#20

By Michael Sacal
cast of characters:

Ivar The Timewalker: Ivar, the Timewalker has experienced the passage of thousands of years, just like his immortal brothers, Gilad and Aram. Unlike them, or anyone else, Ivar has spent his years skipping around from one point in history to the next. Able to find natural "time arcs" that carry him from era to era, Ivar might be in the present one week, and in 41st - Century North Am the next. This gets to be tricky for Ivar, who must take care to do nothing that could change history--even though this pledge of non-interference often leads to some difficult choices. But his time jumps aren't motivated by curiosity or adventure, Ivar only hopes that the next time arc will place him back in the arms of his one, great love--lost in another time.

The H.A.R.D. Corps: In response to the rise of Toyo Harada and his Harbinger Foundation, the international conglomerate known as the Omen Corporation created a paramilitary unit called The Harbinger Active Resistance Division. An assembly of candidates was begun: comatose patients, patriots with highly trained past, each of whom were clearly willing to die for their country. They were granted a second chance in the form of cybernetic brain implants which not only revived them, but could also mimic the psionic powers of Harbingers. Dubbed the H.A.R.D. Corps, these battle-hardened men and women have repeatedly challenged Harada's master plan to lead a superior race into the future. But once MotherGod Pierce came into control of the world a year ago, H.A.R.D. Corps' goal has change. Now they help all people, both normals and Harbingers alike to escape MotherGod's rule.

The H.A.R.D Corps are:

Gunslinger(a.k.a. Major Charles Palmer):Gunslinger was a fighter pilot(he can fly virtually all forms of conventional aircraft)declared MIA(missing in action),while really in a North Vietnamese prison camp. Straight as an arrow, tucked in at the edges, follows everything by the book---all describe Gunslinger. His integrity and values are built into the fiber of the character.
Shakespeare(a.k.a. Captain Aaron Brillstein):Shakespeare is the H.A.R.D. Corps' poet warrior, the team's heart & soul. An intellectual who justifies what he does in battle, he has both the loyalty and the artisan of a samurai. He serves to boost morale on the team, though he usually seems to keep a respectable distance from the others.
Hammerhead(a.k.a. Captain Marion Virgil Peeves):Hammerhead is a firm believer in the "any means necessary" approach to accomplishing his team's goals. Foul-mouthed and hard-living, he is not above perpetrating a scam to get ahead or forward a mission. Hammerhead has an extremely high pain threshold. He has very little regard for his body, and believes that every scar he bares is beautiful and "tells a story".
All other H.A.R.D. Corps members have been killed, and all trainees have been captured and are under the control of MotherGod Pierce.

Aric Dacia: In 408 A.D. , Aric, one of a tribe of Visigoth warriors, was kidnapped by the Spider Aliens and taken aboard a mother ship where he was studies and made to work as a slave. Using a map etched into his had by the "Map Giver",(who bore an uncanny resemblance to Elvis), Aric sought the ultimate weapon---the X-O Armor--and used its power to destroy the alien ship.
Shanhara, Aric's armor, adapted to Aric and brought him safely back to a world in which many hundreds of years passed. The armor helped Aric learn English and slowly acclimated him to 20th Century life.(March 1991). 6 months later, when MotherGod Pierce obtained her powers, X-O Manowar, alongside others of the world heroes, mounted an attack on Pierce's Rainbow Tower. Aric was killed during the first attack, and the X-O Armor fell into MotherGod's hands.(September 1991).

Angelo Mortalli: Angelo Mortalli was a Mafia wise guy, a cold and ruthless hitman who at times seemed less than human. Mortalli was advancing quickly within the Mob and was engaged to the daughter of powerful mobster Gino Canelli. But when Canelli found out that Mortalli was being unfaithful to his daughter, he decided to get rid of him. Mortalli was framed for the brutal slaying of a rival gang mobster, but before any legal proceedings began, MotherGod Pierce came into power. Pierce saw great potential in Mortalli, and turned him into the second in command of her SHOC Troop Squad.

Ninjak: Colin King lived a dual life. To most, he was one of Britain's idle rich--a playboy socialite with few cares. However, to a select few, he was also Ninjak, an espionage agent without equal. Much of Ninjak's history is unknown. He was at one time an agent for the Weaponeer Organization, now defunct. This organization combated the threat of Dr. Silk and Webnet, an illegal consortium of technical, industrial and financial institutions with holdings and interest worldwide. But all of this changed after MotherGod Pierce came into being. Now Ninjak is an independent agent, using his own means to defeat Pierce.

The Harbinger Kids: This team of rogue Harbingers came into being 2 months before MotherGod Pierce came into power. They are the backbone of The Resistance, fighting alongside the H.A.R.D. Corps. 

The Harbinger Kids are:

Peter Stanchek: The second most powerful Harbinger on the face of the planet, second only to Toyo Harada.

Flamingo: Charlene Dupre is a young Alabama girl gifted with flame powers. 

Zephyr: Faith Herbert, often called Zeppelin because of her figure, is the Heart & Soul of the team.

Torque Torkelson: Torque is the teams muscle. He has a very short fuse. Flamingo is interested in him, but he keeps rejecting her.

Kris Hathaway: Kris is Pete's girlfriend. She has stood by him ever since Toyo Harada killed Pete's best friend.

Jack Boniface: One of MotherGod'sTower Slaves. 

Gilad Anni-Padda: Born before recorded history Gilad was the Fist & Steel of the Earth, protector of the Geomancer line, but that changed the day MotherGod Pierce came into power.
Now Gilad, under the control of Toyo Harada, is The Warmaster, leader of MotherGod's SHOC Troop Squad.

Aram Anni-Padda: Brother of both Gilad and Ivar, Aram is now the strong man of the human resistance against MotherGod Pierce.

Obadiah Archer: Archer handles the underground Railroad out of MotherGod's Rainbow Tower.

Dr Hwen Mirage: Leader of The Human Resistance, along with his wife Carmen.

Geoff McHenry: The Geomancer, it's Geoff's job to tell others what the Earth wants of them. He is the only one who know that this reality is wrong, and he most reach Ivar to tell him so.


"Through The Looking Glass Part V" 

September 8th, 1997 13:05 p.m. EST:

Outside of Pierceville , a small mining town built over the ashes of old Muskogee, Oklahoma:

An old mine opening, 5 workers coming out for the day. SHOCK Troop Guards all over the mine, just one more day in Pierceville, the citadel built by MotherGod Erica Pierce 4 and 1/2 years ago, after the resistance last stand against her and her dominion over the Earth *.

*:Last issue...Mike

Suddenly a familiar burst of energy fills the sky over the mine shaft. The workers, thinking it to be MotherGod, kneel in it's presence, while the guards, more accustomed to MotherGod's appearance, know this not to be the energy signature of their sovereign.

Without warning a familiar figure, dressed in a green coat, leaps out of the recently formed energy arc. It's IvarThe Timewalker, who has just, thanks to the help of the resistance, escaped certain capture at the hands of MotherGod Pierce.

Ivar lands infront of one of MotherGod's SHOCK Troops guards.

"Get up whelp!", says the guard to Ivar, who spits a mouthful of sand out of his mouth. "When am I now?", answered a disconcerted Ivar.

The guard hits Ivar on the back with his energy rifle, but thanks to his inhumanly strong body, Ivar doesn't feel it. "Now, did u really think that would hurt? Now this, this will hurt!" said Ivar right before he decked the guard on the face, dropping him to the ground and breaking his jaw.

"I better hurry and find the resistance, before Pierce finds me.", thought Ivar to himself, just as a floating watchtower approached him. "Stop slave, before we're forced to kill you!", said a voice from inside the tower. The tower's energy guns were charged and ready to fire, when suddenly a man, with skin white as snow, and with a red circle on his chest and forehead, jumped from the floating tower, landing right at Ivar's feet. "I'll take care of this runt, the rest of you go back to your duties.", said the white man. "Yes commander Mortalli, sir!" responded one of the guards, who gave a hand signal to the rest of the SHOCK Troopers in the area, ordering them far from there.

"MortalliBloodshot!" yelled Ivar to himself. "BloodShot? I like that, now come here runt, time for your medicine.", said the white man *, grinding his teeth, and tensing his muscles, which were clearly seen through his SHOCK Troop uniform.

*: From now on I'll refer to him as Mortalli...Mike.

Mortalli concentrated, and an spike made out of energy formed in his hands. "This, will DEFINITELY hurt!"

Mortalli charged in Ivar's direction, and hit him in the gut with the spike, causing Ivar to fall to the floor, bleeding. "Gods!" said Ivar in a hurting voice, blood running out of his mouth and down his chin.

"MotherGod has been expecting you Timewalker, and she asked me to give you this in her name!" said Mortalli seconds before ramming the spike through Ivar's back and out his front. Ivar passed out do to blood loss. Mortalli lifted his right hand and made the V symbol with his fingers, indicating the tower guards to teleport the bruised body of Ivar to MotherGod'sRainbow Tower.


September 8th, 1997, 17:56 p.m. EST:

Inside one of MotherGod's mines:

The mine was damp, and very dark. A few hundred workers coming in and out. The guards are equipped with electro-whips, as well as with stun guns, to quell any riots and keep the men working. To the far side of the mine we see Bloodshot enter the mine, accompanied by 5 guards, carrying Ivar in their arms. The guards dropped Ivar into a ditch in the floor, full of other slaves.

Suddenly MotherGod entered the cave, in her floating throne. 5 chains are attached to the throne, and at the end of the chains we see a broken, bleeding Pete Stanchek, his mouth covered and his hands cut of from his arms, HwenMirage, his legs cut off and his mouth filled with a red ball, and each time he moves the ball goes deeper into him, Obadiah Archer, all his limbs cut off, having to rely on Jack Boniface, one of Erica's servants for all basics necessities, and finally a woman Ivar doesn't recognize, dressed in a white jumpsuit. The woman is beaten and bleeding, her mouth dripping saliva and blood. The woman was a beautiful 20's green eyed red head, who's beauty was obvious even after all the bruises on her face.

"Finally you arrive Timewalker. The resistance--what survived of it--told me you "jumped" 5 years into the future." said Erica, now looking 10 years younger than before, with Blonde Hair and a perkier body, obviously having used her power over energy to alter herself, make herself more attractive and more appealing to the men of the world, her slaves. 

"Fuck you! You'll loose Erica, it's already happened before, and it'll happen again, just wait!" said a still hurting Ivar, who's body already started to heal after BloodShot's attack a few hrs before.

"How nice, you still believe in that "good will always triumph over evil" shit. We'll, in this world, there is no good, not anymore! Guards!!" yelled Erica, togging at one of the chains attached to her throne. The woman in the white jumpsuit came forth.

"Yes mistress?" quickly responded one of the guards. "Bring The Warmaster, tell him his brother has come to visit, and take the Simms woman to level 5, I want her to "guide" the workers to the proverbial X in the ground" said Erica, while caressing the woman's chin. ">pew" , was heard as the woman spited in Erica's face. "I will never help you, you bitch! You'll have to find it by yourself."

"My dear Rebecca, if I could find it by myself you'd be dead already." said Erica in a mocking voice, while togging on Pete's chain. "Now my dear boy, if you know what's good for you, you'll do what mommy wants.".

Pete looked into Rebecca's eyes and concentrated "Agghhhh!!!" screamed Rebecca while blood came out of her nose. "Please, stop!" screamed Rebecca before dropping to her knees. "Fine. Pete dear, pull back for mommy." said a smiling Erica. "I have to do something, I can't let her continue this." thought Ivar, right before he jumped out of the ditch and kicked Pete in the face with his feet. "Forgive me friend, but I have to do this." said Ivar, who was still hurting because of his still-healing wound. "Bravo Ivar, but let's see how good you do against 2 combatants." said Erica just as The Warmaster, sans X-O Armor* came into the mine.

*: which was stolen and send into the future last issue...Mike.

A few workers stared into the site of the battle, but were soon forced to keep moving by the guards and their electro-whips. "Brother, good to have you back!" said Gilad as he ran into Ivar, knocking him back into the ditch, and rolling with him.

"Leave some for me Commander." said BloodShot as he jumped in after them. "Let's sit and watch the fight kiddies." said Erica to her guards, who pressed the 5 prisoners backs with their guns and rifles, forcing those that could to sit and watch.

"That man tried to help me, could he be the one I was send to look for?" thought Rebecca, while being forced to sit back down. "I know you can read minds Stanchek, I was told you could. You can also free us, help us escape from here, why don't you?" thought Rebecca, while looking into Pete's eyes. A few tears ran down Pete's check, as he shacked his head, trying to fight Toyo's control over him. 

Meanwhile in the ditch Ivar was being punched and kicked by both BloodShot and Gilad. "You should visit more bro, the time we spend apart makes me very...very...angry!!" said Gilad, while kicking Ivar in the ribs.

BloodShot smiled as Ivar feel to the floor. "May I Commander?" he asked Gilad, who cleaned the sweet on his forehead with his sleeve. "Go right ahead captain, but make sure not to kill him...yet."

BloodShot created a katana sword in his right hand, and cut Ivar's left arm. "Arrrrrggggggghhhhhh!!!" yelled Ivar, blood bursting out of his shoulder. "No, he most not die." Thought a wide-eyed Rebecca. "Stanchek, you have to help him, he's out only hope." thought Rebecca inPete's direction. Pete fell to the floor, trying to screaming as a battle between him and Toyo was being fought in his mind. The mental battle was so fierce and straining that it required all of Toyo's concentration, which left him incapable of contacting Erica telepathically to warn her about Pete's resistance. After a few minutes Toyo, who was inside the throne chamber, suddenly fell to the floor, his eyes white as snow, and his mouth dripping blood.

Back in the mine Pete got up and shattered his and his friends chains. At the same time Gilad, still in the ditch, shacked his head, recovering from Toyo's mind control. "What...what have I done?" yelled Gilad as he jumped into BloodShot's arms, pushing him to the floor. "You sadistic bastard, leave my brother alone!!" said Gilad as he started to hit BloodShot in the face. "Gil...gilly?" said a bleeding Ivar, getting up from the floor. "What is this?!? Guards!! Stop them!!" screamed Erica as loudly as she could, making the workers on the mine stop, and the guards run to her, as if there was nothing else they could do but to go to her side.

Ivar started to get out of the ditch, his arm already beginning to heal, but his right arms wasn't enough to help him get out...until Rebecca grabbed him and pulled him out. "Who...?" asked Ivar, closed to passing out. "Rebecca Simms, pleased to meet you, now let's get out of here." answered Rebecca, grabbing Ivar and carrying him unto her back and running to the nearest exit.

Behind them Pete and the rest of the workers started to fight against the guards, while inside the ditch Gilad and BloodShot were killing each other. MotherGod teleported herself out of the mine.

"Are you Ivar Anni-Padda, also known as The Timewalker?" asked a heavy-breeding Rebecca, who was running as fast as she could and as far away as her legs would take her with Ivar on her back. "Ye...yes, that's me, who are you?" asked a near-unconsciousness Timewalker. "Lieutenant Commander RebeccaSimms, Second in command of The T.I.M.E. Vaulters of Reality VH 2." said Rebecca right before entering a nearby mine shaft. "Now hold on, this will be bumpy." said Rebecca as she jumped into the shaft.


The two of them came out into an interior river, which then took them to a waterfall and into freedom, outside of Pierceville.

Rebecca pulled and unconscious Ivar out of the water and into a nearby cave. "Thank MOTA that Stanchek guy finally snapped out of it." Thought Rebecca as she entered the cave.

Inside the cave was completely empty, except for a few marks on the floor. "T-Minus 5...4...3...2...1...0!" counted Rebecca, and suddenly a flash of energy enveloped the entire cave, and when it was over a T.I.M.E. gateway, with the universal symbol for MOTA, appeared infront of them. 

"L.C. Simms reporting in. I have found the Timewalker of Reality VH 1, permission to take him to The Vault." Rebecca yelled into the gateway. "Permission denied L.C. Simms. No one except for natives to our reality may gaze upon The Vault, and you know it." said a voice that came out from the gateway. "But The 'walker is badly injured sir, he needs medical attention A.S.A.P." said Rebecca, while pointing at an awaking Ivar

"Permission Denied commander. The target is capable of recovering on his own, as his bio says. If you had bothered to read it..." said the voice, before being interrupted. "Should have , would have sir. I didn't have time to read it, it was 50'000 pages long!" said Rebecca before she noticed that Ivar was standing behind her. "What's going on here? Who are you?" said Ivar, his arm half regenerated.


September 9th, 1997, 07:03 a.m. EST:

Rebecca wakes up from her sleep. The T.I.M.E. Gateway is long gone, and Ivar's bed is empty. Rebecca runs out of the cave, and finds Ivar standing next to the lake from where they came out last night, all his injuries completely healed.

" You know what's funny? For awhile there I thought I had seen it and done it all, but now...now I know that I hadn't even scratched the surface of it all." said Ivar, looking to the morning sun.

"Please come inside the cave Ivar, it's safe there." said Rebecca, while retreating back into the safety of the cave. "Sure, safe, that's what I thought I was before last night." said a pensive Ivar, who remembered the events that occurred in the cave the night before as he got up from his unconscious dream land.

"Who are you?" Ivar asked Rebecca, who was standing infront of The T.I.M.E. Gateway. "I told you, I'm Lieutenant Commander Simms, Second...." "Yes, you told me that, but what does it mean?" interrupted Ivar.

">Sigh 

As far as we can tell, in the year 1991 a rupture in the fabric of the universe occurred, brought upon by the man called Phil Seleski, or as you know him better SolarMan of The Atom. The universal rupture split what once was a universe into a multiverse, populated by an incalculable number of realities.

I came from the reality known as VH 2--we don't know where the name come from, only that it is--In that reality, and from the time I come from, Solar is revered as a god, and known as MOTA

From what we can gather you come from the reality we know as VH 1--which as far as we have been able to gather, it's the reality from where our creator came from.

The reality where we are in right now is known as VH, the original reality from where the original Solar came from. The reality from where the reality rupture originated. But you changed that Ivar, when you prevented Phil from jumping into the reactor, all those years ago."

Ivar fell to his knees, and puked everything he could from his gut to his stomach and out his mouth.

"This...this is impossible. How...how..." asked Ivar, wiping the puke with his sleeve.

"We don't know. We know of only one Timewalker with the ability to jump realities, the one from mine, and even then he does it using a device he calls a fold map. We have no idea how you were able to jump from your reality to the VH reality. From your time point, whenever that was, if you traveled to 1991, and to that particular place in space-time * you would have arrived just as the Phil from VH and the Phil from VH 1 were merging into one, not the event you arrived at." said Rebecca, while helping Ivar up. 

*: The Edgewater Nuclear Research Center...Mike.

Suddenly 2 beds came rolling out from The T.I.M.E. Gateway. "Use this and rest L.C.,you have a very tough mission tomorrow." said the voice from The T.I.M.E. Gateway seconds before it disappeared.

Rebecca helped Ivar into the bed. "You should rest, tomorrow I'll give you all the answers you want, before we go back." 

"Back? Back where?" asked a tired Ivar.

"Back there, to MotherGod's stronghold, The Rainbow Tower." said Rebecca, looking outside the cave, at The Rainbow Tower.

"Now rest, you need to heal.", and with that Rebecca got into the other bed.

"Gods, what have I done?" thought Ivar, still hurting from his wounds.

To Be Continued...


Writer's Thought's: Here it is, the newest, and most ambitious Timewalker issue EVER. I hope you like this issues revelation as well as the first appearance of this reality's BloodShot(more on his origin and the fate of the resistance next issue.) 

Now to a few comments, from Phil Seleski and Barry Reese, our stemmed editor: (I know that this comments are a few months old, I just forgot to add them to previous issues. I promise that from now on any and all upcoming letters will be published here.)

Regarding Timewalker 16:

And Mr. Sacal comes out swinging!

Nice debut tale--the only complaint I have is that it had to end. And what a
tease for the next issue.

Michael, the only thing I can point out is that during the Harbinger Wars
arc in TIMEWALKER, Ivar created just such problems & alternate Earths,
so--as "our" time has progressed--Ivar HAS mucked with the timestream
before.

But that's an opinion for your postscript, not the tale itself. Welcome
aboard!

Anthony 

Thanks for the praise ‘tony. Timewalker 16 was my first crack at both a comic book title and at Ivar, so I thought that he deserved the best adventure I could possible give him.

And you're right about those Harbinger Wars issues. I guess that by the time I wrote issue 16 I had completely forgotten(blocked?) the entire run of Timewalker issues from my head.

Mike.

RegardingThe Timewalker17-22 Preview Edition

Sounds good, Michael. Glad to see a version of Dr. Tomorrow popping up here (even if it's an alternate reality one) -- Magnus MotherGod Fighter? Lol. I love that one. I'm looking forward to the actual stories, Michael! :-)

Barry 

Glad you liked the preview. I hope you liked this issues appearance of Dr. Tomorrow, which I'm SURE no one was expecting it to be this way. As far as Magnus MotherGod Fighter, I think he'll be in issue 22 instead of 21 as originally previewed. 

Mike.

Regarding Timewalker 16 and 17:

"Through the Looking Glass" parts one and two kick off
Michael Sacal's run on TIMEWALKER with a bang. I like
the look at an alternate Valiant reality and the stuff
involving Gilad in part two was especially nice. The
only real flaw to the storyline, to me, is the quasi
script format it's written in. It feels kind of odd --
I think I'd enjoy seeing the story told in a straight
prose fashion better. I can understand would-be comic
writers wanting to experiment with the comics-style
script but I still prefer prose.
Overall, it's an interesting beginning to the
storyline. I'm curious where Michael is going with it.
 
Barry
 
I hope you like the way this issue was written, more like the other issues on the site. 
I liked writing this issue, had more fun that writing the previous issue.
 
Mike.
 
Regarding Various Requests: 
I LIKE (AND HOPE WE GET TO SEE) ANGELO MORTALLI, OF COURSE. "WARMASTER" AND

HIS NEW GLOVE ARE A GREAT TOUCH, MICHAEL. I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT "SHOC" AS
IT WAS--I BELIEVE--AN IMAGE RIFF IN DEATHMATE. MICHAEL, DOES THE LACK OF A
SOLAR MEAN THAT WE WON'T GET TO SEE THE PHIL SELESKI FROM "VH-0"? (YOU KNOW,
THE ONE WHO MERGED WITH VH-1 PHIL TO PRODUCE THE UNITY SOLAR?) OR HAS IVAR
ACTUALLY "LANDED" ON VH-0? IT WAS HINTED THAT THE VH-2 TIMEWALKER COULD GO
BETWEEN WORLDS...

AS ONE WHO PREFERS TO WRITE FULL-FLEDGED SCRIPT (SORRY, ALEX) I DON'T HAVE A
PROBLEM WITH SCRIPT, BUT IT'S HARD FOR ME TO GET INTO THE "QUASI-SCRIPT." IS
IT PROSE? IS IT SCRIPT? WELL, IT'S BOTH. MICHAEL, DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO, MAN!
I'LL KEEP READIN' 'EM. 

PART 3 (WHICH I JUST FINISHED) KEEPS IT GOING. 

You got your wish. Angelo Mortalli made an appearance last issue and this issue we met this reality's BloodShot.

And yes, The SHOC Troops did make their original appearance in Deathmate. I got the name confused with Erica's Battle Robs from Unity.

We saw The VH Phil in issue 16. The Phil in that issue wasn't the one from Solar 1-4, he was the one from Alpha & Omega.

As far as "how" the VH 1 Ivar was capable to leaping from his reality into the past of the reality that Phil "ate" in Alpha & Omega, will be revealed in issue 25, the double sized finale of "Through The Looking Glass".

I'm glad u liked the way the first 3 chapters were written. Let me know how u liked the last 2 please.

Mike.


Next Issue: Now, that would be telling. Wouldn't you rater read it?

Michael Sacal

Monday, December 20, 1999.