The Bibliomancer

In a flashback, Doctor Demonicus addressed the UN General Assembly, reiterating his pledge to share Demonica's sea floor mineral wealth with all nations and thanking the UN for showing acceptance to a world leader so facially disfigured.

Annnnnd things started off well. That's why we haven't heard from the Pacific Overlords since their arc. The Overlords weren't happy about Demonicus giving shit away but decided not to question him as long as they got plenty of shit too.

But one day, Doctor Demonicus wandered off to explore a newly discovered cave and when he came back hours later, he had changed.

He began to push the work crews harder to open Demonica International Airport so people could start emigrating to the island. Doctor Demonicus was apparently accepting mostly criminals? I think that's what's implied. And the UN had some Concerns about this but Doctor Demonicus got pissed that the UN was criticizing how he grew his population so renounced his minerals pledge.

And then Demonica got more aggressive with recruitment.

A Demonica aircraft tracks down and attacks a UN airliner. Pacific Overlord Kain uses his technopathy to take control of the other airplane so it can't get away. Then the Pacific Overlords storm the plane and fight the Wakandan guards.

And it turns out that this plane is carrying Klaw (master of sound) who Doctor Demonicus really, really wants to recruit for Demonica.

In fact, Doc Demonicus appoints Klaw Vice-President of Demonica.

To Kuroko's chagrin.

I mean, it's weird, innit! First of all, the rest of the Pacific Overlords have been loyal henchmen this entire time. Shouldn't they get a nod before Doctor Demonicus goes headhunting outside Demonica? But, also, in addition, Jawbreaker and Cybertooth are way too cool with this development. When Doctor Demonicus promised to share Demonica's mineral wealth, they had muttered that their better be enough left for them to get wealthy. So why would they be cool with some outsider etting the second banana job?

Also, Jawbreaker and Cybertooth have started wearing little devices on their foreheads and Kuroko thinks it's related.

Kain agrees that the two are too ambitious and resentful to be cool about things. But then Doctor Demonicus calls him on an errand.

To the mysterious cave.

Kuroko invisibly follows in secret.

Inside the cave, Doctor Demonicus and Klaw bring Kain to a strange altar, do a strange ritual, andp lace one of those strange devices on Kain's brow.

This place was a chunk of the sea floor not so long ago. How does it have strange lore? Or does that make it more likely for it to have strange lore?

Anyway.

Doctor Demonicus commands an entranced Kain to be totally subservient to him but to otherwise act as he did before. Then the doctor turns his attention to Kuroko, who he totally knew was there. He gave her powers. Of course he has a way around them. And she is the last Pacific Overlord "not yet initiated."

Doctor Demonicus sends a weird dragon-y snake-y creature to attack Kuroko (that's why she looked so beat up last issue) but she manages to smack it away and run to one of the airplanes.

The dragon-y snake-y creature pursued Kuroko even after she took off. It latched onto the side of the plane and started trying to chew through the hull.

Kuroko pitched the plane up to ascend to where the oxygen is thin until the creachur peeled off and fell to Earth.

Then, Kuroko passed out from her injuries after managing to set the autopilot to take her to Cali-for-ni-i-a to get help from the Avengers West Coast.

Because! They're the only ones Kuroko knows that have the power to bring Doctor Demonicus to his sense. Presumably through punching.

Scarlet Witch says they'll need to verify the story with the UN.

And Spider-Woman also has made some moves! She brought in a ringer! Not about this situation. Just because the Avengers West are low on muscle with Wonder Man and Iron Man off the team.

Spider-Woman doesn't have the contact info of a lot of other superheroes. She hung out with them in Secret Wars and she was a member of Freedom Force but in the former she didn't get contact info and in the latter they suck.

Buuuut. She did meet someone during an Annual issue! And they've kept in touch.

ITS CHA BOY, DARKHAWK!

Spider-Woman booked a plane ticket to have him flown out to California from New York.

Iiiiiiii'm not sure how long term this is going to be. Chris has a life back in New York. School and family. He can't exactly commute cross-country every day.

But still: guest-star, guest star!

The roster of Avengers West Coast has been somewhat more static than the Avengers East Coast because there's just slimmer pickings in California.

Anyway, Darkhawk mentions that Spider-Woman said that Iron Man is inactive but that he saw Iron Man on the news when he was at the airport. He's fighting Battledroids or something.

The Avengers rush over to the communications center (because it has the biggest screen, I guess?) and turn on the news.

Iron Man is indeed on the news (in issue #290 of his own book), fighting Battledroids. Red and gold Iron Man. The news also announces, hey, Tony Stark was announced Not Dead a short time ago.

I guess the Tony is dead plot wrapped up pretty quickly off on its own.

Kuroko asks what any of this has to do with the subplot that she's concerned with.

And then Kuroko is hit by, she's struck by, a surprise ambush.

GET BETTER SECURITY, AVENGERS.

Specifically, new Vice-President of Demonica Klaw and Morning Star, formerly from the Bogatyri.

Morning Star: "We too are here on a lawful mission to take a Demonican citizen back to her homeland." Klaw: "Stand aside -- or there will be a very nasty international incident -- which your heirs will learn about via television."

Darkhawk leaps into action... but doesn't really get the context of what's going on here.

US Agent: "Klaw's an old sparring partner of the Fantastic Four -- and the gal is Izvestia Sandinista -- that's Russian for 'Morning Star'!"

He got her name almost completely wrong. It's Zvezda Dennista. She has to correct him but he just Uno Reverses that correction into claiming her name is MUD before tackling her.

Spider-Woman psy-webs Klaw but he just calls them cobwebs and sound blasts through them.

So in terms of pokemon-style typing, Sound beats Psychic.

Darkhawk swoops in to save Spider-Woman from getting sonic'd by chest blasting Klaw.

And Morning Star really wants to kick US Agent's ass.

Morning Star: "You are the one I most wanted to battle, U.S. Agent -- to prove that a Soviet super-being can defeat one symbolic of America!" US Agent: "If we'd gone one-on-one the first time we met, 'comrade' -- you'd have learned how our personal Olympics would turn out -- way back in the wilds of Northern Canada!"

US Agent is talking a lot of shit for a guy that almost got drowned by the Bogatyri.

Agent throws a rock at Morning Star but she just energy blasts it away.

Meanwhile, Darkhawk gets off-paneled by Klaw. Alas.

Klaw: "That should show you, you armored buffoon -- why I have been called the 'Murderous Master of Sound'! The source of the 'master' sobriquet, you have just witnessed. Now, with regard to the 'murderous' part..."

Spider-Woman returns the earlier favor Darkhawk paid her by telling Klaw to get away from the guest-star.

Klaw basically goes 'pfft' because her webs are no match for his cool sounds.

But it's cool. She's not going to use webs. She's going to use a Mortal Kombat special move.

She kicks him in the face and then grabs his neck with her legs and does him a flip slam.

But, alas. Morning Star was actually staying on task and while everyone else was fucking around, she managed to grab Kuroko and jumps into the escape airship.

Klaw grumbles that he didn't get to smash Spider-Woman. Presumably in the 'defeated in battle' sense but jumps to the ship and the Demonica team takes off.

US Agent decides Fuck This. They don't have any Quinjets? They'll just go and grab one from Stark International and to hell with the red tape! The Avengers aren't allowed to invade a UN member nation because of their charter? Fuck the charter! Laws mean nothing compared to US Agent really, really wanting to beat up a Russian woman.

Scarlet Witch convinces him to at least wait until she can contact the UN in New York on the hotline the Avengers have for contacting the UN directly.

Phone: "Good afternoon. Bonjour. Dobri dyehn. Ni hao. Kennishi wa. Buenos tardes. Buon giorno. This is the office of the Secretary General. Can you hold?" Scarlet Witch: "No! I'm afraid I can't! This is --" Phone: "Thank you. Merci. Spasheeba..." Scarlet Witch: "I can't believe it! An answering machine just put me on hold!"

US Agent's way it will be then.

Agent, HawkGoliath, and Mockingbird borrow the Rover airship that Dr Pym left behind and fly off to Stark International.

Meanwhile, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Woman, and Darkhawk stay at the Avengers Compound so Wanda can continue to not get anyone on the line.

I thought hotlines were supposed to be direct lines. Geez.

Over at Stark International, many things are on fire. The buildings are on fire. And Rover is under fire by the Battledroids. A stray shot hits the ant-brained airship and sends it crashing to the ground.

Also, US Agent continues to be a dick. Specifically at Hawkeye/Goliath and specifically about Hawkliath bringing his bow and arrows despite having the power of big currently.

When Rover gets shot down and the Battledroids start coming towards the Avengers, US Agent says that Hawkeye should wave his bow and arrow because that will really scare them. And when Hawkeye doesn't immediately shoot any arrows, US Agent asks if he's waiting until he can see the whites of their eyes. Because, y'know, they're robots. They don't have eye whites.

What HawkGoliath was waiting for was for the Battledroids to be close enough to get a bunch of them with an electro-arrow to confuse their robot brains.

Mockingbird reminds Clint not to grow too big. Remember how that didn't turn out well during the Goliath on Goliath fight?

Goliath: "Yeah, hon -- but if I don't go full-size this time -- there may not be a next time!"

And he grows big enough to cross the Battledroids under his fist.

Dammit, Clint. You're going to end up with one of those Hank Pym specific health problems from staying big too long.

Mockingbird tells him to just be careful. And she's so busy worrying about him that a Battledroid almost gets the drop on her. But she wrestles its blasting arm to make it shoot itself.

Pretty cool, Bobbi.

US Agent, decapitating a Battledroid: "'Battledroid', huh? Well, we took care of Ultron and his seven-foot War Toy -- and you clowns aren't even made out of adamantium! There! Now let's see what happens when you lose your head!"

And then he promptly gets shot by the decapitated Battledroid and has to be caught mid-air by Goliath.

Goliath: "You had to ask, huh, glory boy? Go on -- say it!" US Agent: "Okay. Thanks." Goliath: "You're welcome."

And with that grudging politeness and the Battledroids out of the way, the Avengers go to steal/borrow a Quinjet.

Meanwhile,

Kain and Cybertooth hijack an airliner that strayed too close to Demonica airspace.

Apparently a significant airliner because Dr Demonicus cryptically states "It is begun!" when he gets news of the capture.

And the next time box teases "Operation: Pacific Storm!" before calling it a joke.

I guess that the then current consensus had Operation: Galactic Storm as something tiresome? Similar jokes were made about Maximum Carnage after it was published.

ANYWAY.

We're sticking with Avengers West Coast until the end of this Demonica story. Infinity Crusade is coming, alarums, but we have the rest of this arc, an annual, and a bunch of Avengers East Coast to get through before that.