Family Reunion

The Search is the first of two stories in Scooby Apocalypse #11, by DC Comics. It was followed by Boy Meets Dog!

Premise
Velma takes the gang to Dinkley Tower in Seattle, where she thinks one of her brothers can help end the plague that's turned most humans into monsters, but that's the last thing he wants.

Synopsis
On a highway just outside Seattle, Washington, Daphne and Velma discuss her brothers role in changing the nanites from removing the more primal instincts of man to simply turning them into sheep, which went wrong when the nanites became self-aware. Velma wants to know how that happened, and thinks that her brother, Rufus, might be able to help, if they can trust him. In the background, Fred, Shaggy (and Scooby) talk about the creepy emptiness of Seattle, the sudden absence of monsters, and the fact that Velma and Daphne are getting along. They then press on in the Mystery Machine to Dinkley Tower.

Meanwhile at Dinkley Tower, Rufus is using a monster as target practice. Daisy doesn't think this is a good idea, but this only irritates him, which only gets worse when she reminds him that he keeps killing the scientists that he needs to learn how to control the monsters, causing him to punch her in the face. He puts her worries down to not taking her pills, which she won't take because it makes her confused, but he forces her agree to keep taking them.

Back on the street, the gang have come to a wreckage of crushed cars stacked against each other, forcing them to travel on foot, except for Fred, who Daphne instructs him to stay in the van because of his hurt leg. The four make it to the tower, only to make the shocking discovery that dead monsters have been lined against the middle of the wall as if in a shrine. Shaggy sees this as their cue to leave, but Velma feels that the bodies are still warm, meaning there still may be people around.

Meanwhile at the van, Fred is moaning about having to stay behind, when he quickly has to hide himself from a parade of monsters walking past, acting as some kind of tribe, carrying dead meat and fruit.

Velma and the others have entered the building and make their way to the top, as Rufus looks at a video Hugo Dinkley, who has committed suicide out of the chaos that has occurred. As Rufus mocks what his brother has done, Daisy interrupts him, complaining about hearing a noise, but Rufus is more interested in another noise coming from out of the building. He walks to the balcony to see swarms of monsters fill the streets, which he sees as some kind of love parade rather than a form of attack.

The four wanderers finally make to the weakly barricaded office of Rufus. Velma surmises this is because he thinks the tower's defenses will protect him. She knocks on the door, scaring Rufus and Daisy into thinking they could be monsters, but Rufus rationalises that this is what caused the noise that Daisy was talking about before: human activity. Daisy sheepishly says hello through the door, getting Velma to respond. Instead of being happy, Rufus gets his rifle ready, telling Daisy to stand clear.

Characters
Main characters:
 * Daphne Blake
 * Dr. Velma Dinkley
 * Fred Jones
 * Shaggy Rogers
 * Scooby-Doo

Supporting characters:
 * Daisy Dinkley

Villains:
 * Monsters
 * Rufus T. Dinkley

Other characters:
 * Dr. Mindip Mondoor
 * Dr. Cassidy Williams
 * The Four
 * Hugo Dinkley

Locations

 * California
 * Seattle, Washington
 * Dinkley Tower
 * The Complex

Objects

 * Velma's googles
 * Velma's laptop
 * Scooby's emotigoogles

Vehicles

 * Mystery Machine

Full credits
The following credits try to match how they are displayed in the comic as much as possible:
 * Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis: writers
 * Dale Eaglesham (pp. 15-17) & Tom Derenick (pp 16-17): art
 * Hi-Fi: colors
 * Travis Lanham: letters
 * Howard Porter and Hi-Fi: main cover
 * Paul Gulacy and Rain Beredo: variant cover
 * Brittany Holzherr: assoc. editor
 * Marie Javins: benevolent overlord
 * Based on a concept by: Jim Lee

Continuity

 * Dr. Mondoor was killed by Rufus in the previous story.

Notes/trivia

 * Unlike previous stories, Daphne has no contempt towards Velma for being involved in Project Elysium.
 * Cassidy Williams is a reference to the Cassidy Williams from the Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated television series.

Coloring mistakes

 * None known.

Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities

 * None known.