Speedball #10 (V1)

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The issue begins with Doctor Rarque and his assistant Clyde in a lab with a giant sized pig. Realizing that their experiment may help lead to the end of world hunger, they ponder whether or not the pig would be safe to eat. The pig suddenly goes crazy and begins to buck. Its massive feet strike Doctor Rarque in the head, knocking him over. The lab catches on fire and Clyde helps Doctor Rarque out of there. Almost immediately, it’s clear that Doctor Rarque has taken some head damage and at a hospital it’s confirmed. The grant is terminated and Clyde politely states that he understands – but he heads home and begins thinking of ways to scam some equipment so he can continue the research.

Elsewhere, Robbie as Speedball continues to chase Neils, who also has the same abilities as he (but doesn’t transform into a strange suit of any kind, oddly enough). Speedball notices that Claude is in the lab with Clyde. Claude tells Clyde to apply for a job there, after hearing what happened with Doctor Rarque’s lab. Clyde, there only to examine the lab, says he will give it more time – but thinks about how everything he needs is there, and the security at the lab was lax.

In the main office of the lab, Doctor Benson and his two associates find themselves in front of the press – where the press questions about experimenting on animals, thanks to the news that the large pig at Doctor Rarque’s caused – and animal rights. Immediately, Doctor Benson and his two assistants don a smile and say they work on energy, and would never experiment on animals – especially cats.

Elsewhere, in a barn Clyde unloads some more stolen lab equipment – thinking about how he will replicate the formula he and Doctor Rarque had created – and that he would help end world hunger and become famous – and all of the world would be thankful for his great efforts.

The scene switches back and forth between Clyde’s failed efforts to reproduce the formula and Robbie’s attempt to capture Neils. It finally shows Clyde, frustrated, dumping some liquid out claiming it was bad batch.

However, at Springdale High – as Teri, David and a few others are walking – they come face to face with a giant chicken! The chicken makes an aggressive gesture and they run for their lives. The chicken is seen chasing a rabbit, consumed with hunger. The rabbit runs into an abandoned mine with the chicken in hot pursuit. The chicken’s form is too large and causes the condemned mine to cave in.

In Springdale, Robbie sees the man that had gone in the lab with Clyde enter a pet store. Suddenly suspecting him, Robbie excuses himself and transforms himself into Speedball and follows Clyde. He follows him to the barn, and Speedball turns away, thinking that there was no lab to be found.

Back at Doctor Benson’s lab, Claude accuses Robbie of stealing chemicals from the lab. Robbie explains it wasn’t him, but Claude doesn’t seem convinced. Robbie begins to suspect Clyde once again and in Speedball form returns to the farm house. He’s immediately greeted by two giant ants, which he takes care of, easily enough. Speedball next encounters and defeats a giant snake. He rushes into the barn house and confronts Clyde, but is kicked out of the way by Claude who came to see if it was Clyde who has stolen the chemicals! Clyde manages to sucker Claude and knock him out and take his gun. Clyde grabs the gun and turns it on Speedball, telling him to drink the chemical and tell him how it tastes. Speedball clamps his teeth together, triggering the “speedball” effect in his mouth – when he drinks it, he spits out with projected force into Clyde’s face. Their fight is interrupted as a giant rat bursts through the side of the barn. The rat claws Clyde’s insides open. Speedball grabs the gun and bounces around and shoots the rat. When it’s all calm, Speedball surveys the scene and sees that Claude is still unconscious and that Clyde is dead. (Clearly Speedball is no doctor. If he would have checked for vital signs, he might have seen that Clyde was actually still alive, since he was the one who freed a great number of Speedball’s villains from the Springdale Prison in New Warriors #66) – NewWarriors.com

Fearful that this will all lead back to Doctor Benson’s lab, Speedball disposes of the giant animals in a nearby lake, removing the evidence. When he returns to the lab he sees that Claude has regained consciousness and is burning Clyde’s notes. (Interestingly enough, Claude makes the same assumption as Speedball and believes Clyde to be dead).

With all the evidence cleared, life returns to normal for Robbie Baldwin – and the Masked Marvel known as Speedball!