Revolutionary War: Dark Angel - Some Thoughts & Theories

Hi guys.

Other pursuits have delayed me getting this article out this week. My Bad, but it's finally here. A few days ahead of the third chapter in the story, Revolutionary War: Knights of Pendragon. I've seen the preview. And that is looking like something rather special. But before it arrives, let's take a moment to catch up on the previous issue. Here are few thoughts and theories on Chapter Two.

Right. So here we are, again. This time courtesy of Kieron Gillen and Dietrich Smith - Revolutionary War: Dark Angel. And I'll be honest, while the last issue set the quality bar pretty high I'm glad to say that this one very neatly matched it. Not just through serving as a continuation of the story, but also as an individual issue in its own right.

Kieron Gillen has built somewhat of a reputation over recent years, for telling some intricate and rather clever stories at Marvel, involving magic, myth and legend, with a strong internal logic and a central message behind them. Firstly on Thor, but in particular in telling Kid Loki's story on Journey into Mystery. Anybody who read the 'Manchester Gods' arc of that story (which featured Captain Britain and focused on the logical application of the mechanics of Otherworld) will know what I mean.

I'm very glad to say that he delivers once again .

I was really impressed by Dietrich Smith's artwork too. I'll be honest, before seeing his name in the solicits and looking him up I knew pretty much nothing about him. I see that he's mostly done bits and bobs of indie work, and worked on the Battlestar Galactica comic for Dynamite, but there wasn't an awful lot to go on. His artwork here fits the tone of both the character, setting and story incredibly well. It reminds me a little of Chris Samnee's art on books like Thor: The Mighty Avenger. The art may initially look rather uncomplicated at a glance, but it actually has an awful lot of detail to it. Ruth Redmond's colours compliment the art work very well. They keep it looking very clean, but give it depth where it matters - such as the outlines of energy pulses and portals.

Really good stuff.

But what does the issue offer in way of story, I hear you ask. Well, here are a few little thoughts and theories...

So Dark Angel survived the last issue, then?

Yes, she did. Whatever electrocuted her (and I'd say Death's Head II is a strong contender for 'culprit' there) appears to have done little more than render her unconscious. She awakes in this issue to find herself on the floor of the same room she was in at the end of Revolutionary War: Alpha.

Who the hell is 'Shevaun Hadley'?!?

You read the primer page, didn't you?

No. Shevaun has not changed her name. Nor has she (at least that we know of) had some kind of off-panel marriage to Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley. It's 'Haldane'. Which is how it correctly appears throughout the rest of the issue. This is thankfully just an editorial slip up. :)

So what about Captain Britain and Death's Head II???

Patience, reader. They are long gone, it seems. But the means of their exiting the scene appears fairly clear.

I'm sure we'll return to them in the Death's Head issue...

Meet Doris - Darkmoor resident, reader of tea leaves and casual magician.

Yes. She's new. It would be best to describe her as a bit of a local busy-body, with a very wry sense of humour and a relaxed attitude.

A magician... 'of sorts'. I mean we don't actually see her doing any magic per se, in this issue. It certainly sounds as if she owns a shop which caters to that, but in the practice of it I don't think we can really say that this counts...

Effective though a shotgun is... :)

Doris is a welcome addition to Dark Angel's supporting cast (which after all, was not huge in number in the first place). She gets to make some snarky comments, sure, but her true strength here is that she gives the story a down to earth perspective. A lot of Shevaun's dialogue is a little complex, a little wordy - as it should be with the concepts she deals with in her world. Doris' no nonsense attitude to everything balances things out nicely. So many scene stealing phrases, too.

I really hope that if we do get to see more Dark Angel material we'll also get to see more of her. 

What's that about a vision?

Ah, yes. Apparently while Shevaun was out cold she had a vision.

A woman made of electronic parts, rising from a grave. 

We'll return to that shortly...

Kieron Gillen pretty much covers everything you need to know about Dark Angel's origins in the course of one page.

Yes. No messing about, here. No long winded pages of exposition and backstory. One page summarising pretty much everything you might need to know. This one, in fact.

Pretty concise. And it means that it doesn't dominate the issue. It's out of the way early.

Wait a second... did they just tweak Dark Angel's origin...?

Well... yeah. Yes, they did. Those of you who can remember back to 1992 may remember how these events unfolded the first time around. But for the rest of you, it all began with Shevaun's father Ranulph Haldane - a member of the Mys-Tech board - who had constructed a process and device which was going to be capable of granting him and his cronies continued immortality, separate from the boon offered to them by that centuries old contract with the demon Mephisto. 

Only Mephisto found out. 

It didn't work out well for Ranulph.

After his death Mephisto claimed Ranulph's soul. Which was a bit awkward when another, more saintly entity, calling itself 'the Darkangel' arrived attempting to do the same. It informed Shevaun of her father's secrets, for the first time.

And while Shevaun initially rejected what it told her, when she met the Darkangel for a second time (planning to extract revenge on her Father's colleagues) the entity took a strong of fibre from the very universe itself, and bonded it to her, body and soul.

Thus becoming the Darkangel's envoy, with the same kind of incredible power Gillen's page describes, above...

But shouldn't we be hacked off about this??

Well, I cannot tell you each how you should personally feel about it. But I'd actually lean towards the side of 'No' on this one. 

Let me explain why.

For one this 'Darkangel' entity has never reappeared or even been referred to in a Marvel comic since. Not in Dark Angel's own series, or in the wider Marvel universe as a whole. It's not like it would be particularly missed. 

But, that aside, there's the name too. When Dark Angel's series was launched in '92 it was actually named "Hell's Angel". As was she after this transformation. The title had its name altered with issue 6 due (as I understand it) to the threat of legal action from members of a certain Biker Chapter of the same name. :)

As 'Hell's Angel', an envoy or agent of the 'Darkangel', that kind of scans okay. But having two virtually identically named characters on the same book is more than a little confusing. The name change was always a bit of an awkward transition, and as it was never really necessary to refer to it again after the first issue it's no real loss.

What Gillen has done is to write around all of that - now telling us that Shevaun's powers were always part of her father's plan for her. That he was in some way instrumental in her gaining them. 

Some might see that as a dramatic change, but it is not as if such an idea wasn't actually foreshadowed in Shevaun's original series. There was more than one occasion where it was stated that Shevaun had been brought into the world as part of a former Mys-Tech science project. A test subject who was intended to be terminated, but whom Ranulph Haldane found ways to keep around.  

It was actually mentioned as early as her very first issue:

So what's Dark Angel been up to since her appearance in Captain Britain & MI13? Where has she been? 

And that's the really interesting part...

One might wonder, what with the kind of power levels Dark Angel has at her disposal, why hasn't she been appearing in Marvel's bigger stories - fighting the good fight, alongside the other heavy hitters. She's a powerhouse. Where has she been?

Well, it seems that Shevaun has been kept busy. By a higher (or should that be lower?) power...

Yes. That would be Mephisto.

And this is the clever part. Because, remember, Shevaun's father signed a contract with Mephisto? A centuries old legal agreement with the Devil himself? Well, with his betrayal and subsequent death, Mehisto has chosen to pass that Debt on from Father to daughter...

Yeah. That's got to suck pretty hard hasn't it?

Shevaun now gets to spend every evening serving Mephisto to repay her father's debt. Doing whatever he should wish. From quelling minor uprisings in Mephisto's domain to making the Demon bleed for His own Sins. Really.

The problem is that in order to do all these things it also means Shevaun has to expel some power. Quite a lot of it to be exact. When Dark Angel gets back to Earth 616 she can't buddy up with the likes of the X-Men or Captain Britain. Because she often has to wait for her powers to recharge.

You know, almost as if that is that was EXACTLY what Mephisto had planned in advance. :)

In the past few years, of course, Mephisto has been appearing in a number of different marvel series. Spider-man, X-Factor, New Mutants, Journey into Mystery... he's becoming a frequently more visited character. So Gillen placing Dark Angel squarely in his control is a great idea for future story options. It's not without foreshadowing, either. Way back in her own series Mephisto was shown taking an interest in Shevaun.

I think you could quite easily construct a case for Mephisto having planned this all along...

Gillen always writes a really strong and interesting Mephisto. Which helps a lot. The fact that he has him insisting on calling Shevaun by her former name of 'Hell's Angel', the banter between the two, is something I truly hope other writers pick up on.

Mephisto talks about Karmic Debt in the Age of Austerity.

There's a sentence I never thought I'd find myself typing...

It's true to say that in times past Mephisto did indeed invest a lot of time and effort in all things British. From Mortigan Goth to the Sect of Chadism he made a good many deals for British souls. But in this age of Austerity, with the hearts and minds of the British people beaten down by governmental cuts and coalition politics... well, as the Devil seems to suggest, British souls apparently just are worth as much as once they were. :)

And who WOULD you sell that karmic debt on to...?

Thes theme of Debt, and the need for the current generation needing to pay for the excesses of a previous one, run throughout this story. They're a nice a nice touch. 

Darkmoor is now a fully fledged Village

And it's being invaded by Psycho-wraiths. But we'll get to that...

We here at this site are big fans of the locality of Darkmoor. Enough to borrow it's name, as I'm sure won't have escaped your notice... ;)

The fictional locale of Darkmoor, in the real world area of the Cheviot Hills, goes right back to very beginnings of Marvel UK. It debuted in the very first issue of Captain Britain and it's popped up, from time to time, ever since.

In its first appearance we saw that (as the name suggests) it comprises of a moor, a Stone Circle (with a entrance to The Siege Perilous), and also a scientific research facility. Later on, in Dark Angel's series we saw the introduction of the Castle, and also a Police Station in the locality. But this is the first time we've actually seen any evidence of a larger settlement.

And weirdly this might be one of the things which I was most stoked about from the entire issue.

Gillen describes Darkmoor as a 'New Age Tourist Trap' - similar, I suppose, to places like Glastonbury. It appears to be a small market town, filled with the kind of stores which sell crystals, herbs and 'white magic' ingredients. A hots spot for spiritualists, clairvoyants and healers. Mysticism is something Marvel's Britain does so very well. Why not make it a Tourist site! I really love this idea, and again I hope this forms a basis for future stories.

And the Psycho-wraiths?

Oh. Yes! 

So, there's more of these. Just like we saw in the Alpha issue. They look a little different, and they arrive via some kind of tunneling vessel, but  they're the same type of creatures.

What is perhaps more interesting is that Gillen highlights just what these creatures actually are. We've seen that their bodies are tank bred, but beyond that what's actually inside of those bodies is a little darker. 

In a word 'Soul's.

Lost human souls.

Conjured by Mys-Tech, given a second chance of life in an engineered body. 

And they claim that they want to to be put out of their misery. Something Shevaun foolishly agrees to.

Foolishly, because it expends almost the entirety of her power. Just in time for an unpleasant surprise...

Meet Psycho-Wraith Prime. 

Yes. Prime. A more advanced, more powerful variant of the Psycho-Wraiths.

And that's one hell of a plan.

The Prime claims that Ranulph Haldane came up with this scheme. And Shevaun is central to it. The void inside her, the portal in her chest, is apparently the key to Mys-Tech's route back into this dimension. Something Daddy Haldane planned for just this kind of eventuality.

One might theorise that this is very reason he had her kept alive all these years.

That would be a bit messed up, no? :)

Is that what the vision was about?

Yes. Kind of.

A woman made of electronic parts, rising from a grave. "Miss Tech - Rising from the Grave". Get it!

Yeah... a bit tenuous. But that was what it was all about! :)

Always read the Small Print!

Yes! Really do.

Wiping out the other Psycho-Wraiths left Shevaun with a big problem. Power almost expended she used the last of it to fly the injured Doris out to a hospital. With her power so low she knew that the Psycho-Wraith Prime was following her, and that she had no way of defeating it when it arrive, without waiting for those powers to recharge. Which would take a degree of time which she simply did not have.

So, what's a girl to do but to call in a favour? 

And that seems logical, right? If Mephisto takes her power away then Mys-Tech can't access the void inside her. And if they cannot access the void then they don't get to come back.

Only this is Mephisto. This is the nearest thing Marvel comics have to the Devil, himself. And entering into a Pay Day loan scenario of the Soul is not something you should ever do lightly.

Because even if the Big Bad has just touched down behind you, reaching for the pen without checking what you're signing...

Can only ever end badly...

And you might get to spend eternity trapped inside the terms of a legal document. In this case quite literally and physically. 

One-Sixth of what they're Looking For?

Oh, yes. 

It seems that Dark Angel is the first of six souls required for whatever Mys-Tech have planned.

Six.

Wasn't there Six individuals shown in the vision which the Un-Earth projected last issue?

Why, yes there was!

Just a coincidence?

What do you think? :)

And that is Revolutionary War: Alpha. If we're to follow the Un-Earth vision Mys-Tech's agents on Earth now have Dark Angel, and through Death's Head II they may shortly have Captain Britain. They may of course also require Death's Head II. Wonder how he'll feel about that if it turns out to be true? :)

Wednesday (29th January) brings us Revolutionary War: Knights of Pendragon to stores. The Pendragon who we saw in the Un-Earth vision was Peter Hunter - the WW1 costumed hero known as Albion. So I'd imagine he'll be playing a significant part in the upcoming story.

Wonder what he's been up to in the intervening years? He was a teacher by trade. Maybe he's working at Braddock Academy or something? That'd be an interesting idea. One with no evidence to support it or anything, but who knows? :)

Until the next time, make sure you order your copy, and I'll be back to chat about the issue a week later.

Mark

Revolutionary War: Alpha - Some Thoughts & Theories

Hi guys. Right, so I've intentionally left this summary a week, in order to maximise the number of people who are actually going to pick the book up get the chance to go out and do just that, without having it spoiled by me. Comic book stores here in the UK will now have closed. When they reopen tomorrow the second issue of this Event, Revolutionary War: Dark Angel hits the shelves. Courtesy of Kieron Gillen and Dietrich Smith. I have heard a couple of anecdotal reports that the first issue had sold out at their local store, and that more of future issues had been ordered in.

That is hopefully a good sign.

I'm sure there are still copies available out there if you haven't grabbed one yet. The first issue is obviously also still available digitally, on ComiXology.

So, Revolutionary War: Alpha, eh? This one's been a long time coming. But bloody hell, did it deliver. Lanning Cowsill and Elson managed to deliver an opening issue which both pleases the long term fans but I also think is perfectly accessible to new readers.

Do a lot of characters appear in this issue? Sure. Is it important to know who all of them are at this stage? Not imperative, no. This was an issue about introducing concepts and setting a scene, for what is yet to come. Even for us long time readers there were new angles on show here. Things which have come to pass during our time away from these characters.

So, here are a few Thoughts & Theories over what we saw this week. Hopefully they'll serve as a convenient catch up for the following issue also.

1) Psychowraiths. Yes. Psychowraiths.

Or should that be 'Psycho-wraithes'?

Who knows? Does it matter? Not in the slightest. Stop being a pedant.

Along with Psycho-Warriors these guys formed the private armies of the Mys-Tech Corporation. Tank-bred foot-soldiers, who would do exactly as their masters ordered. 

Somebody had to do the heavy lifting for the bad guys. And so much more reliable to just breed them rather than rely on real people, with lives and opinions. 

Mys-Tech had a number of facilities breeding these things for combat, back in the day. Well, it seems like in the Marvel Universe Crossrail's continuing expansions to the London Underground don't merely irritate commuters. They also uncover lost caches of these nasties...

But is this purely an unfortunate disturbing of a long forgotten scientific relic, or did something else trigger these tanks into action?

2) Mys-Tech.

Yes. Mys-Tech. When was the last time we heard from Mys-Tech?

Well, they got a mention back in 2010's Spitfire one-shot, by Paul Cornell and Elena Casagrande. But otherwise we've pretty much heard nothing from them since the end of the Marvel UK imprint. But as anybody who has read this issue will know it certainly looks like they're going to play an important role in this story.

So, in way of reminder, who are the Mys-Tech Board?

The Mys-Tech Board, as they became, started life as a group of men and women who dabbled in the occult. In the year 987 AD they conjured up the demon Mephisto, and entered into a contract with him. A contract in which Mephisto would bestow upon them the gift of immortality, on the proviso that they delivered a prescribed quota of human souls to him. 

A quota which, this being Mephisto, kept on rising. Every year.

To meet the constantly rising numbers they had to get creative...

In the modern age the group formed a company, by the name of the Mys-Tech Corporation, which had a finger in many, many different multinational pies, and owned many many subsidiary companies, research centers and other projects. They orchestrated regional famines, wars, supplied Arms to others, all so that when people died, even indirectly, it was by their hand.

And thus their soul was claimed by Mephisto, and the quota met.

It's all a little bit messed up, when you think about it. But also pretty disturbingly clever. :)

Anyway that's the short version. Observe the picture above. To put names to faces (from left to right) the Board members are Eadmund Porlock, Brendan Rathcoole, Bronwen Gryffn, Gudrun Tyburn, Algernon Crowe and Ormond Wychwood. We did actually see them in flashback form in this issue (in that double page spread).

And I have a feeling we'll be seeing them again.

Crowe is the nominal head of this organisation. It also had a 7th member originally. He was Ranulph Haldane. Father of Shevaun Haldane - Dark Angel. Ranulph was killed by Mephisto some years ago, for trying to find ways out of their Contract, but still maintaining their immortality.

Yeah. Dark Angel's Dad. It's all that closely interconnected. :)

And speaking of that double page spread...

3) Lanning and Cowsill give Marvel UK the conclusion it never got.

The Marvel UK imprint didn't ever get to conclude. When Marvel US pulled the plug the output just... stopped. Warheads, Death's Head Gold, Dark Guard Gold and others just stopped where they fell in the schedule. No conclusion. Many loose ends.

Well, Andy Lanning and Alan Cowsill have retroactively created one.

They're calling it 'The Battle of London Bridge'. S.H.I.E.L.D. apparently covered it up from the general public, but as you can see pretty much every last damn Marvel UK character was involved. See if you can name them all! Even Black Axe and Digitek are in there.

Oh, and the 'Union Juggernaut'. As the messageboards have come to term that period, best left forgotten, in the life of Union Jack. :)

The details are not fully fleshed out yet, but the battle appears to have ended by forcing Mys-Tech through a portal and trapping them in another dimension.

This was not without it's casualties...

4) Wait, did you say S.H.I.E.L.D. ?

Yes. And that's another big reveal.

Yes. Apparently S.H.I.E.L.D. has a European division. It's been monitoring the situation since Mys-Tech fell, and Captain Britain has apparently been working with them, in secret.

Now this has, it has to be said, put a few fans' noses out of joint. The idea that MI13 are swept aside by what most perceive to be a US Government Organisation has irritated some. The notion that Captain Britain could, and would, have kept this a secret from everybody seems either at odds with the character or something they simply could believe.

But let me say two things on this...

Firstly, though Marvel often confuse this, in the way that S.H.I.E.L.D. are used or portrayed, they ARE an international organisation. Much like the United Nations. Just with access to flying battlestations, superheroes and other technology. Their remit is Global. MI13's is National. MI13 aren't being done away with, It's just that here they're kind of the smaller operation.

It's also worth noting that S.H.I.E.L.D. have featured frequently across the history of Marvel UK, from early Captain Britain right through to several appearances during the Imprint Years. This is not the first time they've come in to oversee threats of this kind.

So please calm down. 

They are also used here somewhat as a metaphor. This US based organisation which swept in, chose the guys they wanted to work with and left the others in a state of limbo, either retired or simply unused...

When you think about what happened when Marvel closed down Marvel UK? Well, there are some parallels one could easily draw, there. 

You know. Should they wish to. 

And yes, Captain Britain was probably still with Excalibur at point Mys-Tech fell. Would he have told Pete Wisdom about his involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D.? Then, or later? Possibly. Possibly not. 

I mean when I read this...

I start to get the feeling that Brian himself is only involved with this whole thing because he has to be. Because something stinks about it. Because S.H.I.E.L.D. can't be 100% trusted. Because somebody has to watch over them.

Brian is often noble to a fault. Could he have kept all of this to himself in order to do that? It's not impossible in my book. Either way there's clearly more too this than is currently being revealed.

5) It's not just the Imprint characters making a Comeback.

No, Sir. Bet you never thought you'd see this guy again.

Yes. That's Commander Lance Hunter. Formerly of S.T.R.I.K.E.

During Captain Britain & MI13 it was mentioned that Lance Hunter was now Joint Intelligence Chair, for MI5, MI6 and MI13. We never actually got to see him in panel during the course of that run, but as you can see he's alive and well. And  now working with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Oh, and yes. That's Marcus Johnson. Nick Fury's illegitimate son, who just happens to look like Samuel L Jackson in the Marvel movies. And now calls himself 'Nick Fury'.

Yeah. I'm pretty sure it's a edict somewhere that EVERY Marvel book must use this guy at some point, right now. In the hope that some day readers will accept him.

Though I wouldn't wait up for that...

6) Meet Agent Keller. 

While we know very little about Agent Keller we do know that he's attached S.H.I.E.L.D.'s European division, and he appears to be along for the ride. Do we trust him? Only time can tell...

As far as I can tell Keller's new. No currently obvious or revealed connections to previous characters.

7) So, Col Tigon Liger is a Drunk... 

Following the theme of the characters Marvel US left behind (Wait, S.H.I.E.L.D., surely ;) ), Colonel Tigon Liger of The Warheads really hasn't fared so well. When Agent Keller and Pete Wisdom go to retrieve him we find him living rough. Homeless, and also kind of a Drunk.

What is particularly messed up about this, though, is that S.H.I.E.L.D. have been monitoring him all this time. Ever since the fall of Mys-Tech. All of it. They've known exactly where he's been, and what he's been doing. And they just... let it all happen to him.

Think about that for a moment. A guy descends into vagrancy and potential alcoholism, and S.H.I.E.L.D. do nothing.

S.H.I.E.L.D. are kind of... dicks, aren't they?

Liger is a Drunk for a slightly more understandable reason though, it seems. As we find out this issue he was the only surviving Warhead from the Battle of London Bridge. When it came to the crunch they had to close that portal and trap Mys-Tech on the other side. Close it down with Stacy, Misha and the rest of Kether Troop all still on the other side. Trapped in another dimension with them.

Liger lost his Troop. And it has justly hit him hard.

8) Wait a second... did we see Killpower get trapped, too!? But wasn't he in Captain Britain & MI13???

Yeah. There is some debate on this one. 

Here is the image in question, from the issue itself.

Killpower charging towards the mass of tentacles which are coming out of that other-dimensional portal, the fading text of Motormouth's words perhaps suggesting that Julius has crossed over into that other dimension. 

So did he get trapped too? Surely not. Because those of you pointing out that both Motormouth AND Killpower appeared in the 'Vampire State' arc of Captain Britain & MI13 are absolutely correct. Harley and Julius went to protect Faiza 'Excalibur' Hussain's father when Dracula began his invasion plan.

They failed. Harley ended up hospitalised, and Julius ended up captured by the vampires, seemingly turned into a vampire himself. And just to make sure there can be no room for doubt here, he was even name-checked by Spitfire, introducing him to Dracula himself!

Well, we all know why. Mys-Tech is why. Everything is interconnected in this crazy little corner of the Marvel Universe. You should know this by now.

He wasn't actually vampirised, of course. And I'll let Killpower explain that to you for himself.

Killpower was MI13's mole within Dracula's ranks. His mystically tweaked genetics meant that he couldn't be taken under Dracula's thrall, and therefore he was there intentionally to look out for Faiza's dad. It was actually a pivotal role to play in the plot of the story. Killpower effectively saved the day here, and led those who had previously been captured to freedom.

So, how could he have been around to do all that if he had spent the past X number of years trapped in another dimension?

Well, I'm hoping that this is just a bit of an art error, rather than somebody forgetting about the story. Given that it was the last big Marvel UK storyline people do remember it pretty well. A continuity glitch like that would certainly not pass undetected under the radar.

I guess we'll find out in time.

9) The Museum of Pagan Antiquities is now under S.H.I.E.L.D. control

Which, given the contents within is probably for the best.

10) The Un-Earth is activating...

You remember the Un-Earth, right? Big mystic crystalline computer system attached to a scale replica of the real Earth?

It played a very important part in the events of the Marvel UK crossover event 'Mys-Tech Wars'. 

Think of it effectively as a kind of Voodoo Doll for planet Earth. Whatever designs the Mys-Tech board's members placed on the Un-Earth, whatever changes they made to it, were then enacted upon the real world. It was an insanely powerful, wish fulfilling, Doom Engine!

Which is why when this happens...

That is definitely NOT good news.

And leaves us with several important questions. What is controlling it? Who activated it? And from where? From how far?

11) Hold on... several 'Metres' below the museum? That cavern is much further down than that, surely!?

Well, yes. But let me no-prize this for a moment. That line comes from S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Keller. Agent Keller is presumably American. Surely we can forgive him a misunderstanding of the Metric System... :)

12) What does the Un-Earth show us?

I've got a feeling that this image is going to be pretty important. You may want to open this picture in a new Tab for scrutiny.

So, clockwise from top left I see:

Captain Britain in flight - This one seems fairly straightforward, as he is en route to meet up with Dark Angel at Darkmoor castle. 

Peter Hunter (Albion) looking at a glow of energy around his hand - Now we have no idea what Hunter has been up to since Dark Guard. He's certainly not in costume. Hunter was previously a Teacher, and in that kind of attire maybe he has gone back to that life. Maybe the Green Knight took his power away, after the threat of Mys-Tech faded. and this is a vision of Pendragon fire returning to him?

A downtrodden Motormouth, in sweater and baggy trousers, carrying some shopping - This is very much Harley in civvies. And she looks pretty depressed. The solicit for her own one-shot kind of gives away what's changed for her since Mys-Tech fell. But you can seek that out yourself. I'm not going to spoil. :)

Joseph 'Invincible' Hauer, toting pistols - Although I'm pretty sure Image Comics hold the trademark for 'Invincible' now. He looks like he's waiting to open fire on somebody. Guess we'll find out who in the Super Soldiers one-shot.

Dark Angel accessing multiple computer terminals - Presumably before what we see of her at the end of the issue.

And in the centre, Death's Head II with a fist extended.

Make of these images what you will. But remember, where the Un-Earth is concerned anything seen on Un-Earth can have a very REAL effect upon what is happening on the ACTUAL Earth.

Yeah. This could get very interesting. :)

13) What the heck happened to Dark Angel???

What indeed. 

As Captain Britain arrives at Darkmoor Castle Shevaun appears to be in the process of either being electrocuted or fading out of existence. Brian tries to grab hold of her, but then somebody else intervenes.

It's a little unclear as the what has actually happened here as the punch up kinda brushes Shevaun aside.

At the start of her one-shot (which should be your next port of call this Wednesday 15th January) we see Dark Angel waking up on the floor of Darkmoor Castle, with a hole in its exterior wall. 

My current personal theories as to what may have happened there are:

a) Shevaun has been unconscious since passing out. Captain Britain and his attacker have both left. Most likely straight through the exterior wall. 

or

b) Shevaun may think she's just woken up on the floor of the Castle, and in a manner of thinking she has. Only she's not quite where she thinks she is. It all looks the same, but she's actually been transported to the same point on the Un-Earth. Hence her semi transparent state in the first issue.

The last time we saw Shevaun was in the form of a brief cameo in the final issue of Captain Britain & MI13, fighting Dracula's forces alongside Tangerine, Digitek and at least one other notable Marvel UK Alumni. I am definitely glad to see her back in her original costume here (love Salvador Larroca's art, but I was never a huge fan of his redesign) even if it is as she is seemingly taken down. :)

I guess we'll have to wait and see how this plays out. But thankfully the wait isn't too long...

14) Bet you didn't see THAT coming. Yes?

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call a cliffhanger.

Death's Head II. The backstabbing cyborg turncoat. :)

Clever DH2. Throw Cap off balance with an image inducer show of his greatest foes, before taking him down.

The last time we saw 'Minion' was in that self-same final issue of Captain Britain & MI13. The Marvel factfile handbook 'The Heroic Age: Superheroes' expanded a little upon how he came to be working for MI13.

Purely for Profit. As it turned out.

I guess somebody has made him a better offer...

We have been promised a Death's Head vs Death's Head II face-off in the upcoming Revolutionary War: Death's Head one-shot. Is that going to be related to this? Is the other DH going to try and teach his later self a lesson for ruining his good name? Is he going to cut into the Deal? 

And will we finally find out where Tuck is these days?

All questions yet to be answered... :)

I hope this article has been of interest to you. I intend to do a similar one next week for Revolutionary War: Dark Angel. But in the meantime allow me to reiterate that this series really does need your support if we are to see more from the characters of Marvel UK in the future.

You can find a full list of upcoming issues here. And if you want to make sure you can get a physical copy ask your local comic book store to put a copy by for you. Let them know you're interested.

You can also pick up Revolutionary War digitally, through ComiXology on iOS and Android. So if you can get a physical hand on it, or you just prefer reading on a tablet or PC screen, you can grab it there, too.

In the meantime I am curious to know what you thought of this issue. Feel free to add your opinions in the Comments section.

Until next time.

Mark