Group X Solos: Dormira: “Spiderwebs”

(Front cover. Dormira and Black Widow are fighting back to back as the scene around them is an explosion. Note: words in braces ({}) are from the original Spanish. Words in brackets ([ ]) are from the original Russian.)

Cap (N): Dormira meets the Black Widow!

(Page 1, panel 1. Black Widow’s apartment in New York City. She is wearing a modest dress with a pair of pants. She sits by a window, holding a cup of coffee. She is watching the snow fall gently in the winter of New York.)

Cap (N1): New York City.
Cap (N2): Home of Natasha Romanova, alias the Black Widow.
Cap (N3): Rarely does she get a moment’s rest, because she is good at what she does.
Cap (N4): Today is no exception.

(Panel 2. The phone rings.)

SFX: Ring! Ring!

(Panel 3. Black Widow picks up the phone.)

Widow: (1) Hello?
Widow: (2) Da.
Widow: (3) I see.
Widow: (4) I will do it.
Widow: (5) I will not let you down.

(Panel 4. Black Widow hangs up the phone.)

Cap (W1): Duty calls.
Cap (W2): Seems I’ve been a slave to it all my life.

(Page 2, panel 1. Group X headquarters. Dormira works on the computer.)

Cap (N1): The next morning, at Group X headquarters, Fort Worth...
Cap (N2): Dormira is following up on a project all her own.

(Panel 2. She pushes the buttons on the computer.)

Cap (D): [Almost got it....]
(Panel 3. The computer reads “processing.” Panel 4. The computer shows a map of the USM with a dot over a spot in the state of Sonora.)

Cap (D1): Got it.
Cap (D2): Now to get them.
Dormira: Computer, ready the minijet.

(Panel 4. Dormira goes off as Lotus enters.)

Lotus: Dormira, what are you - ?

(Panel 5. Lotus is frustrated.)

Lotus: (1) I hate it when she does that to us.
Lotus: (2) Computer, where is Dormira going?

(Panel 6. The Computer responds.)

Computer: (1) The destination was not specified.
Lotus: Well, what file was she working on?
Computer: (2) File deleted.

(Page 3, panel 1. Lotus is frustrated.)

Lotus: You’re not getting away with this, Dormira...

(Panel 2. Go back to Black Widow. She flies a quinjet to Mexico.)

Cap (N1): And at the same time...
Cap (N2): Black Widow flies to Mexico as well.)

Cap (W1): The usual drug runners.
Cap (W2): Who have a new drug called Spiderwebs.
Cap (W3): I am to stop them, and get a sample of Spiderwebs for analysis.

(Panel 3. Widow flies the plane into the Sonoran desert.)

Cap (N1): Several minutes later.
Cap (N2): Over the Sonoran desert...

(Panel 4. Black Widow sets the quinjet down behind a mesa.)

Cap (W): Be careful.

(Page 4, panel 1. We see Dormira arrive at the same base. She is in the minijet, which is in stealth mode.)

Cap (N1): And about the same time...
Cap (N2): Dormira arrives at the base of operations.

(Panel 2. Go inside to see her at the controls.)

Cap (N): After landing the plane....
Dormira: Computer, maintain stealth mode until further notice. Do not accept orders to move the minijet without my authorization.
Computer: Confirmed.

(Panel 3. Dormira stands on the teleportation pad.)

(Panel 4. Go back to Black Widow.)

Cap (W1): Two guards.
Cap (W2): Should be no trouble.

(Panel 5. One of the guards gets a dart in the neck.)

SFX: Swiwt..
Guard: ¿Qué?

(Page 5, panel 1. The guard turns to be greeted by Black Widow’s fist in a sucker punch.)

SFXP WHOK!

Guard: UHN!!

(Panel 2. Black Widow goes inside.)

Cap (B1): That was easy.
Cap (B2): Too easy.

(Panel 2. Black Widow goes inside.)

Cap (B): Now, where are the Spiderwebs...?

(Panel 3. Dormira teleports right in front of Black Widow. Dormira is armed with several bombs.)

Widow: Bolze Moi!

(Panel 4. Dormira looks at Black Widow.)

Dormira: Natalia Shostakova?
Widow: Romanova, actually. Who are you?
(Page 6, panel 1. They continue to talk.)

Dormira: {I am Dormira.}
Widow: {You don’t speak English?}

(Panel 2. Dormira goes around the Black Widow.)

Dormira: { I prefer Russian. But I do not have time for this. The bombs I have will go off in 30 minutes.}

(Panel 3. Dormira goes off.)

Dormira: {Do not get in my way.}
Widow: {As long as you are not in my way, comrade.}

(Panel 4. Dormira exits.)

Cap (W1): Damn.
Cap (W2): She’s going to ruin everything.
Cap (W3): Well, I’ve got a deadline.

(Panel 5. Widow exits the building.)

Cap (N): And fate goes on...

(Page 7, panel 1. Go back to Dormira. She teleports out.)

Cap (D1): My mission has been compromised.
Cap (D2): Scrub it for now.
Cap (D3): I will return, however.

(Panel 2. Go back to the Black Widow. We see her in the quinjet again, talking to Edwin Jarvis.)

Widow: (1) I have never heard of this Dormira before, Jarvis. She spoke Russian with a Latvian accent. See what you can find on her.
Jarvis: Certainly, Madam. Will there be anything else?
Widow: (2) Patch me through to Sergi Govanovich, Russian command.

(Panel 3. The screen goes blank.)

Sergi: (from the radio) Well, you took your time to get back to me, Romanova.
Widow: Da, it has been awhile... but I need a favor from you.

(Panel 4. They continue to talk.)

Sergi: What is it?
Widow: Find out what you can about a woman named Dormira. She spoke with a Latvian accent, I want to know who she works for.

(Panel 5. They continue to talk some more.)

Sergi: That will take time, comrade.
Widow: Take all the time you need.

(Page 8, panel 1. Go back to Dormira. We see her replanning things while in the minijet.)

Cap (D1): Romanova was a most unexpected twist.
Cap (D2): I have to plan around her...

(Panel 2. Later. We see Black Widow talking to Sergi again.)

Cap (N): About 2 hours later...
Sergi: All information on Dormira has been sealed. The security clearance needed is much greater than what I have, Romanova.
Widow: Thank you, Sergi. I will send you the usual fee.

(Panel 3. Black Widow thinks.)

Cap (W1): That doesn’t tell me much.
Cap (W2): But I have to plan around her...

(Panel 4. Black Widow goes out again.)

Cap (W1): They should not be expecting things so soon.

(Page 9, panel 1. The drug lab. We see a man holding a rat up by its tail.)

Man: (1) Un ratón.
Man: (2) [You sounded an intruder alert because of this!?!?]
Guard: [The automatic sensors detected him, master.]

(Panel 2. The man grits his teeth,)

Man: [See too it that this does not happen again.]

(Panel 3. Go over to see Black Widow entering the place.)

Cap (W1): So far,
Cap (W2): So good.

(Panel 4. Go over to see Dormira teleport into another part of the complex. She has several bombs with her again.)

Cap (D1): No slipups this time.
Cap (D2): This place is going down.

(Panel 5. Dormira sets one of the bombs under a table.)

Cap (D1): Got to do it where they won’t find them.

(Page 10, panel 1. Go back to Black Widow. She is in a storage room, opening a box of spiderwebs.)

Cap (W1): Feels like cotton candy.
Cap (W2): It’s as deadly as cyanide.

(Panel 2. Black Widow puts some spiderwebs into jar.)

Voice: (from off panel) Well, it seems we have a spider in our spiderwebs.

(Panel 3. Black Widow turns to see about 6 armed guards there.)

Guard: Surrender, Black Widow. You are surrounded.

(Panel 4. Widow fires her widow’s bite while dodging gunfire.)

Widow: Finding me and catching me are two different things, comrade.

(Panel 5. Amidst the gunfire, one man gets close enough to hit Black Widow with a pepper spray gas as he is hit with her widow’s bite.)

SFX: WHOOSH!

(Panel 6. Black Widow gets disoriented and coughs.)

Widow: COUGH!!
Cap (B): Trouble. What was in that spray?

(Page 11, panel 1. One of the guards strikes her with the butt of his rifle, sending her down.)

SFX: POW!!!
Guard: {You are far too curious for your own good, Romanova.}

(Panel 2. Go back to Dormira. She has finished setting up many of her bombs.)

Cap (D1): Almost done.
Cap (D2): Just one more left.

(Panel 3. Dormira runs into about 10 guards.)

Guard: {You! Surrender now!!

(Panel 4. Dormira drops her bomb while striking the guards.)

Guard: [Shoot her!!!]

(Panel 5. Dormira hits one of the guards with her green energy ball as they open fire.)

SFX: Crackle!! (Page 12, panel 1. The guards fire, and the bullets bounce off Dormira.)

Guard: [Bullets are ineffective! We’ve got to use alternate methods!]

(Panel 2. The guards stop firing bullets, and attack Dormira head on.)

Dormira: You will not get away with this...

(Panel 3. All of the guards jump on Dormira’s back, and one holds a cloth over her nose and mouth.)

Dormira: Bolze moi!

(Panel 4. Dormira goes down.)

Guard: [Take her to the boss.]

(Page 13, panel 1. We see Black Widow and Dormira tied to the same slab next to each other. Black Widow is disarmed and both are out cold.)

Cap (N1): About 10 minutes later...
Cap (N2): They wake up to find their nightmares beginning.

(Panel 2. The two of them wake up and look around.)

Dormira: {That was very nasty.}

(Panel 3. They see some of the guards coming up to them, with the leader.)

Leader: Well, the world famous Natasha Romanova has come here... I see you have a sidekick now.
Dormira: I am nobody’s sidekick.

(Panel 4. The leader strikes Dormira in the jaw.)

SFX: SLAP!!!
Leader: That’s enough out of you!!

(Panel 5. Dormira breaks her bonds.)

Dormira: I have had enough of you as well.
SFX: SNAP!!

(Panel 6. Dormira lunges, making a diving tackle on the leader.)

SFX: WHAM!!
Leader: UHN!!

(Page 14, panel 1. Dormira frees the Black Widow.)

Dormira: [The bombs will explode in about 30 seconds. We have to leave now.]
Black Widow: I still have to get the sample of Spiderwebs..

(Panel 2. Black Widow stands, and grabs a case of Spiderwebs.)

Black Widow: We need a fast way out.
Dormira: Computer, two to teleport, myself and Natasha here.

(Panel 3. The two of them teleport out as the leader stands.)

Leader: {Guards! They’re getting away stop them!!}

(Panel 4. the place explodes.)

SFX: WHOOM!!!

(Page 15, panel 1. We see the Group X minijet flying away from the base, which is engulfed in a massive fireball.)

Cap (D): That should slow them down for awhile.

(Panel 2. Go inside to see Black Widow and Dormira in the cockpit.)

Dormira: [Were is your escape route?]
Widow: [It is next to the mesa over there. Tell me, why have I not heard of you before?]

(Panel 3. Dormira turns to Black Widow.)

Dormira: [What do you mean you have never heard of me before?]
Widow: [You were obviously a secret agent, trained much in the same way I was... but I have never heard of you before, and all the records on you are sealed.]

(Panel 4. Dormira turns away.)

Dormira: [My name is Dormira, and yes, I studied at the red room like you did. I did very well, coming close your marks. What I did for the Soviet Union is classified.]
Widow: [I see.]

(Page 16, panel 1. Dormira stops the minijet.)

Dormira: [We are at your plane, comrade.]

(Panel 2. Black Widow is serious.)

Widow: [Don’t be a widow like me.]
Dormira: [What do you mean?]

(Panel 3. They continue to talk.)

Widow: [I’ve seen your kind before. You think you can fight the world alone. Well, you cannot. I speak from experience.]

(Panel 4. Pause. Panel 5. Dormira heads off.)

Dormira: [The teleportation room is this way.]

(Panel 5. Black Widow shakes her head.)

Cap (W1): Just like Yeleena.
Cap (W2): She will have to learn the hard way.

(Page 17, panel 1. Black Widow is in the quinjet again.)

Cap (W1): Still I have to wonder...
Cap (W2): What the powers did to her to make her that cold and bitter.
Cap (W3): She never smiled.
Cap (W4): She never showed any sign of being happy.

(Panel 2. Dormira flies the Group X minijet off.)

Cap (N1): They part, for now.
Cap (N2): Uneasy allies.

(Panel 3. Group X headquarters, Fort Worth. Dormira returns the minijet to the hangar, where Lotus is waiting for her.)

Cap (L): I have to do something.

(Panel 4. Dormira enters from the plane.)

Lotus: So how did things go?
Dormira: They were defeated.

(Panel 5. Dormira goes off.)

Lotus: But I wish you would ask me before gallivanting off in your so-called “secret missions.”
Dormira: You are not my mother, comrade.

(Panel 6. Lotus starts to get frustrated.)

Lotus: No, but I am your team leader, and as such, I would like to be kept informed of what you’re doing. When you go out there, you’re representing us, Dormira. I don’t want you on a mission alone that requires the team.

(Page 18, panel 1. Dormira faces Lotus.)

Dormira: If I need the team, I will let you know.

(Panel 2. Dormira walks off.)

Lotus: You can’t hold things in forever, Dormira. If you don’t open up soon, you’re going to end up some mass-murderer that we’re going to have to subdue.

(Panel 3. Go back to Black Widow. She is at the Avengers mansion, talking to Hank Pym.)

Cap (N1): It’s about four hours later .
Cap (N2): The Place is New York City.
Cap (N3): Black Widow brought some of the Spiderwebs for analysis by the Avengers resident scientist, Dr. Henry “Hank” Pym, alias Giant Man.
Hank: I have the results of the tests.

(Panel 4. Hank is deadpan.)

Hank: What we have here is cotton candy soaked in a hallucinogenic solution. Ingesting this will make one feel a sense of euphoria for awhile, but will lead to hallucinations, nerve damage, loss of motor control, and eventually the loss of all muscle control.
Widow: I see.

(Panel 5. Black Widow takes the box out.)

Widow: I will take your results to the powers that be.

(Page 19, panel 1. Back with Lotus. We see her talking to Diving Owl.)

Eagle: So what do we do with her?
Lotus: I see only one course of action.

(Panel 2. Lotus turns to the computer.)

Lotus: Computer, lock out Dormira from further airplane use without prior authorization from at least two other members of the team. Code Lotus Alpha 13 Upsilon 25.
Eagle: Computer, confirmation, code Eagle Beta 43 Theta 94.

(Panel 3. The computer responds.)

Computer: Confirmed.
Lotus: She’s been through a lot, I can see in her soul. But she’s got to start trusting someone sometime...

--End--

Back to the Group X index.