New Warriors #16 (V4)

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Return to Volume 4 Issue Listing.

The issue begins with Detective Beverly Sykes and Detective Harry Givens being led by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Atkins into a room where they’re introduced to the New Warriors Task Force – men, equipped with technology to supposedly handle and take down the New Warriors, once and for all.

Elsewhere, on a distant rooftop, Night Thrasher senses Midnight’s Fire who steps out of the shadows. Midnight’s Fire explains that he questions whether or not to give the small pouch to Night Thrasher – which contains a fraction of the Ka Stone. Midnight’s Fire explains that messing with any form of mystic art is evil – and that he fears for Night Thrasher’s soul.

Elsewhere, in upstate New York, we see a team known as the Dread Dealers has taken in what appears to be a young girl. One of the members of the Dread Dealers, who appears to be wearing an outfit that resembles Sabretooth’s original costume – but with a jaguar motif instead – complains that taking a child in is a bad idea because she may have her picture plastered all over the back of milk cartons. The leader of the Dread Dealers, Starion – whose real name is revealed to be Denny Drake – explains that he was raised from age six to eighteen, shuffled from foster house to foster house, like a deck of cards – and that it was no way for a kid to live. A blue skin woman, adorned in white, asks the young girl what her name is – and the little girl explains her name is Miranda – and goes on to explain she knows who they are.

The little girl turns out to be none other than Miranda Leevald – Ripcord – of the New Warriors! At that moment, the New Warriors burst in through the roof and the Dread Dealers are subjected to Pym Particles and reduced in size.

Their victory is short lived however, with the sudden appearance of Sykes, Givens and the New Warriors Task Force. The New Warriors make a break for it – but Blackwing, who is carrying Night Thrasher gets tagged and the two crash to the ground. Panicking, Tempest screams out and doesn’t see the net shot at her – Wondra tries to push her out of the way but gets snagged.

One of the New Warriors Task Force members fires a shot – but Ripcord kicks him at the last moment. The shot hits the flame tank of another New Warriors Task Force member – and Ripcord stops to try and help him. Skybolt seeing that the tank is about to explode tries to get to Ripcord – he manages to grab her and start flying away – but the tank explodes, causing a blinding flash. Night Thrasher gets the other New Warriors together, and they quickly make their escape – unsure of the fate of both Skybolt and Ripcord.

Back at the base, Night Thrasher orders Kaz to ready the nanite engine and purge all the computers of information. Night Thrasher explains that he can’t live with the idea that Dwayne will forever be blamed for what started Civil War – the whole Stamford Incident – and that he has learned a way to clear his name and perhaps even save his life.

Kaz then explains that he hacked Night Thrasher’s files and discovered that what he’s been doing is building a time machine. Night Thrasher explains that he intends to stop Dwayne and the New Warriors from ever going to Stamford and thus preventing the entire thing from happening – it would save their lives, the lives of 600 people – as well as reverse the death of Longstrike (Christine), Skybolt and Ripcord – there would be no Civil War – no Super Human Registration Act. The world would be a better place for this.

There’s little time to discuss it further however, as once again Givens, Sykes and the New Warriors Task Force arrive. Night Thrasher commands Kaz to purge the computers and runs into the room to begin the time travel device. Unfortunately Night Thrasher doesn’t have time to finish the calculation before the New Warriors jump in followed by Detective Beverly Sykes!

The New Warriors step out of a building after the time jump and see a world over run by Iron Man!