Full Story:

Downtown, Los Angeles. 3 a.m. A turned on its side transport vehicle is laying on the hood of a parked car and two Detectives (Dect. Wayne and Dect. Davis) are walking past the transport. One Detective states "that shouldn't this stuff be happenin in Metropolis or Keystone?" The other Detective says "At least it's not another freakin high-speed freeway chase." LA Police Officer Tommy calls Dect. Wayne and Davis to the end of the transport. They look inside and see a shattered window and blood everywhere inside the holding area. One Detective asks about the transport Officers, if there was any trace of them to Tommy. Tommy hesitates a minute then says, "'Trace' is as good a way to describe it as any."

Los Angeles Federal Courthouse. Sixteen hours earlier. You then see a picture of Copperhead inside a bank with victims in his hands on a television. Kate Spencer (Federal Prosecutor) is stating that there were twelve dead, three in persistent vegetative states and two with severe post-traumatic stress disorder in addition to their missing limbs. Kate is giving her closing statement to the jury, stating that the defendant "Copperhead is no longer attacking just so-called 'superheroes'; he has become a metagene-amplified serial killer." She goes on saying that he has killed again and again without mercy or compunction, that he will never change. Kate asks for the verdict of death. She then sits next to Damon, her assistant F. P., who says, "Nice close, boss" which Kate replies "we'll see."

The Defense Attorney Carter begins his closing statement. He states the metahuman gene, that is what the case hinges upon. Carter goes on saying that what was shown in the video should have sickened the jury, "that it sickens me." He then states, "What sane human being could bring such destruction upon his fellow man?, that the answer is: none." My client is the victim of evolution gone awry. Carter then goes one to state that the Defense wants the jury to believe that Copperhead enjoys his current state, and then asks the jury "who would choose such a life? Since Copperhead is a genetic anomaly, how can he be held to the standards of human behavior?", "Not guilty the D.A. says to the jury.

Kate and Damon are in a waiting office, Kate is smoking a cigarette and Damon is tapping a pen on a desk. Kate asks Damon to stop tapping the pen and he asks her to stop smoking, in which Kate tosses the cigarette out the window. Damon asks Kate if she has any predictions on the case. Kate responds "no, Carter's even more of a snake than his client" and that she just didn't know. Damon says that he isn't worried and that Kate was great was in the courtroom, he thought that they "had this one in our pocket." Just then the bailiff opens the door and states the jury is back. Damon then says "or not."

Back in the courtroom, Kate and Damon are sitting at their desk as the jury is sitting down. Kate says to Damon that they let him off, which in turn Damon states, "think good thoughts". The Bailiff hand the Judge the verdict paper from the jury and the Judge looks at the paper and asks if the jury has reached a verdict. The Foreman of the jury states yes, "in the case of the people of the state of California vs. Copperhead - we find the defendant not guilty by reason of genetic anomaly." Damon looks shocked and Kate has a blank stare. The Judge asks for order in the court and states "That until a more permanent arrangement can be made, Copperhead will be held at the Death Valley Metahuman Research Facility." D.A. Carter says to Kate "You fought well, maybe next time." Kate asks him if he had any idea of what he just did and he said "saved a life." As Kate turns to walk away she tell him to keep telling himself that.

As Kate is leaving the Courthouse, reporters stop her. One of the reporters asks how she felt about the jury's decision. She states that she finds it "ironic that we live in a society where it is considered humane to put down a rabid animal, but inhumane to execute a perverse sadist who has killed." As Kate goes on Copperhead is being escorted out and Kate looks at him. She see Copperhead smile under his mask, which upsets her and leaves saying that she has nothing else to say.

The transport Officers are making small talk between themselves about having to transport Copperhead then hears a thump from the holding area. One of the Officers looks back and sees the restraints that were on Copperhead. Just then Copperhead's hands bust through the safety wire and grabs the Officer (who was looking back there) by the head and pulls him through the small window.

Kate is sitting in her office, going through her desk looking for some cigarettes while talking (more to the point, arguing) to Peter (her ex-husband) on the phone. He guesses (you only hear her side of the conversation) that she is going to light a cigarette and they begin to argue over that. Kate then tells him to tell him (her son) "mommy had to work to put a bad guy away." She then states that Peter will violate the custody - just then she hears over a scanner - "lost contact with the Copperhead transport" - she then tells Peter she needs to go. She then looks at Damon's badge.

Downtown. 3:10 am. Officer Tommy is bringing the two Detectives down an alley where another Officer is taking some pictures. One Detective asks, "Why the trash pile pics?" In which Officer Tommy responds, "Those aren't trash piles Detective..." One Detective covers his mouth while the other asks if that was both of them. Officer Tommy states, "yeah, at least the parts that aren't liquefied." One Detective asks where's the rest and Officer Tommy says, "Copperhead's belly is my guess. S.T.A.R. Labs' report says he eats his victims." They see a trail of blood go to an open sewer hole, and then a photograph flash goes off. One Detective tells the other Police Officers to grab him "before these pics show up on Rotten.com!" Over the radio another Officer asks if Homicide was there yet, Tommy answers they were right in front of him. The Officer on the radio says to "send them down here. We found something they're definitely gonna wanna see." One Detective takes the radio and asks what it is and the Officer says, "don't wanna spoil the surprise."

Flashback - Kate walks out of an elevator and up to a door. She puts a card (Damon's badge) into a card slot and opens the door. Kate walking into the evidence room and starts looking around, she tells herself "this has to be done", then repeats herself. Kate picks up a bag that holds cards with a picture of a joker on them. She then says to herself, "I can do this." She grabs a staff.

The Transport vehicle is now turned on it's side and collided with a car. There is screaming coming from the vehicle and see Copperhead with a severed forearm and hand in his mouth and hand. Some people on the street yells for someone to call 911, then Copperhead busts out of the vehicle yelling "Dirty warm-bloods" while saliva hits the ground in front of a crowd then runs into an alley.

A shadowed character is jumping rooftops and almost falls after not making it completely to one rooftop. The shadowed figure then sees the transport and sees Copperhead in the alley. "Okay, Kate" says the person jumping down, let's do this." Copperhead turns and looks at Kate and laughs, asking "Who are you supposed to be? 'Los Angeles Girl?'" Kate fires the staff that she is holding at Copperhead, who darts out of the way and scratches Kate. Kate fires the staff again and hits Copperhead in the left shoulder. Copperhead then grabs a sewer lid and throws it at Kate, saying, "Catch." Kate goes to block it and the staff somehow makes the lid bend in half and Kate is surprised. Copperhead then goes down into the sewer and Kate follows. Walking through the sewers using the staff as a light, Kate looks for Copperhead. Copperhead who was hiding up above jumps down onto Kate and pushes her into the water. "What will you taste like?" Copperhead asks as he holds Kate face up to his. Kate says, "dunno..." and punches him in the jaw saying, "Doesn't everything taste like chicken?" A Kaboom comes from the sewer hole.

"Can't we wait for the haz-mat suits?" asks one Detective as they head into the sewers. Both Detectives are talking while a Police Officer is guiding them in the sewer saying, "Just around here..." "Whoa. That twists the plot, don't it?" One Detective says as he looks around a corner to see Copperhead's bloody body up against the sewer wall....




with one word scratched into it....




MANHUNTER

Characters:

Kate Spencer/Manhunter (Federal Prosecutor)
Damon (Matthews; his full name was not given in this issue) (Assistant Federal Prosecutor)
Defense Attorney Carter (Leslie Carter is his full name, stated in later issue)

Copperhead

Detective Wayne (only issue appeared in)
Detective Davis (only issue appeared in)
Police Officer Tommy (no last name given, only issue appeared in)
Unnamed Judge
Unnamed Police Officers

Issue summary written by: glguardian (Tad Dupre)