Thomas Dawson walked out of his apartment building, silently cursing as he heard his wife continue to yell at him. Slamming the door, the dumpy man trudged down the stairs till he reached the gate. Walking out he saw his yellow station wagon sitting alongside the curb. On the windshield sat a pink piece of paper wedged under the wipers.

“Another god damn ticket!” Thomas muttered as he grabbed the paper, crumpled it up, and tossed it into the gutter.

“Don’t turn around,” a raspy voice demanded as Thomas felt something poke into his back. “Take out all your valuables and drop them to the side now!”

Thomas followed direction and dropped his wallet, watch, and wedding ring onto the sidewalk.

As the man bent over to grab the stuff, Thomas whirled around and punched him in the face. Landing two more punches and a knee to the gut before the man could recover, Thomas felt invincible. His adrenaline was pumping and all the morning’s agonies were fading away.

As the thief looked up Thomas’ hands flared up and were now covered in a raging fire. A sadistic smile passed over Thomas’ face as he bent down and grabbed the man’s head with his flaming hands. The sizzling sound the flesh made, as it burned was music to his ears.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!” The man’s screams echoed through the alleyway and into the night.

Stepping away from the burnt husk, Thomas felt his smile slip away as the fire sputtered out. Concentrating hard, he couldn’t get the flames to start up again. Cursing, he flung open his car door and jumped in. As he ransacked the glove compartment he could see heads popping out of windows and doors to investigate the scream. Finding a near empty pill bottle deep in the compartment, he smiled in relief.

“Oh god, much better,” Thomas sighed as he popped three of the pills in his mouth.

Dropping the bottle out the open window, he shoved his key in the ignition and slammed on the gas as the car turned on. As the car roared into the distance, the empty bottle rolled nearby the corpse of the thief. As it turned label side up the words MGH were visible to the world at large.

SUPERSTARS

Part I: Fire and Metal

By Scott Redmond

“Now this is the life.”

Angelica Jones sighed as she stretched out and felt the warm sun beating down on her back. She was lying upon a beach towel in a red two-piece bikini, next to her two friends Chris Powell and Namorita Prentiss.

The three were on the top of the brand new Taylor Corp funded Champions building in Los Angeles. Dwayne Taylor had paid supplied the money for Angelica and the rest of the old New Warriors when they had decided to form a new team on the West Coast.

 (See New Warriors #17 and the upcoming Champions Annual 2007 for how the team formed – Scott)

“Mmm.” Namorita mumbled as the sand on the makeshift roof beach kept her warm.

“Who would have thought that you could actually build a beach on top of a sky scraper?” Chris was sitting in a lounge chair as he sipped on his beer. “What can’t Dwayne do with his money?”

“A decent assortment of furniture apparently.”

As Chris and Angelica glanced up Richard Rider waltzed out onto the roof. He was clothed in full uniform, with his helmet in his hand.

“What, you don’t like the modern deco stuff in the rooms Rich? Makes me feel like I’m living in a college dorm, or one of those mock living spaces at Ikea.”

“As much as I like talking about your strange thoughts Chris, we got some problems to take care of.” As Rich settled into business mode the others turned their full attention on him. “We have a report of disturbances downtown of a possible super power drug ring. Vange I’m sending you, Vance, and Mickey to check it out. Chris, Nita and I are going to go on patrol around the city. Any questions?”

“Just one, what exactly are we hoping to accomplish with these patrols you keep sending us on?” Namorita asked as she rolled onto her back to sun her chest.

“We already discussed this Nita, our goal is to stand out from the Avengers and other teams. Yeah we can stop an alien invasion or the newest Ultimo, but as heroes we can really show we care by helping out the little guy with crimes that other heroes tend to ignore. Ever since the Masters of Evil’s attack on Los Angeles, things have been going down hill. It’s time to make sure it gets cleaned up properly.”

“That was stirring boss, I think I even felt a tear welling up that time,” Chris said as he mimicked wiping a tear away.

“Eloquent as always Chris,” Angelica muttered as she stood up.

“Well I figure as long as you can still be a bitch, then I can still be the prick. Sound fair to you?”

“Enough you two, don’t make me separate you. I’m not above putting you in time-out.” Rich felt like he was chaperoning children sometimes instead of grown adults. “Now let’s get to work.”

Power Plant Bar, Downtown Los Angeles
Two Hours Later

“You looking for a good time honey?”

Mickey frowned in disgust as she glanced at the greasy man who stood beside her. She was sitting alone at a table slowly nursing her drink.

“If I was, you’d be the last one on my list for that.”

“You think you’re funny, bitch? You scared of me, cause I can mess you up!”

“No I think I know exactly how to take you down.”

A minute later the man was on the floor crying out as he held onto his crotch. “She broke my balls! The fucking bitch broke my balls!”

Mickey smiled as the man’s friends carried him moaning out of the bar. Grabbing her drink she slammed the rest down, as she surveyed the bar for her target.

“I see you’re still a ball buster.” Mickey smiled as she recognized Vance’s voice.

“Well, you know me Vance. I like to get right to the point, why dilly dally?”

Angelica and Vance sat at the table beside her and ordered up a drink.

“So tell me, any luck?” Angelica questioned as she flagged another bartender down. “Yeah can I get a scotch on the rocks, and my fiancé will have a Bud Light. Thanks.”

“If you want to call it luck, then sure. I have been sitting at this table for like three hours and still I have no luck with finding out about this new drug. You would think it’d be easier to get hooked up in this city.”

Vance popped the top of his beer and took a big swig before speaking. “Well Rich heard from his contacts that this is the place for the new wonder drug. Somebody here has got to know. Who haven’t you approached yet?”

Mickey nodded her head at a couple in the far corner and a lone man sitting at the furthest in barstool at the bar.

“Well let’s go talk to him. He looks older, but that doesn’t mean anything in the drug sales world.”

Vance and Mickey stood up and walked over towards the older man. Angelica stood by the table and waited to see what happened.

“Excuse me sir, mind if we sit next to you?” Mickey said as she stood by the stool next to him.

Thomas Dawson turned to study Mickey and his friend, but he couldn’t concentrate fully since his outburst that morning.

“What do ya want?”

“I heard from a friend that we could secure some really good drugs here.”

“I never got into that crack or cocaine scene, so I wouldn’t know.”

“We’re looking for a special drug, one that can make us feel a bit special if you know what I mean. Maybe even super?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now leave me alone.”

Vance placed a hand on Thomas’ shoulder as the man turned back to his drink. “Sir we just need to know if anybody around here sold anything like that. Ow!”

Vance yanked his hand back quickly as suddenly Thomas’ shoulder was burning hot. The old man whirled around and Mickey gasped as his eyes were on fire.

“I said to leave me alone!”

Raising his hands up the man shot a burst of flame at the startled heroes before they could move.

Julia Power smiled as she stared at the bright lights and eyes upon her. Her long blonde hair swayed behind her as she assumed a pose. Now was her moment.

“Try Aerodyne’s new Triple Twist Raspberry Surprise Whitening Toothpaste. It’s Berryrific!”

Julia finished her line and lowered her raised hand that held the tube of toothpaste. She smiled at the director and casting director as they conferred. Her smile faded a bit as she saw lots of head shaking and frowning.

“So how did I do?” She asked nervously as she approached the two.

Eighteen-year-old Julia had left her family in Oregon to achieve her dream of being an actress. Her parents hadn’t really supported her, but didn’t say anything when she left for L.A. She was disappointed that her siblings had decided to not talk to her because of it, but she had a chance for something big here.

“I’m not gonna lie to you Julia. It just didn’t work for us. We’re looking for someone… more bubbly, I guess you could say.”

The pause that the director made as he looked Julia up and down was all she needed to know. The perfect girl Hollywood standard had struck again.

“More bubbly. Yeah I’m sure that’s what you meant you pig. Its cause I don’t have giant breasts and no brain in my head is what it is. What is it, you feel threatened by a real woman or something?”

“You’re out of line little girl…”

“See, ‘little girl’, that’s what you see. I’m a fully-grown woman. I may not be the Barbie bimbo you are looking for, but I’m damn proud of that fact. If I have to be some big-breasted dumb blonde to get this part then you can take the gig and shove it.”

Before the director could respond Julia stormed out of the room and slammed the door. As she moved down the hallways of Marvel Studios she began muttering curses to herself.

“Excuse me miss, I think you dropped this.”

As she whirled around she saw a man in his late 40’s, with a stubble beard and beret on his head. In his hand was Julia’s purse. Blushing in embarrassment she reached her hand out and retrieved the purse.

“Thank you, I just lost my head for a second there.”

“It’s okay, after what happened in there with Doug I figured you were just too upset to notice. Don’t worry about what that pompous windbag has to say. I thought your audition went really well. You have great potential.”

“Umm thanks. I didn’t catch your name.”

“Michael Harrison, director extraordinaire. Maybe you have seen my bit movies. My newest one came out a few months ago, Desire Knocks Twice. I’m into the action-packed spy movies.”

“Oh yeah, I saw that movie, I really enjoyed it. I was surprised that you didn’t get one of those super hottie actresses in to play the part.”

“Well I’m more about substance than the packaging. That’s what I liked about you. You told it like it is in there, and honesty like that is so rare in LA that it’s hard to not notice. You would be perfect for my newest movie, it’s right up your alley.”

Julia’s face lit up with a bright smile. “Really? You think I’d be good for one of your movies?”

“Damn right. Why don’t you meet me at this address in about a half hour? I have some things to finish up here and then we can talk about the project. See ya then.”

As Harrison walked away Julia couldn’t stop smiling to herself. She couldn’t believe something like this had fallen right into her lap. Glancing at the paper she realized that she better figure out where the Power Plant Bar was so that she could get there in time.

Chris Powell swung down to the street clad in the armor of his Darkhawk persona. Coming to a stop he moved through the darkened alleyway till he saw two figures ahead. Emerging into the light he stood side by side with Nova and Namorita.

“’Bout time you caught up to us.” The sarcasm in Nita’s voice was evident as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Well some of us have to take our time, don’t have alien rocket powers or Atlantean powers.”

Nova turned to them both and shushed them as he pointed around the corner of the wall. All three peered around and saw a large hole smashed in the wall of a bank. In these twilight hours nobody was really around to notice it.

“Big hole in the wall, you thinking explosives?” Darkhawk asked carefully as the three approached the bank.

“Can’t think of much else bank robbers could use. Can you?” Nova asked sarcastically as the three entered the whole.

“Umm what about giant metal tentacles?”

“What…?” Before Nova could utter more a metal tentacle struck him in the chest and sent him flying across the room and through the wall, back out to the street again.

“Should have figured it’d be some second rate super villain or something,” Darkhawk muttered as he jumped up to avoid the tentacles.

Namorita began dipping and dodging to avoid the tentacles as well. The two failed to notice a small metal ball come rolling into the room. The ball exploded, releasing a sonic explosion that knocked both heroes out of the air and to the ground below.

“Oofff!” Darkhawk muttered as he struck the ground.

“Uhh!” Nita hit the ground just as hard and slumped down unconscious.

As Darkhawk raised his head to see what happened, a tall purple-haired woman with four metal tentacles swarming around her stepped out before the fallen heroes. Carolyn Trainer, known as Lady Octopus, smiled at the fallen heroes.

“Well look what the cat dragged in. My own little super hero guinea pigs.”

With lightning-fast reflexes, Angelica engaged her powers and flew across the room to tackle Mickey and Vance before the fire hit them. As the three slid across the room; Angelica slammed against the bar and passed out.

Mickey pulled herself up and glanced at her companions. “Ange, you okay?”

She felt the girl’s pulse and realized she was just passed out. As she glanced at Vance she gasped.

“Vance, oh God.”

His entire left shoulder was a burning mess where the fire had struck him. It had burned through his shirt instantly and burned through his skin as well. He was passing out from the pain.

“All I wanted was to be left alone!”

Mickey sprang up and turned to see Thomas rising from the bar with flames pouring out all over his body. His eyes blazed as he locked gazes with her.

“You’re gonna burn for this, bitch!”

Mickey gulped as she realized that without her armor she had no chance against the man. Normal human against an obviously powered individual wasn’t much of a fight. As the thoughts passed through her mind Thomas shot a fireball straight at her head.

“Oh shit.”

NEXT ISSUE: “Superstars” continues as Turbo, Justice, and Firestar come face to face with the entity behind the MGH surge. Nova vs. Lady Octopus! And Lightspeed joins the fray as the media gets word of the new group of supers in town.

Author’s Notes

Well here it is: the first issue of the new Champions series. It’s been a long time coming I know. My first foray with the Champions at Marvel Omega didn’t exactly pan out the way I planned because of the way things were going in my life at the time. I failed because the little bits of time I got to write I spent on my other fan fic commitments and letChampions fall by the wayside for almost a year.

With this version of Champions I’m making the effort to not let anyone down. If you read Dino’s New Warriors (don’t know why you wouldn’t be) you know that this team spins out of the grouping of old New Warriors at the end of his latest arc. When offered the chance to try Champions again with this new cast by Dino I jumped at the chance. I never got to read the New Warriors back when they first came out. Through reading back issues of volume 2, Loners, Annihilation, Nova, and fan fiction here I have come to love these characters. Nova and Turbo especially are my favorites. So if you notice a certain spotlight on them more sometimes now you know why.

In this title I hope to bring a new view on a superhero team. The Champions are more likely to take on local level crimes and crime lords than just big time super villains. But just cause stuff will be more street level doesn’t mean no big time baddies. You’ll get to see some of the big bads in new lights starting next issue with Lady Octopus. Her motives are not what they seem, and tie into a plot line that will run through the title for quite awhile. Don’t expect Ms. Trainer to be the only underused and obscure character to show up in Champions. I love the low level and obscure characters of Marvel and want to revamp a lot of them for the series. So hopefully if you like this first issue, you’ll come back for the rest of the ride that will be Champions.

Thanks and good reading,

-Scott Redmond