The Champions
(Hercules, Angel, Iceman, Ghost Rider) with Ivan Petrovich, Richard Fenster,
and Emerson Bale are in their headquarters when the villain Rampage delivers a
set of photographs showing Black Widow a prisoner of the bad guys, along with
her Soviet trainer Alexei Bruskin. Herc challenges Rampage who holds them off
with threats, especially Ivan, telling him the mastermind behind the scheme is
one he knows as the Outcast. Ivan reacts badly, slugging the baddie; Rampage
presses a button on his armor to convey a message for this employer—but a bomb
detonates instead. Darkstar and Griffin were waiting outside; the latter finds
this latest development amusing but Darkstar regrets unnecessary deaths. Iceman
creates a small blizzard to put out the fire and they discover Rampage is still
alive; Ivan questions him but he has nothing more to say before passing out. Ghost
Rider scoops him up to rush him to the hospital. Fenster reminds them that they
are holding a public event inaugurating the new super-team and things don’t
look good. They are all at a loss for what to do so the angry Ivan dashes out
to handle things himself. The others clean up the damaged office….
At the baddies’
hideout, Black Widow awakens and faces Darkstar and Titanium Man. The baddies
tell her that she is wanted “home,” back in the USSR. Griffin is impatient,
eager to fight the Champions and Yuri Petrovich reveals himself as the new
Crimson Dynamo (number 4) and seeking revenge against Ivan Petrovich, his
father….
Ivan has created a
tracking device than can follow the frequency of a black pearl and uses it to
find the whereabouts of Alexei Bruskin whom Natasha is being held with. Iceman
creates an ice slide through the city, following the trail….
Meanwhile, Ghost
Rider is on his flaming cycle, rushing Rampage to the hospital. He drops him
off and forestalls any questions with his sinister visage and threats….
Back at the
office, the dedication ceremony is about to begin with only Hercules and Angel
out of the group to greet the media and the public. With Governor Jerry Brown
present, Angel launches into his welcoming speech, when suddenly Titanium Man,
Griffin, and Crimson Dynamo arrive—and attack….