Back Issue Bin - Arc 6

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AMERICAN NIGHTMARE | Arc 6[edit]

"American Nightmare" cover image -- LARGE

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most." Jack, Mandy, Arthur, Brian... they have come from passengers to social group to friends. But in this story arc they become ... normal.


issue # 31:6[edit]

  • "Goodbye Cruel World" , April 29, 2006.
    • RECAP:  ???


issue # 32:6[edit]

  • "Remember When" , May 04, 2006.
    • RECAP: So our intrepid Adventurers all headed to Seattle, Everyone wondered would mandy show? Dispite her telling Aurther shed be there her friends weer concerned for she alone found happiness in this weird alt world. Brian and Aurther an jack and marks flew in to the south of Seattle while Mandy chose north. After much bickering the boys stoped at urban outfitters and picked up some gears. Strangly no one in this world wanted to go to seattle or cared about it. Like there minds had been turned away from it. Hiways had been rerouted and big fenses declared "HAZARD" in ominous yellow letters.
      The boys met up with Mandy in hicksvile just outside of shadowlake park and made there way to the fence, after a bit or work the group began bush wacking there way through. It was jungle lush with forest growth and we climbed trees to see where we weer going planning on heading to the Celera facility.. As we trooped through the woods we encountered a giant bear trap. We decided to travel more cautiously letting Aurther lead. We passed where Celera should have been and it wasn't there only forest. We encountered a bear that wasn't nearly afraid of people as it should have been. Luckly it got bored with us and decided to leave. We became aware of a distant logging camp.. Aurther encountered a man from the camp out hunting bears. And we realized we weernt in Kansas anymore. When we tried to follow our trail back to the fence we found the fence and civilization gone.. we stowed mandys bike by the lake and decided to head for what should be downtown Seattle. As we walked we encountered farms and people datting from the early 1900's someone saw a model-t. we saw smith tower still being constructed. Due to a clever thought on Brians part and some fast talking he was able to convince the local University administrator that he was a professor on his way to visit Vancouver who had ended up out of sorts here in Seattle.. there was only one twist... The Admin wants brian to give a Lecture on...
      Modern History of 1918 DUN DUN DUN!!!


  • Game Called : May 11, 2006, We still gathered, Kevin needed a week off - We played Board Games!
  • Game Called : May 18, 2006, Planned to go to Davinci Code, unfortundately it was cancelled last minute.
  • Game Called : May 25, 2006, Jason was busy with class work.
  • Game Called : June 1, 2006, Game Maintenace day, talking about Dede quitting the group for awhile.


issue # 33:6[edit]

  • "Altered States" , June 8, 2006.
    • PREVIEW:
      previously in AMERICAN GODS...
      The Hopewell crew found themselves in a new world. One devoid of the atrocities of 9/11. For some this would be the perfect world [Mandy]. For others a nightmare [Brian]. But with the radical change in history so to was changed the fates of the Godlike, the were survivors of AA Flight 283 no more. They were Godlike no more. Defying what this new logic told them Brian Jaffe leads his friends to Seattle which seems to be a void point in this world. But when they arrive they are minus one. For Mandy Smith this world is home. Breaching the barrier shielded from observation either mundane or Godlike, the Hopewell group learns that this Seattle is actually one stinted in time... Residing somewhere around 1914-18. Ever the diplomat Brian settles the group into a good situation convincing old Seattle University's dean that he and his group are travelling from Boston. But with the hospitality comes a price, the Dean promptly asked Professor Jaffe to lecture tomorrow evening on politics of the modern history of 1918!
      and soon in AMERICAN GODS...
      Unexpected guests, friend and stranger, will offer direction to the Hopewellians. As Professor Jaffe speaks to the children of yesteryear - Arthur, Jack and Vernon are surrounded - while Mandy's attention fades thanks to a friend... The day is thrown asunder - it begins tomorrow, continues yesterday and ends today. You'll ask... Where has he been? Well - they drove him away. But he didn't leave for them - he left for the sake of a cherished few. But there was a plan. A contingency. They came to that place for answers. But got none. They made it their own because he told them it wasn't real anymore since she was gone. They weren't expecting a wildcard before they killed him. He should have died in the street that day. But if he had would Seattle survive the coming of the Progeny. One will hear truth and follow it, one will begin to find the engineered destiny, one will return from a long absence, and one will die undone.
    • RECAP: This weeks issue begins after a long break in play. It opens with Brian giving his speech about politics and sunscreen. As Brian enraptures the audience, the others are noticing things amiss. Arthur notices a girl in the crowd with a haircut almost a century premature, then joins Mandy do go visit a suddenly appearing aquaintance from the future...Beth. Jack joins them just in time to see Beth whisper into Mandy's ear and see her go dead. Arthur and Jack immediately hustle Mandy's body and Beth into a side room to freak out inprivate. Beth is very unhelpful in explaining, except saying that Mandy wasn't supposed to be here. Meanwhile, Brian finishs his speech and is accosted by students and staff alike, all wanting to shmooze with the charismatic young professor. The last of which is a comely young woman dressed in deffinately modern ideas of appropiate clothing. She chides Brian for ignoring her signs telling everybody to stay out of Seattle. After some banter and swagger back and forth the girl clenches her fist and slams Brian into the wall with apparently the power of her mind alone. Her power play is interupted by Marx's timely intervention with his usual tact, aka. a gun to the head. Jack and Arthur emerge from the back office just in time to see all of this occur. As Jack approaches, Arthur fades among the seats and starts sneaking up. After further banter, the girl declares that she is going to have to kill us all and snaps her fingers at Jack saying "Die!!" As Jack's brain starts to hemmorage, Arthur gets in a suprise blow that knocks her unconscious. The rest of the conversation is quickly convened to the office with a Beth in a prankstering mood and a dead Mandy. Kimberly is handcuffed and restrained with piano wire as a precaution. As the rest of the group argues and discusses what to do next and why this is going on, Brian sends Arthur out on a scouting mission. Noticing that he is being followed, Arthur ditches his tail and follows him instead. After watching a man crawl out of the rafters and out an upstairs window, and wave to a young woman an child across a field, Arthur decides to do the incredibly stupid task of jumping a Survivor when he has no powers...So, Arthur is then thrown down the hall and through a set of doors, slides across the floor and almost takes out a grand piano with his pancraes. Our happy wall crawling friend tries to rush Arthur from the walls, and slips on the shutters. Not wanting to visit the other rooms in this building the hard way, Arthur takes Kimberly hostage. The wall crawler immediatly surrenders and begs us not to hurt her. Then Marx saves the day by shooting the already surrendered wall crawler square between the eyes, killing him. As the rest of us skeedadle out of town to hide in the woods, Brian stays behind to throw off pursuit. An effort which seems unnecessary as the fire fighters live up to their name and start to duke it out with competing teams, leaving Brian and a little old teacher at loose ends. Brian takes the opportunity to bug out free and clear, and heads downtown. Along the way he spots a young boy drowning in a pothole in the street. Being a kind compassionate and selfless sort, Brian immediatly leaps into the pothole to rescue the kid...then he remembers that he cannot swim well, and now he needs to breathe. The child almost takes our valiant politition with him in his panic and efforts to survive. Brian at the last moment manages to break the surface and drag the boy out of the pothole. Unfortunately it seems that his efforts wer not in time as the boy has no pulse and is not breathing. Brian walks away, the picture of dejection, and as he walks, the scene shimmers around him, and a broken abandoned Seattle street from modern day forms. Brian finds himself leaning over a car with his hand casually bending the metal. He looks behind him to see an ancient man lying on the ground where he left a boy. Meanwhile Jack, Marx, Arthur, and Kimberly still tied up are sitting around a small campfire talking about what to do next when the woods seems to come alive around them. Eyes start peering around bushes...over cars and mail boxes, slinking across the parking lot. Jack notices that Arthur is surrounded by the familiar nimbus of Survivor energy as the pack closes in.


issue # 34:6[edit]

  • "A Nice Place to Visit" , June 15, 2006.
    • RECAP: And the blood ran freely in Seattle. This episode starts off with a bang. Jack Marx, and Arthur are assulted by a large group of apparently controlled animals...most of the Seattle zoo it seems. Jack starts the show by seperating himself from his body and draws the telekinetics soul from her body and traps her in Astral Space with him, thus nutralizing most of her powers. Marx and Arthur waste no time in clearing out a vast majority of the animals when a bright spear of red energy flashes out of the darkness and snakes it's way across the open parking lot, weaving around animals and obstacles to hit Marx dead in the chest. He is injured as parts of his flesh slough away from the power of this attack. Jack, having gotten a respite from his struggle with Kimberly reaches out with his ultimate control of all things mechanical and starts a demolishion derby with all the cars in the lot. As Marx reels from the energy blast, he is jumped by a lion which rends his abused flesh neigh unto death. As Arthur prepares to rush to Marx's aid (No really!!! He was going to...honest) a flying monstrosity flies over the battlefield screaming instructions to another survivor to take out Arthur. A young girl responds with a withering bolt of crimson energy at Arthur, who thanks to the flying bat was ready. Holding up Excaliberedge first, he splits the beam and reflects half up at the Man/bat, and sends the other half back at it's owner. The Man/bat manages to survive by shedding body parts and mass and reforming himself as good as now...sort of. The young girl is not so fortunate. The blast knocks her through a tree which disintigrates from the power of her own blast returned. The Man/bat streaks out of the sky, and swooping across the battlefield, blindsides Arthur and sinks his taloned legs through Arthur's stomach and drives him into the ground bleeding and dying.
    • Meanwhile, across town, Brian has grabbed the old man and rushed him to a nearby hospital for aid, passing a macabe gruesome crucifix with a man attached by his own skin and bones. Upon enteringthe Hospital, he is almost immediatly recognized as "Horizon" and welcomed as their savior. The elation is short lived however, as several members of Progeny arrive on the scene looking for trouble. Two members stalk down the street past Brian and he takes the opportunity to strike first. After holding a brief council with gravity as to which way it should be influencing a car, Brian launches a auto at the Progeny called Bleach...who apparently has little protection from Fords. The other member looks at Brian and with a tremulous voice states, "Dude!! You are SO FUCKED!! You are really fucked man!" And promtply runs away as the earth buckles and shakes around them. As Brian watches, a large golem like being made rock and debris forms up and starts digging through the wreckage of the car and Bleach. As the golem pulls out a viscous white mess, he seems to go mad. In rage he "reaches" out and grabs the two buildings next to Brian and topples them ontop of him. Brian struggles valiently to preserve the buildings and more importantly the innocent people within them, but Brian is overmatched and buried alive. Buried but unharmed, Brian looks through the rubble to spot the bodies of the other people this man sacrificed to strike him. Perhaps, for the first time in his life, Brian sees a large scale willful extermination of life right in front of his eyes. As he rises to his feet, he confronts the Titan now standing before him. Rage and grief overwhelming them both the surge twoards each other and lock. After severl moments, Brian manages to get the upper hand and force his opponent away from the earth that gives him his strength, and rockets him upwards twoards the vacuum of space and hangs him there to suffocate.
    • Back across town, Arthur has just regained conciousness to find the Man/bat standing over him grinning. "What shall I make of you?" he almost croons to Arthur. Realizing this may be his final moment, and too hurt to do anything else, Arthur surges forward and grabs the Man/bat by the throat and utters one word,"SALSA!!" Then the world goes white...


issue # 35:6[edit]

  • "God Smack" , June 22, 2006.
    • PREVIEW: Hopewell... Hope & Well. Two words of a healing nature. Two words tangled in irony denoting the American town that that came to be the crash site of the fifth plane of 9/11, now the domain of No Man. Hopewell also denotes the name chosen by the Survivors of AA Flight 283 who worked together to form a place where others might not feel alone. Two more words... Kings Farm. Kings Farm quite possibly meaning the literal birthplace of future kings made gods by destiny, elevated to power by design. Two words also marking an established community in Maryland, adopted by as perhaps an *afterthought*. Pantheon. One word denoting the power given upper eschelon of Godlike residing within Kings Farm but it is also a word denoting an intention to rule. Progeny. One word, the progenitors given power with little rhyme or reason to control ethically. While Hopewell becomes a beacon, Kings Farm builds to rule and the Pantheon watch over that rule - it is the Progeny that may offer the most fear. They are not a group with intent, they are raw emotion, who only know they will never be controlled again. They are a society of powered youth looking to expand their influence, yet they don't all know what that belief is.
      Next issue Progeny at the same time coalesces and rips assunder while Hopewell is caught in the crossfire. Old friends and enemies will return in this epic climactic battle amid the ruin of Seattle. We will learn (or be reminded) that in some ways death has little meaning to those liken to God. Unlike these unguided souls Pantheon is intent on one thing, yet they may discover much more. And various angles of aid will come to our heroes whether they want it or not. Meanwhile, hanging above the Earth Brian will struggle with the rage of a man bent on avenging his life's love. Can an Elemental of stone and concrete face a man in control of the primal force of Gravity itself? A new day may dawn but if the Savage encased in concrete can find a way Horizon may face something he's never faced - defeat...
      All this and a little girl may grant a man a dream!
    • RECAP: We start off today's episode with a bang...literally, as Arthur rends his corpus asunder ina a last ditch effort to take his enemy with him as he dies. The resulting explosion tears the pavement, dirt, rock, and Mongrel to shreds and the echo can be heard for miles. Unfortunatly for Brian, where he is, not much sound can reach him, as he hurls into space with aconcrete Savage in tow; who is rapidly suffocating. Brian then heads twoards Antartica to store Savage for the time being. But as he starts to reenter, something goes terribly wrong! Brian's force field starts to deteriate around him. Out of the stone that is Concrete Savage forms Bleach's face as she tells Brian that if he continues, he will die. Thinking quickly, Brian hurls Savage into orbit and plummets through the aptmosphere in an effort to burn off Bleach's toxin. Just in time it works, and Brian pulls out of his death dive with only minor burns.
    • Several thousand feet below and across the city, Jack watches from the astral realm as his body lies vulnerable with an angry owlbear disentangling itself from the VW bug that rolled it a minute earlier. To save him, Jack then pulls Marx's soul out of his body and sets him to guarding Calamity from doing any more harm. Both of them square off and trade shots that do no damage to either of them. As this is happening, Jack goes over to where Arthur was just in time to see him reform. Arthur is weak and his form is dim from the damage Mongrel did to him. With a huge effort, Arthur pulls himself back to the real world and forces his body to accelerate it's healing almost 8000 fold. During which Julie and Arthur 2 show up. Jack forces Marx back into his body and Julie transports him to a hospital. Then she returns to do the same to Jack's body, opting not to return after this trip. The effort exhausts Arthur and he is forced to slip into his own speed for almost 10 hours to rest and recover.

Jack takes this opportunity to assemble a group of robots and has them canvasing the area and sending scouts twoards the Smith building to investigate. Bored, Arthur 2.0 decides to go and "look after" Julie.

    • Meanwhile, across and above the city, a naked Vice-President is flying along when he hears a familiar voice over the airwaves. Goatboy and his squadren have arrived to check up on the VP. Brian sends them to SeaTac to meet up with them and promptly gets distracted when he checks out Celera. He sees a plane coming in on a direct course for Celera and tries to get there first. But the place is not right. It's creepy. Nothing works right. Phones are dead. Nothing will turn on. Even the newspapers are strange. Brian eventually manages to see through the illusion that is preventing him from realizing whats really going on and see the Panthaeon group around him. Realizing the gig is up, the attack...the fools. After several unsuccessful assaults on Brian, the rest of the group shows up, thanks to a huge lightning bolt that came out of the blue to show them the way. Brian allows Jack and Arthur to handle the Panthaeon guards and heads inside to look for Maggie. Arthur and Jack make short work of most of the mSurvivors outside, while one survivor called Tilt, manages to get a lucky shot off on Brian and both are knocked out from the impact. As he is coming to, Jack heads inside to check up on him and find Maggie. They arrive almost together to find Milos unhooking himself from a machine that connects him and Maggie. A large black man stands over him helping him unhook. Brian and Jack both loose it a little and as Jack tries to entangle Milos with the machinery, Brien pulls both of them twoards him. The Black man interposes himself somehow and mamages to protect Milos from capture. While Brian cradles Maggie, Milos picks himself up off the floor, crushing a metal bar when he grabs it. Milos has figured out how to steal other survivor's powers!!
    • There is now a bit of a standoff as neither side is really ready to start a rumble. During which, Brian and Jack have a private communication with Contact and find out that she is being blackmailed with her parents saftey to work with Milos. Brian agrees to let Milos go with a tenative agreement from Contact that she will switch sides if we can protect her and her family. As Milos is walking out the door with his bodyguard, Arthur shows up, and sees Maggie unconcious. Some fast talking and pleading by Brian manages to just barely keep Arthur from killing Milos right there. He allows Milos to leave, after KO'ing his bodyguard.
    • Julie is called in to take Maggie and get her safe. and we start the systematic raiding and destruction of Celera, only to find Mandy held in one of the observation rooms, unconcious...Tune in next week to see what happens next.

issue # 36:6[edit]

  • "...but I wouldn't want to live there." , June 29, 2006.
    • PREVIEW: Today is a good day to die. Seattle has been the gateway into a new life for our heroes. It is where they "became" Godlike, it is part of their origin story. So it is appropriate that it be cemetary to thousands who dwell beneath these gods. And as the first volley of a civil war of Godlike is passed this battle ends today... Win or lose, a city died as the battlefield in their passing. And not even a one of these godlings can escape the clutches of the power... "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. [Our true enemy has not yet shown his face.]" -- Michael to Harrison and Connie, Godfather III - She was out, living a life... Truly living. But THIS was always this way, it had to be - one day Lt. Amanda Smith may escape to her world of dreams but today is not that day... Sleep no more, the pheonix from the ashes... all that jazz, because today is a good day to die. "You've got to pick up the ax, little girl, because the Seattle's still on fire."
    • RECAP:  ???



THE AMERICAN GODS[edit]

The AMERICAN GODS

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