Kohl, Miles, Yué, and Alex emerge from the dimensional portal on a south-seas island. By coincidence, Homer Bently , Simon Stringfellow and Shanghai Lee have arrived by boat at the same time. The two groups join forces and have a terrific battle with the evil forces of Marduk.
After defeating the bad guys, Kohl decides to go back through the dimensional portal, leaving Miles and Homer to protect the four boys.
This issue has several pages penciled by Barry Blair, and nicely inked. The rest of the art is by Guang, about the same style as the previous issues.
DARK DEPARTURESóMiles, Kohl, Alex, and Yue are in the tropics and see statues like the ones on Easter Island. Yue is wearing a ripped shirt with one side of the shirt shoulderless due to a rip. Alex feels like someone is hunting him and had a vision as if he stepped into someone evil's mind. Not far away on a boat called the Windblade (ELFLORD has a character named Windblade) are Homer Bently, Shanghai Lee, and Simon Stringfellow. Lee is wearing short shorts and a slightly short cut shirt. Toshiro Kimura told Homer Bently to hide the kids from madman Marduk here with Miles in the South Seas. Miles yells at the boys to stay out of trouble. Over the South Pacific a jet fighter plane pilot, Kyler reports they have followed the boat with Simon in it. Marduk tells Kyler he has just picked up the readings of the brainwaves of the lost clone from the Thailand crash a few years ago. The lone survivor of the crash, the clone is the last of Marduk's greatest creations. After two years without proper programming and conditioning, there is no way Marduk can control this clone's special gift. Marduk orders Simon be taken alive to pressure his father into cooperating but orders the clone killed. In a supermarket, Homer and Miles bump into one another and hug. They sing Oh My Darlin. At a pawn shop, Kohl meets an old man who brings him to the statues which have carvings just like on Kohl's ring. He knocks Kohl out. When the man moves to take it, it burns up and the man screams (I think). Kohl sees mysterious images from his future or perhaps from the past (a pretty girl, a strange armor coated giant manómonster, an old man with lines on his face, fights, a giant). Alex's yell brings Kohl to him. In the woods, Alex knows monsters, created by crossing humans with animals, are after him. He can see into their minds. One has a dogface with glowing eyes and a gun in hand. When it attacks Kohl, Alex hits it over the head. A bird faced beaked man grabs Simon from behind; Lee and Yue attack its legs and Simon is able to get clear of it. Miles (the one not wearing the hat) shoots at it, a message for Marduk. Kohl and Alex meet up with Miles, Yue, Lee, and Simon. Miles and Homer keep referring to the old days. There are three animal men now. The six heroes head toward the ruins. The other creature has long ears and glowing eyes like a bat. The bird wants the cloneóóAlex. The bird tears out a tree as it fights with Kohl and hits him with it. Miles tells them Marduk will have to pay for wanting little Alex; also Miles mentions he doesn't know who this Marduk is. The bat thingóman attacks Miles but Homer shoots it. Homer tells Simon, who knows first aid, to look after the hurt Miles. Homer and Alex go after the other two animal men. The dogman attacks Homer. Alex tries to warn Simon as the bird thing moves at him; Alex knows it. He sees a gun on the ground. Kohl saves Simon and spears the birdman through the belly until it is dead, hugging Simon. Alex shoots and kills the dogman attacking Homer (who loses his hat). Alex passes out.
EPILOGUE: Kohl is going to a place few people ever venture and wants Homer and Miles to take the three kids with them, away from him. Yue tells Kohl, "Maybe we should go along to protect you." Kohl says, "No, Yue, I have to go alone but thank you. All of you...thank you!" Their small speed boat moves away from the dock.