Posted - January 6, 2025

Invaders 15

From the previous issue, the fact the Crusaders have taken over from the Invaders in the matter of functioning as honor guards in tomorrow's ship christening is grating hard on the Invaders - except on Spitfire.

There is some back and forth, but in the end, Spitfire wins the argument, and the Invaders back off. The Torch is still emotinally vulnerable to anything involving Jaqueline Falsworth.

Speaking of the heretofore mysterious Crusaders, we learn a bit more about them.

So, somebody gave them powers. And here's that somebody now.

It's that mad cab driver from last issue, and through that belt, he is able to control the powers of the Crusaders. This group has been scammed but they don't know that yet. Alfie has them convinced that he's working for His Majesty's government. And he convinces them that the Invaders are Nazi puppets and he has the pictures to prove it.

All these pictures are scenes from the Invader's various past adventures, and, taken out of context as they are now, it does seem that the Invaders are a suspicious, even treasonous bunch.

But it is Alfie who is the traitor.

The only witn4ess to this is Dyna-Mite but Alfie takes him out and throws him into the river.

Thinking Dyna-Mite dead, Alfie leaves. But the diminutive Crusader proves to be extremely resiient.

He manages to inform the Invaders that in tomorrow's christening the champagne bottle that will be thrown by the King will explode.

The next day, King George is in the docks surrounded by his honor guard, the Crusaders.

The only one absent is Dyna-Mite who is still at Falsworth's manor recovering from his ordeal.

Before the King can throw the fatal bottle Captain America stops him.

Thinking that the Invaders are Nazi thralls the Crusaders move to defend the King. Now we have a melee.

The Invaders seem to be getting the worst of it.

Captain America though, will not be beaten by the Spirit of 76.

As the action mounts, so does the danger to the King. Before he leaves though he decides to save what it left of the day and throw the champagne bottle.

Before the bottle can hit and explode, it's Toro to the rescue.

The bottle is, in turn, handed over to the Sub-Mariner who throws it were it explodes in the ocean. The explosion is a wake up call to the Crusaders that they have been duped.

The traitorous Alfie makes a run for it in his cab but he has a fatal encounter with one of the Human Torch's fireballs.

It all means the end to the short career of the colorful Crusaders.

Returning to the Falsworth manse the Invaders come home to a surprising bit of news.

What mystery is this? Certainly something that will not be resolved in this issue.