Start of a brainteaser whose answer appears in order, from top to bottom, in this puzzle's circled squares

Question:

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Similar Crossword Questions:

Mark that appears four times in this puzzle (hint: the baseball player who's the answer to this puzzle uses one, too)
Secret get-together, or what occurs literally in each of this puzzle's circled squares
Movie good guys responsible for the circled squares in eight long puzzle answers
Letter that appears at least once in every single answer in this puzzle
What the three sets of circled squares in this puzzle represent
Welcome mat spot (our puzzle title hints at the theme revealed by the pattern of circled squares)
What's revealed by connecting the special squares in this puzzle in order
Gather wealth by exploitation ... as hinted at by this puzzle's circled squares?
Company "sorted" in this puzzle's circled squares
Drink cooler ... or a hint to six squares in this puzzle's answer
Company whose movies, not counting sequels, are all included in this puzzle [Circled Squares: 2009]
Geographical features ... or what the circled squares in this puzzle represent
Work by Sir Edward Elgar hinted at by this puzzle's circled squares
Question asked by a customs officer or a kid on Christmas ... with a hint to this puzzle's circled squares
How this answer appears
Party snack (and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters)
Start to this puzzle's theme, appropriately
Alice Walker novel ... or a hint to 12 squares in this puzzle
What the circled letter in this answer represents, homophonically
Word or phrase with no repeated letters, such as every answer in this puzzle
Word that can precede each set of circled letters, forming a literal hint for entering certain answers in this puzzle
Second letters of this puzzle's five theme answers (seen in order)
Start of a restaurant order
Start of a nautical order
Fitting final answer for this puzzle?