New Warriors

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The New Warriors
Cover art for New Warriors (vol 4) #8. Art by Nic Klein.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Mighty Thor #411 (December 1989)
Created by	Tom DeFalco Ron Frenz
In story information
Member(s)	Blackwing Decibel Night Thrasher Phaser Ripcord Skybolt Tempest Renascence Wondra
Roster
See:New Warriors members

The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 (December 1989).

Contents 1 General publication history 2 Membership 3 New Warriors (vol. 1) 3.1 Fictional history 3.1.1 The Folding Circle 3.1.2 Namorita as leader 3.1.3 "Child's Play" 3.1.4 "Time And Time Again" 3.1.5 "Future Shock" 3.1.6 Volume's end 4 New Warriors (vol. 2) 4.1 Publication history 4.2 Fictional history 4.2.1 Relaunch 5 New Warriors (vol. 3) 5.1 Publication history 6 Civil War 7 New Warriors (vol. 4) 7.1 Publication history 7.2 Fictional team biography 7.2.1 Defiance 7.2.2 Reunion 7.2.3 Thrashed 7.2.4 Secret Invasion 8 Counter-Force team 9 Other versions 9.1 New Warriors (MC2) 9.2 Wolfpack (House of M) 10 Further analysis 10.1 Funding 11 Bibliography 11.1 Extended bibliography 11.2 Trade Paperbacks and Digests 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

[edit] General publication history

The New Warriors was originally compiled by writer/editor Tom DeFalco, consisting of the young superheroes Nova, Speedball, Namorita, Marvel Boy, and Firestar, all of whom were once featured in solo series or were supporting characters in more established series. To this mix DeFalco added Night Thrasher, an original character to serve as the team's founder and leader. This made them a counterpart to DC Comics’ Teen Titans or a junior version of Marvel’s own Avengers, although the New Warriors were not sidekicks of the Avengers as many of the original Teen Titans were to members of the Justice League. The New Warriors were featured in an eponymous series from 1990 until 1996, which both benefited and suffered from being marketed to the MTV Generation.

A short-lived revival was launched in 1999 and a mini-series followed in 2005. In the mini-series, the New Warriors agreed to star in a reality television show to fund their team. A fourth series was launched in June 2007.

The New Warriors first appeared in issues 411 and 412 of the Marvel Comics title The Mighty Thor. The issues were written by Tom DeFalco, who assembled the team by scanning entries of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and finding characters he felt had been forgotten but were a part of the next generation of superheroes.^{[original research?]} The appearance proved popular and plans were made for a spin-off as part of the informal "Heroes for the '90s" group of new comics Marvel debuted in the first six months of 1990. (The other new titles were RoboCop, Namor, Ghost Rider, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Spider-Man.) Amid derisive comparisons to the New Kids on the Block and predictions of failure before its release,^{[citation needed]} The New Warriors hit comic stands in May 1990. The first issue was written by Fabian Nicieza, drawn by Mark Bagley, and edited by Danny Fingeroth.

To the surprise of its detractors, the comic became a hit, garnering an enthusiastic readership and strong sales.^{[citation needed]} A second printing of the first issue was released in the summer of 1991. A trade paperback collection of the Thor appearances and the first four issues of New Warriors was published a year later, a decade before such repackaging became a standard in the comic industry. (The trade New Warriors: Beginnings has since gone out-of-print.)

Bagley remained with the title until issue 25, leaving for a career-defining stint with The Amazing Spider-Man. Darick Robertson came on as the series' second regular artist. His expressive and dynamic style helped maintain the series' strength, which soon supported the notion of several spin-off titles. Nicieza pitched a four-issue limited series, Night Thrasher: Four Control, and in the fall of 1992 Marvel published it to test the possibility of a New Warriors franchise. Bagley provided cover art with Dave Hoover pencilling the interior artwork. The experiment succeeded and a monthly Night Thrasher series appeared the following summer. Javier Saltares initially provided art but abruptly left the title after only two issues. David Boller was in place as the new regular penciller by issue 4, although Saltares briefly returned for issue 5. Issue 6 dealt with gang war and racial tension, and was reprinted in The Best of Marvel 1994 anthology. Nova (vol. 2), a second New Warriors spin-off, again written by Nicieza, was published at the end of 1993. Chris Marrinan remained the regular artist for its entire run. A third spin-off was planned to coincide with the fiftieth issue of The New Warriors where a second team of Warriors would star in their own series. However, Marvel decided that sales were too weak, as the comic industry as a whole had begun to contract. The second Warriors book was scuttled. The second team was rumored to be Bandit's reserve team (Hindsight, Darkhawk, Dagger, Turbo, Alex Power of Power Pack and Lady Sphinx). Despite the decision not to start this second series, a four-issue Justice: Four Balance limited series written by Nicieza, with art by Craig Brasfield still made it to print in 1994.

Robertson and long-time inker Larry Mahlstedt left the series with issue 50. Robertson went on to co-create and draw the critically-acclaimed Transmetropolitan. Richard Pace and Bruce Patterson were brought in as the new art team, but Pace's style was not well-received. Facing burn-out from his immense workload, Nicieza simultaneously pulled out from Nova with issue 7 and Night Thrasher with issue 12. Marrinan took over writing Nova and remained as artist. After a two-issue story by Dan Slott and Guy Dorian, Kurt Busiek and Art Nichols became the regular team on Night Thrasher. Three months after dropping the spin-off titles, Nicieza dropped New Warriors with issue 53. Evan Skolnick, Nicieza's former assistant, followed as writer. Patrick Zircher was brought in to replace Pace as penciller beginning with issue 55.

The loss of Nicieza and the shrinking comic market of the mid-90s took their toll. Night Thrasher was canceled with issue 21. Nova soon followed, ending with issue 18. The Skolnick/Zircher team remained on New Warriors, securing a temporary sales increase with the inclusion of the Scarlet Spider on the team. However, sales continued downward until Marvel canceled the series with issue 75 in 1996.

[edit] Membership

Main article: List of New Warriors members

[edit] New Warriors (vol. 1)

[edit] Fictional history

Dwayne Taylor, the vigilante known as Night Thrasher meticulously researches a group of young heroes to help him wage a war on crime. They are Richard Rider AKA "(Kid) Nova", Angelica Jones AKA Firestar and Vance Astrovik AKA Marvel Boy. During their first battle with Terrax, a former herald of Galactus, they are joined by Namorita and Robbie Baldwin AKA Speedball. They defeat Terrax, but the Avengers unintentionally end up taking the credit. The team decides to stay together and Speedball dubs them the New Warriors after a news report he had seen on the battle.^[1]

The newly created team gets involved in a fight between Thor and Juggernaut,^[2] helping Thor to send the Juggernaut to another dimension. In the team's second issue Night Thrasher's past comes back to haunt him as the brother and sister team of Midnight's Fire and Silhouette is introduced. Next, the corporation Genetech hires the Mad Thinker to gather information on the New Warriors in order to create their own superhumans, resulting in their battle with Genetech's team of superhumans, Psionex.^[3] The Warriors travel to stop a superhuman named Star Thief that is destroying space launches, with Namorita, Marvel Boy and Firestar ending up on the Moon with the Inhumans. The Team minus Night Thrasher travels to Brazil to rescue Speedball's mother from an environmental terrorist group and battle the Force of Nature. Night Thrasher stays behind to patch things up with Silhouette and confronts the Punisher. Upon the Warriors return to New York, their headquarters (the Ambrose building) is trashed in a battle with the Hellions for the claim of Firestar.^[4]

[edit] The Folding Circle

Their next adventure involves the transforming of the world into an alternate one, at the whim of Meryet Karim, the second Sphinx. This is undone by the New Warriors Nova, Marvel Man (Marvel Boy's alternate counterpart), Firestar, and Dwayne Taylor (who is not Night Thrasher in this reality).^[5] The New Warriors, together with a few Psionex members, the Fantastic Four, and the Silver Surfer, fight a revitalized Terrax some time after.^[6] Around this time, Silhouette joins, and the New Warriors meet Avenger Rage and solo hero Darkhawk. The Left Hand has also begun collecting random superpowered individuals for a team he names the Folding Circle, one member being Silhouette's brother Midnight's Fire.

Night Thrasher and the team come to a moral crossroads in a mission involving cocaine, and Thrasher leaves the team. Before that, he discovers that his legal guardian, Andrew Chord, has been betraying him for an unidentified period of time. Night Trasher then comes into contact with the Folding Circle.^[7]

Returning home after a particularly tough battle against Gideon, Marvel Boy accidentally kills his father when his father attacks him (as he has done in the past). Marvel Boy is arrested and found guilty of negligent homicide, while Firestar reveals her love for him.^[8]

With previously unrevealed abilities, Tai (Thrasher's surrogate mother) confronts and seemingly kills Silhouette. Silhouette survives and assembles the remaining New Warriors. They learn from Chord of a mystical plot to take control of the world in Cambodia, and they recruit Rage and Darkhawk to help them. The Folding Circle also travels to Cambodia. The New Warriors (with later help of the Folding Circle) fight Tai, who reveals her plans for world domination. Tai is defeated and sacrificed in a mystical well along with the Left Hand. In the end, Thrasher rejoins the Warriors.^[9]

After the adventure Rage is kicked out of the Avengers and Speedball invites him to join the New Warriors. Meanwhile, just having been convicted of his father's murder, Marvel Boy is being escorted to the Vault via a Guardsman-guarded prison van. Nova, Namorita, and Firestar try to free him from the van, but he refuses, determined to serve his sentence. Firestar and Marvel Boy share one last moment and declare their love for one another.^[10]

[edit] Namorita as leader

Night Thrasher leaves the team to put the Taylor Foundation in order, and Namorita assumes leadership. The team meet Turbo (Michiko "Mickey" Musashi),^[11] and get involved in the civil war in the country Trans-Sabal. Although they eventually retreat, the actions of the Warriors (most notably Namorita) have not helped the country.^[12] Meanwhile, Silhouette has gone missing and Speedball's parents split up. Speedball moves to New York with his mother to be closer to the New Warriors.

The team faces the new villain Darkling and meet Cloak and Dagger and a second Turbo (Michael Jeffries).^[13] Marvel Boy adapts to prison life and becomes good friends with the guards, most notably the man who would become Hybrid. Marvel Boy helps find a compromise between the inmates and the Vault staff, quelling an inmate uprising.^[14] Meanwhile, Carlton LaFroyge (Hindsight Lad), Speedball's new neighbor, blackmails him into giving him Warriors membership after Carlton discovers Speedball's secret identity.^[15]

Some time afterward, Namorita has a one-night stand with Kimeiko Ashu, a former adversary of Night Thrasher (unknown to her at that time). Ashu steals Namorita's address book, discovering the secret identities of the Warriors and kidnapping their families. Rage's grandmother, the last member of his family, accidentally dies. In retaliation, Rage kills Ashu.^[16] Night Thrasher justifies Rage's actions in court and the judge rules in Rage's favour and he is released into Chord's custody. Namorita leaves the team, feeling guilty.^[17]

Nova is attacked by Garthan Saal, a Nova centurion, and after a conflict between the Warriors, Saal, Firelord, Air-Walker, and a power-mad Nova, Xandar is restored. Nova is promoted to the rank of Centurion Prime and allowed to return to Earth to continue his activities as a superhero.^[18]

Meanwhile, Namorita faces trouble in Atlantis, and is captured. Her body is undergoing a cellular change, as a result of her being a clone, into a blue-skinned Atlantean. After a conversation with Namor, she renames herself Kymaera and decides to rejoin the New Warriors. Later, Marvel Boy is released on parole, but after anti-mutant attacks on his mother, decides not to rejoin the New Warriors, instead joining Shinobi Shaw and the Upstarts (as planned by him and Thrasher) and renaming himself Justice.^[19]

[edit] "Child's Play"

Main article: Child's Play (comics)

Soon after, the "Child's Play" arc begins, with the Upstarts going on what is called the Younghunt, a mission to capture all of the surviving New Mutants (who are by then called X-Force) and Hellions. This competition brings the Upstarts into conflict with the Warriors (Firestar is a former Hellion) and X-Force. The Upstarts capture most of their targets, but Paige Guthrie convinces the Gamesmaster to play another game: instead of killing mutants, the Upstarts should try to find and train young mutants like her. The Gamesmaster is intrigued and cancels the competition.^[20]

[edit] "Time And Time Again"

Shortly thereafter, the original Sphinx returns, stealing a portion of the power held by Meryet Karim whom the New Warriors had earlier encountered in New Warriors (vol. 1) #10-13 and plans his revenge against the Warriors, transporting away its eight active members (Night Thrasher, Nova, Kymaera, Justice, Firestar, Speedball, Silhouette and Rage) to different places in the time-stream. In response, Hindsight Lad and Bandit gather a new team of Warriors (Alex Power - Powerpax, Cloak and Dagger, Darkhawk, Turbo) to go and rescue the others. They succeed and the two teams of Warriors combat the Sphinx together, who surrenders after learning of his own true nature.^[21] In New Warriors #51 the team is restructured as the Mad Thinker again advises the team, especially on the difficulties of growing up as individuals as a team. The main team is made up of the six original founders (Thrasher, Nova, Firestar, Justice, Kymaera and Speedball) as well as Rage, while Hindsight Lad, Dagger and Alex Power become reserve members. Bandit and Silhouette leave the team.

Later, they face the Psionex team again and travel to the country of Zäire, where the team is captured by the Soldiers of Misfortune.^[22] At the end of the battle Kymeara is brainwashed and teleports away along with the villains.^[23] Night Thrasher and Rage leave the team after a falling out over their absence on the team's previous mission, and the team also fights an enraged Namor, who eventually decides to help the team in their search of Kymeara.^[24]

The Warriors help out with a UN peace conference, assisted by Sabra. Nova loses his powers and Turbo and Alex Power become full members while Hindsight Lad becomes simply Hindsight. Night Thrasher and Rage decide to start training Psionex.^[25] Next, the team involves themselves into "Maximum Clonage", fighting and capturing Helix, and the Scarlet Spider joins the team afterwards.^[26]

The team faces Psionex again, now lead by former Warrior Night Thrasher, and also deal with a young girl Rina Patel who has seen a vision of the future in which Speedball dies.^[27] Speedball has had trouble controlling his powers.^[28] They are almost able to retrieve Kymaera from the Soldiers of Misfortune, but fail.^[29] The team next deal with an impostor Scarlet Spider after the real Scarlet Spider replaces Spider-Man.^[30]

[edit] "Future Shock"

Eventually, the team comes into contact with the Guardians of the Galaxy, who are searching for Speedball, calling him a time anomaly, before they disappear again. The Sphinx returns, citing the same reasons, and kills Speedball. Another player, Advent comes into play, killing all of the Warriors but Timeslip. Advent is a time-traveler, trying to alter time so that the future will be molded to his own wish. His son, Darrion Grobe seeks to stop him, and creates a duplicate of Speedball's body from when he was trapped in the kinetic dimension during "Time And Time Again", so that he can travel to the first alteration point, leaving the actual Speedball in the kinetic dimension, meaning that Darrion Grobe replaced Speedball from New Warriors (vol. 1) #50 and onwards. Instead of dying, the New Warriors are transported to the year 2092, where they have seven minutes to save themselves before reality is unmade and stop Advent. Meanwhile, the Sphinx takes care of Advent in 1996, thereby stopping Advent in 2092 as well. The New Warriors are lead into the kinetic dimension by a hologram of Darrion Grobe, and with the help of Timeslip and the real Speedball, are able to return their proper time.^[31]

[edit] Volume's end

Later, a rogue faction of HYDRA reveals that it has been living in the team's basement even before the team moved in, but they are stopped by the combined actions of the Warriors and the Avengers.^[32] Helix and Turbo (Michiko) both decide to leave, but Turbo is confronted by a man called Dan Jones, who has come to reclaim the Torpedo suit the Turbos wear. Dan Jones is in fact the last Dire Wraith Volx, an enemy the Warriors fought against before and who killed the other Turbo (Mike). Volx claims the suit and kidnaps Friday (the Kymellian spaceship which is not only an ally of Power Pack, but also of the Warriors).

With the help of the Thinker, Night Thrasher and Rage rescue Namorita from the Soldiers of Misfortune, while the Warriors join forces with Garthan Saal to stop Volx, almost leading to the death of Friday. During the adventure, Firestar asks Justice to marry her, to which he happily agrees. Night Thrasher, Rage, and Namorita join their former teammates, thanks to the Thinker, and Garthan Saal sacrifices himself against Volx, transferring his powers to Nova. Eventually, the reunited New Warriors defeat Volx, at the cost of Timeslip's powers. Timeslip sabotages the power neutralizer Volx meant to use to rid every superhuman on Earth of their powers. Turbo decides to use the suit to continue on in Mike's honor, and Alex Power decides to leave the team, believing that Power Pack could've defeated Volx without nearly destroying Friday. Night Thrasher, Namorita, and Rage rejoin the Warriors as old grudges are mended and the team comes full circle.^[33] During a mission involving a Badoon invasion sometime later; Ultragirl and Slapstick help out the Warriors and were made members afterwards^[34].

[edit] New Warriors (vol. 2)

[edit] Publication history

A short-lived relaunch began in 1999 and ran for 11 issues. It was written by Jay Faerber and pencilled by a variety of artists, including Steve Scott, Karl Kerschl and Jamal Igle. Faerber and Igle would go on to collaborate on several other projects. Original members Namorita, Nova, and Speedball were joined by returning member Turbo and new members Bolt and Aegis. The last was an all-new character, reminiscent of Night Thrasher being the only new character among the original team. A promotional issue #0 was given away with Wizard Magazine.

[edit] Fictional history

Speedball tries to assemble a new team after they disbanded between the first and second volume, but initially fails. Nova and Namorita arrive to cheer him up when they are called in to fight Blastaar, and they are quickly aided by Turbo, Justice, Firestar, Bolt, and new hero Aegis. Although Justice and Firestar decline to rejoin the team, the other heroes agree to reform the New Warriors.^[35] Shortly thereafter, they fight the Eugenix group, who try to kill Namorita for being a clone.^[36]

They next involve themselves in a gang war, at the behest of Aegis. This leads to their headquarters being destroyed and the team being ambushed by Heavy Mettle. This group of villains had been hired by Joe Silvermane, the former Blackwing. They move into a new headquarters, a firehouse supplied by a firefighter named Dalton Beck (who is actually the villain Firestrike) as a ploy by Silvermane so that he can attain Turbo's suit.^[37] They also team up with Generation X to stop the new villain Biohazard.^[38] After an adventure in the subway, Turbo decides to trust Dalton with her secret identity, and Firestrike hesitates, but eventually decides to not kill Turbo. She uncovers his identity as Firestrike accidentally, but he surrenders and assists the Warriors in apprehending Silvermane.^[39] However, the two lovers are forced to split up as Beck enters the Federal Witness Protection Program.

In Seattle, Night Thrasher and Iron Fist fight the Hand, who is able to kidnap Iron Fist. Night Thrasher calls in the Warriors to help him. They are able to find Iron Fist and their opponent Junzo Muto, but the ritual of stealing Iron Fist's powers has already been completed. Junzo initially defeats them thanks to their lack of teamwork, but finds his match in Night Thrasher. Fatigue strikes however, and the Warriors are forced to retreat.^[40] They next face the rogue sentient Iron Man and are promptly defeated, before the rogue Iron Man armor sacrifices its existence to save Tony Stark from dying.^[41]

In the last issue of the series (New Warriors (vol. 2) #10) the team (minus Nova and Speedball) travels to Olympus, brought there by Hercules, and meet Zeus. Aegis is accused of stealing his magical breastplate by Hercules, but it was in fact a gift from Athena. During the following battle with Hercules, Aegis proves his worth and he is accepted by both Hercules and Zeus. Bolt also decides to reveal that he is sick with the Legacy Virus to the team, and in the last pages, Night Thrasher, seeing the good the Warriors having been doing lately, decides to return to the team. He is happily accepted.

[edit] Relaunch

An attempt to relaunch the book in 2002 with the characters of Speedball, Rage, Bolt, Turbo and the X-Men characters Skids and Jubilee as college students / super heroes fell through due to legal problems. Curiously enough, Jubilee would later join the group under the guise of Wondra after losing her own mutant powers after the depowering of 98% of the worlds mutant population by the Scarlet Witch during House of M.

[edit] New Warriors (vol. 3)

[edit] Publication history

A six issue mini-series of the title was released starting in June 2005, written by Zeb Wells and illustrated by Skottie Young, and featuring the team as the stars of a reality TV show. The line-up includes previous members Night Thrasher, Speedball, Nova, and Namorita, along with one new character, Microbe. A second new character, Debrii, joined in issue 4. Both characters debuted in the series, much like Night Thrasher shortly before volume 1 and Aegis in volume 2. A trade paperback collection of all six issues was released in January 2006.

[edit] Civil War

Main article: Civil War (comic book)

The New Warriors, including Night Thrasher, Speedball, Namorita, and Microbe (Nova had gone into space to play a part in Marvel's Annihilation storyline), take part in a televised fight with a group of supervillains which include Nitro, Speedfreek, Cobalt Man and Coldheart. During the fight, Nitro explodes killing hundreds of people in Stamford, CT, including most of the New Warriors and possibly his fellow villains. This serves as the start of the "Marvel Civil War" story arc.

Throughout the story arc, three former New Warriors (Justice, Silhouette, and Debrii) join Captain America's Secret Avengers, an underground coalition of anti-registration superheroes.

A listing of the Warriors on DestroyAllWarriors.com, a fictional anti-Warriors website created by Hindsight, showed all of the Warriors involved as killed, as well as cameraman John Fernandez.^[42] The explosion throws Speedball hundreds of miles into Upstate New York. Although he survived the blast, he was depowered due to a kinetic overload.^[43] Two unfortunate men who found his body after the blast are accidentally killed when his body releases its stored kinetic energy.

Speedball seems to be depowered, and is imprisoned, facing criminal charges for the Stamford disaster. However, he regains his powers, which are now activated whenever he experiences pain. Feeling guilty for his role in the deaths of so many people, Speedball takes on the new identity of Penance and joins the government-funded Thunderbolts. He, Justice, and Nova are the only founding members to still be active superheroes. Firestar decides to retire from the superhero business altogether.^[44] Former New Warrior Aegis appears in X-Factor #9, escaping from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Superhuman Restraint Unit with the help of Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man. Justice, Silhouette, Debrii, Rage, Timeslip, Zero-G and Aegis all appear on the cover of Avengers: The Initiative #1 as a part of the 142 registered superheroes.^[45] Justice has a prominent role in this series as trainer to the recruits. Turbo and Darkhawk are members of the Loners, and Bolt died some time ago at the hand of his former mentor Agent Zero

[edit] New Warriors (vol. 4)

[edit] Publication history

The fourth volume of the New Warriors is one of the new team books debuting out of Civil War.^[46] The new team has one returning member from the original group, (Night Thrasher), while everyone else is new to the team.^[47][48]

The series is written by Kevin Grevioux, writer of the film Underworld, with Paco Medina as the artist. The series made its debut in June 2007. Editor Axel Alonso has further mentioned that the team will be made up of "superheroes you already know, sporting new superhero identities".^[49] Nearly everyone in this new incarnation of the team is a depowered mutant and includes Sofia Mantega, (the de-powered mutant formerly known as Wind Dancer), Night Thrasher who is the original's illegitimate half-brother, Donyell Taylor, and characters Wondra (Jubilation Lee, formerly known as the X-Man Jubilee),^[50] Tempest (Angel Salvadore, a former student of the Xavier Institute),^[51] , Blackwing (Barnell "Barry" Bohusk, formerly known as Beak),^[52] Decibel (Jonothan "Jono" Starsmore, formerly known as Chamber), siblings Longstrike (Christine Cord, formerly known as Tattoo)^[51] and Phaser (Christian Cord, formerly known as Radian), Skybolt (Vincent "Vin" Stewart, formerly known as Redneck),^[53] and Ripcord (Miranda Leevald, formerly known as Stacy X).^[54] The group uses stolen and reverse-engineered technology (with the help of supporting teammates Grace and Kaz), such as a shrinking formula based on Bill Foster's derivative of Pym Particles,^[51] Spider-Man's webbing, Stilt-Man's telescopic legs and arms, and Wakandan technology in their war on crime.^[55] Their current hideout is a former Murderworld location. It is also revealed that Longstrike and Phaser are sister and brother.

[edit] Fictional team biography

[edit] Defiance

The New Warriors set out on a mission in New York City against the Zodiac. Longstrike is killed by Cancer's powers and her brother Phaser grieves over her corpse.^[51] Enraged, Phaser releases an energy blast into Cancer who merely laughs it off. Seconds later, a young boy on a bicycle proclaiming to be apart of the New Warriors attempts to attack Cancer, but she attacks him before he has the chance. Sofia Mantega, who had been watching from the crowd, sees this and crosses the Police Tape. She kicks Scorpio and covers his eyes, making him accidentally shoot an energy blast at his teammates. As Sofia attempts to help the kid on his bicycle to safety, she is blasted in the back. The team then attacks, forcing the Zodiac to teleport away. Night Thrasher won't leave a wounded teammate behind, but with law enforcement approaching, he leaves Sofia in the care of the Paramedics who are grateful that the young heroes protected them from the Zodiac. The Warriors teleport back to their hideout, Skybolt and Phaser begin arguing about the death of Longstrike, but are interrupted by Night Thrasher who tells the team that they have disbanded.^[56]

Jubilee goes to see Sofia in the hospital to tell her of Night Thrasher's decision to disband the team. She takes her back to their headquarters where Sofia makes an impassioned speech about the losses in her life and what the team means for those who have lost so much from M-Day. Jubilee tells Night Thrasher that the team will go on, with or without him. He finally relents and agrees to keep the Warriors going. Sofia finally agrees to join the team, taking up the codename Renascence.^[57]

[edit] Reunion

Former New Warrior Silhouette confronted the mysterious new Night Thrasher, who is revealed to be Bandit, like the original Night Thrasher, a former lover of Silhouette. Her brother, Midnight's Fire, attacked Night Thrasher during their meeting but the New Warriors leader wished to initiate a truce which Midnight's Fire has yet to accept or decline. It is revealed Midnight's Fire is working for a mysterious benefactor who is after Thrasher's alliance with someone described as "The Other".^[58]

[edit] Thrashed

Meanwhile, Night Thrasher has been increasingly absent during key moments in their missions causing Wondra to become suspicious and hostile towards the leader. Her longtime friend Decibel objects to her suspicions claiming Night Thrasher saved his life by offering him a position on the team after becoming suicidal following his transformation into an Apocalypse-type creature.

It is revealed, however, that Night Thrasher is indeed creating a plan to trick his team into remaining loyal to his cause and has employed the young genius Kaz to execute a currently unrevealed agenda. However, he has also told Kaz he intends to tell the Warriors the truth behind this plan when the time is right.^[59]

Wondra reconciles with the team, and they track down and confront the Machinesmith. During the battle, a section of roof comes down and Tempest, Phaser, Decibel and Ripcord are left trapped inside. Meanwhile Sofia is being interviewed by Kat Farrell, who tries to talk her into joining the Initiative and exposing the New Warriors as criminals, but she refuses and leaves her hanging. After a meeting with Sally Bevlins, Rage snaps at Ultra Girl for creating a new Hitler Youth-Like program for the Initiative and tells Justice it is time to form their own New Warriors team^[60]. At the New Warriors headquarters, Wondra and Blackwing physically and vocally attack Night Thrasher for abandoning their teammates, but are convinced by the others that he did the right thing. Before the group leaves to rescue the others, Night Thrasher talks with Grace, Kaz and Aja, and prepares to send them on their first mission. Meanwhile, the trapped New Warriors cobble together what little weapons they have to battle Machinesmith, but in the ensuing confrontation the villain grabs Tempest^[61].

[edit] Secret Invasion

It has been revealed that the team will be involved in the upcoming Skrull-related crossover, Secret Invasion with issue 14. The team will encounter several former New Warriors who are now operating as a counter-initiative.

[edit] Counter-Force team

In the pages of Avengers: The Initiative #6 (January 2008), the team's drill instructor Gauntlet is left battered with 'NW' (the New Warriors tag) sprayed on him.^[62] It is revealed that former New Warrior Slapstick attacked Gauntlet out of revenge for the man's comments about his dead friends while drilling the Initiative recruits, unfortunately Rage is suspected of the crime. In Avengers: The Initiative #10 (May 2008) Justice forms a team including former New Warriors Rage, Slapstick, Debrii and Ultra Girl.^[63]

In Avengers: The Initiative #12, Justice's led team of New Warriors join with the MVP clone, along with the surviving Scarlet Spiders and MVP's father as a Counter Force of underground registered heroes over seeing the actions of the Fifty State Initiative. Ultra Girl also decides to leave the New Warriors, to stay with the Initiative.

[edit] Other versions

[edit] New Warriors (MC2)

In the alternate time line known as MC2, Spider-Girl reforms the New Warriors and fights with them. However, when Spider-Girl makes a truce with supervillains Funny Face and Angel Face, the team shuns her.

The new roster includes the Buzz, Raptor, Darkdevil, the Golden Goblin and the twin crime fighters sharing the identity of Ladyhawk. The team receives support from Normie Osborn, including unlisted cell phones.

[edit] Wolfpack (House of M)

Within the House of M reality (created by the Scarlet Witch); Luke Cage, leader of the Human Resistant Movement, made treaties among the rival gangs. Among them was one calling themselves the Wolfpack; in which most of the members were New Warriors in the 616's MU. The gang's roster includes Rage, Speedball, Turbo, Darkhawk, Zero-G and Lightspeed.^[64]

[edit] Further analysis

[edit] Funding

The New Warriors were funded by the Taylor Foundation, a company created by Night Thrasher's parents before their deaths. Night Thrasher acquired the Taylor Foundation before forming the New Warriors, and used its resources to help assemble and operate the team. In fact, the New Warriors were headquartered first in the Taylor Foundation's main location, the Ambrose Building, and then in one of its warehouses (affectionately titled the Crash Pad).

The Taylor Foundation was not as limitless as some other superhero group funding. For example, groups such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four had much larger pools of resources. Despite this, the Taylor Foundation's smaller resource pool was never explored in its entirety. In fact, the only times exploring the New Warriors' smaller resources was when Night Thrasher was not on the team and the New Warriors didn't have access to funding. There were two cases exploring the New Warriors' lack of funding: First, in Volume 1, Night Thrasher recognized their lack of funding and deposited money into their slush fund shortly after he and Rage were kicked off the team. Second, in Volume 2, the Crash Pad had been destroyed, and the New Warriors had to rely on their connections with the New York Fire Department to give them a new headquarters in the form of an unused firehouse.

For a while the future of the New Warriors' funding was in question. At the end of volume 3, Night Thrasher had lost the Taylor Foundation to the Ashley Brothers, a television company.

In #3 of Volume Four Donyell Taylor revealed that he had created a new company of the royalties and international profits that the new Warriors made before they were killed. A large amount of money had been taken out of his account, allegedly by Night Thrasher. Presumably, the money is now funding the New Warriors.

[edit] Bibliography

• New Warriors (vol. 1) #1-75, Annual #1-4 (July, 1990 – September, 1996)
• New Warriors Ashcan one-shot (1994)
• New Warriors (vol. 2) #0-10 (October, 1999 – July, 2000)
• New Warriors (vol. 3) #1-6 (July, 2005 – December, 2005)
• New Warriors (vol. 4) #1 and ongoing (August, 2007 – present)

[edit] Extended bibliography

• Annihilation: Nova #1-4 (June, 2006 - September, 2006)
• Annihilation Prologue (March, 2006)
• Firestar #1-4 (March, 1986 - June, 1986)
• Justice: Four Balance #1-4 (September, 1994 - December, 1994)
• Night Thrasher #1-21 (August, 1993 - April, 1995)
• Night Thrasher: Four Control #1-4 (October, 1992 - January, 1993)
• Nova (vol. 1) #1-25 (September, 1976 - May, 1979)
• Nova (vol. 2) #1-18 (January, 1994 - June, 1995)
• Nova(vol. 3, sub-title: The Human Rocket) #1-7 (May, 1999 - November, 1999)
• Nova (vol. 4) #1-current (April, 2007 - present)
• Slapstick #1-4
• Speedball The Masked Marvel #1-10 (September, 1988 - June, 1989)
• Ultra Girl #1-3

[edit] Trade Paperbacks and Digests

• New Warriors: Beginnings (reprints Thor #411-412, New Warriors (vol. 1) #1-4)
• New Warriors: Reality Check (reprints New Warriors limited series #1-6)
• New Warriors: Defiant (reprints New Warriors (vol. 4) #1-6)
• Essential Nova (vol. 1) (reprints Nova (vol. 1) #1-25, The Amazing Spider-Man #171, Marvel Two-in-One Annual #3)
• X-Men: Firestar Digest (reprints Firestar #1-4)

[edit] See also

• List of New Warriors issues
• List of New Warriors members

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The New Warriors
• The New Warriors Continuity Conundrum