If This Be Judgement!

Responding to reports of Excalibur’s battle with the Wrecking Crew, Thor arrives on the scene only to have an illusion spell cast to make him look like the Juggernaut.[1] This prompts Excalibur to try and take him down instead. Shadowcat has just used her phasing powers to solidify the “Juggernaut” in the concrete beneath his feet. This is just as Code: Blue arrives to try an bring the Wrecking Crew into custody. Watching the situation are Ulik and the Enchantress who are covered by a cloak of invisibility. In order to ensure the Wrecking Crew’s destruction, the Enchantress fires a mystical bolt at the Wrecker to goat him into continuing the fight instead of fleeing.

While the rest of Code: Blue tries to contain Excalibur and the Wrecking Crew, their demolitions expert Fireworks Feldstein rushes to Thor’s side and offers to blast him free. However, the thunder god has his own methods and uses the power of Mjolnir to free himself instead. Still being tricked by an illusion, Excalibur resumes their attack on Thor, leaving the Wrecking Crew to Code: Blue. Deciding they have done enough, Ulik and the Enchantress decide that it is time to leave. As a parting gift, the Enchantress casts a spell that encases the Wrecker’s arms and legs in heavy stone. However, Excalibur’s dragon Lockheed is able to sense their presence despite their invisibility. Breathing fire on the two interlopers ends Amor’s spell and gives away their location to the Wrecker who tries to blast them, but she and Ulik teleport away.

Meanwhile, the battle between Thor and Excalibur wages on, with Captain Britain proving strong enough to hold his own against the thunder god. Seeing Bulldozer preparing to charge at Shadowcat, Thor tosses Mjolnir at her, knowing she’ll use her phasing powers to get out of harms way. The enchanted hammer ends up striking Bulldozer with enough force to knock him out. Seeing things going south very quickly, the Wrecker decides it is time to retreat and teleports away with Piledriver and Thunderball. Without the Wrecker around to sustain his illusion, Excalibur quickly realizes that they were being tricked into fighting Thor and apologize for attacking him. They then ask what happened to the Juggernaut after Thor defeated him in battle. Thor explains that that he banished the Juggernaut to a distant asteroid and offers to take them there to see for themselves.

However, when they arrive they find no sign of the Juggernaut. They are soon discover that they are standing on a partially covered metallic platform and are suddenly jolted into unconsciousness. They are then taken prisoner by alien warriors who imprison the heroes in durable “priso-spheres” so they can be transported to a nearby world. There, they recovering heroes are taken to a royal castle where they discover that the Juggernaut has taken over the and with his word being the absolute law, he intends to try them as criminals.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Excalibur (Captain Britain, Nightcawler, Shadowcat, Meggan, Phoenix, Lockheed), Wrecking Crew (Wrecker, Thunderball, Piledriver, Bulldozer), Code: Blue (Marcus Stone, Rigger Ruiz, Mad Dog Rossitano, Jock Jackson, Fireworks Feldstein), Enchantress, Ulik, Juggernaut

Continuity Notes

1. Excalibur came to New York last issue to investigate how the Juggernaut managed to escape Crossmore Prison and flee to America. He was incarcerated there in Excalibur #3, but was freed by Loki during the Acts of Vengeance event, as seen in Thor #411-412.