A quarter of a century has now passed since the first Ultraverse titles went on sale. Some have said it was a great time to be a comic book fan during one of the biggest company booms in the medium’s history. Everywhere you turned there seemed to be a new comic book publisher making their arrival on the scene. Without Wizard Magazine to keep me informed, it was hard to keep track, and honestly, as a teen, there was only so much I could spend my allowance on. So unfortunately, Ultraverse did not make the cut in my reading adventures.
(Editor’s Note: For some great background info on the Ultraverse and some musings from a reader there from the beginning, be sure to check out this article on The Exiles from The Unspoken Decade’s own proprietor, Dean Compton!)
Enter “Staycation 2018.” As the wife and daughter head to the beach, I have the whole week to fill some time. And thanks to YouTube, what better way to celebrate the 25 year anniversary of the Ultraverse than watching their 1994-1995 cartoon, Ultraforce, which aired on USA. But there was no way that this experience was going to go unshared. So here it is, a breakdown and personal thoughts on the 13 episode series, Ultraforce.
Can we just, real quick, take a minute and talk about our opening title sequence? There may be a lot of comparison to the wildly popular X-Men animated series theme as that set the tone for a lot of what we had seen in the 90’s; however, there is one thing that particular show opener lacked compared to this….someone screaming the name of the show at you! Not since the likes of the Mortal Kombat commercial have I felt like running into the adjacent room and bellowing ULTRAFOOOORRRRRRCE! Have a listen!
Episodes 1-3 – “Prime Time” – “The Stuff of Heroes” – “Armageddon”
Our first three episodes are all one story. These serve as a starting point for our team, revealing how Ultraforce came together to face a threat from Hardcase’s past, NM-E, a thing that looks like a cross between an H.R. Giger Alien and Robocop. However, they find a more dire threat in the form of a subterranean ruler of the Fire People by the name of Atalon who is bent on destroying the world so his people may once again rule!
Main Characters – This is going to be a rather long list since this is an introduction to the team and some of the foes, so here we go.
Hardcase – The more seasoned “ultra” of the group, as we learn quite early, he had been on a team called “The Squad.” It is not really explored in depth in these first three episodes, but he is also a well known actor. By episode two, he becomes the only one on the team that is aware of Prime’s actual identity.
Prime – Kevin Green, a 13-year-old boy who can become the superhero Prime. The transformation isn’t pretty, though, and Kevin can only spend a certain amount of time in the form of Prime before the body begins to ooze and fall apart around Kevin’s 13-year-old body. Quite possibly the most powerful of the team, his immaturity gets the best of him most days.
Prototype – Jimmy Ruiz, employee of the corporation Ultratech and wielder of their Prototype super suit. Though a bit cocky in his first introduction, Prototype usually has the skills to back up his attitude. In these first episodes Prototype and Prime butt heads frequently, a theme that recurs throughout the series.
Contrary – There really isn’t much you learn about Contrary in these first 3 episodes, or throughout the whole series at that. She teleports Prime, Hardcase, and Prototype on board her ship just before they are about to be blown to bits by some government missiles. Contrary has some kind of emotion manipulation powers, and that is just a guess based on the times I saw her use it by touching someone and then a white aura appearing as she tells them how to feel.
Ghoul – A zombie-like ultra who, when we first meet him, is helping Contrary. He has the ability to touch objects and get a sense of what happened in their past and is also able to see future events. The first thing I noticed with this character on the show, aside from his shocking appearance, was his voice. You don’t expect something that sounds like Groucho Marx to come out of that worm infested head.
Pixx – Assisting Contrary, Pixx is relied on to tackle some of the tech issues the team faces. In a dramatic turn of events in the 3rd epsisode, Pixx dies due to radiation exposure, a fate that Ghoul foresaw. It is at her grave that Hardcase credits Pixx for being the impetus that brought Ultraforce together. Quick fact, according to the tombstone, Pixx was born the same year I was, 1978, making her 16 or 17 when she died.
Topaz – Topaz is a the staff wielding warrior queen of another world who mistakenly ends up on Earth. Don’t ask me why or how; maybe it’s something I missed. Being from a world whose male species are looked down upon and even hunted, it is quite comical when her arrival is in the middle of the field of a football game. Topaz is recruited by Contrary and Pixx, and she reluctantly agrees to help them, even though men are on the team. “The QUEEN OF GWENDOR!!!” If I had to hear that one more time in this series… yeesh!
NM-E – Ah yes, our first villain! You cannot go wrong with an enemy named… NM-E. And the look of this character is impressive. NM-E is responsible for almost completely wiping out Hardcase’s former team, “The Squad.” It is an almost unstoppable killing machine whose reappearance sparked the motivation of Ultraforce to find each other.
Atalon – Ruler of the Fire People, a subterranean race, Atalon seeks revenge on the surface dwellers for sins they had committed in the past. With powers that resemble telekinesis, this big guy threatens the Earth by looking to use an entire nuclear arsenal against every country. It isn’t until Ghoul confronts him with the revered ancient ghosts of the Fire People that Atalon’s menace is ended.
Episodes 4 and 5 – “Lord Pumpkin’s Pie” – “You Can’t Go Home Again”
Jimmy Ruiz (Prototype) gets a call from his mother with concerns about the neighborhood and the effects a new drug called “ZOOK” is having on his friends. The kids are addicted to taking “zook pods” (there’s a joke here somewhere, I know it) which increases their size and strength for a limited amount of time, and Jimmy is interested in finding the supplier, “The Pump” (or Lord Pumpkin as he is formally known). Lord Pumpkin employs the services of a young kid by the name of Pistol and an overgrown slime covered hulk called Sludge. The episodes focus mainly on Jimmy trying to show others and himself that he does not need the Prototype suit to be a hero, but it is soon evident he may unknowingly be an Ultra. Just when things seem to be over Jimmy’s head, the rest of Ultraforce show up to help him out.
Lord Pumpkin – A fashionable criminal with an affinity for purple, wooden body, and a lit pumpkin for a head. He profits off the sale of “zook” which he grows off of sentient vines in a theater. (I feel weird typing that out.) This new drug on the streets causes some friction with another local supplier, and The Pump is involved in a gang war. After seeing Jimmy’s latent powers increase the potency of his zook, Lord Pumpkin makes a play to “persuade” Jimmy to use his powers for nefarious use. Unfortunately, Pump meets his end when his candle wick gets shot out by Jimmy.
Pistol – As Lord Pumpkin’s protege, it is safe to say this kid has problems. With a look of a 1930’s gangster, Pistol can generate guns in his hands making him an unpredictable threat. If it wasn’t for his eager hotheadedness, I might be able to take him more seriously.
Sludge – Frank Hoag, a former cop whose large, disturbingly gooey, condition can only be controlled by the zook that Lord Pumpkin is growing. Since the condition hampers his intellect (driven home by the constant misuse of the English language), Sludge reluctantly does Lord Pumpkin’s bidding. The times he is able to get some zook, he returns back to normal size but only for a few very short moments. There is a point where Sludge does use his powers by grabbing one of Pistol’s guns and melting it before his eyes.
(Just One More Editor’s Note, I Swear: For more on Sludge, check out The Unspoken Decade’s own Dean Compton and Emily Scott’s podcast on the subject, in a segment that only Emily wants to call The Spoken Decade.)
Episode 6 – “Wrack & Ruin”
The cure for being an ultra is here… or so the vampire Rune wants us to believe. Manipulating General Rayder at ALADDIN (a group that watches super powered individuals) to disclose the news that Ultras will need to turn themselves in for a cure, Rune lies in wait at the facility to capture and drain their power. Using ALADDIN to contact Contrary, Hardcase agrees to turn over Prime for a potential cure. Sensing that something is not right, Hardcase and Topaz visit the facility just in time to rescue Prime from Rune.
Rune – This gargoyle-esque vampire creature drains the power from other ultras as sustenance. There is a point where Prime blasts him with some type of energy beam from his fist, a power i did not know he had, and Rune just absorbs it with a smile on his face. General Rayder informs Hardcase that Rune can be stopped with a focused attack on the stones around his neck. Crushing them, Rune is flown into the sky by the fiery form of a free General Rayder.
Episode 7 – “Night and The Nightman”
A strange accident affects a young lady turning her into a shape-shifter with bad intentions called Chrysalis. We also get the introduction of Night Man, who is saved before falling to his death by Contrary. Declining their offer to become part of the team, Night Man heads back to the city to find Chrysalis before she uses her newfound power to wreak even more havoc on citizens.
Chrysalis (Ellie Tremain) – Super strength shape-shifter that envelops her victims in cocoons. I don’t think I understand her motivation other than apparent daddy issues. At one point she transforms into Contrary, goes to a charity ball, and asks her dad to dance with her. That is kind of icky.
Night Man – Johnny Domino, famous jazz saxophone player and a man changed by a freak accident who now possesses night vision, a bit of telepathy, and no need for sleep. Night Man’s crowning achievement in this episode is sending us out with a nighttime saxophone solo on top of a skyscraper while in costume. Beat that, Batman!
Episode 8 – “Prime Ambition”
After two teenagers attempt a bank robbery, Prime discovers they have have abilities similar to his own and goes on a hunt for Dr. Gross, as it appears they are connected. Much to Hardcase’s dismay, 13 year old Kevin Green is still trying to get a grasp on being as responsible a hero as Prime. Things come to a head when Dr. Gross uses Organism 8 to distract Prime in order to kidnap Kelly, a girl that Kevin has a big crush on. Luckily the rest of Ultraforce assist Prime and make the save.
Organism 8 – Dr. Gross’ semi-solid gelatinous bestial creation who seems to have a very low intelligence and silently does the Dr.’s bidding.
Dr. Gross – The creator of Prime, Dr. Gross has been experimenting on people for quite a while but has recently moved to the sewers to continue his experiments. After seeing Prime leaking the green goo, Dr. Gross makes the move to try and capture him. Things don’t work out so well for him in the end when he tries to enhance himself but ends up a sticky amorphous blob.
Episode 9 – “A Veiled Threat”
In order to get ahead of Metropolitan Studios (a movie company whose logo happens to match the Malibu Comics insignia), Luthor Silk, the slimy head of Cosmic Studios, puts a plan into action. Using two ultras by the name of Veil and Headknocker, they plot to transfer Hardcase’s neural center into another actor’s head, effectively depowering Hardcase. Just as a quick aside, not even 5 minutes in and Topaz has uttered “Queen of Gwendor” three times already. And oh yeah, Pixx is back! (Although we find out she virtually lives on to this day because she downloaded her consciousness into Contrary’s ship.) Topaz, Ghoul, and Hardcase take center stage in this episode, and as Veil’s plan unfolds, Hardcase is faced with a tough choice in order to save Starburst, a woman he loved from his past who also happened to be a teammate on The Squad.
Headknocker – This goof. Helping out Veil, he’s a hired muscle bound Ultra thug who is most likely in it just for the paycheck. It is clear that Hardcase and Headknocker have faced each other in the past. Here’s a moment that sums up Headknocker. Running to attack Ghoul and Topaz, they move out of the way as Headknocker lunges forward. He immediately hits a wall and get his oversized noggin stuck. *slow clap*
Veil – The centerpiece villain here, Veil has the powers, according to Pixx, of “limited invisibility, can control other people’s senses, and nervous systems, even the brain!” Veil’s also been responsible for the recent de-powering of Ultras. Throughout the episode, Veil uses her influence by disguising herself as an actress. Topaz and Ghoul investigate and find that Veil is not who she says she is and confront her. At one point, as Veil is pursuing Hardcase, he tells her he plans to turn in for the night, that is, until she uses her ultra-abilty and whispers the phrase, “Testosterone..INCREASE!” HA! Don’t worry, they just put the top down and drive Hardcase’s car really fast. What did you think was going to happen?
Episode 10 – “Pump It Up!”
Giving a young student, Mosh, a powered guitar that has the ability to manipulate people to do his bidding, Lord Pumpkin is at it again! Ultraforce, specifically Ghoul and Prime, get involved when Mosh plays a concert outside of Kevin’s school and a riot ensues. Ghoul loses an arm again but is able to keep his wits about him in order to help Prime foil Pumpkin’s plan to change all the people into… pumpkin heads?
Rogue Prime – Upset with how Prime is perceived, no thanks to Mosh and Lord Pumpkin’s manipulation, Kevin brings forth an edgier version of his super persona who insists on being called Rogue Prime, which rolls right off the tongue.
Episode 11 – “Primal Scream”
The vampire Rune has returned and he needs to feed! His first intended meal? Prime! Plaguing him with hallucinations of villains from his past, Rune has Prime rampaging through town until Prototype and Hardcase attempt to calm him down. Realizing that Rune can only feed on the bioenergy of Prime, Kevin remains unchanged and faces Rune alone. Outsmarting the beast by grabbing the sole red rune from around his neck, morphing into Prime, and crushing it, turning the villain to dust! Just a quick note, there were a couple of times that it appeared Hardcase could fly and in the first part of the season he needed the assistance of a flight suit. Maybe he could jump real high?
Episodes 12 and 13 – “Everything That Rises Must Converge” – “Jumpin’ at the Boneyard”
The two part season finale begins when a mysterious sentient force on the moon called The Entity reaches out to the Earth. We learn that one year ago, this force was responsible for turning Hardcase into an Ultra. Five strangers, also struck by the beam and given powers, are drawn together with Hardcase and are compelled to steal an Ultratech shuttle in order to reach the Moon and protect The Entity. Upset about their stolen spacecraft, Ultratech enlists Prototype to investigate the heist, who, in turn, gets the remaining members of Ultraforce to tag along. Meanwhile, a being called Boneyard is attempting to absorb the energy of the Entity in order to become very powerful, but he must first find a way to rid himself of the threat of Ultraforce and The Strangers to ensure that his plan goes off without a hitch.
Boneyard – Wait a second! How is Deathlok in this cartoon?!? Oh wait, he’s wearing a cape. Boneyard is on a quest to become one of the most powerful beings in the universe, and absorbing the strange moon force is part of his plan to create a dimensional breach to bring over those under him to help conquer and rule. He’s apparently a sorcerer as well, as he was able to fool The Strangers and Hardcase into believing he was the protector of The Entity.
The Strangers – The five people that were given powers a year ago when The Entity reached out to the planet. The members include:
Grenade – a jacked up stud with explosive burst powers.
Zip-Zap – given the power of speed, Zip-Zap is the street-wise quickster of the group.
Electrocute – it’s all in the name – electric powers come easily to this beautiful android.
Spectral – think Marvel’s Human Torch but different color flames depending on the purpose. He helps the team stay alive in space with “auras” that allow them to breathe.
Atom Bob – Able to manipulate and transmute matter (and magic), before he was aware he had powers, Bob unexpectedly turned a whole bus into water, not harming those inside. My favorite line is when they are on the way to the moon and Bob is helping them all change their clothes into costumes as they declare their hero code names. When Bob finally reveals his costume (one of the better ones of the group, in my opinion), he says aloud, “ATOM BOB at your service!” and the others just stare at him. He finally says, “Well… you come up with a better name for me.”
Space Prime – Prime’s body is pretty darn neat! When a trip to space is in order, it cannot use the oxygen helmets provided by Contrary, so instead, he creates a body that is able to survive the vacuum of space. Ghoul’s reaction was classic to this change. “No mouth, huh? Now that’s what I call an improvement.”
Primevil – a green beast that is a creation by Boneyard out of some leftover Prime goop, it seems to be an equal in power for Space Prime and the rest of Ultraforce
The Entity – A large intergalactic supercomputer that crashed on the moon ages ago with the sole purpose of relaying a message, but no one has been able to receive or understand that message since it landed, hence why it has been reaching out to the Earth.
Final Thoughts
The Ultraforce cartoon came and went in the mid-90’s, not even registering a blip on some people’s Saturday morning radar. This was a series based on a relatively new comic universe, so it was understandable that it may have had a hard time getting a foothold among other established properties at the time. The concept is simple enough that you can start from the beginning and be invested in the characters and plots. The animation is pretty standard and easily reminds you that you are watching a cartoon from that era, so no complaints there. Based on research, the creators stayed true enough to the heroes and their powers, not varying too greatly from what was established. I’m glad I had the chance to sit down and experience it all. If you’d like to get a good understanding about some of the major players of the Ultraverse, watching Ultraforce is an enjoyable place to start… SO SAYS THE QUEEN OF GWENDOR!
I hope that you all enjoyed my first ever submission for this fantastic site! The Unspoken Decade provides me so much enjoyment, and I hope that this adds to it for all of you! Thanks to TheyStoleMyBrain for his YouTube uploads! You can find all 13 episodes here!
We’re gonna eat your brains! Sorry. But when it comes to the “Father of Symbiotes,” I feel almost giddy! Why, you ask? Simply put, this is my jam, baby! I mean, look at my pen-name, Symbifan. I like to think of myself as an authority on the subject of Venom and all of the other Marvel symbiotes. (God knows I’ve spent enough money on comics over the years!) All of that said, welcome back to the Unspoken Decade and boy, do I have a story for you! So, without further ado…….
We begin our tale in sunny San Francisco. (Venom had recently left New York as per his deal with the Amazing Spider-Man.) But not all of the city is bright and cheery. Like anywhere else, some of it is dark and dangerous. Down in one of those places, an alley to be exact, a local thief is angered that his mugging of a young woman has born little money. He threatens to take his payment in other ways. As he flashes a knife, he comments with glee how he loves seeing fear in his victim’s faces! That’s when he hears a monstrous voice from behind him agree! Venom attacks the thief with savagery and brutality! It takes no time at all before the criminal is pinned by his throat to a wall by the Lethal Protector! Voicing disgust, he sends tendrils of symbiotic goo down the man’s throat until his eyes roll back into his skull! Presumably dead, Venom drops the street filth and turns to the victim. The anti-hero picks up the fallen purse, apologizes for this whole ordeal, and pats her on top of her head before leaping away. The woman promptly screams and runs away in terror! (That’s some gratitude for ya! You try to help a girl out! I mean, he had a mohawk in the 90’s! He kind of deserved to die, right?)
Eddie Brock and his symbiotic other then make their way through the city, via webline. Once they’re sure they’re out of sight, the symbiote camouflages itself as street clothes and Eddie Brock emerges. He rounds the corner from the abandoned alleyway and joins the rest of the San Francisco populace. He enters a motel and inquires about a room, but it seems that he was sighted after all, as two police officers enter after him, guns drawn and ordering him to put his hands in the air! (And wave ’em like he just don’t care! Woot! Woot! Sorry, I’m in a mood while writing this. A mood….to DANCE!) Instinctively, the symbiote slithers up his hands and webbing fires from both of his fists! Webbing both weapons, he swings both officers into opposite walls, knocking them out! Now fully covered by his symbiote from head to toe, Venom politely cancels the aforementioned room. The terrified clerk shakingly complies.
The next day, Eddie takes a stroll through a local park when he suddenly becomes aware that the local homeless are being harassed and beaten by well-dressed goons! (Well, they are dressed nice. But one does have a mohawk. What is it with that? Did thugs in the 90’s have a certain dress code they had to follow that encouraged these early 80’s punk hairstyles? Inquiring minds want to know!) Enraged, Brock demands that they leave the people alone. In reply, “Mr. Mohawk” pulls a handgun! This does him little good, as Venom crushes the weapon easily! He starts systematically fighting his way through the villains, but a red-clad boot comes seemingly from out of nowhere and slams into Venom’s back, knocking him flying! Spider-Man is here!
Where is Venom? He walks, as Eddie Brock, with the homeless people he has just saved. Where are they, you ask? Beneath San Francisco. In a hidden sanctuary within the sewers! They explain there is a whole secret society here and, if the council approves, he is welcome to live here. But before he can answer, huge mechanized suits of armor drill their way through a nearby tunnel wall! (Only in comics, ladies and gentlemen!) Brock shifts into Venom and stands in front of the crowd of innocents. The men within the armor waste no time and attack! Venom is lifted by powerful robotic arms and shot with lazers! Hating the heat, the symbiote fights back! The vigilante begins to win the day too until sonic weapons are used! Hating loud noise even more, Venom begins to weaken! (Hey! Superman’s weakness is a rock, okay! Don’t be so judgmental.)
To be continued…..
It is later revealed that this part of the underground city is not accessed through time travel, but is rather a city from the past that fell during the big quake of 1906 and was paved over and forgotten. It was later discovered by a homeless man and has been a secret sanctuary for those less fortunate ever since. (Aww! No time warp? And I was all ready to dance in my Dr. Frank-N-Furter costume! Get it? You’re not “Rocky Horror Picture Show” fans?! This younger generation with its cell phones and video game consoles….sob….)
Venom does some searching and soon finds the corporate headquarters of this Treece. Easily breaking in, he crawls along the ceiling, and while examining the building’s rooms he discovers a scale model of the park that he saved the homeless from earlier that day. The model depicts the park, only newly renovated as a gift to the city. This type of renovation would require all of the city’s “undesirables” to be removed from above and below! But before he can examine further, security guards burst in and open fire! (Damn! Look at all of that drool in the photo above! Talk about giving away your position! He’s gotta be leaving a huge slimey trail! Reminds me of a giant slug cosplaying as a ninja! HA! I amused myself!)
They state aloud how they followed his drool trail to locate him. (Ha! Told you! And it’s not just because I’ve read this miniseries a million times. I’m just that smart.) Venom tells them, as they are doing the work of others, they may be innocents and are allowed to leave with their lives. They answer with even more gunfire! Venom falls! They foolishly approach, thinking their prey deceased. Venom then leaps to his feet, firing the bullets his “other” has just absorbed right back at them! Those who aren’t gunned down are beaten mercilessly by the Lethal Protector!
Third issue. We begin where we left off. Only now, the armored men have attacked our hero! He is struck down by a sonic weapon, shocking the symbiote to its core! Eddie Brock manages to stumble across the right words and asks why he’s being attacked. The blonde man replies that he is Orwell Taylor, and that during one of Venom’s escapes from The Vault, a prison for supervillains, he had murdered this man’s son! He has since studied Venom thoroughly in order to take him down for good! He even assembled friends of his deceased son that either served as guards within The Vault as well, or with him in the military! He calls them The Jury! (Boy, this sure seems like a lengthy explanation since Venom is nowhere near death and quickly regenerating. I’m reminded of Disney’s “Incredibles” and the villain’s joke about “monologuing.”)
Venom uses this opportunity to lash out at his captors, his strength fully renewed! (See?! What did I say?!) He battles The Jury with great skill and quickly leaps to freedom! Meanwhile, Mr. Treece surveys the damage done to one of his offices by your friendly neighborhood symbiote. He is not pleased. He makes it clear to one of his cronies that Venom must not find out the true purpose of the park rejuvenation project.
At the home of Mr. Brock Sr., Spider-Man is told only that he cut ties with his son long ago and to leave immediately. (Nice guy, huh? Ah. Reminds me of my own dear papa. Maybe I should become a supervillain turned anti-hero. Now if I could just locate an alien symbiote….) As Spidey turns to leave, he is approached by the housekeeper. She tells him that she wants to help.
The housekeeper begins her tale of young Eddie Brock. She tells how Eddie’s father only loved one person in his life, Eddie’s mother. When she became pregnant, he was happy, until she died during childbirth. Raising the child alone and secretly blaming him for his mother’s death, the man became more and more bitter. Nothing the child could do, be it sports or schoolwork, pleased his father. When Eddie landed the job as a reporter and broke the story of his career, still nothing. When Eddie lost his job, after the story ended up being false, his father cut all ties. (Great guy! I wonder who gave him parenting advice, Charles Manson’s father?!) Spider-Man takes his leave as the old woman finishes. He wonders, is he actually not only getting to know his enemy better, but is he also beginning to understand him?
Venom detaches himself from the car, reverts to Eddie Brock mid leap, and lands on the sidewalk some distance away. As he walks incognito, he suddenly becomes aware that a metallic orb is hovering in the air behind him, following his every move! Before he can react, it drops to the ground beneath him and lets loose an intense sonic shriek! The loud sound starts to cause the symbiote to retreat away from its human host! (Have you ever found it amusing that when stuff like this happens, the human host has just enough symbiotic goo left to cover his or her naughty bits? Hey, if the rest of it retreats, where does it retreat to? I think a proctologist might be involved.)
A man boasts from behind that the orb was a sonic grenade, and then raises a rifle to finish the job. Venom tries to reason with the man, arguing that Eddie understands why The Jury is doing this, that the man he killed was a good man. But if he were to die, many good people would perish beneath the sewers. This makes the man hesitate. He does so long enough that Eddie can call the symbiote to cover him and then quickly reach out to crush the weapon! He then defends himself against an onslaught of blasts from the armored fists of one of the other Jury members! This battle doesn’t last long, though, as a missile explodes, knocking Venom’s foe unconscious! Looking up to the source of the projectile explosive, Venom sees a hovering helicopter! Someone is actually helping him!
A megaphone from within the copter announces that his savior offers him sanctuary and a proposition. Curious, Venom shoots up a webline and boards the craft. Once inside, he is met with a screen, on which is a black-haired man with a goatee. The Man introduces himself as Roland Treece, and he wants Venom to act as his head of security! Venom asks if this includes the park project. He is assured it does. Obviously smelling a trap, Venom agrees. (We all know that this is gonna go sideways for the V-Man, don’t we? The question is how.)
A voice tells Venom that he can blame him for this predicament if he wishes. He introduces himself as Carlton Drake of the Life Foundation. He states that Treece, a board member of his, told him that Venom could possibly be of help to him. Venom roars that he would never help the likes of him! Drake replies that he isn’t interested in Venom….but his offspring!
Howdy y’all! It’s me, that danged varmit, Symbifan! Yep. I’m back with that part two y’all were waitin’ fer! So, sit on back, get yerself comfy, and lissen while I dish out them fancy word-vittles yer all a wantin’! (Yep. That energy drink has definitely screwed with my brain.)
To say things aren’t going well would be an understatement. Batman is training everyone much too hard in hand-to-hand combat, The Flash is firing at falling debris with a handgun at super-speed but panics and emotionally shuts down when the situation calls for him to run, and Green Lantern seems too grim and fierce. It seems like he simply wants this war to end so he can die. (Those are our heroes folks. Kind of dark and depressing, huh? Yep. It’s like someone slapped them all with the Marvel Comics stick repeatedly!)The upside is when the mouthy and cocky Superboy spears with Wonder Woman. All seems to be going well until the young hero actually plants one on a surprised Amazonian princess! She clocks him so hard that you’d swear his head’s gonna snap clean off!
The next night, the Super Seven enter the wreckage of the once proud city of Metropolis. Scouting ahead and moving carefully, they head to the meeting place. They are stopped suddenly by the cries of a frantic Lana Lang. She screams that it’s a trap! And a trap it is! A large force of Horde warriors teleport in and surround them! Wasting no time, the heroes charge into action! Their training may have been messy and unorganized, but in battle? They work as a well-oiled machine! The sight is awe-inspiring! The Justice League truly lives on, even in times as dark as this. Especially in times as dark as this. (That’s right, kiddies! The big guns are back and they’re mad as hell! Nerdgasm alert!)
Yes. All seems to be going amazingly! That is except for The Flash. He freezes in horror at the very thought of running in battle again. (Yeah. To be honest, this does get kinda old throughout the story. Man up, you wuss! Oh, yeah. He can’t hear me. Come to think of it, I should stop talking aloud anyway.) While the battle rages on, Superman swoops Lana up in his arms and gets her to safety, by Jimmy Olson. It’s then that a Horde soldier makes a mistake. It begins to try and protect Lana! She orders the Hordesman to stop this and treat her as if she were the enemy! Yes, it seems as if Lana Lang is in fact a traitor! (Okay, let me go on record here by saying that Clark should be with Lana instead of Lois in the NORMAL reality. Not this Elseworlds story. See. So my early comment is still correct as I see it. Whew! I almost looked foolish there!)
Jimmy pulls a gun, kills the horde member, and then aims it at her! He says that he’d rather kill her and have Superman think him the traitor than let him think his childhood sweetheart was in fact the backstabber. But alas, he cannot force himself to pull the trigger. Lana teleports away just as Wonder Woman arrives. Having seen and heard everything from above, she tries to comfort him. This doesn’t last for long though as a Horde soldier emerges and fires at Jimmy! A true heroine to the last, Wonder Woman takes the shot in his place! She dies soon after Green Lantern smashes the enemy. (No! You’re too important to the world to die like this! I ask you, who’s really gonna miss Jimmy “goofy bowtie” Olson? Exactly! Not even his mama!)
The group escapes into a safe house to rethink their situation. While they do this, Superboy decides to go catch some Z’s elsewhere. He is soon met by Batman. He discusses attempting a secret mission that only involves the two of them. Happy to please, the youth agrees. That’s when Batman gasses him from a compartment within one of his gauntlets! We next see Batman, within Horde armor, attempting to gain entrance into a Horde ship with his metahuman prisoner! After some typical Batman persuasion, he and Superboy’s unconscious form are teleported within! (I hate to point out the obvious Star Wars plan here. You know where Han and Luke dress as stormtroopers and pretend Chewie’s their prisoner to gain access into the Death Star? God, what have I been doing with my life? Sob…… Psyche! A nerd’s life is the life for me!)
When aboard, Batman quickly disposes of the Horde armor. He then gasses the unconscious Superboy with an antidote, waking him immediately. Before the youth can pose a question, Batman reveals that the power to the shield over Metropolis is contained within this very vessel! They quickly locate the power source and spring into action against a legion of Horde warriors! They do well but the size of the enemy force finally gets the better of them. Superboy is forced through a window by Horde soldiers while Batman finally is overtaken. But, before he breathes his last, he presses a button concealed underneath the bat insignia on his chest. The explosion that follows sends the craft smashing into a nearby skyscraper! The shield falls soon after! (Rest in peace, Batman. Why, oh why didn’t you carry your aerosol can of Bat Horde Repellent that day? Why?!)
Superboy returns with the news of Batman’s sacrifice but Superman has already called the heroes into action. The Horde has come to make good on their threat! The Super Seven make their final stand. Each of the remaining heroes fights like a champion. Showing no fear, they battle on like the Horde has never seen! Metallex is the next to fall. Once again it is only the number of enemies rather than their fighting prowess that wins the fight. Green Lantern fights like a man posessed! Using his inner demons as fuel, he incinerates Horde soldiers by the handful! But, he is so full of rage that he fails to see a golden arrow launched at his back! Seeing this, the Flash battles his own inner demons and runs like never before towards his friend and ally! The arrow strikes home and the Flash dies instantly. He dies a hero. (Damn! Who wrote this, George R. R. Martin? People be droppin’ like flies!)
Superman and Superboy manage to make it into the Horde mothership undeterred. They fly through the corridors until they suddenly find themselves in front of the leader of the Horde forces himself! The ruler of the invading force stands in full battle armor. To his right stands Lana Lang in the shadows! Superman mistakenly thinks it to be his beloved Lois. It’s then that she steps into the light and reveals herself. It is also revealed that Lois perished ten years ago! She has it out with Superman, that if he had only shown her any interest since the team’s formation, no one would have been killed! Before much can be said in return, the Horde commander disintegrates her with a wave of his armored hand! (Talk about jealousy! You know, I’m starting to think Lana might just be a bad person…..)
The outraged heroes fly into action! But before the fight can truly begin, Metallexs’ still form falls to the ground from above. It’s then that the kryptonite heart lowers from another panel in the ceiling, right over the already weakening Superman! Superboy goes into a fighting frenzy! He beats the surprised alien from one end of the room to the other! But before victory is his, the Horde commander hits the young hero with a powerful hand blast! He then walks forward to finish him…..only to be impaled through the heart from behind by Metallex! The Horde leader is dead! Sadly, upon closer examination, it’s revealed that Superman is as well. Lana calls to the young hero. Surprisingly still alive but quickly dying, she whispers that Superman can still live. Moments later, Superman flies through the top of the Horde mothership in all of his glory! The corpse of his enemy held over his head, he exclaims to the now halted battling masses that the ruler of the Horde is dead! In that very instant, everything changed.
Time passes. The new Superman meets Metallex atop a high building. Before the boy can say much, the once Lex Luthor tells him that he doesn’t care that he didn’t get the credit for finally defeating the enemy. After all, the world needs it’s symbols. They bring it hope and hope is what the human race will need. Green Lantern makes a brief appearance as well. He’s been doing better with his anger and guilt. In fact, he is wearing his old costume and plans on finding and training the next generation of superheroes. When he leaves to do so, Superman goes to leave as well. He is halted by the veiled threat from the former villain. To remember that there can only be one man of steel in the city of Metropolis. Also, that he just finished killing the most powerful man on the planet. He’ll have no problem doing it again. (What did we expect? This is Lex friggin’ Luthor we’re talking about here!) If these words bother the new Man of Steel, he doesn’t show it. He simply smiles and flies off…..up, up, and away into the future!
My next dedication may be surprised that I have chosen him. I’ve chosen to dedicate this article to my brother, Eric James Miller. Not just because he loves this story and has read and re-read it more that even I, but because this story has reminded me that the future is uncertain and, though we have our differences, you should never take a loved one for granted. Life really is too brief.
The Unspoken Decade: 90's Comic Book Blog Extraordinaire 