Starbolts #625: Playing Cat and Mouse

 

 Hail!

    It's very rare that I actually get a chance to post a comic on April 1st. I think the closest I ever came to an actual April Fool's Day comic was way back in Starbolts #101. I usually don't do joke comics very often because it would ruin the flow of the current storyline. That and it's probably best to save them for special occasions like Christmas, Halloween and New Year's. 

    For this week, I wanted to get right into the aftermath of last week's comic which saw the death of Starbolt ally, Pal'idin. It seems that our friend, Pal, had a son who was also named Pal'idin. We'll be seeing him in the future. Will he be joining up with the Starbolts and take his father's place at their side? Probably. The Pal'idin sprites are just too awesome to retire. ;) I kid. I think having a child of Pal'idin joining the Starbolts continues the theme of the comic.

    The theme of the comic has always been about the next generation of heroes making their place in the universe. Obviously danger comes from all sides and now we have Terra Nova threatening to sick the dark avatars on our heroes again. What could they hope to gain by releasing four Aquans powered by the gods? Oh, a lot of damage can be done and Elisabeth knows it. The real fun will begin.

    As far as Pal'idin goes, the Starbolts were right to take their deceased friend with them since the Dovianni are still sketchy about space travel. How else would the body have been given to his people?

    Now we turn to the Agents. It's clear that they're trying to do whatever it takes to escape. Luckily help has arrived for Earth's mightiest. Will the Starbolts be able to save the Agents of S.T.A.R. and stop Terra Nova from freeing the dark avatars? You'll find out next week!

See ya then!

Starbolts #624: The Tome of the Skymother

 

 Hail!

    This week tragedy strikes the Starbolts as an old foe returns to get his revenge on their ally, Pal'idin. His name is Halconis and he hasn't been seen in the comic since Starbolts #81 and that was way back in 2010!  I think Mr. Halconis still holds a bit of a grudge after all these years. I had been wondering how to bring that villain back since he was incarcerated on his home world of Dovianni. I figured he was eventually transferred to that Inobe prison and if you've been reading the last few comics, you'd know what happened there. I wonder who else has been freed by the snake and the others. We now know of three prisoners: Ruby, the Leonid who killed Jeb and now Halconis. Only forty-seven more left to be revealed. Are any more prisoners people with an axe to grind against the Starbolts? Maybe. Just maybe.

    For now we have a bit of a mystery. A mystery passenger was mentioned by Cobra before he and Halconis transported to the library. Who is she? Well, I can say that she definitely works well with Ruby and admires what she's been doing to Andrea. Could she be responsible for the second Lady Liberty's emotional outbursts? I'd say so. How? That's anyone's guess at this point. 

    I think after this comic, Garazo and CJ will be joining our heroes in the hunt for Cobra. Their chaotic tour around the galaxy has to end as their list of crimes mount! See ya next time for more drama. Who knows what will happen next. No one is safe from Terra Nova! On the plus side it's good that the Setleth home world is healing!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #623: Never Dishonor a Leonid

 Hail!

    This week we learned about the final fate of Terra Nova operative, Jeb Arronfeld. I honestly wouldn't shed many tears for him. Not only was he responsible for abusing Firaxil and Crystal when they were children. He also played a role in the kidnapping of Firaxil's parents when their ship crashed landed on his "farm" in Kentucky. See Starbolts #355 and #356 to find out what happened to his accomplice.  I still say Firaxil took it well all things considered. Then again the big guy was not in his right mind at the time.

    His partner in crime got the justice he deserved. Now Jeb shares his fate. However, these weren't the only crimes of Jeb Arronfeld. There are some that are just too icky to even put in the comic and I've put some icky things in there. The man was not shy about his leering at Crystal and lusting after her. Crystal noticed it early on and Ruby even tried to get him to stop. It didn't always work.  Jeb felt that she wasn't really his daughter so it was okay to have the feelings he had despite the fact that Terra Nova had the two pretend to be her parents. Expect this to be brought up when Crystal confronts Ruby. There's definitely more to the story.

    Leonids value honor above all else and Arronfeld paid the price for his ignorance. You never insult a species that prides itself on honor. The way I see it, he made some offhand remark to the cat-like alien and the next day he got stabbed through the heart. That was a painful lesson to learn. At least there was some poetic justice to his death since he did abduct two innocent Inobe dignitaries and faked their deaths.

  Crystal's reaction was honestly the best one I could think of because she's definitely right to have a cold reaction to her death. She has been kind of cold, hasn't she? Hmm....Perhaps she should talk to her sister about that. Where could Sara be? Hopefully, Firaxil is right in that she'll appear when everyone least expects it. Time will tell! More action is coming your way next week!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #622: A Mother's Love

 

 Hail! 

    The Starbolts are off on their hunt for the Xazes! Will they be able to find the Agents of S.T.A.R. and stop Smythe and Ruby? Let's hope so. They don't know that Elisabeth is also with them. So, they assume this is a two person operation. I think they're going to be surprised that Ruby has an army of prisoners at her command AND Elisabeth King as well. Yeah, there's gonna be some trouble.

    I do like how the talk Crystal and Yeena had turned out. Crystal was bound to be upset at last week's revelation where it turned out the woman who raised her was none other than her real mom's archenemy, Masque. That's a tough one to deal with since she grew up idolizing her own mother and to be raised by Masque is just something she just can't deal with. However, she will deal with it in her own way. It's a guarantee that sparks are going to fly. I don't think it'll be a happy conversation!

    With Yeena being a telepath, she can sense peoples' emotional state. This makes it easy for people to talk to her. Many of the Starbolts confide in her and she often shares her wisdom with the group. It's good that the team has someone to confide in. Lord knows they need someone like her right about now!

   Crystal definitely has some strong feelings about how she was raised by that terrorist organization. It might just come to a head and now that our heroine has limitless magical abilities, who knows what she'll do. One thing's for sure, she has every right to be angry. What she does with that feeling is up to her. Either way, I think Ruby better be careful what buttons she pushes.....

 See ya next time!

Starbolts #621: Jailhouse Rock

 

 Hail!

    I guess you could say things have gone from bad to worse for our heroes now that Smythe and his cohorts have initiated a jailbreak and freed Ruby Arronfeld and several of her fellow inmates. Don't feel too bad about her husband, Jeb. Chances are he looked at a surly alien the wrong way and ended up dead in the exercise yard. It happened quick and it happened not long after their arrival at the Inobe pen. Can't say he'll be missed!

 I picked some random aliens for the transporter effect. I dunno if we'll actually see them when the Starbolts finally catch up to the Gaea. We'll see. Suffice it to say the relationship with the Inobe are a little shaky but not as bad as Danar is making it out to be. He tends to over-exaggerate and Crystal rightfully put him in his place.

    As far as her parents go, it seems something is sapping Stan's magical energy and that's why he can't teleport out of there. Something may also be heightening Andrea's emotions. It's hard to say right now. But, all will be revealed in time.

    Crystal's still dealing with the revelation from last comic so I don't think she's up for dealing with Danar at the moment. That's why she lashed out. It was definitely called for because Danar is a jerk.  She'll have some time to breathe next comic and have a talk with a friend. 

Stay tuned as this story marches on!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #620: The Secret of the Gaea

 

 Hail!

    Wow! There are quite a few reveals this week, huh? There are bound to be more surprises around the corner. For now let's just unpack what we have here. First off we have the revelation that the ship that crashed and was sent to Area 51 was an Aquan vessel attempting to find help since Aquarius was under Mosqukatara rule. The bugs ruled the planet for several decades and was liberated when the queen was killed. You can see the final battle in Starbolts #467 and Starbolts #468.  In the daces before that, Criam sent soldiers out into the Alpha quadrant looking for help. One ship unfortunately made its way to Earth and well....the results speak for themselves. 

    As it happens, the facility where the ship was built and where the aliens were taken was actually the place where Sara and Crystal were born. Their future caretaker, Cece, visited the same facility in October of 1983 when her brain was zapped by Zarantha and she became the pair's nanny. You can see the action in Starbolts #551. Looks like a desk was conveniently added to the room in the intervening decades. That was nice of Terra Nova. Too bad about the smell. I'm not sure what it could be. Might just be bad ventilation for all we know.

    Finally, it looks like Ruby was Andrea's old nemesis, Masque. This unfortunately means that the villain carried Lady Liberty's baby. I don't think Ruby did it out of the kindness of her heart, though. No. She did it because she wanted the child to grow up to kill Lady Liberty. The tables have turned and now Crystal is Lady Liberty. She's not happy to learn that Ruby was Lady Liberty's arch nemesis. But, it is cool that Sara and Crystal were born on Halloween. This makes them Scorpios. That would explain so, so much, wouldn't it?

    Jack looks comfortable in his role as Iron Eagle. He's definitely going to be put to the test. Running damage control is one thing. Going up against an old "friend" will be something else. So much stuff going on this week. I do wonder how Sara's doing and how she'll react to the news that Clive didn't deliver her. Time will tell, my friends!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #619: Damage Control

 

 Hail! 

    You knew this was coming. Jack was on the road to becoming the new Iron Eagle and the destruction of the mansion really kicked it into high gear. Snake has no idea what he's in for now that his old "friend" has embraced his grandfather's legacy. This was something Terra Nova feared and why they tried to kill him on D.I.S.C.O.R.D. island all those years ago. Snake is in some deep trouble!

    I think the conversation between Scarlett and Anya was pretty good. It's not often someone gets to talk to their boyfriend's dead ex. Not too awkward at all AND they at least have that shared love for Jack in common. So, that works. He's lucky he has two ladies looking out for him. And the best part is that Scarlett and Anya don't have hard feelings toward each other. Anya has to do what Scarlett can't and just be there for Jack. She will. Count on it!

    Now, about that ship Holly mentioned. We know that Terra Nova hasn't shied away from using alien tech before. They did have Firaxil's parents captured. The alien ship is not Inobe. However, the ship did belong to a race we have seen before in the comic. No spoilers yet. But, sufficed it to say, people are not going to be happy.

    Why would Terra Nova use alien tech, though? All will be revealed soon. It's just interesting that a terrorist group like that would use technology from an alien ship to suit their needs. Interesting, indeed. The question is who owned that ship and will the Starbolts be able to find it? Stay tuned!

See ya next time for more damage control! And doesn't Jack look spiffy in red, white and blue?

Starbolts #618: Big Badaboom

 

 Hail! 

    Wow! Things have certainly escalated for our heroes haven't they? The Dastara mansion was unceremoniously demolished and it looks like Cobra has teamed up with none other than Elisabeth King, the former head of Terra Nova. Yeah. I'd say the Starbolts definitely have their hands full in this story arc. Jack and Crystal already have an axe to grind with Snake. Can you imagine how they're going to react when they find out Elisabeth was the one helping him? Oof. Heads are gonna roll for sure. 

    Andrea was definitely right to be angry with Elisabeth. That one lady made it her mission to deny her her children. We'll probably get to the reason why sooner or later. She's not the only one from Andrea's past who may make an appearance. I can't say any more. But, you can imagine that she won't be too happy to see that person again.

    Snake is definitely out for revenge here. This goes back to that quick conversation Scarlett had with Crystal a few comics ago. You can't let revenge consume you.  If you do, you'll end up never feeling satisfied. Crystal will take those words to heart. Meanwhile, I think Jack will probably up his game and become Iron Eagle a lot sooner thank expected. Will it happen? Well, his former best friend forced his hand. So, I would say....Yes.

    As far as the mansion goes, it'll be replaced and built back better than ever. They may need to make some adjustments to the old arc reactor. A few more security measures would be a good thing. Not to mention a fail-safe or two. Jenna did some quick thinking and saved her mother's armor while everyone else saved her father's armors. Look for some character drama next week. Let's hope our heroes can find their parents before it's too late!

   See ya next time!

Starbolts #617: Broken Directive

 

 Hail! 

    It took some doing and now Pegasus's memory subroutines are finally unscrambled and it looks like the one who scrambled them in the first place was none other than Richard Smythe aka Cobra. Who didn't see that one coming? ;) Obviously, the Starbolts and the Agents are all in danger. What other plots has the snake cooked up for our heroes? Whatever they are, they can't be good! 

    Can you just imagine what Norad uploaded into his father's database? He caught him up to speed on ten years of Starbolts adventures. He missed out on M'anta, Aquita and Shrall's parents joining the Agents of S.T.A.R. Had he been incapacitated in a year or so, he'd have probably taken those two hostage. He was only able to take Crystal because of her genetic similarities to her parents, Stan and Andrea. 

    Either way, Pegasus is back and is ready to help the Starbolts with any problems Cobra might throw at them. You can bet that the "Parental Directive" is going to also see some slight tweaks here and there once this mission is over and done and their parents are found. Here's hoping they're found soon because something big is on the horizon. Stay tuned!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #616: Pass the Necklace

 

 Hail!     

     It looks like things have definitely gotten a little off track now that the Starbolts have inadvertently activated the holographic representation of the Agent known as Pegasus. The last time he was seen was in Starbolts #612 where he got a crash course in Starbolts history thanks to his creator, Richard Dastara. While Pegasus's heart seems to be in the right place, he may be operating under the assumption that the Starbolts are still teenagers. Remember, his first body was destroyed shortly after discovering the whereabouts of Crystal Whitefox. That was a little over ten years ago in comic time. Because of this, he still thinks of them as teenagers. He's going to be getting a very rude awakening soon.

    Speaking of Crystal, I enjoyed writing that bit of dialog between her and Scarlett. Crystal still feels a bit of rage when it comes to Richard Smythe. After all he DID kidnap her and Sara and that led to the two being implanted and raised by two terrorists. We all know what happened next. At least they were found. 

    Crystal enjoys learning about the childhood she clearly missed as it gives her more of a connection to Marcus, Mateo, Kevin and Jenna. She doesn't feel like an outsider that way and feels more like part of the group. You'd think that would've upset her. But, honestly she'd take anything of a past she wishes she had and make it part of her present. Her sister on the other hand? Sara would swear at Clive's very existence and now that she's a void witch she would use her powers against him to torture the mad scientist in VERY gruesome ways. Ironically, Crystal is the level-headed one here.

 So, now the Starbolts have missing parents to look for as well as Smythe. Are the two things connected? Hmmm.....It's a possibility. You'll just have to wait and see!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #615: A Ghostly Present

 

 Hail!

    This week the plot thickens and gets into high gear. Who sent Jack that necklace? More importantly how did it get to Earth since D.I.S.C.O.R.D. island both exploded AND was transported to another dimension! The island itself is now in the Outlands as last seen in Starbolts #455. So, how did it get back here? Was Scarlett wearing it when she died? These are all good questions and they will be answering them when the time comes. For now, let's just be glad that help has finally arrived for our ghostly friends.

    Speaking of ghosts. It's clear that Scarlett has taken a shine to Crystal. She is fiercely protective of her and her twin. After all she was supposed to be their godmother and likely would have accepted the role if Snake hadn't faked their deaths AND killed her in cold blood. If you thought Andrea was protective of her girls, you haven't seen anything yet. Expect a scene with Crystal and Scarlett soon. They have much to discuss.

    In the meantime, the ghosts of Soldier Six need the help of their successors. Will they succeed or will they be too late? This storyline is just getting started!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #614: The Soul Cleaver

 Hail!

     This week Sara finally learns about the weapon that ripped her soul apart. What exactly is a "soul cleaver"? What did it do to her? More importantly....Where is it now?! With Terra Nova gone for good, you can bet that the knife is in nefarious hands. There's no good use for a soul cleaver. So, the person who has it now has GOT to be bad. We'll find out about the new user sooner or later. For now let's take a step back and look at how far Sara has come now.

    She finally learned about the weapon. This means she can begin the healing process and eventually become a powerhouse in her own right. Crystal is part of the way there. But, just picture how awesome it would be to have two fully functional void witches in the Starbolts roster along with a newly minted Iron Eagle. You might see something like that for the fourth of July this year! Just imagine the grandchildren of Iron Eagle taking their place as heroes in their own right. The three of them have had long and dangerous journeys to get to this point. I think they'll be ready for whoever has that glowing blue knife.

 We also learned a fair bit about what happened to Andrea after Carter "passed away". Andrea was more or less raised by her grandmother and she taught her most of what she knew. Was she flippant? Oh, yes. That attitude is hereditary! We might get more snippets of the original Crystal's backstory sooner or later. Keep an eye out for that. Looks like 2023 is going to be quite the epic year. Stay tuned!

 Oh, I should probably note that Velocity is the clone in stasis. She was on her way to being planted in the Guardians team for Zarantha's little plot.

See ya next time! 

Starbolts #613: Talking with Myself

 

 Hail!

    The new year starts off with a bang as Sara encounters a great-grandmother who shares the same name as her twin sister. I think Crystal will be happy to learn this because Clive was the one who named her all those years ago. Clive called her "Crystalline skeletal mutate zero zero one" when she was born and that was later shortened to Crystal. Charming, right? Yes. Sufficed it to say Crystal will be MUCH happier knowing that her name and her middle name are from two ancestors. For those keeping score it's "Crystal" and "Ahyoka". 

   Now, what about Sara? Well, she's going to have to take a trip down memory lane isn't she? I've already referenced her trial in Starbolts #416 and the basement scene in Starbolts #421.She has a long road of recovery ahead of her and I am confident she will emerge from all of this a whole new person with a complete soul and everything. How do I know? The power of advanced plot points! It's handy to have. I can't say how it will be accomplished. But, have patience because it is going to be a wild ride. And don't worry. I haven't forgotten the snake at the academy.

   As far as the original Crystal goes, here's her info. She was born in Ireland in the late 1890s and dabbled in the mystic arts. She's the mother of the fame heroine Spitfire aka Peggy Tennant. She helped to raise Andrea along with Carter, the first Lady Liberty, when her parents were killed. She lived just long enough to see Andrea marry Stan in the 1970s. The rest as they say is history.

More on her story will be discussed soon. For now, let's see how she will help her great-granddaughter piece together her soul.

See ya next time!