify spending SSR funds on a futile search for Captain Rogers. Howard points out they are his funds and he can damn well do what he pleases with them. He walks out. Peggy follows him, leaving the debrief in chaos behind her.
Howard apologises and said he had heard rumours that Phillips was retiring but didn't realise he was being replaced by a moron. He says they should have asked her to take charge. She agrees. This lightens the mood somewhat.
Howard: Listen I was thinking of starting up my own agency.
Just think…you, me, the boys. If Union Jack over there comes with us we can run it our way, the right way. Be like a shield of armour around the world.
Peggy: I'll think about it…
Will you really keep looking for Steve?
H: I have to.
P: You can't move on?
H: I can't. He was my friend.
P: I suppose I can't stop myself helping broken soldier boys either.
Howard leaves her to consider her future with the SSR.
Mid credits:- Lord James Falsworth has just agreed to join Howard's new project and is trying to get the SSR to release his children. Jacqueline and Brian approach him with a theory about their mother.
Post credits:- From a deep dug mass grave in a forest (with Hydra's grand Austrian hotel dilapidated in the background) a person digs their way out. They spend a moment processing their survival. Then they notice they look different from how they remember. It is…Baron Blood!
1945 Agent Carter and the Howling Commandos
Feature presentation!
This is Peggy Carter's first and possibly only movie with her name in the title.
Peggy, the Human Torch (Jim Hammond) and the Howling Commandos dealing with Hydra cells left after the war.
Espionage! Infiltration! Fighting bad guys!
We open on a memorial service for Steve. They believe he is lost to the icy waters he crashed into.
Peggy Carter, Howard Stark, the Human Torch (Jim Hammond), the Howling Commandos, Colonel Phillips etc attend. Then they share Steve stories at the wake.
Emotions are still raw, especially for Peggy and the commandos.
Howard is still looking for him, the SSR has stopped funding the search so Howard is using his own money. Peggy suggests, however hard it may be, that they try to move on. Howard doesn't believe Peggy, he knows she can't move on. He can't either so he won't give up.
Cut to two young adults being chased down the street in liberated Paris. They are kidnapped. They try to reason with their captors, the young man says, "Do you know who I am?" and the kidnappers know exactly who they are. Not the response he was expecting.
The young woman says "Our father has money, he can pay you". But they are not interested in the money…Hail Hydra.
Back at SSR HQ (or 'the playground') Jim is discussing a mission to locate and take out a Hydra bunker (believed to be in northern Italy) with Peggy and Howard. As they finish Peggy is approached by Lord James Montgomery Falsworth, member of the Howling Commandos, revealed here to be a major financier of the SSR. It was his children, Brian and Jacqueline, that were taken, in Paris, just like their mother. There is no ransom note either, also like their mother.
He is trying to maintain a stiff upper lip but failing miserably. Jim offers to stay and help. Peggy points out that, unfortunately, Hydra won't defeat itself. They resolve to find them. Jim wishes them luck and sets off for Italy.
Cut to Brian and Jacqueline in a holding cell with other prisoners. A Hydra scientist, Werner Rheinhardt, enters carrying the Obelisk artifact in special safety gloves. An armed guard insists one of the prisoners hold it, bare handed. They turn to stone. The stone person is taken away.
They then start harassing Brian to do it, so Jacqueline steps in to volunteer, despite his protests. To their relief, she does not turn to stone. Instead, Rheinhardt utters, 'discovery requires experimentation' and she is taken away as Brian is beaten unconscious with the butt of the guards rifles.
Peggy, Howard and Lord James and the other HCs have travelled incognito, posing as journalists. In their hotel room Gabe and Howard present them with discreet gadgets they designed and produced together. All are impressed with Gabe's hidden talents. Howard laments that he is too well known now to go with them and hopes they don't blow themselves up with the exploding toaster. Jacques excitedly says, "There's an exploding toaster!?". Howard points out that he was joking. Jacques looks disappointed. Howard says maybe next time.
They have traced Brian and Jacqui's last known location to a small café near the city centre. They make discreet enquiries and deduce there is a new waiter who served them on the day and hasn't been to work since.
They go to his address and he seemingly isn't home. Jacques suggests a small controlled explosion to blow the lock. Gabe counters that to be more discreet, then should use the laser disguised as a pack of cigarettes to cut the lock. Jacques is disappointed.
They cut the lock and enter, the apartment is empty but the bathroom window is open. Lord James spies a man on the rooftops who flees. The gang take to the streets while Falsworth squeezes through and pursues across the rooftops of Paris.
The suspect is very good at rooftop running, but not quite as good as Falsworth and they engage in a thrilling chase. Lord James is in constant communication with the team using their walkie talkies disguised as American quarters. Peggy has an idea if he can force the man down to street level.
He is able to corral his quarry down a fire escape and through an apartment window and down the main staircase into the street. The team then begin to cut off his escape routes, through coordination with Peggy, until he is forced down a narrow sidestreet. There he sees Peggy, having not spotted her in the apartment, pleads in French for her help from a gang of pursuing thugs. Je suis désolé, says Peggy pulling out her pistol, my French is a little rusty. The suspect turns away from her to flee again but is punched out by Dugan instead.
Jacques offers Peggy French lessons. She says she lied, she's actually fluent in French, but it was a good line. Jacques looks disappointed.
Falsworth is praised by the group for his amazing free running skills, they ask where he learned them. He says he studied under Georges Hébert who in turn had learned these skills from "indigenous tribes he had met in Africa" (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour) for a special military project in WWI.
Peggy surmises that he was the mysterious WWI hero Union Jack. Peggy and the gang are astonished and asked why he didn't show those skills (rooftop running, parkour, amazing feats of agility) before. He says Steve did all that stuff and was better at it too.
Peggy says oh pish posh (or something else peculiarly British like that) and tells Falsworth to take the compliments.
They take the suspect for questioning.
Back at the Hydra research facility, Rheinhardt is monologuing to Jacqui about how few people could survive contact with the Obelisk and how they are yet to exactly determine why they do. From what they have discovered by interrogating and dissecting other survivors they believe it is something to do with their genetics being different to other humans. Genetics, muses Werner, you appear to share with your mother. Jacqueline asks if they took her mother, if she is still alive. Werner says she escaped and they don't know how (he is irritated by not knowing things).
He resumes monologuing. There are mentions of a ritual, he says, for beings such as you…to awaken their true potential. The ritual involved crystals and Rheinhardt has actually managed to procure some. He instructs the guard to break it and leaves for the observation room.
The guard follows the instructions and the gas from the broken crystal turns both them and Jacqui into stone. Rheinhardt is disappointed as he believed they were finally getting somewhere. He tells his assistant to put the stone bodies into storage.
Brian, meanwhile, is about to have the latest batch of Hydra brand super soldier serum. It uses the blood of the Obelisk survivors to make up the gaps in Erskine's original formula. After the procedure, they are surprised to see he has survived as the last 47 batches have resulted in death for the test subjects.
Their success is short lived however as Brian, unaccustomed to the super-strength, breaks the lab and accidentally kills the technicians.
The café waiter/suspect wakes up in the basement of an abandoned building. He is interrogated by Peggy (good cop) and Dum Dum (bad cop).
He eventually confesses that he was blackmailed under the threat of being revealed as a Nazi collaborator. An old contact had heard of the Falsworth children coming to Paris. The Café was a favourite of the Falsworths in the interwar years. They had installed the young man as a waiter with instructions to call if they came to the café. They ask for the number and Jim radios Howard to call back to base to trace it to its origin.
The young man says he couldn’t do it before because he was too scared.
Peggy says "Do what?"
The man says that he is now more scared of what will happen if he is found out. He says they are executing collaborators.
Peggy says perhaps they can come to an arrangement, then she realises his intentions. It is too late. He bites the hidden cyanide capsule and dies.
"It's Hydra" says Peggy, "of course it's bloody Hydra."
The number then comes back as Austrian. Howard, glad to feel useful again, will fly them. Dugan realises, entirely too late, they could have used the hand-held hypno-beam disguised as a hair dryer.
The Hydra research facility is masquerading as a grand hotel. Peggy checks in with Howard as he's terrible at espionage and is under strict instructions to keep his mouth shut. Her German is still good and she even manages an Austrian accent. Their disguises are top notch and so they go to their room without suspicion. They do some reconnaissance and Peggy finds an area that is off limits to guests and the staff don't know what's in there.
Peggy goes back to the room and calls reception for help as her "hair dryer" has an American plug. It is secretly the hypno beam. She convinces the receptionist to let the Howling Commandos in the service door. They are disguised as staff and the hypno beam makes the receptionist tell anyone who asks that they are new.
Howard, putting on a slightly different accent, plays the brash American tourist (not a big stretch for him) and wanders into the restricted area and starts taking pictures. The receptionist makes a fuss about not being allowed in there.
The Howling Commandos rush over and Gabe, who also speaks good German, assures them that they'll take care of it. Peggy hurries over with the pretense of rescuing her 'dummkopf' American husband.
The camera is actually a portable x-ray scanner and shows a secret door that is sealed electronically.
The receptionist is starting to get suspicious when Gabe activates the EMP joy buzzer which lets them in the door. They slip away unnoticed in the ensuing chaos. When the lights come back on the receptionist goes to check up on them and they are gone. With no knowledge of the secret door they reason that they simply didn't notice them go past.
They gain access to the underground bunker (it's always an underground bunker isn't it?), stow their gear and change into Hydra uniforms. Jim Morita uses the UHF Pin to radio for backup with instructions on how to get in.
They try to go stealth mode for a while but arouse suspicions when they don't know some of the new Hydra protocols. Howard confirms it with his feeble attempt at a 'Hail Hydra'.
Aware that Hydra research subjects tend not to survive, they launch a full on assault of the facility with back up already on the way.
Jacqueline awakens from what we now realise was terragenesis and has gained pyrokinetic powers. She and her brother make their own way through the compound, with somewhat unintentional violence.
They are heading away from the labs, towards the centre of the huge underground complex of corridors and tunnels. Peggy's team are heading down through the tunnels to reach the labs. They all converge near the centre of the complex.
Lord James is obviously thrilled that they are both alive and seemingly well.
His kidults tell him to stay back and relay some of their harrowing experiences. They are both afraid of their powers.
Human Torch arrives. He destroyed the Italian base and left an SSR clean up crew. He followed a lead from that base to Austria. Word in Italy was that Werner Rheinhardt is the last head of Hydra.
Seeing Jacqui's fear, the Torch remembers his own struggles in learning to control his own powers.
He reassures her that she can't hurt him and he will help her learn to control it.
Brian wants to be left behind and is distraught at all the death he has caused. Peggy and Lord James convince him to join, albeit reluctantly.
Rheinhardt has escaped to a storage facility.
As it turns out, the kids powers prove useful in accessing the escape tunnel, though the transport is long gone.
Werner is desperately trying to load up as many artefacts as he can before he escapes, especially the Obelisk. He laments that he cannot experiment further on Jacqueline as she not only survived but gained powers too. He is relieved to hear they have more samples of the batch of serum that gave Brian his powers.
Peggy's team arrive, with backup (and the Torch) and get the drop on Werner. They arrest him and his goons. Peggy volunteers to interrogate him.
In the chaos of securing the base, Brian is able to destroy the whole batch of serum. Howard is livid at losing a possibility to complete Erskine's work. Peggy however, approves. She believes that Steve was unique and worries that they could end up with hundreds of Johann Schmidts running around instead.
She sees that Brian has recognised that risk too and that says something about his character.
Peggy arrives at the Playground after her first interrogation of Rheinhardt at the Rat.
Colonel Phillips has been leading the debrief. He notes that Jacqueline and Brian have been reunited with their father. He says their presence here indicates they have some degree of control over their powers.
Jim Hammond says their training is going well. Jacqueline says she hasn't set anything on fire today, at least, not by accident. The two are clearly getting on well.
Brian is more reticent. He hasn't managed to get through a training session without injuring an instructor. Peggy volunteers to help him as she has some experience with super soldiers.
Phillips asks if she got anything useful from Rheinhardt. She says he may have lost his marbles, he keeps going on about blue angels. Besides, she has seen the results of his experiments for Hydra and isn't sure if gaining his knowledge is worth the moral cost.
Colonel Phillips says there are two big announcements. First, after days of research and fact checking and double checking, it appears Hammond was right. Werner Rheinhardt appears to be the last head of Hydra. It's over.
(Many congratulations all around. Apart from Peggy who shakes her head).
Second, he is retiring.
(Various reactions).
He'd been thinking about it and, with the last piece of news, it just seemed like a good time.
He hands over to the new Agent in Charge, John Flynn.
Flynn: Hello everyone. A pleasure to meet you. If I could get straight to business…with the war over and Hydra defeated-
Peggy (interrupting): Don't be so sure they're gone. We have to-
F (interrupting back): Settle down, sweetheart.
P (standing): What did you just say to me?
Howard manages to convince her to stand down. Flynn continues. They will be relocating the SSR base from London to New York. Effective immediately. Everyone will have to relocate. Uproar. Colonel Phillips settles everyone down.
Flynn says the Falsworth children will need to stay on base until they are deemed to be safe. The Falsworths are not happy.
Flynn is starting to get flustered. He apologetically tells Howard that they can longer justify spending SSR funds on a futile search for Captain Rogers. Howard points out they are his funds and he can damn well do what he pleases with them. He walks out. Peggy follows him, leaving the debrief in chaos behind her.
Howard apologises and said he had heard rumours that Phillips was retiring but didn't realise he was being replaced by a moron. He says they should have asked her to take charge. She agrees. This lightens the mood somewhat.
Howard: Listen I was thinking of starting up my own agency.
Just think…you, me, the boys. If Union Jack over there comes with us we can run it our way, the right way. Be like a shield of armour around the world.
Peggy: I'll think about it…
Will you really keep looking for Steve?
H: I have to.
P: You can't move on?
H: I can't. He was my friend.
P: I suppose I can't stop myself helping broken soldier boys either.
Howard leaves her to consider her future with the SSR.
Mid credits:- Lord James Falsworth has just agreed to join Howard's new project and is trying to get the SSR to release his children. Jacqueline and Brian approach him with a theory about their mother.
Post credits:- From a deep dug mass grave in a forest (with Hydra's grand Austrian hotel dilapidated in the background) a person digs their way out. They spend a moment processing their survival. Then they notice they look different from how they remember. It is…Baron Blood!
1946 Agent Carter series 1
The first MCU TV show to be IAC'd!
The Marvel one shot is incorporated to this first series as part of the story. Then the actual 1st season of Agent Carter follows.
The SSR investigation into Zodiac from one shot is abandoned at request from higher ups. They say that as the evidence was uncovered whilst investigating Hydra, and Hydra is no more, it will lead to a dead end and is, therefore, a waste of time.
Howard was a high ranking member of the SSR during WWII but after failing to get government backing for the foundation of S.H.I.E.L.D. (as he promised in the Agent Carter movie and the actual Marvel one-shot), he was not allowed back in the SSR, Peggy had to ask for her job back and was transferred to a new office. The Howling Commandos, The Human Torch and the Falsworth children are all in limbo between S.H.I.E.L.D. not happening and the SSR blackballing them.
Make references to how Agent Flynn was not complimentary (says Dooley), how hard it has been to start over again after Flynn's discrimination and her success in the one-shot seems forgotten (says Peggy). She's angry at Howard for not following through and leaving her humiliated in having to ask for her job back. Howard is adamant that it should have worked out and he can't understand why whoever it is changed their mind.
Also, we replace Rose Roberts with Marlene Frazier, played by Taraji P. Henson (sorry Lesley Boone!). She will be important for Blue Marvel later on.
The scene between Dr Faustus and Arnim Zola could show them pooling their knowledge of mind control to devise Hydra's new brainwashing techniques.
No other changes.
1947 Agent Carter series 2
How about instead of Jason Wilkes, we have…Adam Brashear! The origin seems very similar… And with fantasy casting, we can have Denzel Washington around the same age as Reggie Austin to play the part (sorry Reggie!). As Adam, he will have to have powers left after he is made tangible again, similar to his antimatter powers in the comics. This will help in their battle against Whitney Frost.
There needs to be a rewrite to introduce Conner Sims as Adam's colleague/friend/fellow veteran (served in the US Navy together in WWII). Conner and Adam are good friends and would do anything for each other. Conner sees that Adam likes Peggy so is willing to help her to help his friend.
Conner does suffer from PTSD and anxiety which is a hindrance to them at times, but he is determined and courageous as he can be. He is with Jason and Whitney Frost when the zero matter explodes and he disappears, seemingly lost in the accident. Unlike Jason, he does not return. Adam vows to keep looking for him.
Also, Marlene Frazier (Taraji P. Henson) was requested by Sousa as an important part of his team for the west coast, replacing the character of Rose Roberts (sorry Lesley Boone!). She offers her help to Adam in his search for Conner. She has a phd in engineering as well as being a top field agent.
At the end of the series, Howard reiterates his proposal to have Peggy as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Peggy says she wants it in writing first…
No other changes from the original.
1948 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series 1
Howard finally opens the S.H.I.E.L.D. agency and makes Peggy director. The SSR keep the Playground base and are absorbed into S.H.I.E.L.D. as their research division.
Howard's greater authority and larger amount of resources from the government (as well as his own) allow them to pull in more heroes.
S.H.I.E.L.D. will fight terrorist cells and non-state actors, investigate supernatural phenomena, also deal with and cover up powered people cos the general public "can't handle the truth". This is part of their mandate from the government and S.H.I.E.L.D. is threatened with closure or refusal of funding many times for trying to circumvent this aspect of their role within said government.
Director Carter is trying to maintain a long distance relationship with Sousa and has to investigate the "hit" on Agent Thomson.
Zodiac is the main story for this series.
Zodiac is behind the assassination attempt, with the council of 9 previously being under them. Vernon Masters returns to do their bidding (never saw a body right?). Peggy's brother has been alive all this time and it was his redacted file that Thomson was to smear Peggy with and not actually Peggy's (Michael's name and d.o.b. were redacted just leaving the surname Carter and informants that heavily implied that it was Peggy). With the smear failed, the Zodiac group want it back, for safe keeping. Thomson is the only one outside of the Zodiac or the council of 9 that has read it, so he was supposed to be killed, but they hired Dottie to do it and she was able to make it look like she was trying to kill him without killing him ("if I'd wanted to kill him he'd be dead"). She arranges a meet with Peggy in a subterfugey way, info dumps, insists she really was trying to be helpful by taking the hit job, and manages to wriggle away again.
Zodiac is led by Marcus Lassiter (A buff Milo Ventimiglia with a cool beard). Marcus has the codename Aries and wears ram horns at the meetings which seems silly at first till we realise they are functional and they all have silly costumes. Marcus has super-human strength, which we don't see initially.
All of the Zodiac members have themed powers/tech:
Taurus (Cornelius Van Lunt) has bought his seat on the board and isn't afraid to use that fact. He has a bull's head costume. He also has dangerous horns.
Gemini (Joshua and Damian Link) are identical twins have identical costumes and carry identical dual wielding pistols. They have an amazing synergy when they fight as a duo. They only get one vote between them.
Cancer (Jack Kleveno) has a crab costume. That is all I have to say about that.
Leo (Daniel Radford) is a dude in a lion suit. It has a lion mask and an exoskeleton that gives the wearer enhanced strength, agility and durability.
Virgo (Elaine McLaughlin) has an extraterrestrial material coating her suit which gives her great durability and shock absorption. It also allows her to heal/regenerate herself or others. In my head, crab man gets injured by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Elaine comes back and gets captured just to heal her secret crustacean lover.
Libra (Gustav Brandt) has a hi tec blindfold that allows him limited psychic abilities and a teleportation ring. Martial artist too.
Scorpio (Jake Fury) has a costume with venom blasts and neurotoxic sprays. Yes. That Fury. In the comics he is Nick's brother. Here he would have to be his dad. In the series he is only referred to as Jake initially to keep his identity a slight surprise.
Sagittarius (Harlan Vargas) has an eye mask that grants enhanced vision and tracking abilities. He is highly skilled with a bow and arrow.
Capricorn (Willard Weir) is green. I'm thinking they're an alien. This superpower ideas site says Capricorn might have shape shifting abilities so they could be a Skrull masquerading as a Willard Weir.
Aquarius (Michael Carter) has a water based costume and weapons. Michael was not happy with the smear on Peggy but went along with it for fear of repercussions. But now her life is under threat, so he leaves warnings for her to help her avoid getting killed. Eventually Aries discovers the betrayal and beats Michael to death in his secret apartment. Peggy comes across the apartment as part of the S.H.I.E.L.D. investigation and discovers the body. She realises he was the one giving warnings (to help them avoid traps, ambushes etc) and finds a note he wrote for her when he knew Aries was coming for him. It's written in their shared childhood code. It explains his motivations (he was trying to change the world for the better) and gives some info about what Zodiac are going to do next. Zachary Drebb is the second Aquarius.
Piesces (Noah Perricone) is blue and looks like he'd be good in the water so I'm thinking Talokanil
S.H.I.E.L.D. discover there is an off-books SSR mole on the inside. They are furious with Flynn for not telling them straight away. Flynn thought it would compromise the mole's safety.
As the Zodiac members are arrested or killed during the S.H.I.E.L.D. investigation, Jake Fury is revealed as the SSR mole. He tries to escape with the actual Zodiac key but it corrupts him and he tries to incite rebellion within the remaining Zodiac council members to effect social change. This just causes everyone to squabble and fight. Aries finds this amusing, but comes for Jake nevertheless. Jake ends up losing the key back to Aries, but escapes with his life.
Aries reveals himself as an actual god at the end of the series. He was cast out by Zeus for causing too much trouble in Omnipotence City and bound to be peaceful. He has taken that to mean he can't fight personally and has been manipulating world events with extracts from the aforementioned Zodiac Key to cause as much conflict as possible. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team have been annoying him by thwarting his plans. He says he is tired of being subtle.
They need the whole team, including Dottie, Sousa, Thomson and the Howling commandos using Stark tech and the Human Torch (Jim), Union Jack II (Brian) and Spitfire (Jacqueline). Peggy also calls in a favour from California based Adam Brashear (aka Blue Marvel) to help take him down. As Adam was the love interest from the previous series, this risks embarrassment for Peggy and could possibly end her relationship with Sousa, but the stakes are too high not to.
Ultimately Jim is the only one not affected by the Zodiac key and has to go Supernova to knock him out. He knew he was becoming unstable and had been advised he might go supernova, he just decides to do it on purpose. Heroic sacrifice! The team is devastated at the loss.
A relationship between Jim and Jacqueline would be built up through the series so she would take this the hardest.
Zeus could come and actually bind Ares with power dampening bangles. This physically prevents him from conflict instead of just getting his word. He is captured and will not be seen again till Dark Avengers.
S.H.I.E.L.D. recommends Adam for a commendation and Jim for a posthumous one. The CIA intervene and say that not only will no one will be getting one but no one must hear of it. The existence of gods and aliens is very much covered up at the behest of the American government so as not to cause mass hysteria. No one outside of the President and the people who were at the final battle know anything about it.
Adam is told he cannot be publicly rewarded and is no longer allowed to fight crime (he has been fighting crime in a costume and mask to hide his identity) as the CIA believe the world is not ready for a black superhero. The President reluctantly confirms this. S.H.I.E.L.D. must assign him a handler (he is so going to fight crime).
As Jim was essentially a sentient weapon the CIA won't publicly acknowledge his existence and stipulate he must be buried in the desert in an indestructible airtight box. The President reluctantly confirms this too.
Dottie disappears after making a significant contribution and manages to stay off radar until the first Black Widow movie…
Peggy and Sousa decide to carry on with their long distance relationship.
Namor shows up when he finds out about Noah. He is not happy that his citizen was defeated and arrested and he vows never to return. He is also not happy with said citizen for acting without his consent and forces S.H.I.E.L.D. to release him into Talokanil custody. He is sorry about Jim Hammond's passing though and stays for the burial in a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. location in the desert.
Post credits:- Peggy calls Marlene Frazier and asks, as she has been with Adam this whole time anyway, if she'll be his handler. He comes home and gives her a kiss, they have developed a relationship while working together. She says she is happy to keep an eye on him.
1955 Namor: The Battle of Wakanda
Open on happy scenes in Talokan. But in a darker corner, away from prying eyes, a figure with their face obscured by clothing asks a nervous Talokanil if everything is ready.
Cut to S.H.I.E.L.D. team (Peggy, Howard, Jacqui and Brian Falsworth and James Braddock) en route to a Roxxon oil rig in the Atlantic ocean. They flew to Mexico in Howard's new jet and went by helicopter from there.
Howard (to Peggy): Hey, Peggy, how are you? Seems like Agent Sousa is still on your mind.
Peggy: Mind your own bloody business. Jacqueline: Oh but is he though Peggy? Do tell.
P (to Brian, exasperated): I suppose you want to know too?
Brian: I'm not getting involved.
P (sighs): My grieving process is private but I am just fine, thank you. Happy now?
(Awkward pause)
H: Have you heard from Adam Brashear lately?
P: Will you keep your nose out of my personal life and focus on the task, please.
J: We just don't like to think of you all lonely.
P: Well, that's very sweet Jacqui, but I really am fine. In fact, I often think I would be better off without any men in my life.
(Pointedly looks at Howard)
H: Ouch…I was just trying to be a good friend.
P: No, you were being nosey. Now, we are heading into a potentially delicate and dangerous situation here. All the pertinent information again please Howard.
The rig has put in reports of attacks and sabotage by blue people that escape, seemingly unaided, into the ocean. It is Homo Mermanus, the Talokanil.
They land and have a brief discussion with the rig manager when they suddenly come under attack again. This time it's a full on assault by Talokanil in air breathing respirators ("Didn't know they had those…" says Howard). Having Spitfire (Jacqui), Union Jack II (Brian) and Howard's dehumidifying weapons prove quite handy. James Braddock seems to be holding his own as well.
Meanwhile, back at Talokan, the nervous Talokanil from the opening scene rushes to tell Namor about S.H.I.E.L.D. assaulting a patrol team from an oil rig in the Atlantic.
He rushes off, full of rage, taking Attuma and Namora and some of the royal guards with him. He leaves his old friend Bobo in charge.
They arrive at the rig and see S.H.I.E.L.D. doing exactly what the nervous Talokanil had said, but they see that this is no patrol, the unit is too large for a patrol. They aid the unit and is about to kill James when he sees Peggy and she yells for him to stop. He ceases hostilities and angrily asks Peggy 'where is the peace of which we spoke when we last met?'
She explains that they were investigating reports of sabotage when the rig was subjected to an assault. They were just trying to defend themselves.
As Namor has a soft spot for women he relents and asks a nearby trooper if this is true. The trooper spits at his feet and says that he would make peace with the humans when all they do is harm the ocean. That they should fear the Talokanil.
Namor is too angry at the insubordination to entertain the point. He goes to strike the trooper when another grabs him and then they are all suddenly coming for him, holding him down, trying to beat him. He resists. Attuma, Namora, Brian and Jacqui try to help him while the others resume their defence of the rig workers taking refuge inside. They seem to be a legitimate target for the Talokanil. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are surprised by the level of hatred towards humans and the sudden attack on Namor.
Meanwhile in Talokan, Byrrah (Namor's old rival) is taking advantage of the absence of the King (and his Tri-Team) to stage a coup. It has been planned meticulously in advance with former Royal Guard Krang while they were both in exile. They have amassed significant forces amongst disaffected/exiled Talokanil, enough for two teams. Byrrah has planted sleeper agents in key roles (royal guards, military, courtiers etc) who can take the loyalists by surprise.
The Royal guards and the army are mostly killed or arrested trying to protect Namor's old friend Bobo. Bobo is arrested and remaining loyalists have to submit to Byrrah or flee.
Back at the rig, our heroes are dogged and eventually drive the rebels back into the sea. The rebels yell that Krang will deal with him (in Talokanese obvs).
Namor is full of rage, again, and wants to rush back to Talokan. Peggy points out it's probably a trap. He goes anyway, taking Namora and Attuma with him. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents try to get the rig workers and themselves to safety in Mexico.
On the way to Talokan, the Tri-Team (Namor, Namora, Attuma) encounter fleeing loyalists. They warn Namor not to go back as Byrrah has successfully staged a coup.
Once Namor has admonished them for fleeing he asks about Bobo.
They say he is alive but being held.
He asks the loyalists for help. Only to glad to atone for fleeing, they agree to cause a distraction under the pretense of a small insurrection against Byrrah. Using the distraction, they sneak in and free Bobo. Unfortunately they get seen during the escape and Bobo is mortally wounded protecting Namor.
He tells them a loyalist soldier told him that Krang's forces are leading a land invasion to Wakanda as they have the metal they need to build the weapons, equipment and infrastructure necessary to conquer the surface world. He says they will head to the Mediterranean Sea and follow the Nile all the way to Lake Victoria.
Bobo dies.
Unable to retake Talokan without support, with a dead best friend and a potential breaking of the 'if you leave us alone, we'll leave you alone' treaty he has with the US, Namor is livid. He has Namora and Attuma head off to round up the fleeing loyalists, while he recklessly heads to Lake Victoria alone.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. team are in the middle of a briefing in Mexico about the oil rig siege and the political climate within Talokan. They receive reports blue people in the Nile at various points in Africa over the past few days (Egypt, Sudan and then today in Uganda). Not a coincidence that Talokanil rebels stage a coup on Tuesday and then Talokanil are sighted along the Nile by the weekend, thinks Peggy. Howard surmises that they might be heading to Wakanda to plunder their vibranium to make weapons and equipment. They wonder how many rebels there might be. The Nile is at its fullest in September and could potentially conceal many fighters if they were patient in the build up.
Peggy asks Howard how long, he says at least 24 hours even with the jet.
Peggy says we need to leave, now, and they all scramble. Peggy sees that Howard isn't moving and asks him if he's waiting for it in writing. He says there is one person that can get there faster than us. Peggy reluctantly concedes and says she'll make the call. Howard calls ahead to his contacts in Wakanda. Then they set off.
Namor is swimming as fast as he can. He is even faster than regular Talokanil and is set to get there before S.H.I.E.L.D.
Meanwhile, we see the final cohort of Krang's rebels arrive to Lake Victoria in Wakanda at night, the ones from the rig fight. He congratulates them on their diversion and laments that S.H.I.E.L.D. was there to save Namor's life. Telling them to rest he takes another team onto the shore of the lake. They move in formation with new, longer lasting respirators and weapons stolen from Talokan in the first uprising. As they carry out basic tests of their weapons the Wakandan border tribe arrives to investigate but the initial wave are outmatched. Then the shelling starts and we see tanks and aircraft on the way. The rebels are driven back into the lake.
They regroup, quickly strategise and spread along the lake and start using their superior strength and speed to overpower infantry and heavy ordnance. Their vibranium spears and newly invented hydrobombs are a blow to the Wakandans, but the battle is still very much on.
We cut to underwater and a rebel soldier is stealth tackles by something super speedy. And another. And another. It is, of course Namor. He tries to do it again but has lost the element of surprise. He grabs the first rebel but another one grabs him and slows him down. Soon they are all piling on. Namor manages to wriggle free and swims as fast as he can up past the surface into the air. He narrowly dodges a spear which is caught by Adam Brashear, The Blue Marvel. Namor is about to engage in battle with him, when he reassures him that they both seem to be there to stop the invasion. Adam is very powerful but has to hold back in case he destroys everything around him. They patrol the shore and succeed in driving most attacks back into the lake. The Wakndans see this strategy from the two outsiders and aid them in doing so.
Things go quiet. Krang changes tack and a large rebel force rush the rear of the Wakndan forces, taking them by surprise and causing some damage.
Then the Black Panther! King T'Chanda and his Dora Milaje arrive and are a match for the Talokanil rebels. He is also powered by vibranium and they are all equipped with vibranium weapons and better trained to fight on land.
Adam stays to try and hold the shore with the border tribe. Namor heads over to help the Black Panther with the surprise attack along with other Wakandan forces.
Namora, Attuma and the loyalist Talokanil forces arrive and Namor has them cut off the escape route through the Nile.
The surprise attack runs out of steam and all the rebels are forced back into the lake.
Namor calls Krang forth to represent the group. He says he has been denied an honourable challenge for the throne. Byrrah waited till he was called away by Krang's distraction and sneaked onto the throne like a coward.
He asks if Krang is a coward too. He says "Won't you come and 'deal with me?'?".
This is too much for Krang who shows up and accepts the challenge. There is some consternation from the others but King T'Chanda says they must respect others customs, this is for honour.
They arm themselves with Talokanil vibranium spears and battle.
Krang is a very strong member of his species but Namor is stronger and faster. Namor bests him after a tough fight, but Krang will not yield. He rises again and again and is beaten down each time. It is brutal and plays out in front of everyone. Krang is only stopped when he is mortally wounded. He says Namor is soft and lets the surface dwellers do what they want, poison the sea etc. Namor says Krang was impatient and Talokan's time will come.
Then S.H.I.E.L.D finally turns up. Other African defence forces turn up and the lake is surrounded. The rebels are now trapped and leaderless. They try to make a break for it but between Namor, the loyalists, Black Panther, the Wakandans, S.H.I.E.L.D., the superhuman and the forces from the countries surrounding the lake they are all captured. They then have to listen to Namor's speech about how the one they believed in is gone, a fine warrior who was riled by Byrrah into rash action. How they all saw from this battle that Talokan was not ready for it…yet ("Yet?" says Peggy).
"Byrrah is weak, not Namor. Namor has shown you his strength. Byrrah is jealous and petty. He does not care for Talokan like you. He will not fight for Talokan like you…" etc.
He ends up convincing most of them. Those that still disagree are taken prisoner and Namor sends them back to Talokan. He will join them.
He speaks to Peggy, Howard Adam and King T'Chanda asking to keep their 'let's leave each other alone ' treaty. Peggy agrees. King T'Chanda appreciates that Namor may want to keep the existence of his nation quiet and has made arrangements with the generals from the other nations for their promise of secrecy. Namor says their discovery could destroy their nation. King T'Chanda agrees and has similar reservations. He asks Peggy, Howard and Adam if they will keep his nation's technological prowess secret. Howard says they could help a lot of people. T'Chanda responds by saying that if the rest of the world sees that Africa has something, they will try to take it. They would be fighting battles everyday. He doesn't want that for his people. Namor doesn't want that for his people either. Peggy agrees to the request.
They both offer to help take back Talokan. Namor appreciates the offer but says his people would tear them apart in the water. Peggy hopes they don't cross paths again because that will mean that Talokan has peace. King T'Chanda says he hopes that Wakanda and Talokan can be allies again in the future.
Adam says his powers will work underwater. Namor declines the offer saying that he must show his people his strength and heads after his team after trying to kiss Peggy's hand ("oh lord" says Peggy (as in another man in her life that someone doesn't need)).
Adam offers her a lift home. She thanks him for his kindness but declines. She says she prefers a seat belt and a parachute when flying.
Post credits:- Namor looking at the sunrise as his forces gather and prepare for the battle ahead. Namora says we are ready. Namor says, then let's go home.
1955 Namor: The Battle for Talokan
Follows straight on from the previous movie and details the Battle for and recapture of Talokan. Byrrah is scared, as well as weak and petty and is cruel to his supporters as a result. This leads to many of them turning on him which helps the loyalists no end.
At the end Namor deems him unworthy of an honourable death and sentences him to the rest of his days in prison. Byrrah loses it in a massive fit of jealousy and tries to kill him but Namor is too wily for that and returns the favour, saying he should have taken prison.
Namora and Attuma also star.
1969 Blue Marvel II
This story line seems like a good fit…mostly. Set in '69 not '72. Also the team won't be referred to as the 'Mighty Avengers' as the Avengers are a long way off…
Adam has an undersea base that Namor made for him at Peggy's request to keep Adam safe from persecution.
Adam has moved on from Peggy after s2 of Agent Carter as she was more romantically interested in Sousa/memory of Steve. He has a family now, Candace (formerly Marlene) and Kevin that help out with his secret superheroing from his secret base. It has been secret as the President thought that America wasn't ready for a black superhero as per the comics (to be further explored in TFATWS). Candace is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who was assigned to make sure Adam wasn’t trying to be a superhero. She quit, changed her name and married him and helped him carry on Superheroing in secret.
The plot:
Open on a character called Lichidus overseeing the upcoming dissection of a scared and frantic half-human creature. They inject it with a small amount of silver to get it to cooperate. Then he monologues about how their plans are nearly come to fruition. Then he sling rings out of there but he should have stuck around because they didn't use enough silver and the creature's hand begins to twitch…
Cut to:
Lord Montgomery Falsworth has been investigating sightings of his missing brother and his supposed victims for nine years. S.H.I.E.L.D. won't give time or money to it anymore so he has been doing it on his own time and dime. However when he does get a tip, the trail has usually gone cold by the time he gets there. So Peggy suggested he seek out the Blue Marvel who can travel faster than the speed of sound.
Adam is living undersea as mentioned above. He has secretly been fighting crime with his family's help ever since the President's no superheroing decree forced him underground/underwater. He feels bad that Kevin's education is being disrupted. Candace agrees but very much blames the government and not Adam. Kevin loves the adventure and doesn't care as much about missing school, though he does seem very bright and feels he is missing out on friends and having a normal life.
When Falsworth contacts him they bring him back to base (he is impressed with the Talokanil engineering and technology) and run through the supposed sightings of his brother.
Several victims were mauled or bitten to death in very similar ways. It started in Austria but now there are reports across much of Europe. Every victim had been completely drained of blood. In many of these cases witness reports describe a man who looks like a vaguely monstrous John Falsworth near or actually leaving the scene.
There had been no sightings for several months but Peggy had called in with another drained victim with similar wounds at a small village near Tunguska, Siberia two days ago and suggested Falsworth come to visit Adam.
Adam goes as fast as he can. Falsworth and Candace are picked up by Howard Stark in his mkII Quinjet and go by air (so Kevin has to go too, but it will take them some time). They are all equipped with special long distance wireless communicators by Howard. They are also backed up by Peggy, Brian and Jacqueline Falsworth and a contingent of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. There is a risk that other S.H.I.E.L.D. higher ups or the American government would come down hard on helping the Blue Marvel and on wasting S.H.I.E.L.D. resources. But Peggy and Howard want to support James after everything he's given to the cause.
Adam arrives in Siberia at night. He scouts near where the victim was found from the air. He widens the search and spies a humanoid figure moving strangely a few miles off. He flies down to engage and is caught off guard by a sudden attack. Surprised by the creature's strength, he is struggling to regain the upper hand as it tries to bite him. Though he would have come out on top eventually, he gets a surprise assist. They fight him off together but the new hero wants to make sure Adam wasn’t bitten before pursuing. Adam introduces himself. His 'saviour ' is Eric Brooks aka Blade aka Daywalker aka the Dhampir aka the half vampire. He is immune to vampire bites as he is half vampire. He is not vulnerable to sunlight or silver as he is half human but garlic gives him indigestion. He has tracked the creature on and off for several years but this was the closest he's ever been.
Adam explains who they think it used to be.
Blade: Don't care who he was, only care what he's gonna be. Dead. Permanently this time.
Adam informs the following team that they believe he has found John and is following the trail.
Blade is very good at tracking vampires (Adam is taken aback that vampires are real), so leads the way.
They come across the aftermath of a battle. There are several dead soldiers dressed in black combat gear. A bear is poking around the cadavers.
They try not to disturb the bear, but it picks up their scent. It charges. Blade says if you stand your ground it will stop charging. Only it doesn't.
Adam takes off and, not wanting to hurt the creature, blasts nearby to scare it off. But it doesn't flinch. Blade has to dive out the way at the last moment and he and Adam fight and manage to subdue the bear, which transforms into a woman, unconscious in the snow.
Surprised, they nonetheless spring into action. Blade wants to leave her and follow the monster's trail, but Adam shames him into helping the woman, who would otherwise die from exposure. They find a groundsheet in one trooper's pack and wrap her in it. They reason that the troops must have come from a base nearby and follow their trail instead. Adam uses his flight to spy ahead and they find and reach the base swiftly. There are signs of a breakout. The heavy main door is hanging off it's fixings.
The clues that led Blade to Siberia suggested the creature had been taken against its will, so the breakout made sense. But there doesn't seem to be a lab or holding cell.
Eric's tracking skills lead him to a hidden door, but they don't know how to open it. Adam starts working to figure it out and Blade finds some combat gear for the woman to wear.
Thanks to her part bear physiology she recovers quickly and starts growling and shouting at them in broken Russian. Her appearance and voice are becoming more bear-like as she gets more aggressive.
Adam (To Blade): How's your Russian?
Blade: Not so good!
They try to calm the situation and she eventually realises they mean her no harm. Adam calls Candace with his special Stark designed communicator and she translates for them, allowing the three to talk:
Bear (after dressing): *I never thought I would wear this uniform again.*
Adam: You know those troopers?
Bear: *Some of them. I thought you were with them.*
Blade: Who are they?
Bear: *Deathwalkers. They are a death cult, dedicated to the order of Chthon.*
Blade: The order of what?
(*indicates translation by Candace)
Chthon is an elder god, who would destroy this universe and remake it in their own image. To bring them from their dimension requires a great sacrifice. The Deathwalkers believe the destruction of an entire continent is necessary.
To achieve their aims and to live to see this rapture, they need to drink vampire blood as it slows the aging process to the point of near immortality. However, the more immortals you create, the more vampire blood you need and the less vampires you have.
They decided to create their own vampire/human hybrids using the bones of an ancient vampire and the Talisman of Kamar Taj. The Talisman merges two creatures together and had been stolen from Kamar Taj by a rogue sorcerer.
Bear had been a Deathwalker and had drank vampire blood many times, granting her a very long life.
In return, she had been "volunteered" for early experiments with the Talisman and more simple creatures, without really knowing what she was getting into. She was merged with a bear. She became a bear for so long afterward that she almost forgot who she was.
A former friend took pity on her and released her into the wild. She believes she mauled them on the way out, being more bear than woman at that time.
As things stand now, she can't remember her name or family and is trying to piece her history together. She thinks she was a believer, but her transformation without consent showed her how monstrous the Deathwalkers were. She means to stop all their operations and kill their leader. His name is Lichidus.
She reasons John Falsworth was discarded as a failed experiment at their former base in Austria (taken over by Hydra during the war) but he came back to (un)life anyway. The Deathwalkers must have caught up with him and brought him back here for more experimentation. Bear, who never strayed that far from the base, saw him escape and his treatment at the hands of the Deathwalker troops prompted her to intervene. The surprise of her attack gave Falsworth the upper hand and allowed him to escape.
Bear shows them the secret door and the three of them manage to wrench it off with their super strength. There are several vampire hybrids in cages, some are children. The adult ones draw the children in close and hiss at the intruders. They are all having blood pumped from them via intravenous lines.
There is a file, in Russian, on John Falsworth and the aftermath of a fight round an operating table.
Blade is checking more dead Deathwalkers for bite marks. As he is doing so one comes back to life and attacks him. He dispatches them with ruthless efficiency. The caged vampires all hiss at him for killing one of theirs and he wields his blade at them.
Bear is angry at him in Russian. Candace says that the Bear said he shouldn't kill them, they're victims, like her. They just have to remind them they're human. He says try saying that when a vampire has just ripped your throat out. She doesn't understand. They talk at eachother angrily. Adam is trying to make peace when more of the Deathwalker troops and scientists come back to (un)life.
They retreat, battling their way towards the broken secret door and when the broken main door comes into view they see the troopers from the earlier battle coming through the gap. They have been turned as well. The Bear's strength and Blade's skill aren't enough to hold them back. Even Adam's strength and concussion blasts only halt them temporarily.
Adam: Didn't you check them for bites?!
Blade: We were being attacked by a bear!
They fight hard but are almost surrounded. Adam calls to Candace and asks if they're almost there. She says they're just a few minutes out, hold on, but they can't. The vamps pretty much match Blade and the Bear in strength. The Bear doesn't want to transform as, though she'll be stronger, she'll more vulnerable to being bitten. Adam is strong enough to hold them off but is in increasing danger of a bite from the sheer number of vampires. Blade is struggling to move his sword. He and the Bear are about to be overwhelmed.
In his frustration, Adam builds up and releases an energy pulse knocking out friends and enemies alike. He passes out from the sheer expenditure of energy.
When he comes to they are on the Quinjet. Candance said she didn't know he could do that. Adam says neither did he.
Blade comes to and doesn't appreciate being knocked out, but is relieved to be alive. The Bear wakes up still in fighting mode but is talked down by Candace before she goes full bear.
Howard is trialling a new collar that dampens superpowers once it can be tailored to the individual. Candace has translated the file on John Falsworth and it seems like the process mutates both sets of dna to accept the other. It also details the make up of the vampiric genome allowing Howard to calibrate the collar. This means they can safely transport the hybrid victims and the Deathwalker vampires back to their base. Though the remaining Deathwalker vampires are restrained. And the effect of the vampire blood they drank is an unknown factor. Risky! But Howard assures them that it's safe. They have Union Jack II and Spitfire to back them up too.
The file on John Falsworth suggests there is a Deathwalker base in New York, though it doesn't detail where.
Adam, Blade, the Bear and James Falsworth stay behind as they have yet to find John. Candace and Kevin stay behind too to be near Adam.
Falsworth is concerned the trail may go cold (figuratively) again. Blade assures him, with the sun coming up, he can't have gotten far.
This gives us Eric Brooks in the 50s! Minor change to his backstory in the Blade movies required!
To be continued…
1959 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series 2
S.H.I.E.L.D. has been running pretty smoothly for some time now. But a pair of terrible twins are about to disrupt things for the team…Fenris! They are older (77) in 1959 (their age is related to where The Gifted is in this timeline) and some of their story will be told in flashback.
They have been setting up Hellfire Club chapters around the world, trying to manipulate world events in the club's favour. They create terrorist incidents and blame them on other factions, plant misinformation etc. They have also been finding or rescuing promising mutants then enticing/forcing them to join.
Nathaniel Essex is referred to as "our employer" but never by name. No one has been able to work out how the bombs were planted in these incidents, but Howard works out that Fenris are the bomb, managing to link these incidents together and build up a profile for the now elderly Von Struckers.
In a slight rework from the original The Gifted timeline, the London incident should be 1915 and it's the Police in pursuit, Rio should be 1930 with SSR investigating and pursuing. They manage to evade capture until this series.
They chase them across the world after the latest incident in Plac Zamkovy, which kills hundreds. They can't figure out what gives them this power (no one knows about mutants, except Otto Strucker). They finally catch up with them and Andrea is killed before they can detonate. Andreas flees to grieve and consider his next move.
They have embedded themselves in Hydra to disguise their true allegiance.
Peggy, Howard, the Howling Commandos, Brian and Jacqueline Falsworth are all present but Adam Brashear is now off world and Sousa 'died' in 1955 as per original AoS s7 continuity. James Braddock (actor tbc) is more prominent here after being a background character previously, also he had "mystically given" powers, but kept them secret from all but a select few, also a great scientist. Very useful for S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.T.R.I.K.E.
As a second arc in this series Howard and Anton Vanko finalise their prototype for the arc reactor. Howard wants to keep developing it in secret, with a view to sharing it when he is sure it can't be copied or duplicated without them both. He has learned his lesson from season 1 of Agent Carter where some of his technology was dangerously flawed or misappropriated. He doesn't want the arc reactor rushed. He doesn't want the technology to fall into the wrong hands. Vanko wants to patent it and start selling the idea straight away.
Vanko: It's too important not to share it right now.
Stark: I see that it could help the world right now, but I am not prepared to compromise on safety or security. If we rush out a design that could be reverse engineered relatively easily it could start another world war.
V: You just don't want to share the technology with Russia, do you? You think Russia is Leviathan? You think I am with Leviathan? I have known you 13 years Howard…
S: Now Anton, it's not like that, I just need to put in some checks and bal-
V: You want to take all the credit! Where is the proof I was involved in the design if there is no patent?
S: Now wait a minute Anton-
V: You want all the profit too?
S (scoffs): This shouldn't be about money.
V: This is easy for you to say. You live in America like a billionaire, I live here like a Russian immigrant.
S: I pay you well enough Anton…Let's just…let's just cool off…talk about this in the morning. We can work this out.
V (tersely): Good night, Mr Stark.
By the next morning, Vanko has gone and so have the blueprints. S.H.I.E.L.D. tracks him down and recover the blueprints and hand him over to the company lawyers who have him charged and deported. Howard is too angry to object to the industrial espionage charges or the deportation. He does, however, offer to pay Vanko his share of any profits their design makes. Vanko refuses, arrogantly thinking he can recreate the designs on his own in Russia. He cannot and ends up drunk and destitute setting up Iron Man 2.
Post credits:-
With the Fenris bomb duo out of the picture, we see Sebastian Shaw at the Las Vegas chapter of the Hellfire Club taking a phone call from his employer saying he "would be delighted to be the new black king". After he hangs up he says "now to find myself a queen".
1962 X-Men: First Class
X-Men!
A few changes for the ISC MCU version.
Moira and Hank work for S.H.I.E.L.D., not CIA. While they have been aware of powered people and mermen etc (and the dialogue should change to reflect this), they were not aware of a new type of human.
Raven is a psychology major in this, so we can see how smart she is and she can self study after she goes off with Erik.
Alex Summers (Havok) is actually 15 pretending to be 18 so he can be tried and incarcerated as an adult as he thinks this is safer for everyone. Before his arrest Alex was living with his young divorcee mom (36), who went back to her maiden name, Summers. Dad disappeared.
The mutant gene can be carried or passed by either parent btw.
Angel could wear a halter neck as she does later on so she doesn't need to go topless to show them her power.
Darwin is a scientist/engineer instead of a taxi driver. And he DOESN'T DIE! He can't die, he just adapts, that's his whole thing. He eventually adapts to Havok's energy blast and survives, but is severely injured. We see his body's miraculous recovery during the training montage. OR…he just shoots Shaw back and Shaw's like…'Well, we could do this all day. Toodles.'
Moira helps the first class with fight training (except Charles, he is "not a fighter").
Must find a way to get Darwin and Angel Salvatore more involved with the plot. Give Angel some proper motivation for switching sides and some dialogue afterwards.
Recast Emma with Margot Robbie and give her more attitude and agency.
Eric does not kiss Raven as he just said she is too young for him and noted that she is just trying to get back at Hank for something. He still says that her natural form is nothing to be ashamed of, but they do not have a romantic relationship. Moira is revealed early on as a mutant and has a vast wealth of knowledge from several lifetimes. She knew she had been reincarnated but didn't know it was due to a mutation. She agrees to not go back to X-mansion so as not to give game away. And that means you can cut the '...a kiss...' line. She will be pleasantly surprised to see Charles in Apocalypse instead of mind wiped. It's best you forget about me er, us etc. adds Charles but without the mind wipe.
However, it is strongly implied that they will continue the relationship.
1914 Freedom's Five (Limited series)
Victorex Prime or the Scarlet Centurion (a Kang variant) is bored of life in the 40th century, having conquered everything there is to conquer. He has now resorted to conquering various eras of the past to alleviate the boredom. He has been trying to conquer earth during the chaos of WWI, identified as a good point in earth's history. Suitably advanced, but no notable superheroes. He has future tech and future fighters and they are mistaken for ‘martians’ by the public.
The Time Variance Authority aren't pruning regularly yet as this is still the time war, though He Who Remains (not named in the show) has worked out the technology. They have to stop the Scarlet Centurion to finally bring about the sacred timeline. They've stopped him twice and he escaped both times. They know if he continues to mess with this timeline then time eaters (demons from outside of time) will eventually consume it anyway. We will see this take effect in Legion later on.
Revonna Renslayer, a time judge, wants to use the new technology to prune the timeline, Kang variant and all. Mobius wants to try something different to see if the timeline can be saved.
He tips off an obscure superhero team of the period and they take out a ‘martian’ tripod by themselves, proving to Renslayer that there is a possibility to save this timeline.
Our heroes have to fight alongside the TVA against the invasion whilst simultaneously staving off being pruned by the same group.
The team are called ‘Freedom's Five’ (cringe) and consist of:
The Crimson Cavalier - Jean-Luc Batroc, an antecedent of Batroc the Leaper from CA:TWS. Equally adept at savate, swordsmanship and proto-parkour athleticism (studied under Georges Hérbert at Reims University in France). He was a criminal in peace time but fights for the freedom of France. (Played by David Belle).
Iron Fist - The Orson Randall version. Orson abandoned his post as protector of the heavenly city of K'un Lun (luckily they replaced him before the city was attacked). Born in K'un Lun to an American father, he is headstrong and brash but also brave and protective of his comrades. He channels the mystical power from his fists into dual-wield pistols, extending the range and accuracy of his power as well as being an expert martial artist. He replaced the Silver Squire in the Squad. (Played by Brandon Lee).
Phantom Eagle - Karl Kaufmann. American born German who fights for the allies. The aceiest of flying aces and skilled at hand to hand combat too. (Played by Dolph Lundgren)
Sir Steel - Ned Chapel, a Yorkshire blacksmith, worked on the Armatage Estate and was bequeathed the enchanted armour Sir Steel. He is a master swordsman and has near invulnerability from his enchanted armour. His sidekick the Silver Squire is currently injured and therefore absent from the team. (Played by Sean Bean)
Union Jack - A young Lord James Montgomery Falsworth. Studied at Reims with Jean-Luc. Equally adept at the proto-parkour style of athleticism. Dead shot with a pistol and skilled at hand to hand combat. Sometimes converses in French with Jean-Luc. (Played by JJ Feild. Though I'm tempted to replace him with an age appropriate Nigel Havers).
TVA characters:
Judge Revonna Renslayer
Agent Mobius M. Mobius
General Dox
Hunter B-15
Hunter C-20
Hunter X-5
Various hunters and agents, maybe some clerical workers back at the TVA.
Other characters:
Lady Falsworth, the fiancée of James who holds a secret (she is Inhuman).
John Falsworth, younger brother of Lord James. Irked at being second in line for the title.
Ursula Frankenstein, John's love interest, has an ulterior motive for being with John. She is close to making a breakthrough in reanimation and is willing to go to whoever will fund her, including Hydra and mysterious cults.
Scarlet Centurion's warriors
Also Military types of the era
In the end they succeed, with TVA having to wipe everyone's memories of future tech and time travel. The government, with limited information, pass it off as a massive German bombing raid.
The Freedom's Five know it wasn't that, but they don't know what it was.
Back at the TVA, Mobius is disappointed that they had to take their victory away from them. Renslayer reminds him that was the only thing that saved them from being pruned.
1957 The Blue Marvel
The movie is set on the west coast of America. That is where we first meet Adam in Agent Carter s2, so it makes sense that he and his family would settle somewhere familiar.
We open on a homeless veteran, disheveled clothes and an unshaven face, but has kept himself in shape. He is begging for money.
A young man of colour drops a coin into his cup but it phases through, landing on the sidewalk. He is confused but the vet explains it happens sometimes.
The young man is verbally abused by some racist douches. He is in the middle of sticking up for himself when the veteran intervenes. The situation gets violent causing the vet to dissociate because of his PTSD. He is in full flashback for a moment. When he comes back to himself, one of the douches is beating him up (he also has douchey views about homeless people). He reacts instinctively and strikes the man and he flies across the road, crashing into a vehicle. The driver is shaken but unharmed.
Local police take notice and chase the veteran and the innocent man, who run together initially. The young man is angry because he felt he had it under control. The vet then draws attention away from the young man and manages to get the police to pursue him instead, then disappears after rounding a corner.
Cut to a family scene at the Brashear’s new home. Adam Brashear, Marlene, now Adam's wife, and their young son Kevin are still trying to come to terms with civilian life after Adam was told to stop superheroing by the President. Marlene has changed her name to Candace to hide that she is ex-S.H.I.E.L.D., but has a good fake CV which includes telephone exchange operator and talent agent. So she is quite employable whereas no one will touch Adam with a barge pole except for offers to be a super-mercenary, which would mean he was breaking the law.
She is therefore the sole wage earner and Adam stays home to look after Kevin. They are both frustrated because they know they could be doing more, but the family unit is a happy one nonetheless. Trying to do the right thing no matter the cost.
Peggy Carter, director of S.H.I.E.L.D. makes an official visit as she has volunteered as Adam's ‘handler’ to ‘make sure’ he isn't superheroing. They joke about whether he is superheroing, chat about family life and Peggy coos over the baby. While she is doing this she writes a note to say their place is bugged. Candace had figured as much. She gives them each a tiny in-ear communicator, newly invented by Howard Stark. She then takes her leave.
She leaves Adam changing Kevin's diaper and Candace reading a magazine, whilst they secretly await instructions. After she is safely on her way she communicates the incident with the homeless veteran, the young man and the racist thugs. Adam can respond to some of it as he can pretend he is talking to the baby. Candace will respond while pretending she is fascinated by what's in the magazine.
Peggy goes on to say that S.H.I.E.L.D. examined the thug and found traces of zero matter on him. She adds that the veteran was reported to have ‘simply disappeared’.
When Adam comes back he sees that Candace has written ‘Conner?’ on the bottom Peggy's note. He silently concurs.
Peggy tells him there will be an advert in the paper tomorrow for a factory worker and that Adam should come for an interview.
In this “Interview” Peggy and Howard make an agreement that Candace will search for Conner in communication with Peggy while Adam and Howard try to recreate the machine that cured Adam of his intangibility back in Agent Carter s2.
Both teams succeed in their task. Candace and Peggy locate Conner and convince him to come in peaceably when they mention Adam’s name. They bring him in and Adam and Howard stabilise him. They theorise that further treatments may cure his intangibility.
Seemingly more stable now, a freshened up Conner goes out for a walk with Adam and Candace. Conner wants to superhero with him and is very angry about the racist Presidential edict. A racist incident on the street towards Adam and his family causes Conner to flip out and accidentally disintegrate a guy.
Police arrive quickly on the scene while Adam is trying to talk him down. However, Adam is arrested for it after Conner disappears.
Conner reappears and goes ape when he finds out what happened to Adam as it wasn’t his fault and destroys the police station, freeing Adam but killing, maiming or hurting many. Conner tells Adam that they can stop this, end racism, make the world a more equitable place. Adam asks how many lives that would cost and knows it wouldn’t achieve Conner’s aims anyway. This leads to their first battle. People see the return of the Blue Marvel and see that he is trying to stop this destructive character.
Conner disappears again. Adam is now a fugitive too.
Conner tries to make up for his mistakes and tries to superhero but he is starting to become unstable again and needs more treatment, but is stressed and fuelled by guilt. Every time he uses his power more zero matter damage is caused. Adam manages to track Conner down with Candace and a Howard gizmo, but realises he is unwittingly causing a zero matter singularity to emerge putting the city in danger and possibly the state and beyond if it can’t be controlled. It is starting to pull things into the dark dimension as it is essentially a wormhole between the two.
He warns Conner, but Conner wonders if it would be such a bad thing if the human race was wiped out, reasoning that people are the problem with the world. Adam tries to talk him down while they battle. But as the fight goes on Conner’s readings show that it is too late to cure him and he will explode and the singularity will continue to grow.
As per Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel;
"if i can sync with his energy and release a large enough positive plasma charge I might be able to initiate a chain reaction causing him to implode.”
The gang realise that Adam's plan could well work, but may cause a large antimatter explosion. Adam and Candace revisit doing the right thing no matter the cost. He takes Conner out of earth's atmosphere and he implodes, ending the Dark Dimension singularity. Everyone thinks the Blue Marvel died in heroic sacrifice, but S.H.I.E.L.D.’s advanced tracking equipment shows that he is re-entering the atmosphere. They allow the world to go on thinking he died (“Anti-man defeated by Blue Marvel sacrifice!” scream the headlines).
S.H.I.E.L.D. do get reprimanded for ignoring the Presidential edict but the White House accepts there were mitigating circumstances.
Adam returns and the Brashears realise they will have to live their lives on the run. They are sorry that their son won't have much of a life, but are glad they can go back to making a difference (covertly, of course).
Post credits:- Namor shows the Brashears to their new underwater base. It was called in as a favour by Peggy and the Talokanil were happy to build it for him as a thank you for his help at the Battle of Wakanda. Namor questions why he doesn't ignore the disrespectful edict and use his powers to rule the surface world. Adam and Candace explain that they have a calling to do the right thing, no matter the cost, to help those that cannot help themselves.
Namor concedes that he would do the same for his people.
We end as they check out the (secretly) provided S.H.I.E.L.D. equipment that will allow them to monitor world events.
There will be rumours of The Blue Marvel helping those in need for years to come.
1970 Blue Marvel II
This is long BTW guys.
We open on Lichidus overseeing a global watch on their hybrid army. The vampires are weak from giving blood, the werewolves are underfed. He monologues about how the streets of the world shall soon be slick with blood. The pain and suffering caused by brutal sacrifice will bring forth the elder god, Cthon, to this dimension as he feeds on the tormented souls.
A Deathwalker cleric interjects, informing him that the Blue Marvel and his followers have almost stumbled upon a second Deathwalker base. Lichidus orders him to release the werewolves…
Cut to scene in a forest near Tunguska. Adam, Blade, the Bear and James Falsworth, in Union Jack uniform, have been searching for the Talisman of Kamar Taj which has been used to create hybrid warriors for the evil Deathwalkers. They are also searching for James’ brother John. John was subject to the Deathwalker’s hybrid program, mutating his DNA together with that of a vampire. He has managed to evade the group for 5 days but they had finally spotted him and the trail has led them here. Adam is in touch with Candace and Kevin who are monitoring their progress using the instruments in the appropriated Deathwalker base.
They hear the pad of footsteps in the snow, approaching rapidly. They can't see much in the dark, save for the occasional reflection of the torchlight in moving pairs of eyes. Union Jack hurriedly lights a flare as they hear several growls. In the red light of the flare, they see they are surrounded by werewolves. The three super-powered allies surround James, for protection, as the werewolves attack.
Blade has silver blades (obvs), Union Jack has silver bullets and the Bear has a silver tipped bear claw manicure (though she holds back from going full bear). The silver was meant to give them an advantage over vampires but find it works well against the werewolves. Adam is using his anti-matter blasts to great effect but can't fly up or Union Jack will be exposed. They have become an effective fighting unit after encountering several vampire clusters in this desolate part of Siberia.
Blade is caught by a werewolf claw and Union Jack is momentarily exposed. An assailant takes the opportunity and is closing on James. Adam considers using a concussive blast (it's risky as it will knock everyone out, even him), but is caught off guard as vampire John leaps down and saves his brother.
Fighting alongside them, Blade has to fight his instincts to not stab him. John is injured but they fight off the werewolves till each is unconscious or deceased. Blade's fighting style and modus operandi has led mostly to the latter, while the others tried to be more careful. This causes some conflict in the group, particularly between Blade and the Bear, who is a hybrid herself.
The final werewolf is left to flee. Blade and the Bear pursue while Adam takes the survivors back to base. John's love for James is holding his vampire side at bay and he submits to a power dampening collar and then first aid. The wound is not too serious and James gives a temporary patch up. James sits near a cadaver for warmth, John is not bothered by the cold being a half-vampire. They sit and talk. John was captured by Hydra and was hybridised by them without the Talisman, though they thought they had killed him and discarded him in a mass grave nearby.
John, now feeling a bit more human thanks to the collar, is ashamed of what he's become and how many people he's hurt. James says how much control do you have? John says not much, though some days are better than others. Then Adam returns to take them back to base one on each arm.
The Bear and Blade have followed the werewolf to an entranceway, where a heavy metal door has been torn off its fixings and lies in the snow.
The enter carefully and quietly but encounter no resistance. There are only bodies and not enough of each one left to turn. There is one young Deathwalker, dressed in the tattered remains of their uniform, among the cadavers. The sight of their fallen former comrades awakes their human half and they weep for what they have done. This was the fleeing werewolf. They lament the curse given them by Lichidus and wish that someone could release them from it.
Blade obliges and stabs him through the heart from behind, killing him just as the Bear had begun to explain that S.H.I.E.L.D. were working on a cure.
Livid, she angrily tells him they could have saved the youngster. Blade says there's only one cure for a werewolf. Death.
In a rage at Blade's lack of compassion, she nearly turns full bear. The sudden arrival of Adam brings them back from the brink and he tries to help resolve their differences.
Blade shushes the group and they all hear metallic clanging from within the base.
Cut to Lichidus being informed that the group have destroyed the Tunguskan werewolves. Lichidus reasons that they may still have an advantage, there is one surviving cleric at that base.
Back at the base, John and James are convalescing. Candace is in conversation with Peggy about the vampire hybrids. Kevin is bored.
Curiosity gets the better of him and he looks in on them. He sees a little vampire girl has dropped her toy and he slowly, carefully moves over to give it back to her in her holding cell. She and her family are grateful, but a lot of the others hiss at his prolonged presence. Kevin freezes at the intense response, not knowing quite what to do.
Hearing the commotion, Candace puts her hand on his shoulder and takes him back into the main area and says I told you quite clearly not to go in there young man and asks him what he thinks he was doing. Kevin explains about the little girl and the doll and reminds her that she said they used to be like us and how his parents are always talking about doing the right thing, no matter the cost.
Candace relents a little and admires his compassion and bravery. She says he is turning into a fine young man, and asks him not to get too brave.
She then goes to try and check in with Adam, but there is only static.
In the other base Adam, Blade and The Bear have followed the sound down a broken lift shaft and along a corridor. It is a cell block. There is one cell door not busted out of or busted into by werewolves.
Inside is a man (Keith David) dressed in robes more colourful than a Deathwalker's, though they have faded over time. They ask how he alone was able to survive the werewolf onslaught. He says a simple incantation held the door firm against attacks, though it was difficult to keep his concentration under the circumstances. His name is Kaluu.
They cautiously free him and he is very grateful and offers to assist them, swatting away a fly. He seems to know a lot about the Talisman of Kamar Taj, what the Deathwalkers were doing with it (Bear confirms this) and, most importantly, where it is now.
They ask him how he knows so much about the Talisman and he suddenly clams up.
He tries to change the subject and asks for help to find a sling ring, swatting away the fly again. He receives no response so starts ransacking corpses. Bear fears he may be a Deathwalker mage that was hiding from werewolves. Blade continues to question how he knew so much about the Talisman. Adam tries to keep things calm but it's not working. Under pressure, Kaluu blurts out that he was a student at Kamar Taj who found out that a lot of people wanted the Talisman so he snuck in and stole it, selling it to the highest bidders, the Deathwalkers. The whole gang rage in disbelief as he works to pry a sling ring from some cold, dead fingers. His admission causes the Bear to go full bear, who pursues Kaluu down the corridor in a rage. He manages to get the sling ring and portals out just in time. Only he is out of practice and ends up in a cell down the corridor and keeps popping in and out of the corridor from different doors as the Bear gives chase with other two caught between the destruction of the cell block and an angry Bear. Chaos.
Eventually they are all portalled out one by one with a wary Adam last followed, at the last moment, by the fly.
He arrives at the Sanctum Santorum with Blade poised to strike, Bear suspended in mid air and Kaluu begging forgiveness from a bald woman.
She is, of course, the Ancient One (Michelle Yeoh, I figure it's a better part than a Ravager cameo or a magical auntie). She is astounded at his audacity, to return after all these years to the scene of the crime. She is still angry about the theft but is more concerned with who he sold it to. She also points out how reckless it was to use magic in a Deathwalker base and bring their artifact (the stolen sling ring) back to the Sanctum as it could give them access to Kamar Taj.
Adam says they were alone.
She says that doesn't matter, they have other means.
Kaluu protests that he was trapped in an enclosed space with a bear and didn't have time to think.
The Ancient one replies that he had time to think of himself and not the consequence to others.
He says he didn't know what they were going to do with it.
She says you didn't care. You just cared about the price, now that price is about to be paid by the whole world, possibly the universe.
At this moment, the fly moves from Adam's shoulder to the stolen sling ring on Kaluu's finger. We zoom in on it and see that it is a fly/Deathwalker hybrid and it activates the ring opening a massive portal which floods with Werebats and Deathwalker mages.
The gang, Kaluu, the Ancient One and the Kamar Taj defenders fight valiantly and gain the upper hand. Then they hear sounds of battle from elsewhere. The Ancient One deduces what they're after and takes Adam to the library. They are just time to see Lichidus himself unshackling the Darkhold and taking it into his hands. They try to pursue him but he sends mages and hybrids to stop them. They eventually win out but Lichidus is gone, swiftly followed by the remaining mages. They swiftly overpower the were-bats and the Ancient One catches the were-fly. The Deathwalkers had managed to magically cover their tracks however.
She thanks the gang for the help in defending Kamar Taj. She admonishes Kaluu for allowing Lichidus in but recognises that he stood and fought, he didn't run or turn on his team like before. Perhaps, she says, there is hope for him yet. She asks him to tell her everything he knows about Lichidus’ plans.
Lichidus and his cronies celebrate their victory and he tells them to prepare for the ritual, Cthon is coming!
Meanwhile Peggy has arrived and scores of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are cautiously escorting the vampire and werewolf hybrids into cells on Howard's 70s-looking Quinjets. Candace is telling Peggy her concern over not being able to raise the team and is suggesting storming the base when a portal opens and Adam casually asks Candace, Kevin, Peggy and the others whether they'd like to join them in the stronghold of the Sorcerer Supreme.
The Ancient One explains that the Talisman of Kamar Taj is actually of extra terrestrial origin. The practice at Kamar-Taj was to use it to bond with or absorb animals, spirits and demons.
If the talisman is broken, it will undo all that it has done. It is said that it will transport the one responsible for breaking it across the stars and itself too. They don't know where it takes you.
The Ancient One takes Adam, Candace and Peggy to One side as they seem to be the most level headed in the group. They leave Kevin with James and the Bear. Blade and John brood separately and Kaluu studies a volume of Ancient wisdom.
Ancient One: A very unusual group you lead.
Adam: Our coming together was haphazard, but we share certain…interests.
AO: It is a brave man that fights alongside a woman that could transform into a bear at any moment.
Candace: Bear knows who her allies are.
AO: You gave consideration to her turning on her allies before? You are taking a former Deathwalker to battle Lichidus.
C: Bear knows who her allies are.
AO: And the vampire and the one who hunts them…do they know who their allies are?
Adam: Well, John, I can't vouch for, but James trusts him. Eric is headstrong, but we can't do this without them. I see how hard they are fighting their instincts.
AO: What happens if they lose that fight?
A: They answer to me.
Meanwhile:
Kevin (noticing lots of withering stares and whispering directed at Kaluu): Why are they looking at you like that?
Kaluu (not looking up from his book): Because I was once partners with Yao.
Kevin: Who?
Kaluu: The (*sighs*) Ancient One…and then I betrayed her. Twice.
Kevin (now fascinated): What did you do?
We flashback to Kaluu and Yao being good friends and the most prominent sorcerers at Kamar-Taj. Yao is tasked with leading the training programmes and Kaluu is head of temple security.
When the Sorcerer Supreme passes, Yao is chosen to succeed them. Kaluu tries to be supportive but finds it difficult to take orders from his friend. When she starts to remove herself from the others and appears occasionally sporting an item that had been forbidden under the previous regime, like the eye of Agamotto, some jealous sorcerers suspect she is using the Darkhold. Kaluu, his resentment growing, uses the Darkhold himself to increase the jealousy and resentment among the other sorcerers (psychic hypnosis, denoted by a purple flash in the eyes), eventually staging a coup and putting a spell of immobility on Yao. His ambition is corrupted by the spellbook and he gives Kamar-Taj wealth and prosperity at the expense of nearby villages and starts raising an army to conquer the earth. Eventually he leans too heavily on the Darkhold and the energy drawn (from the Dark Dimension) starts being pulled back, leaving Kamar-Taj in disease and pestilence. The disaffected sorcerers turn on him and free the Sorcerer Supreme who overpowers Kaluu and sends all the energy he drew back to the Dark Dimension, restoring balance. Kamar-Taj begins to recover and Kaluu is forced to undergo the Runes of Kof-Kol, causing him to forget all the dark magics he has learned. This also, accidentally, causes him to forget all his sorcery.
Yao forgives him and patiently begins to teach him again. Harbouring humiliation and resentment for centuries, Kaluu slowly builds up his powers. But one day, he steals the Talisman and a sling ring and doesn't come home…
Back in the present, after some consideration, the Ancient One agrees to help them. She portals Adam's team back to the Playground while the sorcerers prepare an assault team.
Back at the base, Howard has been busy. He has identified the unique signature of the Talisman and has traced it back to a disused subway station in New York. They discuss the personnel, how best to coordinate with the Kamar-Tajians, plan of attack etc.
Cut to Lichidus reciting from the Darkhold. Back at HQ the captured hybrid's eyes flash purple (indicating psychic hypnosis). Lichidus is repressing their human half, causing them all to go feral. Distracted by the commotion, the staff don't notice an operator being psychically controlled to turn off the power dampening collars. They are soon breaking loose and causing death and havoc in the base.
In the chaos, a small number of Deathwalkers portal in and try to snatch hostages/sacrifices (this is shown happening all over the world). One tries to take Candace but she whups them. One tries to take Peggy but she whups them. One tries to take Howard but Candace and Peggy whup them.
They seem particularly interested in Kevin. Kaluu is trying desperately with his limited magic to keep him safe.
The Ancient One portals in with her assault team and helps gain the upper hand. Kaluu runs over and says that they have Kevin. Peggy tells them to go as they can deal with the remaining hybrids, they have Spitfire and Union Jack II. She sends them with the Howling Commandos. They are reluctant to leave the base under siege, but want to help James. And they have to do what Peggy says anyway.
The Ancient one says she must stay to protect against further magical intrusions and psychic hypnosis attacks. She tells Kaluu she trusts him to make the right choices after seeing how he tried to protect Kevin, restores his memories and tells him to lead her assault team.
Adam and Candace, distraught but determined, lead Bear, Blade, James, John and the Howling Commandos.
They are portalled to the tunnels either side of the abandoned station. They Ancient One had seen that one side is protected by Deathwalker mages and the other by hybrids.
Adam's team are against the hybrids and Kaluu's against the mages.
Kaluu is a little rusty but improvises well, his team is well trained and they advance quickly.
Adam's team is finding it harder due to sheer numbers of hybrids, but they do slowly make progress. They take a defensive formation and shuffle along while Adam alternates between keeping a chasing pack at bay and clearing a path ahead. This method is ammo heavy for those without powers and there are a limited number of silver bullets. The variety of hybrids also makes it difficult as some fly and some crawl, and they attack in different ways. John asks to have his collar turned off as they need him at full strength. Adam reluctantly agrees and James turns off his brother so collar.
Attacks are now taking place across the world; were-panthers in Wakanda vs Dora Milaje, were-bears and were-wolves in Russia vs the People's Protectorate (https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/People%27s_Protectorate_(Earth-616)); were-sharks in Talokan vs Namor and his army etc.
Back in the tunnels, Kaluu's group reaches the platform. They see Lichidus reciting from the Darkhold as his mages sacrifice their prisoners (he wears the Talisman). Kaluu calls for him to stop.
Lichidus (stopping): You may interrupt the ritual but you cannot stop it.
Kaluu: I can stop you, permanently.
L (indicating the other tunnel): Your friends are close to their doom.
K: They would want me to save the universe rather than them. Do the right thing, no matter the cost.
L: Are you sure you can stop me before they are overwhelmed? As you will then be overwhelmed?
Quick cut to Adam's group, beset on all sides, mostly out of ammo. The Commandos are brandishing silver daggers and only use their pistols when they are in trouble. John is able to fend off hybrids when they get too close as he is immune to their bites. He is struggling to keep his blood lust under control; Blade has seen this and is struggling not to take him out too. Adam can't use a full blast as he might take out the whole tunnel.
Kaluu realises that Lichidus is right and takes his team (who think he's making a bad choice) to rescue Adam and Candace's team.
As Lichidus continues the ritual, they manage to trap the hybrids in the mirror dimension which is quite a feat as they are many. The sorcerers have to stay to keep them trapped.
Scores of Deathwalker troops and mages pour out from the platform exits and the battle restarts allowing Lichidus to continue with the ritual. He notices that it is beginning to take effect and encourages his cronies to spill more blood for Cthon.
We cut to Mount Wundagore where a portal opens and we see a faint likeness of Cthon in the blackness within.
Kaluu is beginning to get his confidence back and is dealing with the mages single handed, though he is thwarted in his attempts to get to Lichidus. Adam's team are making short work of the troops.
Lichidus confronts them with Kevin and Adam makes them all stand down.
As they're about to be captured Kaluu sneakily snips the Talisman from round Lichidus’ neck by quickly opening and closing a small portal. He then traps them all in the mirror dimension and they battle Lichidus and the Deathwalker mages and troops. He manages to keeps Kevin out of it to protect him, but Lichidus is formidable and takes all of Kaluu's attention. The other Kamar-Tajians are starting to tire and they can't keep their mirror dimension going and they are being overwhelmed by the hybrids, though they put up a fight.
Kevin realises what he has to do and smashes the Talisman on the floor saying “Do the right thing no matter the c-” as he disappears and his parents look on in horror. The hybrids are restored to human form and run into the tunnels away from the battle. They are portalled out by remaining sorcerers.
The battle scenes around the world see confusion as the hybrids return to their human (or Talokanil) state.
Adam, in his rage, rapidly takes out the other Deathwalkers. He is starting to build his power level. Kaluu binds Lichidus so he can't escape.
Lichidus appeals to Kaluu saying that he can have the Darkhold if he stops Adam. Kaluu will not ignore Kevin's sacrifice. Lichidus appeals to Blade saying the book contains the Montesi formula, a spell to destroy all vampires. Blade would rather fight vampires than demons.
Lichidus appeals to Bear saying he can tell her who she is. She says she would rather eat him.
Adam tells the other sorcerers to get everyone out and he brings the tunnel down on Lichidus, ending the ritual and closing the portal.
Adam protects Kaluu and brings him out too. It is a victory, but not a complete one.
Kevin is gone to goodness knows where in the universe.
Bear is not cured. The Ancient One hypothesises that she was hybridised so long ago that her dna has mutated and the bear is now part of her.
John is not cured as he was hybridized by Hydra without the talisman. Having had his collar switched off and subsequently broken he had gone feral during the battle and fed on many enemies. He is ashamed and runs away into the night.
Mid credits:- Blade is not sure he made the right choice. James insists he did, but Howard admits he was only close to a cure for vampire hybrids, not full vampires, so Blade will have to continue to do his thing. James offers to go along with him if Eric helps him track his brother down to see if Howard's cure will work. He agrees.
Post credits:- At Adam's base Peggy, some S.H.I.E.L.D. staff and the Ancient One are brainstorming ideas on where Kevin might have gone and how they might travel to find him. Howard (calling on his brand new video screen technology, which goes slightly awkwardly) says he he can get them up into space but is a good few years away from intergalactic travel. Adam says again if he travelled alone he might be able to travel fast enough…Candace replies there is no way she's leaving her boy out in the universe all alone. She insists there has to be a way. Kaluu says there is, according to the Darkhold…he volunteers to help Adam and Candace cross the universe to find Kevin, using the Dark Dimension. The Ancient One urges them not to let the Dark Dimension corrupt them, particularly Kaluu. He says that Kevin was the first person to treat him with dignity and respect for centuries, he will not let his standards drop again.
They gather equipment and supplies, say their goodbyes, are wished good luck and leave.
Peggy then approaches the Ancient One and wants to work more closely with Kamar-Taj. The Ancient One says, “Have you ever heard of the Runes of Kof-Kol?”, implying she is going to wipe S.H.I.E.L.D.’s memory of the battle.
NB:-
Regarding MichelleYeoh as the Ancient One instead of Tilda Swinton. There is nothing wrong with Swinton's acting, just reversing the ethnicity switch whilst keeping the gender switch. I can see that marvel were trying to avoid the magic asian/wise old man trope but you can't ditch an Asian character and make them white instead! This conversation will be revisited when we get to Iron Fist…
Also, I think Lichidus is underwritten in these two movies. So I may revisit this if I come up with any ways to improve that.
Possible adventures in space while looking for Kevin:
Herbert Wyndham (a very talented human scientist) expressed an interest in buying the Talisman from Kaluu, so they track him down. He had been commissioned (abducted from earth) by the Spartoi to terraform a planet as a waystation for their Empire. However, they did not care for his work and withdrew his commission so he decided to start his own terraforming business.
The team discover the Talisman was made by a being called Enitharmon who had told Herbert it could aid the terraforming process as a shortcut to genetic hybridisation to optimize things like plant growth and pest resistance.
The team will end up helping the woman who would become Meredith Quill escape her death sentence at the hands of the Spartax royal family. She is also part of the royal family.
Meredith and J'Sonn
Possibly Enitharmon? Rintrah?
Definitely Adam, Candace and Kaluu.
Also:- Union Jack and the Blade Series
Eric and James adventures as they stop vampires, thwart conspiracies and search for John. John is now calling himself Baron Blood.
Regularly featuring James’ children (Spitfire and Union Jack II).
Peggy will make at least one appearance
They will visit Bear, now calling herself Ursula. She has joined the People's Protectorate and we will get to meet that team.
There has to be a storyline about James wife (she was an Inhuman, but why did she run away? Where did she go?)
And Dracula has to get in there somewhere as well.
1970 Agents of Shield series 3
Episode 1:
We start with Magneto receiving a distress call from Mystique. He is not happy that she has found him, as this means the government can find him too. She says she has no one else to turn to. Charles is falling apart after losing his ability to walk, being betrayed by his best friend, losing his fiancée (Moira) and most of his young charges being drafted for the war. The Brotherhood is gone and everyone else is dead, drafted or after her. He reluctantly agrees and clandestinely goes to her location, a nearby dive bar. When he meets her, she charms him into momentarily letting his guard down. She immediately clamps a hidden power dampening collar on him. A squad of government enforcement agents with plastic rifles and rubber bullets cram into the bar followed by Dr Valerie Cooper.
Mystique: Did we pass?
Cooper: You apprehended the most dangerous mutant on the planet without bloodshed…you will be an asset to the team. Welcome aboard Raven.
Erik Lehnsherr, I am arresting you for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy…
Magneto (while Cooper continues): Why did you betray me?
Mystique (quietly): Erik, everything I said is true. You will be much safer where you're going.
Cut to Peggy in discussion with her team, which now consists of:
Howard Stark - R&D (and science)
Hank Pym - science (and R&D)
Jacqueline Falsworth - demolition, espionage
Brian Falsworth - combat, espionage
James Braddock - pilot, combat, espionage
Having been made aware of mutants through their battles with Fenris, Xavier's X-Gene theory and the events of First Class they are urged to look into the disappearance of Evangeline Whedon, a noted human rights lawyer who is secretly a mutant. She had been working for the U.N. when she vanished. The urging came from Moira McTaggart who has seen a number of her mutant contacts disappear.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. team head to the U.N. building in New York. They are interviewing building staff and diplomats and investigating Whedon's office. Stark and Pym have found singed carpet fibres in an otherwise immaculate office. The interviewees remember Whedon arriving that day but no one saw her leave.
Suddenly Valerie Cooper marches in with her men, and demands to know what they think they're doing. They explain who they are and why they're there. She tells them that the matter they are investigating is a matter of national security and is highly classified. Jacqui asks if that means they knew where Whedon was. Cooper repeats that it is highly classified and forces them to halt their investigation. Braddock goes to call Peggy. Stark and Pym get in an argument with Cooper's men who are trying to confiscate their gathered evidence and equipment. Forge, all suited and booted, tries to reach a compromise where the evidence is confiscated but not the equipment. Cooper is not keen.
In all the commotion, Jacqui is pulled aside by a diplomat and is told that he saw Whedon being taken away by Cooper and her team. Jacqui tries to encourage them to come forward but they are very reluctant and manage to break away and go round a corner. When Jacqui catches up there is only a young woman coming towards her.
Jacqui (to woman): Have you seen a gentleman come this way? Older gentleman, grey hair?
Woman (pointing to the stairwell): Oh, I saw a man duck through those doors there.
Jacqui (hurrying to the doors): Thank you Miss…?
Woman (calling after her): Darkhölme, Doctor Darkhölme.
Raven smiles to herself and goes to join Forge and Cooper.
The next day, Peggy is in a debrief with the team as Val is with hers.
We switch between them:
Peggy wants to know what happened to the mystery diplomat. Jacqui is still surprised that he was sprightly enough to get away from her.
******
Val, meanwhile, is telling off Forge for undermining her while she was trying to control the situation. Forge insists he was trying to calm things down so that they could get what they needed and leave without conflict. Val snaps that he shouldn't back down to a rival agency when there's so much at stake.
*****
Howard informs the team that the singed carpet fibres did not match the carpet in the office (he knows as the analysing machine had already finished before the samples were confiscated). And Brian had informally charmed Whedon's secretary and she confirmed that the office had been completely redecorated the day she disappeared.
*****
Forge: Would it be so bad if S.H.I.E.L.D. found out? We could cooperate, share resources…
Val: No. We cannot risk mutants becoming public knowledge. Not until we have the situation under control.
Irene Adler: Miss Whedon, you have been very quiet. It is you they're looking for after all.
Evangaline (now revealed as part of Val's team): Val, you know my feelings on the matter. I'd much rather go home.
Val: NO! You cannot go home. Not until we have-
Raven (interrupting): When will that be!
(Meeting descends into chaos)
*****
Peggy wonders if anybody found out what agency they were with, as they didn't show their badges. James believes, from their uniforms, that they were CIA. Peggy resolves to talk to President Nixon about it.
Pym is irate that his technology nearly fell into the CIA's hands. “Your technology?” queries Howard. They bicker over whose technology it is. (Meeting descends into chaos)
*****
A man wearing a dark green suit and glasses, and sporting a crop of bright orange hair enters the fray.
It is Henry Peter Gyrich.
Gyrich: Enough! Agent Cooper answers to me and my answer is also no! No one is going home, we are not cooperating with anyone and we will deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. when the time comes.
Now, more importantly, you have your new target.
Raven: Magneto isn't enough?
Gyrich: Oh Magneto was just the beginning…
*****
Peggy: Moira McTaggart has had a tip off about another target. We believe this man, known as Azazel, is next. He is known to S.H.I.E.L.D. from an attack on one of our U.S. bases in ‘62. Very dangerous, killed several agents. Also believed to have been part of a mutant terrorist organisation known as the Brotherhood. Believed to be hiding in Germany.
Howard (looking at his photograph on the projector screen): Shouldn't be too hard to spot.
*****
Gyrich dismisses everyone and reminds them that they will receive their assignments from Agent Cooper separately from now on and that information will be given on a need to know basis only, no more leaks! And vows that they will find the traitor, with warnings of dire consequences for them. Dr. Darkhölme does not leave and sits staring at the image on the projector screen.
Val: Something the matter Dr. Darkhölme?
Raven: I thought, as Miss Whedon is staying on base, I could complete her profile. I haven't had a chance to speak to her yet.
V (crouching next to Raven's seat, speaking quietly): I know you were once…close…with Azazel. But he's one of our most wanted. Very dangerous. And we can't bring him in without you.
R (also softly, looking down): I can't.
V: The deal was for the Brotherhood. All of them. So if you want that pardon…
Gyrich (noticing the furtive conversation): Problem, Darkhölme?
R (standing): No problem.
(Shoots Val a dirty look before she leaves)
Flashback to around a year earlier. We see Raven in an off the book, makeshift maternity suite. She is close to giving birth. The ‘doctor’ has the ‘nurse’ mop their brow. The medical team look nervous. An anxious Azazel paces the room.
Azazel: Is there a problem with the delivery?
‘Doctor’ (sweating and shifty): No, no problem.
A (to Raven): I don't like this, we're too exposed.
Raven (tersely): Where would you have me do this? Mm? On the stained linoleum floor of that crappy ‘safehouse’ apartment? The neighbours would have heard me screaming and called 911 on us.
A: This doctor seems nervous. What school did you say you graduated from anyway?
‘Doctor’ (shakily): I've been very honest with you. I told you I dropped out of medical school, but I can deliver babies. I've done it successfully 14 times.
A: How many times have you done it unsuccessfully?
R: Have you considered they may be nervous because there's a man who looks like a demon angrily questioning their credentials?
A: …
R: What normal hospital would let you stalk around the delivery room? I told you to disappear before we got here…
A: No way. I'm not leaving you. Not here with these Sapiens.
R: …and it's not like Eric gives us health insurance. I should never have reached out to you in the first place.
There is a disturbance down the hallway. Raven tells Azazel to go as she can pass as a Sapien but he obviously can't. He wants to take her but she doesn't want to risk teleportation with a baby still inside her.
He bampfs away just as Val Cooper and her agents burst into the room despite the protestations of the staff.
Val (brushing off a ‘nurse’): May I remind you that the only reason you aren't all being arrested for running an illegal maternity hospital is the information we were given.
I am pleased the information was good. But where is the demon?
‘Doctor’ (sheepishly): He left.
Raven (glaring at the doctor as she is cuffed and has a power dampening collar fitted): Azazel was right. It was you.
‘Doctor’ (sighs): Yes. They offered me a medical license and funding for a legitimate community clinic.
V: Do remember, there are to be no more mutants here. That was the deal.
‘Doctor’: Do remember that we are delivering a baby here! You were supposed to wait outside.
V: We couldn't risk an escape…do what you need to do.
The staff, trying to ignore the armed agents, and Raven successfully deliver the baby. The baby is blue, marked from birth as a mutant. Cooper offers to take care of the baby. Raven is having none of it and calls for Azazel. He bampfs in and grabs the baby, he tries to get to Raven but is met with lots of gun barrels pointing at him.
Kayla, a nurse, grabs Cooper by the back of the neck and tells her to point her own gun against her head. She is compelled to do so by Kayla's touch as she is a mutant too.
As Azael reaches out for Raven an agent sneaks up behind Kayla and snaps a collar on her. Cooper is released and lowers her weapon. In the confusion Raven screams at Azazel to leave with the baby. Reluctantly he does so.
Raven (both devastated and furious): You are lucky I still need medical treatment, otherwise I would have wiped the floor with your agents and dived through the window.
Val (to Raven): We'll make sure you get the care that you need.
Val (to ‘Doctor’): Any other mutants in here I should know about?
Our deal is now off, by the way.
Val (to agents): This nurse may be of interest to Stryker. Take them away.