Across the street, John Constantine watches the little pack of Nazis pass. They're on the trail of some poor gay bloke now, and it looks like he's got a beating ahead of him. He watches the British Boys follow the man inside a public toilet, and closes in.

With their prey cornered, the Boys move in for the kill - not realising that the person they've been following isn't human. It's on them in seconds, razor talons and sharp teeth tearing them to shreds.

Constantine builds up the courage to intervene, but upon entering the toilet he finds it empty, save for some shattered sinks, gore splashed over the walls, and the words DAMNATION ARMY written in blood on the ceiling. He follows a trail of blood to an access trapdoor in the corner of the room but declines to follow.

Which turns out to be a good choice because Nergal, the demon that slaughtered the Boys, is still down there. It chides itself for killing them outright when its aim was actually to convert them to its cause. Nevertheless, it concedes that giving in to its bloodlust could work to its advantage. Gathering up the remains of the boys, it dives into the rank sewer water, surfacing in the underground lair where the Damnation Army awaits.

In the Queens Arms pub, Constantine orders a Bloody Mary and telephones an associate of his, a journalist named Tony who explains that The Damnation Army have been appearing all over the place, linked to hundreds of murders, sex attacks, suicides and other grisly phenomina. However, the police have placed a "D-list" (a kind of journalistic embargo) on each of the stories, suspecting that an underground cell of anarchist terrorists is at work. Constantine knows that it's something even more sinister, but is still puzzled by its true nature.

John returns to Zed's, but the sound of voices from inside startles him. Indoors, God's Warriors, the strong arm of the Resurrection Army, have confronted Zed. It seems that she was once a member of the Crusade under the name "Mary", but she ran away. Now something is approaching, and "The Tongues of Fire" need her back so that they can prepare her...

Zed grabs a nearby knife and threatens to skewer anyone who comes near her, but it's not until John arrives - pretending to have a gun hidden in his coat pocket - that they get the message and leave. A still frightened Zed tells John that he doesn't own her, and he reassures her that he's on her side.

Down in his lair, Nergal sifts through the remains of the British Boys, fusing their shattered bones and ripped muscle together to create a new, terrible creature. Then, taking their anger, frustration, hate and bile, he brings the monster to life. He burns the words DAMNATION ARMY into its chest and sends it out onto the streets.

Once it's clawed its way out of a drainage pipe, the creature - now calling itself Ironfist The Avenger - takes stock of its situation. Kenny, Wayne, Keef and Col are all fully aware of what's happened, but they're not frigtened. Finally, they're a real team, with none of the fear and confusion they used to have. At last, they have a job. Following Nergal's commands, Ironfist kills the God's Warriors that were staking out Zed and begins scaling the wall of her apartment building...

Meanwhile, John is searching through Zed's personal effects, looking for connections to the Crusaders. He finds her diary, but before he can read it, the sound of shattering glass signals the arrival of Ironfist upstairs. Knife in hand, John sprints upstairs only to find himself face-to-faces with the lumbering giant.

Realising that his knife is useless, John relies on his sharp wits instead as he points out the tattoos on each arm; one supporting Chelsea, the other supporting Arsenal. The British Boys, suddenly reminded of their true colours, begin to attack one another. As Ironfist tears itself apart, John and Zed take to their feet. A cab ride from Chas takes them to safe territory - Ray Monde's place.

John notices that Ray's shop is boarded up, and hope fervently that Ray himself hasn't left town. Thankfully, the old chap's still around. Sadly, however, it seems that his clientele have been deserting him due to rumours that he has AIDS. After Zed's gone to sleep (aided with a couple of Ray's sleeping pills), John asks Ray whether the rumours are true. Ray says that they are.

Dawn arrives but Constantine's still awake, trying to get to grips with the crisis he's found himself in. The telephone rings, and John answers. Nergal is on the other end, but refuses to reveal his identity, only telling John that they have encountered each other once before - John cannot place the voice, though. Before cutting John off, Nergal gives John an ultimatum: join the Damnation Army, or face the demon's wrath.

Issue synopsis written by James Wilkinson