Stories by @underworld_stories

Spider-Man 2

The government launches a nationwide crackdown on biotechnology, forcing Empire Biotech to close and leaving Peter Parker unemployed. As the government considers reopening select research facilities, Peter begins working at Horizon Labs, while mentoring young mutant Kitty Pryde and frequently helping Rio Morales at Feast. Meanwhile, Detective Jean DeWolff investigates Elias Wirtham, a former scientist transformed into the vigilante Cardiac after a biotech project caused the death of his son. Cardiac launches a targeted campaign against the government and those responsible, while radical terrorist Tarantula turns the protests into increasingly destructive attacks across New York. Peter becomes personally involved when Cardiac begins targeting Connors and others connected to his tragedy. Jean and Jefferson Davis pursue the case, with Jefferson skeptical of the investigation, while Daredevil enters the conflict when he discovers Richard Fisk helped fund the project that killed Elias's son. Cardiac ultimately decides his final protest will be undeniable: he uses stolen technology to transform Connors back into the Lizard, unleashing him on New York. Spider-Man battles the Lizard through the city, knowing that defeating him may mean losing Curtis forever. At the same time, Daredevil faces Tarantula in a final battle. Cardiac is arrested, but his actions succeed in making the government crackdown even worse. Peter defeats the Lizard, though Connors' fate remains uncertain. Peter goes back to the idea that keeping someone close means hurting them and ends things with M.J even though it breaks his heart. With biotech effectively dead, Peter remains at Horizon Labs, a creation of Oscorp, now seemingly run by CEO Max Modell whose medicine once helped keep Aunt May alive. Oscorp had to stay alive due to shareholders and the company's stock. The business returns to it's glory. An old enemy of Peter's has returned to society as the owner of Oscorp. Otto Octavius.

Wolverine

Years after volunteering for the Weapon X program, Logan has become a government-sanctioned weapon with no memory of his past. His handler, Colonel Cassius Tomlinson, knows Logan deserves freedom, but Logan willingly entered the program. The film opens with Logan's brutal battle against the Hulk. Wolverine fights well, leaving permanent scars across Hulk's back, but ultimately loses as Hulk grows increasingly enraged. Afterward, Logan is repaired and returned to the Weapon X chamber, where the government prepares to enhance him further. But with the Super Soldier Serum under development, Logan's future as a government asset is uncertain. Then Sabretooth emerges. Victor Creed, Logan's half-brother and former Team X partner, has become an enforcer for the mysterious Omega Red, a weapons trafficker using stolen military technology to prolong wars and sell weapons of mass destruction. Logan doesn't remember Victor, but the government knows their history and believes Logan is the only man capable of stopping him. Their first confrontation nearly ends with Logan winning, but Victor escapes with Cyber, Omega Red's other top operative. Logan and Cassius are sent into northern Canada to dismantle Omega Red's operation, accompanied by three Weapon X offshoots: mutant soldier Lucas Bishop, unstable super-soldier Frank Simpson, and young combat savant Anthony Marston. The mission collapses when Cassius is killed, giving Logan a means to destroy his control chip and escape. Searching for answers, Logan finds John Wraith, a mutant mercenary who remembers him. Wraith reveals that Logan's real name is James Howlett and that Victor is his half-brother. Together, they launch one final assault on Omega Red's compound. Cyber dies, Omega Red escapes, and Logan confronts Victor one last time—but cannot kill him. Victor escapes, while Logan is captured by the government. Before he can be reclaimed by Weapon X, General Thaddeus Ross intervenes. Telling them Logan is his now.

Blade

Blade has spent nine years hunting vampires from the shadows, protecting a world that doesn't even know the supernatural exists. When ancient vampire Lilith, daughter of Dracula, begins harvesting the blood of powerful vampires across Romania with the help of Deacon Frost, Blade discovers they are preparing a ritual to resurrect Judas Iscariot—the original vampire. Lilith believes Judas will reward her by making her his queen, but Dracula knows the resurrection would bring eternal darkness and destroy modern vampires. Desperate to stop his daughter, Dracula reluctantly enlists Blade, who agrees only because he knows something far worse could emerge if Judas eradicates the vampires he understands. Blade begins the hunt alongside Werewolf by Night, Jack Russell, his closest ally, as well as Hannibal King, Abigail Whistler and Skinner. Stephen Grant, operating as Mr. Knight, helps Blade during the early investigation before the team travels deeper into Romania. Along the way, Lilith and Frost slaughter ancient vampires for their blood. Blade eventually learns that the ritual is far more dangerous than Lilith realizes. At a massive Blood Rave, Blade's team attacks Lilith and Frost. They defeat Frost and seemingly stop Lilith, but the ritual has already begun. Judas returns only as a terrifying Wraith. Blade faces him and, though he could never defeat the true Judas, manages to destroy this incomplete manifestation. Lilith and Frost escape after Lilith receives a horrifying vision of what Judas would have done. They disappear into hiding. Blade's allies return to their own lives, while Blade visits Dracula on the Throne of Blood. Dracula warns that something far worse is coming and says they can no longer remain enemies. Whatever is coming will require everyone. In the darkness, a twisted smile appears. Red skin pierces the void as flames consume the screen. Cut to black.

The Avengers

Five months after Bruce Banner lost control of his body to the Hulk, the monster remains on the run. After S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Arrow and Shock fail to neutralize him in July, Nick Fury Sr. and General Thaddeus Ross assemble a team. Fury calls on Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, Wasp and Black Panther, initially naming them the Howling Commandos after his old Vietnam unit. Hank Pym leads the operation. Thor is recruited as a last resort capable of killing Hulk, though Ross desperately wants Bruce saved. The team quickly discovers they were never meant to work together. Tony and Thor believe Hulk must be defeated, while Janet, the only Avenger who knew Bruce before his transformation, refuses to see him as a threat. T'Chaka agrees with Janet, while Hank tries to balance compassion with practicality. As the Hulk flees and hides across upstate New York and other states, the team follows, determined to stop him without losing Bruce. Their first confrontation ends disastrously. Hulk overwhelms the team and nearly kills Tony, forcing him to develop the Hulkbuster. Meanwhile, Bill Foster, Rick Jones and Amadeus Cho help the Avengers understand Hulk's physiology, while Betty Ross begs Tony not to kill Bruce. The crisis draws worldwide attention, including J. Jonah Jameson and Ned Leeds, who nearly dies filming Hulk before Spider-Man saves him. Eventually, the Avengers believe Bruce may be gone forever. Refusing to let him disappear, they decide they must avenge him—and adopt the name Avengers, inspired by the obscure 1990s superhero team. In their final confrontation, they combine force and compassion, wearing Hulk down without destroying him. Janet reaches him, embraces him and assures him that she sees him. Hulk finally calms. Bruce is taken to a secure metahuman hospital. Thor returns to Asgard, T'Chaka returns to Wakanda, and the others begin rebuilding. Hank starts Project Big House, while Tony begins the Hulkbuster and receives a call from Hank seeking his robotics expertise.

Daredevil

Matt Murdock has spent nearly a decade as Daredevil, protecting Hell’s Kitchen while balancing his life as a lawyer. But when a series of brutal murders targets doctors, politicians, lawyers, and others connected to New York’s failing medical system, Matt begins investigating alongside Foggy Nelson, journalist Ben Urich, and Detective Jean DeWolff. The killer is Larry Cranston, a brilliant former neurologist and attorney who was once close to Matt. After developing a progressive brain disease that doctors and the city repeatedly ignored, Larry’s paranoia and hallucinations worsened. Using chemicals derived from his old research, he becomes Mr. Fear, forcing victims to experience their deepest fears before killing them. Though his original anger came from genuine injustice, Larry has become completely consumed by hatred, making him a truly monstrous killer. As Mr. Fear's attacks escalate, Matt discovers Larry knows his secret identity but is increasingly unable to communicate it because of his deteriorating mind. Larry's ultimate target is Wilson Fisk, the wealthiest man in Hell’s Kitchen and someone Daredevil has battled for years. Matt must save the man he has spent half a decade trying to bring down. Throughout the investigation, Matt receives guidance from flashbacks of Stick and support from his friend Danny Rand, who helps him confront his fear. Glimpses of Elektra and the Hand reveal that Matt still hasn't moved on from his past. In the final confrontation, Larry's chemicals completely shut down Matt's senses, leaving him isolated and paralyzed. Forced to confront his deepest fear, Matt learns to perceive the world through touch and vibrations, allowing him to find Larry and save Fisk without killing Larry. Larry is committed to a secure ward. Fisk warns Daredevil that their conflict isn't over. Matt simply smirks. “Wouldn't dream of it.”

X-Men 2

As mutant hatred reaches a boiling point following the Hulk's massacre of a military base, even beloved heroes like Spider-Man, the Thing, and Wonder Man are increasingly viewed as potential threats. Henry Gyrich seizes the moment, launching a campaign against Xavier's School while negotiating with the Essex Corporation to create a supposed "cure" for mutation—secretly a poison designed to destroy the mutant gene. Meanwhile, Magneto begins forming the Brotherhood of Mutants. The X-Men—Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Storm, Iceman, Gambit, Jubilee, Pyro and Colossus—find themselves caught between the Brotherhood, the Hellfire Club, and a world turning against them. Led by Sebastian Shaw, the Hellfire Club includes Emma Frost, Mystique, Rogue, Azazel, Juggernaut, Donald Pierce, Daimon Hellstrom and Sunspot. Mystique uses Rogue to weaken the X-Men while secretly searching for the son she abandoned. Azazel, revealed to be the boy's father, leads her toward the Club, whose connection to the Essex Corporation holds the key to his disappearance. As the X-Men investigate, they discover the truth about Nathaniel Essex: the seemingly insane scientist from their previous encounter was actually a calculating mastermind with influence over governments, militaries, corporations and Hellfire itself. Jean enters Shaw's mind to uncover who controls the Club, only for Emma to follow. Their psychic battle nearly destroys Shaw's mind before Charles reaches Jean through Cerebro. Jean escapes with the truth, but Hank realizes she has awakened something dark and unstable, officially classifying her as an Omega-level mutant more powerful than Charles. Mystique is betrayed by Azazel and captured by Bolivar Trask, who reveals her son is alive. Rogue abandons every faction and returns to Mississippi, where Magneto finds her and proves she can touch him without harm. Meanwhile, Scott takes Jean to a secluded Canadian cabin, to try and avoid the stress of the city.

Swordsmoke: Heart of Gold

The helicopter lands, but Daryl is right. Mercenary jets follow them. Mitch admits he suspected Daryl copied the transponder coordinates. An ambush scatters the team. Clint and Mitch disappear into the jungle. Nick, Mark, and Morgan fight across the shoreline. Tobey and Iris hide inside an abandoned cabin until Mark's group reaches them. Deep in the jungle, Clint and Mitch are overwhelmed by Mercenary soldiers. Golden bullets tear through the trees. Marc steps from the brush, telling them they have to keep moving and regroup. High above, Daryl parachutes onto the island and begins tracking Marc. Mark's group wipes out most of the Mercenary force while Marc, Mitch, and Clint are driven deeper into the jungle. Then Daryl finds them. Centurion and another soldier force Mitch and Clint to their knees. Marc freezes. Faces flash through his mind—Jonathan, Matt, Fletcher, Bryce, Brutus, Hyde, Finn, Sasha, Bao, Link, Tommy, Diego, Grace, Red, Strider... then Jack, James, Ellie, Norman, and Bo. Without hesitation, Marc fans the hammer. Centurion and the second soldier fall dead. Only Daryl remains. Mitch and Clint struggle to stand on broken legs as Marc stares him down. A final memory crosses Marc's mind—Fletcher smiling before their last duel. Daryl raises his rifle. Marc raises his revolver. They fire. Both collapse. Clint crawls to Marc's side. Marc smiles weakly. "Thanks... for letting me see Bo again... through you." The others arrive. Nick helps carry Marc into a nearby field. Tobey supports Clint as they gather around him. Marc gazes into the sky. "I can see Alice..." Clint understands. Marc tells them Mercenary may survive, but Ghost is stronger than ever. With Clint leading, they'll be alright. A tear rolls down Marc's face. He dies peacefully in the field. The group stands in silence. The legend of Marc Marigold ends, and the future of Ghost begins.

Swordsmoke: The Fall of the Hunters

Tobey sits chained in an underground cell as Ezekial interrogates him. Above the mansion, Clint stands on the roof with Morgan. He begs her to help free Tobey, but she warns him this is his last chance to leave before she's forced to kill him. Clint reluctantly agrees, only to spot Mitch, Nick, Mark, and Iris approaching. They reveal Marc escaped the island. The war against Mercenary must wait—they have to reach Marc. Clint tells them the Hunters have a helicopter, but Morgan steps between them. She can't let them leave. Clint tries reaching her, but her body erupts with energy. Mercenary's experiments transformed her into a living weapon. Mark counters with blasts of fire, but the clash alerts the Hunters. Gunfire erupts across the mansion grounds. Daryl watches from a balcony as Hunters fall one after another. Morgan's powers overload, leaving her exhausted. Nick storms inside and holds Ezekial at gunpoint. Mitch orders the surviving Hunters to kneel. Mark executes the remaining Hunters until only Ezekial and Morgan remain. Morgan can't summon her powers. Mitch gives them one choice: surrender the helicopter or die. Before anyone answers, Daryl shoots Ezekial through the head. He admits Mercenary abandoned him and offers to join Ghost. No one accepts. Outnumbered, Daryl lowers his weapon. Morgan, finally free of her father, chooses to leave with Clint. She leads the team underground, where Tobey is freed. Tobey embraces Iris while Clint welcomes him back. The group boards the Hunter helicopter. Daryl warns them Mercenary will come for them. "They can try," Mitch replies. As the helicopter departs carrying Mitch, Clint, Tobey, Iris, Nick, Mark, and Morgan, Daryl heads for the Mercenary Compound. Standing before the Commander, he claims Ezekial delayed him but presents something valuable—a photograph of Mitch's transponder revealing Ghost's location. The Commander smiles. "You've earned a little more time." He hands Daryl a mission. Find Ghost. Kill Marc Marigold.

Swordsmoke: Man of the Hour

Shepard and Ezekial prepare for the Hunters' relocation. Mercenary's leadership decides the dwindling Hunter Unit no longer deserves its own outpost, ordering everyone moved to a larger compound. Shepard knows Daryl won't survive the transfer, so he heads underground to kill him himself. He unlocks the cell... but it's empty. Back upstairs, Ezekial laughs. Daryl steps into the room wearing a tailored black suit, pistol at his side. Ezekial reveals they've been working together. Mercenary may be abandoning the Hunters, but they intend to preserve them themselves. Shepard demands Daryl be executed and the relocation continue. Ezekial refuses. Furious, Shepard leaves alone. At the main compound, Vexus escorts Shepard to the Commander. The Commander asks one question: "Where are the Hunters?" Shepard explains. The Commander shrugs. He had planned to spare the unit, but now they're worthless. They'll simply be left to die on the frozen island. Shepard is dismissed from Mercenary and told to disappear. Walking out, Shepard notices the High Security Cell Block. Marc. Using a stolen keycard, he reaches the entrance and claims the Commander sent him. A guard starts verifying the order. Shepard shoots him, drops the second guard, and races to the chamber. Alarms erupt. The cell opens. Guards fill Shepard with bullets. He collapses smiling as the heavy door swings wide. A hand reaches from the darkness, unclipping the grenade from Shepard's belt. Marc rolls it into the corridor. Golden shards explode through the hallway, tearing into Mercenary soldiers. Marc picks up Shepard's pistol and fights through wave after wave of guards. A bullet tears through his stomach, but he heals and keeps moving. He reaches a Mercenary helicopter, guns down the pilot, and takes off. Before leaving, Marc activates a Mercenary emergency transponder. Miles away, Mitch's radio crackles with the SOS and Marc's coordinates. Mitch looks at Nick, Mark, and Iris. "It's him."

The Hulk

Dr. Bruce Banner is one of the world's most respected scientists. Working alongside General Thaddeus Ross, Dr. Betty Ross, Dr. Bill Foster, and a team of young recruits including Rick Jones and Amadeus Cho, Bruce continues research into gamma radiation, hoping to unlock discoveries that could change humanity forever. But beneath his brilliance lies a lifetime of trauma, anger, and pain that he has spent years trying to suppress. Following a catastrophic gamma accident that Bruce saves Rick from, something inside Bruce begins to change. As strange incidents escalate, Bruce's mind begins creating an alternate personality born from years of buried rage and abuse. The Hulk is not simply created by the accident—it is the physical manifestation of something that has existed within Bruce for years. Told through a grounded, found-footage-inspired perspective, the film follows Betty as she fights to save the man she loves, while Ross struggles between his duty to protect others and his belief that Bruce can still be saved. Rick, Bill, Cho, Cassius Tomlinson, Flash Thompson, and James Rhodes are pulled into the chaos as the military facility becomes a battleground between fear, survival, and the desperate search for answers. As Bruce's transformations become more violent, the world sees the Hulk for the first time. The final incident leaves the base destroyed and countless lives changed, forcing Ross to confront the reality of what Bruce has become. Yet he refuses to see Bruce as lost, ordering his forces to find and contain him—not kill him. In the final moments, Betty reaches Bruce one last time, but the voice that answers is not the man she knows. "No Bruce. Only Hulk." The world now faces a new kind of threat, while those closest to Bruce must decide whether the monster they fear is still the man they love.

Fantastic Four

Twelve years after their space mission, the Fantastic Four have become the world's most beloved heroes. Reed Richards' scientific breakthroughs have transformed civilization, Sue Storm leads the Future Foundation's humanitarian efforts, Ben Grimm dedicates his life to charities across New York, and Johnny Storm serves as a volunteer firefighter and community hero. But their legacy is threatened when an old enemy, Bentley Wittman, returns. Consumed by years of living in Reed's shadow, Bentley secretly assembles the Frightful Four, recruiting his longtime associates Ulysses Klaw, Thundra, and Flint Marko. Their goal isn't to kill the Fantastic Four—it's to destroy the world's faith in them. While Klaw seeks profit and Thundra follows Bentley out of loyalty, Flint believes Bentley is finally going to cure the condition that turned him into Sandman. As Reed investigates the attacks, he uncovers a forgotten connection between Bentley and Flint's past. Years earlier Reed tried to cure Flint but never discovered who created him. Comparing Bentley's history with Flint's, Reed realizes Bentley and A.I.M. engineered the accident themselves. Reed desperately tries convincing Flint that Bentley never cared about curing him, but Flint refuses to believe the only friend he has left betrayed him. As Bentley's plan unravels, Thundra abandons him, causing Bentley to finally reveal Flint was nothing more than a disposable experiment. Betrayed, Flint turns on the Frightful Four and helps the Fantastic Four stop Bentley and the others. When Flint attempts to kill Bentley, Reed is forced to stop him with a power-dampening round, refusing to let revenge define him. Bentley mysteriously vanishes after the battle, while Flint awakens in a super-hospital where he thanks Reed, admitting Reed is the only true friend he's ever had. Elsewhere, Victor Von Doom takes an interest in Bentley's research after learning of a mysterious force that had been communicating with him from beyond reality.

Captain Marvel

As the Kree Empire's homeworld faces collapse, decorated officer Mar-Vell is sent on what he believes is a peaceful mission to Earth. Under the human identity of Dr. Walter Lawson, he is tasked with studying humanity and determining whether Earth could become a new home for his people. While observing life on the planet, Mar-Vell befriends young military officer Rick Jones and forms a growing connection with Captain Carol Danvers, slowly discovering the compassion and resilience of the human race. When Kree soldiers arrive for a routine inspection, Rick accidentally uncovers the truth about Mar-Vell's identity. Ordered to eliminate the witness, the soldiers force Mar-Vell into an impossible choice. Saving Rick means killing his fellow Kree and becoming a fugitive from the empire he has faithfully served. As his commanding officer, Yon-Rogg, secretly buys him time, Mar-Vell struggles to understand why his own people have turned against him. Believing the attack to be a tragic misunderstanding, Mar-Vell returns to Hala to plead his case before the Supreme Intelligence. Instead, he uncovers a conspiracy that shatters everything he believed about the Kree Empire. The all-knowing Supreme Intelligence is nothing more than a manufactured illusion, created to justify endless conquest, and Earth's fate was decided long before he ever arrived. Captured and condemned, Mar-Vell faces execution until Yon-Rogg makes one final choice between duty and friendship, allowing his former protégé to escape. Pursued across the stars by Ronan the Accuser and with Thanos watching from the shadows, Mar-Vell survives a desperate chase before realizing he can never return to Earth without leading the Kree to it. Seeking refuge on the distant world of Skrullos, he leaves behind the only home he has come to love, embracing a new purpose as the hero humanity will one day know as Captain Marvel.

Spider-Man

Nearly a decade after becoming Spider-Man, Peter Parker has built a life beyond the mask. At 24, he works at Empire Biotechnologies alongside Dr. Curt Connors, the former Lizard who now fights to prevent scientific mistakes like his own, and Bill Foster. After losing Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, and Aunt May, Peter is trying to become the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man again. He partners with officer Jefferson Davis, who sees Spider-Man as an ally. While volunteering at FEAST to honor May’s memory, Peter meets Martin Li, the organization’s new leader. Peter sees the same compassion in Martin that May had, unaware of the secret he hides. In 1984, twelve-year-old Martin Li was used in an Oscorp experiment by Miles Warren, who was attempting to cure childhood cancer. The experiment saved Martin’s life but transformed him, giving him strange abilities. Years later, Martin abandoned his revenge against Warren after meeting May and devoted himself to helping others. But after May dies from the same disease Warren failed to cure, Martin returns to his original mission. As Mister Negative, Martin searches New York for Warren, his lost research, and Patient Zero, believing the information can create a true cure. His search leads him to an abandoned Oscorp facility, where Spider-Man discovers what Martin is after. Peter and Jefferson race to stop him, while other heroes offer help. Peter refuses, knowing Martin is not just a villain, but a lost friend. After discovering Martin’s past through Oscorp files, the government attempts to capture him. Martin finds Warren, only to discover he has become the monstrous Jackal through his own experiments. Realizing what Warren has become, Martin gives Peter the research and asks him to finish the cure without repeating his mistakes. Martin turns himself in and is sent to the Raft. Later, Black Cat suggests Peter ask out Mary Jane. Peter refuses. He cares about MJ, but losing Gwen is still too recent. He is not ready to move on.

X-Men

Five years after Professor Charles Xavier founded the X-Men, mutants remain caught between hope and fear. As the world begins to accept heroes like Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, mutants still face suspicion, hatred, and political pressure from those who believe they are a threat. While Xavier and his friend Erik Lehnsherr, known as Magneto, investigate a mutant serial killer, the X-Men continue protecting those who fear and hate them. Led by Scott Summers, known as Cyclops, the team consists of Jean Grey, Hank McCoy, Bobby Drake, Ororo Munroe, and newest recruit Remy LeBeau, Gambit. Jean senses something is wrong with Gambit. When a murdered mutant named Toad is discovered and evidence points toward Gambit's involvement, the X-Men question whether their newest member has betrayed them. The truth reveals a darker conspiracy. Gambit was secretly working for Nathaniel Essex, known as Mister Sinister, a geneticist conducting horrific experiments on mutants. Sinister's goal is to capture Cyclops and Jean Grey, believing their abilities hold the key to mutant evolution. But Gambit never understood Sinister's work, and discovering the horrors beneath the surface makes him realize he helped create a monster. With mutant acceptance hanging by a thread, the X-Men and Magneto race to stop Sinister before he destroys everything Xavier has spent decades building. As Jean faces a telepathic enemy unlike anything she has encountered and Cyclops fights to save his team, Gambit must decide whether to return to the life he escaped from or fight for the family he found. In the aftermath, Gambit proves his mistakes do not define him, earning his place among the X-Men. But as the team celebrates, Mister Sinister survives and begins a new chapter of his experiments, revealing that his plans for mutantkind have only just begun.

Underworld Productions Marvel Reboot Announcement

While I love the story I told throughout the official Underworld Productions Marvel Universe, enough time has passed and more stories are yet to be told. I want a fresh start with Marvel and I feel like I told a good story through the Setup Saga and the Midnight Saga. This new take will be a more established, comic accurate universe and I can say will start with a new X-Men movie.

Swordsmoke: Breakout

A riot tears through the holding compound. Sirens scream as prisoners overwhelm guards and fires spread through the facility. The chaos is all part of Mitch Marston's plan. He fights his way through the compound, taking down guards until he reaches the cell block holding Nick and Mark Cain. Mitch begins freeing them, but a heavy thud shakes the corridor. Centurion drops from an upper walkway. He calmly tells Mitch that this isn't Wraith. Mercenary doesn't tolerate rebellion, and Ghost won't be allowed to do whatever it wants. The fight is brutal. Mitch and Centurion crash through cells and walls as guards rush toward the noise. During the struggle, Nick and Mark manage to overpower several guards and recover a remote that disables Mark's restraint cuffs. The moment they're removed, energy sparks around Mark's hands. He blasts Centurion in the side with a powerful jolt. Nick stares in disbelief. "Mercenary didn't just lock me up," Mark says. "They changed me." Centurion struggles to stand, but Mitch drives a boot into his face and knocks him unconscious. The three push deeper into the prison until they reach the women's block. Using Centurion's keycard, they unlock Iris Anderson's cell. Other prisoners rush out, triggering alarms throughout the compound. A guard named Vexas cuts them off at the exit. She tells them she might spare their lives if they hand Iris back over. Mark forms a sphere of energy in his hands, but Vexas deploys a retractable shield, slamming him into a wall before dropping Nick. Mitch grabs the shield and charges her. She throws him aside with ease. Then Iris steps forward. A wave of energy erupts from her body. Vexas is blasted across the corridor. Iris lowers her hands. Mercenary experimented on her too. The four escape the prison together. Mitch wants to search for Marc, but Nick and Mark stop him. Someone as important as Marc would never be kept in a place like this. They finally return to camp, but Clint and Tobey are nowhere to be found.

Batman 5 Heads or Tails 🪙

Batman arrives at the smoking remains of a warehouse along Gotham's waterfront. Flames crawl across the floor. At the center of the burning building lies Harvey Dent, his body scarred and battered. Weeks pass. At Gotham General Hospital, Bruce Wayne rarely leaves Harvey's bedside. Jason Todd and Barbara Gordon visit constantly, urging him to go home, rest, do anything other than stare at hospital monitors. Bruce refuses every time. One morning Harvey finally opens his eyes. "Bruce..." he whispers. Harvey manages a weak smile. "You're a good friend." For a brief moment, Bruce believes Harvey will recover. Then Harvey vanishes. No discharge. No witnesses. Gone. Batman searches the city until the Bat-Signal cuts through the night sky. At GCPD, Jim Gordon meets him on the roof. "We believe Dent found Edward Nashton. Chinatown. If you want to stop him, get there now." Batman takes Barbara with him. They crash through the apartment door to find Harvey aiming a pistol at Edward's head. Edward's wife and young daughter hide in a closet nearby. "Harvey, put it down," Batman says. Harvey laughs bitterly. "He chained me up. Tortured me. Destroyed half my life because he wanted revenge. This is his fault." He cocks the hammer. "He's not hurting anyone else." Batman lunges. He shoves Edward aside as Harvey fires. The bullet tears through Batman's armor and buries itself in his side. Bruce collapses. Edward scrambles for the fallen gun. One shot. Harvey is struck in the neck. Two-Face falls. Batman tears off his mask and crawls beside him. Harvey's eyes widen. "Bruce..." Blood fills his throat. "The city needs Batman..." he coughs. "The man who gave me Edward's address... was Joker." Bruce freezes. "Joker's coming back." Harvey dies in his friend's arms. Later, Edward swears he'll keep Bruce's identity secret. Bruce stares him down. "Leave Gotham" As Edward takes his family and disappears, Batman looks over Gotham's skyline. Somewhere out there, the Joker is smiling.

Swordsmoke: The Black Manor

Shepard and Daryl arrive on Mercenary Island and are brought to a manor inside the Island Walls. There they meet Ezekial Simon, commander of military operations and leader of Mercenary's final Hunter Unit. The Hunters are fading, replaced by more efficient forces, but Ezekial still oversees what remains. Living with him is Morgan, his daughter, who Mercenary experimented on from childhood. She has been training to soon command an outpost of her own. Daryl is thrown into a cell beneath the manor while Shepard is offered a chance at redemption after Wraith’s collapse. For days Shepard trains soldiers alongside Ezekial until they are alerted that a group of rebels breached the Island Walls. One prisoner was captured, but four escaped deeper into Mercenary territory. The higher-ups are uninterested because the captured prisoner is considered a high-value target, but another division has demanded the remaining intruders be found. Ezekial orders Shepard to lead the operation. Shepard tracks the rebels to a hidden camp. There he finds only one man: Nick Cain. Shepard questions him, but Nick insists the others died in the wilderness. Shepard accepts the story and arrests him. What Shepard doesn't know is that Nick wears a tracker built by Mitch. Nick is transported to the prison compound. Inside, he finally reunites with his brother, Mark Cain. Mark confirms that a prisoner matching Marc's description was brought through, but transferred to a much higher-security facility. Meanwhile, outside the manor, Clint, Tobey, and Mitch watch from hiding. Mitch heads toward the prison while Clint and Tobey move onto the manor roof. Tobey prepares to descend into the manor on a rope to go in and see if he can find anything on the creator of Mercenary. Then Clint hears a voice behind him. "Stop." Startled, he lets go. Tobey falls into the manor. Clint spins around and finds himself face-to-face with Morgan, standing silently on the roof. She smiles. "Looks like we've met again".

Swordsmoke: The Wall

Marc, Mitch, Clint, Tobey, and Nick travel deeper into Mercenary Island. Nick explains that ahead lies a massive border separating the outskirts from the heart of Mercenary. Beyond those walls is where Mercenary's leadership, prisons, and military operations are based. Using an old maintenance tunnel Nick knows about, they slip inside. For a moment it seems they've made it unnoticed, but alarms begin sounding. Mercenary soldiers flood the streets and the group is forced to run. Clint becomes separated from the others. In an alley, he's surprised when a young woman in a Mercenary uniform quietly waves him toward a hidden passage. She tells him this is the only time she'll let any of them escape. Before disappearing back into the city, she smirks and tells him she's sure they'll meet again. The team regroups, but Mercenary forces close in from every direction. Realizing someone has to stay behind, Marc orders the others to keep moving. Mitch refuses, but Marc reminds him that Ghost needs a leader. Marc steps into the open while Mitch, Clint, Tobey, and Nick escape through the district. Marc fights until he's overwhelmed and finally allows himself to be captured. Marc is taken away into the depths of Mercenary territory. Now without Marc, Mitch reluctantly assumes command. The group finds temporary shelter in the ruins of an abandoned industrial sector. There, Nick tells them about a prisoner compound hidden somewhere inside Mercenary territory. He's never seen it himself, but he's certain his brother is being held there. Now Marc is likely there too, along with Tobey's sister Iris. The mission changes. Finding the prison becomes their top priority. As night falls, Mitch and Nick scout ahead in search of a safer location for a permanent base. While overlooking a valley, they spot a massive manor sitting on a hill, heavily guarded and isolated from the surrounding city. Mitch asks who lives there. Nick says he doesn't know. But whoever lives inside is important.

Swordsmoke: The New World

Marc, James, Ellie, Clint, Ken, Darren, Mitch, and Tobey arrive on Mercenary Island by jet. Missiles streak from hidden launchers. Their jet is torn apart and crashes into the sea. They wash ashore on a beach. Soldiers emerge lead by Centurion. Ghost is forced to their knees. Centurion tells Marc to stay quiet before shooting Darren in the head. He drags Ken forward and forces his head underwater. Marc struggles against his restraints as Ken fights, but Centurion smiles. Ken stops moving. Centurion announces there are two more open graves and offers Ghost the chance to choose who dies next. Nobody speaks. Marc demands to be killed instead. Centurion refuses, saying this is Marc's punishment. Ellie volunteers. James and Marc scream for her not to, but Centurion grabs her and snaps her neck before throwing her body into the sand. James swears he'll kill Centurion. Centurion kneels beside him and tears away his lower jaw before crushing his skull beneath his boot. The beach falls silent. Centurion tells the survivors they are welcome to Mercenary Island, but none of them will leave alive. He prepares to continue when gunfire erupts from the treeline. In the confusion, Marc, Clint, Mitch, and Tobey escape into the jungle. They arrive at an isolated hut deep within the forest. For the first time since Bo's death, Marc breaks down completely. Clint and Mitch sit silently while Tobey stares at Norman's bat, unable to process everything they have lost. The door opens. A stranger introduces himself as Nick Cain. Nick explains that he has been hiding from Mercenary for years and was responsible for the attack on Centurion's men. He knows exactly who Ghost is, and he knows why they came. His brother was taken by Mercenary and is being held somewhere on the island. Tobey says maybe Iris is where Nick's brother is. Marc wipes away his tears and stands. Marc tells him they'll help find his brother, but only if Nick helps them destroy Mercenary once and for all. Nick nods.