At
the Sanctum Sanctorum, the paralyzed Kyle “Nighthawk” Richmond is undergoing
mystic rites at the hands of Clea and Gargoyle. Downstairs, Kyle’s nurse Luann
Bloom asks Wong about this, being skeptical and suspicious of such cultish
activity. Clea enters and explains how Kyle was nearly killed by the villain
Nebulon and only saved by a spirit-bond created by Doctor Strange. This bond
was recently broken, with dire consequences for Kyle’s health; Clea assures
Luann that the mystic treatment is working. Kyle concurs. After they’ve gone,
Clea explains to Gargoyle how much better Kyle is but Gargoyle isn’t there, he
is upstairs contemplating his gruesome form in a mirror….
The
next day, Kyle and Luann are on their way to a private sanitarium in
Massachusetts. He explains that, as a college student, he was responsible for
the death of his girlfriend, Mindy Williams, while driving drunk. Then, as
Nighthawk, during a recent adventure with Spider-Man against robots at his old
college, he discovered that the Big Bad was Mindy, paid off by Kyle’s father to
pretend to be dead and stay out of Kyle’s life. She had a breakdown and now
Kyle is paying for her stay at Carriwhite Acres. They are greeted by Dr. August
Masters, who shows them Mindy through a one-way mirror, painting idyllic family
portraits. Masters warns Kyle that her sanity is fragile and all of her anger
centers on him. He is allowed to speak to her; she responds happily but when
she sees he is in a wheelchair too, she laughs—then blasts him across the room
with psychic power. Kyle is hustled out of the room while Mindy vows
vengeance….
Later
at a motel, Kyle is contacted magically by Clea (startling Luann) who informs
him that the force that broke his spirit-bond centered on Carriwhite Acres and
not the Six-Fingered Hand as everyone assumed. So as Nighthawk, he returns that
night to the sanitarium, landing quietly on the roof. But his arrival was
detected so when NH enters the building, he is confronted by ten guards with advanced
weaponry. He beats them all and is then approached by Dr, Masters who reveals
they are with the Central Information Bureau (CIB), a clandestine branch of the
US government. He shows NH a huge lab, explaining they are researching
telepathy for national security uses…and Mindy is their most promising subject.
Masters also mentions that Mindy had a fit of madness that nearly wrecked the
building—and was probably felt by Kyle. NH is outraged and demands they shut it
down. But Masters orders his men to unleash Mindy on the hero as a lesson. The
controls are turned up and when Mindy sees Nighthawk, her madness creates an
army of psychic rats. The rats maul Kyle, inflicting physical and spiritual
pain until he is screaming. Mindy recalls the good times she had with Kyle and
rebels, calling off the rats and siccing them on the CIB team. Kyle manages to
pull Mindy out of her trance but only after the damage is done. Masters,
however, just sees this as a setback and plans to start over. Kyle threatens to
expose him but Masters isn’t worried as his position gives him immunity….
The
following evening, Clea reveals to Kyle that she had been keeping a mental
watch on them and she is the one who turned Mindy’s mind from dark to light,
saving Kyle. Then the evening paper is delivered and Kyle is angered to
discover his expose of the CIB is not there, just a small notice of a fire at
Carriwhite Acres on a back page. Kyle then doubles down on his vow to defeat
Masters and the CIB….