Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Warlord Wednesday: Death from Above

Here's another installment of my examination of  the adventures DC Comics' Travis Morgan--The Warlord.  The earlier installments can be found here...

"Saga Part 6: Death from Above"
Warlord (vol. 4) #6 (November 2009) Written by Mike Grell; Penciled by Chad Hardin; Inked by Walden Wong & Wayne Faucher

Synopsis: When last we saw our heroes, it looked like Ned Hawkins, aka the Golden God, had used ancient Atlantean technology to bring an avalanche down on the Shamballan army--with Tara, Jennifer, and Machiste leading it.

Turns out not:


Morgan and Ewan McBane ride down to meet them. Their all quickly joined by Tinder leading a motley troop of volunteers he was able to round up in the villages and the homesteads. Morgan is skeptical as to their abilities and their motivations. A one-eyed man tells Morgan that they don't fight for Tinder, or the Warlord; They fight for the cause he once spoke of: Freedom.

Morgan's shamed by the man's words. Morgan admits he forgot the cause he was fighting more long ago. He admits he was wrong, but he also charges that the people who followed him were wrong in thinking that freedom was something he could give to them.


Unaware of these events, Hawkins is certain he has defeated the Warlord. "What can he do without an army?" He asks Mariah.

"Terrible things, Hawkins." is her reply.

Hawkins isn't convinced. He goes to greet his returning mercenaries who have brought him a box he was looking for that had been "buried deep beneath a temple of the ancients." In payment, he grants them the rights to slave trade in the conquered kingdoms. Hawkins agrees and suggest that start with his paramour Kate. He explains to her that she's challenged him too much of late. That's when:


The army of freedom is here. They storm the fortress. Jennifer uses her magic to Hawkins's Atlantean super-science/sorcery at bay. She says he's not bad for "an amateur" as she blasts him. Mariah snatches up a sword, kills a few guards, and goes after Kate for payback But when Machiste and McBane fight their way to her, Kate has a gun on her. Kate tries to seduce McBane back to her side.

It doesn't work.


Meanwhile, Alysha has been captured and taken aboard Hawkins's skyship as he tries to make his getaway. The damaged (thanks to an RPG fired by Morgan) crashes at the base of the temple with the portal to the Himalayas. Hawkins plans to take back magic and conquer earth! Morgn has tagged along though. Hawkins pushes Alysha at him, then runs for the temple. Morgan quickly sets the skyship's weapons to fire--and blows up the portal.

Their comrades arrive. Morgan proclaims this a new beginning. Tinder asks what became of Hawkins--the Atlantean armor made him basically invulnerable. Morgan replies he's got a new world to conquer...


Things to Notice:
  • Hawkins doesn't seem to think all those superheroes in the DCU will stop his attempts at conquest.
Where it comes from: 
Finally, Morgan gives a response to charges of him abandoning the cause of freedom he sold people on rather than guilt or cynicism. Grell seems to be setting the stage for the Warlord to become a full-fledged hero again.

1 comment:

garrisonjames said...

This sounds like a great series to pick-up. A return to the good-stuff, as it were. Love that exchange: 'what can he do without an army.' 'Terrible things..' That's classic Morgan, classic Grell. Very cool.