New Warriors (Vol. 1) #63

Background

When the Jackal released a lethal version of the Carrion virus on a small Pennsylvania town, one of the citizens not only survived, but was transformed into the superhuman known as Helix. He found his way to New York where he was subdued by the New Warriors with the help of the Scarlet Spider. With Helix imprisoned, the Warriors offer Scarlet a place on the team. Now, there's only the matter of what to do with Helix, oh, yeah, and a strange girl who claims to have seen the future where Speedball will die...

Story Details

Helix had busted out of his cell in the Warrior's HQ and the team finds themselves as ineffectual against him as the last time they tangoed. A comment from one of his teammates makes Scarlet realize what they're doing wrong. Much to Justice's annoyance, Scarlet takes the point and tells the team to back off and seal up the room again. They escape through a hatch while Helix tries to bust out once more. Scarlet has Justice begrudgingly reinforce the cell door with his telekinesis and they watch as, without anything to feed Helix's adaptoid powers, he shrinks and returns to whatever passes for his normal state now.

The trouble over, Justice pulls Scarlet aside for a chat with Firestar about undermining his authority on the field and reminding him he's on a team now. Scarlet apologizes while noticing that Firestar reminds him a lot of another particular red-head from another life (see the Clone Saga for all that). Then the issue comes up about his refusal to reveal his identity to the team even after a week of membership, citing there's to be no secrets between teammates. Scarlet explains to them, as vaguely as possible, the reason for his hesitation and asks them for a bit more time. Just then, Firestar is reminded of an appointment she has and speeds off, leaving both Justice and Scarlet mystified. "No secrets, huh?"

The team takes advantage of their down time; Speedball and Alex Power play video games, Turbo studies for class, Hindsight works on a new passive defense system for Helix's prison, Justice trades information with Namor's computers in their search for Kymaera, and Scarlet just hangs around. The back door buzzer goes off and Hindsight races to answer. Curious, Speedball turns on the video cameras back there to find him talking to Rina. Of course, they get treated to a live image as Hindsight brings her into their supposedly SECRET headquarters. Once again, Rina tells them she has urgent information about the very near future.

Over in Jersey, Firestar lands at Meditek Medical Clinic for her appointment. Apparently, Jupiter had pointed out to her that her powers might be having side effects on her and people around her, and she's come here to check that out. While filling out her forms, Firestar (out of costume as Angelica Jones) makes small talk with a woman named Amy. Amy has come here to continue to get help for her problem conceiving, coincidentally a problem that could arise for Angelica should Jupiter have been right.

After a battery of tests, the doctor is perplexed at the reasoning behind them and Angelica juggles the option of telling her the truth about her double life or keeping her in the dark. Fortunately, her decision is delayed as an office wall explodes and a woman called Genecide comes strolling in. She orders her team to carry out their mission as eh prattles off information about the unconscious doctor's congenital heart defect. She turns her attention to Angelica's mutant gene and decides to take a sample from her unconscious form. However, Angelica was only playing possum and nails Genecide with a full burst. She hits her emergency beacon and prepares for a fight as Firestar.

Meanwhile, Rina is trying to explain about her visions when the beacon comes through. The team races off, leaving Rina and Hindsight behind. Back in Jersey, Genecide's face heals from Firestar's burst and attacks the hero, only to find both her and the doctor gone. Firestar drops the doctor off at a safe distance and heads back as Genecide checks in with the rest of her team, Eugenix, performing their various tasks including the diversion of cops, murder of patients and destruction of research files. Firestar finds Genecide and engages her again, but is taken down by an energy web. Eugenix regroups and prepares to leave after killing Amy, the girl Angelica had a friendly chat with when she arrived, but their exit is blocked by Night Thrasher and Psionex!

General Comments

The story was good. The mystery of Rina's visions deepen and Scarlet, while proving himself a valuable member of the team, manages to bring out the loner tendencies the Spider-people are known for during the battle. Something missing from the last issue's quick membership drive.

Add to that the drama of Firestar's powers doing more harm than good, especially towards her and Justice's dreams of having children one day. Then of course there were two major fights and the return of former New Warriors Night Thrasher and Rage on a new team.

Two issues into this arc, and I've already come to regret not picking up the Warriors from #1. The only negative is with so much crammed into a single issue, certain scenes feel rushed and glossed over instead of receiving the development they needed. Maybe a few less large panels would've helped, but still a good story.

Overall Rating

Four webs. A good read cover-to-cover.