"Zero Hour" is the twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, and twenty-ninth chapters of The Last Son, Book Two: Reckonings. Wolverine and Sabretooth are kidnapped by the Friends of Humanity and are introduced to Bolivar Trask's creation, the Sentinel. Meanwhile, Magneto and Doctor Doom attempts to provoke all-out war between mankind and mutantkind. As mutants are reveal to the public, the F.O.H. kidnapped Professor Xavier and taken him to a facility in New Mexico, where Graydon Creed plans to launch an entire arsenal of Sentinels on the mutant island haven Genosha. Superman and the X-Men teams up with old and new allies to stop the F.O.H. and an unexpected extraterrestrial threat.
Plot[]
Part I: Opening Moves[]
In Gotham City, Batman chase down two thugs. He takes out one of them, while the other is unexpectedly subdue by Superman. After dealing with the thugs, Superman talks with Batman that for some reason there hasn't been any emergencies on his watch, but is quite unease by it. Batman consent on his part regarding his duties in Gotham and is certain that something will happen.
In Bayville, Wolverine prowls the sewers and encounters Sabretooth. The two fight while Sabretooth claims that he grown tired of working for Magneto and Doctor Doom, and only came to settled things with Superman. Although Wolverine is highly doubtful by his nemesis' claims. But the mutants are then suddenly beset and captured by men in black uniforms.
Meanwhile, Lex Luthor is hard at work at LexCorp researching on Project Sentinel; in which he had previously known that the project was originally shut down and currently being restarted. After bypassing several electronic securities, Lex confusingly finds the project to be run by S.H.I.E.L.D. as he believed the organization has since abandoned Project Sentinel. But when he finds out more of the individual is involved with Sentinel, Lex is alerted to contact Clark and arrange in meeting at the Xavier Institute.
At an undisclosed location, Siryn is observing Magneto's personal recruits, the Acolytes, to determine their loyalties. Among the Acolytes that catches her attention is Piotr "Colossus" Rasputin.
Part II: Deepening Darkness[]
Part III: A League of Their Own[]
Quotes[]
Part I[]
Batman: I could have handled that alone.
Superman: I know. I was just in the neighborhood.
Sabretooth: It was about thirty years ago or so; I was on a job, and Mystique was working on the opposite side. She got me drunk so I screwed up the job, and nine months later, out pops runty, here. Anyways, that bitch just dumps the kid with me and high-tails it out of there, so I had to put up with this little runt until I can pawn him off to some orphanage.
Wolverine: Well, ain't you 'Father of the Year'. But I can see it: he's got yer good looks...God help him.
Siryn: You have been thorns in our sides for the better part of the past year. (glares at Power Girl) Some more than others.
Power Girl: Back at you.
Siryn: It's high time we settled this, you little half-breed sow!!
Power Girl: Better to be a half-breed than to be 100 percent bitch.
Wolverine: Okay, that's it! 'Tooth, I need you to get me on top of that thing's head; time for a little brain-surgery!
Sabretooth: You nuts?! It'll kill ya long before ya get there! Let's do it!
Doctor Doom: This conflict is pointless. We are irrevocably linked, Kal-El; surely, you can see that.
Superman: I am nothing like you!!
Doctor Doom: You are certain of that? Look at ourselves, boy; we have power and might that these fools will never fathom. I was destined to rule, as are you; my destiny was decided long ago – it is in my very blood. Charles Xavier – along with the fools that found you – have corrupted your mind with their nonsense...to say nothing of whatever idealistic drivel you heard from that dolt Richards and his family. How tragic, to be unable to appreciate a boon from Doom...though I suppose I can understand, to a degree, the attraction you feel towards one of your own kind, but the time for such foolishness had ended.
Superman: I already have a father. He and his wife took me – an orphan from across the stars – in. He taught me what was right, and what mattered. He died to show me what I needed to do. He filled the place left by my birth-father, Jor-El, who gave up his life to send me here. You, Victor, aren't even one tenth of the father that either of them was.
Superman: One last thing, Vic. Being related to the real Count Dracula isn't something I'd be quick to brag about.
Wanda: You locked me away!!!
Magneto: I had no choice! Your anger was out of control!
Wanda: You haven't SEEN me angry!! Until NOW!!!
Spider-Man: (thinking) Murphy and his Law strikes again.
Part II[]
Siryn: I had the shard at first, Father; I borrowed it from your laboratory. I had planned to use it against...her. I might have been able to recover it...had someone not taken it!
Quicksilver: Hey, don't blame this all on me, Little Miss Boss-Around!
Doctor Doom: Be very mindful of how you address my daughter, boy. Your father is Doom's ally, and thus Doom has a greater tolerance for his insolence. You, however, are but a minion, and Doom has very little for you. Am I understood?
Quicksilver: Yes, sir.
(at the Fortress of Solitude)
Spider-Man: Nice...I guess if you invest wisely, you can get something like this...
(seeing the Avengers, Wonder Woman, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man)
Cyclops: Whoa, when you said you were getting backup, you weren't kidding...
Wonder Woman: The cowardly dogs use these mechanical monstrosities to do their dirty work.
Spider-Man: Ma'am, you said a mouthful.
Susan Storm: On a visit to Gotham City, several years ago, we worked on the same case as Batman. Doom was involved...though the real culprit was that lunatic clown.
Batman: Joker.
Spider-Man: I hear you; there's definitely a few elephants missing from his circus.
Batman: Princess. Allow me.
(Batman takes the F.O.H. soldier a distant away and whispers inaudible to the others)
F.O.H. soldier: OKAY!!! OKAY!!! I'LL TALK!!! The code is 27345!!
Batman: And that won't set off any alarms?! Because if your boss knows we're coming...I'll know it was you!!
(Batman knocks out the soldier)
Nightcrawler: Vat did he say?
Spider-Man: Trust me, pal; we don't want to know.
Flash: "Slow down"? Sorry, Doc, but I don't know the meaning of those words!
Giant Man: How many did you say there were, kid?
Superman: Well, I never said how many more than a hundred there could be.
Avalanche: Terrific.
Ben Grimm: That's a lot of clobbering.
Johnny Storm: Scared, Ben?
Ben Grimm: You wish, Matchstick.
Superman: It's never easy, is it, Cap?
Captain America: No, son, it never is...
Charles Xavier: Jean? Scott? What...how did you all find me?
Rogue: Jean here gave herself a power-boost, courtesy of the Phoenix.
Charles Xavier: Jean, you did WHAT?
Cyclops: That was kinda my reaction, too, Professor.
Wolverine: Just when I think you kids actually have some sense, you go and pull a stupid stunt like this!
Aquaman: Hey, it was Superman's plan!
Wolverine: Figures.
Sabretooth: Saved by a bunch of kids...hey, Short-Stuff! We speak of this to no-one, got it?!
Wolverine: Creed, I don't even want to speak of this crappy day to you.
Wolverine: Guess all those sayings were right, 'cept there ain't nothin' 'little' about this green man from Mars.
Ben Grimm: Knew this was too easy! Well, then...it's clobberin' time!!
Thor: Your mastery of the weather is impressive!
Storm: I could say the same to you!
Captain America: I joined the Army to fight racist psychopaths just like you, Creed. Your kind of bigotry died out when Hitler committed suicide...or at least it should have!
Graydon Creed: Bold words, Captain. We'll be sure to put them on your grave.
(Creed attempts to shoot Superman)
Graydon Creed: Die!!! Die!!! DIE!!! WHY WON'T YOU DIE, YOU FUCKING FREAK?!!!
(Superman is holding Creed over a ledge)
Superman: Tell me, Creed, if our positions were reversed, what would you do?
Graydon Creed: I would rid the world of you, you God-damn MUTIE!!!
Superman: Then that's what makes us different.
Berzerker: It's official. Our life is going to suck from now on.
Superman: You're right about that. We can only show you the right path. But it's up to all of you to follow it.
Doctor Doom: Kal-El, do you realize what you are doing?
Superman: I told you, Victor. A man makes his own destiny."
Hawkgirl: Wise words.
Magneto: You cannot walk away from this!! You cannot!!
Green Lantern: I think he just did.
Part III[]
Captain America: We figured you could use a little backup!
Wolverine: Well, I didn't think they'd be dumb enough to come get me, but I should've known that you would be, Steve!
Captain America: Never leave a man behind,' remember, Jim? I didn't think you'd be careless enough to get stuck in a situation like this!"
Wolverine: I'm old. Sue me.
Johnny Storm: Ben Grimm out-muscled by a girl?
Ben Grimm: Looks like it. Guess I know how you always feel, Matchstick."
Johnny Storm: Hey!
Flash: Ouch. You okay, pal?
Toad: What kinda stupid question is that?
Thor: The villainous pawns of Ufgard shall advance no further!!
Superman: We could have handled that alone.
Batman: I know. I was just in the neighborhood.
Flash: You know, once – just once – you'd think that the bad guys would get lazy in building their death-machines. But, oh no; they had to spring for rust-proof killer robots!
Wonder Woman: Merciful Hera...what a horrible way to die...
Batman: It was a machine. Nothing more.
Superman: That may be true, Batman, but it was a machine that gave us the idea how to stop it.
Wonder Woman: Amazons never run from battle. Especially when our comrades need us.
Cyclops: Sorry, Marko, but it's time for you to go.
Juggernaut: And who's gonna make me? You pipsqueaks? Where's that powerhouse of yours?
Shadowcat: Superman's a bit busy. We'll be kicking your butt, tonight!
Wolverine: So we suggest you take a hike, bub, or things are gonna get ugly!
Juggernaut: Big words, runts. Let's see you back 'em UP!!
(after Juggernaut is beaten by Superman)
Flash: I don't care what kinda genes you got...that had to hurt!
Aquaman: Cousin Namor would have a hernia if I did this. But with the way things are now, I figure I can serve Atlantis just as well above water as below it, so he'll just have to lump it. I'm in.
Power Girl: Well, sounds like you guys made it official.
Superman: You could say that.
Gambit: Merde...bad guys watch out.
Shadowcat: Yeah! You guys are, like, in your own league!
Superman: (mindfully) You can call us...the Justice League.
Robert Kelly: Hold it! You just barge in here and expect to just walk out? People like you should be strictly controlled by this government! Do you honestly think you can just walk out of here?
Batman: (giving a glare at Kelly) Do you honestly think you can stop us?
Isaac Martin: Wait! Wait, please! Please...who are all of you, really?
Superman: Who we are doesn't matter. What matters is who all of you are.
Continuity[]
- This story debuts the first appearance of the Justice League and included the "original eight" Justice Leaguers: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Flash, Hawkgirl, and Green Lantern John Stewart.
- The Justice League were previously foreshadowed in "Strange Things".
- The Wayne family's relationship with Professor Xavier and Batman's previous encounter with the Fantastic Four are reference to the events in Crusade.
Background information[]
- This story is an adaption of the X-Men: Evolution episodes "Day of Reckoning", "Day of Recovery", and "The Stuff of Heroes"; and the Justice League episode "Secret Origins".
- Batman's interrogation of the F.O.H. soldier and causing him to crack in seconds is based from the Justice League episode "The Enemy Below", where Batman interrogated Deadshot out of earshot from his fellow Leaguers.
- Graydon Creed's attempt on repeatedly shooting Superman is based on a scene from Superman Returns.
- Most of Senator Kelly's dialogue is based from the X-Men film.
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