So, here we are, the beginning of the brief starring role for a deranged man trapped in a hologram generator. Amazing. Obviously, that says “1 of 3” up there, but I did not buy the New Warriors issue this crossed over with. Almost surprised I bought this. But, by this point, young 17-year old me had long-since had a pull list at the comic shop, so they would’ve put this junk in my bag assuming I wanted it, and I would’ve bought it to be nice, if nothing else. Always been a sucker. The Fury of Firestar. Sure to be a classic. We got New Warriors writer Evan Skolnick, we got recent fill-in artist Paris Karounos, we got stalwarts inker Randy Emberlin & colorist Kevin Tinsley.
More with the completely random Agent Briggs, who keeps wandering in and out of the books and has already had 2 different hair colors and has now gone from a white lady to a black lady, it seems. What a rollercoaster for her. Why is the Holo-Spider in this rubble? I thought it was off tearing up the town?
So Holo-Spider is gonna be dollar store Bugs Bunny, I guess? He spouts another page of nonsense before swinging away, but he also seems to know Briggs recently lost a lot of weight. Due to his cyberspace connections, no doubt, despite the 100% impossibility of that information being online in 1995. I can’t let it go. At home base, Briggs’ boss tells her to “downplay the super-guy stuff” and focus on trying to recover the solid hologram tech. He also indicates to us, if not her, that he’s already figured out Holo-Spider is the missing Wade.
I paid $2 to own this when I was barely old enough to have a part-time job, let alone real income. I don’t think I had a part-time job til the following summer. I’m getting old enough it’s hard to say for sure. Scarlet goes ‘round terrorizing people all day long until…
So he’s apparently physically bonded to the hologram now? Good gravy. Oh, hang on…
At this point, it appears The New Warriors only count 2 people I remember from reading their early issues among their members, Justice & Firestar. I would wonder where Nova, Night Thrasher, Speedball and Namorita went, but I also don’t care. J&F are only a couple years from graduating to a sort of Junior Avengers status and leaving these losers in the dust. Also, I’m told, though I obviously don’t know, that during his brief stint as a Warrior, they tried to create a love triangle between Ben Reilly, Firestar and Justice, despite the fact that 2 of those people are allegedly teenagers. Gross. But, she has red hair, and you know Peter Parkers and redheads. Apparently. Elsewhere, Joe Wade wakes up in his frankly palatial-looking apartment and goes to call Briggs. As he pisces up the phone, weird cyber-junk appears on his wrist.he is rightly freaking out, and chooses to meet his partner under a bridge in the park. He recaps his deal to her, with the added bonus that, when Doc Ock’s headquarters exploded, “I must’ve been infected with the NANO-TECH MACHINES that had composed the remote-control Scarlet Spider.” Seems plausible! At least Evan Skolnick knows more sci fi computer terminology than the word “chip.” He tries to turn himself in for the damage he’s done, but then he starts turning back into Holo-Spider and flees to avoid hurting his partner.
While he goes off to cause more chaos, we catch up with Firestar. The Warriors have split up to search for their quarry, and she hopes she finds him first, ‘cuz she likes him. Not as much as Justice, but some. It’s a Jean Grey/Cyclops/Wolverine thing in miniature. She finds him trashing another bridge, throwing girders at passing cars.
Are we having fun yet?
Tekkada! What a choice of sound effect! A simple “doot” would have sufficed. They fight for 2 pages as the Holo-Spider babbles nonstop and then Firestar zaps him with a full blast of her microwave powers. To her surprise, he’s enveloped in a cloud of smoke, and then…
Well. That is certainly a series of choices. I do not have that issue of New Warriors, but something tells me I won’t miss it.