Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Last issue Madame Masque kidnapped Kate Bishop (Hawkeye) and inhabited a cloned body of her. She took Kate's friends out clubbing (and they fought Oddball). But Kate (and her dog Lucky) escaped from the cell MM's minions were keeping her in.
This issue opens much later with 2 Kate's in Hawkeye costumes on top of the H of the Hollywood sign. 1 Kate is hanging precariously by 1 hand and the other Kate is standing over her. (Spoiler - the Kate standing looks to have sticking plasters on her face so she's the real deal.)
Then we flashback to the end of last issue where Kate found her father Derek Bishop bound and gagged. She doesn't ungag him because he would try to use his persuasion power on her. But she asks him if he killed her mother. He nods, and she walks away saying she'll never forgive him - or herself for letting it happen.
She heads up from the basement and finds a load more minions on whom she takes out her rage. Then leaves the building with Lucky and her bow and arrows.
A bit later we see Masque/clone with Johnny & Ramone Watts, Mikka Nguyen and Quinn buying hot dogs (not tacos as promised last issue). In the meantime she's been 'home' and changed into a Hawkeye costume, but still with no bow and arrows (because Kate's got them). Then the real Kate turns up (with bow, arrows and sticking plasters) to punch her into the road where she nearly gets run over. Kate then chases Masque up the hill towards the Hollywood sign. The astonished friends don't know what's going on but Johnny Watts call Detective Rivera.
Hawkeye fires an arrow which nicks Masque's leg. Masque hides in some bushes and throws a dagger which narrowly misses Kate's head, and then she leaps on the archer who tosses her against the H. Kate fires a volley of arrows but Masque climbs the support scaffolding of the H to the top and Kate follows her. During this Masque says they've both got powerful villainous fathers who they are fated to emulate. Kate says she'll *never* be like her father, but Masque thinks she doth protest too much. They tussle atop the H and Masque continues to goad her opponent until Kate knocks her off their perch. Which brings us to a repeat of the H-hanger opening scene.
Kate realises she's not really angry at Masque, more at her life, her dad and herself. She remembers the last time she saw her mother (from a flashback in #7) who begged Kate to run away with her, but her father dragged Eleanor away. And now she gives her enemy a helping hand up to safety. Masque asks why she does hero things like that. Kate responds that if she doesn't know now she never will. But she also saved her because she wants to know what she knows about her mother. Masque's response is to attack with another dagger. But there's a shot and Masque falls again, this time with a bullet wound near her shoulder.
The shot was fired by Det Rivera who sends other cops to search the bushes for the body as Kate climbs back down. Our heroine explains about Madame Masque in a clone of her body hoping to gain superpowers. She tells the cop that's how Aggregate (#1-4) got *his* power (she doesn't mention her cloned dad). Rivera points out that Aggregate's body exploded so the clone deal sounds risky. Kate suggests maybe Masque blew him up remotely to stop him talking to the police. Then she asks how Rivera knew which 'Kate' to shoot. The detective says the sticking plasters made it obvious.
The other cops report no sign of the body. Kate knows this is what always happens with supervillains. Kate and her friends meet up and comment on the whole clone thing. They offer to buy her as many tacos as she wants. But she decides now is the time to tell them what she's been holding back for a few issues. She confesses that her dad was behind Aggregate, who kidnapped Mikka and menaced them all. Of course they don't hold her responsible and all 5 make a Musketeers pact and leave for tacos. Kate hangs back to have a word with Johnny. She knows Masque in the clone body kissed him. So now *they* now share their 1st kiss. Which causes Quinn a pang of jealousy.
2 days later in her apartment Kate looks regretfully back to her last time with her mom again. She'd been keeping a pinboard of her investigation into her father. Now she tears all that down and starts a new 1 centering on her mother, with the only clue so far her mom's pendant which Masque gave her (#7) with her mom and dad's blood on.