#18
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 41^st - 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 20^th 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 TroopSquad.

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 RainbowTower.

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 III" 

Escape from The Rainbow Tower.

September 9^th ,1992, 12:46 p.m. EST:

The Torture Room in Erica's Rainbow Tower.

We see a bleeding Ivar chained to the wall with energy chains.

He is wearing a prisoner outfit with the number #1138 on it.

A guard is torturing Ivar with an energy whip.

Seated in a crystal throne we see MotherGod Pierce, enjoying Ivar's suffering.

Next to MotherGod Pierce we see The Warmaster, who only has hate for Ivar in his eyes.

Next to MotherGod's throne we see a small table. On the table we see Ivar's time tracker.

MotherGod: "Talk immortal. Tell me the secrets of time travel."

Ivar: "Ne...nev...never!!"

MotherGod: "Torturer, again.!"

The torturer's hand prepared to whip Ivar once again, when suddenly and without warning one of the rooms walls blew up. The M.A.R. Corps *, alongside Pete Stanchek and Flamingo, were standing on the other side of the wall.

*: MotherGod Active Resistance Corps...Mike.

Gunslinger: "Softcore, give me Detonation, and give Hammerhead the Modified Force Field."

Softcore: "(Through Gunslinger's ear) Roger on Detonation and Force Field."

Suddenly a burst of energy came out of Gunslinger's hand, which caused the wall behind Erica to explode, making her jump of her throne and landing on the floor. The torturer was distracted by this. Pete concentrated and lifted Ivar telepathically out of the room.

Gunslinger: "Softcore, give me Sunburst...Everyone, goggles, now!"

Everyone on Gunslinger's team lowered the pair of goggles on their heads. Immediately after Gunslinger activated Sunburst, blinding everyone in the room, excluding MotherGod.

Warmaster: "My eyes!!!"

Gilad tried to activate his X-O glove, but it suddenly came flying out of his hand, and landing on Pete's.

Pete: "You're gonna pay for killing Torque!!"

Suddenly Gilad's nose started to bleed.

Warmaster: "Agghhhh!! Great MotherGod, help me!"

MotherGod: "Shut up whelp!...You think you have power boy. I'll show you power!"

The X-O glove started to move on Pete's hand. Then it suddenly flew away from it, but it stopped in mid air.

Pete: "You can't have it witch! I'll destroy it first."

MotherGod: "Big words for a pup."

While Pete and Erica were having their fight Flamingo and Shakespeare lead Ivar out from the Rainbow Tower.

Flamingo: "We have to get him to Archer, before The Warmaster can follow."

Shakespeare: "Don't worry, Armstrong said that..."

Suddenly out of nowhere a pair of big hands grabbed Shakespeare and broke him in 2 pieces. It was one of Harada'sHarbingers, Big Boy.

Flamingo: "Aaron!! Noooooo!!"

Out of anger Flamingo turned into her Flame Self and threw all her anger at Big Boy, toasting part of his body.

Big Boy: "Bitch! You'll pay for that!"

Big Boy, still smoking from Flamingo's fire grabbed her and threw her across the room.

Flamingo: "Agghhhh!"

Ivar, dizzy and laying on the floor, was slowly getting up, his regeneration helping him. 

Ivar: "Why don't u try that with me, asshole."

Big Boy: "?"

Ivar took a flying leap at Big Boy, landing on his face. Behind Big Boy was a big Cathedral-like window. From his previous "visit" here, Ivar remembered that they were very high up.

Ivar took another leap, and another, trying to push Big Boy out the window. Big Boy's ears and eyes were badly burned, so he didn't know where on the floor he was standing.

Ivar charged with all his strength at Big Boy, and this was the lucky shot, as both Big Boy and Ivar were thrown out the window, but as soon as he was out Ivar grabbed the leach and pulled himself in.

Ivar: "(Thinking) Now what? They mentioned Archer and Aram, if I could only find them."

Ivar, very quietly, started going down a very narrow stair case. A few minutes later he arrived in the catacombs below the RainbowTower. He saw a few hundred slaves, working to keep the Tower's reactor alive. One of the people keeping the slaves in check was ObadiahArcher, who in the world Ivar knew was his brother Aram's best friend.

Ivar: "(Thinking)What the...? Why is Archer whipping those people? I thought that Flamingo was taking me to him to escape. Could it be that everyone here is the opposite that in the real world, except for me?"

Ivar, very silently, sneaked up behind Archer and wrestled him to the ground.

Archer: "Who are you?"

Ivar: "Shut up! You have one chance to live. Are you a friend of my brother Aram, or Armstrong?"

Archer: "Yes, the immortal, brother to The Warmaster. He and I are both on the Resistance. Are you the Timewalker the boy Geoff talked about?"

Ivar: "Yes, can you take me to him, please?!"

Archer: "Sure, follow me."

Archer and Ivar left the slave pit, and headed toward one of the lower levels. Ivar noticed that a lot of this place was very familiar. It wasn't till he saw it, that he knew where he was: A Stop sign, with the words "Nuclear Power" crossed out, replaced with the name "MotherGod".

Ivar: "My God!"

Archer: "What's wrong?"

Ivar: "This place, I was just here a 2 days ago." 

Archer: "I'm guessing that you mean that your last stop before coming here, to this time, was sometime before MotherGod came into power."

Ivar: "Yes, it was 1991, a year ago."

Archer: "A year ago? Interesting, tell me more."

Ivar: "You don't understand. This is all wrong. I've been to the future, the future from 1991's point of view, and it wasn't like this. MotherGod was defeated, in the Lost Land, by Solar."

Archer: "Solar?"

Ivar: "Yes, Solar, Man of The Atom. "

Archer: "I remember an old comic book called DR. Solar, Man of The Atom... God, I miss reading."

Suddenly Ivar grabbed Obadiah by his collar and lifted him off the ground.

Ivar: "What do you mean by that?!? Didn't you ever hear about Solar?!?"

Archer: "No, never! Now please let me down!"

Ivar dropped Archer very carefully.

Ivar: "Forgive me."

Archer: "It's ok, you can explain on the way, but we better keep moving."

Ivar: "What about the others, Gunslinger and the Stanchek kid?"

Archer: "They'll be ok. But that reminds me, what about Flamingo and Shakespeare?"

Suddenly Archer's questions hit Ivar very hard. Ivar remembered how, in one of his visits to 2005, he found out that Archer and Flamingo were married and very much in love. For a couple of minutes Ivar hesitated in telling Archer the truth, fearing that this Archer and this Flamingo might share the same feelings.

Ivar: "They...they...they were killed by Big Boy. I'm sorry Obadiah."

Archer suddenly stopped, and dropped to the floor on his knees.

Archer: "(Very quiet voice) Charlene, no."

Ivar place his hand on Archer's shoulder. They didn't move for 2 minutes.

Archer: "(There is sadness in his voice) If you follow this creek you will arrive at a house. Just go inside, they are waiting for you."

Ivar: "It'll be ok Obadiah, I'll make sure of it. (Thinking) If I can recover my tracker."

Ivar started walking, following the creek. Suddenly behind him, a part of the Tower exploded. Ivar and Obadiah dropped to the ground. A few seconds later The M.A.R. Corps and Pete came out flying out of the Tower. Ivar looked and noticed that Pete had Gilad's glove in his hand.

Ivar: "(Thinking) Pete, can you hear me? It's me, Ivar."

Suddenly Ivar started to float, and joined the others in mid flight.

Gunslinger: "The Timewalker I presume. "

Ivar: "Yes Charles, it's me."

Hammerhead: "Where are Aaron and Charlene? "

Ivar: "They didn't make it. Big Boy killed them. (Thinking) At least I think he killed Charlene, I didn't really...Oh no! Pete! "

Pete suddenly looked in Ivar's direction, with anger in his face, but said nothing and then everyone turned invisible.

Gunslinger: "..."

Gunslinger: "Softcore, open gates in 10."

Softcore: "(Through Gunslinger's Ear) Roger, welcome home. " 

To Be Continued...

Writer's Thoughts: So, what do you think? I personally think that it was better that last issue, about 75% better.

Anyway, please let me know all your opinions and what characters you might want to see in the coming issue, before Ivar's big jump into the 41^st Century in issue 20.

Next Issue: Ivar is reunited with his brother Aram, who fills him in on what exactly happened one year ago in the Edgewater Nuclear Reactor, and why their brother Gilad ended up with the X-O Armor.

Through The Looking Glass Part IV: The Rise of MotherGod.

Be Here.

Mike Sacal.

Saturday November 20 1999.