Prelude to Galactus Part Two:

Arkham Asylum. Psycho-Pirate sips on some water. Dr. Fate had just healed him from internal injuries no doctor other could detect. It was magic.

"We are waiting, Pirate..." Dr. Fate says.

"Yeah yeah...ok doc...here's the story...".

"Starts with a guy named Mordru. Heard of him? Thought so. Seems that he figured if we could get rid of these pesky heroes it would be a better world..for us bad guys."

"He hitched up a spell that would zap heroes into another dimension through some kinda magical tractor beam. He just needed them in one general area. That's where I come in."

"Go on....".

"Mordru needed some reason to call the heroes in. He used my emotional powers as a beacon, generating super-powered beings in. It was simple,really. To pull in the heroes all you need to do is pull in the villains.” Psycho-Pirate smiled, “Bingo. Mordru found me.”

“He used some basic mumbo jumbo and exacerbated my powers. And boy did I do a good job; feelings of anger, revenge….these things easily provoked the bad guys. Loyalty easily attracted the heroes. All we needed were a few heroes to be the victims. We choose Batman and Spider-Man because both are so well connected to some of the biggest good guys out there all waiting just to assist their pals.”

“I see. So this spell focused upon Spider-Man and Batman.”

“Not sooo much….”.Pirate says, “It’s more about me conjuring up all those good feelings.” He says proud of his accomplishment.

“So Mordu wanted the heroes together to displace them from time and so he could rule the world, unopposed?” Fate says.

“Bingo.”

“And you’re benefit of all this?” Fate asks.

“A world of minds to play with,” he answers lustily, "With his spell we even played with Galactus' emotions, calling him down to earth with feelings of frustration, revenge."

"Unmitigated fools! Playing with fire,' Fate starts.

"Trouble is," Pirate continues, "It worked too well. Magic users, mind controllers...they got sensitive to this...overreacted...overstimulated...even Mordru and I got in a fight. That's how I got hurt mystically, like you found me."

Dr. Fate senses the truth in this, he can feel the mystical misalignment.

"Why would Mordru use Galactus? Unless...he counted upon the heroes to defeat him?".

"Bingo again. Yup, the heroes would defeat him, they always do, right?" the last bit with more confidence than he really feels, "Then...weakened, they'd be no match for this magical tractor beam bringing them to this other dimension."

"Where is Mordru now?".

"Well, he's a little insane, Doc. I gave him back a little of what he gave me."

"Mordru is too dangerous to be left alone...madness could make him only worse."
Fate leaves the hallway as Psycho-Pirate screams out for him.

The Riddler pulls Fate from his nearby cage. "Riddle me this, Doc."

"Whaat?".

"Riddle me this. What's bigger than a spider and stronger than a bat? Answer: Galactus."

***************************************************************

"Batman, Oracle...I have the information you asked for," Fate telepathically contacts them.

"Now is not the best time, Fate," Batman says, cornered by his latest threat.

"Make it, Batman. I've got to find Mordru myself. You will need to seek out Spider-Man. I will do my best to see that other heroes follow to back you up. I will see what if I can do about Galactus but I believe it is far too late."

Dang long winded explanation. Sorry about that.

My last team:

Dazzler V 68
Psylocke (FF) V 75 (Extended range 10)
Batman E (Icons) 47

100 total

Initiative 10.

Betsy Braddock runs out of the fine restaurant she's sitting in. She's screaming.

"Betsy. are you ok?" yells Alison Blaire, her dining partner. Both women are better known as the X-Men Psylocke and Dazzler.

"I've got an urgent sense of danger. It's vague but it surrounds Spider-Man," she says walking away as if out of her own control.

"Oh, but Betts," Dazzler complains following her reluctantly, "It's Chez Paul's...it's six months advance reservations...".

The two women are lead to a big park. "That's not Spider-Man," Dazzler points out, "It's Batman."

Psylocke smiles slyly, "Well, one fights as good as another...".

Don't worry about a long-winded explanation. I'm just impressed that you were able to tie all this together at all.

For this one, while I was still pondering Halloween themes, one of the things I was rolling around in my head was an alien invasion. Even though Halloween's over, the idea still stuck in my head. I had two ways I was thinking about going. Super-Skrull with a bunch of Skrulls was one. The other was another alien bunch I really have always liked. I was still undecided until recently, but since you went for an X-Men connection this game instead of Avengers, it just seemed more appropriate to go with:

LE Prof. Xavier 78
LE Divebomber 29
R Brood Queen 50
E Brood Warrior 20
V Brood Warrior 25

202 Points

"Why do we bother with these Terrans when the World Eater will simply get rid of them for us?"

"Because daughter," the older Brood queen said to her hatchling, "not only do we get to destroy those X-Men that have brought so much harm to our race, but we earn Galactus's favor. And the World Eater's favor can mean the difference between salvation and annihilation of our homeworld. Now let us summon the warriors. The time has come."

Initiative roll is 10. Reroll is 5.

Alien invasion...now why didn't I think of that? .

My roll is 7. That puts on IAP2.

Even if I win both of these games, you've won enough to choose Galactus or the heroes in the finale. As far as I know you're going with Galactus so I've a team in mind but if that's not the case, let me know.


K2 Dazzler V 68
M2 Psylocke (FF) V 75 (Extended range 10)
L2 Batman E (Icons) 47

HO K6, I13; LO R13

Batman cautiously watches his enemies to figure them out.

"They're brood. An ugly, parasitic race that uses host bodies to propegate their species," Psylocke says to Batman through telepathy, "We're X-Men. We're NOT ugly..and we fight brood for breakfast."

"Empty promises until proven otherwise," Batman grunts, "And your information is good, my sources are better, they've told me the same. And the next time you want to use mind abilities with me...don't." Batman has recently had cause to make him...wary...of mind powers.

"Wow," Dazzler says, who was also in the link, "Are you always this grumpy or is it just cause you're so homely you need to wear a mask?".

"Thanks for the information. Got it from here," he says.

"Whattt??? Betts, somehow he broke your psy-link," Dazzler says.

"The nerve. You know, Alison, we are going to save that ingrate if it kills us."

LE Prof. Xavier L23
LE Divebomber J23
R Brood Queen N23
E Brood Warrior K23
V Brood Warrior M23

HO L16, K6, I13
LO L14, M14, R13

"They have arrived, my queen," the Brood warrior informed the leader.

"So my daughter, are you ready to sire your first brood of warriors in the soft moist bodies of these Earthers?" the elder queen asked.

"Yes mother," the younger female replied. "I am heavy with eggs. Warriors, bring them to me."

"You heard her," the elder ordered. "Go!"

The Brood obeyed without question.

Not too exciting here:

Dazzler to K6

Psylocke to L8 (stealthed)

Batman to J8 (stealthed)

Dazzler V @K6
M2 Psylocke (FF) V @L8 (Extended range 10)
L2 Batman E (Icons) @J8

HO K6, I13; LO R13

For what it's worth, that's 3 actions in a 200 point game. None of your guys have free move, so you'll have to take one of those back.

You're right, I need to stay aware.I'll take back Dazzler's move then.

Dazzler V K2
M2 Psylocke (FF) V @L8 (Extended range 10)
L2 Batman E (Icons) @J8

HO K6, I13; LO R13

"O? I need intel of defeating the Brood. Weaknesses. Adversaries. History. What do you have? And back up. I need locations on Huntress, Canary, Nightwing", Batman asks Oracle.

"Sorry, B, I'm working with Nightwing now. He's got his hands full just around the corner from you. He's with Spider-Man taking on a quartet of foes."

"Spider-Man," he says to himself, "It's all coming to place, like Fate said...".

"What was that, B?".

"Nothing. Get me that brood intel when you can. And keep tabs on Spider-Man, I need to know where he is."

"Spider-Man?," Oracle queries, "Not Nightwing?".

"Spider-Man. Especially Spider-Man. "