Power Pack #42

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(Note: This issue is a part of the Inferno crossover)

The issue begins with Douglas Carmody clinging to the edge of a cliff within Limbo; a place outside of space and time; but also a place of untold horrors. He’s pulled into a pit of demons where N’astihr appears before him about Douglas’ inability to fulfill the promise made, of delivering and selling mutant children to him. He then pulls Douglas back through his own memory of when he first encountered the Power Pack children, to the time he encountered the Asgardians – the Warriors Three – who swore that the children were under their protection, to his fall into Limbo; throw in by Magik while fighting the New Mutants and Power Pack. The demon N’astihr explains the next thing to do is rip away anything that’s human about Carmody and make something new.

Scene shifts to James Power walking home; and everything is under the worse heat possible. Everyone is suffering and everyone looks bleak and malnourished. At home, everyone is ill and the water spouts only black, filthy liquid. Elsewhere, the heat causes those already prone to violence to become extremely callous. One man robs another of his cocaine and considers snorting or selling it, but never gets to, as a figure in the shadows squishes his head in its hands effortlessly. Later on the Bronx expressway, where traffic has come to a halt, a large figure rips through several people, slicing them apart, breaking their bones – it’s the new form of Douglas Carmody, who now, in every way – with his appearance to his attitude – resembles a true, living Bogey Man. He kills a man for being “obese” because success allowed him to feed on food more than those less privileged than himself.

A portal opens and several of the New Mutants emerge; as do S’ym, one of the demons of the Limbo, who has led a revolt and unleashed his own demon kin into Earth through the portal.

During all this, at the Power’s home, the news talks about the appearance of demons; but can’t confirm if it’s real or images people are seeing due to heat stroke. The news goes on to explain that the Avengers have also disbanded. (See Avengers #298, volume one, for more details). Alex tries to go to the restroom and finds it covered in something similar to mildew. He uses his power to disintegrate it, but by the time he’s done, he’s found that the strange growth has begun to grow on him – and everything he had disintegrated had also re-grown. The world quickly begins to go further and further insane; as strange things begin to happen all around.

In the bedroom, Katie has a nightmare about the Bogey Man being back, and as Julie tries to comfort her, a large white hand reaches out from under the bed and begins to choke her and insures he that he is indeed back and that he can fit anywhere, be anywhere, and he promises to watch and torment before he extracts his final revenge. The kids with their parents head into the elevator, where Bogey Man rips open the roof and grabs their parents. The kids huddle down and apologize to their parents as they don their costumes and explain they’re Power Pack!