Avengers HQ, New York City, where heroes galore have gathered in the wake of a crisis. The X-Men’s Beast and Professor X are speaking with Spider-Woman of the Avengers West Coast. Iceman, Rogue and Cyclops hang back, while Strong Guy of X-Factor, the Hulk and the Thing are engaged in a discussion. One hero sits away from the others though - Chris Powell, the young hero known as Darkhawk. ‘I blew it’ he thinks to himself. ‘I promised my family I’d be there for them no matter what… yet here I am again, getting ready to try to save the world with a bunch of costumed clowns. And what are we saving the world from? An epidemic…of peace and good will’.
Indeed, all over the globe, crime and violence have virtually stopped. In Beijing, an abusive father suddenly stops hitting his child, before embracing him. In Latin America, a torturer realizes the horror of his sadistic craft, and sets his victim free. In New York, the villain known as the Beetle is breaking into an armoured truck - but suddenly thinks better of it, and helps the security guards he just attacked. In Brixton, England, a terrifying mugging ends as quickly as it started, as the gang members drop their weapons.
‘Yeah, you would think that everybody getting along would be good… and maybe it will turn out that it is. But too many of the “converted” super heroes are, as Reed Richards said, zombied out. Like they are being mind-controlled while they help the Goddess in whatever her master plan to bring peace to the universe is’ Darkhawk thinks to himself, recalling the seriousness of the situation. More heroes gather nearby - Speedball and Namorita, and the Human Torch, who lights Wolverine’s cigar with a small flame. Wolverine frowns as he strides past Darkhawk, who thinks ‘The rest of us - we’re trying to figure out just what she’s really up to… and what, if anything, we should be doing. In other words: we’re sitting around doing nothing’.
Darkhawk knows a lot of these folks, his fellow unconverted, but he is not really in the mood for socializing. Strong Guy grins as Edwin Jarvis brings around some refreshments, and the Beast hangs from the ceiling as he grabs one off the tray from above. Jarvis goes over to Rogue while Cyclops talks to the Professor, and as Jarvis makes his way over to Darkhawk, the young hero waves him away. ‘Despite my best efforts, my life as Darkhawk has been ruining my personal life. I swore that this time I’d be there for my mother and brothers…no matter what’. He holds his head up with his hand and tells himself that when the call went out to join the crew here, how could he say no? He resolved a while back that he is in this hero business for real - for keeps. ‘Too bad it means I have to lose everything else’ he decides.
Julia “Spider-Woman” Carpenter walks over to Darkhawk and tells him that there is no sense in sitting there moping. ‘If you think too much about the fate of the universe - it could really make you crazy’ she suggests. Darkhawk thanks Spider-Woman and informs her that he is thinking about his Mom. ‘Guess what? I can’t stop thinking about my daughter’ Spider-Woman replies, before asking Darkhawk if he wants to talk about it. Darkhawk stands up and starts to walk away, telling Spider-Woma that he appreciates the concern, but that he just needs to keep to himself for a while. ‘That’s fine. But if you need to talk…’ Julia begins. Chris thanks her, before he rounds a corner. He reminds himself that he is supposed to be meeting his Mom in ten minutes to try and work thinks out with her.
Darkhawk tells himself that if he misses the meeting with his Mom, it will be the end of the world - so to speak. He decides that nothing much seems to be doing here, and supposes that with his new flight power he can put in an appearance with his Mom and get back here in time for any action. He walks past Jarvis and tells him that he has to leave for a little while. ‘Don’t let the others go off and sacrifice their lives without me’ he asks him. ‘As you wish, Master Hawk’ Jarvis replies. And, Darkhawk soars out of the Avengers HQ, still amazed that he can fly. ‘One thing’s for sure - this sure beats the E train!’ he jokes.
And, as Darkhawk streaks towards queens, on the streets of Manhattan, as everywhere, crime has indeed come to a halt. A local mob chieftain waves hell to his new friend - on of New York’s finest, a police officer. Yes, evil on Earth has been banished. But, suddenly, a man steps out of the shadows and calls out to the mob chieftain, ‘Excuse me, Sir. Do you have a light?’ he asks. ‘Why yes, it’s -’ the chieftain begins to reply, before the man from the shadows suddenly stabs him with a knife. He wipe the blade clean. Unfortunately, madness still exists - and Broderick Bazin is quite insane.
The Bermuda Triangle, where a storm rages. In these waters, many strange phenomena are reputed to have been born. And many innocent victims have gone to their deaths. Still, fishermen ply their trade here, despite this day’s roiling, violent waters. The small boat is tossed about in the waves, But nothing in nature is ever truly destroyed. All the evil on Earth has simply retreated to this nexus point - where it has become focused in the flowing entity who emerges from the depths of the sea…and rises silently from the waves, energy flickering around him. Sensing a collection of beings who are the antithesis of all he is, the mysterious entity flies off in a northern direction.
Queens, New York, Darkhawk sets down near the courthouse where his mother works as an assistant district attorney, and he quickly switches back to his civilian guise. ‘Mom!’ Chris calls out as he rushes towards the unimpressed Grace Powell, who is checking her watch. ‘I wondered if you were coming at all’ she tells her eldest son. They loosely embrace, as Grace tells Chris that there is so much to talk about, and it was all she could do to grab an hour out of court. ‘I really don’t even have that much time…’ Chris begins. ‘Oh…’ Grace replies coldly, and Chris can feel his mother glaring at him. ‘Nice move, Chris. Could you do anything else to alienate her?’ he asks himself.
And, shortly, at a delicatessen, Chris and his mother are seated, and a waitress is taking their order. ‘Lean? You want the corned beef lean? We might be all out of lean’ the waitress snarls. ‘Then forget the lean’ Chris tells the waitress. ‘Never mind her’ Grace tells her son, reminding him that they really do need to talk. ‘Neither of us needs to be subtle. So I’ll just say it: You’re screwing up your life, Chris. Badly’ Grace declares. ‘Suspended from school, disappearing at all hours, not there for your brothers and me’ she adds. Tearing up a paper napkin into small pieces, Chris replies that he knows, and that he is trying. ‘Not hard enough’ Grace replies. ‘You’re still my son - and I love you. But I can’t and won’t sit by while you ruin your whole future’ she declares, before asking Chris what she thinks she should do about it.
‘What I should do is tell her - tell her I’m Darkhawk, and that that’s why. I’ve had to neglect so much in my life as Chris’ he thinks to himself. He knows that his mother is one of the good guys, that she would understand, and he wouldn’t have to feel so guilty all of the time. ‘Mom - the reason for all this is that I’m -’ Chris begins, when suddenly, the waitress slams the food down on the table. ‘Lean corned beef - just like ya wanted! The boss found some in the back of the fridge’ the waitress declares. Chris looks up at her, annoyed, so she asks him where the look of gratitude is. ‘Right, thanks’ Chris mutters, before his mother asks him what he was saying. ‘Uh…nothing’ Chris replies. ‘What was I thinking? How can I tell her - and expect her not to freak?’ Chris asks himself, before he suddenly notices the time, and realizes that he has been gone too long - the others may need him.
Chris gets to his feet, ‘I’m sorry, Mom - I’ve got to go’ Chris tells her. ‘No!’ Grace declares, warning Chris to stay not, otherwise he is out of the family - on his own - economically and otherwise. ‘Fine! Show how stupid you are! I’ve got things I’ve got to do - important things - that you’d never understand!’ Chris exclaims, throwing his fist into the air. His mother tells him that she is always there for him. ‘But until you can get yourself together even in the slightest bit…you cannot live with us anymore’ Grace announces. Chris frowns, and tells his mother ‘That’s just fine with me’ and bids her goodbye. Grace starts to cry.
Dusk, at Avengers HQ, Chris is on the rooftop, ’Good thing I rushed out on Mom and screwed up my whole relationship with her. I get to hang around here for another few hours’. He knows that the heroes re no closer to a decision on action than they were this morning. ’The moment was there and I blew it. I’ve lost touch with family, friends - everybody’ he tells himself. Chris knows that if he and the other super-guys don’t do their jobs right, there won’t be any world worth living. ‘Ever since I found the amulet, my whole concept of responsibility’s changed. Lucky me’. That reminds Chris that he really has to get Evilhawk’s amulet to the Fantastic Four, or the Avengers or someone else - he sure can’t keep holding it in a shoebox in his family’s hotel room. ‘Can’t keep anything in my family’s hotel room anymore -’ he realizes, when suddenly, he notices some light zooming towards Avengers HQ. ‘A sneak attack by the Goddess?’ Chris wonders.
Chris knows that there is no time to warn the others, and takes flight towards the light. ‘Somehow I know what it is - it’s purpose - to destroy us all!’ Chris tells himself. ‘I won’t let you do it!’ he shouts as he flies straight into the mysterious being, making contact, although it feels like nothing he has ever felt. ‘He makes me feel such a feeling of dread - of terror -’ Chris thinks, before suddenly being tossed through the air by the strange being. Careening backwards, Chris is surprised that he was shrugged off so easily, but now that he can fly, he manages to control the fall. But, before he can return to the foe, the mysterious being releases energy at Chris, trapping him in what the young hero figures are pure what tendrils of evil. ‘How did I know that’s what it is?’ he wonders.
Meanwhile, in Westchester, at the Marlowe School, Allegra Bazin arrives, late for the start of the spring student fashion show. ‘Don’t even know why I bother to come to this silly -’ the young woman wearing a red dress thinks to herself, when suddenly, ‘Oh, sister…’ a voice calls out. ‘What -’ Allegra begins, before seeing Broderick Bazin standing before her. ‘You - you’ve got blood on your shirt…you’ve done it again, haven’t you -’ Allegra begins. Broderick tells her to shut up, and that he has done what he had to do for their Dad, and for the family. ‘You’ve held what you know over me for too long, Allegra - I have work to do. Keep out of it. Or you’ll be on my list’ Broderick warns her. ‘Brod - listen to me’ Allegra calls out, before her brother vanishes. Worried, Allegra decides that Chris Powell will be able to help her.
Back in the skies over Manhattan, Darkhawk struggles to climb, agonizingly, hand over hand, toward the being he has called Pureheart. Though he what he will do once he reaches his adversary, he has no idea. It seems, however, that he will not need to solve this problem immediately - as a flash of pure evil sends Chris flying back - it is a pain he has never felt. ‘Let’s see how a full power force blast phases you, pal!’ Darkhawk exclaims, abut as he releases the blast from the amulet on his armor’s chest plate, the energy being, Pureheart, doesn’t even move. Chris realizes that he has to try something else, but he can’t turn the energy beam off - and worries that Pureheart is sapping all the energy out of him, that he will drain him like a battery. Chris suddenly recalls that anyone who looks under his helmet always freak. ‘Maybe -’ he thinks to himself, but as he removes his helmet, he sees that Pureheart is just laughing at him.
Chris realizes that his foe grew a face for a second just do laugh, and wishes Pureheart would say something. ‘But somehow - I know what his aim is: to kill me and then all the other heroes’ Chris fears that Pureheart will succeed with him. ‘All life-energy…flowing out…maybe - if I play into his gambit - pour on the energy - give it all to him - yes - it’s like an overload!’ Chris tells himself, as Pureheart suddenly screams as he - it - cannot handle the energy that Darkhawk releases. ‘Hey! I finally got a peep out of ya!’ Darkhawk laughs, before Pureheart loses form, and the massive wave of energy starts to fall to the water below them. Chris used up almost all of his power, but it worked. ‘I...will… be… back… and… you… will…perish…’ Pureheart threatens as the energy makes contact with the water. Chris sees the energy zoom south under the water, but he will never catch Pureheart now, not in his condition. ‘Always nice to make a new friend’ he jokes, before deciding that he will tell the other “unconverted” heroes about the trouble he saved them at the right time.
Queens, the Elmhurst Hotel, temporary home of the Powell family. Having flown there as Darkhawk, Chris hastily packs his bags so he can return to Avengers Mansion. His younger brothers, Jason and Jonathan are in his room, and Jonathan, the boy with dark hair, asks Chris if he really has to go. Chris looks at his younger brothers and tells them that things are just how they are - that Mom says he has to go. He adds that it is probably for the best right now. ‘Will you come to visit us?’ Jonathan asks, and Chris assures him that he will. Jonathan then hands Chris a microscope that he made. ‘I know it’s just wood and plastic - but I want you to have it’ he tells his older brother. Chris thanks Jonathan and tells him that he is really something.
Chris turns to his other brother, Jason, with the red hair, and tells him that he knows things have been tough, but he will miss him as well. ‘Well, I won’t miss you. You’ve been ruining my family’ Jason replies. ‘Aw, Jase - you don’t mean that’ Chris tells him. ‘More than I’ve ever meant anything. You make Mom unhappy. I hate you’ Jason snaps. Chris tells his younger brother that he is sorry he feels that way, and turns to leave the bedroom. ‘Where…where will you be staying?’ Grace asks her son. Chris tells her that her has friends, and he will find somewhere. He doesn’t look at her, and just walks away, while thinking ‘If I don’t die in outer space’.
Soon, Chris returns to Avengers HQ, in disbelief that the other heroes are still in their debating what to do. ‘Hey, Hawk - we haven’t heard much from you. You think we should go after the folks who joined with the Goddess - or do we just figure that they’re doing the right thing for themselves personally?’ Bobby “Iceman” Drake asks. Psylocke of the X-Men now stands with the other heroes, while Iceman asks ‘Is the Goddess a deity - and if she is, do we have to oppose her - or conform with -’ he begins, but Darkhawk interrupts him, thanking Iceman for asking, but that these are the big questions. ‘I can’t even answer the little ones’ Chris points out. He adds that he will do what the group decides, because he trusts them. Chris knows that he is needed here, whatever they end up doing. He has a feeling that, wacky as it sounds, he may have solved the world today. ‘So how come I can’t look my Mom and brothers in the eye?’ the young hero wonders.
