TALES OF THE PENDRAGONS	Earth: 2020. Which corporation are you from?
#32
MARCH 2005 (Early 2020)	FEATURING: The original Death's Head and the Avenger League!

#32 - "(Martian) Man Hunt" Pt.2
Written and HTMLed by: Adrian J. Watts
Editor: Barry Reese

A DC Collision Tie-In
This issue is set between the original Death's Head (1980s) #9 and #10.

Previously...
Death's Head, bounty hunt - er, uh, 'Freelance Peacekeeping Agent' - was hired by Slade Wilson (the former vigilante known as Deathstroke and current head of the criminal organisation known as H.I.V.E.) to terminate the Martian Manhunter of the now-defunct Avenger League. After terminating the two-headed Quickflash, Death's Head tracked down the Manhunter at the League Lighthouse, the League's New York headquarters.

After a short battle, Death's Head proved victorious - until someone, or something, dropped a wall on him. Ouch.

Slade Wilson (H.I.V.E. Master)	Death's Head (Freelance Peacekeeping Agent)	J'onn J'onnz (Martian Manhunter)

Diana (Wonder Woman)	Monica Rambeau (Photon)	Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch)	Richard Grayson (Nightwing)	Kyle Rayner (Green Lantern)

League Lighthouse, Fifth Avenue, New York

The Green Lantern hovered over the wreckage of the half-destroyed League Lighthouse, his power ring still glowing and pointing in the general direction of Death's Head. The rocks, concrete, plaster and steel that buried the large mechanoid also bore an eery green glow, and it took only one short burst of the robot's electronic synapses to make the connection.

With a sudden burst of strength, Death's Head shook off the literal tonnes of wreckage and rose to his full height. His back was to the unmoving body of the Martian Manhunter, and before him, hovering a few feet higher than Death's Head's head was the Green Lantern. Death's Head could see more people approaching in the distance, but could not determine who they were yet.

The Green Lantern completely ignored Death's Head's movement as he surveyed the Lighthouse. He was shocked and horrified at the damage before him - the scattered bodies of private security, the two wrecked walls - but the artist within him also thought how tragically beautiful the scene was. His eyes finally came to rest on the Manhunter's body, half-buried beneath the collapsed walls.

"J'onn is... J'onn was my friend!" the Lantern shouted. "I don't know who you are, or why you would attack J'onn, but now it is time for you to answer to the Green Lantern!" The Lantern flexed his ring finger, and one of his ring's many powers came into use. A large, green construct appeared between the Green Lantern and Death's Head. Almost thirty feet tall, the gigantic mechanoid possessed many visible melee weapons on its body; and there were many more hidden within.

"Huh," Death's Head snorted. "Been bigger."

The giant robot struck. With its right fist it struck a massive blow against the ground, creating shockwaves that almost toppled a third wall of the Lighthouse. Death's Head deftly avoided the tremor, jumping, rolling, and withdrawing a long mace from his weapons cache. He landed in a squat, turned, and swung his mace against the left leg of the mechanoid... with little effect.

The large mechanoid stomped down with its left foot, trying to squash Death's Head beneath its heel. Death's Head rolled out of the way, but this time he could not avoid the shockwave - more debris tumbled down, and a piece of adamantium-reinforced concrete pierced his leg. He rolled onto his back in time to see the robot make another approach; but this time, he also noticed the Green Lantern, concentrating hard on controlling his creation.

Before the robot could strike, Death's Head raised his laser rifle once again and fired on the Green Lantern. The hero staggered and, for a moment, lost control of his mystically-empowered mechanoid. He recovered quickly, and this time attacked with even more ferocity. A green boot dropped toward Death's Head, but not before it was entangled in a golden lasso.

"Huh - ?" Death's Head wondered. A blast of golden energy struck the robot's torso, making it sway backwards - and it was only Kyle Rayner's quick thinking, uncreating the robot before it fell, that stopped it from crushing the Martian Manhunter completely. The golden energy began to take on a humanoid form, and in moments a woman, garbed in a black and white costume, hovered alongside the Green Lantern.

"Are you mad, Rayner?!" she cried. "If J'onn is still alive, then you could have killed him!"

"I... I didn't think," the Lantern replied. "Sorry, Monica."

Death's Head noticed that, for the second time since arriving in 2020, he was being ignored. He watched on in disbelief, even as he heard the rumbling of a motorcycle speeding toward him. He turned at the last minute, aimed his laser rifle at the bike, and fired. The motorcycle exploded in a large fireball, but a dark figure could be seen silhouetted against the flames. The figure struck, kicking Death's Head in the center of the chest before landing gracefully on the ground.

"Ouch, yes?" Death's Head mocked. He picked up his assailant with one hand and dangled him above the wreckage. "Don't know what this is all about, right? Don't really care, either. Manhunter's dead, I'm off to get paid."

"You're not going anywhere, monster," a woman's voice said from behind Nightwing's hanging form. The golden lasso that had toppled the Green Lantern's construct lashed out again, this time wrapping around Death's Head's forearm. Shoving hard with his feet against the mechanoid's chest, Nightwing tried to pry himself free - and although he was unsuccessful, Death's Head dropped him in order to free himself for combat.

Death's Head used his free hand to take hold of a large chaingun from his weapons cache, which he pointed in the direction of his assailant. He pressed the trigger, and a continuous volley of bullets screamed toward the lasso-wielding woman wearing a red and gold girdle. She raised her arms to shield her body, and each of the several dozen bullets struck two metal bracelets on her arms. The projectiles ricocheted in all directions, so Death's Head lowered the angle of his weapon and fired at her feet. The woman took flight, still holding her lasso.

"Good job, Wonder Woman!" the woman composed of golden energy cried out. "Let's use attack 4-C!"

Death's Head was bombarded with blinding light as Monica Rambeau wrapped her photonic form around his body. He could not see, and physical attacks were useless against a being composed entirely of light. He tried to step away from her but she kept with him, until Wonder Woman flew straight at him, hidden behind the light, and struck with the full force of her superhuman strength. Death's Head staggered, but didn't fall.

"What does it take to stop this guy?" Nightwing asked.

"Hopefully little more than this!" Wonder Woman cried, but didn't seem to do anything. She was, in fact, utilising a rarely-seen ability of her magical lasso - she was reaching into Death's Head's mind, compelling him to reveal his own weaknesses so that the Avenger League could exploit them.

Death's Head felt Diana, through the lasso, prodding the part of his electronic mind that controlled his ability to lie. He'd felt a similar sensation only once before, in another time, another place - when he summoned all of his mighty will to hold back the Chaosbringer, an entity determined to transform an entire world into his body. That battle had caused Death's Head to be tossed, helpless - well, as helpless as Death's Head can be - into the timestream.

Death's Head doubted such a consequence would come of fighting Wonder Woman. He concentrated, and repelled her intrusive consciousness back along the lasso, and with a powerful shove he forced her back into her own mind. The force was enough to make her stagger, swoon, and finally collapse.

"Diana!" the Green Lantern shouted. "You'll pay for that, you - "

Death's Head was still bound by the lasso. He swung it himself, and wrapped the other end around the Green Lantern's torso. He continued to swing and then pulled the Lantern down to Earth - hard.

"Kyle..." Monica Rambeau whispered.

Nightwing reached for his back and withdrew a pair of telescopic battle staves. He used one to vault himself toward Death's Head and, while in the air, he swung the other so that it connected hard with the side of the robot's face. He then swung himself around, and connected both staves with Death's Head's back. He brought the two staves together, connecting them to form a staff, and brought it against the back of the mechanoid's legs.

While the blows were not strong enough to have any real impact on Death's Head, Nightwing was fast and agile enough, from his childhood spent training as an acrobat, to keep from Death's Head's grasp. After many minutes of dancing around, Nightwing used his staff to fend off one of Death's Head's arms, withdrew a tazer, and applied it to the robot's face. The electrical impulses scattered Death's Head's thoughts, and he staggered - but only for a moment.

Enraged, Death's Head grabbed both of Dick Grayson's arms and hoisted him off the ground.

"Snap you like a twig, yes?" Death's Head snarled.

"No!" Death's Head didn't bother to turn around to see who had spoken, but Monica and Nightwing could see Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Switch, standing behind the mechanoid in full glory. Her crimson cloak was wrapped around her body, making her appear isolated and aloof, but there was fury in her eyes the likes of which most of the Avenger League never thought they would see.

The Scarlet Witch had spent the last five years as the disciple of Dr. Strange, studying the control of the elemental magicks accessible through Earth's gaian aura. However, by 2020 the Earth was so dominated by science and so polluted that the elemental magick had been weakened and the aura was full of fear and anger that was transferred into Wanda whenever she tapped into it.

"I will stop you, now," the Scarlet Witch said. She freed one hand from her cloak and incanted gracefully, causing two thick stone pillars to rise on either side of Death's Head. The four pillars began to move toward him, but the mechanoid simply punched his way free of them. As he approached Wanda, Monica thought that he looked almost disappointed that she had not attacked with more force.

"Wanda!" Monica shouted. "Use your ability to alter reality - take him to the Dark Dimension!"

"Very well!" the Witch sneered. "If that is what it takes!" She raised her hands above her head and began to gesture - but suddenly, she began to fail faint. "I -- I -- I... can't..." She swooned, staggered, and collapsed in a heap.

Death's Head shook his head. "Hrn. I didn't even touch that one."

Looks like it is up to me, Photon thought as Death's Head turned to face her.

"Cease this battle." A voice that sounded strikingly like that of the Martian Manhunter said simply. "It serves no purpose."

Both Monica and Death's Head turned toward the Lighthouse and saw, standing near the body of J'onn J'onnz, a red android with a yellow arrow on its forehead, garbed in a blue cape and white cloak.

"The Red Tornado!" Monica cried. "But you're dead!"

"The Red Tornado is dead," the android said, "but I am not the Red Tornado. I am the Martian Manhunter, and I think I know a way we can all be happy."

Inside the remains of the Lighthouse

An hour had passed, and the Avenger League had recovered after being tended to by Photon and the Martian Manhunter. They now, along with Death's Head, sat around a large conference table, with the Martian Manhunter at its head.

"I believe I know a way in which we can all be satisfied," he began. "The - "

"Wait a minute," Nightwing interrupted. "I want to know what you're doing alive and in the body of the Tornado."

The Martian Manhunter looked at the ground, then up at his former teammate. "When Death's Head struck, I transferred my brain engrams back into the mansion's computer system. There, I instantaneously studied all information on J'onn J'onnz, before transferring my brain engrams once more into the Red Tornado's inert body. Now, although I am made of metal, I feel more like the Martian Manhunter than I did in his own body."

Nightwing frowned.

"May I continue?" J'onn asked. "Thank you. Yesterday, I attacked an Advanced Idea Mechanics convoy shipping a prototype device for the HIVE. I obtained the device and brought it back here. I was going to use it when Death's Head interrupted me - I have since tried to use it and found that it does not work."

"What was it?" the Green Lantern asked.

"That is unimportant," J'onn remarked. "I suspect that Death's Head was employed by Slade Wilson to terminate me for taking possession of the device. Now I have a plan. Death's Head is a bounty hunter - "

"Freelance Peacekeeping Agent."

" - Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, and I am sure he will work with us for the right price. Say... one million credits?"

Death's Head's cybernetic eyes lit up, and Monica could have sworn that she actually saw dollar signs appear inside his pupils.

"I suggest that Death's Head returns my body to Slade Wilson in order to claim the bounty. He may also take the device, which I'm sure will grant him an extra reward. With Death's Head's assistance, we can then capture Wilson, and Death's Head can take the reward money for the villain's capture."

"I guess that would work," Nightwing commented. The Martian Manhunter retrieved his corpse and handed it to Death's Head.

"Kyle, if you can take the device, then we can go."

Slade Employment Services, New York

"Good work, Death's Head!" Slade Wilson remarked as the mechanoid burst into his office with the Manhunter's body. "If you would just see my secretary on the way out, she will credit your account." Death's Head turned to leave.

klick.

Death's Head whirled around and, as he expected, came face-to-face with a large laser rifle. "Predictable," he muttered. Suddenly, the Avenger League smashed their way in and surrounded Deathstroke.

"One move, heroes, and the robot is fried," Deathstroke said.

"Doubtful, yes?" Death's Head grabbed the villain's gun and twisted it like so much tinfoil. He struck out at Wilson, but missed as the evildoer rolled under his desk.

"Say goodbye, heroes!"

Within moments the room was bathed in fire. Deathstroke had climbed out of a hole in the roof, and the Avenger League was barely safeguarded by a forcefield set up by the Green Lantern.

"Death's Head, Manhunter!" Nightwing cried. "Come with me! We'll get Deathstroke! Kyle, Wanda, Monica, Diana - look after the people in this building!" The Manhunter grabbed Nightwing and, using his ability to fly, went off in pursuit of Deathstroke. "Death's Head? Come on!"

He shook his head and raised his rifle. There were two less Leaguers.

"Kyle!" Wanda screamed.

"I'm distracted here, Wanda!" he replied, as strengthened his forcefield against Death's Head. "I can't bring down the forcefield to let us out like I did for Dick without the fire getting in."

"I don't care about that! Something else is wrong! Reality... I tried to manipulate it before, as I had a thousand times before, but there was something different, something emanating from us!"

"We'll worry about that later, Wanda," Wonder Woman said. "Kyle, take down the forcefield. Photon can take Wanda to safety, while we fight Death's Head."

The forcefield came down. "Kyle, let's - Kyle?"

Wonder Woman turned, and all that she could make out was the Green Lantern and the Scarlet Witch, side-by-side, holding the HIVE device and surrounded by a sparkling blue mist.

"Photon, get them out of there!"

Photon converted to photonic energy, but even at the speed of light she could not reach her comrades before they disappeared. She turned back to Death's Head. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," he replied. "Yet." He fired again, taking out Wonder Woman. Photon got away.

The corridor outside Slade Wilson's Office

"You're the secretary, yes?" Death's Head asked.

A petit woman, dressed like a librarian and with her hair in a tight bun looked at the mechanoid. "Don't worry about the fire," she said. "Damage Control is already en route."

"Don't care about the fire," Death's Head said, brandishing the heads of Nightwing, the Red Tornado, and Wonder Woman. "You once said something about a bounty...?"

Feel free to send comments, questions and concerns to bella1@netspace.net.au

March 25, 2005