Nick Comics - [Temptress: Blackest Light]

Personae Dramatis

Subject character:

Lian Hardy (Code Name: Temptress)

Powers:

telepathy (full extent unknown)

Past:

Raised in a military base, later found and trained by Catman.

Supporting Cast:

Richard Neal (Rocket)
Angela Smith (Canadiana)
Blaster
Enigma
Nightshade (Summer DuVont*)

Additional Character:

Lumina (Marcinia), created by Lyndon Bacungan

Powers:

She has the power to manipulate light. Can radiate a bright light that can make her opponents blind. She can also turn to light and travel at speeds approaching the speed of light. She can also turn her opponents into dust by casting a hot light.

Act One

Scene:: The Defenders Mansion* looks peaceful from the outside, but inside an unknown battle was going on, a battle not even the Pacific Defenders know. Lian Hardy's room is as peaceful as the other parts of the mansion. In the middle of the room Temptress is violently tossing and turning. She appears to be having a dream. A terrible dream.; *note this story likely takes place just after Pacific Defenders #50 in continuity, therefore, the left-most wing of the mansion remains in ruins -Nick
Lian: Who goes there?; Out of a dark corner enters a being in a white superhero costume and lets out a bone chilling laughter
Lian: You!
Being: I am here to take your soul Temptress.
Lian: Others have tried*, and never without a fight!; The two fight exhibiting quiet power and skill. Temptress used her telepathic power and binds the being with a psionic rope
Temptress: Is that it? You didn't give much of a fight. Come on!
Being: As you wish.; Radiates very bright light that blinds Temptress temporarily while the being produces a cage and imprisons her.; *see Pacific Defenders #33-Nick
Scene:: The corridor outside Lian's room. The wailing and moaning catches the attention of the other Pacific Defenders
Angela: Look she's... glowing.
Rich: What's happening to her?! Lian wake up!!; Approaches Lian without his armour, not detecting the electrical field surrounding her. He is electrocuted, and knocked unconscious.
Nightshade: Rocket! Someone pick him up. I 'll stay here until I know what's happening to her, but whatever it is, I know it is bad!; turns to Temptress; I just hope you'll be alright.
Scene:: Meanwhile (once again) the battle continuous in Temptress' subconscious.
Being: You're so weak, even weaker than I thought!
Temptress: This is my dream, my subconscious, I can do whatever I want.; Whispers
Being: I wonder what my dear friend is thinking in her cute little cage.
Temptress: Well, you'll never know.; Temptress concentrates, lifts the cage and slammed it into the being. The being gets thrown back into the dark corner of her mind); I don't know what just happened here, and I need to . I sense that this was no ordinary battle. It my not even be a real battle. It might -- be a battle in my ......; Sees a bright light approaching and screams
Scene:: Simultaneously* in Temptress' bedroom (*meanwhile once removed -Nick)
Summer: Lian is getting worse.; Her wailing become louder and she begins to float in mid-air.
Blaster: What do you suppose is happening to her?
Summer: I haven't a clue, we must to get a closer look at her.
Enigma: What the hell's happening ?!? Can't I get any sleep around --?; Looks at thrashing Temptress and her voice trails off , as a bright light shines from Lian. Her body phases and disappears, only to reappear sporadically
Summer: Aren't we going to follow her?
Blaster: We can't the speed of her disappearance is untraceable.
Summer: Then what do you suggest we do?
Blaster: We wait.
Scene:: Somewhere in Quebec, in a abandoned warehouse. Temptress' body stopped there. Her unconscious body enters the building and into a steel cage. She wakes up.
Temptress: Where am I?
Being: You are in my domain.; Comes out of the darkness.
Temptress: Marcinia!
Being: I bet your glad to see your cousin. Oh! By the way don't call me that-- times change, and people now know me as Lumina.
Temptress: Don't remind me of the fact that I am related to a monster like you.
Lumina: Oh Liana, you haven't changed a bit. You're still nag, nag, nag. You ought to change you know.
Temptress: You're one to talk about change.; The two looked into each other's eyes, as they recollected the past
Scene:: Flashback four years earlier, Lian and Marcinia trying to run away from the military base.
Lian: Marcinia, I don't know if what we're doing is right. What about our fathers? We can't just leave them.
Marcinia: Who cares about them! Our life here is a living hell. We're treated like some prisoners. This is our fathers' place; not ours! Come on before base security sees us.; Marcinia stretches her hands, emits a bright light and tosses it mightily towards the other side of the compound. The two escape
Scene:: Some number of weeks later, Lian and Marcinia join a group of mutant demon cultists. Marcinia fights for the leadership of the group.
Lian: Marcinia, be careful, this guy looks tough.
Marcinia: This guy is a seriously weak lizard. This'll be a piece of cake.; The two being battle. It is the measure of strength and tactics, Marcinia's military training pay off. In the end, she creates a blinding light and throws it toward her opponent. He is covered with hot light that turns him to ashes. Lian watches in horror.
Scene:: Some weeks later.. Lian and Marcinia* and the mutants breaking in the military base.
Lian: What are we doing here?
Marcinia: This is a chance for you to test your powers my dear cousin. You have great potential. We have only to work them out. Besides we need the weapons they have in here so let's go.; The group entered the base. They go unnoticed until they trigger the alarm in the armoury . A battle takes place. Temptress, not knowing what to do, tries to run away, but then sees Marcinia face to face with her father. Temptress panics because she senses that Marcinia might kill her father. Her hunch is right; Marcinia creates a blinding light.
Lian: No!!; Marcinia stops and looks at Temptress aghast, suddenly her head throbs, feeling as though her skull is about to explode, she screamed in pain. Amidst the pain, she orders her people to capture Temptress, who as if awakening from a deep sleep, she realizes that her cousin had changed; turned evil and the worse part of it was that she is leading a gang of demonic mutants. She is about to ran away when she remembers her father, who is staring at her puzzled.
Lian: General Hardy, run!! Save Yourself!; She hears her father say something, but she can't make sense of it, as she sees the mutants approaching leaving her no choice but to run.**; *by this point, both women have their super-hero like costumes, Temptress' would be the one she wore previous to Pacific Defenders Annual #4
**this is evidently right before Temptress's first appearance in Catman: Feline Crusader #41 -Nick
Scene:: The warehouse.
Temptress: Why did you bring me here? What do you want?
Lumina: Oh, did you forget about the dream.
Temptress: That was you?
Lumina: The one and only. I am very powerful aren't I?
Temptress: I don't know what you want from me Lumina but what ever it is, you'll never get it.
Lumina: How convenient that you remembered the fight, but not why the fight was going on. Well, my dear cousin, this is all about you.
Temptress: You want revenge.
Lumina: I want you. I want your body. Your powers. Did you know that with my powers and yours, I'll control ever mind on this planet, human and mutant alike? It will take me only a minute or so, because my power will make the process even faster. You know, the power of light? With that, everyone will obey me and of course I will be the most powerful being on Earth!!
Temptress: You make me sick. You can never be the most powerful mutant on earth "Lumina", I will never let you. You'll never get my powers.
Lumina: I don't know about that Lian. From the moment that you lost the battle fought in your subconscious, I was pretty much free to use your body. To be specific, to invade it and along the way I, or rather you will return to the mansion and unmake the Pacific Defenders!! Your emotional connection with them is so strong, you know, which I predict will enable me to control their minds. I personally don't want anyone to get in to my way.
Temptress: No! You can't. I'll never let you. You can't destroy my friends.
Lumina: Well... too late.; Turns to light and enters Temptress' body. Lian screams.; Project one, the destruction of the Pacific Defenders.; Lets out a bone chilling laugh

Act Two

Scene:: Defenders Mansion; This story is occurring shortly after Pacific Defenders #50 and obviously before #55 in which the mansion was shown destroyed.
Rich: What happened?; Looks at everyone and remembers what had happened.; Lian, where's Lian? Is she alright?; almost shouting
Blaster: Someone or something took her.
Rich: What do you mean something took her?
Angela: When you passed out it got worse. She began to glow and floated out of the window. Faster than our eyes could register -- as though at the speed of light.
Rich: We must find her.
Blaster: We've tried, there's no trace of her.
Rich: I'll find her.; Attempts to stand but his knees fail him. Angela helps him up and assist him back to bed.
Angela: You're not in good shape right now. Rest. I swear we'll do everything we can to find her.; A loud crash is heard and the security alarm went off
Blaster: That's coming from Lian's room. Come on!!; He motioned to the others and then turns to Rich); You stay here Rich.; Blaster, Enigma, Nightshade, and Canadiana run to Temptress' room. In shadow, they see a being in a white super-hero costume standing in the center of the room
Blaster: Who are you!!; The being remains silent
Enigma: Just shoot, damn you!
Blaster: No!! Identify yourself!!
Temptress (Lumina): Hi guys!; steps out of the shadows.
Angela: Lian? Is that you..? But...
Temptress: Neat costume huh? I just got sick of wearing that tired old thing all the time. So I thought maybe a change of costume would be nice.
Enigma: I don't trust her. She may be an impostor posing as Temptress.
Canadiana: You don't trust anyone..; Canadiana approaches Lian, and soon a bright light shines from Temptress. Canadiana feels a burning sensation and screams!
Temptress: struggling to regain control); --urrr!!! --don't... do... this!! No!!!!; Blaster runs to Canadiana and drags away her unconscious body. Rich appears in doorway
Rich: Lian!!!; Nightshade runs towards him and grabs his arms); Let go of me!!; he escapes from Nightshade's grasp and runs towards Temptress, who suddenly disappears); Temptress? She's gone.
Nightshade: But where has she gone?
Scene:: Abandoned warehouse in Quebec...
Lumina: Smart move Lian, I never really expected you could battle me like that.
Temptress: I can and I will continue to do so.
Lumina: Until what Lian?
Temptress: Until I defeat you.
Lumina: Was that a joke? Sorry I forgot to laugh. By the way I thought you'd like to know that I was out taking a stroll yesterday and I just happened to stumble upon a military base. So I decided to take something for a memento.; removes a sheet that was covering something, Temptress sees her own father.
Temptress: Father!!
Lumina: chuckles
Temptress: He's done nothing to you. Why can't you leave him alone?
Lumina: I'm just holding him as....insurance, so that his little girl doesn't cause another commotion like she did awhile ago. And he's not dead he's just stunned, as you'd know if I hadn't prevented you access to your telepathy. But if you do cause trouble, accidents might happen.
Temptress: You shall never succeed with this plot of yours!!
Lumina: bored; I think I already have.
Scene:: Defenders mansion..
Rocket: Canadiana, how are you feeling?
Canadiana: I think I'm alright. I want to kick myself for letting my guard down like that.. but then I was never expected that Lian would have attacked me like that.; concentrates on an image that zapped into her head when she was downed by Temptress; Rocket do you know anything of Lian's past?
Rocket: Once or twice, she'd mentioned how she grew up on a military base.
Canadiana: Military base?; an image of a younger Temptress with a woman in white and her gang of mutant outcasts becomes clear in Canadiana's mind. Temptress helplessly watching the mutants attack the base, finally interceding when the other woman attacked a older man that Lian resembled. A bright light engulfs the peripheral of Canadiana's vision, and then she saw the face of the lady in white-- Lumina
Canadiana: Excuse me, I'm off to follow a hunch....; Canadiana runs out of the room and flies away
Scene:: Saskatchewan, 100 km SE of Lake Athabasca. A military base.
Canadiana: This must be it. If only I knew just what exactly I'm looking for...; flies over the fence and to the base's main office
Soldier: Sir? There is still no sign of General Hardy, sir.
Major General: Search everywhere. It isn't like Nathan to just wander off.
Soldier: But sir, we've search everywhere and still....
Major General: Try looking there again.
Soldier: Aye, sir.
Rocket: General Nathan Hardy is missing. Isn' that her father.
Canadiana: I see you've found me.
Rocket: I followed you. What are you doing here anyway?
Canadiana: When Lian attacked me.. I dunno, I received some flash of memory, some kind of message. I think that something has taken over her, and she sent me a clue to what happened.
Rocket: Again with the possession!; under breath; We have got to find more original writers!; to Canadiana; But what did you hope to find here?
Canadiana: I didn't know, I'm still not sure if it means anything, but this might be important. I'm guessing that the energy being may have taken the general as well.
Rocket: sighs; It's as much of a lead as we have right now.
Scene:: Warehouse.
General Hardy: Where am I? My god-- Lian!! What are we doing here?
Lian: Father. I'm truly sorry you got involved in this.
General Hardy: This is a blasted super-hero thing isn't it?
Lian: surprised; You know?
General Hardy: I may be getting on in years Lian, but I'm not blind. What self-respecting woman would dress as you do?
Lian: It's Marcinia. She has gone mad. She wants my body and powers. She thinks your precence will make me cooperate.
General Hardy: She's mistaken. Isn't she?
Lian: Please father. This isn't the time. I have to try to contact my teammates.; Lian closes her eyes and concentrates.; I've sent a message, but in this state I'm so weakened, I can't say whether it was received. But I'll keep trying.; smiles faintly; I guess I'm just stubborn like mom...
General Hardy: I don't know. You know I hardly knew her.; Canadiana faintly hears Lian calling for help. Then a vision of an abandoned warehouse with a worn out sign that she could make out as Levesque Manufacturing flashes in her mind
Temptress: What--?; gets thrown against cell wall.; Argh!
Lumina: Don't you realize the futility of your actions? You are far too weak for your friends to hear you and even if they did, I have a wonderful greeting for them.; Enter the Black Light.; Meet my soldiers.
Scene:: Outside of the military base.
Rocket: Angela, are you alright?
Canadiana: Fine. Summon the others; I know where Temptress is.; Moments later, the Defender-2 jet with the others. Soon, the craft arrives in the abandoned warehouse.
Blaster: Seems like an innocent enough place.; the four black light members coming emerge.; Then again....; Enigma squares off against a mutant named Shock, while Canadiana is fighting Tundra, Blaster with Destroyer and Rocket with Boggler, as Lumina watches. Finally, Temptress somehow recovers her strength and takes control of Lumina's mind with her powers. Lumina tries to fight her off, but cannot and is forced to release her prisoners. About to lose control over her cousin, Lian punches her unconscious. The Black Light is defeated. Rocket and Temptress embrace
Temptress: I've had a tiring day. Let's go home.

NOTES:

True, shadows do not generally appear in the centre of rooms when the lights are on, however it may be taken that Lumina's possession of Temptress allows her to bend light in manners that do not adhere to scientific principles
We may take it that this conversation is occuring in the physical world, as two seperate beings and not in Temptress' mind
It may be reasoned that this is the same base that was seen in flashback in Pacific Defenders Annual #6/2
Perhaps this doesn't sound very miltiary-ish, however as the Major General is referring to General Hardy by his first name, we may take that there is a substantial amount of familiarity between the officers
No, this isn't the navy either, however they use this on Star Trek and its good enough for me
Like the line from the Simpsons' Star Trek XII: So Very Tired... "Again with the Klingons!!"
A team of evil mutants organized by Lumina and created to be analogous to the powers and abilities of the Pacific Defenders:
1. Shock - manipulates high voltage electricity
2. Tundra - can manipulate arctic elements (ie.cold & wind)
3. Destroyer - umm.. destroys things, good
4. Boggler - limited empath can project illusions into the minds of others
You may take whatever liberties you feel necessary in regards to the appearance of this group of los-- I mean fierce supervillains.
I mean c'mon, they're defeated in like five minutes