Ben Raab

Collects The Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011) 1st Series #109, 120-121 and 139-140; Machine Man (1978-1981 1st Series) #19; Marvel Two-in-One (1974-1983 1st Series) #83-84; The Incredible Hulk (1962-1999 1st Series) #272, #313 and The Incredible Hulk (1962-1999 1st Series) ANNUAL #8; Alpha Flight (1983-1994 1st Series) #1-29; X-Men/Alpha Flight (1985) #1-2; X-Men/Alpha Flight (1998) #1-2; and material from Marvel Team-Up (1972-1985) Annual #7.

"Paranormal Activity" Part 1 of 2. After the shocking events of The Crossing, Earth's Mightiest Heroes finally have a chance to settle down and look forward to the future. But the air of mistrust created by Iron Man's betrayal still lingers inside their Fifth Avenue townhouse. When a mysterious cyborg prowls the mansion's hallways late at night, the tension among the heroes only rises! Who is picking off the Avengers one by one? Could it be Madame Masque? Or perhaps another rogue teammate? In the meantime, Deathcry (and Hercules) blast off towards the moon in hopes of finding a way back home! Cameo appearance by Empress Lilandra. Avengers Lineup: Black Widow, Crystal, Deathcry, Hawkeye, Hercules, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Quicksilver, Vision, and the Wasp.

"Trust" Part 2 of 2. Benedict stalks the hallways of Avengers Mansion! Who? A bizarre robotic construct that's knocking out one avenger after another! Wanda, Pietro, and the Vision are down! And Thor and Crystal are missing! So who's left to bear down on Benedict? The Black Widow and Masque corner the strange creature in the sub-basement and try to discover its secret! Meanwhile on the moon, Deathcry and Hercules decide to continue their journey to the Shi'ar throneworld. Cameo appearances by Captain America and Jarvis. Avengers Lineup: Black Widow, Crystal, Deathcry, Giant-Man, Hawkeye, Hercules, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Quicksilver, Vision, and the Wasp. (Notes: Hercules and Deathcry depart the Avengers after this issue. They appear next in the one-shot: Incredible Hulk--Hercules Unleashed. Hercules also appears in X-Men (1st series) #59. Masque and Benedict return in Avengers (3rd series) #32.)

Book Market Steve Epting Sersi And The Avengers Cover

Collects Avengers (1963-1996 1st Series) #343-344 and 348-375, Avengers (1963-1996 1st Series) Annual #22, Avengers Strikefile (1994), X-Men (1991-2008 1st Series) #26, Avengers West Coast (1985-1994) #101, The Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011 1st Series) #307, Black Knight: Exodus (1996), and Avengers Anniversary Magazine (1993). One of the most shocking stories in Avengers history! When the Swordsman returns from the dead with the mysterious Magdalene by his side, a sprawling saga begins - and at its heart stands the shadowy Proctor! What is his great secret? Who are his mysterious Gatherers? And what do they want with the Vision, the Black Knight and the Eternal known as Sersi? Meanwhile, the Avengers deal with Kree terrorists, the Legion of the Unliving and a traitor in their midst - as the Black Knight finds himself torn between Sersi and his teammate Crystal! And can the X-Men help the Avengers stop a mutant/human civil war before Proctor begins his final gathering?

Direct Market Steve Epting Poster Variant Cover

Collects Avengers (1963-1996 1st Series) #343-344 and 348-375, Avengers (1963-1996 1st Series) Annual #22, Avengers Strikefile (1994), X-Men (1991-2008 1st Series) #26, Avengers West Coast (1985-1994) #101, The Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011 1st Series) #307, Black Knight: Exodus (1996), and Avengers Anniversary Magazine (1993). One of the most shocking stories in Avengers history! When the Swordsman returns from the dead with the mysterious Magdalene by his side, a sprawling saga begins - and at its heart stands the shadowy Proctor! What is his great secret? Who are his mysterious Gatherers? And what do they want with the Vision, the Black Knight and the Eternal known as Sersi? Meanwhile, the Avengers deal with Kree terrorists, the Legion of the Unliving and a traitor in their midst - as the Black Knight finds himself torn between Sersi and his teammate Crystal! And can the X-Men help the Avengers stop a mutant/human civil war before Proctor begins his final gathering?

The Story starts with Colossus and Meggan in a hotel in France when Colossus picks her up and jumps off the balcony and turns to metal before hitting the ground as a joke. They then discover the theme park they are going to is closed. Later Colossus bumps into who he thinks is an old friend. She poisons Meggan and then Colossus and kidnaps them in an ambulance. It is revealed that she is Miss Locke. They are taken to Arcade's Murderworld, when Colossus wakes up he finds himself in a room with the Acolytes (although he doesn't know they are robots). Suddenly he is in space and Meggan is floating around dead or unconscious. When he grabs her they appear in front of a burning house. Colossus' home. He puts Meggan down and rushes in. When Meggan wakes up she puts out the fire and goes in to look for Colossus. She discovers a robotic form of him as The Proletarian, the real Colossus destroys him and has figured out it is Arcade doing these things. Arcade and Colossus make a deal and when Meggan wakes up, she and Colossus are on a roller coaster going towards spikes, Arcade then approaches in a war suit and attacks them but Colossus apparently kills him by pushing him in quicksand, the two heroes then fall in as well. It is then revealed that they faked their deaths to avoid being killed by Black Air and the two return home to Britain.

The X-Men's lethal lovers in their own limited series, spinning out of storylines established in Uncanny X-Men #329-330 and Excalibur #107-110! The telepath known as Psylocke has found her own body transformed by the mysterious Crimson Dawn. Likewise, the high-flying Angel is adjusting to the shocking return of his wings! With their relationship on the rocks, Betsy Braddock and Warren Worthington III must face threats from both within and without!

Betsy Braddock and Warren Worthington, the lethal lovers known as Psylocke and Archangel, reach a crucial point in their relationship. Too bad Obsideon picks this moment to strike! Streaking out of Uncanny X-Men continuity, this limited series promises to concretely change Psylocke and Archangel! Written by Ben Raab. Art and cover by Salvador Larroca and Art Thibert. Cover price $2.50

The shadowy Ultimate Undercloak wants to replace Psylocke, and if the mystical mite known as Gomurr can't help Archangel, she'll die! Written by Ben Raab. Art and cover by Salvador Larroca and Art Thibert. Cover price $2.50.

The conclusion to the X-Men's lethal lovers' limited series! Truth...and consequences! Will their love survive, or will the Psylocke that Archangel knows be lost forever? Written by Ben Raab. Art and cover by Salvador Larroca and Art Thibert. Cover price $2.50.

In a secret underground facility, Henry Peter Gyrich pays a visit to the captive Milo Thurman, who is playing with dominoes and reading Dante. Thurman warns him that all empires eventually fall, but Gyrich orders him to use his powers to discover shifts in paranormal balance, or else be executed. After Gyrich leaves, Thurman is approached by Lady Deathstrike.

In Brazil, a bikini-clad Domino is enjoying some relaxation during Carnival, but is soon attacked in a side alley by the cybernetically enhanced dwarf Pico, whom she quickly subdues. Just then she is approached by an old friend, Puck. He calls her Neena, but she says she goes by Beatrice now. Puck tells her about Milo Thurman being imprisoned, and Domino resolves to break him out, confessing that Thurman is a former lover.

Elsewhere, Gyrich discovers that Thurman is missing from his cell. Later, Domino breaks into the facility to free Thurman, neutralizing several guards and destroying two Mandroids. Once inside, she is shocked to find dead bodies everywhere. Hoping to find Thurman, Domino instead finds him missing and runs into Lady Deathstrike instead, who vows to kill her.

Lady Deathstrike leaps to attack Domino, who blasts her repeatedly with little effect. Domino pulls out two thermite grenades; Deathstrike bats them away, but thanks to Domino’s luck powers, they ricochet right back and explode at Deathstrike’s feet, knocking Domino free from her grip and leaving a crater in the ground. Hoping Thurman is still alive, Domino picks up his abandoned copy of Dante and rushes out of the room.

She flashes back to when she first met him, when she was employed as security in this same facility. Thurman was held there because of his ability to see trends in the past and thus predict future events. He calls her Beatrice, and also Domino, and though she doesn’t like him at first, eventually the two fall in love.

Elsewhere, in a secret Canadian Weapon X facility, Donald Pierce and Skullbuster oversee the effort to turn the kidnapped Milo Thurman into a cyborg.

Domino sets a device to blow up the whole facility where Thurman had been kept, and she regrets not coming back sooner to rescue him. Suddenly Lady Deathstrike attacks her again, having survived the previous explosion in a stripped-down cybernetic form. They battle, with Lady Deathstrike getting the upper hand, and both are seemingly caught in the explosion. In fact, however, to her own surprise, Domino wakes up in the Canadian Weapon X bunker, in the presence of Donald Pierce.

Domino is horrified to see that Pierce is turning Milo Thurman into a cyborg; he says that Domino herself will be next. Once Thurman’s mind has been extracted from its mortal form, Pierce plans to use his predictive powers for his own purposes. Domino tries to fight him but is immediately overpowered. Pierce also recounts how he survived his apparent demise at the hands of Trevor Fitzroy and the Sentinel attack in Uncanny X-Men #281. As Milo wakes up and sees Domino and cries out for her, Pierce orders Lady Deathstrike (now in her regular form again) Skullbuster to take her to the chamber where she will be turned into a cyborg.

Milo reflects on the last time he saw Domino; when the government facility where he was housed was attacked by AIM agents hoping to kidnap him. Domino fought them off but instead of running away as she ordered, he stayed to watch her fight, and (so he believd) watched her die in an explosion.

Domino is put into a chamber where she is suspended above an acid bath, but her harness fortuitously malfunctions, allowing her to free herself. When Deathstrike and Skullbuster rush into the room to find her, she kicks them both into the acid. Arming himself with hi-tech blasters, she finds Pierce and blasts him. With over half his memories already downloaded and wiped from his physical body. Thurman says it’s too late to free him, and Domino reluctantly agrees. She sets another bomb and prepares to destroy the facility, thinking of Thurman and Cable, the two men in her life that she has loved. Pierce recovers and plugs his mind back into the mainframe, allowing him to survive the huge explosion that follows.