Avengers: the Initiative #30 - Marvel

Last issue we saw that Trauma has actually Nightmare. This issue . . we find out how that happened. The real story is . . Trauma is actually Nightmare's bastard son. About 20 years ago Terry's mom was in a kind-of cult. It was actually something that Nightmare had put together, but Naomi and some of the others were just looking for a place to crash. She slept with Karl, Nightmare's vessel, just because he was good looking. She wasn't tricked or persuaded into it or anything. Then later when things started getting weird, she and Jerry Ward bolt . . later he would be her husband and Terry's step-father. Now . . now Nightmare wants a conduit into the real world, so that he can take it over. And that conduit is Terry. But he fights back. It would've been a lot easier for Nightmare had Terry remained a loner, because of the trauma of his powers manifesting, but . . Terry adapted. He gathered and kept friends and family. He became part of a group and gained a purpose. This made him a stronger person. But it also weakened Nightmare's hold on him. So basically Nightmare comes out and makes hell out of Camp Hammond. There's no one that Nightmare currently has in his employ that seems able to make any headway. But Nightmare does seem concerned about Penance. He's the first one he takes out. As it turns out I don't think he was so much afraid of his power as he was his connection to Terry. And ultimately that is Nightmare's undoing. That and Terry's connection to Cloud 9. His thoughts . . concerns, worries, guilt . . for his teammates is what I think finally severs his connection. However, Nightmare is nowhere near done as he tells Terry that he has many 'conduits'. Apparently he was a busy man at that cult camp. Anyways, all of this happens as the New Warriors are attempting to free Night Thrasher . . Donyell. And, during the course of all this, Terry tricked Nightmare into giving Penance, Bobby, all of his memories back. He convinced him that it would traumatize him, but . . it actually helped to heal him. They do extract Donyell, but in the process Constrictor learns that Diamondback is actually a double-agent. 'Rachel . . you're working for the other team?' Taken out of context, that sounds like he'd just found out she's gay. I thought that was a little humorous. And, both Penance and Trauma decide to stay at Camp Hammond . . for their own reasons. I really like this book. To me . . it kind of reminds me of the old Legion books. There's so many characters involved, and so many different story-lines happening at any one time. I think Christos Gage is doing a fantastic job. I also like Jorge Molina's pencils. His isn't one of my favorite styles, but . . it does fit this book perfectly.