Writer: Mark AndreykoDC Comics, $2.50
Dylan Battles, unwitting associate of the new Manhunter, is surprised in his home by DEO Agent Cameron Chase. Chase tells Dylan that she knows Manhunter's secret identity--Kate Spencer, an old friend of Chase's--and that she needs his help rescuing her from kidnapper Mark Shaw, himself a former Manhunter. Meanwhile, Shaw interrogates a captive Spencer, asking if she got the staff Shaw had used as Manhunter by killing him, despite the fact that he, himself, is Shaw.
Chase, suspecting that something is amiss at the DEO, attempts to access their files through remote channels so as not to raise suspicion. With Dylan's help, she finds a file called "The Manhunter Protocols," which recounts the history of those who bore the title Manhunter, from Dan Richards to Paul Kirk through to Mark Shaw, whose Multiple Personality Disorder was capitalized upon by the government that created him, developing the villainous Dumas persona, making Shaw his own arch-enemy; eventually Dumas killed Chase Lawler, the last Manhunter before Kate Spencer. After reading the file, Dylan and Chase find another called "OMAC Project" and attempt to open it, unwittingly activating a nearby OMAC unit. The two see that they're being tracked and, desperate to avoid discovery, Chase shoots the computer, narrowly avoiding conflict.
Meanwhile, Kate breaks free from Mark Shaw's captivity and engages him. The two fight, and Kate gets hold of Shaw's staff, activating it and accidentally awakening another nearby OMAC unit. Kate takes a power blast to the chest and, while wondering when Shaw developed that particular ability, gets up to find an OMAC unit hovering overhead, in the process of "activating elimination protocols."
4 comments:
A nitpick: Chase shoots out the fusebox, blacking out Dylan's house and presumably ruining Brother Eye's trace attempt.
In the interest of full disclosure: Mark Shaw/Dumas has also killed two other surviving Manhunters before killing Chase and kidnapping Kate: First, the retired Dan Richards (and his dog, too)and second, Paul Kirk's surviving clone Kirk dePaul (late of the Power Company). The body count for this series is rising fast.
Jesse...
I thought that was the fusebox, but it wasn't clear, so I figured that saying the copmuter died would get the point across. Good eye, I guess.
And while we know that Mark Shaw killed Richards and DePaul, and Chase seems to have her suspicions, that still hasn't been confirmed when she and Dylan are going through the DEO's file, so he still hasn't "officially" been identified as their killer. If that makes any sense.
...Chris
Fusebox-wise: Yes, you're right, your account is clear enough without adding the nitpick (which is why nitpicks are so named, I suppose.)
As for the other thing, yeah, Shaw is probably Chase's top suspect, but it's not a done deal just yet. I threw that bit of comment in because I thought it might help those who had not read those issues that 'Spoilt!' hadn't covered.
Both of which, I suppose, point out one of the special challenges of your chosen project: how much information is enough when dealing with in-continuity plot arcs?
Anyway, I just like to say how much I appreciate you and your partners' work on 'Spoilt!' It's a terrific idea, and you've done superb work on it. Looking forward to the next entry!
hi there. i'm just commenting simply because my name is Mark Shaw haha.. i used google's new "blog search" and was quite surprised to find this plot written about me.. hahaha :-D
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