Appearing in "For the Sake Of Mischief"
Featured Characters:
- Zodiac (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Death Reaper (First appearance)
- Clown
- Manslaughter Marsdale
- Dave Cannon
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- H.A.M.M.E.R. Agents
- Human Torch (Johnny Storm)
- Zodiac (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Scorpio (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Aquarius (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Aries (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Cancer (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Leo (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Libra (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Pisces (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Sagittarius (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Taurus (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Virgo (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
Locations:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "For the Sake Of Mischief"
In a dark room, a man in a mask is torturing an agent in body armor. The masked man ponders at what the acronym "HAMMER" stands for before killing his charge. He laughs at the dying agent: he thought he was being tortured for information, but he and 99 other HAMMER agents were simply being killed to make a statement. Checking with his second-in-command, a man called "Mars", whether their mole in HAMMER has checked in yet. Mars says he hasn't, but Zodiac is confident - the mole has a personal grudge against Norman Osborn...
Two weeks earlier, the Clown was approached by the masked man and his moll, Death Reaper. The masked man came to the point - Norman Osborn used to be a certifiable basket case; now he was a pillar of the community whom everyone must obey. The masked man posited that the Clown did not take this well. The masked man introduced himself as Zodiac. When the Clown brings up the previous Zodiac group, Zodiac produced a bag containing their heads - he not believe in rules, but he likes to be tidy.
Word that something had gone down in a HAMMER facility has reached the agency, and forensics and coroner teams have been dispatched. The agent in charge is shocked, and no suspects are forthcoming, but the examination shows that every man was killed with a Z-shaped cut to the stomach. The investigation has begun.
Two days ago, the Clown was introduced to Zodiac's headquarters - a downed HYDRA airship in a junkyard in Pennsylvania. "Mars" give him a tour, and introduces himself as Manslaughter Marsdale. They receive the communication from Zodiac that he was finished with the 100 HAMMER agents.
Norman Osborn is going to a meeting in one of the flying cars that SHIELD favored. His personal chauffeur, David Cannon, is a little apprehensive of his boss, but he does overhear that there are several ex-SHIELD bases on the East Coast standing empty. He, it seems, is the mole.
Zodiac strikes, hitting a facility west of Norwalk, CT. While he sets up his plan, he is on the phone to Death Reaper. He knows one of the heroes will find out, it's just a question of who...
At the Baxter Building, the Human Torch is showing two women around when an alarm rings. Angered, he flies to investigate.
Zodiac has set a worm in the ex-SHIELD system. Suddenly, he is knocked off his feet by the Human Torch. Zodiac insults him, making him run straight into a trap. Flush with success, he takes off his mask - revealing a face very similar to that of David Cannon...