Local Man #5: This issue probably should've been two issues given how much Fleecs and Higgins cram in here.
The issue starts with 3rd Gen en route to "4 the Community Center," the former 4th Gen academy where Jack is currently imprisoned. One of the team members informs Erica that they're not getting a reading on Camo and that someone on the police dispatch they're monitoring said that Camo was dead.
Meanwhile, in the Center, Jack recalls that he was promoted to 3rd Gen before classes started, but a panel on the wall still recognizes his handprint so he gains access to some sort of rec room. Jack sees a photo of his former classmates and exposits their powers, focusing on Angelique, who had teleportation powers. Suddenly, Camo's "child" from last issue teleports into the room and starts stabbing Jack.
During their fight, the guy - who *I think* calls himself Deliverance so we'll go with that - exposits that he is trying to kill Jack because...Jack left Farmington? I think? Apparently Deliverance's father was supposed to work at the Center, but after Jack left they shut down the Center. As such, Deliverance's father died a paper boy, something Deliverance doesn't want to do. But his story makes no sense. After all, I'm guessing they shut down the Center because Camo stole the 4th Gen recruits' powers and gave them to his "children," which Deliverance should know since he got Angelique's powers. It doesn't make sense that they pulled the plug on 4th Gen just because the hometown hero left town.
At any rate, before Deliverance can kill Jack, Pepper tries to stop him, and Deliverance stomps her, saying that Camo liked him because he "never froze up like a pussy when somethin' had to die." Jack then beats the shit out of him. He cradles Pepper's body, telling her that he should've been there for her, that he was a "selfish fucking stupid asshole." Before Deliverance can teleport a weight rack on Jack's head, Inga arrives and shoots him with Brian's gun. (Brian apparently called her, and she got to him before he died.) Jack explains to Inga that Deliverance killed Hodag for Camo Crusader.
In good news, Pepper is fine! We see a flashback where Pepper got into one of Camo's tubes, making herself indestructible. (That said, it happens after Pepper displayed some curious behavior, so I'm not sure it's the end of the story about Pepper.)
With Deliverance defeated, 3rd Gen arrives. Based on Erica's comments, Jack realizes that Erica knew what Camo was doing. We find out Camo was furious that Erica had an abortion, which is why Jack thinks he fired him. Erica explains she liked Jack because he was uncomplicated, and Camo fired him because he was cutting ties to the Aphek Project. (Was he? It didn't seem like he was in the cave.) Camo figured Jack would just become a drunk, not start looking into conspiracies. Jack insists that Farmington is his home, and Erica tells him that she doesn't believe him. She doesn't believe that he could care about anything except his image, which is why she had the abortion.
We cut to Jack telling this story to Inga in bed, telling her that he wants to start small, to be a good guy. Inga tells him that she always thought he was one and tells him to leave before Brian's mom returns with the kids.
Then, we get to the part that feels tacked onto the issue as Inga gets a call from "Investor 1" and "Investor 2." Over the course of the conversation, we learn that Inga now has the Aphek Engine and is using it to churn out "super-laborers" to match whatever skills the Investors need, like super strength and "human petroleum manufacturing" (powers that the 4th Gen recruits also had, as shown below). It turns out Inga was in charge of Camo Crusader but, like Investor 1, saw him as a liability. Investor 2 asks if she's going to eliminate Crossjack, and she tells him that she'll handle him.
In the throwback story, Camo decides to put the 4th Gen project on hold because the "heroes" were degenerates: Meltdown and Peekaboo were lesbians, King Bee wanted to use Meltdown and Seascape's powers to make a hot tub, and, well, let's just say that The Slick's ability to "make [his] own lube" didn't endear him to Camo. We also learn here one of the Investors is the Vice President Dan Quayle, alluding to WildC.A.T.s #1-#3 where a Daemonite impersonated Quayle!
All in all, it's chaos, but that chaos is an ode to Image in its early days so it fits this title well.
Also Read: Dungeons & Dragons: Saturday Morning Adventures #4
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