Necessary Evil in Freedom City Back Issue Bin

Original "Band Of Steel" Mini-Series, published by Savage Worlds Comics

????? | Arc 1

[Cover Image] In this story arc ...

• Issue # 1:1 : "JAILBREAK" , January 30th, 2006.
  • RECAP: In the first episode, the overbearing Dr. Destruction organized a jail break-out from the V'sori prison where they were kept. Dr. D made it pretty clear that BONEYARD, CARNIVORE, DR. STEEL, MADAM SHADE, NOISE and WARCRY were crunchies but gave them the task of freeing an important villain from the back cells. In their fetching prison suits, the improvised Band of Steel managed to free the V.I.P. ("Alive is all we need, he didn't say unharmed!") Many were wounded, but thanks to Madame Shade and Doctor Steel, they were healed -- except for Boneyard, who of course was undead.

• Issue # 2:1 : "TRAITOR TO THE GODS, part I" , February 6th, 2006.
  • RECAP: A few days passed. The overbearing Dr. Destruction had provided a lair of sorts in Star City, and even Boneyard was back to, um, normal. Doctor Steel had been experimenting in the makeshift lab, complaining about the facilities. The overbearing Dr. Destruction made an appearance, demanding that the Band of Steel go to the mainland and free a super-scientist from a V'sori base. He would supply a small boat and arrange for the communications at the base to be jammed for a two-hour window. The base was situated overlooking a bluff above the sea, and used to be a super-villain's lair before the alien invaders took over. Dr. Destruction gave crude schematics and left the Band of Steel to plot.
    
    The resourceful villains soon came up with a plan that they hoped would give them the advantage of surprise. Doctor Steel would build a submarine equipped with a giant drill that would not only take them unnoticed from the island of Star City to the mainland, but allow them to tunnel in through the cliff side to the underground laboratory. Madame Shade would use her magic powers to weaken the concrete foundations, making it possible to break through, and Noise would use his sonic powers to keep the operation silent. Carnivore would accompany the brave submarinodrillonauts to provide fighting abilities; rounding the submarine crew was Madame Shade's zombi, Joe. Meanwhile, Boneyard would use his powers to move through the earth and Warcry her flight abilities to attack the above-ground installations and create a diversion, thus drawing some of the enemy forces out and away from the real operation. Madame Shade used her voodoo magic to keep a mental link with Warcry and coordinate the attack with the break-through to the underground lair.
    
    Above-ground, Boneyard and Warcry were met by a dozen guards armed with machine guns (which they soon switched to Herokiller rounds), a handful of wiredogs -- super-dogs wrapped in barbed wire -- a warsphere, and a drone. Boneyard, being the stalwart good ol' dead Reb that he is, did a good deal of damage and, just as importantly, absorbed everything thrown at him without damage. Warcry gave an entertaining sight in the night sky, receiving the complete and undivided attention of the drone and the warsphere despite have caused naught but cosmetic damage to the compound.
    
    Underground, the tunnelers broke in. After a rapid exploration of the initial contact area and some moderate resistance from the guards, they came face to face with another posse of guards, another wiredog, another warsphere, a jack-in-the-box/stretchy super called Longarm, and a super armed with an energy weapon called Glaive.

• Issue # 3:1 : "TRAITOR TO THE GODS, part II" , February 13th, 2006.
  • RECAP: Knowing that this was their all-or-nothing only chance, Carnivore and Doctor Steel, who were facing Glaive, quickly agreed on tactics but alas, Glaive was faster and wounded both of them in a single action. Noise and Joe the zombi were the second line, and Madame Shade the third -- a fragile line.
    
    Up top, Warcry managed to dispatch the warsphere, but was hit in the same round by the drone, crippling her. A V'sori officer made his appearance, as Boneyard started to grab rocks and throw them at the guards.
    
    Two battles raged in parallel courses. Boneyard and Warcry gradually overcame the guards, the drone and their V'sori commander, while deep underground Doctor Steel, Noise, Carnivore, Madame Shade and Joe the zombi battled Glaive, Longarm and their henchmen. As Carnivore and Joe locked Glaive into a melee, Noise slipped past to engage Longarm while Doctor Steel grabbed the V'sori scientist and dragged him back toward the drilling submarine. Madame Shade used her voodoo sorcery in contest of wills to control Glaive's mind. She had just succeeded, immobilizing him in a trance, when Carnivore managed to get past Glaive's defence and putting him down for the count.
    
    Longarm puts up a last defence for a while, but is eventually overrun. The alien scientist is shoved into the submarine and Doctor Steel's team makes it escape just after launching a signal flare to let Boneyard and Warcry know they can break off the engagement. The team delivers the V'sori scientist to the overbearing Dr. Destruction.
    

• MISSING issue # 4:1 : "ATLANTIS RISING" : The extremely rare Issue 4 is, to all intents and purposes, impossible to find on the open market. It has been suggested by some collectors that the issue may in fact never have been released on the general market. There is currently some talk of publishing an adaptation in the current line published by M&M Comics.

The All NEW "Band Of Steel" Series, published by Mutants & Masterminds Comics

????? | Arc 2

[Cover Image] In this story arc ...

• issue # 0:2 : 'Campaign Summitt Part 1, [February 24, 2006]. Group gathers to build characters and discuss new campaign.

• issue # 1:2 : "????" , March 10th, 2006.
  • RECAP:  ???,

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Collectors' Notes

The rare Savage Worlds Comics mini-series was never meant to be an on-going concern, but in light of its success, it was picked up by Mutants & Masterminds Comics as a regular series. The roster was altered; Boneyard, Carnivore and Noise became occasional guest stars, while Whiplash and "Man'O War" were added to the regular line-up. This gave Stahl Toys a chance to expand the merchandising line. The aliens were also changed somewhat, the V'sori becoming the Star-Khan's Stellar Khanate and the Fins becoming the Grue. Dr. Destruction became the Overshadow in later comics, tying in with one of Mutants & Masterminds' staple villains.

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