Appearing in "Air Apparent"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- W.H.O.
- Alysande Stuart
- Peel
- Styman
- Krieger
- Coldblood (Eric Savin)
Antagonists:
- Jonothon Cayre (First appearance)
- Norm (First appearance)
- Air-Walker prototype (First appearance)
- Air-Walker android
Other Characters:
- Thor (Odinson) (Only in flashback)
- Machinesmith (Samuel Saxon) (Mentioned)
- Galactus (Galan) (Mentioned)
- S.H.I.E.L.D. (Mentioned)
- Roxxon (Mentioned)
- Professor X (Charles Xavier) (Referenced)
Races and Species:
- Mutants
- Flock
- Mutant-Fairy Hybrids
- Human-Otherworlder Hybrids
- Humans
- Cyborgs
- Androids
- Asgardians (Only in flashback)
Locations:
- Earth
Items:
- Captain Britain's Uniform
- Mjolnir (Only in flashback)
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Air Apparent"
In W.H.O’s Helicarrier, Alysande Stuart assess the situation. A scientist, Dr Jonothon Cayre, along with his L.M.D Norm and the Air-Walker robot, have destroyed the village of Carrin’s hollow in Scotland. Cayre can rearrange his own molecular structure and unravel other’s DNA and the Air-Walker is a self repairing android made from one of Galactus’s former heralds. She sets them each a mission. Nightcrawler is to prevent Norm detonating a nuclear bomb, Shadowcat is to investigate Cayre’s lab and find the Air-Walker Prototype, Meggan is to destroy his lab, Phoenix is to stop Cayre and Captain Britain must destroy the Air-Walker.
Nightcrawler is first to find his target, Norm, in a shopping mall in Glasgow. He slips into disguise, but a young child notices his tail, and he is soon swarmed by admirers. Norm, on an upper level, notices this and draws a machine gun. Nightcrawler teleports, kicking the gun so that it misses the crowd as it fires. Norm states that Nightcrawler isn’t strong enough to defeat him, but Nightcrawler laughs it off until he throws him over the balcony, knowing now that Norm possesses superhuman strength. As Nightcrawler teleports back up, he somersaults over Norm and takes his gun, firing it point blank at him. But as the gun jams, Norm grabs him, and states that with his disguise gone, he will activate the nuclear warhead with a 30 second timer. Nightcrawler teleports them into the fountain, of which he dives clear. The water short circuits Norm, who explodes. Fortunately, the blast is small, and non-nuclear, as the timer had not finished.
Meanwhile, in Cayre’s vault, Kitty is phasing through all kinds of technology. As the prototype sneaks up on her, she phases through it, leaving it to short circuit. She checks a nearby screen, desperately trying to interpret the figures, but it makes no sense. In the reflection, she sees the prototype rear up again, it’s self regenerative processes fully intact. As it lunges for her, she phases into the ground beneath the vault. To her surprise, it copies her ability and phases after her, and she shouts in pain as it cuts her. She runs for her life, entering a cave system, where she finds a river of Magma. She dives off a cliff towards it, turning solid, as does the prototype. At the last moment, she grabs a stalactite, and the prototype plunges into the lava, gone for good.
In Cayre’s lab, Meggan has taken the attributes of a Cobra, to protect her from the biology warping particles in the lab. She plants a bomb, and then sets about trying to give the computer a virus, before she is interrupted by Coldblood, who has come for the notes Meggan wants to wipe. He opens fire, but she avoids every shot, and tries to convince him to help her, even trying to outbid his current contract. As he flings her against a wall, he realizes that despite the million dollar first mercenary contract, he doesn’t want to hurt innocents, and despite his computer’s protestations, he uploads the virus to the computer. Summoning his car, he and Meggan escape into the night.
In a pub in Scotland, Phoenix pursues Dr Cayre. With the patrons being unhelpful, she washes them away by opening all the kegs of beer in the pub, until they point out Dr Cayre. He has mutated into a new creature, the result of his failed experimenting on himself. Galactus’s self healing technology doesn’t work on humans, and so constantly kills and heals him over and over, but it has granted him the ability to control his molecular structure. He releases a fluid from his hands, that unravels the DNA of everyone left in the room except Phoenix, who shields herself. He begins to work his way through her shield, until she slams a pool table on top of him. He oozes out from underneath, and tries to leave, knowing that they can’t kill each other. As Phoenix steps on a glass shard, she has an idea. She traps him in a glass prison, that is taken to W.H.O so they can attempt to cure him.
In Mollenshire, Captain Britain looks up at the Air Walker, trying to decide his opening quip. Before he can do so, it obliterates the house he is hiding behind, leaving the Captain with nothing to do but fly at it. He hits its shield like a brick wall and drops to the floor. He flies up again, coming underneath the shield and punching it square in the back. He tries to press his advantage, but it heals and grabs hold of him, trying to crush him. Desperate, he grabs the fire cloak and crosses the burning streams, hoping it will create a cosmic energy feedback loop. It does, but Captain Britain can’t escape its grip. The explosion is enormous, but as it took place on a cosmic scale, the small things, like him, the town, the earth… were unaffected. Satisfied and relieved, he flies off to rejoin the team.
Back at the lighthouse, Lockheed hears noises outside. Two enthusiastic W.H.O agents, Krieger and Styman, trying to impress their boss, are breaking in to bug the lighthouse on their own initiative. As they approach the door, it swings silently open, and they step inside. As they examine Excalibur’s things, Lockheed bites Styman from behind, and drops a statue on Krieger’s foot. He flies into a wardrobe, and wearing one of Captain Britain’s spare uniforms, succeeds in convincing them the house is haunted, letting the two agents flee as Excalibur return home.
Notes
- Back cover by Ron Lim.
Trivia
- The Prototype Air Walker looks like the Alien in the Alien franchise.
