ProctorProctor
Proctor
Avengers #343- behind the scenes-
Avengers #344
Avengers #348
Avengers #355- The city burns as Swordsman, Mother Cassandra, Magdalene, and Sloth arrive in a timeline just as Captain America dies. Magdalene says that maybe they are too late. Mother Cassandra says that Proctor said there would be a survivor in this timeline and that she isn’t going to disappoint him. They walk around until they are attacked by T’Challa, the Coal Tiger. They grab a hold of him and an electromagnetic surge takes the Gatherers back to Proctor. Proctor says that he was beginning to worry about them, but he sees that the search wasn’t a fruitless one. He says that they can always use another failed Avenger. He sees that the transport has left the Coal Tiger unconscious so he orders him taken to his room. Mother Cassandra says that this gather was a bit too close for comfort. She says that the world was close to disintegration. Proctor says that they have no choice if they ignore just one they could all be lost. He asks her to leave so he can be alone. When she goes he accesses his personal file and asks for a projection of the image “Alpha/Omega” An image of Sersi comes up. He says that he forgot how beautiful she was and wonders if that is why they were all blinded until it was too late. He says, “My eyes are not clouded and I curse you with every breath you take. You and your foolish Avengers.” Later Proctor tries to scan the thoughts of the Coal Tiger, but the transition was too hard on him and he can only sense fragmented thoughts. Proctor stabilizes Tiger’s brain chemistry so he will survive a little longer. Proctor says that it gets harder each time. Cassandra says that this is temporary and that this dimension’s version must be eradicated as well. Proctor says that this dimension’s T’Challa is also an Avenger. Cassandra says that they must enter the mansion again and learn T’Challa’s location. Magdalene protests because the Avengers know they exist and will guard against them. Proctor says that they have no choice. That night they go in, but the Avengers have managed an alert to warn them when the energies the Gatherers use to enter the mansion. As the fight progresses Cassandra knocks out all the Avengers with a giant eye blast. They learn that T’Challa is the Black Panther here and take off for Wakanda.
Avengers #356- The Gatherer’s follow their Coal Tiger to the Black Panther. The Avengers arrive courtesy of Lockjaw. Swordsman, most recent acquisition of the Gatherers, says that something seems wrong about this. Magdalene tells him that he just needs Proctor to make it all clear again, but Proctor’s hold over Swordsman is breaking. Proctor sits and feels that he is going to lose Swordsman. He wonders if the realization of the truth will shatter him mentally and what effect his going will have on Magdalene. Proctor says that it will be devastated by the bitter taste of love’s betrayal. He says that he will be there for her as he was from the beginning. Proctor says that these are trivial matters and that he has more cosmic affairs to attend to. Proctor opens a doorway and says, “I need to consult with you again, my old friend. To sit beside your dreaming bed and learn what I must do next.” The Gatherers defeat the Avengers enough to do what they came to do. Mother Cassandra was about to fix Coal Tiger by sacrificing Black Panther, but Swordsman interferes. The Gatherers escape, but the Vision stops Swordsman from getting away.
Avengers #374
Avengers #375
- The Brooklyn Bridge and Avengers mansion both are
destroyed. The Avengers take off in the quinjet and find Proctor.
Proctor is surrounded by his Gatherers, while a Watcher and Sersi
are held in a vortex. Proctor notes that the Avengers have
arrived, as they have in every other timeline, in this the
“prime” reality. Proctor says that they come to defend
a woman that is unworthy of their company, much less their
support. He says that this will be his final battleground.
Hercules leaps out of the quinjet to attack Proctor. Proctor says
that in every reality Hercules is a thickheaded fool, and that he
finds such constants reassuring. Proctor hits Hercules with an
eye blast, but Hercules keeps advancing until he hits Proctor.
Proctor says that it is an impressive display, but then his hand
starts to glow with incandescent energy. The energy strikes the
vortex, hurting Watcher and Sersi, but then the vortex strikes
out and hits the World Trade Center. The buildings are
transformed. Proctor says that earth after earth the Avengers
have never stopped him. Black Knight notes that Proctor seems to
be collapsing the other realities. Hercules is fighting
Proctor’s Jocasta when Proctor strikes at Herc and says that
he is tired of his emotional tirades. Black Knight hits Proctor
and says that they like Herc’s tirades. Black Knight says
that he knows Proctor is he, he knows that Proctor is Dane
Whitman. Proctor says that he finally figured it out. He finally
realizes that they are only separated by a thin dimensional wall.
He says that they have lived mirrored lives, and that both were
linked to a woman named Sersi. Proctor says that is where they
diverge because in his world he loved Sersi, but she rejected him
and he was doomed. Proctor says that Black Knight’s heart
belonged to another and so he was spared the pain he had to
endure. Proctor says that he never freed himself from the Gann
Josin mindmeld. He says that instead he embraced it. He says that
it transformed him into something more than human. He also says
that he embraced something else that Black Knight forsook- the
Ebony Blade. Proctor says that he reveled in the Blood Curse. He
killed his beloved Sersi with it, and then each and every one of
her variants in every earth he visited. Proctor attacks Black
Knight saying his blood will join theirs. The vortex seems to
speed up bringing doom faster and faster. Inside the vortex Ute
the Watcher tells Sersi that she must fight her fear and help
destroy the vortex or all of existence will be destroyed. Proctor
is furious that everything he wanted in his life Black Knight
discarded in his. Black Knight says that he knows that he and his
Gatherers must absorb their “templates” from this world
to stay sane, and the fact that he still lives means Proctor is
insane. Proctor hits Black Knight. He beats Black Knight to the
ground and stands over him. He says that he might be insane, but
he tells Dane to remember all that he is is because he faced his
obstacles instead of running from them as Black Knight had done.
He asks then which of them is greater, and tells him to think on
that as he gathers him unto himself. Quicksilver hesitates for a
minute, but saves Black Knight from Proctor. Proctor says that he
hopes Quicksilver is happy knowing he died saving the life of his
wife’s lover. Crystal guides Thunderstrike’s lightning
to zap Proctor. The vortex goes down and the Gatherers go down as
well from Proctor’s telepathic link. Sersi walks over and
picks up the Ebony Blade. She says that she will do far worse
than reject his love. She uses the blade and kills Proctor. Ute
the Watcher, to redeem himself, uses the last of his power to
restore the Earth to the way it was. Dane and Sersi go off into a
portal Ute opened for them before he died.