Synopsis
Last issue began Hardcase's search for the elusive villain Rex Mundi who he believes is behind all his woes, starting from the robot NM-E who killed his teammates in the Squad (as recounted in #1 and the Death Of The Squad mini-series). But his quest was immediately derailed when he met with Ultra mercenary Trouble in a bar who agreed to tell him about Mundi, because Trouble died of a broken neck and there was no-one near him but Hardcase. (But we saw that Rex was there and his telekinetic female assassin Trauma did the job.)
But 1st we look in on Loki in Vahdala floating above the Godwheel. Since getting stranded in the Ultraverse (in Godwheel #3) he's acquired the Roc's Egg (in Lord Pumpkin/Necromantra #1) which can teleport him anywhere. He's just got to find a good destination. He's using a scrying pool to find other items of power when he detects that the Infinity Gems from his native 616 universe have landed on Ultra-Earth (courtesy of Rune in the Rune/Silver Surfer 1-shot). And he tells the Egg to take him to that planet.
Now a San Bernardino, California police detective grills Tom Hawke about the case. No-one in the bar actually saw him break Trouble's neck but he's their only suspect. He has motive because the villain destroyed his house and tried to kill him. But Hawke believes that Rex Mundi paid him (and his fellow Omega Team mercs) to do it, and Mundi had him silenced. The cop says they haven't got enough to arrest him but don't leave town.
But Hardcase does drive out into the desert to think in the armoured RV he bought last issue. He remembers that his love Choice (Amy Tran Kwitny) told him she was pregnant when they met on the Godwheel (#20), but she's staying there for a while to finish helping some folks and he plans to ask her to marry him when she gets back. He also recalls that Choice's powers come from having a transplant of a portion of the brain of his comatose previous love Starburst (Linda Warren) of the Squad. And he wishes that he could go back in time to save the Squad from NM-E (he has survivor's guilt).
In the midst of his agonised introspection he sees a meteorite land nearby. He finds that it's a small orange gem which compels him to put it on his brow. He sees a rabbit bound past and is again compelled to think about 'rewinding', and sees the rabbit run past him is reverse. And he realises that the gem allows him to control time. (Ie he's found the Time Gem of the Infinity Gems.)
Of course he decides to use it to go back (to 1992) to when NM-E destroyed the Squad. But instead of trying to save them he uses the Gem again to follow the robot back to it's source, which he expects to be Rex Mundi. He sees it get 'encased' in a bubble and 'sink' into the ocean. But then it continues sinking into the ocean floor where he can't follow it. So he resorts to plan B.
He appears at a party given by Carlos Jimenez (Forsa of the Squad) to celebrate his new house. The rest of the Squad are there including Tom Hawke. He then has to persuade them that he is Tom from the future come to warn them about their upcoming demise. (And showing them his now heavily-scarred face isn't necessarily going to prove his identity.)
But he succeeds and when NM-E arrives to fight them they're ready for it. Forsa's telekinesis and DJ Blast's remote detonation bring it crashing to the ground in flames. The 2 Hawke's super-punch it and DJB and flying Starburst fire blasts at it. The Hawke's hold it down while Forsa buries it in derelict cars from a nearby crushing place. Everybody escapes while Blast detonates it from afar. Just before time-jumping away Hardcase warns them to specify cremation in case they die, to stop anyone experimenting with their corpses (as Starburst's brain was used to empower Choice).
When he gets to the present he begins to discover that some things have changed. His face is no longer scarred, which suggests that NM-E is truly gone. (He got the scars fighting the robot in #16-18.) However he still has the costume he acquired in the Godwheel event, even though it turns out his secretary Celia Brady hasn't seen it before. hHe asks about Linda (his previous love) and is distraught to learn that they and the rest of the Squad still died (this time in an explosion at Forsa's house-warming party). He was the sole survivor again. And his Malibu house has also still been destroyed. And he still went looking for someone called Rex Mundi who he held responsible.
He realises that Rex Mundi just modified his plans. But Mundi also targeted Choice (his new love) so he asks about her and learn she's still doing commercials for the Choice Corporation. He rushes over there and bursts into a boardroom meeting where he sees a woman in a somewhat-similar Choice costume and looking quite like Amy. But she denies the name and doesn't know him. The boss Bob Dixon threatens to have him arrested.
However Loki materialises in a cloud of smoke claiming that HC has stolen his Time Gem and demands it back. Choice powers up to attack him and Tom thinks that *she* has been given the powers from Linda's brain. Serial liar Loki denies this, but also modifies his thievery claim to say that someone else took it from him (as God Of Time) in cosmic battle but if it's returned to him he can put Hawke's universe back to what it should be. He cites knowing what happened as proof that he is who he says he is.
Tom desperately trusts him and hands over the Gem. Loki immediately goes into laughing megavillain gloat mode and leaves without changing Tom's world. He says Rex will be amused. Hardcase swears to kill Mundi. We see that villain, naked as usual, watching through his omniscient screens and saying "Not if I kill you first".