Starbolts #738: The Iron Eagle Rises

 Hail!

    Here it is, ladies, gentlemen and others! The final fight between Jack Whitefox and Roger Stevens over the right to the Iron Eagle mantle! I will admit that the fight was evenly matched until Jack's sisters Carter and Crystal showed up. They were always going to be part of the final battle because the legacy of Iron Eagle is theirs as well and Roger here trampled all over it. Not only that. He had android versions of the Guardians protecting him. Since they were all deceased he tarnished their memory by using them to attack our heroes.  He used androids based on his friend Sentinel in his attacks. That isn't going to sit well with the superhero community.

    Another thing that isn't going to sit well with anyone (Well, Crystal and Carter anyway) is how Lancer used an android based on Velocity in this group. Velocity, if you recall, was a clone of Carter Clive Marshall created to infiltrate the Guardians. She broke free of his control and unfortunately suffered a sad fate just before the real Carter returned to the Starbolts. Her final resting place is with the Whitefoxes' grandparents. Of all of Carter's clones, that one is one of the ones she liked the most. The jury's still out on Nikki.

    The next part of the plan has been set into motion as Heidi tricked Lancer into taking her and Tanis to his final hideout.  I know it didn't take much convincing. But, whoever said Jared Lancer was a smart man? Not me. The end his coming for him. I just need to decide if the final battle will be at the Faeori city or at this hideout. We shall see. I do have to admit he was gullible. All it took was a few words from Heidi to turn things around? Man, no wonder he flunked out of magic school.

See ya next time! 

Starbolts #737: Facing the Eagle

 Hail!

    I think Jack is correct. It'd be hard to redeem Roger Stevens after everything he's done during this arc. The final battle between Jack and the former Iron Eagle is going to occur next week and it should be one for the books. Not only will Jack be fighting Roger. The others will be facing android versions of Roger's old friends, the Guardians. I know for a fact that the android version of Velocity is not going to sit well with Carter. Remember, Velocity was Carter's clone and she and Crystal considered her their sister. Yeah, she's not going to be happy that there's an android version of her clone running around. Emotions are going to be high. That's for sure.

    I also revealed what Lancer's endgame has been this whole time. He's been trying to find a way to stabilize his magic. Ever since he was kicked out of the Korun Academy his magic has been a bit on the wonky side. We've witnessed it in the comic and now he's trying to set things right. Poor guy. But, there's always another way to go about fixing yourself. It also doesn't help that he wants to take over the world and abandoning his friend was a bit of a jerk move.

    This week, I introduced a new President for the US. She would be the one Roger Stevens would be running against. I think the campaign is officially going to be over next week if Jack has his way. What's going to happen? We'll see next week!

See ya then! 

Starbolts #736: Patriot Games

 Hail!

    Wow! It looks like we're heading toward a confrontation of epic proportions! Roger Stevens has essentially challenged Jack Whitefox for the right to the mantle of Iron Eagle. Who'll win? The battle may very well decide the fate of America as Stevens is still running for office. This is all to be determined. And now that he dragged two void witches into the fray you can bet Crystal and Carter will have some strong words for the former Iron Eagle. I have a feeling Crystal would use some very strong words. The woman has a pottymouth! And we love her for it.

    I think Anya gave Jack the push he needs to finally end the threat of Stevens. Framing him for murder isn't going to go well. At least Jack has an alibi. He was with M'anta the whole time they were at Cyclone. So, the question is where did this footage come from. Is it a hologram? Is it more androids? Or is it magic? Let's not forget that Lancer is a wizard. That'll be revealed next week as Jack assembles his siblings for a battle that could decide the fate of a nation.

    If Stevens loses, Lancer could see himself in a lot of trouble since he won't have anyone to protect him. Lancer might be a little overconfident and chances are HE is the one who is unhinged around here. This could lead to his downfall. Stay tuned!

See ya next time! 

Starbolts #735: Taking Care of Business

 Hail!

    We've got a little bit of drama this week as we wrap up the action at the former headquarters of Cyclone Consulting. Now all the Starbolts have to do is track down Lancer and Roger. It may prove to be a difficult task as one guy is still knocked out and the other is Gladstone. Does anyone really think Gladstone will talk? Hmm. Probably not. However, since he lost the headquarters he might feel like he has nothing left to lose. The androids in the building were disabled, sure. Then again there may be more of them out there. This story isn't over quite yet!

    The Starbolts still have to find the main leaders of Cyclone like I said. I might not delve too much into the conversation the Monroes are going to have. But, it's good to know that Marcus and co are at least trying to help Tanis. 

    I really like how the bit with Dendra came out. Yeah. You shouldn't try to cozy up to a baby if they don't know you. And if it's a shapeshifting baby? Probably not a good idea. The look was inspired by Marvel's Venom. Just a quick change of eye shape, fangs and of course green drool. I think that'd be enough to give anyone a fright. I also bet that deep down Carter is proud of her daughter. I'm not sure if she was speaking Inobe or baby talk, either.  It's a secret known only to Carter, Firaxil and Dendra!

See ya next time! 

Starbolts #734: Hostile Takeover

 Hail!

    Wow. This was certainly one way to get the building back from Cyclone Consulting! It seems that investors on the board sold the building illegally and Jenna just had to buy it back. Whether or not Cyclone Consulting will comply is a different story. Gladstone is likely going to go with them. I don't think he has much of a choice. Josh is already sitting in a holding cell at Agents Academy so I don't think he'll be much of a problem for now.

    Speaking of Josh, he's really been going off the deep end hasn't he? Like I said before. Jealousy can do strange things to people and make them act out of character. Right now he can't see straight and is taking his frustrations out on a guy with superrpowers. Not a very smart thing to do and I doubt hurting him will make Heidi fall back in love with him. 

    This week we also meet Heidi's lover from her college days. Lucy and Heidi met during college and were roommates. They experimented a lot and became a couple a while after their first kiss during a New Year's Eve party. I would imagine Heidi's parents would flip a table after learning about all of this. They had no idea their daughter did any of this stuff. I don't think they're going to take it very well.

    This is by no means the end of the story. We've still got to find and capture Lancer before he does whatever he's going to do next. That man is just as unpredictable as Josh. Maybe even more. He'll have to be dealt with swiftly. 

    It was a cool idea to give Jenna a shining moment like this as I haven't used her much in the comic. It's nice to see her shine here.

    Now that one of the heads of Cyclone has been captured, it's time to shift this story into high gear. 

See ya next time! 

Starbolts #733: Speeding Love

 Hail!

    There's an unwritten rule in most MMORPGs that says that when you start a raid in a dungeon, you do NOT fly off without a plan. You do not run into a room full of baddies and expect to handle it by yourself because nine times out of ten you're gonna die or at least give your healer a headache trying to keep you alive. I suppose Tanis flying off was inevitable. He tends to go off half-cocked most of the time. That guy's on a mission and that mission is to find his lovely lady friend.

    At least Marcus and Tanis buried the hatchet before they left. Marcus told him what he went through with Tanis's father and what it took to heal him. It wasn't so much true love as it was a desire to be with the ones he loved. And that included Crystal. She wanted to do whatever it took to make him better and that ultimately led to the two bonding on a mystical level.

    You have to admit Aquita had a point when it comes to Marcus and Crystal. She knows the two of them very well and knows he'd do anything for her. There are so many comics to list but I think longtime readers know when he's gone above and beyond for Crystal.  At least they are in a good place now. I mean they're going to be married. Look for that wedding comic to be coming soon!

    Now we come to Heidi. Heidi's caught between a rock in a hard place. One ex wants to sleep with her and another one just reappeared out of the woodwork. I'm not sure what Lucy's plan is. But, I would hope that she'd be a lot nicer than Josh. Josh seems to be suddenly thinking with other parts of his body.  Let's just hope Lucy has a more leveled head. There may come a time in the next few comics where she'll have to choose between Tanis, Josh and Lucy. Perhaps I should get them on one of those old dating game tv shows.

See ya next time! 

Starbolts #732: Ex Troubles

 Hail!

    Wow! There is a lot to unpack this week, huh? While the Starbolts work on a plan to finally take the fight to Cyclone Consulting, Tanis and Heidi were having a pretty good morning until it was interrupted by Mr. Joshua Peterson. Josh was already a pretty jealous ex-boyfriend and now that he's got a Manhunter armor, he's a lot more dangerous than he was before. Jealousy and a supersuit are not a good a combination. He is not in his right mind right now.

    In fact, I would hazard a guess and say that he probably misinterpreted Heidi's prior relationship with Lucy a wee bit. If you recall, Lucy's name was part of her password at Cyclone Consulting. That could mean anything. Still, I think Tanis and Heidi are gonna have a long talk about this and other lovers she might have had if their relationship is going to continue.

    They also professed their love for each other this week. Whether it's true love and not lust is up for debate. Their relationship is still in the very early stages. They may need to slow things down. It's clear that neither of them are willing to listen. Heidi might be caught up in the euphoria of being saved and Tanis is still going his own things. It remains to be seen if those feelings are real. 

    It was still a good idea for Crystal to invite Heidi to breakfast. If only she and Marcus arrived a little later. They might have been able to save Heidi from Josh and Tanis might not need medical attention. Hindsight is 20/20, I guess. At least Crystal admits that the two have a lot in common. I bet they'd have a lot to talk about what just happened....and past lovers.

    Next week we're going to take the action to Cyclone Consulting and save Heidi from her ex. Now that a Starbolt has been injured by Cyclone you can bet our heroes won't take this laying down. Tanis may be a screw-up sometimes but he's still one of their own and the Starbolts take care of their own. There's gonna be hell to pay next week.

Stay tuned!