Synopsis / Summary / Plot
In this issue's flashback interview we learn the backstory of Supernaut/Milo Fields. He was an army Sgt who survived being captured in the Somali civil war, which the rest of his troop didn't. The Pentagon made out that he was rescued by a daring raid, and a book and movie were based on that story. But the truth was that the Somalis just never got round to killing him before they left. Afterwards Milo protested about the distortion of the truth and how it was being used to inspire recruits. But he was shot in the back by someone during 1 of his protests, paralysing his legs. But the Order gives him the Supernaut suit to work in.
Now Supernaut returns to the California desert to continue investigating reports of giant monsters. This time he's accompanied by Aralune because Mulholland is in trouble over last issue. They are facing probably the giant turtle from last issue plus a large lizard and scorpion. Aralune has become a giant moth and is attacking the lizard (probably attempting a remake of Mothra vs Godzilla). Milo scrags the turtle, and then teams up with Becky Ryan to pull the lizard apart. Both deaths release a green goo.
Then Fields notices a sign which says they are on a test range run by SHADOW, the organisation that seems to be behind every foe they face. And an electric blast from the ground shorts out the Supernaut armour and turns Aralune into a protoplasmic blob. The giant scorpion attacks the frozen armour, so Milo opens the front and shoots at it with a pair of handguns.
In the Order's Bradbury Building HQ Pepper Potts, Henry Hellrung and Kate Kidare are grilling Mulholland Black. Last issue she failed to attack girl-gang the Black Dahlias who had just murdered ex-Order member Corona (and may have previously killed Avona). Holly explained that she used to be a member of that gang. Now her bosses want a fuller explanation.
She says they took her in when she was living on the streets. We see their names:- Lisa and Carrie we know from last issue, now Cut is Wendy, Diesel is Rae-Ann and Drang is Marie. They used to be vigilantes against pimps who preyed on runaways. Holly was in a relationship with leader Wendy, but she slept with Lisa and got thrown out.
Now true to form she's defiant with the Order bosses which doesn't help her case.
Henry rings Tony Stark to arrange to fire her, but Tony just wants to talk about their prospective new HQ the Demeter. He's been smoothing things over with their new neighbours, a private pre-school for movie folk's kids. He's done a deal with award-winning director Jerome Jacob to produce a film to star ex-actor Henry. And the profits will fund a Stark Media Studies Center in the school.
Hellrung isn't happy about any of this. Pepper sympathises with him, after long experience of dealing with Stark.
Back in the desert Milo Fields has dragged himself out of the Supernaut armour and is trying to get to Aralune, who is gradually returning to human form. But the scorpion isn't dead, and grabs his paralysed legs in its pincers. But Milo can't feel a thing down there, and calmly smashes its head in with a rock. Then he reaches Becky Ryan and starts dragging her to shelter.
It tuns out that the Dahlias are also working for SHADOW's mysterious representative. Cut meets him in a bar with photographic evidence that they killed Corona. He pays her with 5 phials of drugs plus a special 1.
Later we see him arrive at the scene of the desert monster battle. SHADOW troops there refer to him as Gen'l Softly. He orders them to search for the Order heroes and kill them. Milo and still-unconscious Becky are hiding in a nearby cave.
Holly is off the team and looking for cheap gin in a booze shop when Drang comes up behind her and injects her with the 6th drug. It is SPIN which removes superpowers.
Meanwhile Heavy is investigating a (truly) unconnected matter, 7 very heavy devices along San Francisco's beach. He's accompanied by Sadie Sinclair Mayor of SF, who suggests a deal if the team will relocate from Los Angeles. Suddenly the machine starts blinking, and a tidal wave rears up and somehow hangs suspended over the city.
Dennis Murray calls for backup, and gets Pepper Potts, Anthem/Henry Hellrung and Calamity. A figure walks through the wall of water - it's Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner. He complains that Atlantis has been destroyed and its population scattered. The surface world defines them as a terrorist state, but now he's fighting back. The wall of water separates the US from the Pacific to keep his people safe. Any act of aggression will garner a disproportionate response. He ends with "Take me to your leader".
And in the desert Milo and Becky are stalked by strange wolves.