Marvel: The Lost Generation #5 (October 2000)

It's that time again! It's time to return to the adventures of the Lost Generation of Marvel Super Heroes: The First Line! Last time, we looked in on the Line as they helped prevent the Skrulls and their super-villainous cronies from wrecking the historic Moon Landing. But they had another adventure in the Swingin' Groovin' 1960s. Let's take a look at it! This is Marvel: The Lost Generation #5!

The cover is a John Byrne and Al Milgrom piece. I love it! It's such a cool cover. You have the First Line gasping in shock at a familiar hammer. Gets you wondering why Thor himself has shown up.

"Wild in the Streets"
Writers: Roger Stern, John Byrne
Penciler: John Byrne
Inker: Al Milgrom
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Jack Morelli
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins in Asgard, the realm Eternal. Odin is sitting on his throne, and he is not a happy skyfather. It's not the throne itself, that's fine. The new cushions are nice and comfy. What he's angry about...is Thor.

"Thou has spilled the royal coffee on mine favorite couch for the last time, Thor!"

You see, Odin had been working to renew a royal truce between Asgard and Niffelheim. Things were finally cool between the Asgardians and the Storm Giants. Of course, Thor had to go and screw it all up by trespassing on some forbidden lands. Dagnabit, Thor...

Thor defends himself by saying there was a legit reason he was there. He was pursuing a monster that was a threat to Asgardian and Storm Giant alike, and he feels Odin is deliberately ignoring that part. Odin is in no mood to hear it. He tells Thor that the Thunder God must go to Midgard (what the Asgardians call Earth), and see this evil to its end. And it's here that we head to Earth. 

We're still in the 1960s, before the Moon Landing. A mysterious singer has a whole lot of young people ensorcelled by her magical songs. Among the people enraptured is Autumn MacRae, the superheroine Sunshine, much to the horror of her husband Fred, aka Captain Hip. 

Yeah, you may remember the MacRae family from earlier issues. It can be presumed that their daughter Truth is very young at this point. Pixie tells Fred there's nothing they can do now, as they need to find out who is behind all this at the moment.

The singer on the stage would have a natural knack for getting people under her spell, as this singer is no ordinary woman: this woman was Venus. As in the Olympian Goddess of Love.

Funny enough, Timely Comics (the predecessor to Marvel Comics) published a romance comic series starring Venus from 1948 to 1952. It lasted 19 issues. The series started out light-hearted but would take on darker sci-fi and horror themes through its short run. It's also notable for introducing an early version of Marvel's incarnation of Loki. 

If we go by how Marvel incorporated their Golden Age comics into their canon, then we can assume that not only were the events of those series canon, but they also happened in-universe in the late-40s/early 50s. So yeah, Venus would be running around in the MU in the 1960s.

She herself has seemingly fallen under the spell of a mysterious man.

"Now, who wants to hear some Chubby Checker?!"

He laments that his power no longer works on everyone, just the young, but since gods can have eternal youth, they still work on Venus. Backstage, the ensorcelled Sunshine is brought backstage. Venus wonders how she could be affected, as Sunshine is in her mid-twenties at this point, too old for the power to work on her. But Sunshine says that age is a state of mind. The man behind is worried about something else. If Sunshine was in the crowd, then other superhumans could be there as well...and that could get the attention of the First Line. And much to his fear, Pixie is spying on him. She spots a man towering over her and hits him with her petrifying pixie dust. But it has no effect. You can guess why.

"Urgh! Tastes like cranberries! I hate cranberries!"

Heh heh, that's pretty funny. Anyway, Captain Hip is off looking for Sunshine himself, as he thinks Pixie flaked out on him. He finds her, but she has no idea who she even is. In fact, she blasts him with her powers. She can create kaleidoscopic light effects that can dazzle or even hypnotize people. She can even use this power to control minds...which makes you wonder how she can be effected by Venus. But then again, Venus is a goddess, and Sunshine has to actively try to control someone's mind, so...yeah. Either way, Captain Hip is out of action for a while.

Meanwhile, Black Fox is angrily grumbling about "the hippies".

"Those hippies stole my car!"

One member of the Line, a Major Mercury, thinks this is just kids acting up, a tradition in every generation. Black Fox disagrees. This isn't normal juvenile delinquency. The Fox believes an old enemy of his is behind this. A man...called Rumor. Thankfully, Pixie has brought Thor to the First Line. The Black Fox is naturally unhappy with Pixie just bringing presumed gods straight to their command post, but the argument is tabled for now. After all, there's a massive gathering of youths...being led by Sunshine and the now mind-controlled Captain Hip. 

One First Liner, Frank (who may or may not be Frankenstein's Monster. Personally, I think he's a different monster. That's because in the comics, the actual Monster was in suspended animation in the 1960s, and wouldn't be revived until the Marvel Age), doesn't want to hurt the kids. Mr. Justice is sure Black Fox has a plan, but he disappeared.

Makes sense when you keep in mind that Robert Paine is meant to be a pastiche of Batman. Thor's had enough and is eager for some action. Oxbow will hold the fort down as he's been sidelined with a broken leg. I imagine he got injured in an earlier battle. 

Meanwhile, Effigy is sneaking around. He thinks about how the world is seemingly falling apart since 1963. He hints something really bad happened then, but he's not going to let an entire generation of Americans suffer. After all, he owes it to the Yankee Clipper. He sneaks in pretending to be a child that's hard of hearing and ends up recognizing Venus. Effigy's thoughts reveal that he and Venus first met in 1952. Again, the last issue of Venus's comic was published in 1952, so it can be assumed that they met after the events of it. 

Effigy asks for Venus's autograph. Rumor tells her to keep him close by, not realizing the boy is actually Effigy. He then puts on a special mask.

"The mask makes me feel pretty!"

To Effigy, the mask confirms that the man is Rumor, mind controlling war criminal. During World War II, he was a hidden member of Hitler's elite, using his powers to subtly amplify the madman's own charisma and persuasive abilities. Until he ran into an Allied intelligence agent named Robert Paine. Yup, Paine was an Allied spy before he became the Black Fox. Rumor managed to flee the future costumed crimefighter and had not been seen since. Effigy had heard, well, rumors about Rumor's activity since, mostly that he may be helping the Soviets, but this is the first confirmed activity he's been involved in since the war. Makes you wonder what he was doing in the last nearly twenty years since.

Black Fox is watching the march, and he finds it ironic that Captain Hip and Sunshine are leading them, despite they're being mind-controlled. You see, the Fox believes that the two got their powers thanks to secret drug tests from the CIA. Yeah, a government agency may have created the superhumans that just may end up destroying it.

The Fox tries to use some sleeping gas to slow the march down, but there's far too many people. He also manages to knock out Sunshine before her dazzle powers knock her silly. An angry Captain Hip starts beating him down with his own superior speed and strength. Thankfully, the Fox is saved by Thor, who has arrived with the rest of the First Line. They need to contain the riot; Frank gives it a shot by throwing a car over the crowd...but Major Mercury is able to bring it a gentle landing. That's because throwing a car could cause a fire and even an explosion thanks to damaging the gas tank.

How are the Line doing when it comes to containing the riot? Honesty? ...things could be better. A lot better. 

Thor was sorely tempted to bring down the lightning after one kid kicked him in the nards.

The First Line may be full of experienced superheroes with a variety of powers, but they're massively outnumbered. Not to mention the First Line really do not want to harm any of these people, being innocent victims of Rumor and Venus. And as if fate has decided to be a big troll, Venus manages to get Thor under her power.

Yeah. It's not a good day to be a First Line member. Frank gives the addled God of Thunder a Mighty Punch across the chops, showing that he can potentially match him in raw power. Effigy is just left completely confused by the whole thing.

To be fair to Effigy, he wasn't in the room when Pixie introduced Thor to the Line. Rumor uses his power to make Frank toss Thor away, reasoning that his power will work on the monster's child-like mind. Meanwhile, Captain Hip and Sunshine are back to their normal selves. Hip is confused as to why Sunshine fell under Rumor's spell. After all, she's no kid. But Sunshine has a theory: she's pregnant. Yup, the MacRaes are going to be parents!

Remember Truth McRae from previous issues? Yes, she's the kid they're going to have here. Anyway, the rioting youths are advancing on the Line. Thankfully, a massive tragedy is averted as Effigy manages to capture Rumor, and Black Fox ends the threat.

"Augh, that was my favorite voice box! WHY?!"

Yeah, Rumor's vocal cords can produce a subsonic pulse, and I'm guessing his mask has some tech in it that helps enhance it. With that, Rumor's threat is stopped. Black Fox offers an invitation to Thor to join the First Line. Thor is not interested. He was only here to help stop the threat. And now that it's done, he has better things to do with his time than hang out with a bunch of mortals. Like get drunk.

Remember, this is long before Thor re-emerged in the Marvel Age a humbler god thanks to his time as Donald Blake. Frank suggests that Captain Hip and Sunshine join up, but like Thor, they're not interested in it, either. They've always preferred doing their own thing. Also, now that they got a kid on the way, Hip and Sunshine have decided that now is a good time for them to retire. Hang up their costumes for good, as it were. The story ends with Venus wondering if that was really Thor. Lady, you're a goddess, I think you'd know if that was the real deal or not. 

Sadly, I have to say, this is the weakest issue of the maxiseries so far. And that's a shame, because the First Line meeting a pre-Marvel Age Thor? That is just ripe for story and character potential. The Line dealing with an arrogant Thunder God that could presumably take any of them to the woodshed if they annoyed him enough? That sounds a like a big old fountain of story potential. I did like Thor remarking during the riot that he'd rather embrace Hela than allow the rioting children to come to harm. It's a nice little bit of subtle foreshadowing, showing that even though at this point, Thor is more arrogant, self-centered and hotheaded, he still has lines that he will not cross. He still has a code of honor, and helps show a bit of the humbler god he'll become in the future.

I also admit, I was a bit thrown off by Odin sending Thor down to Earth to deal with a "great threat", but then I remembered that "Oh yeah, Nazi war criminal managed to somehow get a goddess under control". Personally, I would have gone with the idea of an Asgardian monster or mad sorcerer making their way to Earth. That would be cooler in my opinion. 

As for John Byrne's art, nothing new. I still enjoyed it. That's pretty much it, really.

Sadly, this maxi-series has never been collected as a standalone trade. It was collected in a 2018 Omnibus: The Marvel Universe by John Byrne Vol. 2. Otherwise, you'll have to look around for the original issues. I got the maxi-series on eBay. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

International Cat Day

Today is International Cat Day!

This day was started in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare out of a desire to honor cats. Humans and cats have had a long relationship. It's believed that cats were domesticated in Africa and the Near East during the Neolithic Era. It's believed the modern domestic cat is descended from the African wildcat. In fact, there is evidence that Neolithic Man and wild cats had interacted quite a bit, presumably due to human settlements providing plenty of rodents for them to eat. From here, domesticated cats would spread to the Mediterranean into Europe via maritime trading and into Asia via the Great Silk Road. 

In actuality, what we call "domesticated" doesn't quite apply to cats. They never were selectively bred for complete domesticity. As a result, cats often retain behaviors of their wild ancestors. Ancient Egypt famously loved their cats, even mummifying them on their deaths. When the family cat died, the mourning family would shave their eyebrows and take said cat to Bubastis to be mummified. The goddess Bastet was depicted as having a cat's head, which led the Ancient Greeks to associate Artemis with cats. In the 19th century, cat breeds started to emerge.

Cats are known for their love of perching in high places and having excellent night vision. They only require one-sixth of the light humans require to see. They also have better noses and ears than humans. However, we have them beat in taste. Humans have 9,000 taste buds on their tongues, much greater than the cat's 470, and cats can't taste sweet things. Cats love hunting small prey, mainly rodents and birds. They either actively stalk prey, or ambush them. They can cause a lot of problems for local wildlife. 

As of 2007, over 500 million cats are kept as pets. Owning cats have been shown to help improve mental health, easing anxiety and depression. So show some love to cats today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

International Owl Awareness Day!

Today is International Owl Awareness Day!

Over 200 species of owl exist, found almost everywhere on Earth except for the polar ice caps. Owls tend to be nocturnal critters (exceptions are the northern hawk-owl and the burrowing owl). 

Owls are carnivorous birds of prey, their diets include small mammals, insects, and even other birds. However, there are some that eat fish. Owls are notable for being able to turn their heads almost 270 degrees. That's because their neck muscles, circulatory systems, as well as their neck vertebrae (Owls have 14, twice as many as humans' seven) are all adapted to allow this without cutting off blood flow to their brains. Owls can turn their heads in such ways, because unlike humans, they can't move their eyes around to look around them. Owl eyes are rather large compared to their skulls.

And speaking of eyes, owls have very good eyesight, especially in the dark...despite being far-sighted. Presumably, this is because of how they hunt. Owl ears are also unusual, as they are asymmetrically places on the owl's head. This aids them in determining where prey is by calculating the time between sounds hitting each ear.

Because of their being almost everywhere on earth, owls are known to many ancient cultures. North America and Europe tend to associate owls with wisdom and intelligence. That's because owls were associated with the Greek goddess Athena, goddess of wisdom and warfare. Among the Kikuyu people of Africa, owls are seen differently. They are seen as harbingers of death. According to them, hearing the hoot of an owl means you'll die soon. In India, owls are a symbol of wealth, prosperity, wisdom, and good fortune, associated with the goddess Lakshmi. In China, owls are more mixed. They can be seen as symbols of evil, but they are also seen as symbols of good luck in military affairs, protection against evil spirits at funerals, and even as incarnations of ancestors. Japan once viewed owls as a symbol of death, but now are more seen as a sign of good luck. Various Native American tribes tended to view owls as bogeymen or associate them with death and dark powers.

Yeah, owls are fascinating creatures. They also help with natural pest control. So, show some love to an owl today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to show this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

Happy National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

This day has been celebrated since at least 2005, and it's all about celebrating these cold treats.

The ice cream sandwich is a novelty food made from ice cream put between two thin biscuits called wafers, bread or most notably, cookie. 

The exact origins of ice cream sandwiches are actually unknown. But what is known is that ice cream vendors in New York City have been selling these as early as 1899. These early snacks were actually sold between two sheets of paper and called "hokey-pokeys". Later, thin biscuits made of cookie would be used, but it's unknown who innovated this. The first patent involving ice cream sandwiches was recorded in 1921 for a machine dedicating to making ice cream sandwiches. 

Other countries have also embraced the concept of the ice cream sandwich, with their own little twists. For example, in Singapore, ice cream sandwiches can use ice cream flavors like honeydew, red bean, and even sweet corn. In Iran, traditional ice cream called bastani is used for the center, sandwiched between two wafers. German ice cream sandwiches use Neapolitan ice cream in the center. 

Why are these treats so popular? Well, they're convenient, they tend to be cheap, and they're delicious. Not to mention they're a nice way to beat the heat. So enjoy one today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Justice #1 (November 1986)

Marvel's 1980s New Universe line is one that we've visited a few times in the past. Last January, I looked at Kickers, Inc. #1 (November 1986). In February 2021, I looked at D.P.7 #1 (November 1986). In May 2021, I looked at Psi-Force #1 (November 1986). In May 2022, I looked at Star Brand #1 (October 1986). And finally, back in November 2024, I looked at Nightmask #1 (November 1986). Yet, there is one title from this line I never looked at yet. I mentioned it, but never looked at. Until now.

For those not in the know, the New Universe, it was a line launched by then-Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter in the mid-1980s as 1986 would see the 25th Anniversary of Fantastic Four #1 in 1961, birthing the Marvel Universe as we know it today. The basic idea that the New Universe would be much more realistic than the MU, lacking any of the more fantastical elements of the mainstream Marvel Universe, like aliens, gods, mutants, super-tech, magic and all that...until a White Event randomly gave people superhuman powers. The NU was plagued with problems from the start, and the line didn't last very long. See my D.P.7. #1 review for more on that. I did mention earlier that there was one title I never got to look at, until now. I found a copy of it in the back issue bins of my local comic shop, and well, the rest is history. This title was one of the longer-lasting titles of the New Universe, reaching 32 issues. This is Justice #1! 

The cover is a Geof Isherwood piece. It's pretty cool. It depicts Justice about to blast a man in front of a horrified crowd. It is a cool cover, but it makes him look like a horror movie villain. 

"Brave New World"
Writer: Archie Goodwin
Penciler: Geof Isherwood
Inkers: Joe Del Beato, Jack Fury
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Letterer: Nick Parker
Editor: Michael Higgins
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins in Manhattan, in particular, the neighborhood known as Alphabet City. The neighborhood got its name thanks to it having avenues named A, B, C, and D.

We look in on Eudora Simpson. A 71-year-old retired African-American seamstress, she had cashed her Social Security check towards getting some shopping. Well, that was before three young men decided to make her into a corpse. 

"All this for five bucks and a bag of cookies. Thievin' ain't as profitable as it used to be..."

Meet Slits (the one in the glasses), Pink (the guy in the pink shirt), and Home (the guy in the white shirt). These three are a trio of wannabe gangbangers, who are willing to do anything for easy money, including killing an old woman who never hurt them. The three flee back to their hideout, unaware that there is a man standing on the stairs above them. He comes down and the three spot him.

Slits thinks he's a lawman, but not like any lawman he's seen before. He ain't wrong. Pink thinks the man's on something, thanks to his solid red eyes. Slits thinks he's scoping them, like he's checking to see if they're a threat to him. Through the man's eyes, we see that to him these three men are white outlines with green blobs in them. These are their auras.

You'll see what I mean later. Slits whips out a knife, demanding this very 80s-dressed man introduce himself. The man...happily obliges.

"AGH, THE PINK! NOT THE PINK! MY ONE WEAKNESS!"

Justice also has a sister named Truth, and brothers named American Way and Better Tomorrow. Justice looks at the ashes that were once the three gangbangers. This world is alien to him, but his purpose is not. He picks up Slits's sunglasses and puts them on, his narration implying that the light on Earth is much harsher on this world. He's observed enough about this world to get around, as he has a couple mysteries to solve: who brought him here, and where he is.

We next head to Baja, California. A butler named Lorenzo is working in a mansion there, bringing a drink to a man in a hot tub, the steam concealing his features and body. He tells Lorenzo to get his son on the phone...on the scrambled line.

Said son, Damon by name, is chastising a man named Hardesty. Hardesty was evidently working towards a deal with the Japanese, and it fell through.

Hardesty begs Damon not to fire him. He burned all his bridges to work here at Conquest Dynamics. If he loses this job, he is screwed. Damon suggests something else to make up for it, a ritual the Japanese are known for, according to him. He saw it in a movie once.

"I also would like to add your finger to my collection. It's not weird, you're weird!"

Damon is referring to yubitsume, the practice of removing a portion of one's little finger to atone for failure. It's done mainly by the yakuza, Japanese gangsters. Hardesty himself points that out, but Damon doesn't care. He gets a call from his father, and tells Hardesty he has a choice: yubitsume or firing. As Hardesty agonizes over the decision, Damon Conquest is informed by his father that "he" (presuming Justice) survived the ambush. He not only survived, he evidently crossed over to Earth. Damon wonders how that happened, as the company funneled power to the "Farside" to prevent that. Damon's dad theorized the "White Event" may have caused it. Damon's not worried. After all, he can handle Justice.

"My Green Energy will handle his pink no problem."

Damon's old man says no, they have others for that. After all, Justice is likely disoriented. Which means he's vulnerable. Damon also reports that they now have a finger on the problem with the Japanese as Hardesty runs out of the room, clutching a bloody hand. 

The scene shifts to Tompkins Square Park. Justice is wandering around. He notes that this place is so much like his home. He gets distracted by a pretzel stand.

"This pretzel smells like pretzel! Very suspicious..."

The owner of the cart takes it back, saying that a big man like him should work for his food. This makes him remember that food in his home was freely offered to him for his services...when it could be spared. He then spots a woman begging a man named Snap to give her some drugs. She's jonesin' hard, man! Justice looks at their aura's. The woman's was blue, but the man's was green, same as the three gangbangers he vaporized earlier. The dealer snaps at a big man named Regis to take care of Justice. But the man shows that he is also a formidable physical combatant. 

Snap grabs the girl and threatens to bash her head in with a rock unless Justice backs off. But the mysterious man has something for that as well.

"SQUARE BEAM!"

Justice fired his disintegration beams from his right hand, which be called his "sword". His left hand can create forcefields that he can use to protect others or knock things aside. This is his "shield". With the "shield" knocking the rock away (as well as getting the girl to safety), Justice prepares his "sword". Snap pleads for mercy, saying that he's not really a drug dealer, he's a con artist. 

Yeah, he and Regis take advantage of addicts by selling them fake drugs. He suggests that Justice should leave him alone and go after actual drug suppliers, like at the Factory. Justice thinks that's the second time he's heard that name. Thing is, when did he hear it the first time? The gangbangers he killed did not mention it. And the narration nor his own thoughts mention it before. 

Justice drops him, his thoughts figuring this "Factory" must be a place of great corruption and dark power, power enough to bring him here. Snap picks up his fake drugs and Justice vaporizes him. After all, men lie. Auras do not. As a crowd gathers, the pretzel guy advises our man to leave, giving him a free pretzel for his trouble. 

The scene then switches to St. Marks Place. There, we look in on two agents at work.

"After this, we're gettin' drunk! We earned it!"

Meet Rebecca Chambers of the Justice Department and Hoyt Pittman of the FBI. They're undercover investigating a drug operation in...the Factory, a very hot new nightclub in the city. Unknown to them, Justice is also trying to get into the club. The bouncers tell him not to get violent, as the doorwoman is into that kind of thing. However, she's quite impressed with Justice's unapologetic 80s look and speech, think he's some kind of weird rockstar/preacher. She is all too happy to let him in to the Factory.

All the booze you can drink, and 24/7 MTV. The ultimate 80s club. 

Hey, they got a Springsteen video going. These guys have taste. This new club is the talk of the town, being attended by celebrities and the glitterati, the movers and shakers, the models and the managers. Up in an office overlooking the dance floor, Marty Roth (the owner of the Factory) is being threatened by a druglord named Chango Villalobos. His family has been involved with the drug trade, and they're using the Factory as a front. He's found out that there is a lawman infiltrating the club's staff, and he wants the head of said infiltrator. 

Marty tries to calm him down by saying that not only has he found said undercover agent but has convinced them to work for Villalobos. He and said rogue agent are going to trap the woman that is investigating the club.

The plan is to frame her as the rogue agent. Marty especially wants to bring her down because of his past. He was a young hippie back in the 1960s, but times had changed. His fellow ex-hippies think he betrayed them. But in reality, he sees himself as still loyal to their cause of changing the world, he's just doing it from the inside nowadays. It's why he calls this club the Factory. Not because it was a factory (although the interior certainly has the former factory vibe), but because it's the factory that produces corruption. Any dark desires powerful people have can be satisfied here. this place produces the rot that will destroy society. 

Unsurprisingly, Villalobos is not impressed with Marty's high ideals. He's a businessman. Sure, hard drugs are an illicit business, but still a business as far as he's concerned. Marty's playing games with his product and his money. Either Marty shuts this place down, or he will. You know Chango, you could just take out Marty and put someone else in charge of this place. The Factory could still be used to make some legit money for your organization.

As this is going down, Justice is observing the people on the dance floor. He spots Rebecca dancing with a man, and this triggers a memory of his world. 

"Is this a bad time to tell you I played hooky at the dance school?"

We learn here that his presumed real name is Tensen. He's dancing with a woman named Shandra, who is presumably his main squeeze. The two truly, deeply, madly loved one another...and then Tensen gets ambushed by ninjas.

Evidently the concept of a ninja is not just an Earth thing. And also, it's very annoying when you're having a nice romantic moment with your significant other and a bunch of ninjas ambush you. Should have hit them with one of these, Tensen!

Tensen is pulled to reality by the doorlady.

"I'm more of a Barry Manilow girl myself."

She tells Tensen that Chambers (the lady that caught his eye and triggered his memory of Shandra) was taken by the manager to the VIP lounge. And since Justice is not a VIP here, he's not welcome there. Tensen tries to follow Chambers anyway, sensing her pure aura. The doorlady (I'm naming her Sharon) is on her break. As such, she agrees to take him to said lounge anyway. She hopes it'll somehow cause a fight, as she gets a bit of thrill from violence.

Chambers is talking to Jean-Paul, a fellow undercover agent. He tells her that this place is the best chance to finally get Chango Villalobos. The Factory is a distribution spot for his drugs, and he enjoys watching people here go nuts on them. Jean-Paul's got Marty thinking that he's gone rogue, and warns Chambers of Marty's plan to set her up. However, Villalobos sees this on a monitor. His...brother? Cousin? Former roommate? I don't know, presumably a relative named Nestor leaps out of hiding and tries to blast the two with his Uzi.

Chambers dives behind the bar, pulling Jean-Paul to safety. Tensen hears the sound of the Uzi firing. He doesn't recognize the weapon, but he knows it's still trouble. People flee the gunfire.

Sharon is with him during this whole thing. Justice creates a shield to try and protect civilians. But despite his best efforts, people still get hit.

Kim considered dropping back into beauty school after this.

Justice vaporizes Nestor with his "sword". Chango goes for Nestor's gun, but Jean-Paul grabs it. Presumably thinking that Jean-Paul was the one who fired the Uzi, Justice vaporizes him, too. Sharon is left a whimpering mess by this. Chango is not intimidated by this powerful being. He uses his cane as a makeshift spear (the head of the cane has a hidden blade) to knock Justice's right hand back, making him miss his blast. Chango flees. Tensen starts to pursue, but Chambers has a gun to him. After all, Tensen killed an agent, he has to answer for that. 

Justice tries to tell Chambers that Jean-Paul's aura radiated evil, while poor Sharon is sobbing and whimpering that this is not any fun. Hoyt busts in (what was he doing, playing video games?!) having seen Justice burst in. Seeing the distraction, Tenses uses his shield to knock Chambers and Hoyt back.

Meanwhile, Chango tries to escape the Factory via a skylight. Problem is, darn thing won't open. That's what happens when you cut corners on construction. Luckily for him, Marty is there to help...kind of. And another twist is revealed: Marty had set Chango up.

He had planned to set up him and Chambers to kill each other, playing it as a drug deal gone sour. And the reason? Chango's hiked up the drug prices a few too many times for Marty's liking. Justice overhears this, and judges him corrupt. Marty tries to convince Justice they're on the same side. After all, he's fighting corruption, too. Only difference is, Marty is fighting fire with metaphorical fire. Using the corruption to bring down a corrupt society. Justice senses he really does believe this...and it truly has twisted him. He vaporizes Marty, and ends up seeing the barrels of Chambers and Hoyt's guns. The story ends with Damon Conquest's father alerting him of Justice's activities...and commanding him to unleash the hounds. 

I did enjoy this issue, but much like in my review of Kickers Inc. #1, you can tell that Justice doesn't really quite fit when it comes to the concept of the New Universe. You see, the New Universe wasn't supposed to have stuff like alien lawmen running around in it. When the late Peter David took over writing the book, he retconned Justice to be a man named John Tensen whose mind was messed with by a powerful paranormal (the word for superhumans in the New Universe), and then David would have him appear in Spider-Man 2099. I am not kidding. 

The story is a bit basic, but it's a good one. It does a good job showing who Justice is and what his deal is. And considering that decay is a theme for this story, it makes sense that he'd end up in 1980s New York City. The twist with Marty was interesting, even though he's a one-off villain. The idea of an idealistic man being twisted by the corruption that he wanted to fight? It's an interesting one. And we got some mysteries as the Conquests and what they're doing on Earth, setting up some things for the future. Not to mention we get a future potential ally in Rebecca Chambers.

Geof Isherwood is an underrated artist. He does solid work here, everything a comic artist is supposed to do. 

Sadly, Justice hasn't been collected in trade, like most of the New Universe stuff. You'll have to search the back issue bins to find a copy. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!