Random Happenstance

We saw a later issue some time back, but artist Gary Erskine recently reflected on his work some thirty years ago, as "no fear." And I think he's right! From 1992, Warheads #2, "A Fine Time to Die!" Written by Nick Vince, art by Gary Erskine; and "The Trouble with Pellis Globus" Written by Nick Vince, art by Lee Sullivan.

Last time we mentioned how the Warheads were mercenaries, warping to alternate dimensions on missions; and while the back-up story will allude a bit more to the why's of it, we open with a mission already in progress; as "diseased sleazoids" rise from the carcass of a slain dragon, for a grotesque game of tag. Johnny gets tagged/infected, then blown away by rookie Leona; but the psychic Misha breaks the spell, allowing the team to leave. But a mysterious shadow seems to attach itself to Leona...Later, in the Danger Room Rehearsal Room, as the Warheads train, the voice in Misha's head explains she may have other powers, like precognition. The "Cherubs" that run the Rehearsal Room had replaced a Warhead's dummy grenades with real ones; Misha warns him to save everyone, but is worried "no-one likes prophet in own city." She already knew she would see situations where teammates would die that she wouldn't be able to help. But she sees something else coming: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Nick Fury was blackmailing 'Bad Hand' to infiltrate Mys-Tech Central and check out their tech.

Bad Hand and some rookie agents break into the Rehearsal Room during a "weapons failure" test: the Cherubs don't know why ninjas are on the test, but assume one of them screwed it up, and let it run. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are chewed up and spit out without mercy, as the Warheads thought they were "mechanicals," test dummies; and Misha manages to save team leader Liger with a hold-out pistol. The Cherubs flood the room with corrosives, intent on covering their mistake; but while the Warheads get out, so does Bad Hand, who at least snagged a battle gauntlet for S.H.I.E.L.D. to check out. Post-mission, the Warheads' immediate supervisor Mr. Grant hands out some fines, including a hundred pounds to Misha for not warning them earlier, but her little inner voice does show her a pleasant future vision: Grant, disgraced and homeless on the streets.

In the back-up story, Leona is trying to work through Johnny's death, taking it out on a dummy of Liger for telling her to "be professional." To cheer her up, Stacy takes her to the research labs "where they sort the money maker from the disaster spinner." They want to see the "pellis globus," or "fur ball," a cute little rabbity-thing...with acid spit! Leona gives chase, but the creature gets to Mys-Tech director Rathcoole, who isn't in any danger...since he had sold his soul to Mephisto, along with the rest of the Mys-Tech board! This was related to events in Hell's Angel/Dark Angel; and explains the Warheads' ultimate goal, that even they may not have known: find a weapon capable of killing Mephisto. When the fur ball spits acid at Rathcoole, time stops for him to save himself, and Leona in passing. But the shadow that attached itself to Leona moves to Mr. Grant, and seems to find itself more at home there.

I remember a promo piece of Erskine's from an old Marvel Age issue, that made this book look cool as hell--as well as just impossible to draw on a regular basis! The Cherubs make a cameo in Erskine's issue of Firearm; but I think my favorite of his was Hypersonic.

Ooh, almost forgot: also this issue, house ads for two of Marvel UK's other books, the aforementioned Hell's Angel, later Dark Angel; and the revamped Knights of Pendragon. I believe that's Liam Sharp art...well, Arthur Ranson seems to agree, so we'll go with that. I'm not sure if Sharp did more for the book, though: the previous Knights series had, at least at first, a more Alan Davis-look; and I thought maybe Sharp was going to take the second series in more of a Slaine direction, but that may not have happened. 

Also almost forgot, at least to mention: the Lilac City Comicon tomorrow! Which I'm completely unprepared for, absolutely no game plan in my head. We'll just see what jumps out at me. Then again, I say 'no game plan,' yet I think in the back of my head an elaborate end-run is being plotted to maybe see if I could get another stuffed Nightcrawler...