After the tsunami has devastated, St. John’s, Newfoundland,
Speedball suddenly emerges from the debris and his first instinct is to
despair, believing the city’s population has been wiped out. But then he hears
a call for help and rescues a woman clinging to a pole. From a nearby rooftop,
SB calls Jocasta, asking her to send someone to rescue. There is no one else
but Jocasta can send out an army of drone-Jocastas, programmed for basic search
and rescue maneuvers. As he watches the Jocastas in action, he has an idea: he
sends back to Miriam Sharpe film of the people of St. John’s helping one
another. Miriam then calls for a camcorder to film the people of Stamford
helping one another to send to Salem, Missouri, creating a worldwide network of
people encouraging one another, telling them not to give up hope…
…but the message of hope reaches the Sisters of Sin, who
intend to put a stop to it….
“The Chosen, part 1 of 3” 4/5
Writer: Fred Van Lente. Art: Alessandro Vitti. Colors: Java
Tartaglia. Letters: Dave Lanphear.
Synopsis: Five youthful heroes find themselves on a vessel
at sea. Amadeus Cho checks his satellites and discovers they are in the middle
of the Pacific Ocean. Thunderstrike immediately picks a fight with him, which
looks like it is about to turn violent. Power Man (Victor Alvarez) steps
between them and, when threatened, clobbers TS with his martial arts moves.
Spider-Girl (Anya Corazon) webs up the three males while she and X-23 try to
figure out how they got there, snatched suddenly out of their separate battles.
TS accuses X-23 of having brought them there and Amadeus takes advantage of his
distraction to knock his hammer to the floor, changing him back into Kevin
Masterson; he hits back with this stick and returns to his Thunderstrike
persona. PM falls seriously ill, trying to draw the life force from the place
but there is none. He heard a message in a language he does not understand. It
is translated by the Shark Men, who attack, intending to make the young heroes
their sacrifice….
“A Moment with…Mr. Fear” 2.5/5
Writer: Howard Chaykin. Art: Howard Chaykin. Colors: Edgar
Delgado. Letters: Dave Lanphear.
Synopsis: Mr. Fear walks down the street, overwhelmed at the
fact that everyone is afraid and…ignoring him. A kid confronted him and called
him Doctor Doom, unafraid….
“Red/White Blues” 4/5
Writer: Simon Spurrier. Art: Jason Latour. Colors: Jason
Latour. Letters: Dave Lanphear.
Synopsis: The town of Bleachville and the nearby Navajo
reservation are competing for a wind farm contract that would enable either of
the poor communities to survive. Racial threats are on the rise, then the
Bleachville sheriff is murdered and the Navajo are blamed. A pair of mystic
types calling themselves the “Ghosts of America” come to lead the Indians
against the whites. But American Eagle knows from their ignorance about real
Native Americans that they are not Indians but a couple of white men who were
recruited by the Mayor. The town and the reservation try to work together after
that, reducing fear.