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Marvel Fanfare #109-To Stop Spinal Cord
By Ryan Flanagan
January Year 3
CAST OF CHARACTERS
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Thesis Joan Smith, a female Greek god with an enchanted shield, Mljaron. |
Z-Bot Dennis Boyston, who dons a suit of armor of his own design. |
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Rhino-Man Valdez, a former donkey who mutated into a human rhinoceros. |
Metamorph Frank Arnolds, a mutant who can turn into any living thing. |
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Ricochet A new hero given his costume by Spider-Man. |
Stingray Walter Newell, who wears an underwater exo-skeleton |
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D-Man Dennis Dunphy, a Zerotown resident with super-strength. |
Haywire A former member of the Squadron Supreme, who can make a tanglewire. |
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Nova Rich Rider-A college student with powers granted to him by aliens. |
Kingfish An enemy of the Maple Leaves, and Z-Bot’s uncle. |
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Taskmaster A mercenary villain with "photographic reflexes". An unknown aide recently transported him out of battle with the Maple Leaves. |
Spinal Cord An enemy of the Maple Leaves, Spinal Cord actually founded the team while impersonating Wolverine. |
Last Issue: The Maple Leaves nearly fought Kingfish, who escaped, but managed to defeat Juggernaut and the Shocker. Taskmaster was transported out of battle just as he was about to be defeated. The Maple Leaves do not know who transported him out. After the battle, the mentor to the original Maple Leaves came out from hiding and attacked Thesis.
"NO!" yelled Z-Bot, "Put her down!"
"What’s the big interest?" replied Spinal Cord, "Z-Bot in love or something?"
"Um..er.." said a blushing Z-Bot.
"Anyhow, I’m here to beat you guys!" said Spinal Cord.
"D-Man, Rhino-Man, Metamorph, Haywire!" commanded Nova, "C’mere! Ricochet, Stingray, Z-Bot! Delay him!"
"Okay, Nova!" yelled Z-Bot.
"Okay guys," started Nova, "here’s what we do. D-Man, Rhino-Man and I will continually ram Spinal Cord. I don’t know why he’s in one of Professor X’s spare wheelchairs, but it’ll help us. While we’re doing that, Metamorph, I need you to turn into Photon. Then Haywire continually shoots tanglewires and Metamorph diverts them to only hit Spinal Cord. ‘K?"
"Got it" chorused everyone.
Meanwhile, the delaying squad wasn’t doing great…
"You can’t stop me!" yelled Spinal Cord.
"Maybe not, but we can try!" replied Ricochet
"Uh…Ricochet…you’re an idiom." Stated Z-Bot
"Idiom?" questioned Ricochet.
"Forget it" said Z-Bot.
Just then, something was taking place in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, Utah.
"What am I doing here?" asked a groggy Taskmaster
"I require…your aid." Replied a mysterious figure.
Back in Mississauga…
The sky suddenly was filled with lightning.
"Thor?" asked a bewildered Haywire.
"No!" replied Z-Bot; "It’s…THESIS!"
"All right!" yelled Ricochet
The battle against Spinal Cord continued, only it didn’t last long. Thesis alone was nearly enough to stop Spinal Cord. Then, just as Spinal Cord was about to go into a coma, he yelled something out.
"Kingfish! I summon you! I have failed Hepa—"
He didn’t have time to finish the sentence. But then, came Kingfish!
"What the--?" asked D-Man
"I’m gone. You’ve defeated my human form, and thus me as well. But beware, I’ll do what I can to come back, but if I don’t, you’ll be defeated anyway!
Ten minutes later, at the Maple Leaves base.
"WHAT?" yelled Metamorph, "You can’t be serious!"
"I am quite serious." Replied Nova "I’m leaving. Z-Bot, you’re in charge. It’s too hard to be here and with Force Works."
"I’ll miss ya’," Said Z-Bot, "but I can’t accept the offer either. Metamorph and I, we’re goin’ somewhere in the U.S., maybe Salt Lake City. Sorry Thesis, maybe I’ll be back someday."
"I’m leavin’ too" said Rhino-Man, "I need to find out more about myself, and maybe my old owner."
By the time all good byes were said, Haywire was leaving because his leave of absence from his job at Project: Pegasus* was up. Stingray left to work on the Lighthouse project**, D-Man left to go back to Zerotown, Ricochet was working with Spider-Man***, and that left Thesis, who was staying to reorganize the team.
(*-See Squadron Supreme #10
**-See Lighthouse: Little Green Men, and all the other Lighthouse books.
***-See upcoming issues of Web of Spider-Man.
--Ryan)
NEXT ISSUE: I can’t tell you what’s going on in Fanfare next time, but as for the mysterious man that rescued Taskmaster, he’ll be in my next series, the Protectors! What do you do when you’ve got no base? Maybe some old Maple Leaves will pop up!