Necessary Evil in Freedom City Back Issue Bin

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

BAND OF STEEL | 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 Blackstone, the super-prison where they were kept. Dr. D made it pretty clear that BONEYARD, CARNIVORE, DR. STEEL, MADAME 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

BREAKOUT | Arc 2

[Cover Image] In this story arc ...

• Issue # 0:2 : 'Campaign Summit Part 1, [February 24, 2006]. Group gathers to build characters and discuss new campaign.
  
  
• Issue # 1:2 : "A Heist" , March 10th, 2006.
  • RECAP: March 2006. An acquaintance of Madame Shade, or rather or Graciella Barlow's assistant DA days, contacted hed her to hire the Band of Steel in helping him plan and execute a heist. A 17-year-old villain styling himself "Darwin's Stepson", he wanted to rob the vault of the Freedom City Diamond Exchange. The Band decided to commit the robbery right before closure time. Darwin's Stepson said he could transform into any animal and produce a multitude of duplicates of himself, so he was assigned to come as a fly, multiply so he could position his duplicates discreetly, and await Doctor Steel's signal (a squeeky toy) to transform into apes that would immobilize everyone in the Exchange. Doctor Steel and Madame Shade would go in, and Madame Shade would use her mental powers to compell the manager to open the vault. Warcry would stay outside and act as lookout and backup.
    
    The first part of the plan worked well. Darwin's Stepson flew in, multiplied as if someone had left week-old bananas on the window sill, and got in position. After two minutes, Madame Shade and Doctor Steel strolled in, arm in arm; Doctor Steel announced the robbery, and the flies turned to orangutans, successfully immobilizing the customer and personnel who weren't in enclosed offices. Madame Shade immediately spotted the manager in a glass-walled back office and took control of his mind. Several stories above, Warcry watched the surroundings for any unusual activity. All was clear on the streets, but she spotted two small-time thugs mugging an old lady in the alley just east of the Diamond Exchange. She interrupted the mugging, but attracted attention to herself — particularly after one of the petty thugs fired a gun and Warcry blasted him all the way across the street.
    
    Inside, things were also deteriorating. Doctor Steel was becoming sonewhat distracted, trying to reassure a couple of small children who were frightened of the apes. One of the guards managed to sneak past the orangutans and ambushed Madame Shade on her way to the vault. Although she avoided his attack, he managed to disrupt Darwin's Stepson's concentration; the prisoners started to break free, and all the apes vanished. Close to panic, Darwin's Stepson turned into a tyranosaur, managing in extremis to stop the fleeing hostages from reaching the front door.
    
    In the distance, Warcry had just noticed a motorcade for a VIP (a large bald man whose limo carried the license plate "MRDR-MN"), when she heard sirens and spotted incoming emergency response vehicles, immediately followed by an imminent STAR squad deployment; the plan was coming apart at the seams. Doctor Steel decided to abort the plan, solidly supported by Warcry and more grudgingly by Madame Shade (who was already missing her solo days.) Darwin's Stepson, horrified, returned to human form to argue for breaking into the vault first. Madame Shade helped him question the manager. Meanwhile, Warcry warned Doctor Steel that the STAR squad's arrival was imminent and that she would blast in an exit through the back of the Diamond Exchange or the team would be cornered. The manager nearly managed to get away from Madame Shade, but was stopped by Doctor Steel.
    
    A squad of five STAR officers in MAX armour deployed from the squad armoured truck and flew straight at Warcry. Her Smoking Mirror blast howled and burst through the wall of the Freedom City Diamond Exchange, sending a shower of rubble inside. Warcry then flew off toward the city centre, drawing the STAR squad after her and engaging them in a dogfight. In the Diamond Exchange, Doctor Steel picked himself up but saw that a woman (who looked a lot like his dead wife) was partly buried under the rubble. He was able to heal while Madame Shade dissolved the debris to dust. Darwin's Stepson was frantically trying to get to the diamonds in the vault. Doctor Steel and Madame Shade rushed through the gaping wall. Behind them, shots were fired. The next moment, everyone was deafened by the sonic boom of Warcry taking off at supersonic speed, the shockwave sending MAX armoured-officers tumbling.
    
  • CODES, CLUES & TIPS:
    • "The chair is against the wall." -- from WSAR Radio | NEinFC Easter Eggs!!
    • "John has a long mustache." -- from WSAR Radio | NEinFC Easter Eggs!!
    • "MRDR-MN" - the license plate of the silver hover-limo WarCry saw.
  • ISSUE QUOTES:
    • "More fun than a barrel of monkeys." -- Doctor Steel
    • "I can turn into a tyranosaur!" -- Darwin's Stepson
    • "The monkeys have arrived." -- Doctor Steel
    • "Doctor Steel? I'm going back to Blackstone." -- Warcry
      
      
• Issue # 3:2 : ???, March 24th, 2006.

---

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.

---

Return to NECESSARY_EVIL_in_FREEDOM_CITY.