Family portraits, part two
This is the 100th installment in LJ's personal canon, and that's so incredibly fitting it brings a smile to my face. The kidlet's very first super hero adventure, way back in August 2005, was all about a father-daughter hero team taking down an outer-space villain. Here we are, almost eight years to the day later, and her centennial offering features a whole bunch of father-daughter stories and one especially memorable smacking down of a galactic baddie.
The more things change, eh? Couldn't have written it better in a script.
So here we go with the big finale to the "Super Hero High School" saga. LJ has several more characters to introduce (some original, some new twists on existing teen heroes) and, for the final chapter, a format change to better serve the story. I'm confident you'll have no complaints; as per usual, my daughter has saved the best for last.
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Super Hero High Micro-Series #4: Sunburst, the Girl of Steel
Lara Elle Kent is the daughter of Clark Kent, aka Superman, and award-winning journalist Lois Lane. The first-ever Kryptonian/human hybrid, Lara has all of her father's powers and none of his weaknesses. She is invulnerable and super-fast, she can fly, has x-ray and heat vision, freezing breath and super-strength. The upper limits of her abilities have yet to be tested but, theoretically, she might just be the most power super-human in history. Just don't ever call her "Supergirl"... ever. The S on her costume stands for "Sunburst", while the girl herself stands for truth, justice and freedom for all. Lara, 14, and her father share a very close, very loving, very respectful relationship and she takes his legacy seriously. At the same time, she wants to be admired like her mother. She has little interest in journalism, though, and would like to be a public speaker, ambassador or diplomat when she grows up.
Lara's moment of truth came during the Super Hero City Cultural Festival. As one of the city's young leaders, she had been chosen to deliver the commencement address. As far as her mother was concerned, that meant she deserved a new dress, as well. The happy family shopped over lunch... which ended suddenly when J Jonah Jameson called and demanded Clark return to work. Not long after he left, a courier delivered a box addressed to Lara "from the old man". Inside was a beautiful golden necklace decorated with a large red gemstone. Believing it a present from her father, Lara latched it around her neck and, with her mother, headed for the prototype Stark Industries anti-gravity stage floating in the centre of town. She was nervous but really, really excited: here was her first chance to really dazzle the world with her speaking skills, rather than her super powers! Nearby, the true sender of the necklace watched and laughed malevolently.
A short time later, Clark watched proudly as his daughter took the stage with the Mayor and began her address. As he listened he began to feel faint and sickly. The longer Lara spoke, the worse Clark felt. Her words of tolerance and unity made him itch, sending visions of destruction and chaos dancing behind his eyes. When he could take it no more, Clark dashed around the corner so he could change into Superman... and trash the festival! Laughing like a complete and utter jerk, Superman uprooted trees, sent revelers flying with his super-breath and even knocked over the Arc Reactor rocket! Fortunately Bruce Banner and Tony Stark were in the crowd, meaning the Hulk and Iron Man could take charge of the situation. As Hulk battled the maddened Man of Steel toward the city limits, Iron Man signaled the Avengers for help. Lara and Lois shared a look of understanding and, in a blur of super-speed, Sunburst joined the fray.
Fighting Superman is tough. Fighting a Superman stripped of his inhibitions and determined to be a right tosser was nigh-on impossible, as the Avengers had discovered. One by one, in pairs or as a team, the heroes could not match the Man of Steel's speed and strength. Not even the Hulk could stand up to the Kryptonian creep, who wanted to turn Stark Tower into his "Super-tower" and rule over the city as it's "Super-king". Sunburst hurtled toward the battle, arriving just in time to see her deranged daddy add Thor to his pile of defeated heroes. Before she could act, a beam of green energy blasted Superman from behind and sent him crashing to the ground. The battlesuit-clad, Kryptonite-empowered architect of the chaos had decided to reveal himself... and he was, of course, Lex Luthor! Superman's oldest foe had defeated both the Man of Tomorrow and Earth's Mightiest Heroes in one fell swoop!
Luthor was only too happy to boast of his cleverness. He had sent Lara Kent a Red Kryptonite necklace, knowing her family's "close relationship" with Superman made it likely he would become irradiated. A rampaging Superman would inevitably attract the attention of the Avengers, leading to a super hero smack-down that would remove all obstacles to Luthor's conquest of the world! Unfortunately for the evil genius, he'd not counted on two things. Firstly, Sunburst was immune to Kryptonite. Secondly, his blast had only knocked Superman down, not out... and now his rage was focused on Luthor! The villain squealed as jerk-Superman dismantled his battlesuit at super-speed. He'd have been meat sauce had Sunburst not intervened. Much as it hurt her, the young woman had to battle her father with all her might until the Red-K's effect wore off. Their conflict was epic, their blows echoed though the skies and sent them soaring into orbit but, in the end, the cool-headed Sunburst won the day.
His senses returned, Superman repaired Super Hero City at super-speed and offered his sincere apologies even more rapidly. The Avengers were willing to forgive but the normal citizens were frightened and angry. Sunburst addressed the crowd, pleading with them to remember all Superman had done for them over the years. Once again her words of tolerance and unity soothed tensions and lifted hearts; thanks to her speech, all was forgiven and the population cheered their heroes once more. Superman thanked his daughter with a solar-powered hug. The crowd applauded as they flew up into the sky, far out of sight... just before Clark and Lara Kent rejoined Lois Lane, both asking what they'd missed. Lois just smiled. "The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?" she asked happily. Clark ruffled Lara's hair and winked, making her giggle.
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Super Hero High Micro-Series #5: Quickdraw, the Fastest Girl Alive
Iris West is the heir to a grand heroic legacy. Daughter of Wally West, grand-niece of Barry Allen, adopted grandchild of Jay Garrick, she is the latest in the line of speedsters who live between the ticks of a second! But rather than donning the scarlet-and-gold mantle of the Flash, Iris has chosen her own path. She has combined her father's super-speed with the archery and ninja skills she learned from her mother - the incredible Artemis Crock! Calling herself "Quickdraw", Iris strives to be the perfect mix of agility and acceleration, of poise and power, of low-visibility stealth and high-velocity heroism! She and her father are loving rivals, each one-upping the other in a playful battle for super-speed supremacy. Wally is one of the best, most attentive fathers of the heroes thanks to an experience he'd had as a much younger man, and the lessons he learned. Artemis loves them both dearly, all the while hoping her own dark legacy does not rise to claim her daughter.
Iris' moment of truth was her mother's worst nightmare made real. A fake distress call lured Flash to a local tennis court that transformed into a cell. Sportsmaster had never forgiven Flash for winning his daughter's heart and cementing her turn away from the path of villainy. Assisted by his eldest daughter - the feared assassin known as Cheshire - he'd laid a trap for his speedy nemesis. Giant tennis rackets and exploding tennis balls assailed Flash from all directions. He avoided them easily, smirking, never realising he was playing right into Sportsmaster's hands. The rackets and balls weren't the trap - the tennis net that snaked out and ensnared him was! In a more chilling twist, Flash wasn't the nefarious duo's target. A second message, attached to a copy of her mother's arrows, brought Quickdraw to the same tennis court... and into a confrontation with her undiscovered past.
Though she knew them as supervillains, Quickdraw had never been told Sportsmaster was her grandfather, nor that Cheshire was her aunt. Her devious relatives said they wanted Quickdraw to give up on "foolish heroics" and join them in the family "problem-solving" business. She refuses, of course - and, of course, Sportsmaster and Cheshire threaten to kill her father. Quickdraw reluctantly joins her grandfather on his next mission: "liberating" a ghostly-looking statue from Arkham Asylum. He said only her speedster powers could vibrate the molecules of the statue enough to "free the demon inside". To save her father's life, Quickdraw went along... but she had learned deception and trickery from her clever mother. As soon as Sportsmaster's guard was down, she took the old man out with high-speed martial arts wizardry. Running faster than she ever had before, Quickdraw raced back to her grandfather's hide-out - where Cheshire was about to execute Flash!
"You're as weak as your mother," Cheshire sneered. "A foolish, spoiled little girl with no idea of the real world! Father thought you'd be an asset to our business, but I knew better. You don't have any real martial arts skills. Your archery is feared only because you fire arrows so quickly, not because you're accurate or deadly! Without your speed, you're nothing!" Quickdraw laughed off her insults. She knew who she was - not a pure speedster, not a master ninja, but a child of two worlds. Moreover, she was happy with who she was. She may never be as fast as her father, nor as skilled as her mother, but she could do things neither of them could even attempt! Why rely on only one set of skills when you could have - when you could be - the best of both worlds? "I'm not the latest Flash or the last ninja, Cheshire," she replied. "I'm the one and only Quickdraw!"
Cheshire was taken down faster than she could comprehend - beaten up, trussed up and covered head-to-toe in bruises. Unfortunately, Quickdraw had not been completely thorough. In the time it took to untangle Flash from the tennis net, Cheshire had vanished in a puff of smoke. Iris was annoyed, but her father told her not to worry. He'd learned through painful experience that his in-laws were almost impossible to catch. "The old man probably disappeared as soon as you turned your back," he shrugged wryly. "It's a ninja thing; your mother can tell you more about it." Quickdraw decided to be happy with the victory and worry about the rest another day. She finally understood why her mother never spoke of her family, and could hardly blame her for her silence. "Legacies are all well and good," she concluded, "but at the end of the day, nothing's better than making your own way in the world."
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Super Hero High Micro-Series #6: The Invincible Ironclad
Maria Stark, 14-year-old heir to one of the world's biggest corporations, looked out the window of her family's private jet and sighed happily. After 12 long months touring the world with her mother - renowned executive Pepper "Rescue" Potts-Stark - she was finally heading home to Super Hero City. She was dying to see her friends Lara, Iris and Peggy but, most of all, she couldn't wait to be reunited with her father Tony. Though he'd met up with Maria and her mother regularly during their world tour, his responsibilities as Iron Man meant those visits had been short. Maria was relieved her "gap year" was over - but nervous her mother would insist on another 12 months of globe-hopping and home schooling. All she really wanted was a normal life... or what passed for "normal" when you were the super-rich daughter of one of the greatest super heroes ever.
Her friends were waiting at the airport and had formed a joking "honour guard" to welcome Maria home. Her Uncle Rhodey - better known as War Machine - was there, too... but there was no sign of her father. Maria frowned, but cheered up upon learning Tony had missed the plane in order to finish her "welcome home" present. The happy group eagerly raced back to Hero Headquarters, whereupon Maria excused herself to bound up to her father's private lab. Deep inside, back behind the long-inert form of Ultron-9, Tony Stark was hunched over a bench working feverishly. He traded loving quips with his daughter about foreign boys, dowries and her mother's "obsession with schedules" while soldering the last few microchips and making the last few connections. Then he stepped back to reveal a brand-new suit of Iron Man armour he had tailored especially for Maria!
"I was going to get you a car," he said as Maria's eyes bugged out, "but your mother reminded me you're 14. So then I was going to use Stark Industries' political power to lobby the government to lower the driving age, but your mother said that'd be an irresponsible use of my power and influence as a businessman and hero to adoring millions. Then I realised everyone gets a car on their 16th birthday, and you're a Stark, so you deserve something special. Something that's one of a kind. Something as unique as you. So welcome home, sweetheart, and here's your present: the Iron Man armour, Mark 42!"
After having two "lock chips" injected into her forearms, Maria took control of her new toy. The specially-designed prehensile armour collapsed into a pile of pieces that, at her sign-language command, leaped into the air and reformed around her. She squealed with glee as J.A.R.V.I.S. - her father's iconic AI system - uploaded into her helmet and earpiece. The true moment of delight came, though, when her father took her armoured hand in his and lead her up into the sky. For the next half-hour their soared together, thrilling in their speed and manoeuvrability. Maria's armour, Tony warned, was not as powerful as his. It had repulsor blasts and a unibeam but no guns or missiles ("those can wait until you're older"). And because Maria didn't have an Arc Reactor in her chest, her suit had "a more limited battery life" and she'd need to be careful when expending her power as "Iron Girl". Maria corrected him - she'd decided her name would be "Ironclad".
Their radars pinged; Rescue and War Machine had joined the flight. With his family by his side, Tony led the way higher into the air. "I have to give Maria her other present," he said. Nestled within the clouds was a large-scale version of the hover stage, stretching almost a mile. When the group landed, 3D projectors sketched a series of buildings and facilities around them. They included the quick-healing medical room that had saved Batman from Bane, the holographic training room Torunn had used and the "pop-up sports field" trialled by Shield Maiden and Captain America. "Once it's done it'll have top-level communications encryption too," Tony said, "so no one gets tricked like Flash did." The Stark family were impressed but still didn't understand what the invention was. "It's a school," Tony grinned. "A Super Hero High School. A safe place for all our kids to learn, together, to be great heroes." Maria hugged him and cheered - no more home schooling!
Weeks flew by as the Avengers and Justice League worked together to build the school. Maria, Lara, Iris and Peggy were on-site every day, excited to see their future take shape. They quickly welcomed Torunn into their close-knit group and tolerated Damian Wayne's annoying presence (his intellectual gifts had earned him a spot in their classes). The last two members of their class were real surprises: May "Mayday" Parker, daughter of the Amazing Spider-Man, and Arthur Curry Jr, prince of Atlantis! May and Artie were both 16, had plenty of experience using their powers and were a long-standing couple. Maria and the other girls idolised May and drooled over Artie who - with his high cheek bones, swimmer's build, emo hairstyle and regal lineage - was an absolute dream boat. "We get to be the seniors," May said as she hugged the girls. "We'll tune up our skills while helping develop yours."
As they spoke, an impenetrable force bubble snapped into existence around the Avengers and Justice League! Their powers and weapons were ineffective against the nefarious barrier, as were those of the kids. When Ironclad scanned the energy, she discovered its rays were beyond the ken of cutting-edge science... which could only mean one thing. With a mocking laugh, Kang the Conqueror teleported onto the hover-platform! Standing astride the Doom Walker, pistols drawn, the 40th Century tyrant glowered at the adult heroes. "Time means nothing to a time traveler," he said grandly, "but I'll admit I have long looked forward to this day. You robbed me of my future, Avengers, forcing me to stand helpless witness as everything I loved, everything I'd fought for, was taken away! Now I shall have my long-delayed and well-deserved revenge..." He turned his scowl toward the kids, "... by robbing you of your future!"
Maria smirked. "Not today, Kang," she said, sliding her faceplate down. "Heroes of tomorrow! Let's kick his green-and-purple butt!" With an ease that, in hindsight, would amaze them all, the young heroes fell in step behind Ironclad and combined their powers. Robin drew Kang's fire, ensuring it was safely absorbed by Shield Maiden. Ironclad hacked the Doom Walker's systems, scrambling its defences so Sunburst could knock it off its feet. Quickdraw plugged Kang's pistols with arrows as Spider-Girl webbed his feet to the ground. Aqualad's trident smashed the villain's teleport belt, ensuring he could not escape the colossal lightning bolt summoned by Torunn. The crackling electricity dropped Kang where he stood and, with him unconscious, the force bubble popped. Kang had not believed the young heroes to be a threat. He'd grossly underestimated them, and paid the price.
"Well," Tony smiled, throwing an arm around his daughter, "looks like this school is yet another one of my brilliant ideas."
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Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF
The more things change, eh? Couldn't have written it better in a script.
So here we go with the big finale to the "Super Hero High School" saga. LJ has several more characters to introduce (some original, some new twists on existing teen heroes) and, for the final chapter, a format change to better serve the story. I'm confident you'll have no complaints; as per usual, my daughter has saved the best for last.
----------
Super Hero High Micro-Series #4: Sunburst, the Girl of Steel
Lara Elle Kent is the daughter of Clark Kent, aka Superman, and award-winning journalist Lois Lane. The first-ever Kryptonian/human hybrid, Lara has all of her father's powers and none of his weaknesses. She is invulnerable and super-fast, she can fly, has x-ray and heat vision, freezing breath and super-strength. The upper limits of her abilities have yet to be tested but, theoretically, she might just be the most power super-human in history. Just don't ever call her "Supergirl"... ever. The S on her costume stands for "Sunburst", while the girl herself stands for truth, justice and freedom for all. Lara, 14, and her father share a very close, very loving, very respectful relationship and she takes his legacy seriously. At the same time, she wants to be admired like her mother. She has little interest in journalism, though, and would like to be a public speaker, ambassador or diplomat when she grows up.
Lara's moment of truth came during the Super Hero City Cultural Festival. As one of the city's young leaders, she had been chosen to deliver the commencement address. As far as her mother was concerned, that meant she deserved a new dress, as well. The happy family shopped over lunch... which ended suddenly when J Jonah Jameson called and demanded Clark return to work. Not long after he left, a courier delivered a box addressed to Lara "from the old man". Inside was a beautiful golden necklace decorated with a large red gemstone. Believing it a present from her father, Lara latched it around her neck and, with her mother, headed for the prototype Stark Industries anti-gravity stage floating in the centre of town. She was nervous but really, really excited: here was her first chance to really dazzle the world with her speaking skills, rather than her super powers! Nearby, the true sender of the necklace watched and laughed malevolently.
A short time later, Clark watched proudly as his daughter took the stage with the Mayor and began her address. As he listened he began to feel faint and sickly. The longer Lara spoke, the worse Clark felt. Her words of tolerance and unity made him itch, sending visions of destruction and chaos dancing behind his eyes. When he could take it no more, Clark dashed around the corner so he could change into Superman... and trash the festival! Laughing like a complete and utter jerk, Superman uprooted trees, sent revelers flying with his super-breath and even knocked over the Arc Reactor rocket! Fortunately Bruce Banner and Tony Stark were in the crowd, meaning the Hulk and Iron Man could take charge of the situation. As Hulk battled the maddened Man of Steel toward the city limits, Iron Man signaled the Avengers for help. Lara and Lois shared a look of understanding and, in a blur of super-speed, Sunburst joined the fray.
Fighting Superman is tough. Fighting a Superman stripped of his inhibitions and determined to be a right tosser was nigh-on impossible, as the Avengers had discovered. One by one, in pairs or as a team, the heroes could not match the Man of Steel's speed and strength. Not even the Hulk could stand up to the Kryptonian creep, who wanted to turn Stark Tower into his "Super-tower" and rule over the city as it's "Super-king". Sunburst hurtled toward the battle, arriving just in time to see her deranged daddy add Thor to his pile of defeated heroes. Before she could act, a beam of green energy blasted Superman from behind and sent him crashing to the ground. The battlesuit-clad, Kryptonite-empowered architect of the chaos had decided to reveal himself... and he was, of course, Lex Luthor! Superman's oldest foe had defeated both the Man of Tomorrow and Earth's Mightiest Heroes in one fell swoop!
Luthor was only too happy to boast of his cleverness. He had sent Lara Kent a Red Kryptonite necklace, knowing her family's "close relationship" with Superman made it likely he would become irradiated. A rampaging Superman would inevitably attract the attention of the Avengers, leading to a super hero smack-down that would remove all obstacles to Luthor's conquest of the world! Unfortunately for the evil genius, he'd not counted on two things. Firstly, Sunburst was immune to Kryptonite. Secondly, his blast had only knocked Superman down, not out... and now his rage was focused on Luthor! The villain squealed as jerk-Superman dismantled his battlesuit at super-speed. He'd have been meat sauce had Sunburst not intervened. Much as it hurt her, the young woman had to battle her father with all her might until the Red-K's effect wore off. Their conflict was epic, their blows echoed though the skies and sent them soaring into orbit but, in the end, the cool-headed Sunburst won the day.
His senses returned, Superman repaired Super Hero City at super-speed and offered his sincere apologies even more rapidly. The Avengers were willing to forgive but the normal citizens were frightened and angry. Sunburst addressed the crowd, pleading with them to remember all Superman had done for them over the years. Once again her words of tolerance and unity soothed tensions and lifted hearts; thanks to her speech, all was forgiven and the population cheered their heroes once more. Superman thanked his daughter with a solar-powered hug. The crowd applauded as they flew up into the sky, far out of sight... just before Clark and Lara Kent rejoined Lois Lane, both asking what they'd missed. Lois just smiled. "The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?" she asked happily. Clark ruffled Lara's hair and winked, making her giggle.
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Super Hero High Micro-Series #5: Quickdraw, the Fastest Girl Alive
Iris West is the heir to a grand heroic legacy. Daughter of Wally West, grand-niece of Barry Allen, adopted grandchild of Jay Garrick, she is the latest in the line of speedsters who live between the ticks of a second! But rather than donning the scarlet-and-gold mantle of the Flash, Iris has chosen her own path. She has combined her father's super-speed with the archery and ninja skills she learned from her mother - the incredible Artemis Crock! Calling herself "Quickdraw", Iris strives to be the perfect mix of agility and acceleration, of poise and power, of low-visibility stealth and high-velocity heroism! She and her father are loving rivals, each one-upping the other in a playful battle for super-speed supremacy. Wally is one of the best, most attentive fathers of the heroes thanks to an experience he'd had as a much younger man, and the lessons he learned. Artemis loves them both dearly, all the while hoping her own dark legacy does not rise to claim her daughter.
Iris' moment of truth was her mother's worst nightmare made real. A fake distress call lured Flash to a local tennis court that transformed into a cell. Sportsmaster had never forgiven Flash for winning his daughter's heart and cementing her turn away from the path of villainy. Assisted by his eldest daughter - the feared assassin known as Cheshire - he'd laid a trap for his speedy nemesis. Giant tennis rackets and exploding tennis balls assailed Flash from all directions. He avoided them easily, smirking, never realising he was playing right into Sportsmaster's hands. The rackets and balls weren't the trap - the tennis net that snaked out and ensnared him was! In a more chilling twist, Flash wasn't the nefarious duo's target. A second message, attached to a copy of her mother's arrows, brought Quickdraw to the same tennis court... and into a confrontation with her undiscovered past.
Though she knew them as supervillains, Quickdraw had never been told Sportsmaster was her grandfather, nor that Cheshire was her aunt. Her devious relatives said they wanted Quickdraw to give up on "foolish heroics" and join them in the family "problem-solving" business. She refuses, of course - and, of course, Sportsmaster and Cheshire threaten to kill her father. Quickdraw reluctantly joins her grandfather on his next mission: "liberating" a ghostly-looking statue from Arkham Asylum. He said only her speedster powers could vibrate the molecules of the statue enough to "free the demon inside". To save her father's life, Quickdraw went along... but she had learned deception and trickery from her clever mother. As soon as Sportsmaster's guard was down, she took the old man out with high-speed martial arts wizardry. Running faster than she ever had before, Quickdraw raced back to her grandfather's hide-out - where Cheshire was about to execute Flash!
"You're as weak as your mother," Cheshire sneered. "A foolish, spoiled little girl with no idea of the real world! Father thought you'd be an asset to our business, but I knew better. You don't have any real martial arts skills. Your archery is feared only because you fire arrows so quickly, not because you're accurate or deadly! Without your speed, you're nothing!" Quickdraw laughed off her insults. She knew who she was - not a pure speedster, not a master ninja, but a child of two worlds. Moreover, she was happy with who she was. She may never be as fast as her father, nor as skilled as her mother, but she could do things neither of them could even attempt! Why rely on only one set of skills when you could have - when you could be - the best of both worlds? "I'm not the latest Flash or the last ninja, Cheshire," she replied. "I'm the one and only Quickdraw!"
Cheshire was taken down faster than she could comprehend - beaten up, trussed up and covered head-to-toe in bruises. Unfortunately, Quickdraw had not been completely thorough. In the time it took to untangle Flash from the tennis net, Cheshire had vanished in a puff of smoke. Iris was annoyed, but her father told her not to worry. He'd learned through painful experience that his in-laws were almost impossible to catch. "The old man probably disappeared as soon as you turned your back," he shrugged wryly. "It's a ninja thing; your mother can tell you more about it." Quickdraw decided to be happy with the victory and worry about the rest another day. She finally understood why her mother never spoke of her family, and could hardly blame her for her silence. "Legacies are all well and good," she concluded, "but at the end of the day, nothing's better than making your own way in the world."
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Super Hero High Micro-Series #6: The Invincible Ironclad
Maria Stark, 14-year-old heir to one of the world's biggest corporations, looked out the window of her family's private jet and sighed happily. After 12 long months touring the world with her mother - renowned executive Pepper "Rescue" Potts-Stark - she was finally heading home to Super Hero City. She was dying to see her friends Lara, Iris and Peggy but, most of all, she couldn't wait to be reunited with her father Tony. Though he'd met up with Maria and her mother regularly during their world tour, his responsibilities as Iron Man meant those visits had been short. Maria was relieved her "gap year" was over - but nervous her mother would insist on another 12 months of globe-hopping and home schooling. All she really wanted was a normal life... or what passed for "normal" when you were the super-rich daughter of one of the greatest super heroes ever.
Her friends were waiting at the airport and had formed a joking "honour guard" to welcome Maria home. Her Uncle Rhodey - better known as War Machine - was there, too... but there was no sign of her father. Maria frowned, but cheered up upon learning Tony had missed the plane in order to finish her "welcome home" present. The happy group eagerly raced back to Hero Headquarters, whereupon Maria excused herself to bound up to her father's private lab. Deep inside, back behind the long-inert form of Ultron-9, Tony Stark was hunched over a bench working feverishly. He traded loving quips with his daughter about foreign boys, dowries and her mother's "obsession with schedules" while soldering the last few microchips and making the last few connections. Then he stepped back to reveal a brand-new suit of Iron Man armour he had tailored especially for Maria!
"I was going to get you a car," he said as Maria's eyes bugged out, "but your mother reminded me you're 14. So then I was going to use Stark Industries' political power to lobby the government to lower the driving age, but your mother said that'd be an irresponsible use of my power and influence as a businessman and hero to adoring millions. Then I realised everyone gets a car on their 16th birthday, and you're a Stark, so you deserve something special. Something that's one of a kind. Something as unique as you. So welcome home, sweetheart, and here's your present: the Iron Man armour, Mark 42!"
After having two "lock chips" injected into her forearms, Maria took control of her new toy. The specially-designed prehensile armour collapsed into a pile of pieces that, at her sign-language command, leaped into the air and reformed around her. She squealed with glee as J.A.R.V.I.S. - her father's iconic AI system - uploaded into her helmet and earpiece. The true moment of delight came, though, when her father took her armoured hand in his and lead her up into the sky. For the next half-hour their soared together, thrilling in their speed and manoeuvrability. Maria's armour, Tony warned, was not as powerful as his. It had repulsor blasts and a unibeam but no guns or missiles ("those can wait until you're older"). And because Maria didn't have an Arc Reactor in her chest, her suit had "a more limited battery life" and she'd need to be careful when expending her power as "Iron Girl". Maria corrected him - she'd decided her name would be "Ironclad".
Their radars pinged; Rescue and War Machine had joined the flight. With his family by his side, Tony led the way higher into the air. "I have to give Maria her other present," he said. Nestled within the clouds was a large-scale version of the hover stage, stretching almost a mile. When the group landed, 3D projectors sketched a series of buildings and facilities around them. They included the quick-healing medical room that had saved Batman from Bane, the holographic training room Torunn had used and the "pop-up sports field" trialled by Shield Maiden and Captain America. "Once it's done it'll have top-level communications encryption too," Tony said, "so no one gets tricked like Flash did." The Stark family were impressed but still didn't understand what the invention was. "It's a school," Tony grinned. "A Super Hero High School. A safe place for all our kids to learn, together, to be great heroes." Maria hugged him and cheered - no more home schooling!
Weeks flew by as the Avengers and Justice League worked together to build the school. Maria, Lara, Iris and Peggy were on-site every day, excited to see their future take shape. They quickly welcomed Torunn into their close-knit group and tolerated Damian Wayne's annoying presence (his intellectual gifts had earned him a spot in their classes). The last two members of their class were real surprises: May "Mayday" Parker, daughter of the Amazing Spider-Man, and Arthur Curry Jr, prince of Atlantis! May and Artie were both 16, had plenty of experience using their powers and were a long-standing couple. Maria and the other girls idolised May and drooled over Artie who - with his high cheek bones, swimmer's build, emo hairstyle and regal lineage - was an absolute dream boat. "We get to be the seniors," May said as she hugged the girls. "We'll tune up our skills while helping develop yours."
As they spoke, an impenetrable force bubble snapped into existence around the Avengers and Justice League! Their powers and weapons were ineffective against the nefarious barrier, as were those of the kids. When Ironclad scanned the energy, she discovered its rays were beyond the ken of cutting-edge science... which could only mean one thing. With a mocking laugh, Kang the Conqueror teleported onto the hover-platform! Standing astride the Doom Walker, pistols drawn, the 40th Century tyrant glowered at the adult heroes. "Time means nothing to a time traveler," he said grandly, "but I'll admit I have long looked forward to this day. You robbed me of my future, Avengers, forcing me to stand helpless witness as everything I loved, everything I'd fought for, was taken away! Now I shall have my long-delayed and well-deserved revenge..." He turned his scowl toward the kids, "... by robbing you of your future!"
Maria smirked. "Not today, Kang," she said, sliding her faceplate down. "Heroes of tomorrow! Let's kick his green-and-purple butt!" With an ease that, in hindsight, would amaze them all, the young heroes fell in step behind Ironclad and combined their powers. Robin drew Kang's fire, ensuring it was safely absorbed by Shield Maiden. Ironclad hacked the Doom Walker's systems, scrambling its defences so Sunburst could knock it off its feet. Quickdraw plugged Kang's pistols with arrows as Spider-Girl webbed his feet to the ground. Aqualad's trident smashed the villain's teleport belt, ensuring he could not escape the colossal lightning bolt summoned by Torunn. The crackling electricity dropped Kang where he stood and, with him unconscious, the force bubble popped. Kang had not believed the young heroes to be a threat. He'd grossly underestimated them, and paid the price.
"Well," Tony smiled, throwing an arm around his daughter, "looks like this school is yet another one of my brilliant ideas."
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Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF