the demon of Whitechapel
Seedy by any standards, Whitechapel is a crime-ridden sordid quarter, where hordes of residents survive in abject poverty. It is an area of doss houses, sweatshops, abattoirs, overcrowded slums, pubs, a few shops and warehouses, leavened with a sporadic row or two of respectably kept cottages. Whitechapel is known to house London's worst slums and the poverty of its inhabitants is disturbing. Malnutrition and disease on the rise once again after only being slightly remedied at the turn of the century. The back to back world wars have held back progress in this bleak area of London. Within the claustrophobic walls of Whitechapel exist three classes of individuals:
The poor (builders, laborers, shopkeepers, dockworkers & tailors), the very poor (women and children who earn wages as seamstresses, weavers, or washers); and the homeless (those sadly living in a permanent and constant state of deprivation).
Whitechapel stands as the immigrant district due in part to the large influx of Jewish, Irish, and Russian transports. The potato famine had seen a large influx of Irish immigrants in the mid 1800s along with the Jewish population who arrived in thousands fleeing persecution in Russia, Germany, and Poland. In only a single decade, the Jewish population had risen to over fifty-thousand. This number only continues to increase steadily with the strengthening Nazi regime. With so many nationalities in one city, they all have one thing in common: the Grim and everyday struggle for just basic survival.
Overcrowding and a shortage of suitable housing have created the amoral abyss of Whitechapel. For most of the population in the East End, one lived and died in the same neighborhood in which they were born. Hope is in short supply.
A maze of entries, alleyways, and courtyards are all lit by single gas lamps, providing about 6 feet of light that shines through fog so thick at times, that it is a struggle to see one's own hand before their face at times. Sanitation is practically non-existent and people throw their raw sewage into the streets, making the clinging stench of the district unbearable.
It is a world in which Jack The Ripper would still have I problem finding a victim.
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General Happy Sam Sawyer set up his agents in a small derelict hotel on the East Side of Whitechapel called "The Stepney Green". However, they find themselves at a bit of a disadvantage as they begin their investigation. Other than their limited knowledge of the sought after relics and the cryptic comment of cobblestone streets running red with blood by Farouk, they have very little to go on.
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During this period, Nick Fury decides to visit his estranged lover and soul-mate, Pamela Hawley, to propose to her. Unfortunately, when he arrives at the hospital she had been working as a nurse, he discovers she had died in a bombing raid and the hospital was destroyed by Nazis. He is emotionally devastated.
He also encounters Union Jack & Spitfire of MI6, and The Invaders, representative of The U.K.'s only superheroes and mutants.
Union Jack had been born Brian Falsworth, son of James Montgomery Falsworth and the first to carry the Union Jack moniker, in Falsworth manor a villa in the north of London. Initially, Brian had been sympathetic toward Germany and supportive of peace between it and the United Kingdoms. Toward the end of the 1930s, Brian went into Germany with a companion, and quickly discovered the evil of the Nazi regime. Brian and his friend were thrown into prison, and then relinquished to German scientists as experiments subjects. Brian gained superpowers through the help of a dying German scientist who had been using him to recreate the infamous Super Soldier Serum that had resulted in Captain America. After escaping and spending a period of time as a costumed Nazi-Fighter known as "Destroyer", Brian returned home and reconciled with his father, learned of his father's former costumed identity, and donned the costume and title of Union Jack to fight alongside The Invaders and Nazi Germany.
Alongside Union Jack, as both his stalwart sidekick and his endeared sibling, was the Superheroine known as spitfire. Jacqueline Falsworth was born in Maidstone England, just prior to WWII. During the beginning of the war, while her brother fought alongside the Invaders as Union Jack, Jacqueline had been serving in England's women's Royal Volunteer Service, a civil defense group, when she was attacked by the Nazi vampire Baron Blood. Luckily, she was rescued by The Invaders, who were on a secretive mission. She was given a transfusion of The Human Torch's artificial blood, which mixed with the residual effects of vampirism gave her superhuman speed. After this tragedy, and the temporary defeat of Baron Blood, she took the name Spitfire and joined her brother in the Invaders to fight against Axis forces.
Nick Fury inquired about Jack The Ripper.
"So you wanna know about ol' Saucy Jack, eh? Most of the folks that come through London want to hear tales about the Leather Apron, but I gather from the looks of ya, you're not asking for the same tried and true stories, am I right?
"Tis true, the constables never caught up with ol' Jack. He tore threw five women they proved, and dependin' on who ya ask, butchered up to at least six more before disappearing into the fog nearly fifty years ago. I was a wee lad when I first learned of him, but I remember the fear that crept into our minds every night as mine and my sister's weary heads were lain down. It was sheer terror for months and years in Whitechapel, never knowing if and when Jack The Ripper would turn up again.
"Well, here's the thing...some say the Ripper has returned. Ah, there have been murders over the years, some of them outright copycats of The Ripper's murders. But if you want my opinion, the one true Jack finished off his work and faded out of existence.
"There's a fella now, though, that came out of nowhere claiming to be ol' man Jack. There have been confessions all over the place for decades, but none have held up. But this fella, if the stories are to be believed, knows things even the most astute followers of the murders wouldn't know. There are still secrets that only a select few know, and this crazy bastard seems to know them all.
"He appeared one night at Doyle's Tavern, got himself good and hammered and a couple of constables wandered in after finishing their shift. Well this idiot starts drunkenly bragging about how he'd fooled the bumbling idiots at Scotland Yard and had his way with these boy's grandmother's and starts a row. Now these bobbies are strapping young lads, mind you, and they hadn't even gotten their pints in em. This feller rips these boy's limb from limb and it took fifteen sailors and blacksmiths and what-nots from the tavern to pin this man down.
"Once they got him in custody and calmed down he goes on about how he's the Whitechapel Killer and goes into disgustingly gory detail about each murder, and so my source in the Yard says, revealed information only a select few of the detectives had access to.
"The coppers are still trying to figure out what to do with this feller. He's obviously not the real Jack as he doesn't look a day over 35. But he also killed two constables in plain sight with his two bare hands no less, and has an intricate working knowledge of a 50 plus year old unsolved series of murders. He also claims no affiliation with Nazi Germany, HYDRA, or Baron Blood. He is not now, not has he ever been contaminated with vampirism.
"They have him holed up right now in a Catholic home for the insane, St. Michael's Asylum down on Montague Street."
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There is a small bookstore in Whitechapel that specializes in reproductions of Jack The Ripper's letters that Indiana Jones stumbled upon during his investigation. The bookstore is named Panpipe Books, and is filled with Gothic and Victorian horror novels, black magic tomes, and other books on the occult and dark arts. There is an old man behind the counter with spectacles on his forehead that greets him when he enters. He introduces himself as the proprietor of Panpipe, Edward Wingate.
Despite the fact that Edward Wingate is obviously a satanist, he actually seems to be a truly compassionate individual. Indiana Jones piqued his interest with a line of questioning and he continues to engage him in conversation. He even shares his insight on Pazuzu when asked:
"In ancient Mesopotamian religion, Pazuzu was the king of the demons of the wind, the brother of Humbaba and son of the god Hanbi. He represents the Southwestern wind, and is the bearer of storms and drought. Pazuzu has the power to invoke incredible things, monsters, and beings into visible form. He's been called the Lord of all fevers and plagues, the Grinning Dark Angel of Four Wings, with rotting genitalia. He is the most fearsome of all the known demonic entities and takes firm control of any host. It's been said in many magical tomes, 'It is the able magician indeed who can remove Pazuzu once he has laid hold of a man, for Pazuzu lays hold until death'. That is one demon not to be trifled with."
When asked about the remaining two artifacts, Edward Wingate quickly gathers that information as well. Secondly, Edward discloses his knowledge of Lemarchand's Box:
"The Lament Configuration is one of the most notorious puzzle boxes in the known world. It supposedly possesses the power to open the gates to Hell itself. It was designed and constructed by a French toymaker, Philip Lemarchand. Now, there are two different stories about the creation of the box. It's stated that Philip Lemarchand was a cruel and morbid man as well as a deranged mass murderer that made puzzle boxes of human fat and bones with the help of a summoned demonic assistant, called Baron. The second version tells a story of a more innocent spirit. In it, Lemarchand was a young man ordered to build an elaborate puzzle box at any cost. This order was placed by Duc De L'Isle. He garroted a woman and used the box as a medium to let his black magic resurrect a demon named Angelique. Lemarchand's bloodline and the box were forever cursed because of his hideous creation."
Finally, Edward revealed what little he knew of the third and final Object:
"The Necronomicon Ex Mortis, also known as 'The Book of The Dead' or 'Naturom Demonto', is an ancient magical tome written by an unknown author utilizing human flesh as the binding and blood as the ink. Written in this book are dark prophecies, funerary incantations, and demon resurrection passages. It is unknown how many copies and variations of the Necronomicon we're written, but at least three are known to exist. Legend has it that not only can the Necronomicon Ex Mortis awaken demonic entities and awaken the dead, but it can also tear open traversable rifts in both space and time."
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Union Jack was able and willing to put Sgt. Nick Fury in touch with a contact in The Scotland Yard, whom he feels will be willing to work with him in setting up a meeting with the mysterious man they have in custody at St.Micheal's. Union Jack's Scotland Yard pal is a detective by the name and title of Inspector John Appleby. Appleby agrees to meet with Sgt. Nick Fury and his compatriots in the park that shared the name of their hotel, The Stepney Green.
Upon meeting, Inspector John Appleby confirms Falsworth's account of the incident that brought the mystery man into police custody and the death of two officers of the constabulary. He also confirms that this man, who's true identity is unknown, has detailed knowledge of the murders that were never released to the press - something that he says is nearly impossible due to the fact that what little information about the murders that wasn't public knowledge has been sealed for more than 40 years.
The detective inquires about the Americans' mission, and although he doesn't really believe in all the "supernatural mumbo-jumbo", as he refers to it, "Anything I can do that will help further the fight against the Nazi regime, I'll happily do my part." That said, Appleby agrees to schedule an appointment to meet with the man who claims to be Jack The Ripper.
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Sgt. Nick Fury, The Rocketeer, and Indiana Jones meet with Inspector John Appleby, Union Jack, and Spitfire at the gate of St.Micheal's Asylum and accompany them inside. The asylum is on the grounds of an old cathedral and shares it's acreage with a small convent. It is these nuns who have taken on the task of caring for the mentally unstable under the guidance of Father Maurice Duchamp and a psychologist by the name of Victor Samson.
Dr. Victor Samson is more than willing to allow the group to access his patient, as he says any opportunity to aid law enforcement as an easy way to further his own ambitions with the asylum. Father Maurice DuChamp however, is more reluctant. The priest's concern is for his fragile patient. "The man in confinement you wish to speak with, who wishes only to be referred to as Jack, is prone to fits of inhuman violence that come out of nowhere. I believe that if faced with a bevy of brawny men, such as yourselves, it may agitate him to the point of harming himself or others. There should not be any more than two visitors in the room at a time, and I wish to be present at all times." Father Maurice Duchamp insisted.
"Myself and Inspector Appleby will be the ones to interrogate him first." Sgt. Nick Fury proposes.
Once the deal is arranged, The Remainder of the party is taken on a tour of the asylum by a pair of nuns while the patient is prepped for questioning. Sisters Mary Margaret and Mary Catherine lead The Rocketeer, Indiana Jones, and Spitfire about the hospital and cathedral making small talk and discussing the nature of their patient.
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Sgt. Fury and Inspector Appleby entered the padded cell of the convicted man in the company of Father Maurice DuChamp. "Hello, Jack, and good evening. I have two men here with me who would like to ask you a few questions." The father greets his patient.
The man in question just continues to sob and grovel on his cot, absently rocking back and forth and testing the constraints of his straightjacket. Despite which line of questioning they initiate, the patient is despondent and does not respond in any way other than a pathetic sob. Until eventually, the patient looks up and directly into the eyes of Inspector Appleby, finally speaking in an eery voice unlike anything human. "Top of the evening to ya', Inspector, still making a career of falsely imprisoning the innocent?"
"What?!" Appleby asked.
"Don't act like ya don't kin what I asked, Inspector! I've seen the men you've condemned suffering. Pleading and begging for escape from the fate you assured them, they killed themselves. Some by hanging until their skin is blue and their necks snap and dislocate. My favorites are the one who slash their veins and bleed onto the cold and unforgiving concrete that surrounds them. All of them now in Hell, with spikes shoved in their assholes and maggots eating their testicles. Do you derive pleasure from having driven better men than yourself to this? Seems we have that in common, eh, bobby?" The patient barked in a dual-octave voice.
"Shut up, you don't know what you're talking about." Appleby commanded.
"I see you've brought an equally damaged individual with you for our game of 20 questions. Tell me, does he love ruining lives and inflicting pain as much as we do?" The patient asked.
"My name is Nick Fury, and I haven't got the time for your perverse games. I suggest you answer our questions and halt the presumption of knowing anything about us." Fury interjected.
"You think you know why you are here, don't you? You think you can save the world? You righteous pieces of shit. You think you're special? You think you're heroes? How many lives have you taken in this war, Seargant? How much blood have you spilled? Mother's are crying for their sons. Babies will never know their fathers. All because soldiers like you love to compare the sizes of their cocks.
"Let me tell you, the Father here knows the sizes of all the acolyte's members. You dream of them, don't you, padre?" As the patient literally spat his own questioning and addresses the derogatory remark to the priest, who blushes and recedes into the corner of the cell, Appleby seems to grow increasingly disturbed. "But I digress. You're here to combat evil. You think I'm evil. But what is evil?
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me: we live now in a world where men can lift tanks and fly through air without wings --man himself has become God.
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images. Captain America. Red Skull. Winston Churchill. Your pal Union Jack. I have seen these names and ugly faces plastered across your globe to inspire loyalty. The people fear and worship them. Are they not gods?
"Thou shalt not commit adultery: c'mon, boys, you can't tell me you haven't gotten your dicks wet?
"Thou shalt not kill: heh. that's a good one, isn't it? I smell sickly sweet and rich death on both of you."
Once again there is a paradigm shift in the countenance of the patient, and he slowly begins salivating as he moans and keens. "Ohhhhh yesssss. Such a sweet smell it is. The smell of blood in the rain. The fresh purity of warm ichor meeting cold and unforgiving pavement. Just like the poor unfortunates I relieved of their duties servicing the men of Whitechapel. The dirty dirty whores. They smelled so sweet as their innards spilt out onto the cobblestone. You've felt the sweet spray of blood on your faces, haven't you? It's ecstacy. The taste of copper and iron on your lips. The liquid warmth of it all."
Fury quickly caught the man's verbiage, and recalled Farouk's similar message of blood running over cobblestone. Given that this man claimed to be Jack The Ripper, Fury's suspicions we're confirmed that the patient held the knowledge of the artifact they sought. "There is good in the world." Fury flatly stated.
In a moment, he felt an intense migraine beginning to throb in his head. The patient squirmed uncomfortably in his straight jacket, before crying out in pain. "Like your dead whore Pamela, who sucks cocks in hell?!"
In a fit of rage and anguish, Fury leapt up and grabbed the patient by his straightjacket and began bludgeoning the man's head with his hard fist. The patient became meek and cowardly, wailing in pain from the blows. Father Maurice quickly intervened and insisted that Fury leave the room.
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Meanwhile, The Rocketeer and Indiana Jones are preoccupied with conversing with the two nuns that escorted them on their tour of the compound. They both claimed to be trained and educated nurses and have been assisting the mother superior in caring for and counseling the patient, whom they claim has been very meek and kind to them - a direct contradiction of the horrific description they first received when they came to the convent.
In reality, the two nuns are sister Dream and Sister Pleasure of The Sisters of Sin, agents of The Red Skull and HYDRA. The sisters of Sin have been placed here by The Red Skull to extract information from the patient, who they know to be possessed by Pazuzu, as was Jack The Ripper more than 50 years prior. The two sisters secretly attempted to plant the seeds of desire into the men of the party to distract them from garnering useful info from the patient.
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"I'll make a bargain with you. Father Maurice needs to go. The secrets I bear are too harsh for his delicate sensibilities. Take him away for just a moment.
"You have to get me out of here. Whatever this thing is inside of me is, it's nothing compared to what will happen if they get their hands on it. The nuns! You have to get me away from the nuns!
"Take me out of here! You want to save this world? Save this body. Save this man. Those Nazi scum want me and my power. You don't want that. I will tell you where the statue is, but you will let me go. Get me out of this prison and you can save all the meaty things. You'll get what you desire. But you must destroy the statue. Destroy the statue and set me free." The patient bargained.
The Heroes agree to the terms and conditions of the demon, and decide to help Pazuzu escape the asylum by hiding on the psyche of Inspector Appleby. As they attempt to leave the institution, one of the nuns finds the unconscious body of John Doe and called her sisters to arms in a chase after the party.
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Sgt. Fury, The Rocketeer, Indiana Jones, Union Jack, Spitfire, and Inspector Appleby (possessed by the demon Pazuzu) ultimately face off against the Sisters of Sin:
Sister Dream, a meek and timid appearing woman with a sword and shield who has the supernatural ability of scanning the minds of her victims to create an illusion upon eye contact.
Sister Pleasure, who can both mesmerize her target with sexual preoccupation and deliver a fatal kiss that kills any and all already prey to her mesmerizing. She carries a staff of the crucifixion of Christ.
Sister Agony, a nun in medieval armor wielding a small ornate dagger as well as a sword. She has a supernatural power to cripple her quandary with illusive bodily pain as long as eye contact is maintained.
Sister Death, a plasma pistol carrying nun in armor akin to that of the inquisition. She also carries a sword.
Sister Sin, the illegitimate offspring of the Red Skull himself, welding a katana and robust armor.
Finally, they were led by Mother Night, who added only strong gauntlets to her nun attire for defense. However, she had terrible mind-powers enabling her to hypnotize multiple opponents, as well as create illusory disguises, make her invisible to those who seek her, and overwhelming suggestion.
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After the confrontation, in which Father Maurice was used as a hostage but murdered by the Sisters of Sin as well as Dr. Samson. Pazuzu then led the heroes to a public place in the Whitechapel area, and revealed the location of the Amulet as follows:
"You're making a deal with the devil, you know. This won't look good on your heavenly report card. Promises have been made, though, gentlemen. I will keep my end of the bargain, and I expect the same of you. The Knights Templar confiscated my statue over a century ago and hid it away within the catacombs of Paris beneath the steps of Notre Dame. My Amulet sits among the dead of France. A fitting resting place."
With this, Pazuzu attempts to escape. Being in possession of Appleby he tries to use this as a counterattack before leaving away, into the psyche of another hapless and helpless denizen of Whitechapel.
Once the Pazuzu situation is resolved, The Midnight Sons return to the Stepney Green and debrief with General Ross before setting for departure to Paris.
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