Marvel Fanfare #108-Battle With...The Horde!

Year Three-December

LAST ISSUE: Nova, Haywire, Ricochet, D-Man and Stingray travelled to Mississauga, Ontario where they met up with three heroes: Thesis, Z-Bot, and Rhino-Man. They had Wolverine on their side too, if he was Wolverine. "Wolverine" made a getaway, just as the heroes got a call from Metamorph. Now, the nine heroes are in front of a giant trout.

"Kingfish!" yelled Z-Bot, "What do you want with Metamorph?"

"Why, nothing." replied Kingfish, "Just your death, nephew"

"What the-?" mused Haywire, "This is weird. So this evil fluorescent trout is Z-Bot's uncle?"

"Somethin' like that." replied Rhino-Man

"Maple Leaves attack!" commanded Z-Bot

Suddenly, the air was filled with Nova's nova blasts, Haywire's tanglewire, Stingray's electro-shocks, D-Man jumping, Rhino-Man charging, Z-Bot's lasers, and Thesis' enchanted shield. Only, why wasn't Ricochet attacking?

For the answer, we must travel inside the mind of said Ricochet...

"I got to fall back, let the others lead the offensive. I'm still not great with my powers, or accuracy with my disks. I'm glad the Spidey's helping me*, though." thinks Ricochet

*-See current issues of Web of Spider-Man --Ryan

"Now, I'm not here to fight you, not now. I'll leave that to the others." voices Kingfish

"Others? What oth...oh." states Thesis, for advancing towards them are three other beings.

"Oboy, we're in for it now." said Nova, "Juggernaut, Taskmaster, and Shocker."

"Right, Nova," says Juggernaut, "only now, we gots ourselves a name."

"Call us," interrupts Shocker, "the Horde!"

"Okay," Nova starts to bark orders, "Thesis, Rhino-Man, D-Man! Take Juggernaut! Z-Bot, Stingray, Haywire, Metamorph! Take Taskmaster! Leave Shocker for Ricochet and I. Thesis, Metamorph! You're in charge of your groups!"

"WHAT?" yelled Thesis, Metamorph, and Z-Bot.

"Well," started Nova, "Metamorph needs the experience, and being covered in orange spikes doesn't mean you can't lead. Thesis could make a good leader, sort of a white, light blue and gold female version of Thor. As for Z-Bot, he may used to have led, but I'm in charge now, and I think that we don't need a short dark Iron Man as a leader."

"A plan, but it will utimately fail!" replies Taskmaster.

Taskmaster could have been right, but not now. He could not have known that Metamorph could turn into any being, or that Z-Bot had carefully studied Taskmaster, searching for a weakness. Nor could he tell, that with Haywire's tanglewire and Stingray's electricity blinding him, that Metamorph had turned into Captain America, and just chucked Cap's shield. It was too late for Taskmaster. Or was it?

During the battle with Shocker, Nova was troubled in his thoughts.

"It's getting hard to fly from Century's ship* to Mississauga and back, and sometimes I don't know if I'm battling Kingfish or the Slorenians**. Maybe...Maybe Z-Bot can do it..."

(*-See current issues of Force Works

"He's teleporting himself out of here!" said a frustrated Stingray "Rats!"

"We'll get him later," reassured Nova, "just concentrate on Juggernaut!"

It was a sensible plan, but Juggernaut would win without Haywire's experience. And then, when Nova and Ricochet beat Shocker, they too went after Juggernaut. Rhino-Man and D-Man charged at him, knocking him down, for Nova to pry his helmet off.

"Nice job, kiddies." states Juggernaut, "but you've got no one with telepathic powers now, do ya?"

"How do you think we were able to beat your partners without them, with no experience battling together?" shouts an enraged Thesis, "I have telepathic powers, and I will use them."

"NOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo" cries Juggernaut, as he faints.

"Nice job guys. Didn't think you had it in you." says a figure in a wheelchair, from the nearby forest.

"WOLVIE!" cries Thesis as she runs into the forest, "Oh, I'm so glad you're safe!"

The figure then spread out claws from the wheelchair, which knocked Thesis out.

"Be careful guys," commanded Nova, "whoever he is, he's NOT Wolverine."

Next Issue: The impostor of Wolverine has knocked out Thesis, a goddess, mind you. Do the other eight heroes have any hope of winning? Plus, where did Taskmaster go, and how did he get out of jail? All this, and the first kiss, next time.