Lady, the only thing that brought me to Chicago was the best deep-dish pizza in the world. 
Sword of Sorcery (Volume 2) #4 is an issue of the series Sword of Sorcery (Volume 2) with a cover date of March, 2013. It was published on January 23, 2013.
Synopsis for "The Catalyst, Part Five: Hostile Takeover"
After having helped save the world from the threat of Nick Necro and the Books of Magic, Princess Amaya hopes to go back to Nilaa before her mother dies of worry. Unfortunately, John Constantine's House of Mystery is hard to navigate, and she needs his help to get back anyway, thanks to the portal crystal that he stole when she first left earth.
Before he can use it to send her back, though, it suddenly occurs to her that the House can go anywhere. Having suddenly got a craving for something particular, she asks whether they can take a slight detour in Chicago. Despite some confusion, John agrees.
After changing into street clothes and bumming some money from John - who reminds her that she will owe him - she steps out of the House of Mystery onto a Chicago street, crossing over to Vito's Pizzaria for the first pizza she's eaten since leaving earth. Savouring the taste, she wonders if she'll ever taste it again, once she goes home. Even so, she has to go back.
Stepping out into the street, Amy is confused when she walks into the middle of a runic circle and is dragged away by Demons.
She finds herself in an office on Lake Shore Drive, where a woman holding an arcane object explains that she has brought Amy there because she wants her magic necklace. This woman has been collecting magical objects in the hopes of gaining even more power than she already has as head of her company. One of those objects was a magic mirror in which she saw Amaya using her power in Nilaa. So, she expended some of the magic she had managed to acquire in order to bring the girl to her, and take her magic necklace.
Eager to avoid any traps, the corporate witch drags Amy into a room where she has taken her employees hostage to demons, warning that she will have them killed if Amy doesn't hand the necklace over. Grumpily, Amy gives it up, but she is knocked in among the prisoners, as she is betrayed.
Gleefully, the woman activates the necklace's power, her garb transforming to match that of a princess of House Amethyst. However, the woman fails to realize that Amy's power comes not from the necklace, but from the blood of Amethyst, which runs in Amy's veins. Mocking the witch's crude plan, Amy uses her power to attack her and free the employees.
Desperately, the witch decides to call on a strong demon to fight for her. Amy, realizing that she can control the mist-silk cape that the witch now wears, thanks to her blood magic, wraps it around the wearer's neck and chokes off her incantation. Amy warns her to change back to her normal clothes if she wants to live, taking the necklace back for herself, and commanding the woman to close her portal to hell.
The witch is unwilling to give up her power, so Amy slices her wand in half. In response, the demon she was summoning reaches up and drags the witch down to hell, leaving Amy with no choice but to call Constantine for help closing the portal.
Despite knowing that she should take the portal crystal Constantine stole home with her, thereby closing off her connection to Earth forever, Amy can't bring herself to do it. As compromise and instead of the money she owes him, Amy agrees to come back to Earth at John's calling, whenever he may have need of her.
After sending her home, John grumbles to himself that Nilaa is the source of a great evil that has come to earth - and that Amy will end up paying the price for it.
Appearing in "The Catalyst, Part Five: Hostile Takeover"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Ilene
- Demons
Other Characters:
- Ryan
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Damned If You Do"
Long ago, there was a barbarian king who was both a great warrior and a devoted husband. As such, when his Queen Lyll'ana was stricken with the black fever, he swore he would give anything to keep her alive. While praying for her life in the chapel, he was interrupted by a mysterious man who offered his assistance, in lieu of God's. For a price, he would cure the queen and their unborn child. The price would be a strong soul from the king's bloodline. Eager to save his family, the king gave up his own soul willingly.
The queen did, indeed recover. However, when the time of her child's birth came, she died in the process of giving it life, and distraught, the king would not acknowledge it. Angrily, the king searched out the wizard who had tricked him. The wizard responded that he had not promised that the queen would survive childbirth. As such their deal was intact, and would be honoured. The king, henceforth known as Stalker, would wander the earth, soulless, until it ceased to exist. The reason why would be revealed in its own time.
For centuries, Stalker satisfied his anger by killing in war. Eventually, times changed, and he became a killer for hire. Killing, though, had lost its charm. It wouldn't matter for much longer, as he would soon come to see what his new purpose was to be.
Appearing in "Damned If You Do"
Featured Characters:
- Stalker (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Lyll'ana
Villains:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
See Also