Starbolts 2021 Preview

 

    The year 2020 is coming to a close and in the comic we end it how we began way back in January. Seems like a lifetime ago doesn't it? New Year's Eve 2019 was when we had the time traveling Starbolts cameo before crashing Firaxil and Sara's wedding the next month. So, it seems fitting that we see them once again. However, they aren't disrupting time and space. No, they're doing their own thing and moving forward.

    It seems that the battle of the two armies became something of a legend in the future. Why wouldn't it? Three generations of superheroes fought to save time itself from a man they once considered a friend. It's the stuff of legends! MJ, Jacob and Dendra are now going on their next adventure with meeting their great-grandparents just like how their parents did decades earlier. Their adventure, of course, will be different because those three aren't nearly as broken as Crystal, Jack and Sara.

     I hope I highlighted my own subtle jabs at 2020 enough with Crimson Justice's comments. The lizard is basically the voice of the real world audience. I hear ya, CJ. I hear ya.

    So, what's coming up next year? Well, we have  to wrap up what's going on with Angela. Then we'll have an adventure with Firaxil on New Inobus. Then some New Starbolts fun. And finally we'll get another new storyline! That should be amazing. Hold on, though. Who are those two in the last couple panels?

I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait and see! See ya next time!

Starbolts #512: For the Heroes Who Have Everything

Hail! 

    Happy holidays from all of us at Starbolt Productions! I know this year hasn't been the best in terms of real life events and I hope that the comic has helped in some way during the most depressing days of the ongoing pandemic. Here's hoping that there is light at the end of the tunnel, soon!

    So, this year's Christmas comic is an interesting one in that we have Idrak el Bashir aka Ice Phoenix helping Santa by interviewing the Starbolts and seeing what they want for the holiday. As expected, most of them already have what they want most in the world. Though they all have differing personalities, I don't think they'll be the greedy types. I'm sure they'll get whatever they desired most in this world. They did much good this year from stopping a terrorist organization to even traveling through time! Where will they go from here? We'll find out soon enough!

    This comic was fun to make and I made it a point to show almost everyone out of uniform. Angela and Firaxil are with the Centurions and we'll be seeing more of her story starting next year. So, be on the look out for that! I hope everyone reading this has a great Christmas and a happy holiday season!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #511: A Cosmic Shutdown

Hail!    

    Gregorio and Ricardo have arrived at the Centurion's base in the hopes of finding Angela. My favorite thing about this week's comic was having the Arlanderos all talking on the line. You can't help but have them be concerned for Angela's safety after Xelensa cut off the phone conversation between her and Kevin. If they had just let her talk, this probably wouldn't have happened. This is why you need to but out of peoples' lives! 

    Well, what's done is done. Now Gregorio is on the asteroid and there's going to be some hell to pay! We'll find out what he is going to do early next year because next week we have our annual holiday comic! Be on the look out for that! 

See ya then!

Starbolts #510: Racing Angel

 

Hail!

This week Angela has a confrontation with her chaperone, Xelensa. But, it turns out the table has been turned as our heroine has to deal with Centurion Zero. What does he have in store for her? What could such a small, cute, hedgehog-like creature want from Angela? We'll find out soon enough. I just hope someone will show up to rescue her! This cannot end well!

Meanwhile, I created two new aliens. One of them is a rock-like alien and the other, I think, is plant-like. Not sure what their story is. But, I bet it's a good one. I can probably think up a backstory for those two sooner or later. It's not that important right now because we have bigger issues to deal with. Angela has to face the Centurions alone. But, she does have help. Tenera is a telepathic scream away. Surely she can save the day!

We'll see next week!

Starbolts #509: Interview with the Centurions

Hail!

    Firaxil and Angela have finally arrived at the Centurion base where she will learn to have better control over her powers and abilities. It also looks like her reputation preceded her since her father was also an illustrious Centurion back in the day. I'm sure things will be fine. But, she is going to have to deal with a very puritanical chaperone. Things are going to be easy for her since she is going to want to talk to her boyfriend, Kevin.  I'm sure there are ways to circumvent the restrictions she had placed on her. After all, she did use Tenera's laptop!

    Speaking of Tenera, she is actually the first Centurion I presented in the comic. She is also one of the first Aquan heroes outside of M'anta, Shrall and Aquita to help save Aquarius. Other aliens present in this week's comic include a Setleth and a Dovianni. Doviannis haven't been seen in a while. But, here's one of them far from home. I haven't really come up with names for the other races, yet. It's a start, though. I would be careful of that Leonid Centurion =).

    Angela has much to learn from the Centurions and she is ready to do her best. We'll be spending a couple comics here with her and then it's onto the Christmas comic. Stay tuned!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #508: Heavenly Reflections

 

Hail!

A lot happened this week and we learned a bit about Stan's origins. Stan, it seems, was also a cocky young hero. It seems to run in the Whitefox family, doesn't it. It also seems that he and Sara both shared a similar experience when they were near death. What could it mean? Time will tell. Or perhaps Sara will never know why her experience differed from her father's.

Crystal in the mean time seems to be on the mend after dealing with her ghostly ex. When the Whitefoxes came home, she immediately went looking for Marcus and well....one thing led to another.  She'll be fine since she's in good hands!

As far as Jack goes, he has been okay through this whole thing. Here's hoping Anya takes up permanent residence at Agents Academy!

The three certainly learned a lot during their trip to meet their ancestors. They've all been changed for the better and I do like the banter they all had as a family. Things are looking up for the Whitefox clan. Next week, though, we're going to check in on the spaceman and Angela. 

Stay tuned!

P.S. I don't know what I was thinking with those fire demons. The idea just came to me!

Starbolts #507: Meet the Grandparents

Hail!

Well, we are finally here! Jack, Sara and Crystal have finally met their long-lost grandparents. You can thank Terra Nova for killing them before they were born. That beast of theirs certainly didn't show them any mercy. What was that thing? Will we see it again? An evil creature like that can't die that easily can it? We shall have to wait and see what happens. It is cool to note that with her dying breath Peggy let loose a nova flare burning herself out and burning the creature that killed them. Ironically, this was why the news thought it was a car accident.

Something prevented Sara from crossing over. She has a bit of a mystery to solve now. We'll have to wait and see what that reason was. It won't be revealed any time soon because next week the three Whitefoxes are going to reflect on what happened to them. It should be an interesting comic. Let's just say that our heroes have been dramatically changed because of the experience. 

They now know their grandparents were watching over them. What are they going to do with this knowledge? Time will tell. Join us back here next time and find out!

See ya then!

Starbolts #506: Facing the Devil

 

Hail!

In order to move forward, Crystal had to face her past and that meant encountering the ghost of her first boyfriend, Cody. You might remember him as the guy who abused her. Now he's burning to a crisp in the afterlife. It's a fitting end to a sick man. At least now she can put that mess behind her and be a whole person. Her great-grandmother is here to help her and she is pretty handy with a bow and arrow, right? I'd say she is! Ahyoka is of course Stan's grandmother. Her son is Howard Whitefox who we met last week. 

So, now all three Whitefox children have experienced a journey that has changed them all. Jack has gotten over her survivor's guilt. Sara has made peace with her past. And now Crystal is ready to move on. The three are now ready to meet their grandparents, Steve and Peggy. What wonders will await them once they reach them? Tune in next week and find out.

Starbolts #505: Many Voices Inside the One

Hail!

This week Sara embarks on a spiritual trip to clean her red ledger. Grandpa Whitefox is right in saying that it isn't going to be as easy as she thought it was going to be. Nope. There is work to be done for sure. Not only does she have to atone for her (Or rather Sola's) misdeeds, she has to contend with the origin of her sisters powers and why hers changed from clone to clone. 

Speaking of the clones, it was nice to see Psyche, Velocity and even the clone who died way back in Starbolts #19 again. It turns out that clones CAN get into heaven as long as they have a complete soul. I guess that means Sola must be in the bad place. Can't say she's missed. But, at least she's warm down there =).

It seems that two out of three Whitefox children are looking for retribution of sorts. The third, Crystal, will of course have to deal with her own demons next week. Keep an eye out for that! It's always good to have wise grandparents on hand when you need them. And trust me when I say Crystal is definitely going to need them.

See ya next time!

Starbolts #504: Survivor's Guilt

 

Happy Halloween!

This week's comic starts off with a bit of a history lesson about two families both alike in dignity. In the new world, we lay our scene. And that's about as far into Romeo and Juliet I am willing to go. We've all seen the play. We know how it ends. Luckily, it doesn't end that bad for our heroes since they are here and everything. 

Still, we get a bit of Whitefox genealogy. Jack, Sara and Crystal come from a long line of heroic people who sacrificed themselves to do what was morally and ethically right. They fought valiantly to make a better world for their families. I like to think that all three of them were listening intently to the introduction.

I had a fun time reading up on Cherokee history. The clothes the tribesmen are wearing are traditional clothes I found on Google. I didn't want to overdo their look. I also gave them little white fox emblems. I thought that was clever. Revolutionary War clothes are so intricate. It's hard to make them into sprites sometimes. Still, it came out very well!

Of course Jack had to deal with a bit of survivor's guilt. Years ago, he was the only member of Soldier Six to survive an explosion that ended up costing him an arm and a leg. Literally. He was put in the freezer and emerged many years later. 

The flashback explains what happened immediately after he was revived at age nineteen. He mistook his sixteen year old sister for his teammate turned girlfriend, Scarlett. Later, he looked up the two new sisters and went to check out the man who assaulted his little sister. Thankfully, he was there to stop Cody from exacting his revenge on her. There's no telling what he might have done.

Jack had no idea she was his blood sister at the time and still stepped up to be a hero like his ancestors who came before him. Sure Jack was nineteen when he stopped Cody. But, he had the blood of heroes in his veins and that selfless act proved his worth.

Jack also now knows what's been going on with Soldier Six. They've been haunting Cobra aka Richard Smythe aka the villain who killed them AND  kidnapped Jack's sisters. That guy really IS a snake and he is surely going to end up in the bad place one of these days. Only then will the spirits of Soldier Six finally know peace.

Next week we're going to look at Sara who is on the path to redemption for Sola's crimes. How will her ancestors treat her? Find out next time!

See ya then!

Starbolts #503: To the Spirit World

 

Jack, Sara and Crystal are about to embark on a journey that will change their lives! They'll be meeting with the grandparents they never met. Before they get the chance, they will have to encounter other spirits who may want to have a talk with our three Starbolts. This is sure to be an emotional journey because, if you recall, all four grandparents died before their grandchildren were born. This mini-arc will be full of tender moments. 

Jack's going to want to talk to Soldier Six. His story will be the first as he is the oldest. Sara and Crystal will follow afterward and then the Whitefox wills will ultimately meet up with their grandparents. It should be a fun ride! Stay tuned!

Starbolts #502: Unmasking the Past

 

Hail!

This week, we delve a bit more into Andrea's backstory as she comes face to face with a woman who one day became a thorn in her side. Who is she? Where did she come from? What happened to her? These are all very valid questions and we will answer them in the comic weeks. For now, it looks like we are going to take a side trip to the land of the dead and visit the grandparents of Jack, Sara and Crystal.

It sounds like a fun trip and you know that all three of their grandkids will be more than excited for this opportunity. Next week's mini storyline will go a couple of comics and be this year's Halloween special. I'm not sure if it counts as spooky. But, it involves the land of the dead. So, it counts.

Join us next week as we journey to the land of the dead. What awaits our young heroes there? Stay tuned!

Starbolts #501: Parting is Sweet Sorrow

 

The old order changeth and a new arc begins! Who is this mysterious woman Lady Liberty has confronted in the last panel? Is she friend or foe? We'll find out in time. In the meantime, we have this backstory of how Andrea handled life as Lady Liberty shortly after the "death" of her mentor, Carter. She didn't take things well. At least things eventually worked out for the best.

We also got a glimpse into the dating life of Stan and Andrea before they got married. They had to deal with some pretty harsh criticism. I mean Stan is Indigenous and Andrea is a ginger with French and English roots. You can bet some people would be racist jerks. Well, at least they got past that and three good things came from their union. Their names are Jack, Sara and Crystal.

Speaking of the trio, we'll be getting a mini arc with those two just before our Halloween comic. Be on the lookout for that in the coming weeks! Stay tuned because it is sure to be a trip!

I also wanted to say a bit about Kevin and Angela. I'm picturing his reaction when Angela kissed her and her just walking off. The boy genius is very lucky. Hopefully, she won't be staying away too long. Kevin is a bit neurotic as most geniuses are. But, he definitely counts his blessings because he has a girlfriend like Angela. Don't worry. She and Firaxil will be back before you know it!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #500: Home of the Brave

Welcome to the 500th edition of the Starbolts, true believers! Can you believe it's taken twelve years to get to this comic? The Starbolts certainly have changed a lot since my first comic back in 2008 and now here they are after some huge changes. Crystal is now a main character and has gone through some serious character development. Now she's confident and is ready to take on the role of Lady Liberty!

However, if the last two panels are anything to go by the future may get rocky for our newly minted Lady Liberty. Fighting the returning Nautilus is one thing. Now she will soon have to contend with Ruby Arronfeld, the woman who "raised" her on that "farm". Heh. So many air quotes. So little time.

But, yeah. Nautilus was freed from prison after the events of Starbolts #316 and is being sent right back there. Such is the life of Zach Benton, the merc with no sense. =)

Crystal had a very interesting conversation with Xander. Will he listen? Probably not. But, I think the Starbolts will be watching him from now on. We shall see what happens. Look forward to that and more Starbolts action coming soon! Enjoy the ride! The next five hundred comics will be sure to be quite a trip!

Starbolts #499: Land of the Free

 

The road to Starbolts #500 continues as Crystal is named the next Lady Liberty. The old order may have changed. But, some things remain the same.  However, the road just got a little bumpier as Xander Smith just called for Crystal's head. Uh oh! What is this guy's problem? We'll find out next time in our 60 panel 500th comic extravaganza! Do stay tuned!

Was there ever any doubt that Crystal would eventually pick up her mother's mantle? The signs were all there. There was no way Sara was going to pick it up. She's good with being "the woman in the chair" and part of Team Science. 

Crystal is going to have to contend with some opposition next time. Stay tuned for that because it's going to get a little wild. Her trial by fire is about to begin!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #498: Star-Spangled Banner Waves

 

Hail!

On the road to Starbolts #500, we check in on Iron Eagle who hasn't been seen since Velocity was revealed to be a clone of Sara. As you can see, he has fallen into a state of depression and his only hope rests in the hands of his friend, Andrea. The poor guy lost the love of his life, his friends, his dignity, the trust of the superhero community and so much more.

This had all been building to a head since Starbolts #240 for Iron Eagle. That storyline saw him do some serious damage while under the control of the Nazi scientist, Jade Skull.  By Starbolts #401, he lost another friend. Things just got too much for him. At least now he can get the help he so desperately needs!

So, it looks like two out of three Whitefox kids aren't going to take the mantle of Lady Liberty/Iron Eagle. That just leaves Crystal. Will she take it? We'll find out next week! See ya then!

Starbolts #497: The Perilous Fight

 

Hail!

The road to Starbolts #500 continues! We start off with a news report from a guy who will play an important role in that epic event. He really seems to have an ax to grind doesn't he? Xander seems to hate the Starbolts and if he gives off a conspiracy theorist vibe, that's the point. This guy is a jerk and the 'bolts know it.

I really like how the scene with Carter and Crystal came out. The two have a lot to talk about because she is a link to her grandparents. Crystal wants to learn everything there is about her relatives now since she finally knows who she is. Sara also wants to find out. I am sure the two will definitely learn a lot from Carter.

Next week we are going to check on the current Iron Eagle. That's going to be fun. Stay tuned for that as we press on toward Starbolts #500!

Starbolts #496: Twilight's Last Gleaming

 

Hail!

The march to Starbolts #500 continues with this comic focusing on Andrea talking to Yeena about her future plans. But, before that we had the team of mother and son taking down a team of poachers. By the way, Aquans can speak telepathically to whales, dolphins and other aquatic mammals.  It's a cool thing they can do. It makes total sense! I wanted to show Yeena in action one last time and what better way to do that than by showing her take down some poachers! Pretty cool, huh?

 I wanted to show Andrea and Yeena talking because they were longtime friends and I hadn't had a scene with just the two of them reconnecting like the old days. They were friends and teammates after all. Now we see them as friends again and picking up where they left off.

After that, we had Firaxil and Sara returning from their quick "honeymoon". They weren't going to stay away too long. Eagle-eyed viewers will see some familiar furniture in their baby's room. We have the screen from the Arlanderos' house and the teddy bear Sara had at the Marshalls' house, too. Not a bad start, right?

We're still on our way to #500! Not much further to go! See ya next time!

Starbolts #495: Dawn's Early Light

 

Hails and horns!

We're on the road to the five hundredth comic and we're starting with the search for the next Lady Liberty! Now, I know what you're thinking. We already KNOW who that's going to be. It's obviously going to be Crystal. However, her journey there is going to be a little different from just handing her the red, white and blue. Nope. There's definitely going to be more to it than that! Look for Crystal to become Lady Liberty by issue 500! That's all I'll say.

I can say more, though. Aren't Crystal and Marcus adorable? Mmmhmm. They sure are! And we have some couple stuff with Kaori and Selena while they were planting Sara and Firaxil's tree. Could wedding bells be in their future, too? Hard to say. But, I would definitely keep an eye on those two couples in the future.

In the mean time, we have five more comics to go before our epic five hundredth comic! Stay tuned!

Starbolts #494: Back to the Future

 As of this comic, the time travel story arc has come to a close! What have we learned from it? Well, we learned a great deal about Angela, Sara, Firaxil and Crystal's future. We learned that time can be rewritten. We learned that it's always cool to have a homage to Avengers: Endgame in your webcomic! =D

 The story focused on Angela because her powers were a little out of whack in the present. Now that she's going to get help, the future our team will experience will be different from what the future FUTURE 'Bolts will.

It's probably a good idea that the Power Rangers team went home. I think everyone was starting to suspect something was up with those kids. I know for a fact Crystal and Marcus were beginning to suspect MJ was their son. It's kinda obvious. And I think they'd be cool with it to be honest.

Anyway, Firaxil and Sara are finally married and have their whole lives ahead of them. Their future will also undoubtedly be different.

 So, what's coming up? Well, we have Starbolts #500 on the horizon and that's looking to be crazy awesome as a change is on the horizon for a current Starbolt. What will it be? Stay tuned!

  

Starbolts #493: The Odanta-Whitefox Wedding (Take 2)

  

 

Hail!

 

We're finally here! The Odanta-Whitefox wedding extravaganza! This time nothing stopped our heroes from finally at long last tying the knot! We have one more wedding comic to go before we say goodbye to our time traveling friends. The future version of Firaxil has taken off and now only the Rangers and Chief remain. I wonder what she meant by things not happening like she remembered. Time, I suppose, is like a river. Things change and there are infinite possibilities.

One of the many things I liked about this wedding comic is how Stan danced with both of his daughters. Last year, he had no idea that they were both his biological offspring. One of them was even missing and presumed dead. Now his family is whole and he is very happy. 

The road to #500 continues next week with another wedding comic and after that we get a mini storyline to issue 500. Do stay tuned because we have a lot coming your way!

See ya then!

Starbolts #492: Getting the Party Started

 

  Hail!

With everyone going back to the future, it's now time to turn our attention back to the wedding we almost had at the beginning of this arc. Wow, that was thirty comics ago! Yes, it's definitely time to get back on track and have the Odanta-Whitefox wedding. This time, however, there are a few more guests. The teens from the future and Chief have been cordially invited to witness the wedding event of the year!

All I can really say is that it's about time those two tied the knot. Now their future daughter will be there along with her friends. That's going to make for an interesting conversation for when she gets back.

Sam and I are also hard at work planning the next few arcs. We have something big planned for #500 as we march forward to that milestone. It's going to be huge! After that, we'll have some more amazing tales. Do stay tuned! We have a wedding to go to next week! Get cleaned up because we're headin' to a superhero weddin'!

Starbolts #491: Tying Up Loose Ends

 

Hail!

The loose ends are starting to get tied up as this storyline comes to a close. The Professor was unceremoniously picked up by his own people and Dark Angela is on her way home. That just leaves Chief and the Power Rangers. They're going to be sticking around for a while, I suspect. Why? Well, don't you remember we had a wedding at the start of this arc?

We'll be getting back to that in a couple of comics and it looks like we have more than just seven more guests because Yeena and Carter will most likely be there. As maid of honor, Crystal will have her hands full making sure everything is prepared and ready to go.

After the wedding extravaganza, we'll be marching into #500! What's going to happen in that amazing issue? I can't tell you right now. Stay tuned!

Starbolts #490: Dueling Angels

 

Hail!

It's not every day you get confirmation that you will indeed be born some time in the not too distant future. That's why Angelo is so happy in the last panel. As you can see, he definitely takes after his mother. He's also living, breathing Centurion force to a certain degree. I really like how the conversation between the current Angela and Angelo turned out. The kid needed to hear from his mother and our Angela is the closest thing in terms of the mother he actually knows. He's too far removed from that future Angela. Current Angela is basically the same person as Angelo's mother. Dark Angela is not.

Speaking of her, I'm glad that both Angelas finally had it out. She vowed never to become that dark version of her. She'll be fine under the tutelage of the Centurions. It's a safe bet that the dark future that Dark Angela and Future Firaxil come from will be changed. Don't you just love time travel?

As you may have guessed, we're winding things down now. We're marching on toward #500 and we're planning to have some changes on the horizon. Good changes. And possibly even a wedding! Stay tuned!

Starbolts #489: Nothing but the Truth

Hail!

So much drama this week! First we have the much anticipated reunion between mother and son with Angelo and Angela. The talk is not done, yet. We still have Angela and Angela talking in a comic tentatively called "Dueling Angels". More on that next week. For now we have Angelo having it out with his mother.

Meanwhile we have Firaxil confronting Sara with everything he has learned in his time in the void. Now he knows that she had an abortion about three weeks before she was rescued by him. Who is the father? Sam and I may reveal that in time. It's honestly hard to say because Sola slept around. A lot. Didn't matter who or what gender they were.

At least Firaxil and Sara appear to be on the mend. He accepts her and she's grateful. But, wow was he cold for a few panels. Don't worry. Things between them are fine!

See you next time for more drama!

Starbolts #488: Future Shock

Hail!

Quite a few things happened this week. Angela is determined to not become like her future self. You could argue that seeing the destruction she caused may have pushed her to seek help in controlling her abilities. You can bet that before future Angela leaves, current Angela is going to have a few words with her. Look for that conversation to happen soon!

Then we had Sirak meeting his past self. He narrowly avoided having breakfast with both grandmas, his parents and his younger self. That was a close call because two Aquans and a Latina grandma could figure out Sirak's identity pretty quickly. Good thing Dendra got him out of the fire!

We also caught up with the teen Starbolts. They've been witnessing all the craziness. There's bound to be more coming. Do stay tuned!!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #487: Old Glory

Hail!

This week's comic is a very special 4th of July comic as it was released ON the 4th of July. I have introduced the original Iron Eagle and his partner Spitfire. The Iron Eagle I had in the comic before was not the original patriotic hero. This man is. And as it happens, they are the parents of the second Lady Liberty! That then makes them the grandparents of Jack, Sara and Crystal.

I hope that explanation makes some sense. =) After Iron Eagle and Spitfire died under mysterious circumstances, their friend Carter Danvers took their mantle and became Lady Liberty. Andrea was orphaned and was put into foster care. However, Carter made it a point to stay in touch with the young girl. They formed a friendship and have been reunited.

We'll be revisiting what caused the deaths of Lavarre and Tennant in a future comic. Stay tuned for that. I did like how I had the ghosts visit the grandkids. Did they suspect that their great-grandchildren were there as well? Who can say? I did have them in focus in one of the panels. I wonder if they suspected anything.


You can also bet that Sara, Jack and Crystal would be entranced by that newsreel footage of their grandparents. Terra Nova had a hate for their family since the days of World War II. And it turns out that they were a Nazi science division. They were formed in the 1920s as a secret society and just got absorbed into the Nazis.

It's funny. Ever since those days, the organization tried to stop Lavarre and his progeny. The grandchildren were the ones who finally put them out of business. Ah, the irony.

See you next time! Have a great holiday!

Starbolts #486: Saving Private Angelo

Hail!

In no time at all Team Magic saved the future Angelo from a very gruesome death. His mother sensed his presence and soon the two will be reunited! However, we have something special planned before that as we're coming up on the 4th of July. Stay tuned for something really cool and really in canon.

Back to this week's comic, though. Looks like the future look for the Centurions is cooler than the one they have now. I wonder what made them change their minds. Hard to say. But, the look really is cool. I might have Richie adopt the look. We'll see.

This arc is rapidly coming to a close and next week I'll be taking a break from the action with a special 4th of July comic. I hope everyone enjoys it! Stay tuned!

Starbolts #485: Back to the Future

 Hail!

This week's comic has a little downtime before Team Magic heads to the future to save the future Angelo from certain death on the planet Illibrata. If you recall, that's why the future Angela went off the deep end and started killing her friends and family. If Angelo is saved, then she will be in a better place. We hope.

I also put some character moments in the comic to show a few developments. It seems that Stan played a bit of a matchmaker between two immortals since we last saw Idrak and Ethan together. Not a bad pairing, right? I didn't think so!

We also saw Kaori and her girlfriend, Selena talking and of course Marcus talking to Jack about what happened on D.I.S.C.O.R.D. island. A little character development goes a long way. But, for now Team Magic is on their way to an unknown future. What awaits them there? Fine out next week!

See ya then!

Starbolts #484: Group Therapy

 

Hail!

Looks like being trapped in a void is a good place to hash out your differences. Hang on a second. What did the future Angela mean by the death of her first child? Hmm. We'll be looking at that a bit more closely. Firaxil is a little concerned about what that might mean. What could it be? Who is the father? What's going on? We'll see soon enough. Stay tuned for that.

Meanwhile, the Power Rangers managed to get Angelo's helmet. They just need Angelo. I do like the scene where present day Sara lays into future Firaxil with all the advice he used to give her. Turnabout is fair play. Sam helped with that scene and it turned out beautifully.

Not much else to talk about this week. Stay tuned because we're going to get some more revelations soon. Dendra is right. Sara DOES have a ton of secrets doesn't she?

Starbolts #483: Comfort and Joy

Hail!

This week's comic has much needed downtime for a few of our heroes. I think that in order to change the timeline, the present day Angela is going to have to change a few things in order to avoid becoming her dark, future self. Now she and Kevin know that Angelo is their future son. What they do with that information is totally up to them. The future hasn't been written yet from their point of view. Changes are already being made to the timeline. What will happen to Angela now is anyone's guess. The question is how is she going to avoid becoming her darker self? She is going to have a lot of work to do.

Meanwhile Crystal and Marcus are doing their best to relax. The poor guy saw his hero die in front of him. It's going to take him a while to recover. Crystal is doing her best to pay it forward to him for all the times he helped her. I think he'll be okay. It's tough when the heart of the team has to go through some trauma.

Speaking of trauma, it looks like dark Angela went through some. I see a group therapy session in the void. Stay tuned for that! It should be noted that the Centurion powers get immediately nullified upon entry into the void. That's why Firaxil immediately reverted to what he was wearing when he put on the spaceman suit. That would be his tux. Man, that wedding was ages ago wasn't it? We need to get that boy married. Soon.

See ya next time!

Starbolts #482: What is Ilibrata?

Hail!

So, as it turns out the Chief was actually Sara from the future! Amazing, right? Actually, the hints were all there if you knew where to look. Remember how she was:

1. Friendly with Crystal before her time jump.
2. Was REALLY not looking forward to sending Mateo and Angelo into her sister's dark past.
3.  Her conversation with Norad in her own past almost gave it away.

Those hints and others peppered throughout the arc almost gave everything away didn't it? Well, at least we know Sara's fate in the future as well as the fate of Firaxil, Crystal and Angela. However, the Starbolts will be changing Angela's fate very, very soon. If this works.

What exactly is Ilibrata anyway? Well, it turns out it is a planet. Sam and I were thinking that the world is like a combination of DC's Oa and Marvel's Xandar. Both planets are the home of the Green Lantern Corps and the Nova Corps respectively. Both worlds yield the key to some serious cosmic power. I tried to make Ilibrata as funky as possible with rings around it and a cloudy atmosphere.

The sky on that world would be amazing. Everywhere you look, you'd see the rings. Would be a breathtaking sight. Will we visit this planet? Well, Nightstrike and Stan are going. So...yes. Yes, we are going. When? Soon!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #481: Arguing with Myself

Hail!

This week Angela gets involved in a real Freudian nightmare as she is arguing with herself. It seems that the death of Angelo is what caused future Angela to snap and kill everyone she knew and/or cared about. Clearly she is not mentally stable. One question remains. Who or what is Illibrata? It's definitely a place. I can say that much. We'll find out more about that next time!

At least Kevin and the present Angela have been reunited. She seems to be safe for now. But, she is probably thinking of ways to NOT become this darker and insane version of herself. Time is a fickle thing isn't it. It's like a river that's always moving. Well, actually from a non linear, non subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.

In any case, Angela is going to do her best to make sure she doesn't turn into her darker self. Here's hoping that works out! For everyone's sake.

Starbolts #480: Letting the Dust Settle

Hail!

This week, we've decided to let the dust settle a bit while the team looks for Angela and "Dark Angela". They needed to come to terms with the time traveling adventure which has been going on for many comics now. Andrea had her reunion with her mentor, Carter, aka the first Lady Liberty. She wants to hear all about her protege's children. This could get awkward really fast. How is she going to explain all of what happened to Jack, Sara and Crystal?

Meanwhile, we have Mateo talking about his time traveling experiences. That was probably a tough thing for him to talk about. You don't just forget seeing something like that. If you check out the comic, just remember there is a viewer discretion message still in effect.

The cutest part has to go to little Sirak talking to his returning grandmother. She had been missing for most of his life. So, he's basically a chatterbox at this point. I get the feeling he's going to love the story of how his idol, M'anta, saved her. Older Sirak in the mean time probably remembers this day. Sirak and Rose really want to be in the mess hall with their family. But, they can't because of time travel rules and everything.

As for the Chief and Firaxil? I wonder if anyone can guess who she might be. She and future Firaxil seem to be close. Hmmmm....

More on that AND both Angelas at the ranch next week! Kevin is a man on a mission. Let's hope Sara's bad feeling is unwarranted. See ya next time!!

Starbolts #479: Fallen Angels

Hail!

We interrupt this invasion of the purple people eaters to bring you this very important clash of the titans! It looks like Angela went Dark Phoenix in the future and went a little off the deep end doesn't it? We'll find out more next week.

This week, however, we learn the origin of her powers. Angela is the child of a Centurion and sometimes their kids tend to have cosmic potential. What's odd is that Jaime, Mateo and Richie never got this cosmic level of power. I suppose that means that there is a one and four chance of going super cosmic. Oh! I just had an interesting thought. Remember how Clive Marshall wanted her to be in a breeding program? I wonder if he knew just how powerful she could be. This Dark Angela is severely overpowered. Let's hope she can be stopped!

More on her origins and of course more on how she came to be this way soon!

At least she effectively ENDED the invasion of the time traveling purple people eaters.

See ya next time!

Starbolts #478: Temporal Collisions

 

Hail!

This week's comic has a startling turn of events as we find out why The Professor has been messing with the time period. It turnsout that there was a fight in the future between Firaxil and Angela that was the cause of it all! In order to prevent that dark future from happening, the Professor took it upon himself to change reality. Well, now the Starbollts know what is to come. Angela essentially becomes Dark Phoenix.. Can the Starbolts prevent it from happening?

We shall see. We'll also find out how she got this powerful to begin with. Stay tuned!

Starbolts #477: The Parental Directive

 Hail!

This week, the Agents have assembled to fight the foe no single superhero could withstand. They are the mentors and parents of several members of the Starbolts. Do they have what it takes to defeat The Professor's forces? Time will tell. However, there are still a few mysteries. Why were the drones so focused on trying to kill Angela? What is her part in all of this? Throughout this entire storyline, Angela has been a focal point. We'll find out the answer a lot sooner than you might think!

As for the Agents themselves, I had some fun putting the sprites together. The first Lady Liberty is actually using the Mark 16 armor Jenna and Sara used. The Arlanderos' father was a Centurion and that will be an important issue in the not too distant future. Many of the Agents actually passed down their powers to their children. Sara got Stan's teleportation ability. Marcus got superspeed from his mother.  It's very interesting how it all came together. The Starbolts owe a lot to their parents. Let's see if they can finish the job.

It should be clear that many of the parents appeared with their corresponding child except for Takashi, Kaori and Norad. Norad was created by Kevin and Takashi and Kaori were adopted by Ganetsu, the man in green in the last panel. We have quite a roster of heroes. Here's hoping they can defeat the Professor's forces.

AGENTS ASSEMBLE!

(And yes. The team is basically like the Avengers but with some differences.)

Starbolts #476: Heroines in Peril

Hail!

Earth's mightiest heroes, the Agents of S.T.A.R. have all assembled! Who are they? I only show a small number of them in panels 39 and 40. They are:

* Stan Whitefox
* Andrea Lavarre
* Richard Dastara
* Elaine Dastara
* Avery Johnson
* Rebecca Johnson
* Gregorio Arlandero
* Gloria Arlandero
* Nisson Odanta
* Dendra Odanta
* Ganetsu
* Benjamin Harris
* Phil Smith
* Maria Cooper
* Garazo

Sirak and Yeena were also members of the team. Now the queen is back and brought with her the original Lady Liberty. I forgot to mention that honorary members of the team are Jaime Arlandero and Ariel. Missing from the line-up is Kevin's mother as she was brutally murdered by her husband.

 Judging by what happened to Sara, Shrall and Anya, the Starbolts are going to need all the help they can get. The elder team will do whatever it takes to protect their children. After all, they are Earth's mightiest.

This week's comic has a lot of links to past comics. We've got references to:

Starbolts #52: The Aquan Front
Starbolts #429: Liberty's Daughter
Starbolts #430: Call of the Whitefox
Starbolts #445: The Final Fate of Terra Nova
Starbolts #447: The Legacy of the Shield

I think that was the most throwbacks I have ever included in a comic! Well, can you blame me for being a stickler for continuity? Enjoy the comic this week because next week our heroes begin a fight for their lives alongside their Agents mentors. See you next time!

Starbolts #475: A Dangerous Time

 Hail!

This week's time travel adventure takes place during Starbolts #17, a comic that's over ten years old! In comic terms, the event was only two years ago. Looking back at that one and coming here shows just how much the comic changed. Everything changes in ten years. Styles change and even character designs do. I wasn't a fan of those old character designs. It's a good thing I got some new ones. It is cool to look back every once in a while, though. 

So, we're finally done with the individual time periods. Now M'anta and Crystal can complete their missions without interference from the Professor's minions. If you remember, M'anta has to save his mother, Queen Yeena. And Crystal has to save the first Lady Liberty. That should be a fun comic to do. Ideas are buzzing around my head and I will probably work on the comic soon.

Now, what about this week? Well, we had a cameo from Shenra. Shenra, if you recall eventually gets kidnapped by Gladstone and spends two years as a prisoner of Terra Nova. Eventually she is freed and now is hanging out with Shrall since she has no way of getting back to Demonsk.

Pretty heavy stuff is in store for her. But, we can't dwell on that. Yeena and the first Lady Liberty are about to be saved! Then the Professor will finally make himself known! Get ready for a huge brawl!!

See you next time!

Starbolts #474: Time's Up (Part 2)

Hail!

As of this comic, we just have one more time zone left to fix. After that, we'll be catching up with Manta and Crystal and then we'll have our epic showdown with the Professor and his so-called "Cult of Tukala". There we will see his true strength. It's going to take every Starbolt working together to defeat his army. We've only been dealing with the grunts. His really strong forces are with him and they are biding their time.

I hope everyone has been enjoying these trips through time. The comics are serving as a backstory for our heroes as well as a time travel adventure. This week we've gone over the death of the Aquan trio's father, Sirak. As you can see, he knew Aquita was pregnant with his namesake and gave Mateo his blessing. Poor guy never lived to see his grandson. =(

Rick Baxter eventually meets his end, too. Rick encounters M'anta and Jenna and he attacks in a fit of jealous rage. The man falls off of the roof attempting to kill our hero and impales himself on the statue of the Aquan God of Justice, Xazes. How's that for symbolism? =)

Hope everyone's been enjoying these trips through time! A few more adventures remain! Stay tuned!!

Starbolts #473: Time's Up (Part 1)

Hail!

Though this week's comic is a lot lighter in tone compared to last week's adventure, we still have quite a bit of drama. Kaori and Kevin are now mere hours away from ensuring that King Sirak is assassinated by Rick Baxter. The tension is in the air. What's worse is that the Professor has a small army of minions in the park. How are they going to deal with this? Two Starbolts against a small army? It's going to be tough!

I also thought this week would be a good week to show younger Crystal and Sara before the latter was kidnapped. They're at this point where they kinda like each other but won't admit it. I have to love Kevin's smile. He knows what their future holds! Sure it'll be a bumpy road. But, they'll be sisters soon enough.

Sirak's death is going to be covered next week. This is gonna be a tough one. Stay tuned!

Starbolts #472: Let Freedom Ring

Trigger warning: This week's comic contains references to sexual assault and violence. Viewer discretion is advised.

 

Hails and horns!

                Well, we’re finally here. This was the time period that Crystal freaked out about the most back in Starbolts #464. As you can see, her fears were well warranted. Now we know the reason why she was crying in the flashback in Starbolts #304. Her boyfriend of three years, Cody Dillinger, attempted to rape her. It’s an act I do not condone and again I have to say that I do not like writing this character. This man is beyond redemption. He didn’t just force himself on her that one time. Over the course of three years he was very, very rough with her. Cody damaged her emotionally as well as physically. In fact, this is probably the last time we will EVER see this man.

 As writers, sometimes we have to write characters who for better or for worse are the scum of the earth. Sadly, the Starbolts don’t live in a fantasy world where people don’t get assaulted. It happens to people in the real world and I try to put some of that realism into the world of the comic. It is a sad situation to be in and I do not wish it on anyone. So, what do we do about Cody Dillinger? We will reference him in a future comic. He just won’t be appearing any time soon. Instead, I will share what happened to him after the incident that cost him his eye and gave him five scars across his face.

                Following Crystal’s rescue from Terra Nova, she went to Agents Embassy with Dennis, Marcus and Mateo. The teenager spent the night tossing and turning because of nightmares she was having thanks to her ex-boyfriend’s actions. Scared, she contacted Andrea and had her meet her in the mess hall. She told her about everything he did and Andrea had her get an emergency check-up with Dr. Harris right there. The check-up revealed that Cody had been very brutal with the sixteen year old for the better part of three years.

                Naturally, Andrea was furious and had asked Stan to press charges on Cody and to immediately adopt Crystal since her parents signed off all rights to her. Of course, this was way before it was revealed that she was really their birth daughter all along. Stan wholeheartedly agreed to take the girl in. Dennis was also placed under the Whitefoxes’ protective custody at that point because there was no evidence of a birth certificate. This was due to his own extra-terrestrial origin.

                The Whitefoxes soon sent Agent Phillip Smith of the Department of Metahuman Affairs and FBI agent Maria Cooper to arrest the twenty-seven year old for the statutory rape of a minor, sexual assault and child pornography. He was summarily sent to prison and won’t be released any time soon assuming he is even still alive in the Starbolts’ present time. Chances are he isn’t. Men like him don’t last long in prison. Sam, Mark and I agreed that he probably should be dead. So his final fate is that he was killed in a prison riot.

                Cody was the primary reason why Marcus and Crystal didn’t get together until recently. If there was no Cody, she would have gotten with him shortly after her rescue. There is a connection between him and Terra Nova and that’s a story for another time. It’s also very important to remember that he was wrong. She did find love again after three years of dealing with him and ten years of therapy. Now she’s with a man who loves her for who she is: A compassionate and caring woman. Marcus gets her and she gets him. That’s why they are together. They connect on an emotional level and that is way more than the purely physical relationship she had before. That was lust. What Marcus and Crystal have is love and that’s the most important thing. It’s just a shame that it took so long. But, she had scars that needed time to heal and he was with her every step of the way. They were best friends first and later became something more when they realized that their friendship was actually them falling in love with each other.

                You can bet that once the others found out about this event, they were not happy. Marcus definitely wasn’t. Jack even went to so far as to check Cody out at the prison where he was being held. The Starbolts rallied in support of their friend because that’s what friends do.  Sure she was a difficult teenager. But, they knew her story and truth be told Jenna almost had the same thing happen to her.

                At least with Jenna things turned out to be moderately better. Rick Baxter was a jerk to be sure. But, he wasn’t a rapist.  We’ll be seeing more of him when we cover the death of Sirak J’arrsti. He is another person I really don’t enjoy writing. I’m not going to say who was worse. BOTH men are slime and at least Rick is definitely dead. Let’s just say he got the point and took it right to heart. Mwahahaha!

                With Jenna’s story, we got the origin of the Starbolts. Immediately following that day, Jenna, Mateo, Marcus and Kevin were brought together to form the Starbolts. Less than a week later Aquita, M’anta and Shrall arrived on Earth. The rest as they say is history. And that’s really what this comic has been about the last few weeks. Basically, we’re getting a crash course in Starbolts history by dealing with the bumps along the way and of course dealing with the threat of the Professor. He certainly seems hell bent on trying to undo the past. What is his deal? We’ll have to wait and see!

More time travel adventures are coming! Stay tuned!