Protectors # 9 - An End To Prologue!

The Protectors fight off another swarm of opponents, sent by Wisecrack. Meanwhile, Wisecrack busies himself by informing his legion that he intends to return back to Earth through whatever means the Protectors have journeyed to his current dimension. Some of Wisecrack's subjects have been torturing Gravestone to get the answer behind the portal, but he refuses to speak. Wisecrack orders his death if he does not release any information and the guards seemingly kill him. Arc mourns over his body with the Protectors try to raid Wisecrack's castle. The Arrow, who secretly entered this dimension through the Protector's portal, raids the castle alone. Arc soon learns that Gravestone isn't dead and has regained his strength, they break out of their prison. While the battles wages outside of Wisecrack's castle, he orders for all of his human slaves to be put on the roof of his palace. He intends to bring all of the humans he has enslaved and bring them to a pocket dimension so they can remain there. Ferret breaks away from the battle and finds only Jackdaw and one female human left. Ferret is stopped immediately when Jackdaw risks the human's life for his escape. The Arrow, however, arrives behind Jackdaw and kills him with his weapon, being unable to do anything else to prevent him from killing the human girl. The Arrow mentions how he won't be a Protector now since he killed someone and the Ferret takes Jackdaw's body and hurls it into a fire. The whole team, and the human survivor, make it back in time to Earth before Eternal Man's portal is closed permanently. Meanwhile, the Eye and the Great Question both oversee the Protectors' progress. The Great Question mentions to one of his Steel Army underlings that he has a spy that is very close to the Protectors.