"The End" Week: Motormouth & Killpower #12!

I loved the first issue of this book! But, their artist would go on to bigger things; the title somehow squandered guest-stars Nick Fury, the Punisher, Cable, and Death's Head II; and the second-banana somehow got second billing. From 1993, Motormouth & Killpower #12, "Unfinished Business" Written by Andrew Cartmel, pencils by Richard Elson, inks by Ramón Rosanas. 

 Motormouth was Harley Davis, a formerly homeless British teen, who had picked up some powers from Mys-Tech gear. Her sidekick/partner was Killpower, a massive genetically engineered super-soldier with huge guns (figurative and literal) and the mind of a child: he had been sent to hunt her down, but she would teach him to be better than his creators. I found him super-annoying, which makes me feel bad, since he would later get killed off in Revolutionary War, the 2014 Marvel UK event. 

 

This issue, a somewhat homesick Harley had wanted to revisit one of her old stomping grounds, only to find a giant skeletal monster that speaks in cliche panhandler lines. (This was of course from years before, but the overall effect is like them having to fight one of those giant Halloween decorations from Home Depot.) Death's Head II was also on the case, since it was an escaped A.I.M. project; Harley finishes it off by shooting it through the ear. But, she seems burned out by the violence and death. They teleport away, while a mysterious figure says soon she will work for him...which was a teaser for Dark Guard. 

 

A better teaser for Dark Guard? The back-up feature, with art by that series' artist, Carlos Pacheco! It's a slight but fun number, as Motormouth and Killpower bail on a distant planet, after KP insults the local "god," a jerky alien minotaur. The minotaur tries to re-assert itself, but bit off more than it could chew. ("The Prophet" Written by Mathew Hyde, pencils by Carlos Pacheco, inks by Oscar Jimenez.) 

 While they've appeared a few times since, Motormouth and Killpower are probably best remembered for a guest-spot in the Incredible Hulk, with their original artist, Gary Frank. When I was pitching who I would want for a Guardians of the Galaxy book; I wanted Motormouth and Dark Angel: Motormouth would be more fun than Lila Cheney, but Her/Kismet and Dark Angel would overlap, and I think three Marvel UK characters might be a lot...