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1945 Agent Carter and the Howling Commandos 

Feature presentation!

This is Peggy Carter's first and possibly only movie with her name in the title.

Peggy, the Human Torch (Jim Hammond) and the Howling Commandos dealing with Hydra cells left after the war.

Espionage! Infiltration! Fighting bad guys!

We open on a memorial service for Steve. They believe he is lost to the icy waters he crashed into.

Peggy Carter, Howard Stark, the Human Torch (Jim Hammond), the Howling Commandos, Colonel Phillips etc attend. Then they share Steve stories at the wake.

Emotions are still raw, especially for Peggy and the commandos.

Howard is still looking for him, the SSR has stopped funding the search so Howard is using his own money. Peggy suggests, however hard it may be, that they try to move on. Howard doesn't believe Peggy, he knows she can't move on. He can't either so he won't give up. 

Cut to two young adults being chased down the street in liberated Paris. They are kidnapped. They try to reason with their captors, the young man says, "Do you know who I am?" and the kidnappers know exactly who they are. Not the response he was expecting.

The young woman says "Our father has money, he can pay you". But they are not interested in the money…Hail Hydra.

Back at SSR HQ (or 'the playground') Jim is discussing a mission to locate and take out a Hydra bunker (believed to be in northern Italy) with Peggy and Howard. As they finish Peggy is approached by Lord James Montgomery Falsworth, member of the Howling Commandos, revealed here to be a major financier of the SSR. It was his children, Brian and Jacqueline, that were taken, in Paris, just like their mother. There is no ransom note either, also like their mother.

He is trying to maintain a stiff upper lip but failing miserably. Jim offers to stay and help. Peggy points out that, unfortunately, Hydra won't defeat itself. They resolve to find them. Jim wishes them luck and sets off for Italy.

Cut to Brian and Jacqueline in a holding cell with other prisoners. A Hydra scientist, Werner Rheinhardt, enters carrying the Obelisk artifact in special safety gloves. An armed guard insists one of the prisoners hold it, bare handed. They turn to stone. The stone person is taken away.

They then start harassing Brian to do it, so Jacqueline steps in to volunteer, despite his protests. To their relief, she does not turn to stone. Instead, Rheinhardt utters, 'discovery requires experimentation' and she is taken away as Brian is beaten unconscious with the butt of the guards rifles.

Peggy, Howard and Lord James and the other HCs have travelled incognito, posing as journalists. In their hotel room Gabe and Howard present them with discreet gadgets they designed and produced together. All are impressed with Gabe's hidden talents. Howard laments that he is too well known now to go with them and hopes they don't blow themselves up with the exploding toaster. Jacques excitedly says, "There's an exploding toaster!?". Howard points out that he was joking. Jacques looks disappointed. Howard says maybe next time.

They have traced Brian and Jacqui's last known location to a small café near the city centre. They make discreet enquiries and deduce there is a new waiter who served them on the day and hasn't been to work since.

They go to his address and he seemingly isn't home. Jacques suggests a small controlled explosion to blow the lock. Gabe counters that to be more discreet, then should use the laser disguised as a pack of cigarettes to cut the lock. Jacques is disappointed. 

They cut the lock and enter, the apartment is empty but the bathroom window is open. Lord James spies a man on the rooftops who flees. The gang take to the streets while Falsworth squeezes through and pursues across the rooftops of Paris.

The suspect is very good at rooftop running, but not quite as good as Falsworth and they engage in a thrilling chase. Lord James is in constant communication with the team using their walkie talkies disguised as American quarters. Peggy has an idea if he can force the man down to street level.

He is able to corral his quarry down a fire escape and through an apartment window and down the main staircase into the street. The team then begin to cut off his escape routes, through coordination with Peggy, until he is forced down a narrow sidestreet. There he sees Peggy, having not spotted her in the apartment, pleads in French for her help from a gang of pursuing thugs. Je suis désolé, says Peggy pulling out her pistol, my French is a little rusty. The suspect turns away from her to flee again but is punched out by Dugan instead.

Jacques offers Peggy French lessons. She says she lied, she's actually fluent in French, but it was a good line. Jacques looks disappointed.

Falsworth is praised by the group for his amazing free running skills, they ask where he learned them. He says he studied under Georges Hébert who in turn had learned these skills from "indigenous tribes he had met in Africa" (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour) for a special military project in WWI.

Peggy surmises that he was the mysterious WWI hero Union Jack. Peggy and the gang are astonished and asked why he didn't show those skills (rooftop running, parkour, amazing feats of agility) before. He says Steve did all that stuff and was better at it too.

Peggy says oh pish posh (or something else peculiarly British like that) and tells Falsworth to take the compliments.

They take the suspect for questioning.

Back at the Hydra research facility, Rheinhardt is monologuing to Jacqui about how few people could survive contact with the Obelisk and how they are yet to exactly determine why they do. From what they have discovered by interrogating and dissecting other survivors they believe it is something to do with their genetics being different to other humans. Genetics, muses Werner,  you appear to share with your mother. Jacqueline asks if they took her mother, if she is still alive. Werner says she escaped and they don't know how (he is irritated by not knowing things).

He resumes monologuing. There are mentions of a ritual, he says, for beings such as you…to awaken their true potential. The ritual involved crystals and Rheinhardt has actually managed to procure some. He instructs the guard to break it and leaves for the observation room.

The guard follows the instructions and the gas from the broken crystal turns both them and Jacqui into stone. Rheinhardt is disappointed as he believed they were finally getting somewhere. He tells his assistant to put the stone bodies into storage.

Brian, meanwhile, is about to have the latest batch of Hydra brand super soldier serum. It uses the blood of the Obelisk survivors to make up the gaps in Erskine's original formula. After the procedure, they are surprised to see he has survived as the last 47 batches have resulted in death for the test subjects.

Their success is short lived however as Brian, unaccustomed to the super-strength, breaks the lab and accidentally kills the technicians.

The café waiter/suspect wakes up in the basement of an abandoned building. He is interrogated by Peggy (good cop) and Dum Dum (bad cop).

He eventually confesses that he was blackmailed under the threat of being revealed as a Nazi collaborator. An old contact had heard of the Falsworth children coming to Paris. The Café was a favourite of the Falsworths in the interwar years. They had installed the young man as a waiter with instructions to call if they came to the café. They ask for the number and Jim radios Howard to call back to base to trace it to its origin.

The young man says he couldn’t do it before because he was too scared.

Peggy says "Do what?"

The man says that he is now more scared of what will happen if he is found out. He says they are executing collaborators.

Peggy says perhaps they can come to an arrangement, then she realises his intentions. It is too late. He bites the hidden cyanide capsule and dies.

"It's Hydra" says Peggy, "of course it's bloody Hydra."

The number then comes back as Austrian. Howard, glad to feel useful again, will fly them. Dugan realises, entirely too late, they could have used the hand-held hypno-beam disguised as a hair dryer.

The Hydra research facility is masquerading as a grand hotel. Peggy checks in with Howard as he's terrible at espionage and is under strict instructions to keep his mouth shut. Her German is still good and she even manages an Austrian accent. Their disguises are top notch and so they go to their room without suspicion. They do some reconnaissance and Peggy finds an area that is off limits to guests and the staff don't know what's in there.

Peggy goes back to the room and calls reception for help as her "hair dryer" has an American plug. It is secretly the hypno beam. She convinces the receptionist to let the Howling Commandos in the service door. They are disguised as staff and the hypno beam makes the receptionist tell anyone who asks that they are new.

Howard, putting on a slightly different accent, plays the brash American tourist (not a big stretch for him) and wanders into the restricted area and starts taking pictures. The receptionist makes a fuss about not being allowed in there.

The Howling Commandos rush over and Gabe, who also speaks good German, assures them that they'll take care of it. Peggy hurries over with the pretense of rescuing her 'dummkopf' American husband.

The camera is actually a portable x-ray scanner and shows a secret door that is sealed electronically.

The receptionist is starting to get suspicious when Gabe activates the EMP joy buzzer which lets them in the door. They slip away unnoticed in the ensuing chaos. When the lights come back on the receptionist goes to check up on them and they are gone. With no knowledge of the secret door they reason that they simply didn't notice them go past.

They gain access to the underground bunker (it's always an underground bunker isn't it?), stow their gear and change into Hydra uniforms. Jim Morita uses the UHF Pin to radio for backup with instructions on how to get in.

They try to go stealth mode for a while but arouse suspicions when they don't know some of the new Hydra protocols. Howard confirms it with his feeble attempt at a 'Hail Hydra'.

Aware that Hydra research subjects tend not to survive, they launch a full on assault of the facility with back up already on the way.

Jacqueline awakens from what we now realise was terragenesis and has gained pyrokinetic powers. She and her brother make their own way through the compound, with somewhat unintentional violence.

They are heading away from the labs, towards the centre of the huge underground complex of corridors and tunnels. Peggy's team are heading down through the tunnels to reach the labs. They all converge near the centre of the complex.

Lord James is obviously thrilled that they are both alive and seemingly well. 

His kidults tell him to stay back and relay some of their harrowing experiences. They are both afraid of their powers.

Human Torch arrives. He destroyed the Italian base and left an SSR clean up crew. He followed a lead from that base to Austria. Word in Italy was that Werner Rheinhardt is the last head of Hydra.

Seeing Jacqui's fear, the Torch remembers his own struggles in learning to control his own powers.

He reassures her that she can't hurt him and he will help her learn to control it.

Brian wants to be left behind and is distraught at all the death he has caused. Peggy and Lord James convince him to join, albeit reluctantly.

Rheinhardt has escaped to a storage facility.

As it turns out, the kids powers prove useful in accessing the escape tunnel, though the transport is long gone.

Werner is desperately trying to load up as many artefacts as he can before he escapes, especially the Obelisk. He laments that he cannot experiment further on Jacqueline as she not only survived but gained powers too. He is relieved to hear they have more samples of the batch of serum that gave Brian his powers.

Peggy's team arrive, with backup (and the Torch) and get the drop on Werner. They arrest him and his goons. Peggy volunteers to interrogate him.

In the chaos of securing the base, Brian is able to destroy the whole batch of serum. Howard is livid at losing a possibility to complete Erskine's work. Peggy however, approves. She believes that Steve was unique and worries that they could end up with hundreds of Johann Schmidts running around instead.

She sees that Brian has recognised that risk too and that says something about his character.

Peggy arrives at the Playground after her first interrogation of Rheinhardt at the Rat.

Colonel Phillips has been leading the debrief. He notes that Jacqueline and Brian have been reunited with their father. He says their presence here indicates they have some degree of control over their powers.

Jim Hammond says their training is going well. Jacqueline says she hasn't set anything on fire today, at least, not by accident. The two are clearly getting on well.

Brian is more reticent. He hasn't managed to get through a training session without injuring an instructor. Peggy volunteers to help him as she has some experience with super soldiers.

Phillips asks if she got anything useful from Rheinhardt. She says he may have lost his marbles, he keeps going on about blue angels. Besides, she has seen the results of his experiments for Hydra and isn't sure if gaining his knowledge is worth the moral cost.

Colonel Phillips says there are two big announcements. First, after days of research and fact checking and double checking, it appears Hammond was right. Werner Rheinhardt appears to be the last head of Hydra. It's over.

(Many congratulations all around. Apart from Peggy who shakes her head).

Second, he is retiring.

(Various reactions).

He'd been thinking about it and, with the last piece of news, it just seemed like a good time.

He hands over to the new Agent in Charge, John Flynn.

Flynn: Hello everyone. A pleasure to meet you. If I could get straight to business…with the war over and Hydra defeated-

Peggy (interrupting): Don't be so sure they're gone. We have to-

F (interrupting back): Settle down, sweetheart.

P (standing): What did you just say to me?

Howard manages to convince her to stand down. Flynn continues. They will be relocating the SSR base from London to New York. Effective immediately. Everyone will have to relocate. Uproar. Colonel Phillips settles everyone down.

Flynn says the Falsworth children will need to stay on base until they are deemed to be safe. The Falsworths are not happy.

Flynn is starting to get flustered. He apologetically tells Howard that they can longer justify spending SSR funds on a futile search for Captain Rogers. Howard points out they are his funds and he can damn well do what he pleases with them. He walks out. Peggy follows him, leaving the debrief in chaos behind her.

Howard apologises and said he had heard rumours that Phillips was retiring but didn't realise he was being replaced by a moron. He says they should have asked her to take charge. She agrees. This lightens the mood somewhat.

Howard: Listen I was thinking of starting up my own agency.

Just think…you, me, the boys. If Union Jack over there comes with us we can run it our way, the right way. Be like a shield of armour around the world.

Peggy: I'll think about it…

Will you really keep looking for Steve?

H: I have to.

P: You can't move on?

H: I can't. He was my friend.

P: I suppose I can't stop myself helping broken soldier boys either.

Howard leaves her to consider her future with the SSR.

Mid credits:- Lord James Falsworth has just agreed to join Howard's new project and is trying to get the SSR to release his children. Jacqueline and Brian approach him with a theory about their mother.

Post credits:- From a deep dug mass grave in a forest (with Hydra's grand Austrian hotel dilapidated in the background) a person digs their way out. They spend a moment processing their survival. Then they notice they look different from how they remember. It is…Baron Blood!

1948 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series 1

Howard finally opens the S.H.I.E.L.D. agency and makes Peggy director. The SSR keep the Playground base and are absorbed into S.H.I.E.L.D. as their research division.

Howard's greater authority and larger amount of resources from the government (as well as his own) allow them to pull in more heroes.

S.H.I.E.L.D. will fight terrorist cells and non-state actors, investigate supernatural phenomena, also deal with and cover up powered people cos the general public "can't handle the truth". This is part of their mandate from the government and S.H.I.E.L.D. is threatened with closure or refusal of funding many times for trying to circumvent this aspect of their role within said government.

Director Carter is trying to maintain a long distance relationship with Sousa and has to investigate the "hit" on Agent Thomson.

Zodiac is the main story for this series.

Zodiac is behind the assassination attempt, with the council of 9 previously being under them. Vernon Masters returns to do their bidding (never saw a body right?). Peggy's brother has been alive all this time and it was his redacted file that Thomson was to smear Peggy with and not actually Peggy's (Michael's name and d.o.b. were redacted just leaving the surname Carter and informants that heavily implied that it was Peggy). With the smear failed, the Zodiac group want it back, for safe keeping. Thomson is the only one outside of the Zodiac or the council of 9 that has read it, so he was supposed to be killed, but they hired Dottie to do it and she was able to make it look like she was trying to kill him without killing him ("if I'd wanted to kill him he'd be dead"). She arranges a meet with Peggy in a subterfugey way, info dumps, insists she really was trying to be helpful by taking the hit job, and manages to wriggle away again.

Zodiac is led by Marcus Lassiter (A buff Milo Ventimiglia with a cool beard). Marcus has the codename Aries and wears ram horns at the meetings which seems silly at first till we realise they are functional and they all have silly costumes. Marcus has super-human strength, which we don't see initially.

All of the Zodiac members have themed powers/tech:

Taurus (Cornelius Van Lunt) has bought his seat on the board and isn't afraid to use that fact. He has a bull's head costume. He also has dangerous horns.

Gemini (Joshua and Damian Link) are identical twins have identical costumes and carry identical dual wielding pistols. They have an amazing synergy when they fight as a duo. They only get one vote between them. 

Cancer (Jack Kleveno) has a crab costume. That is all I have to say about that.

Leo (Daniel Radford) is a dude in a lion suit. It has a lion mask and an exoskeleton that gives the wearer enhanced strength, agility and durability. 

Virgo (Elaine McLaughlin) has an extraterrestrial material coating her suit which gives her great durability and shock absorption. It also allows her to heal/regenerate herself or others. In my head, crab man gets injured by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Elaine comes back and gets captured just to heal her secret crustacean lover.

Libra (Gustav Brandt) has a hi tec blindfold that allows him limited psychic abilities and a teleportation ring. Martial artist too.

Scorpio (Jake Fury) has a costume with venom blasts and neurotoxic sprays. Yes. That Fury. In the comics he is Nick's brother. Here he would have to be his dad. In the series he is only referred to as Jake initially to keep his identity a slight surprise.

Sagittarius (Harlan Vargas) has an eye mask that grants enhanced vision and tracking abilities. He is highly skilled with a bow and arrow.

Capricorn (Willard Weir) is green. I'm thinking they're an alien. This superpower ideas site says Capricorn might have shape shifting abilities so they could be a Skrull masquerading as a Willard Weir.

Aquarius (Michael Carter) has a water based costume and weapons. Michael was not happy with the smear on Peggy but went along with it for fear of repercussions.  But now her life is under threat, so he leaves warnings for her to help her avoid getting killed. Eventually Aries discovers the betrayal and beats Michael to death in his secret apartment. Peggy comes across the apartment as part of the S.H.I.E.L.D. investigation and discovers the body. She realises he was the one giving warnings (to help them avoid traps, ambushes etc) and finds a note he wrote for her when he knew Aries was coming for him. It's written in their shared childhood code. It explains his motivations (he was trying to change the world for the better) and gives some info about what Zodiac are going to do next. Zachary Drebb is the second Aquarius.

Piesces (Noah Perricone) is blue and looks like he'd be good in the water so I'm thinking Talokanil

S.H.I.E.L.D. discover there is an off-books SSR mole on the inside. They are furious with Flynn for not telling them straight away. Flynn thought it would compromise the mole's safety.

As the Zodiac members are arrested or killed during the S.H.I.E.L.D. investigation, Jake Fury is revealed as the SSR mole. He tries to escape with the actual Zodiac key but it corrupts him and he tries to incite rebellion within the remaining Zodiac council members to effect social change. This just causes everyone to squabble and fight. Aries finds this amusing, but comes for Jake nevertheless. Jake ends up losing the key back to Aries, but escapes with his life.

Aries reveals himself as an actual god at the end of the series. He was cast out by Zeus for causing too much trouble in Omnipotence City and bound to be peaceful. He has taken that to mean he can't fight personally and has been manipulating world events with extracts from the aforementioned Zodiac Key to cause as much conflict as possible. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team have been annoying him by thwarting his plans. He says he is tired of being subtle.

They need the whole team, including Dottie, Sousa, Thomson and the Howling commandos using Stark tech and the Human Torch (Jim), Union Jack II (Brian) and Spitfire (Jacqueline). Peggy also calls in a favour from California based Adam Brashear (aka Blue Marvel) to help take him down. As Adam was the love interest from the previous series, this risks embarrassment for Peggy and could possibly end her relationship with Sousa, but the stakes are too high not to.

Ultimately Jim is the only one not affected by the Zodiac key and has to go Supernova to knock him out. He knew he was becoming unstable and had been advised he might go supernova, he just decides to do it on purpose. Heroic sacrifice! The team is devastated at the loss.

A relationship between Jim and Jacqueline would be built up through the series so she would take this the hardest.

Zeus could come and actually bind Ares with power dampening bangles. This physically prevents him from conflict instead of just getting his word. He is captured and will not be seen again till Dark Avengers.

S.H.I.E.L.D. recommends Adam for a commendation and Jim for a posthumous one. The CIA intervene and say that not only will no one will be getting one but no one must hear of it. The existence of gods and aliens is very much covered up at the behest of the American government so as not to cause mass hysteria. No one outside of the President and the people who were at the final battle know anything about it.

Adam is told he cannot be publicly rewarded and is no longer allowed to fight crime (he has been fighting crime in a costume and mask to hide his identity) as the CIA believe the world is not ready for a black superhero. The President reluctantly confirms this. S.H.I.E.L.D. must assign him a handler (he is so going to fight crime).

As Jim was essentially a sentient weapon the CIA won't publicly acknowledge his existence and stipulate he must be buried in the desert in an indestructible airtight box. The President reluctantly confirms this too.

Dottie disappears after making a significant contribution and manages to stay off radar until the first Black Widow movie…

Peggy and Sousa decide to carry on with their long distance relationship.

Namor shows up when he finds out about Noah. He is not happy that his citizen was defeated and arrested and he vows never to return. He is also not happy with said citizen for acting without his consent and forces S.H.I.E.L.D. to release him into Talokanil custody. He is sorry about Jim Hammond's passing though and stays for the burial in a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. location in the desert.

Post credits:- Peggy calls Marlene Frazier and asks, as she has been with Adam this whole time anyway, if she'll be his handler. He comes home and gives her a kiss, they have developed a relationship while working together. She says she is happy to keep an eye on him.

1955 Namor: The Battle of Wakanda

Open on happy scenes in Talokan. But in a darker corner, away from prying eyes, a figure with their face obscured by clothing asks a nervous Talokanil if everything is ready.

Cut to S.H.I.E.L.D. team (Peggy, Howard, Jacqui and Brian Falsworth and James Braddock) en route to a Roxxon oil rig in the Atlantic ocean. They flew to Mexico in Howard's new jet and went by helicopter from there.

Howard (to Peggy): Hey, Peggy, how are you? Seems like Agent Sousa is still on your mind.

Peggy: Mind your own bloody business. Jacqueline: Oh but is he though Peggy? Do tell.

P (to Brian, exasperated): I suppose you want to know too?

Brian: I'm not getting involved.

P (sighs): My grieving process is private but I am just fine, thank you. Happy now?

(Awkward pause)

H: Have you heard from Adam Brashear lately?

P: Will you keep your nose out of my personal life and focus on the task, please.

J: We just don't like to think of you all lonely.

P: Well, that's very sweet Jacqui, but I really am fine. In fact, I often think I would be better off without any men in my life.

(Pointedly looks at Howard)

H: Ouch…I was just trying to be a good friend.

P: No, you were being nosey. Now, we are heading into a potentially delicate and dangerous situation here. All the pertinent information again please Howard.

The rig has put in reports of attacks and sabotage by blue people that escape, seemingly unaided, into the ocean. It is Homo Mermanus, the Talokanil.

They land and have a brief discussion with the rig manager when they suddenly come under attack again. This time it's a full on assault by Talokanil in air breathing respirators ("Didn't know they had those…" says Howard). Having Spitfire (Jacqui), Union Jack II (Brian) and Howard's dehumidifying weapons prove quite handy. James Braddock seems to be holding his own as well.

Meanwhile, back at Talokan, the nervous Talokanil from the opening scene rushes to tell Namor about S.H.I.E.L.D. assaulting a patrol team from an oil rig in the Atlantic.

He rushes off, full of rage, taking Attuma and Namora and some of the royal guards with him. He leaves his old friend Bobo in charge.

They arrive at the rig and see S.H.I.E.L.D. doing exactly what the nervous Talokanil had said, but they see that this is no patrol, the unit is too large for a patrol. They aid the unit and is about to kill James when he sees Peggy and she yells for him to stop. He ceases hostilities and angrily asks Peggy 'where is the peace of which we spoke when we last met?'

She explains that they were investigating reports of sabotage when the rig was subjected to an assault. They were just trying to defend themselves.

As Namor has a soft spot for women he relents and asks a nearby trooper if this is true. The trooper spits at his feet and says that he would make peace with the humans when all they do is harm the ocean. That they should fear the Talokanil.

Namor is too angry at the insubordination to entertain the point. He goes to strike the trooper when another grabs him and then they are all suddenly coming for him, holding him down, trying to beat him. He resists. Attuma, Namora, Brian and Jacqui try to help him while the others resume their defence of the rig workers taking refuge inside. They seem to be a legitimate target for the Talokanil. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are surprised by the level of hatred towards humans and the sudden attack on Namor.

Meanwhile in Talokan, Byrrah (Namor's old rival) is taking advantage of the absence of the King (and his Tri-Team) to stage a coup. It has been planned meticulously in advance with former Royal Guard Krang while they were both in exile. They have amassed significant forces amongst disaffected/exiled Talokanil, enough for two teams. Byrrah has planted sleeper agents in key roles (royal guards, military, courtiers etc) who can take the loyalists by surprise.

The Royal guards and the army are mostly killed or arrested trying to protect Namor's old friend Bobo. Bobo is arrested and remaining loyalists have to submit to Byrrah or flee.

Back at the rig, our heroes are dogged and eventually drive the rebels back into the sea. The rebels yell that Krang will deal with him (in Talokanese obvs).

Namor is full of rage, again, and wants to rush back to Talokan. Peggy points out it's probably a trap. He goes anyway, taking Namora and Attuma with him. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents try to get the rig workers and themselves to safety in Mexico.

On the way to Talokan, the Tri-Team (Namor, Namora, Attuma) encounter fleeing loyalists. They warn Namor not to go back as Byrrah has successfully staged a coup.

Once Namor has admonished them for fleeing he asks about Bobo.

They say he is alive but being held.

He asks the loyalists for help. Only to glad to atone for fleeing, they agree to cause a distraction under the pretense of a small insurrection against Byrrah. Using the distraction, they sneak in and free Bobo. Unfortunately they get seen during the escape and Bobo is mortally wounded protecting Namor.

He tells them a loyalist soldier told him that Krang's forces are leading a land invasion to Wakanda as they have the metal they need to build the weapons, equipment and infrastructure necessary to conquer the surface world. He says they will head to the Mediterranean Sea and follow the Nile all the way to Lake Victoria.

Bobo dies.

Unable to retake Talokan without support, with a dead best friend and a potential breaking of the 'if you leave us alone, we'll leave you alone' treaty he has with the US, Namor is livid. He has Namora and Attuma head off to round up the fleeing loyalists, while he recklessly heads to Lake Victoria alone.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. team are in the middle of a briefing in Mexico about the oil rig siege and the political climate within Talokan. They receive reports blue people in the Nile at various points in Africa over the past few days (Egypt, Sudan and then today in Uganda). Not a coincidence that Talokanil rebels stage a coup on Tuesday and then Talokanil are sighted along the Nile by the weekend, thinks Peggy. Howard surmises that they might be heading to Wakanda to plunder their vibranium to make weapons and equipment. They wonder how many rebels there might be. The Nile is at its fullest in September and could potentially conceal many fighters if they were patient in the build up.

Peggy asks Howard how long, he says at least 24 hours even with the jet.

Peggy says we need to leave, now, and they all scramble. Peggy sees that Howard isn't moving and asks him if he's waiting for it in writing. He says there is one person that can get there faster than us. Peggy reluctantly concedes and says she'll make the call. Howard calls ahead to his contacts in Wakanda. Then they set off.

Namor is swimming as fast as he can. He is even faster than regular Talokanil and is set to get there before S.H.I.E.L.D.

Meanwhile, we see the final cohort of Krang's rebels arrive to Lake Victoria in Wakanda at night, the ones from the rig fight. He congratulates them on their diversion and laments that S.H.I.E.L.D.  was there to save Namor's life. Telling them to rest he takes another team onto the shore of the lake. They move in formation with new, longer lasting respirators and weapons stolen from Talokan in the first uprising. As they carry out basic tests of their weapons the Wakandan border tribe arrives to investigate but the initial wave are outmatched. Then the shelling starts and we see tanks and aircraft on the way. The rebels are driven back into the lake.

They regroup, quickly strategise and spread along the lake and start using their superior strength and speed to overpower infantry and heavy ordnance. Their vibranium spears and newly invented hydrobombs are a blow to the Wakandans, but the battle is still very much on.

We cut to underwater and a rebel soldier is stealth tackles by something super speedy. And another. And another. It is, of course Namor. He tries to do it again but has lost the element of surprise. He grabs the first rebel but another one grabs him and slows him down. Soon they are all piling on. Namor manages to wriggle free and swims as fast as he can up past the surface into the air. He narrowly dodges a spear which is caught by Adam Brashear, The Blue Marvel. Namor is about to engage in battle with him, when he reassures him that they both seem to be there to stop the invasion. Adam is very powerful but has to hold back in case he destroys everything around him. They patrol the shore and succeed in driving most attacks back into the lake. The Wakndans see this strategy from the two outsiders and aid them in doing so.

Things go quiet. Krang changes tack and a large rebel force rush the rear of the Wakndan forces, taking them by surprise and causing some damage.

Then the Black Panther! King T'Chanda and his Dora Milaje arrive and are a match for the Talokanil rebels. He is also powered by vibranium and they are all equipped with vibranium weapons and better trained to fight on land.

Adam stays to try and hold the shore with the border tribe. Namor heads over to help the Black Panther with the surprise attack along with other Wakandan forces.

Namora, Attuma and the loyalist Talokanil forces arrive and Namor has them cut off the escape route through the Nile.

The surprise attack runs out of steam and all the rebels are forced back into the lake.

Namor calls Krang forth to represent the group. He says he has been denied an honourable challenge for the throne. Byrrah waited till he was called away by Krang's distraction and sneaked onto the throne like a coward. 

He asks if Krang is a coward too. He says "Won't you come and 'deal with me?'?".

This is too much for Krang who shows up and accepts the challenge. There is some consternation from the others but King T'Chanda says they must respect others customs, this is for honour.

They arm themselves with Talokanil vibranium spears and battle.

Krang is a very strong member of his species but Namor is stronger and faster. Namor bests him after a tough fight, but Krang will not yield. He rises again and again and is beaten down each time. It is brutal and plays out in front of everyone. Krang is only stopped when he is mortally wounded. He says Namor is soft and lets the surface dwellers do what they want, poison the sea etc. Namor says Krang was impatient and Talokan's time will come.

Then S.H.I.E.L.D finally turns up. Other African defence forces turn up and the lake is surrounded. The rebels are now trapped and leaderless. They try to make a break for it but between Namor, the loyalists, Black Panther, the Wakandans, S.H.I.E.L.D., the superhuman and the forces from the countries surrounding the lake they are all captured. They then have to listen to Namor's speech about how the one they believed in is gone, a fine warrior who was riled by Byrrah into rash action. How they all saw from this battle that Talokan was not ready for it…yet ("Yet?" says Peggy).

"Byrrah is weak, not Namor. Namor has shown you his strength. Byrrah is jealous and petty. He does not care for Talokan like you. He will not fight for Talokan like you…" etc.

He ends up convincing most of them. Those that still disagree are taken prisoner and Namor sends them back to Talokan. He will join them.

He speaks to Peggy, Howard Adam and King T'Chanda asking to keep their 'let's leave each other alone ' treaty. Peggy agrees. King T'Chanda appreciates that Namor may want to keep the existence of his nation quiet and has made arrangements with the generals from the other nations for their promise of secrecy. Namor says their discovery could destroy their nation. King T'Chanda agrees and has similar reservations. He asks Peggy, Howard and Adam if they will keep his nation's technological prowess secret. Howard says they could help a lot of people. T'Chanda responds by saying that if the rest of the world sees that Africa has something, they will try to take it. They would be fighting battles everyday. He doesn't want that for his people. Namor doesn't want that for his people either. Peggy agrees to the request.

They both offer to help take back Talokan. Namor appreciates the offer but says his people would tear them apart in the water. Peggy hopes they don't cross paths again because that will mean that Talokan has peace. King T'Chanda says he hopes that Wakanda and Talokan can be allies again in the future. 

Adam says his powers will work underwater. Namor declines the offer saying that he must show his people his strength and heads after his team after trying to kiss Peggy's hand ("oh lord" says Peggy (as in another man in her life that someone doesn't need)).

Adam offers her a lift home. She thanks him for his kindness but declines. She says she prefers a seat belt and a parachute when flying.

Post credits:- Namor looking at the sunrise as his forces gather and prepare for the battle ahead. Namora says we are ready. Namor says, then let's go home. 

1955 Namor: The Battle for Talokan

Follows straight on from the previous movie and details the Battle for and recapture of Talokan. Byrrah is scared, as well as weak and petty and is cruel to his supporters as a result. This leads to many of them turning on him which helps the loyalists no end.

At the end Namor deems him unworthy of an honourable death and sentences him to the rest of his days in prison. Byrrah loses it in a massive fit of jealousy and tries to kill him but Namor is too wily for that and returns the favour, saying he should have taken prison.

Namora and Attuma also star.

1959 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series 2

S.H.I.E.L.D. has been running pretty smoothly for some time now. But a pair of terrible twins are about to disrupt things for the team…Fenris! They are older (77) in 1959 (their age is related to where The Gifted is in this timeline) and some of their story will be told in flashback.

They have been setting up Hellfire Club chapters around the world, trying to manipulate world events in the club's favour. They create terrorist incidents and blame them on other factions, plant misinformation etc. They have also been finding or rescuing promising mutants then enticing/forcing them to join.

Nathaniel Essex is referred to as "our employer" but never by name. No one has been able to work out how the bombs were planted in these incidents, but Howard works out that Fenris are the bomb, managing to link these incidents together and build up a profile for the now elderly Von Struckers. 

In a slight rework from the original The Gifted timeline, the London incident should be 1915 and it's the Police in pursuit, Rio should be 1930 with SSR investigating and pursuing. They manage to evade capture until this series. 

They chase them across the world after the latest incident in Plac Zamkovy, which kills hundreds. They can't figure out what gives them this power (no one knows about mutants, except Otto Strucker). They finally catch up with them and Andrea is killed before they can detonate. Andreas flees to grieve and consider his next move.

They have embedded themselves in Hydra to disguise their true allegiance.

Peggy, Howard, the Howling Commandos, Brian and Jacqueline Falsworth are all present but Adam Brashear is now off world and Sousa 'died' in 1955 as per original AoS s7 continuity. James Braddock (actor tbc) is more prominent here after being a background character previously, also he had "mystically given" powers, but kept them secret from all but a select few, also a great scientist. Very useful for S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.T.R.I.K.E.

As a second arc in this series Howard and Anton Vanko finalise their prototype for the arc reactor. Howard wants to keep developing it in secret, with a view to sharing it when he is sure it can't be copied or duplicated without them both. He has learned his lesson from season 1 of Agent Carter where some of his technology was dangerously flawed or misappropriated. He doesn't want the arc reactor rushed. He doesn't want the technology to fall into the wrong hands. Vanko wants to patent it and start selling the idea straight away. 

Vanko: It's too important not to share it right now.

Stark: I see that it could help the world right now, but I am not prepared to compromise on safety or security. If we rush out a design that could be reverse engineered relatively easily it could start another world war.

V: You just don't want to share the technology with Russia, do you? You think Russia is Leviathan? You think I am with Leviathan? I have known you 13 years Howard…

S: Now Anton, it's not like that, I just need to put in some checks and bal-

V: You want to take all the credit! Where is the proof I was involved in the design if there is no patent?

S: Now wait a minute Anton-

V: You want all the profit too?

S (scoffs): This shouldn't be about money.

V: This is easy for you to say. You live in America like a billionaire,  I live here like a Russian immigrant.

S: I pay you well enough Anton…Let's just…let's just cool off…talk about this in the morning. We can work this out.

V (tersely): Good night, Mr Stark.

By the next morning, Vanko has gone and so have the blueprints. S.H.I.E.L.D. tracks him down and recover the blueprints and hand him over to the company lawyers who have him charged and deported. Howard is too angry to object to the industrial espionage charges or the deportation. He does, however, offer to pay Vanko his share of any profits their design makes. Vanko refuses, arrogantly thinking he can recreate the designs on his own in Russia. He cannot and ends up drunk and destitute setting up Iron Man 2.

Post credits:-

With the Fenris bomb duo out of the picture, we see Sebastian Shaw at the Las Vegas chapter of the Hellfire Club taking a phone call from his employer saying he "would be delighted to be the new black king". After he hangs up he says "now to find myself a queen".

1970 Blue Marvel II

This is long BTW guys.

We open on Lichidus overseeing a global watch on their hybrid army. The vampires are weak from giving blood, the werewolves are underfed. He monologues about how the streets of the world shall soon be slick with blood. The pain and suffering caused by brutal sacrifice will bring forth the elder god, Cthon, to this dimension as he feeds on the tormented souls.

A Deathwalker cleric interjects, informing him that the Blue Marvel and his followers have almost stumbled upon a second Deathwalker base. Lichidus orders him to release the werewolves…

Cut to scene in a forest near Tunguska. Adam, Blade, the Bear and James Falsworth, in Union Jack uniform, have been searching for the Talisman of Kamar Taj which has been used to create hybrid warriors for the evil Deathwalkers. They are also searching for James’ brother John. John was subject to the Deathwalker’s hybrid program, mutating his DNA together with that of a vampire. He has managed to evade the group for 5 days but they had finally spotted him and the trail has led them here. Adam is in touch with Candace and Kevin who are monitoring their progress using the instruments in the appropriated Deathwalker base.

They hear the pad of footsteps in the snow, approaching rapidly. They can't see much in the dark, save for the occasional reflection of the torchlight in moving pairs of eyes. Union Jack hurriedly lights a flare as they hear several growls. In the red light of the flare, they see they are surrounded by werewolves. The three super-powered allies surround James, for protection, as the werewolves attack.

Blade has silver blades (obvs), Union Jack has silver bullets and the Bear has a silver tipped bear claw manicure (though she holds back from going full bear). The silver was meant to give them an advantage over vampires but find it works well against the werewolves. Adam is using his anti-matter blasts to great effect but can't fly up or Union Jack will be exposed. They have become an effective fighting unit after encountering several vampire clusters in this desolate part of Siberia.

Blade is caught by a werewolf claw and Union Jack is momentarily exposed. An assailant takes the opportunity and is closing on James. Adam considers using a concussive blast (it's risky as it will knock everyone out, even him), but is caught off guard as vampire John leaps down and saves his brother.

Fighting alongside them, Blade has to fight his instincts to not stab him. John is injured but they fight off the werewolves till each is unconscious or deceased. Blade's fighting style and modus operandi has led mostly to the latter, while the others tried to be more careful. This causes some conflict in the group, particularly between Blade and the Bear, who is a hybrid herself.

The final werewolf is left to flee. Blade and the Bear pursue while Adam takes the survivors back to base. John's love for James is holding his vampire side at bay and he submits to a power dampening collar and then first aid. The wound is not too serious and James gives a temporary patch up. James sits near a cadaver for warmth, John is not bothered by the cold being a half-vampire. They sit and talk. John was captured by Hydra and was hybridised by them without the Talisman, though they thought they had killed him and discarded him in a mass grave nearby.

John, now feeling a bit more human thanks to the collar, is ashamed of what he's become and how many people he's hurt. James says how much control do you have? John says not much, though some days are better than others. Then Adam returns to take them back to base one on each arm.

The Bear and Blade have followed the werewolf to an entranceway, where a heavy metal door has been torn off its fixings and lies in the snow.

The enter carefully and quietly but encounter no resistance. There are only bodies and not enough of each one left to turn. There is one young Deathwalker, dressed in the tattered remains of their uniform, among the cadavers. The sight of their fallen former comrades awakes their human half and they weep for what they have done. This was the fleeing werewolf. They lament the curse given them by Lichidus and wish that someone could release them from it.

Blade obliges and stabs him through the heart from behind, killing him just as the Bear had begun to explain that S.H.I.E.L.D. were working on a cure.

Livid, she angrily tells him they could have saved the youngster. Blade says there's only one cure for a werewolf. Death.

In a rage at Blade's lack of compassion, she nearly turns full bear. The sudden arrival of Adam brings them back from the brink and he tries to help resolve their differences. 

Blade shushes the group and they all hear metallic clanging from within the base.

Cut to Lichidus being informed that the group have destroyed the Tunguskan werewolves. Lichidus reasons that they may still have an advantage, there is one surviving cleric at that base.

Back at the base, John and James are convalescing. Candace is in conversation with Peggy about the vampire hybrids. Kevin is bored.

Curiosity gets the better of him and he looks in on them. He sees a little vampire girl has dropped her toy and he slowly, carefully moves over to give it back to her in her holding cell. She and her family are grateful, but a lot of the others hiss at his prolonged presence. Kevin freezes at the intense response, not knowing quite what to do.

Hearing the commotion, Candace puts her hand on his shoulder and takes him back into the main area and says I told you quite clearly not to go in there young man and asks him what he thinks he was doing. Kevin explains about the little girl and the doll and reminds her that she said they used to be like us and how his parents are always talking about doing the right thing, no matter the cost.

Candace relents a little and admires his compassion and bravery. She says he is turning into a fine young man, and asks him not to get too brave.

She then goes to try and check in with Adam, but there is only static.

In the other base Adam, Blade and The Bear have followed the sound down a broken lift shaft and along a corridor. It is a cell block. There is one cell door not busted out of or busted into by werewolves.

Inside is a man (Keith David) dressed in robes more colourful than a Deathwalker's, though they have faded over time. They ask how he alone was able to survive the werewolf onslaught. He says a simple incantation held the door firm against attacks, though it was difficult to keep his concentration under the circumstances. His name is Kaluu. 

They cautiously free him and he is very grateful and offers to assist them, swatting away a fly. He seems to know a lot about the Talisman of Kamar Taj, what the Deathwalkers were doing with it (Bear confirms this) and, most importantly, where it is now.

They ask him how he knows so much about the Talisman and he suddenly clams up.

He tries to change the subject and asks for help to find a sling ring, swatting away the fly again. He receives no response so starts ransacking corpses. Bear fears he may be a Deathwalker mage that was hiding from werewolves. Blade continues to question how he knew so much about the Talisman. Adam tries to keep things calm but it's not working. Under pressure, Kaluu blurts out that he was a student at Kamar Taj who found out that a lot of people wanted the Talisman so he snuck in and stole it, selling it to the highest bidders, the Deathwalkers. The whole gang rage in disbelief as he works to pry a sling ring from some cold, dead fingers. His admission causes the Bear to go full bear, who pursues Kaluu down the corridor in a rage. He manages to get the sling ring and portals out just in time. Only he is out of practice and ends up in a cell down the corridor and keeps popping in and out of the corridor from different doors as the Bear gives chase with other two caught between the destruction of the cell block and an angry Bear. Chaos.

Eventually they are all portalled out one by one with a wary Adam last followed, at the last moment, by the fly.

He arrives at the Sanctum Santorum with Blade poised to strike, Bear suspended in mid air and Kaluu begging forgiveness from a bald woman.

She is, of course, the Ancient One (Michelle Yeoh, I figure it's a better part than a Ravager cameo or a magical auntie). She is astounded at his audacity, to return after all these years to the scene of the crime. She is still angry about the theft but is more concerned with who he sold it to. She also points out how reckless it was to use magic in a Deathwalker base and bring their artifact (the stolen sling ring) back to the Sanctum as it could give them access to Kamar Taj.

Adam says they were alone.

She says that doesn't matter, they have other means.

Kaluu protests that he was trapped in an enclosed space with a bear and didn't have time to think.

The Ancient one replies that he had time to think of himself and not the consequence to others.

He says he didn't know what they were going to do with it.

She says you didn't care. You just cared about the price, now that price is about to be paid by the whole world, possibly the universe.

At this moment, the fly moves from Adam's shoulder to the stolen sling ring on Kaluu's finger. We zoom in on it and see that it is a fly/Deathwalker hybrid and it activates the ring opening a massive portal which floods with Werebats and Deathwalker mages.

The gang, Kaluu, the Ancient One and the Kamar Taj defenders fight valiantly and gain the upper hand. Then they hear sounds of battle from elsewhere. The Ancient One deduces what they're after and takes Adam to the library. They are just time to see Lichidus himself unshackling the Darkhold and taking it into his hands. They try to pursue him but he sends mages and hybrids to stop them. They eventually win out but Lichidus is gone, swiftly followed by the remaining mages. They swiftly overpower the were-bats and the Ancient One catches the were-fly. The Deathwalkers had managed to magically cover their tracks however.

She thanks the gang for the help in defending Kamar Taj. She admonishes Kaluu for allowing Lichidus in but recognises that he stood and fought, he didn't run or turn on his team like before. Perhaps, she says, there is hope for him yet. She asks him to tell her everything he knows about Lichidus’ plans.

Lichidus and his cronies celebrate their victory and he tells them to prepare for the ritual, Cthon is coming!

Meanwhile Peggy has arrived and scores of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are cautiously escorting the vampire and werewolf hybrids into cells on Howard's 70s-looking Quinjets. Candace is telling Peggy her concern over not being able to raise the team and is suggesting storming the base when a portal opens and Adam casually asks Candace, Kevin, Peggy and the others whether they'd like to join them in the stronghold of the Sorcerer Supreme. 

The Ancient One explains that the Talisman of Kamar Taj is actually of extra terrestrial origin. The practice at Kamar-Taj was to use it to bond with or absorb animals, spirits and demons.

If the talisman is broken, it will undo all that it has done. It is said that it will transport the one responsible for breaking it across the stars and itself too. They don't know where it takes you.

The Ancient One takes Adam, Candace and Peggy to One side as they seem to be the most level headed in the group. They leave Kevin with James and the Bear. Blade and John brood separately and Kaluu studies a volume of Ancient wisdom.

Ancient One: A very unusual group you lead.

Adam: Our coming together was haphazard, but we share certain…interests.

AO: It is a brave man that fights alongside a woman that could transform into a bear at any moment.

Candace: Bear knows who her allies are.

AO: You gave consideration to her turning on her allies before? You are taking a former Deathwalker to battle Lichidus.

C: Bear knows who her allies are.

AO: And the vampire and the one who hunts them…do they know who their allies are?

Adam: Well, John, I can't vouch for, but James trusts him. Eric is headstrong, but we can't do this without them. I see how hard they are fighting their instincts.

AO: What happens if they lose that fight?

A: They answer to me.

Meanwhile:

Kevin (noticing lots of withering stares and whispering directed at Kaluu): Why are they looking at you like that?

Kaluu (not looking up from his book): Because I was once partners with Yao.

Kevin: Who?

Kaluu: The (*sighs*) Ancient One…and then I betrayed her. Twice.

Kevin (now fascinated): What did you do?

We flashback to Kaluu and Yao being good friends and the most prominent sorcerers at Kamar-Taj. Yao is tasked with leading the training programmes and Kaluu is head of temple security.

When the Sorcerer Supreme passes, Yao is chosen to succeed them. Kaluu tries to be supportive but finds it difficult to take orders from his friend. When she starts to remove herself from the others and appears occasionally sporting an item that had been forbidden under the previous regime, like the eye of Agamotto, some jealous sorcerers suspect she is using the Darkhold. Kaluu,  his resentment growing, uses the Darkhold himself to increase the jealousy and resentment among the other sorcerers (psychic hypnosis, denoted by a purple flash in the eyes), eventually staging a coup and putting a spell of immobility on Yao. His ambition is corrupted by the spellbook and he gives Kamar-Taj wealth and prosperity at the expense of nearby villages and starts raising an army to conquer the earth. Eventually he leans too heavily on the Darkhold and the energy drawn (from the Dark Dimension) starts being pulled back, leaving Kamar-Taj in disease and pestilence. The disaffected sorcerers turn on him and free the Sorcerer Supreme who overpowers Kaluu and sends all the energy he drew back to the Dark Dimension, restoring balance. Kamar-Taj begins to recover and Kaluu is forced to undergo the Runes of Kof-Kol, causing him to forget all the dark magics he has learned. This also, accidentally, causes him to forget all his sorcery.

Yao forgives him and patiently begins to teach him again. Harbouring humiliation and resentment for centuries, Kaluu slowly builds up his powers. But one day, he steals the Talisman and a sling ring and doesn't come home…

Back in the present, after some consideration, the Ancient One agrees to help them. She portals Adam's team back to the Playground while the sorcerers prepare an assault team.

Back at the base, Howard has been busy. He has identified the unique signature of the Talisman and has traced it back to a disused subway station in New York. They discuss the personnel, how best to coordinate with the Kamar-Tajians, plan of attack etc.

Cut to Lichidus reciting from the Darkhold. Back at HQ the captured hybrid's eyes flash purple (indicating psychic hypnosis). Lichidus is repressing their human half, causing them all to go feral. Distracted by the commotion, the staff don't notice an operator being psychically controlled to turn off the power dampening collars. They are soon breaking loose and causing death and havoc in the base.

In the chaos, a small number of Deathwalkers portal in and try to snatch hostages/sacrifices (this is shown happening all over the world). One tries to take Candace but she whups them. One tries to take Peggy but she whups them. One tries to take Howard but Candace and Peggy whup them.

They seem particularly interested in Kevin. Kaluu is trying desperately with his limited magic to keep him safe.

The Ancient One portals in with her assault team and helps gain the upper hand. Kaluu runs over and says that they have Kevin. Peggy tells them to go as they can deal with the remaining hybrids, they have Spitfire and Union Jack II. She sends them with the Howling Commandos. They are reluctant to leave the base under siege, but want to help James. And they have to do what Peggy says anyway.

The Ancient one says she must stay to protect against further magical intrusions and psychic hypnosis attacks. She tells Kaluu she trusts him to make the right choices after seeing how he tried to protect Kevin, restores his memories and tells him to lead her assault team. 

Adam and Candace, distraught but determined, lead Bear, Blade, James, John and the Howling Commandos.

They are portalled to the tunnels either side of the abandoned station. They Ancient One had seen that one side is protected by Deathwalker mages and the other by hybrids.

Adam's team are against the hybrids and Kaluu's against the mages.

Kaluu is a little rusty but improvises well, his team is well trained and they advance quickly.

Adam's team is finding it harder due to sheer numbers of hybrids, but they do slowly make progress. They take a defensive formation and shuffle along while Adam alternates between keeping a chasing pack at bay and clearing a path ahead. This method is ammo heavy for those without powers and there are a limited number of silver bullets. The variety of hybrids also makes it difficult as some fly and some crawl, and they attack in different ways. John asks to have his collar turned off as they need him at full strength. Adam reluctantly agrees and James turns off his brother so collar.

Attacks are now taking place across the world; were-panthers in Wakanda vs Dora Milaje, were-bears and were-wolves in Russia vs the People's Protectorate (https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/People%27s_Protectorate_(Earth-616)); were-sharks in Talokan vs Namor and his army etc.

Back in the tunnels, Kaluu's group reaches the platform. They see Lichidus reciting from the Darkhold as his mages sacrifice their prisoners (he wears the Talisman). Kaluu calls for him to stop.

Lichidus (stopping): You may interrupt the ritual but you cannot stop it.

Kaluu: I can stop you, permanently.

L (indicating the other tunnel): Your friends are close to their doom.

K: They would want me to save the universe rather than them. Do the right thing, no matter the cost.

L: Are you sure you can stop me before they are overwhelmed? As you will then be overwhelmed?

Quick cut to Adam's group, beset on all sides, mostly out of ammo. The Commandos are brandishing silver daggers and only use their pistols when they are in trouble. John is able to fend off hybrids when they get too close as he is immune to their bites. He is struggling to keep his blood lust under control; Blade has seen this and is struggling not to take him out too. Adam can't use a full blast as he might take out the whole tunnel.

Kaluu realises that Lichidus is right and takes his team (who think he's making a bad choice) to rescue Adam and Candace's team.

As Lichidus continues the ritual, they manage to trap the hybrids in the mirror dimension which is quite a feat as they are many. The sorcerers have to stay to keep them trapped.

Scores of Deathwalker troops and mages pour out from the platform exits and the battle restarts allowing Lichidus to continue with the ritual. He notices that it is beginning to take effect and encourages his cronies to spill more blood for Cthon.

We cut to Mount Wundagore where a portal opens and we see a faint likeness of Cthon in the blackness within.

Kaluu is beginning to get his confidence back and is dealing with the mages single handed, though he is thwarted in his attempts to get to Lichidus. Adam's team are making short work of the troops.

Lichidus confronts them with Kevin and Adam makes them all stand down.

As they're about to be captured Kaluu sneakily snips the Talisman from round Lichidus’ neck by quickly opening and closing a small portal. He then traps them all in the mirror dimension and they battle Lichidus and the Deathwalker mages and troops. He manages to keeps Kevin out of it to protect him, but Lichidus is formidable and takes all of Kaluu's attention. The other Kamar-Tajians are starting to tire and they can't keep their mirror dimension going and they are being overwhelmed by the hybrids, though they put up a fight.

Kevin realises what he has to do and smashes the Talisman on the floor saying “Do the right thing no matter the c-” as he disappears and his parents look on in horror. The hybrids are restored to human form and run into the tunnels away from the battle. They are portalled out by remaining sorcerers.

The battle scenes around the world see confusion as the hybrids return to their human (or Talokanil) state.

Adam, in his rage, rapidly takes out the other Deathwalkers. He is starting to build his power level. Kaluu binds Lichidus so he can't escape.

Lichidus appeals to Kaluu saying that he can have the Darkhold if he stops Adam. Kaluu will not ignore Kevin's sacrifice. Lichidus appeals to Blade saying the book contains the Montesi formula, a spell to destroy all vampires. Blade would rather fight vampires than demons.

Lichidus appeals to Bear saying he can tell her who she is. She says she would rather eat him.

Adam tells the other sorcerers to get everyone out and he brings the tunnel down on Lichidus, ending the ritual and closing the portal.

Adam protects Kaluu and brings him out too. It is a victory, but not a complete one.

Kevin is gone to goodness knows where in the universe.

Bear is not cured. The Ancient One hypothesises that she was hybridised so long ago that her dna has mutated and the bear is now part of her.

John is not cured as he was hybridized by Hydra without the talisman. Having had his collar switched off and subsequently broken he had gone feral during the battle and fed on many enemies. He is ashamed and runs away into the night.

Mid credits:- Blade is not sure he made the right choice. James insists he did, but Howard admits he was only close to a cure for vampire hybrids, not full vampires, so Blade will have to continue to do his thing. James offers to go along with him if Eric helps him track his brother down to see if Howard's cure will work. He agrees.

Post credits:- At Adam's base Peggy, some S.H.I.E.L.D. staff and the Ancient One are brainstorming ideas on where Kevin might have gone and how they might travel to find him. Howard (calling on his brand new video screen technology, which goes slightly awkwardly) says he he can get them up into space but is a good few years away from intergalactic travel. Adam says again if he travelled alone he might be able to travel fast enough…Candace replies there is no way she's leaving her boy out in the universe all alone. She insists there has to be a way. Kaluu says there is, according to the Darkhold…he volunteers to help Adam and Candace cross the universe to find Kevin, using the Dark Dimension. The Ancient One urges them not to let the Dark Dimension corrupt them, particularly Kaluu. He says that Kevin was the first person to treat him with dignity and respect for centuries, he will not let his standards drop again.

They gather equipment and supplies, say their goodbyes, are wished good luck and leave.

Peggy then approaches the Ancient One and wants to work more closely with Kamar-Taj. The Ancient One says, “Have you ever heard of the Runes of Kof-Kol?”, implying she is going to wipe S.H.I.E.L.D.’s memory of the battle.

NB:-

Regarding MichelleYeoh as the Ancient One instead of Tilda Swinton. There is nothing wrong with Swinton's acting, just reversing the ethnicity switch whilst keeping the gender switch. I can see that marvel were trying to avoid the magic asian/wise old man trope but you can't ditch an Asian character and make them white instead! This conversation will be revisited when we get to Iron Fist…

Also, I think Lichidus is underwritten in these two movies. So I may revisit this if I come up with any ways to improve that.

Possible adventures in space while looking for Kevin:

Herbert Wyndham (a very talented human scientist) expressed an interest in buying the Talisman from Kaluu, so they track him down. He had been commissioned (abducted from earth) by the Spartoi to terraform a planet as a waystation for their Empire. However, they did not care for his work and withdrew his commission so he decided to start his own terraforming business.

The team discover the Talisman was made by a being called Enitharmon who had told Herbert it could aid the terraforming process as a shortcut to genetic hybridisation to optimize things like plant growth and pest resistance. 

The team will end up helping the woman who would become Meredith Quill escape her death sentence at the hands of the Spartax royal family. She is also part of the royal family.

Meredith and J'Sonn

Possibly Enitharmon? Rintrah?

Definitely Adam, Candace and Kaluu.

Also:- Union Jack and the Blade Series

Eric and James adventures as they stop vampires, thwart conspiracies and search for John. John is now calling himself Baron Blood.

Regularly featuring James’ children (Spitfire and Union Jack II). 

Peggy will make at least one appearance 

They will visit Bear, now calling herself Ursula. She has joined the People's Protectorate and we will get to meet that team.

There has to be a storyline about James wife (she was an Inhuman, but why did she run away? Where did she go?)

And Dracula has to get in there somewhere as well.

1970 Agents of Shield series 3

Episode 1:

We start with Magneto receiving a distress call from Mystique. He is not happy that she has found him, as this means the government can find him too. She says she has no one else to turn to. Charles is falling apart after losing his ability to walk, being betrayed by his best friend, losing his fiancée (Moira) and most of his young charges being drafted for the war. The Brotherhood is gone and everyone else is dead, drafted or after her. He reluctantly agrees and clandestinely goes to her location, a nearby dive bar. When he meets her, she charms him into momentarily letting his guard down. She immediately clamps a hidden power dampening collar on him. A squad of government enforcement agents with plastic rifles and rubber bullets cram into the bar followed by Dr Valerie Cooper.

Mystique: Did we pass?

Cooper: You apprehended the most dangerous mutant on the planet without bloodshed…you will be an asset to the team. Welcome aboard Raven.

Erik Lehnsherr, I am arresting you for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy…

Magneto (while Cooper continues): Why did you betray me?

Mystique (quietly): Erik, everything I said is true. You will be much safer where you're going.

Cut to Peggy in discussion with her team, which now consists of:

Howard Stark - R&D (and science)

Hank Pym - science (and R&D)

Jacqueline Falsworth - demolition, espionage 

Brian Falsworth - combat, espionage 

James Braddock - pilot, combat, espionage

Having been made aware of mutants through their battles with Fenris, Xavier's X-Gene theory and the events of First Class they are urged to look into the disappearance of Evangeline Whedon, a noted human rights lawyer who is secretly a mutant. She had been working for the U.N. when she vanished. The urging came from Moira McTaggart who has seen a number of her mutant contacts disappear.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. team head to the U.N. building in New York. They are interviewing building staff and diplomats and investigating Whedon's office. Stark and Pym have found singed carpet fibres in an otherwise immaculate office. The interviewees remember Whedon arriving that day but no one saw her leave.

Suddenly Valerie Cooper marches in with her men, and demands to know what they think they're doing. They explain who they are and why they're there. She tells them that the matter they are investigating is a matter of national security and is highly classified. Jacqui asks if that means they knew where Whedon was. Cooper repeats that it is highly classified and forces them to halt their investigation. Braddock goes to call Peggy. Stark and Pym get in an argument with Cooper's men who are trying to confiscate their gathered evidence and equipment. Forge, all suited and booted, tries to reach a compromise where the evidence is confiscated but not the equipment. Cooper is not keen.

In all the commotion, Jacqui is pulled aside by a diplomat and is told that he saw Whedon being taken away by Cooper and her team. Jacqui tries to encourage them to come forward but they are very reluctant and manage to break away and go round a corner. When Jacqui catches up there is only a young woman coming towards her.

Jacqui (to woman): Have you seen a gentleman come this way? Older gentleman, grey hair?

Woman (pointing to the stairwell): Oh, I saw a man duck through those doors there.

Jacqui (hurrying to the doors): Thank you Miss…?

Woman (calling after her): Darkhölme, Doctor Darkhölme.

Raven smiles to herself and goes to join Forge and Cooper.

The next day, Peggy is in a debrief with the team as Val is with hers.

We switch between them:

Peggy wants to know what happened to the mystery diplomat. Jacqui is still surprised that he was sprightly enough to get away from her.

******

Val, meanwhile, is telling off Forge for undermining her while she was trying to control the situation. Forge insists he was trying to calm things down so that they could get what they needed and leave without conflict. Val snaps that he shouldn't back down to a rival agency when there's so much at stake.

*****

Howard informs the team that the singed carpet fibres did not match the carpet in the office (he knows as the analysing machine had already finished before the samples were confiscated). And Brian had informally charmed Whedon's secretary and she confirmed that the office had been completely redecorated the day she disappeared.

*****

Forge: Would it be so bad if S.H.I.E.L.D. found out? We could cooperate, share resources…

Val: No. We cannot risk mutants becoming public knowledge. Not until we have the situation under control.

Irene Adler: Miss Whedon, you have been very quiet. It is you they're looking for after all.

Evangaline (now revealed as part of Val's team): Val, you know my feelings on the matter. I'd much rather go home.

Val: NO! You cannot go home. Not until we have-

Raven (interrupting): When will that be!

(Meeting descends into chaos)

*****

Peggy wonders if anybody found out what agency they were with, as they didn't show their badges. James believes, from their uniforms, that they were CIA. Peggy resolves to talk to President Nixon about it.

Pym is irate that his technology nearly fell into the CIA's hands. “Your technology?” queries Howard. They bicker over whose technology it is. (Meeting descends into chaos)

*****

A man wearing a dark green suit and glasses, and sporting a crop of bright orange hair enters the fray.

It is Henry Peter Gyrich.

Gyrich: Enough! Agent Cooper answers to me and my answer is also no! No one is going home, we are not cooperating with anyone and we will deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. when the time comes.

Now, more importantly, you have your new target.

Raven: Magneto isn't enough?

Gyrich: Oh Magneto was just the beginning…

*****

Peggy: Moira McTaggart has had a tip off about another target. We believe this man, known as Azazel, is next. He is known to S.H.I.E.L.D. from an attack on one of our U.S. bases in ‘62. Very dangerous, killed several agents. Also believed to have been part of a mutant terrorist organisation known as the Brotherhood. Believed to be hiding in Germany.

Howard (looking at his photograph on the projector screen): Shouldn't be too hard to spot.

*****

Gyrich dismisses everyone and reminds them that they will receive their assignments from Agent Cooper separately from now on and that information will be given on a need to know basis only, no more leaks! And vows that they will find the traitor, with warnings of dire consequences for them. Dr. Darkhölme does not leave and sits staring at the image on the projector screen.

Val: Something the matter Dr. Darkhölme?

Raven: I thought, as Miss Whedon is staying on base, I could complete her profile. I haven't had a chance to speak to her yet.

V (crouching next to Raven's seat, speaking quietly): I know you were once…close…with Azazel. But he's one of our most wanted. Very dangerous. And we can't bring him in without you.

R (also softly, looking down): I can't. 

V: The deal was for the Brotherhood. All of them. So if you want that pardon…

Gyrich (noticing the furtive conversation): Problem, Darkhölme? 

R (standing): No problem.

(Shoots Val a dirty look before she leaves)

Flashback to around a year earlier. We see Raven in an off the book, makeshift maternity suite. She is close to giving birth. The ‘doctor’ has the ‘nurse’ mop their brow. The medical team look nervous. An anxious Azazel paces the room.

Azazel: Is there a problem with the delivery?

‘Doctor’ (sweating and shifty): No, no problem.

A (to Raven): I don't like this, we're too exposed.

Raven (tersely): Where would you have me do this? Mm? On the stained linoleum floor of that crappy ‘safehouse’ apartment? The neighbours would have heard me screaming and called 911 on us.

A: This doctor seems nervous. What school did you say you graduated from anyway?

‘Doctor’ (shakily): I've been very honest with you. I told you I dropped out of medical school, but I can deliver babies. I've done it successfully 14 times.

A: How many times have you done it unsuccessfully?

R: Have you considered they may be nervous because there's a man who looks like a demon angrily questioning their credentials?

A: …

R: What normal hospital would let you stalk around the delivery room? I told you to disappear before we got here…

A: No way. I'm not leaving you. Not here with these Sapiens.

R: …and it's not like Eric gives us health insurance. I should never have reached out to you in the first place.

There is a disturbance down the hallway. Raven tells Azazel to go as she can pass as a Sapien but he obviously can't. He wants to take her but she doesn't want to risk teleportation with a baby still inside her.

He bampfs away just as Val Cooper and her agents burst into the room despite the protestations of the staff.

Val (brushing off a ‘nurse’): May I remind you that the only reason you aren't all being arrested for running an illegal maternity hospital is the information we were given.

I am pleased the information was good. But where is the demon?

‘Doctor’ (sheepishly): He left.

Raven (glaring at the doctor as she is cuffed and has a power dampening collar fitted): Azazel was right. It was you.

‘Doctor’ (sighs): Yes. They offered me a medical license and funding for a legitimate community clinic.

V: Do remember, there are to be no more mutants here. That was the deal.

‘Doctor’: Do remember that we are delivering a baby here! You were supposed to wait outside.

V: We couldn't risk an escape…do what you need to do. 

The staff, trying to ignore the armed agents, and Raven successfully deliver the baby. The baby is blue, marked from birth as a mutant. Cooper offers to take care of the baby. Raven is having none of it and calls for Azazel. He bampfs in and grabs the baby, he tries to get to Raven but is met with lots of gun barrels pointing at him.

Kayla, a nurse, grabs Cooper by the back of the neck and tells her to point her own gun against her head. She is compelled to do so by Kayla's touch as she is a mutant too.

As Azael reaches out for Raven an agent sneaks up behind Kayla and snaps a collar on her. Cooper is released and lowers her weapon. In the confusion Raven screams at Azazel to leave with the baby. Reluctantly he does so.

Raven (both devastated and furious): You are lucky I still need medical treatment,  otherwise I would have wiped the floor with your agents and dived through the window. 

Val (to Raven): We'll make sure you get the care that you need.

Val (to ‘Doctor’): Any other mutants in here I should know about?

Our deal is now off, by the way.

Val (to agents): This nurse may be of interest to Stryker. Take them away.

1970 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series 3 Episode 2

Open on Azazel running, bamfing all over the place. Special forces are armed and in pursuit. It doesn't seem to matter where he bampfs to, someone is always there, or nearby, to intercept.

We cut to the S.H.I.E.L.D. team in their headquarters, tracking Azazel's movements and trying to coordinate teams. It seems like they are the ones pursuing him. But then on the third intercept, in Kazakhstan, they are almost beaten to it by another special forces team. They get in each other's way and Azazel is gone again. The two teams argue.

We cut to Val, who is livid. She wants to know how S.H.I.E.L.D. is one step ahead, how they are everywhere our teams are supposed to be. She is very suspicious of Irene as she is directing the manhunt with her (secretly) precognitive powers. She denies it but Val knows that Gyrich will have serious questions.

Azazel bampfs to location near his and Mystique's old apartment. Under his breath he wonders what made him come back here. He tries to clear his head for his next move when he spies…across the street…could it be? It's Mystique, gesturing for him to come over to a closed down store. He does and follows her inside without being spotted.

Mystique: Are you okay? Are you being chased?...Who's chasing you?...Azazel…

Listen, I know we're not together anymore but of course I'll help you…

Azazel: You can't. They keep showing up everywhere I go. I don't know how they know where I was going to. I don’t even know where I'm going to…

Wait, how did you know where I'd be?

M: …

A: Mystique? 

M: …I have…a friend who can see into the future.

A: Does your friend work with a SWAT team? Because that would explain a lot.

M (not answering the question): I can get you out of here, but you're going to have to trust me.

A: And why should I do that?

M: I trusted you to take the baby somewhere safe, didn't I?

A: …Yes

M: …Where did you take it…?

A: Those armed goons could be here any minute…please.

M: …Okay. See that truck across the street?

A: Yeah.

M: Take us to the trailer.

*bampf*

A: Wow. There is a lot of gear in here. Is Magneto helping you out?

M: No. I don't work for him anymore.

A: Who do you work for?

M: Myself…

I can tell you who's chasing you…

A: Who?

M: If you tell me where you took the baby.

A: Your foresight friend can't tell you that?

M: If I knew where we were going before and I got caught then…

A: They might get it out of you.

M: Where did you take the baby?

A: You mean our baby? Jeez.

M: Answer the damn question Azazel.

A (hesitantly): …Germany.

M (overlapping dialogue): Germany!?/

A: Shit!/ I knew if you found out you'd be angry…but…

M: Why Germany? I mean Canada or maybe even Mexico, but…damn right/ I'm angry about that!

A: I/ just wanted to…

M: Germany is nearly 4000/ miles away! By air!

A: I just wanted/ to…

M: You think/ it will be easy to get on an aeroplane?

A: Good God! Let me finish…I wanted to make sure the he was someplace safe.

A: Where the sapiens wouldn't find him.

A: With people I could trust.

M: …It…

A: Mystique.

M: Not ‘him', it.

M: Unless I'm holding that baby in my arms I don't want to think of it as a person. No connection. It is an it.

A: Then why do you care where ‘it' is?

M: Because I still want it in my arms…Irene says there's a 43% chance that we leave here and go to find the baby, you and me.

A: Irene?

M: My…foresight friend.

A: Your friend…is a girl? Just when you had me thinking I had competition.

M: Oh grow up.

A: There are less complicated ways to ask a guy out you know.

M: Don't flatter yourself. This is not about us. This is about freedom and finding our child.

This dialogue is cut here with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Val's troops continuing the search, maps being looked at, the rival teams in Kazakhstan arguing etc. Towards the end of the sequence we see Val realise she hasn't seen Raven for a while. She approaches Irene, leans in and whispers in her ear, “Where is Raven Darkhölme?”.

Mystique leaves Azazel in the back as he is ‘too conspicuous’ in the front. She genuinely thinks about making a run for it, but Val has discovered the double cross and contacts her on a secure frequency, convincing her to come back for Irene. She says Irene is not strong like Mystique and the finger of suspicion is already pointing at her and she can't protect her from Gyrich.

Mystique reluctantly agrees to bring him in to protect Irene. Azazel gets the jitters and wants out but realises he can't bampf away, he just materialises in the same spot, he is trapped in the van. Mystique hedged her bets and brought a van designed by Forge to neutralise his power. He bangs on the truck for her to let him out.

Good girl says Val in her ear. She yanks out the earpiece but goes back to hq anyway, for Irene.

Meanwhile, Peggy is having a somewhat heated exchange with the President. Peggy is adamant that she must speak to the team that is targeting mutants as she believes there is a more humane way to deal with the issue. Nixon is adamant that there is no such team. That he has never approved any agency to carry out these actions. But he does recognise the rise of these ‘mutants’ as a threat.

Peggy is not fooled by any of this and reiterates her concern and reminds him that S.H.I.E.L.D. has a deal with the American government where they don't keep secrets from each other.

After she hangs up she asks Howard if he is ready to trace the President's next call. Howard and the others are worried what will happen if the President finds out his call was traced. Peggy just says, “Then make sure he never finds out”.

Nixon is rattled and calls Henry Peter Gyrich to tell him that S.H.I.E.L.D. are on to them.

Gyrich believes the team's next target could be useful in this situation. Sean Cassidy has been seen/heard approaching New Jersey. He believes Cassidy is making his way to Camp Lehigh. Gyrich actually sees this as an opportunity to solve three problems:

Confirm and expose Raven Darkhölme as a traitor 

Capture Sean Cassidy and reduce the threat posed by him and Moira McTaggart. 

Destroy S.H.I.E.L.D.

He prepares to tell the team their next target.

We cut to Peggy on the phone to Moira McTaggart the next day. Moira warns them Sean is coming. Their source has told them Freedom Force's next target was Angel Salvadore and he wanted to be involved with the counter operation (Angel was once his friend).

The team start to wonder what that noise is. Moira says, that'll be Sean, you hear him before you see him.

Sean Cassidy comes in and introduces himself. He says the information only came in last night and he got there as quick as he could. The team are impressed with his powers.

He tells them where Angel is expected to be and when Cooper's team are expected to strike. They prepare to head out.

Cut to Val's small team. A couple of undercover agents are reporting on Salvadore's movements.

As they are preparing to go Jacqui melts together the doors of the store Freedom Force was hiding in, forcing them to find another exit and buying time.

Meanwhile Sean has intercepted Angel and is trying to convince her to come with him. She is caught off guard and torn between flying off and listening to him. She stays and he tries to convince her a government agency is after her. She reminds him that is nothing new for her. He tells her they have Magneto and Azazel, that they are coming for any and all mutants. This gives her pause.

As they are talking the Freedom Force (FF) agents have found an alternative route and swarm to their location.

Cassidy takes out the first with a sonic scream. Angel takes out another with her hardening goo spit thing (that is totally stolen from Toad in the 2000 movie). The agents keep on coming. Brian appears, bends the barrel of an agent's gun and then uses that agent to take out a bunch of others.

Jacqui arrives and puts a protective ring of fire around the group, with the threat of expanding it if they are threatened further.

Above, two snipers are taking aim at Jacqui. They ask for confirmation on the shot.

Howard pulls up with Hank. Asks him if he's sure his contraption will work. ‘Oh it'll work’ says Hank, testily.

He exits the car, puts on the mk I helmet, jumps and shrinks. This propels him way up the fire escape. He reaches the top of the building in two leaps. ‘Well I'll be…’ admires Howard.

The first sniper goes to check the noise from the fire escape. As his partner receives the go ahead for the shot, the first sniper is seemingly beaten up by an invisible assailant. As the 2nd sniper radios through an incomprehensible message about an attack by the invisible man, Hank's suit fails and he appears, full size. Dumbfounded for a second, the sniper is just recovering his wits (and his weapon) when Hank just charges him, knocking them both off the roof. They battle on the way down.

Hank's suit finally releases the Pym Particles and he leaps safely from the falling sniper and lands within Jacqui's flame barrier and returns to full size. Everyone is surprised as Hank had kept his project secret from everyone.

The sniper lands on his Freedom Force Colleagues and they are given permission to shoot through the flames.

As they open fire, James Braddock pulls up in an unmarked S.H.I.E.L.D. van. They bundle in, Angel Salvadore and all, and speed away.

After evading the agents at the scene,  they realise they are being followed by a black sedan on the highway. A window rolls down on the sedan and an FF agent fires.

Hank: Brian, open the doors.

Angel: Are you crazy? They're shooting at us!

H: I'm gonna stop them shooting.

James (Calling from the front): There's no need. Stark bullet-proofed it.

H: But what if they follow us to Camp Lehigh? What if they shoot out the tyres?

Jacqui: Dr. Pym, please! You'll be killed…

H (to Brian): Just…open the doors Falsworth! I know what I'm doing. 

Brian obliges and Hank leaps out of the back of the van, shrinking as he does so.

The process fails halfway through and he smashes, full size, into the windscreen of the Sedan. His speed relative to theirs and his super secret Pym Tech suit protect him from serious injury.

Hank and the FF agents are dazed. They recover first and the shooter readies their pistol. Fortunately the suit tech works this time and he shrinks and enters the vehicle through the open window. While the agents wonder where he went, he operates the hood release causing it to catch the wind and flap up, obstructing their view. He catches sight of Howard speeding behind them to catch up and radios for him to pull up alongside.

As the FF Sedan crashes into a barrier, Pym leaps into the cabriolet. Howard swerves to avoid the crashing vehicle and the S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicles speed off to Camp Lehigh. 

When the rescue team return to base,  they start to celebrate and Sean is catching up with Angel.

Peggy upbraids them and tells them not to celebrate as she knows there will be consequences for what they have just done.

Back at FF headquarters, Val Cooper brings the ‘bad news’ of Salvadore’s escape to Gyrich. He is not upset, he simply smiles, points out that S.H.I.E.L.D. have ‘crossed the line’ and adds…

“Release the hounds…”

We flashback to Irene's psychology evaluation from a few weeks before.

Dr Darkhölme gets her to state her name and job title for her recording. They go through some details of her past, but not too deep yet.

Raven circles back to Irene's job.

Raven: You are in their foresight division.

Irene: Yes.

R: It's your job to predict what is going to happen before it happens.

I: Yes.

R: And you're usually correct. Is that right?

(*Irene nods*)

That's quite a skill.

I (after a pause): May we stop the recording for a moment.

R: Agent Cooper prefers that we get this all on tape.

I: I would like it to be private.

R: …

I: After you have heard it you may decide whether to put it on tape.

R: …Interview paused at 4:45pm.

(*stop the tape*)

What did you have to say that couldn't be on the recording Irene?

I: My predictions are not a skill.

R: No? What are they then?

I: …A gift…Like yours.

R (somewhat rattled): …What do you mean?...A gift from who?

I: I am a mutant. Like you.

R: …Did Cooper put you up to this?

I: No. Frau Cooper does not want us to know each other's secret.

That we are not the only one.

That we are both mutants, both being held here against our will.

R: How do I know Cooper's not listening right now?

I: She is not. No one is. The others trust you. Cooper trusts you.

R: Why should I trust you?

I: You will come to trust me because my precognitions are accurate…

My probabilities are accurate…

They will save lives…

Mutant lives…

I believe we will do this work together. I believe that it is our destiny.

R: Irene…I…I'm just trying to survive here.

I: Well…you have been tasked with capturing the other Brotherhood members, yes?

R: …Yes.

I: There is a 43% chance that when you find Azazel you will leave with him to find your child. I can give you the time to get away.

R: …You can do that? You can get me out of this. And get me to the baby.

I: Yes. The chance is only based on the path you choose. If you decide to leave with Azael then you will be successful.

R: And if I do leave? What happens to you and the others?

I: …Nothing is for certain. It all depends on the choices we make.

R: What about working together? Our ‘destiny’?

I: That is your decision to make.

*There is a loud knock on the door*

Guard (from the other side): Dr Darkhölme! Cooper says to wrap it up. You're needed in the command centre. 

*A moment's silence…aaaaand scene.*