Okay, remember the times I (Michael O'Connell, that is) have mentioned over the years that the world of the Forte campaign goes on for all of us that were a part of it, even though the game's been over for several years? This simple truth is often seen in character fiction you might read in the Times, or when a Con games rolls around and the old characters are brought back together again. Each of us knows exactly where our characters are and what they're doing. It's all part of the fun, and a testimony to how much we loved the game.

We'd all have liked the game to go on forever, I'm sure, but most of us got our character needs and big stories out of the way before things closed down. Some of our characters have more stories to tell, and often the Times is the place where we have our opportunities to share them. I had one in mind for my character, Dr. Jackal. There was a resolution I just had to have, a happy ending I felt needed to come about. And I also thought it would be really swell if there was one story that brought all four of the original Forte characters--Phantasm, Mist, Dr. Jackal and Phantashia--together again, one last time, for one last big hurrah.

So I got this idea for a story that accomplished both. And I liked it plenty, and it set up some things that I plan to write about for my character in the future. I thought it'd make a swell fiction piece, but, unfortunately, I tend to think epic, and the story I wanted to tell was novel-sized. Too many other projects going on for that to ever happen.

But the story came back to me when Aaron and I were planning our big Clobberin' On Infinite Earths IX game, and in our early planning stages, it became, for me, a very important piece of the tale's backstory. I knew I needed for the events in this tale to happen. So I figured I'd write the whole thing out in summary, at least, for the players involved, and establish it in Forte "continuity" before we ran the game. Well, as the planning went along, and the game plot Aaron and I developed evolved and became more complex and less dependant on my first story, it became less important to things. And yet, it still remained as part of our overall story, so it still had its place. And I still wanted to work it into Dr. Jackal's life, and this seemed the perfect place to insert it.

So I did, and explained the whole of it to the Forte players (the original other three besides me) and their characters' parts in it before the game. And though knowledge of it is not critical for your understanding of "The Jericho Effect", I figured I'd stick the summary in here anyway, in case anyone's interested. What follows is, basically, the game I really wish would have happened, with me, Tim, Kaye and Jeff playing it, and with K.C. running it. Get out your back issues for Forte, because you're probably going to need 'em.

The Story

A few months ago, Sydney Todd Strange (a.k.a. The Mist) was in Canada in her role as an UNCLE commander, doing a little interagency meeting with Canada's own super-spy group, BRAND. Actually, it was just an excuse to hook up and hang out with her old friend and fellow Forte founder Colonel John (Phantasm) Clayton. While she was there, BRAND picked up on some weird happenings--former members of The D'Arque Elite (the savate-packing foot soldiers of the demonic and now dead Forte villain Lucifer D'Arque) had resurfaced, now having become some kind of freaky cult and calling themselves The D'Arque Ones. Their goal? Serve their master's wishes from beyond the grave (actually, quite a ways below the grave, considering their master's current address) and find some way to resurrect him. The cult was new news, but D'Arque trying to return from Hell wasn't, as Forte knew all too well. He tried to be reborn into godhood, having (follow me on this one) stolen Dr. Jackal's unknown third daughter from his wife's womb (while said Mr. D'Arque was still among the living), raised her in another dimension beyond time and space and impregnated her, saw the child stolen from the Parker daughter's womb by the self-important all-seeing council of sorcerers called The Omnicron, discovered (after his death, natch) that the Omnicron had planted the child in Sydney Todd to be the genetic offspring of both her and the sorcerer supreme Stephen Strange (not to mention Jack and Sabrina Parker, and D'Arque himself), and having his dark lover and servant, Black Rose (unknown to all until the end, actually the missing Parker daughter) steal the child and attempt the ceremony that would plant his dark soul in the child Caleb, collecting on the child's genetic (from Dr. Jackal's genes...stay with me) birthright to godhood. Whew! But Forte thwarted his plans, and he stayed in Hell, Sydney got her very special child back, and, tragically, the third Parker daughter died.

The D'Arque Ones, some of Clayton's elite agents discovered, were running around Canada searching for a woman named Ellen Folsom. Sydney and John found her first, and with her, the reason why the D'Arque Ones wanted her so badly. This woman, somewhere along the way, had been D'Arque's wife (he had a wife?!). He'd seduced her, married her, taught her his dark magics, and planted a piece of his soul in her. Yet another of his long-term plans. But she'd finally seen him for what he was, and after his death at the hands of Forte, she fled, attempting to start her life over. She forsook his magics, and as long as she didn't use them, he could not find her, and could not control her. The D'Arque Ones searched for her now, and ultimately wanted her to use her magics again, so that D'Arque could take control of her and walk, in part, on Earth once more. After defeating the D'Arque Ones, Sydney and John swore to help this brave, haunted woman, and under Sydney's urging, Ellen returned to San Francisco to live near the Strange family--under their protection and friendship--and start over again. She took work in a flower shop, and became a part of Sydney's life.

Jump to sometime after...and to Hell. D'Arque was still trapped there, his numerous attempts at escape thwarted at every turn by various incarnations of Forte (this, in fact, unknown to him, being his own personal Hell). There was new soul in Hell, a once-powerful sorcerer on the side of good who'd given into temptation, turned to the other side, and died a pathetic and stupid death. One day, this sorcerer let a secret slip--perhaps one of the greatest secrets in the history of history--and D'Arque found out about it.

D'Arque had taken the third Parker daughter for a reason. The child was special...so special that in all the many alternate Earths and realities throughout the multiverse, there was only one of her. She had unlimited potential for power, and was the first of a new breed of gods. He needed to be reborn through her, but he lost his chance, and that one special girl was now dead, his one chance at the eternal rule of eternity he'd sought.

Or so he'd thought.

There was another.

The Omnicron had kept this secret. On one other Earth, there was a second incarnation of her, a "cosmic backup", if you will, one with a noble purpose that would not come to pass for many years. There was another, and she was alive.

D'Arque had another chance. He needed her. After much torture performed on this sorcerer, he came to accept that the man did not know where she was. D'Arque had to find her. And he needed help.

Jump ahead further.

Ellen was at Sydney and Stephen's home, visiting with Sydney while Stephen had taken Caleb out to the park. The D'Arque Ones busted in. After months of searching, they'd found her, and they had a renewed purpose--their séance with their damned master's soul had told them so. Sydney fought them hard and valiantly, but she was overcome. They were about to kill the former heroine and Ellen could take it no more. She unleashed her hidden magics to save her friend's life.

Exactly what the D'Arque Ones had wanted.

Badly beaten, Sydney could only watch in horror as Ellen's eyes changed and D'Arque overcame her soul. The voice of D'Arque spoke to Sydney, saying that he had more important matters to attend to. But he'd be back for her...and for his son. With an incantation from Ellen/D'Arque, she and the D'Arque Ones vanished. Stephen later tried to track them, but to no avail. Ellen was gone, and D'Arque once again walked the Earth.

Jump to the present.

Johnny Quest, longtime Forte friend and owner of Questar Labs (and a large collection of turtlenecks), puts a call out to Sydney, John, and Jack Parker (Dr. Jackal). He's been monitoring strange anomalies, ones his other associates in the scientific world have found, too. The walls between realities, between worlds, seem to be thinning in spots. This seems to be a result of a large number of breaches between realities. Dimensional travel is a fairly rare phenomenon (even in a super-hero world), and for a reason. It's unnatural, and it's dangerous. It has to be done a certain way, or the walls of reality can be damaged...as they are now. He's called them because his suspicions, confirmed by some non-scientific (mystical) friends of his, suggest the D'Arque is involved. The dimensional barriers are being breached over and over, as if a lot of people are breaking through to world after world. As if...searching for something? Whatever the reason is, it has to be stopped, or all reality may pay the price. The three retired heroes all have a personal stake in this as well. Sydney needs D'Arque stopped once and for all, for the safety of her son. Jack's life was torn apart by him, and he's still haunted by the daughter he never knew, but that died in his arms...all because of D'Arque. John? D'Arque, years in the future, sent (sends...whatever) John's son Andy back through time, and Andy became the hero Shrike...and died at the hands of Intercrime, the group D'Arque belonged to. He worries his born-again young son will suffer the same fate in years to come if D'Arque is allowed to live. The time has come. D'Arque must be stopped once and for all, and three of the four original members of Forte vow to be the ones to do it.

Suiting up again as Mist, Dr. Jackal and Phantasm, they investigate a local "thinny" (as Johnny's calling the areas of dimensional depletion), one that suggests the same geographical area has been visited many times on many different Earths. It's in the now-unoccupied Forte base. Using Johnny's technology, they instigate a dimensional jump to the other side of the thinning, to the alternate Earth most recently visited. They find themselves in another Forte base, belonging to another world's Forte. Current members of that foursome Thresher (a dead hero and friend on their own world) and Celerity (another hero of their world, the daughter of the Flash and member of the Justice Squadron) are rather shocked at their sudden appearance in the living room. Explanations are made, but no sooner do the questions begin than an emergency call comes in. It's from Jack's wife (this world's version) Sabrina, and she's screaming bloody murder. Someone's attacking the Parker home. Speedster Celerity is off in a moment, and the rest do their best to catch up. When they finally arrive, the scene is horrific. Celerity is dead. Sabrina Parker is dead. Another of this Forte's member, Triphammer (of Armor Security on our Forte's world) is unconscious and is seriously wounded. And, perhaps worst of all, there are the twins, Dr. Jackal's daughters. Nikki is crumpled against a wall, near death. Monique, traumatized, is the only one left, and is cradling her mother's body. She sees Dr. Jackal and rushes to him, assuming it’s her real father (who, on this world, is away on business).

At the hospital, Nikki Parker is in ICU, and Triphammer is awake and being treated for his wounds. The last of this world's Forte, Nightshift (a brief member of Forte on our heroes' world) shows up. Triphammer is beside himself with grief and guilt, having been unable to stop what happened. He was close to their home when the call went out. He arrived to find two men there...two of the same man, actually, as though they were twins. Each was slightly different...one bearded, one not, other subtle differences. From his description, the heroes realize in horror that he's describing Lucifer D'Arque. Two of him? The two mages had already killed Sabrina after she'd tried to save her children, and Celerity was dead at their feet as well. Nikki had been thrown at a wall, seemingly after they did to her what one of the D'Arques was doing to Monique when Triphammer came in--looking into her eyes, trying to find something there. He said, "No, not this one either," and then the enraged Triphammer was on him. The hero didn't stand a chance against their powerful magics.

As they're all talking things over, and as Jack is holding and trying to comfort his non-daughter, another man walks timidly in, pale and looking afraid. Triphammer tries to leap up and kill him, despite the fact that he appears to be a priest. The heroes recognize him...it's Lucifer D'Arque...this world's Lucifer D'Arque. But here, his name is Father Michael D'Arque (he took Michael as his confirmation name, unlike Forte's D'Arque, who took the name Lucifer). He was drawn to the hospital by the visions and dreams that have tormented him for months. In these dreams, he's visited by another version of himself...an ultimately evil one, one that tempts him and gives promises of power incarnate and life eternal if he'll join "them". "Them" seems to be a great number of himself, incarnations of him from a vast number of other worlds. He'd been shown it all. Forte's D'Arque, using Ellen as his "legs", has been contacting other versions of himself, convincing them to help him (and themselves) in finding the girl. A very special, one-of-a-kind girl named Samantha Parker. By using her, in conjunction with a lot of hellish magic, they'll enact D'Arque's original plan of being reborn through her offspring. But this time, there's a twist. Using the girl's inborn dimensional travel powers (inherited from her mother, Knightsabre, and ultimately from the gods), D'Arque plans to unite all his selves across all realities...they would share one mind, and vast, eternal power, and rule not one universe, but all universes. In the past months, D'Arque has been making physical and telepathic contact with as many of himself as he can find, uniting them in the search for the girl. Father Michael D'Arque had thought he was going insane, but finds it’s worse to know it's all true. It seems he's the only truly good D'Arque in all of reality, and finds his faith sorely tested. Is it his destiny to turn to evil, if he has on every other world where he exists? D'Arque wants him to think so, apparently. His ego is so large that even though he doesn't need this world's D'Arque, he's been determined to turn him.

And the surprises keep coming. Another familiar face shows up...Phantashia! Mist, Dr. Jackal and Phantasm formed Forte with this woman of magic, but on their world, she sacrificed her life--her existence--to stop the evil Telezar. On this world, she's alive and well, and is the Sorcerer Supreme. She's also a friend of this Forte, and rushed over when she heard the news. The heroes try to decide what to do, and how to stop D'Arque...and find Samantha Parker before D'Arque does. They need an edge. Phantashia thinks she can find them one. It seems she's connected with a powerful, near omnipotent group of sorcerers calling themselves (oh, great) the Omnicron. In fact, they're grooming her to become one of them. If Forte's Omnicron knows about Samantha Parker, and where she is, maybe this one does, too. She can take the heroes there. They decide it's best if the priest (who's holding up pretty well under the circumstances) goes along, since he seems to be psychically connected to the other D'Arques, and may come in handy. He's more than willing...he'll do anything to help stop this, no matter what the cost. Jack has to tear himself away from Monique, leaving her with Nightshift, the girl's godmother. He's too late to save his family from tragedy in this world...but he swears he'll stop D'Arque's torment of the Parkers once and for all.

Through the magics of Phantashia, the heroes are transported to an other-worldly place...the council chamber of the Omnicron. Think about the opening sequence of Superman: The Movie, and you'll get the idea. Strange, shadowy, floating faces sitting in judgment. Standing the center of it all in spotlight, the heroes speak to the Omnicron...and find out this isn't another Omnicron, but the same Omnicron they (especially Sydney) know. They exist beyond worlds and dimensions, and see all. The heroes begin to state their case, when they're informed by the all-seeing Omnicron that they're too late. D'Arque has already found the child. And they're not going to reveal where the child and D'Arque are. Why? Because what's done is done, they've decided, and it can't be stopped. D'Arque's reign will happen, and last for a time, but the child Caleb will one day rise up and defeat him. That's the way they've decreed things. The important thing is for Sydney to keep protecting Caleb and preparing him for that day, and they can't risk Phantashia taking on D'Arque. They need her, you see, for another great cosmic event that's coming. She has a part in that. So as far as they're concerned, the matter is over.

The heroes, of course, angrily disagree. They're not about to let D'Arque win like this if there's any chance of still stopping him, and Jack's not about to lose his daughter again. Sydney is particularly livid, tired of their God complex, their deciding the way history and destiny should happen, no matter what the cost. She believes her child has the right to choose his own path, not have one forced on him. The heroes protest, but the Omnicron are not swayed. The matter has been decided.

And then Phantashia speaks.

For years, they've been grooming her for her place among them, and preparing her for the great war of evil to come. She's doubted their methods for some time, but this moment has truly shown her what they're all about. She believes in mankind's right to choose its own destiny, not one that the Omnicron map out, and believes that individuals can still make a difference. They're appalled at this, and start to speak to her of her responsibilities. She gives them an ultimatum. She won't stand by and let them decide this thing. She'll stand with these heroes and fight D'Arque. And if the Omnicron won't tell them where to find the child, she'll have no part of them anymore. She won't join them. She won't play her part as their ready-made messiah. She'll turn her back on them, and she'll do everything in her power to convince all other mages and powers that be to do the same. She'll see that their power over humanity's journey is broken. They're beside themselves. She's messing with their great design! But they realize she's not bluffing, and this Phantashia is powerful enough to be beyond their control. Finally, grudgingly, they concede, though they warn the heroes they may have destroyed any chance the world's--all worlds'--ultimate survival. The heroes don't buy it. Phantasm tells them (quite colorfully) what he thinks of them, and that they're not reacting to eternal events, but trying to control them to keep themselves in power. Mankind, he believes, can take care of itself.

With that, the heroes are transported to another Earth, with a final word from the Omnicron, saying that they don't forget easily. The original Forte, together again, are united to hunt down their greatest foe, and finish things once and for all.

This Earth, they find out, is slightly out of synch with regular time. They're now in the future, by a number of years. This world is a very hopeful place, a peaceful one, where the good guys, it seems, have won. The heroes of Forte are legendary, and seem to have not been bogged down with many of the weaknesses and shortcomings of the heroes we've known. Dr. Jackal was one of the world's great heroes, and died a couple of years before from cancer--an ailment he picked up while saving the Earth from a nuclear disaster. The team is on the right world, and in Seattle, but still need to find the girl, and D'Arque. They forsake any complicated super-powered methods of discovery for a simple phone book, and find a Samantha Parker listed there. They race to the address, to an apartment complex near the UOW campus, and burst in on a most unexpected scene.

The apartment is trashed, and four young superheroes are there, searching around. Each foursome is in shock at the sight of the other. Forte is looking at their own children, a local hero team called Fourstar, the next generation of Forte. Shrike is there, looking about seventeen years old. Both of Jack's daughters, Monique and Nikki, are there too, the heroines Exodess and Fairwolf, respectively, both about nineteen. And Mist's son is there as well, but it's not a post-teen Caleb. On this world, Sydney never got together with Stephen Strange, but married her old flame Dominic Fortune. Their son, the suave, daring gadgeteer with a whole lot of luck, is simply called Fortune. The Parker girls are overwhelmed with emotion, seeing their dead father, looking as young as he did in their childhood years. It's a strange "reunion" (especially to the very confused Michael D'Arque), but there's not much time for it. The girls' sister, Samantha, the one daughter who seemed to have no powers, has disappeared. After some quick explanations, they realize they have to find her. The only one who can help them is Michael D'Arque. He opens his mind--horrifying though it feels--to the other D'Arque's, and gets glimpses of what they see...and can find out where they are. They're in Canada, in the place that, on Forte's world, was Lucifer D'Arque's hidden lair. Climbing into the Silver Bullet--Forte's old copter that the kids are still using (though it's been quite modified by Uncle Vanguard over the years)--two generations of Forte fly north to face destiny.

They sneak into the place, and find what they're looking for. In a large chamber, the ceremony has begun. Samantha Parker is there, bound to a wall with mystical energies surrounding her. She's obviously in agony. Ellen there is there, casting the spell, still possessed by Forte's D'Arque. A couple of other D'Arque's are in attendance, as are most of the D'Arque Ones, bowing in worship at this black ceremony. Up on a dais, magical energies are swirling around, and a form is beginning to coalesce in the center of the vortex...the form of the nearly resurrected Lucifer D'Arque. Not taking time for impregnation this time, D'Arque has used magic for the process, and the "child" is growing before their eyes, taken spiritually from Samantha, possessing her special, powerful essence. And ghost-like images of other D'Arques are appearing from nowhere and being drawn into the vortex--the rebirth, and the union of the minds and souls of all D'Arque's, is taking place.

The heroes are on them. Ellen, with D'Arque's consciousness, sees them, and casts another spell. The D'Arque Ones are horribly transformed into hideous demons that attack. The two alternate D'Arque's (waiting their turn in line, perhaps?) also attack, and Sorceress Supreme Phantashia rushes into mystical battle with them. Forte and Fourstar take on the demons, parents and children fighting side by side. Phantasm and Shrike wade through them, putting on an epic display of marital mastery. Mist wields her weather powers while Fortune manages--as usual--to cheat death at every step. The Parker twins (of course, they're triplets on this world) work in perfect, practiced unison. Jack smashes his way through to Samantha and takes his daughter's hand. Through her pain-blurred eyes, she sees her father, who had told her just before his death that he'd always be there for her when she needed him. And this Dr. Jackal is able to be there for his daughter this time, and will not fail her. He stands with her, and tells her to fight it, to fight D'Arque--it's her dimensional powers, dormant until now, that D'Arque is using to draw his selves together. He gives her strength, and the girl tries to resist.

Phantashia dispatches the D'Arques, her powers much greater than Forte's Phantashia. She turns to Ellen, knowing she's the power behind the ceremony that needs to be stopped, and the two women flood each other with arcane barrages, battling not on a physical, but a mystical and spiritual level. Sydney tries to help, like Jack, encouraging Ellen to fight D'Arque's control, telling her that she's knows her soul is still in there, and she can beat him. Ellen seems to be fighting, too, giving Phantashia a bit of an edge...but not enough. The ceremony is almost complete.

Father Michael D'Arque watches all of this from the shadows, a man of faith faced with sights no human eyes were meant to see. The guilt of knowing that it’s another version of himself up there is almost too much, seeing all the evil that he could become. He's faced doubts these past months like he's never faced before, but in the end, his faith is sure. And he can't stand by and watch this happen. Crossing himself and speaking a few poignant words in Latin, Michael D'Arque runs madly at the dais and throws himself into the vortex, making the ultimate sacrifice. His body disappears, and his soul becomes of part of the frenzied joining.

And in all those D'Arque souls, there is suddenly one of pure goodness...and it fights. And the D'Arque mass is weakened...weakened enough. Enough to slow the process down and give Samantha and Ellen a chance with their own battles. They begin to gain ground. Samantha cries out in agony, but Jack is there, holding her hand, telling her he knows she can do it. Phantashia is straining and near collapse, but Sydney keeps yelling to Ellen, and Ellen begins to exert control again, little by little. But the D'Arque child, almost completely tangible now, a vision of Lucifer D'Arque looking young and strong and powerful, is still coming together...

Phantasm leaps into the vortex, a black machine of rage, and the whirling energies tear at his costume and flesh. But the pain doesn't stop him. He starts throwing punch after punch into D'Arque's face. With each blow, Phantasm screams out another name. This is for Andy! This is for Frank! For Trixie! For Jeanette! For Sabrina! The being's head is rocked side to side, and its strength is waning as Samantha and Ellen gain more and more ground. Phantashia calls out that it's working, that they almost have him.

Bloodied and half-mad, John Clayton stretches out an arm and pops out one of the poles in his costume that extend his glider wings. He rips the metal pole out and raises it high above his head.

"Go to Hell," he growls at D'Arque. "And STAY THERE!!!"

He brings the pole down, thrusting it through D'Arque's chest. A deafening primal scream of agony and loss fills the chamber, and the D'Arque being that very nearly was explodes, throwing Phantasm back across the room. Ellen collapses (as does Phantashia), finally free of D'Arque forever, the piece of his soul within her gone with him. Samantha Parker is freed, and father and daughter cling desperately to each other and weep, Dr. Jackal telling her how proud he is of her, finally able to hold the child that Lucifer D'Arque had stolen from him. The souls of Lucifer D'Arques from countless worlds had been drawn here, and are now lost to eternity, and these villains all disappear at once from the Earths they came from, wiped from existence. Forte's Lucifer D'Arque? Gone forever. And it couldn't have happened without the ultimate sacrifice of one priest who believed that one good soul can triumph over any evil, no matter how great. His final fate? No one can tell, but each of the heroes believes his faith was ultimately rewarded.

With the threat of D'Arque gone, both to Forte and to many other worlds, it's time for the heroes to return. There is time, though, to stay a little while and get to know their grown-up children. Samantha Parker, whose other self was a dark, sadistic, tortured soul, is, on this world, a bright, sweet and wonderful young woman...one who now knows she does have powers like her sisters, and a destiny she knew nothing of. Her powers, though, seem to have subsided again, mostly. D'Arque pulled them out of her ahead of their time, but in the process woke them. She has only an inkling of the dimensional teleporting abilities they all saw at the ceremony, but her powers will grow to their full potential in the course of time. For now, she just wants to spend time with her father again, to get to know this Dr. Jackal. She asks to return to Forte's world with them for a while, and Dr. Jackal can't think of anything he'd like more. They have a lot of catching up to do.

After good-byes to Fourstar, Phantashia returns the heroes, and Samantha, to Forte's world. They say their good-byes, too, to Phantashia, an other-worldly version of their fallen friend, who turned out to be just as much the hero as the one they knew. She returns to her own world, and to her promise to stay with the Omnicron. She'll keep her word, but they'll find her much less of a willing student. Perhaps, in time, she can teach them a thing or two about the humanity they claim to watch over. She has the Forte heroes' thanks and love.

And the legend lives on.