Stormwatch: Post Human Division #11 is an issue of the series Stormwatch: Post Human Division (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 2007.
Synopsis for "Family Matters"
The PHD are buried alive and they are kept alive by the Monstrosity, who is using his arms to stop the ceiling from falling on them. To John and Paris' surprise, the Monstrosity ask them to save Gorgeous, who is rendered unconscious and left with a severe concussion, because he loves her. Black Betty is also injured with a piece of rebar sticking through her thigh. At John's request and the Machinist’s initiative, Fahrenheit uses her powers to carefully blast through an opening to the surface. Everyone evacuate before Monstrosity drops the ceiling and then bursts out of the rubbles.
The PHD are taken to a hospital. Gorgeous and Betty are recovering. Jackson King arrives and informs John that Stormwatch Prime are hunting down Slaughterhouse Smith. John in turn reveals to Jackson that Smith was being framed for killing retired Stormwatch members and he has a theory on who is responsible, in which he believes it is an inside job. The killer deliberately dressed himself to look like Smith and may have used Stormwatch technology to kill his victims.
John and Jackson confront Stormwatch's Human Resources leader Craig Manning, who is the perpetrator and he realizes that his cover is blown by holding an employee hostage. However, Jackson uses his mental powers to disorient Manning and allow John to subdue him. John then demands Manning why he committed the murders in which he goes into a mad rant that post-humans are a threat to humanity and that killing them is the only way to save their species. Before Jackson could read Manning's mind, Manning bites a cyanide capsule that was hidden inside his mouth and he dies, preventing Jackson and John from learning anything other than the murderer's motive was anti-superhumans.
Back at the hospital, Mordecai Shaw is happy to learn from the doctor that Wanda does not have any signs of neurological damage. Dino asks Shaw on whether it is him or the Monstrosity that is in love with Gorgeous to which Shaw replies that his alter-ego is still him. But Dino then crudely warns Shaw that Gorgeous is a manipulator who has dated a lot of supervillains. Then without warning, Shaw punches Dino in the face. Dino does not mind taking the hit and is instead impressed with Shaw's newfound courage. Despite what Dino said, he is genuinely concerned with what Shaw is getting into and wants to remind him to be more aware of his relationship with Wanda.
Jackson reached out to Stormwatch Security to look into Manning's background and he soon learns that Manning had a brother who belonged to a secret I.O. black ops cell called the Puritans that are dedicated to exterminating aliens and superhumans from Earth. The Puritans were shut down years ago, but apparently their ideology influenced Manning and he likely took the opportunity to target retired post-humans. It remains unknown if Manning was acting alone, or that he was working with the surviving members of the Puritans or other anti-superhuman groups.
A few days later, Gorgeous is still recovering in the hospital much to her displeasure while her teammates are keeping her company. Their peace is suddenly interrupted when Dino informs everyone that he received a call from Attica who warns him (as part of his favor to Dino for letting him go) that the Walking Ghost is seeking revenge on PHD, and he plans on targeting their families. Jackson orders Stormwatch and PHD to protect their families. However, only Gorgeous doesn't bother to protect her parents, who were abusive to her and she has not spoken to them for fifteen years.
While everyone is guarding their families, Dino receives another call from Attica, who then informs him that he had been misinformed of the Ghost's real plan: he is not going after PHD's families, he is going after their brothers-in-arms; the police officers of the 18th Precinct. Unfortunately Attica's warning is far too late as the Precinct is bombed.
Appearing in "Family Matters"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Craig Manning (Final appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Earth-50
- New York City
- StormWatch Plaza
- Human Resources Department
- NYPD 18th Precinct
Items:
Vehicles:
See Also
- Cover gallery for the Stormwatch: Post Human Division series
- Images from Stormwatch: Post Human Division Vol 1 11