In an art gallery, Daken stares at two paintings side by side. One is on a white canvas with random paint marks on it while the other depicts a mom nursing her baby. The art gallery owner asks Daken which one he chooses, as his client stares at them both intently.
Madripoor – At the docks, a number of men armed with guns are being slaughtered by an unknown assailant. Inside an office, an older, white-haired man sits calmly behind a desk and pours himself a drink. His associate asks him if the whiskey has made him mad. Grab a weapon! The old man asks what the point is. If the assailant can get past his people, the finest killers in Madripoor, then one British ‘entrepreneur’ and an old man won’t stop him. The associate says then he must want to die. The old man replies no, but he has run these docks for over 40 years now. Change is inevitable, Mr. Hunt. Just then, Mr. Hunt is killed when he is stabbed in the back with claws.
Entering the office, Daken enters the room and says the old man’s name – Tan Kim Seng. He adds that Madripoor belongs to him now. Its bosses have accepted his rules. All its bosses have accepted his rule, except him. Taking a sip of his whiskey, Seng replies that he only trades with businessmen. Not…
Daken cuts him off and asks “not what?” Seng says “Awun.” When Daken asks Awun, Seng tells him he was born in Taiwan. He came there to Madripoor age 18 on a merchant ship. Taiwan has the legend of Mauri-Ga-Sima, a beautiful island kingdom where the people eventually became greedy, self-centered and cruel. One night, the king dreamt that a terrible flood would destroy his kingdom if the statue of Awun turned red. The king warned his people but they mocked him for his dream. A trickster even broke into the temple and painted Awun’s statue red. Terrified, the king packed his family onto a ship and sailed across the sea for China where he would go on to create the land’s first dynasty, a great empire. But as the king’s ship sailed away from Mauri-Ga-Sima, he looked back and saw the island disappearing beneath the ocean. Awun is the Taiwanese god of destruction.
Daken calls Seng an old drunk, a crazy old drunk babbling his final words. Snarling, Seng says to Daken that he’s Patch’s boy. He has heard rumors. He has the claws. He knew that man. He saw his eyes. He sees Daken and he knows… he knows him. His soul is gone. All he does is destroy. He creates nothing. He is capable of creating nothing.! His father conquered Madripoor, so he copies him. The child, following his father, unable to come up with one original idea of his…
Just then, Daken places a single bullet in Seng’s forehead, killing him. After he does, he states that his father wouldn’t have done that.
And with one pull of a finger, Daken rules Madripoor. Later that night, Daken sits in a chair next to a bed where a man and woman sleep peacefully. He thinks about what the old man said. “You create nothing…” “You are capable of creating nothing.” “The child, following his father.”
In Manhattan, at Avengers Tower, the Quinjet lands and from it emerge Steve Rogers, Hawkeye, Spider Woman, Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man and Wolverine. Just then, Wolverine stops in his tracks and sniffs the air. Spider-Man remarks that he knows that sniff. He fears that sniff. It’s like the less good-looking cousin of his spider-sense. Either Jay Leno’s just announced that he’s moving the Tonight Show to TBS or they’re in mortal danger.
At that moment, an explosion occurs nearby. After Thor states that they’re being attacked, Iron Man tells Thor to follow him and begins to say Avengers… Before he can finish, Spider-Man points out to him that they’re already assembled. Iron Man quips that he was going to say ‘prepare for combat.’ As Iron Man and Thor leave, Spider Woman asks when aren’t they prepared for combat. Spider-Man replies Hanukkah? They’re 36% less prepared at Hanukkah, according to research. This is largely due to the tasty-but-oh-so fattening latkes.
Seeing a nearby open door, Wolverine pops his claws and goes to investigate. Entering the building, Spider-Man quips “by all that’s holy in the moley…” He then asks Wolverine if he musked up for a really special date with Squirrel Girl or something. Eau de wet hairy dead mammal. Wolverine tells him that an artificial pheromone capsule’s been cracked nearby. Spider-Man adds or Ben Grimm ate all the jalapenos. Again. When Wolverine stops in his tracks, Spider-Man says it’s a diversion to throw off his senses. Following behind, Hawkeye tells them that it doesn’t seem to be anything happening out there other than… Wolverine then tells Hawkeye to stay on the ramp and cover the others. When Hawkeye asks why, Wolverine turns around and snarls at him. Spider-Man looks over at Hawkeye and tells him that he’d stay on the ramp and cover the others. Hawkeye agrees and leaves the building.
As the duo walk in the darkness, Spider-Man remarks that this suddenly reminds him of that film… the one with the alien where the crew of that spaceship all got eaten by an alien after an alien burst outta one guy’s chest. He forgot the title. He then asks Wolverine that someone he recognizes is in there, right. Wolverine then tells Spider-Man to take the left, he’ll take the right. As they go their separate ways, Spider-Man asks doesn’t he think they should stay together. He means, he knows they haven’t been getting along lately, but he’s willing to work at this if he is. He really thinks they could have a futu… Wolverine tells him to shut up.
Walking past a section of the building with pipes overhead, Wolverine eventually sees a glowing box and hears a voice saying “Awun.” Once Wolverine gets close to the glowing box, it pops. After it does, Wolverine finds Daken above him, his claws pointed at his jugular. Daken tells him “Hi dad. I’m home.”
Wolverine says he figured it was him. He knows this building – how to shut it down, knows how his smell works. Daken says so he made sure his action figure pals all went the other direction to stop him from hurting them. Isn’t he just the caring teammate? When Wolverine asks Daken what this is about, Daken points out that he’s got his claws at his jugular. He’s just about the only person on this planet who could get the drop on him… even when he’s surrounded by Earth’s mightiest heroes. Maybe they should all have the de rigueur super hero battle, eh. But…that’s not why he’s there. Removing his claws from Wolverine’s neck, Daken tells him he came to say goodbye. He’s not going to see him for a while. He chooses to live his own life. Wolverine asks what he means but he gets no response for Daken has left.
Just then, the lights turn on and Spider Woman informs Wolverine that Iron Man gave the all clear, looks like it was just an accident across the street. Anything bad happen there? After looking around quickly, Wolverine answers “no.”
In Los Angeles, Daken pulls up in front of a palatial estate. Walking past the dead former owners of the house, one of his associates inside asks him if he likes the house. Looking around, Daken replies very much. He is then led into a large seating area where the paintings he bought (one of random marks and the other of a mother nursing her child) are hanging up. His associate tells him the paintings he bought have been installed, as per his instructions.
Walking out of the house and overlooking the Los Angeles skyline, Daken is reminded by what Tan Kim Seng told him – “All you do is destroy.” Daken says no. He’s going to create.
