(1st story)
Captain America has been turned into a werewolf. Still possessing most of his human intelligence and many of the attributes that make him the embodiment of the fighting spirit of America, he tries to save his companion, Doctor Druid, from lending his life’s blood to a pagan ritual of empowerment. However, due in great part to the pack of werewolves that fill this sanctuary, he is too late. Doctor Druid’s blood drenches the glistening moon-gem in the basin as if to consecrate it. Then the gem is placed to the throat of Druid’s mortal nemesis, Dredmund Cromwell, and lunacy reigns.
As he places the blood drenched moon-gem in his neck, Dredmund exclaims that the pain is exquisite. He is wracked by forces that originate beyond this earthly plane. They’re changing him, unleashing his… ultimate self. Let mankind beware! The energies of this mysterious stone, immersed in the blood of prey, and shaped by his own considerable occult mastery, has transformed him. He has become like unto a force of nature, a triune entity, god and man and beast in one. He is Dredmund no more… call him Starwolf!
Turning his attention to his followers, Starwolf tells them to arise. There is nothing Captain America can do against them now that he is empowered. He wishes to have words with him. Face to face with Cap-Wolf, Starwolf tells him to gaze upon him. Surely in his lupine state, he can sense the sheer animalistic energy emanating from his new form. Cap thinks – Yes… feel great power about him… but cannot let that deter me. He is menace… must be brought down! Challenging him, Starwolf tells Cap that he wishes to test his power for himself. Very well, be that way. Just then, Cap leaps at Starwolf but is knocked away with ease by Starwolf’s fist. Starwolf proceeds to tell Cap that he is nothing compared to him. He is the ultimate man-wolf. He is a mere product of abnormal chemicals. Before he crashes into a nearby boulder, Cap thinks – Moved so fast… not see him strike. Can’t recover my…
Standing triumphant, Starwolf addresses his congregation and tells that to lift their voices together and rejoice. Rejoice in their animalness, their oneness with nature, their superiority to tamed man. Civilization is a decadent state of being. Wilderness is the natural way of things. Together they will free this planet from the degradation humanity has inflicted upon it, turn it back to nature. He bids them now to rend Captain America limb from limb. Only when they have spilled blood will they know the glory of their savage heritage.
At that moment, Starwolf orders them to get him! Picking himself up off the ground, Cap thinks – Groggy… but must move! Effort… exhausting. Need time to clear head… rest hurt muscles. Using the strength he has left, Cap is able to leap onto the boulder that is keeping Doctor Druid captive. Starwolf points out to his followers how weak Cap is, how he flees from them. If he is not brave enough to face them, perhaps flaying the body of his shackled friend will trigger his courage. Perched on the boulder, Cap thinks – Must face them, cannot let them… what? Hurling toward me… shiny disc… my shield!
Just then, Jack Russell, Wolfsbane, and a number of other werewolves burst into the church. Jack, who tossed Cap’s shield to him, tells Cap that it looks like he needs some help there. Cap recognizes them as the wolves from the pit he led to freedom. They are prepared to help him battle to ensure their liberty against the ones who oppressed them. After he breaks the chains holding Druid captive, Cap heads to see if Druid is alive as the wolves from the pit engage Starwolf’s followers in battle.
Meanwhile, outside town, Feral reaches the Starkesboro welcome sign, the place she’s been compelled to come to. Where she senses there are others like her. Just then, she is felled by a dart, shot from the gun held by Cable. Standing over her, Cable says it’s not like her to run away from home. If he hadn’t had the foresight to put homing transmitters in all of his X-Force’s uniforms, he might never have found her. Now what does she suppose could have compelled her to go off on this fugue. He better check it out so it doesn’t happen again. He then tells her to wait there and sleep off the tranquilizer. He’ll be right back.
At the church, Starwolf hovers above the fray and tells his followers to kill them. Though they share their form, they do not share their enlightened thought. They do not accept their animalism. They must be destroyed! Checking on Druid, Cap thinks – Druid’s throat slit… but not bleeding anymore… Blood all drip out… or he hold it in somehow
Starwolf proceeds to tell Cap that Druid is dead; he has failed. His blood is but the first that will flow this night. Soon there will… Just then, Starwolf is cut off by a rifle blast that narrowly misses its mark. Its shooter – Cable – who quips “who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?” Firing into the crowd, Cable asks what they have there, a den of wolf-people? He then warns them not to move toward him or they’ll have a den of dead wolf-people. Before he can get off any more shots, Cable’s gun is split in two when Cap’s shield is tossed into it. Making his way over towards Cable, Cap thinks – Seen pictures of this man. Name Cable. Heads mutant team X-Force. What he doing here?
Tackling Cable to the ground, Cap tells him not to shoot, it’ll make things worse. Pulling a pistol out of his holster, Cable says it’s a mystery. A talking wolf dressed up like Captain America. When he pulls his gun out, Cap-Wolf bites it, destroying it. As they continue their struggle, Starwolf sees an opening and is able to use a carpet to wrap the two heroes up, back to back. Observing the battle, Starwolf thinks to himself that his moon-children have yet to prevail. Perhaps he needs to intervene… No, it is their baptism of blood. He’s already had… Just then, Starwolf is surprised to see that Dr. Druid is gone.
Nearby, Nightshade, strapped to a table yells out for help. Just then, she sees a white wolf entering the laboratory carrying Dr. Druid. Nightshade pleads with him to let her up. She created him. Without her, he’ll… At that moment, Nightshade stops mid-sentence when she observes the white wolf grabbing the werewolf serum and then injecting it into her. After she has morphed, the white wolf writes a note to her that reads “Find antidote for us now!”
Back at the church, Starwolf tells Cap-Wolf and Cable that all nature bends to his will. Using his powers to place a two ton stone on top of them, he states that he is going to savor their death cries as the stone crushes the lives from their bodies.
Elsewhere, Moonhunter pulls a fake brick out of the wall in the pit and fastens claws onto his wrists. Using his skill to climb the wall, Moonhunter wonders if he’s that clever or if they are that stupid. Tossin’ him down in his own wolf pit, thinkin’ he’d be as trapped down there as they were. A Moonhunter’s prepared for anything. ‘Cept maybe for what Dredmund’s gonna do ta him for lettin’ the renegade wolves escape. If he really had any brains, he’d get on his flyin’ wheels an’ be two counties away before Dreddy could pitch his fit. But he ain’t got any brains, Dredmund controls ‘em.
As he walks by Wolverine’s cell, he frees him and tells him to follow him. He has a feelin’ their dreadful master wants to see them something fierce. Entering the laboratory, Moonhunter asks what’s happening there. He then tells Whitey to be a good doggie and put the needle down. When Wolverine begins to growl, Moonhunter tells him chill and to find Dredmund, see if he needs help. He’ll deal with what’s goin’ down there, then join him. As Wolverine begins to leave, Druid lifts his head up and tells Wolverine and Moonhunter to look at him.
At the church, Starwolf triumphantly declares that he’s won. Captain America and the bionic interloper have been crushed. His moon-children have prevailed over the rebels. Now to finish the job. Those of them who have yet to take a life, look around for those who have fallen but have yet to succumb to the great unknown. Kill them and they shall be children no longer. They shall have undergone their baptism of blood to become true man-beasts. No longer will the moon be their master; they will be able to transform themselves into their bestial state at will.
He then asks the people of Starkesboro if he is a godsend. For ten years now, their township has been economically depressed. Then he approached their mayor with his proposition to make Starkesboro the site for his weekend seminars on “Getting in touch with your hairy selves.” All summer now, throngs of people have come to their quaint New England town just to experience his radical new therapy for dealing with the stresses of modern civilization. From them, they’ve selected the brightest and the best to join with them in the rapture of bestialism. Soon, they will expand their…
Upon seeing Wolverine step into the church, Starwolf asks him who let him out of his confinement. When Wolverine replies “Moonhunter,” Starwolf asks he did, did he? Well, he is to go and tell him that he wants him to find who’s taken Doctor Druid’s body. Seeing Wolverine walking over to the stones, Starwolf asks him what he’s doing. Ignoring him, Wolverine rolls away the stone and uses his claws to cut Cable and Cap-Wolf free. When he finally opens the carpet, Wolverine remarks that they aren’t crushed. Cap-Wolf musta had the stone propped up by the edge o’ his unbreakable shield. He then proceeds to tell Cap to relax; he’s on his side again. He got deprogrammed.
Cap-Wolf asks for a boost and Wolverine and Cable fling him up towards Starwolf. As he does, Starwolf exclaims impossible! He should be dead! As Cap grabs for the jewel at Starwolf’s throat, Starwolf orders him to let go. The moongem is his. Feel its power, his power cursing through it. Once he grabs hold of the gem, Cap remarks that it feels like electricity, numbing his fingertips. He can’t let go or he won’t have another chance. He has to hold on, blank out the pain… Just then, the gem stops blasting, Dredmund goes limp, and the moongem comes free after Moonhunter shoots an arrow into his back. Cap proceeds to toss the gem over to Cable, who summarily crushes it beneath his boot.
Now back in human form, Dredmund asks Moonhunter why he betrayed him. Moonhunter asks isn’t it obvious. It’s ‘cause he got his own mind back, same as Wolverine thanks ta Doc Druid. When Cap asks that Druid is alive, Moonhunter tells him yep. ‘Though healin’ his throat took a whole lot outta him. Ya might say it was a real pain in the neck. He’s in Nightshade’s lab. They’ll grab Dredmund and take him there. Wolverine then tells them that if they have things under control there, he’s gonna go look for his old “buddy” Cable, who conveniently slinked off after crunchin’ the moonrock. Turning to Cap, Wolverine tells him that, incidentally, he likes his new look. He should keep it.
