Synopsis / Summary / Plot
The main plotline in this series is that the Vridai came from Svartalfheim to Midgard during War Of The Realms and have stayed. Last issue the team agreed to help their rightful ruler Count Ophidian find a new home for them. But they've still got to worry about his advisor/nanny Birgit who had imprisoned him for a long time and ruled in his stead through a puppet substitute.
We find her in the Slaughter House bar in Monster Island (formerly Staten Island) where she scares the rest of the monsters.
Meanwhile we see Deadpool, King of Monster Island, trying to get what looks like a House-Elf to affix his crown to the top of his costume. They are interrupted by a smell and he leaves his throne-shack to discover that a sewer hole is erupting. So he dives into the sewer to investigate and comes across our team and Ophidian using it as a way to sneak in.
Wade Wilson greets Blade with a reference to the Blade: Trinity movie (it's all part of him knowing he's a Marvel comics character, and hence about things in our universe). Then he accuses the team of all being monsters:- Blade's a (half-)vampire. Daimon Hellstrom's a devil. Wiccan is a witch. Spectrum's a ghost-buster (so he knows about the last 2 issues). Spider-Woman he connects to Kiss Of The Spider-Woman (especially the musical version?). Winter Soldier he likens to a werewolf because he loses his memory and kills people. And Angela was once Queen Of The Dead.
But he doesn't know who the elf is, and Count Ophidian tells him he doesn't *want* to know. This only intrigues Deadpool but Angela assures him he *really* doesn't want to know. (It's a major plot point of this series that knowing about the Vridai puts you in danger.) She and Blade ask permission for them to stay for 3 days. Wade grants it but says they can't stay in the sewer because they're giving the system tummyache. And we see that the sewer system is indeed 1 giant creature. In the middle of all this he casually mentions the scary woman in the Slaughter House.
Later they're having a meal in Vito's Pizza. Jessica Drew texts her infant son Gerry who's being looked after by Roger Gocking (the current Porcupine). Wanting to speed things up so she can get back to her kid Spider-Woman rushes over alone to the bar to see if the scary woman is Birgit. She tries to use her pheromone powers to make the patrons friendly, but the monsters all think it's a stink. But the barkeep still tells her where to find the mystery woman.
It turns out Blade and Winter Soldier have followed her. They (at least pretend to) suspect she might be a Vridai replacement, but her response lets them know it's really her. They agree to track down Birgit. But they 1st have to face Don Buggini and his gang who accuse them of being monster hunters.
Back at the pizza parlour Ophidian has asked Angela for a chat in a ransacked small supermarket next door. She thinks he means a duel, but he's desperate to know how he can help the team keep him safe. She thinks he's motivated by guilt, but at least that means he has a conscience. But why is he guilty, since he was a prisoner when Birgit sent the Vridai to attack and replace them (at the start of this series)? He says he knows why they were chosen. She advises him to keep the knowledge secret until he can use it to bargain for a new home for his people. Ophidian asks why she's helping him? She says it's because *she* needed help when she 1st came to this land.
Don Buggini's mob lead our 2 back to the bar where they are told to fight each other while the patrons bet on the winner. Jessica wins with moves and a little pheromone help. Buggini offers her a job on the professional fight circuit. She takes his card but they leave.
But outside the ground is covered in Vridai spores (they are a fungus-based lifeform). Birgit appears and enchains them in Vridai-flesh. Blade offers to give her the Count if they'll leave Monster Island.
Back at the market the others are surrounded by an infestation of Vridai flesh. Angela thinks Ophidian should be able to control the spores because he's their rightful ruler. Birgit arrives with the other 3 and admits she's correct but Ophidian can't control *her*, and he needs her to advise *him* what to do. She grabs the Count and says she'll take him back to Svartalfheim (despite several previous issues telling us they can't go back there). She creates a portal and they go through ...
... but the sorcerers Wiccan and Hellstrom hold it open and the team follow her to Svartalfheim. And find themselves between 2 opposing armies. 1 side hail Angela as saviour of the Queen of Alfheim. The others don't seem so friendly. So 1 side is presumably Light Elves of Alfheim and the other is Dark Elves of Svartalfheim.
Next morning Deadpool comes to visit them and finds them gone, and is angry at the mess they left behind.