Marvel: The Lost Generation #8 (July 2000)

It's that time again! It's time to look in on the adventures of the First Line, the Lost Generation of Marvel Super Heroes! Last time, we saw the First Line's disastrous mission in the country of Halwan, one that caused the Black Fox to pull a "Screw you guys, I'm going home" on the team. And that was basically it. So, where do we go from here? As we go further backwards through the First Line's history, what further key moments for the team will we see? Let's find out in Marvel: The Lost Generation #8!

The cover is a John Byrne and Al Milgrom piece. It's really cool, showing the vampiric Nocturne looming over Pixie, ready to tear into her neck like a hungry man at a buffet. The background shows the Black Fox with stake in hand, ready to try and save his longtime ally from his also-longtime enemy. It gives me the vibe of a movie poster. 

"The Tomb of Diablo"
Writers: Roger Stern, John Byrne
Penciler: John Byrne
Inker: Al Milgrom
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins in a time we really haven't seen yet: the late 22nd century, the home time of Cassandra Locke, that time-traveling scientist that kept popping up in previous issues. In Tranquility City, her father Dr. Alexander Locke and his team have managed to find Cassandra in the era of the Cold War, her specialty when it comes to historical research. They manage to get a visual of her reading some microfilm in a library. 

They're amazed that Cass would go this far in her research, but Alex is not surprised. She's always been a bit reckless. A Skrull ambassador named Zorn is outraged. Cassandra's actions threaten to alter history in a very bad way. The team are doing what they can to prevent this, and Zorn hopes they succeeded. 

In said library, Cassie is doing some research. She's discovered that there has been Skrull activity on Earth as far back as 1947. She finds this contradicts Zorn and his peace delegation. Cassandra's thoughts imply that a lot of this history was lost by her time, and she laments that she can't record it all now. As she leaves, she is amused by the 1970s fashions of the passers-by.

The scene next shifts to Chicago, where a certain family is enjoying a Grateful Dead show. 

"Next time we should go see the Byrds!"

Yup, it's the MacRae family. Freddie MacRae, aka Captain Hip, got his leg busted fighting a group called the Purple Gang, which is likely a nod to the Detroit-based Jewish Mafia criminals that operated during Prohibition. A group of masked men attack the family, only to be saved by the Black Fox. 

"Besides, they're heavy!"

Little Truth thinks he's the coolest thing ever, the beginning of an obsession that she would have for her entire short life. Fred is furious with the Fox, calling him a violent fascist and a Nixon supporter. The Fox jokingly admits he did, and it's not something he's proud of. As he flies off, he thinks about the MacRaes. His Foxcopter touches down in a hangar at Foxwood Farms, just outside of Chicago, Illinois. He notes that the old hippie seems familiar, a bit of foreshadowing. 

It leads him to think about how lucky the old hippie is to have a wife and kid. It's something that Robert Paine himself never could dedicate his life to. He wonders if he should have taken in a ward (a clear reference to Robin, as Black Fox is a Batman pastiche), but decides against it, as said ward may have ended up as screwed up as Kid Justice, always trying to live up to the legacy of the Yankee Clipper. But Robert's thoughts are tabled as he has a visitor.

"Like my new headband?"

Pixie's call is not just a social one, though. Turns out that she needs the Fox's help for a mission. The two head to the nation's capital, where they meet up with Colby, who gives them a briefing. The government's been keeping tabs on Ionel Ceausescu, who is a distant relative of the president of Romania at that time. So, this story is set at some point after March 28, 1974, as that was when Nicolae Ceausescu became president of the country, and would rule it with an iron fist until shortly before Christmas 1989. 

Yeah, I'm a bit of a history buff. Ionel's been suspected of criminal ties. He was photographed talking to another man. It didn't seem odd, until the film was developed. Remember, this is decades before digital photography. It turns out the man Ionel was talking to...was invisible to a camera. 

"Well, that's a neat trick."

It's clear that the First Line's old nemesis Nocturne is active. Pixie thought he was dead, naturally. Black Fox refuses to believe he is truly gone until he is holding the vampire's heart. Pixie used to know Romania pretty well, so she could help out here. The two go to the Romanian village of Petralova. They're to meet an Agent Groza. They meet him, alright. But not in the condition they hoped.

Turns out he died of boredom waiting for the heroes to arrive.

Yup. He's dead, First Line. At the hands of Nocturne. It's here that a man from the home militia points a gun at them, announcing they are under arrest. Classic detective story trope. Fox and Pixie try to convince the guardsman that they're just an executive and his secretary who was meeting a man to talk a trade agreement. Thankfully, someone else vouches for them as well.

"I also have glorious 70s facial hair!"

Yes, Doctor Strange. He was shown to be around in issue #12, set in the late 1980s. So it does make sense he'd be around in the 1970s. Strange is able to get the militia man to back off, presumably with the help of some magic, and the two catch up. It turns out that Fox and Strange have known each other in the past, as they dealt with an issue with a "haunted house". The Marvel Appendix's entry on Black Fox theorizes that this may have been a reference to the House of Shadows, which first appeared in Strange Tales #120 (May 1964), and would go on to appear in Moon Knight's book as the Midnight Mission.

So, why is Strange here? Well, sadly, like Pixie and Bobby Paine, he's not here to sightsee. He fears that someone is attempting to interfere with the tomb of future Fantastic Four villain Diablo.

It makes sense that Diablo would be around in the 1970s. In the 9th century, he sold his soul to Mephisto (Marvel's version of Satan) for long life so he could find the alchemical secret to true immortality, as established in Fantastic Force #18 (April 1996). In Fantastic Four #35-36 (November-December 2000), it was revealed that in the 19th century, Diablo was in Transylvania, making alliances with the local vampires, including presumably Dracula himself. Yes, Dracula is a thing in the Marvel Universe. That whole thing would end up with him magically trapped in his castle. So, it makes sense that in the 1970s in the Marvel Universe, he's still trapped in there. If Diablo is released, he'll start a new reign of terror in the region, which is right up Nocturne's alley. Also, if Nicolae Ceausescu was bad, Diablo would be even worse, because he has alchemy. 

Yeah, remember what I said about Diablo making alliances with vampires. Keep that in your brain, it'll come in play later.

The three head to Castle Diablo.  They pull a Fred Jones and split up over Black Fox's objection because time is of the essence, and they can search the castle faster that way.

Pixie finds something interesting in the castle. 

"I know Klingons have their blood wine, but this is ridiculous!"

Amusingly, Pixie remarks that this place is somewhere Dr. Frankenstein would love. It's funny she says that as the Frankenstein family is part of the Marvel Universe, too. Gotta love public domain. She discovers jars full of blood on a shelf, and someone calling to free her, presumably Diablo himself. Pixie's speech balloon hints that ol' Esteban is hypnotizing her, but Nocturne steps in, saying his will a greater...and she will obey him.

On the southern face of the castle, Black Fox sneaks his way into the castle, noting how appropriate Nocturne would come to a place like this. After all, the old monster has always played the child of the night. We then get a flashback of a moment that changed the Fox's life forever. In the past, the villainous Nocturne had captured the Fox's girlfriend Miriam (no last name given) The Fox tried to save her from the vampire, but he was unable to thanks to Nocturne breaking his legs. The vampire killed Miriam, and that was the day the Black Fox was truly born.

Back with Pixie! She wonders why she can't break her bonds, even though she should easily be able to. A bit of hypnosis is why. She gets grossed out by Nocturne drinking some blood, see it as taking his vampire act too far. Thing is...it's no act. Nocturne is a legit vampire.

"I managed to have a face even my mother couldn't love!"

Pixie finds a flaw in his confession. You see, Nocturne has been known to use a device to drain the blood from people that leaves five holes in the neck to kill people. Well, he uses it to avoid siring more vampires. He doesn't need the competition. You know, I can't help but wonder if Nocturne ever crossed paths with Dracula. He does consider trying to make Pixie a vampire, though. After all, he loves the idea of the First Line hunting her down, and it would hurt Black Fox more. Thankfully, that possibility 2never comes to pass thanks the Black Fox swooping down like an avenging angel and staking Nocturne in the heart. He has suspected that Nocturne was a legit vampire. Which make sense, this is the Marvel Universe, after all. He is admittedly a bit disappointed, as it was too easy.

However, Nocturne is not easily brought down. He yanks out the stake, pointing out that only keeps a 2vampire trapped in a coffin. I'm not sure if that's true. Thankfully, Doctor Strange is around, and he has something that can give a vampire a ton of pain. 

"I can finally see!"

Thing is, that don't work, either. It's here that Nocturne reveals why he was at Diablo's castle. Remember when I said earlier about Diablo making alliances with the local vampires in the 19th century in Romania? That's why Nocturne is here. Diablo's potions have altered his vampiric physiology, making him more biologically human. Which means he can now stand the light of the sun. Pixie then gets an idea.

Nocturne's altered physiology now allows him to be affected by the Eternal's petrifying pixie dust, which she demonstrates on Nocturne by turning his right arm into a rock. 

Nocturne learned the hard way why no one touches Pixie without consent.

Robert Paine nails the vampire with a Mighty Punch to the jaw, forcing him into retreat.

Fox yells for Strange to stop him, but there's a bigger problem: Diablo's crypt is opening up. Fox realized Nocturne planned this. Strange is able to reseal the alchemist and the castle, setting the stage for his eventual return in the Modern Age of Marvels. The Black Fox laments that now they have no idea where Nocturne is, nor where to start looking for him. Pixie isn't worried about that. He may come to them. After all, they still have his stone arm. 

I didn't realize this until I wrote this blog entry, but it can be hinted that the knowledge that Nocturne picked up in his time in Diablo's castle helped lead to the development of his Alchem-Tech that he unleashed in NYC around a decade later in issue #11.  

I enjoyed this issue. It's a solid, fun adventure story. I also liked that we get to explore the past of the Black Fox a bit more, showing exactly why he is the way he is. Yeah, you can criticize this as part of the whole "Women in refrigerators" thing, and I can see why. It's an old trope in comics, arguably in media in general. It especially doesn't help that we don't really know anything about Miriam. Just that she was Robert Paine's girlfriend and a victim of Nocturne, who only did it to torture Paine.  So, yeah. Take that for what you will. 

I also enjoyed seeing the MacRae family again, as well as the beginnings of Truth's obsession with the Black Fox. I would have loved to have seen them explored more because a pair of married superheroes isn't something you see often in Marvel Comics outside of Scott Summers/Jean Grey and Reed 2Richards/Sue Storm. Especially if the two married heroes are former hippies raising a child. You could get some good stories out of that. I can imagine Truth, as a way of rebelling against her, pulling an Alex P. Keaton. Her obsession with the Black Fox could tie into that, seeing him as a true example of a superhero that fights for "law and order", unlike her hippie parents. Just a thought. 

I've said it before about John Byrne's art, but I do like it here, even though it's not as "clean" as twenty years earlier with his work on X-Men. Again, art evolution, age, inkers, they can all have an effect. 

If you want to read this yourself, sadly, as I said before, this maxiseries has never been released as a standalone trade. It was collected as part of a 2018 Omnibus: The Marvel Universe by John Byrne, Vol. 2. Otherwise, you're just going to have to search your local comic shop's back issue bins and hope they have it. Or get the issues on Amazon or eBay. Honestly, I'd love a trade of this maxiseries. It's a lost part of the Marvel Universe's history, and it deserves more exposure. 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 my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Marvel: The Lost Generation #9 (June 2000)

It's that time again! It's time to look in on the Lost Generation of Marvel Super Heroes! Last time, we saw the First Line fight off the forces of the Deviant Warlord Kro, saw the birth of Gadfly, and the beginnings of SHIELD. So, where do we go from here? Let's find out in Marvel: The Lost Generation #9!

The cover is a John Byrne and Al Milgrom piece. It depicts what looks like some members of the Line, almost like it was a poster. However, what makes it unique is that the characters' heads all have crosshairs over them, like they're targets. And in a way...they are, as the comic promises that one of the First Line will be lost here. However, it doesn't quite work because of how the mini-series worked. We saw Black Fox, Flatiron, Nightingale die in issue #12, which showed the team's final adventure. Presumably Pixie and Oxbow also met their ends in that issue as well. As such, the only suspects are the three new characters we see on the cover. It's still a cool cover, though.

"Unholy War"
Writers: Roger Stern, John Byrne
Penciler: John Byrne
Inker: Al Milgrom
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins some years earlier than the events of the last issue, at the estate of one William Carmody, aka the Eternal Brain. We look in on said Eternal Brain with his daughter Mary and her main squeeze Jim Fitzpatrick. 

"And now, it won't be long before I can rock out on guitar again!"

William and Jim have developed a prototype body to allow William to, well...walk about. If you didn't guess, this body would eventually become Walkabout. Mary laments her father's current state, but Carmody's accepted it. After all, better a brain-in-a-jar than dead. Yeah, believe it or not, these three characters were not created by Stern and Byrne for the mini-series. They were actual pre-established characters from the Golden Age of Comics. All three of them appeared in Red Raven Comics #1 (August 1940). 

As for why they're in a story set in the early 1980s? Well, you see, the original 1940 story said that it had been around 50 years since Charles Lindbergh started researching in 1930 for his 1938 book The Culture of Organs. So yeah, that original story took place around the early 1980s. Pretty clever on Roger and John's part.

The three get a visit from Jake Scott, aka Effigy. He was able to get into their home despite its advanced security system because of his shapeshifting powers. Remember, he is a Skrull. But he's not here to show off his powers. He's actually here because he needs some help from the Eternal Brain and his telepathic abilities. Two day earlier, Mr. Justice was flying an experimental aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz as part of a mission he independently went on to save a trio of diplomats that were being held hostage over the Kingdom of Halwan. The craft was shot down. It was feared Justice was dead, until they got word that he is very much alive...

...But he is now a captive of the Halwanis himself.

Scott wants Carmody's help to rescue Mr. Justice. But he won't have to do it alone. 

"We were promised beer. Where's the beer?" 

Meet the First Line's roster at this time: Reflex, Flatiron, Positron, Black Fox, Blackjack, Oxbow, Pixie, and Nightingale. The members imply that Nixon screwed with the team in some way. Carmody remarks that the team broke up in 1972, around the time of the Watergate scandal. As for why Carmody's telepathy is needed, it's because sunspot activity is messing up satellite communications. In this situation, Carmody's telepathy is more reliable. And they'll need it when they head to Halwan. So, let's check in on Mr. Justice, shall we?

"Lady, I keep telling you, I'm not into this!"

Yeah, Tim Carney has seen better days. Despite being tortured for two days, he's refused to talk. One of the torturers, a Jameel, has developed a bit of respect for the man as a result. Princess Zafina is not impressed by Carney's toughness. Back in the USA, the First Line are plotting out the assault on Kamilabad, the capital city of Halwani. A team of covert agents will also be aiding them. Blackjack wonders why they should rescue Mr. Justice, as his screw-up caused this. Thing is, Mr. Justice is still a First Liner, and they don't abandon their own. 

We also get a bit of character moments here. Oxbow gets aggressive with Reflex after she accidentally runs into Reflex, triggering his power to cause anything that hits him bounce off. Jim notes that Oxbow is certainly loyal to Pixie. William tells him they've been together a long time, joining the Line together in the early 60s. Thing is, there's something funny about them. Back then, Pixie looked like the elder of the two, Oxbow likely being in his late teens when he joined, but now in the 1980s, he looks like the elder of the two...and Pixie has seemingly barely aged at all. Remember, Pixie is an Eternal, but as the last issue showed, only Oxbow is aware of it. 

Carmody has no desire to telepathically pry into Pixie's mind to find answers...and he couldn't if he wanted to, anyway. Her mind has psychic blocks in them that are incredibly powerful. Like Effigy's mind. 

In Kamilabad, the sun is about to rise on another day. But a group of men, led by a certain near-immortal WWII veteran, is at work. 

"Gleason, if you crack one of your stupid fart jokes, I'll kill ya myself!"

Fury and his team make their way into the royal compound, only to find the place empty. The team is left wondering. Are the Halwanis moving around the hostages...or have they been set up for a trap? Or maybe both? One man finds one of the doors is closed, with the others all open. Fury roars not to open it, and boom.

Elsewhere, in another castle, Mr. Justice wakes up in a rather comfy bed. And he is not alone.

"People make bug jokes around me for some reason."

Meet Dr. Khadijah. She's the cousin of Princess Zafina and spent some years in America training to be a doctor. It's a time in her life she considers a happy one. Zafina charged her with treating those who survive her torture chambers. And Tim Carney is her first patient in that capacity.

Even though he's been through the ringer, Tim tries to turn on the charm. Seriously, dude? You're banged up ten ways to Sunday! 

Cassandra Locke then arrives. She thinks she's finally arrived somewhere quiet...only to nearly get blown up. She is not a genre-savvy woman. Thankfully, she isn't hurt. And the explosion was caused by Positron, Blackjack with her. The two split, but not before sharing a kiss. Their dialogue makes Cassandra realize something: this is a mission in which things go horribly wrong.

The Black Fox flies towards the royal compound in his...Flying Fox (yes, I am aware that flying foxes are actually a genus of bats...which makes sense as Black Fox is a Batman pastiche), and fires something at the building. It manages to blast into the building. The Halwani guards think it's a crashed aircraft and shoot into the cockpit...realizing too late that it was a trick. The Fox managed to make his own way into the building and gives the guards a Mighty Thrashing. 

Cassie is found by Nightingale. The time-traveling scientist is shocked by this, as they're not supposed to meet yet (remember issue #12?). Nightgale says they have...in their past.

Nightingale knows the future, implying the healer is of many lives living in one body. Cassandra sees Flatiron, Oxbow, and Pixie in action. The scientist remembers seeing them die in issue #12, and is determined to do something to save a least one person. She looks around the castle, remembering this mission led to the death of a First Liner. However, she doesn't know who it is. She gets caught by a man known only as Scimitar. This Scimitar is the predecessor of the Scimitar that first appeared in Iron Fist #5 (June 1976). Blackjack takes him on, only to get the man's named weapon across the gut.

Time travel causing the thing it was trying to prevent. An enraged Positron vaporizes Scimitar, and the two share some last words, the dying Blackjack telling Positron he'll save a table for her on the other side. Cassandra vows to find a way to make up for this...by doing some more time travel. Cassie, you're going to end up destabilizing the universe at this rate!

Anyway, the battle between the First Line and the Halwani forces continue until Oxbow forces a surrender.

"If you don't let us go, we'll give her back...her old nose!"

With Princess Zafina a hostage, the Line leaves the country. It's then revealed that she's not a hostage at all. In fact, she wasn't even there with the group. It was Effigy in disguise.

They head out towards the Ben-Gurion Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Israel. And Black Fox is furious. Mr. Justice's capture? The hostage rescue? Effigy used all that as a distraction to help destabilize the regime in Halwan. The First Line were set up, and if something went wrong, they could be disavowed as a bunch of costumes that went rogue, the story earlier implying that the First Line did not have government clearances anymore. Right now, though, Mr. Justice is the priority. He's alive, but he many never truly recover from his injuries. Not if Nightingale has anything to say about it.

"Man, this new skin scream is great!"

Effigy praises them for a job well done, but Black Fox points out the CIA team (outside of Fury, naturally) and Blackjack are still dead. He storms out, muttering that he's getting too old for this, setting up his status quo in issue #11. Pixie laments that this is the end of the First Line. Not quite there yet, lady. But it's coming.

I enjoyed this issue. One thing I love about this miniseries is how much personality that Stern is able to give these characters with only a little bit of time. Oxbow is shown to be a protective hothead over Pixie, Reflex is the team jerk (and possibly a bit racist, considering he calls the half-First Nations Oxbow a 'half-breed'), Mr. Justice is shown to be a man of strong will and determination, Blackjack is a bit hard-hearted, etc. I also liked the scene with Black Fox snapping at Effigy over the mission realizing the Line was set up. It makes sense the government would do this. At this point, the Line is independent. It would not be out of character for the CIA to use them as a distraction so they can do their own dirty work. And considering what we'll learn of the Black Fox's past in future issues, it makes sense that he would not appreciate the Company setting his team up. 

I do wish we got a bit more exploration of Nightingale. There was some hinting at her nature that I found incredibly tantalizing. Nightingale's dialogue implies that there is more to her, that she may possibly not be a singular person. The Marvel Appendix entry on her theorizes that she may have been a group of life-forces/souls unified in one body, and I think it's a theory that makes sense. Her healing powers may have burned out those souls until there was nothing left, making her fade away.

Halwan is a fictional country, but its placement is rather...goofy. You see, the country is, according to Cassandra Locke, in the Middle East. That does make some sense here, as Mr. Justice was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait borders Iran in the north, and the south is the Musandam Peninsula, which is shared by the United Arab Emirates and a territory of Oman. However, the country was not created for this maxiseries. It was originally from the first Iron Fist series. And in that series, it was established to be hit by "the winds of the Hindu Kush". Said Hindu Kush is an actual mountain range, in Afghanistan/Pakistan. The later Power Man and Iron Fist series would establish that Halwan is neighbors with another fictional country called Martakesh. Martakesh is in the Sahara Desert...which is in Africa. The Marvel Atlas puts Halwan in northern Africa, but that was published long after this. 

I am sorry about this, I'm a bit of a geography nerd, and it's just something I wanted to point out. I can see why Stern put Halwan in the Middle East here. This story is set in the 1980s, and the Middle East was becoming prominent in American politics and in culture at the time, so it does fit here. Princess Zafira is a one-note villain, nothing special about her, really. It can be argued that she does draw from Middle Eastern stereotypes. I do wish we got some interaction between Zafira and Dr. Khadijah (the story did say they were family, after all), to help deepen their characters a little bit. I can imagine that they did not always see eye-to-eye, considering Khadijah defected to America. A scene setting that up would have been nice.

I have said this before about Byrne's art on this miniseries, but it does come off as having a bit more "grit" for lack of a better term than in the past. But that could be because of age and the inker. It's still good, though. And a lot better than the Liefeld imitators of the preceding years.

Sadly, this maxiseries has never been collected as part of a standalone trade paperback. It was collected in a 2018 Omnibus: The Marvel Universe by John Byrne Vol. 2. Otherwise, you're going to have to look in the back issue bins at a comic book shop and hope you find copies. I found the series on eBay myself. 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, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Marvel: The Lost Generation #10 (May 2000)

It's that time again! It's time to look back into the past of the Marvel Universe and its lost generation of superheroes: The First Line! Last time, we saw the Line engage in what was their seemingly last battle against the vampiric Nocturne, and a seemingly ordinary man made a shocking discovery...with a twist. So, where do things go from here? We're going backwards from the death to the birth of the Line, so what key moment in their history do we see here? Let's find out in Marvel: The Lost Generation #11!

The cover is a John Byrne and Al Milgrom piece. It certainly is an attention-grabber, I'll grant it that. It centers around what looks like some kind of mutated fetus, with members of the First Line in bubbles, showing it's suspended in some liquid. You get the impression the Line has no idea who this guy even is.

"Secrets: Great and Small"
Writers: Roger Stern and John Byrne
Penciler: John Byrne
Inker: Al Milgrom
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editors: Ralph Macchio, Matt Hicks
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins in Maine, at the Carmody Institute. Well, the Institute in the process of being built. Yes, we are going backwards. Remember, this miniseries is going backwards from the fall of the First Line to the origins of the team. 

Anyway, there has been a lot of tight security around the complex. But no security is perfect. There's always a hole, and one man is taking advantage of this fact to slip into the complex. However, he manages to get caught by what looks like an incomplete version of the Walkabout robot.

"My God! David Hasselhoff!"

Yes, it's a pre-SHIELD Nick Fury Senior. In case you're wondering why he's not wearing an eyepatch, it's because he has a bionic eye. Effigy greets him. This place is meant to be a new headquarters for the Line, which is now more of a loose alliance of heroes than a formal team. The shapeshifting Skrull reveals that he is also Undersecretary Jake Scott. And Fury is, well...furious.

Fury mentions a scheme concocted by Scott that led to a lot of good men dying. Scott mentions that it was an unfortunate necessity, as there was more to an 'Operation: Clean Sweep' than meets the eye. My guess is that's something that will be discussed in future issues. The discussion is tabled by a call from a William Carmody, the owner of the Institute. Unknown to the Line and Fury, another unwanted guest is making their way in.

"Man, I cannot wait to shoe the First Line my stylin' new shades!"

It's Warlord Kro and the Deviants! You may know them from my reviews of the 1985 Eternals miniseries. This was long before that little event. He's learned that one of the Eternals (Pixie) is encouraging the humans to engage in superheroics, and he is intent on...discouraging that. And they're going to use a device called the Gouger in order to do it. They use the device to blow a hole in the headquarters. 

And with that, it's the First Line vs. the Deviants!

It's during the fight that Cassandra Locke appears, journeying backwards in time. She sees the Yeti run by, seeking Deviant blood. She notes that this confirms a legend about the line, that the Yeti was a member of the Line before something called "The Rapunzel Tragedy". She watches the Line battle the Deviants.

One of the Deviants under Kro's command suggests they retreat, but Kro refuses. He's faced superhumans before. This is a reference to . We then go back some hours earlier to Chicago. There, a teenaged girl named Truth MacRae (although she prefers to go by Ruth) is heading home from school. She finds her parents Fred and Autumn MacRae, aka the retired heroes Cap'n Hip and Sunshine, in her room.

"Honey, you have some weird magazines!" 

They've found her collection of photos of the Black Fox. Hip ain't too fond of the Fox, as he thinks he's a fascist. I think the idea is that Hip is well, an old hippie who thinks the Fox represents "The Man". Fred, you may need to examine that weed you've been using. 

Truth argues with her parents about keeping secrets. After all, they preach being open with others, yet they've kept quiet about being superheroes in the past. She leaps out the window, only to be okay.

Evidently she's inherited some kind of superpower from her parents. Fred tries to pursue her, but she manages to escape him. In an alley, Ruth's body is erupting in pain, while she laments that her parents now know she has powers like them. She feels numb as her skin turns a pale purplish white. Ladies, gentlemen, whatever you choose to identify as...you just witnessed the birth of Gadfly from issue #12. 

Back to the Carmody Institute in Maine. Cassandra Locke is there, and she witnesses the robotic Walkabout pick up something and integrate it into its body.

"Finally, I can go out to get pizza again!"

She realizes that it's William Carmody, who was one of the great scientific minds of the late 20th century. He was supposedly fatally shot, but it turns out reports of his death was greatly exaggerated. Carmody lives, but he is now a sort of fetal-looking clone. As she watches the Line fight the Deviant invaders, she notes that the belt keeps taking her back to moments of conflict: the final battle of the First Line in issue #12 for example. It leads her to wonder if there's something else at work here...

Effigy notices that the Deviants seem to be after Pixie specifically. He wonders why that is. She claims to have never seen them before, and Oxbow angrily shoves the Skrull agent-turned-superhero away. Cassandra reveals herself to them, telling them she's from the future. Pixie compares her to Kang the Conqueror, hinting the Line faced him at some point. I'd love to read that story. Of course, the group has another problem. The Yeti has gone...a bit bananas. A bit out of control. A bit around the bend. A bit insane.

Right, right, sorry. The reason why they're concerned is because the Line wants to question the Deviants. And they can't do that if the Yeti tears them into little pieces. Thankfully, the trichokinetic power of the Line's resident soul sister Rapunzel are able to calm the savage beast that is the Yeti.

"Yeti...must...know...shampoo brand..."

Trichokinesis is basically the power to control hair. Arguably, the most famous owner of a superpower like this is Medusa from the Inhumans.

The battle forces the Deviants to flee.

However, Oxbow manages to seal the Deviants' exit with a special arrow. Seeing these troopers as failures, Kro evidently remotely triggers hidden explosives on them, blowing them up.

Pixie investigates the hole and discovers a tunnel, joking that Effigy has wanted to add a submarine pen to the place, and now they can use this for it. Hey, look on the bright side of life, that's what I always say.

Oxbow suggests that she tell the others the truth about the Eternals and the Deviants. He's kept it mum for a long time himself. Pixie is reluctant to say anything as she fears how the rest of the Line will react. To be fair to them, I can imagine at this point, the Line has seen a lot of crazy stuff. I think this revelation would rank rather low on the weird scale for them. 

The Line then interrogate Cassandra. She tells them that she's here to warn them about the Skrulls. This sets Effigy off (remember he's a Skrull himself). Cassie realizes that none of the Line are aware that he's a Skrull himself. Yes, one that has become loyal to Earth, but a Skrull none the less. She wonders what Effigy is up to, and decides to travel further back and find out. Nick Fury has also vanished in the fracas. 

The story ends in Langley, Virginia. Fury is reporting about the battle to his own superiors. He recommends that the Line be allowed to do their thing for now, as they seem to be genuine. The superiors all consider a more important assignment for Colonel Fury...

"I'm just grateful that we overrode Johnson's suggestion..."

Yes, we're also witnessing the birth of SHIELD...

I did find this issue rather enjoyable. It was neat seeing Ruth become Gadfly (it's pretty clear by issue #12 that she figured out how to control her appearance despite her short life), as well as the union of Professor Carmody and Walkabout. I also liked that we got to see some of the dynamics of the First Line at this point, with Effigy being the leader with his secrets to keep, and I also liked Rapunzel. 

Cassandra brings up the "Rapunzel Tragedy" in this issue, and it's a pretty intriguing mystery. Not much is revealed here about it, and since Rapunzel is not seen in the previous two issues, it can be presumed that something bad happened to her. Not necessarily a fatal thing. After all, Rapunzel could have been just comatose or unable to help fight for whatever reason. The Marvel Appendix's entry on Rapunzel theorizes that she was attacked by the Yeti thanks to Korya manipulating him. Would make sense considering their appearances together in #11 and #12. That same entry also stated that Roger Stern himself declined to give any further details, wanting to leave it to future writers to expand on. Sadly, due to the obscurity of this maxiseries, that may never happen. 

As I have said before, this maxiseries has never been collected as a stand-alone trade. It was included in a 2018 Omnibus: The Marvel Universe by John Byrne Vol. 2. However, if don't want that Omnibus, you'll have to look in the back issue section of your local comic shop or find it online. I found all twelve issues on eBay for 50 dollars myself.