Issue 7: Into the Maw

General Summary

After rather unceremoniously defeating Infinity's henchmen; the party receives a second distress call. This was only phase one of a coordinated attack! Bobby freezes the unconscious assailants and the party loads them into the car, locking the Prox-cicle in the trunk and tying the Corvus-pop to the roof. They speed off to the source of the second distress signal - the home of Dinah Alcott.   Our heroes had almost arrived when suddenly they were hit with a flash of purple light, the sound of metal twisting and a rush of air from behind them. Proxima has regained consciousness and escaped through a black hole; taking the rear half of the car with her!   As the car lurched forward, the ropes come loose and Corvus Glaive's frozen body went flying from the car, possibly shattering. The party didn't stick around to find out though; this car was front wheel drive and the front half still runs fine!   Our heroes arrive at the address provided, seeing nothing out of the ordinary at first glance. Abe and Donny decided to enter through the second story window, while Bobby and Johnny opted to try the front door.   Upon entering the house, Johnny and Bobby found the Protectorate and a seven foot tall, blue skinned stranger that was dressed like some kind of battle priest. Strangely, the Protectorate weren't engaged in battle with the stranger. Worse yet, they appeared to be helping him search the house!   Finding this suspicious, Johnny and Bobby listened in on what the Stranger and the Protectorate were talking about. It seems this weird blue guy is called the Ebony Maw, and some of the stuff he was saying really made a lot of sense to Johnny. He actually wasn't bored...yet.   Abe and Donny climbed to the roof and reached a window, which bore a sticker for a home security system. Dismissing this as nonsense, Donny punched through the window, gaining entry into the house but setting off the alarm. Strangely, they heard the familiar voice of Battery take the blame for setting off the alarm, claiming to have bumped a window.   What the fuck was going on here?   Somebody disarmed the alarm, and Ebony Maw continued his speech about how he had the joyous task of inviting Dinah to her grand destiny as nothing less than the savior of planet Earth. He says humanity was wronged when superpowers were brought to earth; that the presence of parahumans statistically reduces humanity's lifespan to a fraction of what it's meant to be. That capes will destroy the world.   After hearing that, Johnny just couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. He got up from his hiding spot and walked into the room to ask why the Protectorate was ignoring his calls, and also what was that about the end of the world?   The Maw explained that what we call the Corona Polentia - the gland found only in the brains of parahumans that is responsible for their powers - are actually alien parasites that he calls Outsiders. He says the Outsiders ever-so-slowly drain their hosts willpower and replace it with their own; eventually taking over the "drivers seat".   But the Maw says not to fear, for his master, Infinity, is here to save humankind from this ugly end.