Dreadnoks
on
the Loose!
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Cover Date: May,
1985
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Script: Larry Hama
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Pencils: Rod Whigham, Mark
Bright,
Bob Camp, Larry Hama
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Inks: Andy Mushynsky,
Mike Esposito
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Lettering: Rick
Parker
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| Colors: George
Roussos |
Editor: Denny O'Neil
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Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
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Summary:
"In a neglected corner of the Cobra headquarters complex
in suburban Springfield" The Dreadnoks are examining Zartan's new
motorcycle.
Torch isn't impressed, but Buzzer knows that nothing of Zartan's is
what
it appears to be on the surface. Ripper is just afraid they'll get in
trouble.
Buzzer isn't impressed with Zartan's trickery, and shows the others the
bike holographic projectors that can be used to make the bike appear to
be anything, like a van. Buzzer explains that Zartan has smaller
projectors
in his costume. Buzzer hops on the bike for a ride and the others
follow.
Meanwhile, on the interstate, Breaker, Clutch and Rock
N' Roll are on
leave, driving to Malibu in Rock N' Roll's classic car, a '56 Bel Air
Nomad.
After a stop at the gas station for some fuel and snacks, they get back
on the road.
At Cobra headquarters, Zartan is knocking at the door to
Cobra Commander's
office. Major Bludd and the Baroness arrive, and Bludd tells Zartan
that
the Comander isn't speaking to anyone until the tribunal convenes to
discuss
the attempt on his life by hi son, Billy. Zartan asks Bludd if he isn't
on the "bad list" after trying to kill the Commander in Switzerland.
The
Baroness nervously tells Zartan it was a misunderstanding, but Bludd
interrupts
her and changes the subject he embarasses Zartan by wondering if he
wanst
to speak to the Commander about the Dreadnoks stealing his bike.
Back on the interstate, Rock n' Roll is telling Clutch
and Breaker all
about the wonderful time they'll have in Malibu, talking about the
sunny
Pacific beaches and surfer girls. Suddenly, something VRRROOOMs past
the
car and gouge the side of the car. Rock n' Roll is furious, and says
that
he glimpsed three bikers going by. Further ahead on the road, the
Dreadnoks
are terrorizing passengers in the nearby cars and setting fire to bails
of hay on passing truck. Ripper sees that "those creeps in the
Bel-Air"
are following them. Rock n' Roll speeds after the Dreadnoks, but as
they
enter a tunnel, Torch and Ripper drive out the other side, flanking a
huge
tractor-trailer covered in skulls. Rock n' Roll tries to avoid the
truck
and swerves, crashing into the side of the tunnel. In reality, the
truck
is just Buzzer on Zartan's bike, surrounded by a hologram of the truck.
As they drive away from the flaming wreck, Rock n' Roll is still inside
making certain not to forget the license plate on the truck:
"...ZTN...123.."
A few miles back on the same highway, a bus with a skull
and crossbones
on the front of it with a license plate reading "ZTN-456" pulls over
when
an old woman flags it down. The woman gets on to get to Springfield,
but
the driver says nothing.
Back at the accident, firefighters are dousing the
burning wreck, while
a police officer tells the three Joes how lucky they are to be alive as
they get carried iinto an ambulance on stretchers. Clutch is babbling
about
a truck from beyond the grave. The cop asks Rock n' Roll what he means.
"I think the devil himself joined the teamsters and got himself a job
hauling
freight," Breaker says, "but you can tell the man whatever you want to,
Rock n' Roll." Rock n' Roll says he doesn't really know what he saw,
but
he'd know if he saw it again. Meanwhile, the bus carrying the old woman
and less than talkative driver goes by.
The Dreadnoks sneak onto an Air Force base using the bike's holograms
to make them appear to be a general's car and military police escort.
They
start wrecking fighter jets, but Torch causes an explosion and they're
found out. Back in the ambulance, the three Joes are talking and
realize
they didn't just imagine the frightening truck they saw. As the
Dreadnoks
escape, posing as a Air Force jeep and two helicopters, Rock N' Roll,
in
the ambulance spots them, since the license plate is still "ZTN-123".
He
commandeers the ambulance and chases them. Torch drives to far away
from
the holo-projectors and Rock n' Roll realizes they're Dreadnoks. He
throws
a tank filled with oxygen at Buzzer, causing him to crash and wreck
Zartan's
bike. Buzzer is captured, and the others escape. The bus arrives and we
see that it was actually a transport helicopter driven by Zartan. Torch
and Ripper board the 'copter. After returning to Springfield, the
"old woman" who was Zartan's passenger is missing from the 'copter.
Zartan
says she disappeared "out of a locked helicopter in flight: that's a
feat
worthy of a ninja master!"
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Commentary: Another
issue
not connected to the rest of the series,
this is the first major time the Dreadnoks appear without Zartan's
constant
presence. The Dreadnoks seem to be a favorite of Larry Hama, as he uses
them once in a while on their own, using their sleaziness and love of
mayhem
and destruction as comic relief. Despite this, they are very dangerous
people. The three Joes are almost killed because of them. This is one
of
many times when the Dreadnoks' antics get them noticed by unsuspecting
Joes. Aside from the passing reference to Billy and to the older Joes
being
off duty, the story seems to be another of the three issues not
connected
to the main storyline. This changes however, as the ending sets up some
important situations. Buzzer's capture will lead to a major plot point
several issues from now. We will also discover that the old woman on
Zartan's
"bus" was, in fact, the Soft Master, on his way to Springfield to learn
who killed the Hard Master. Larry Hama gives the readers some credit,
though,
because this won't be explained. The Soft Master will just show up in
Springfield
a few issues from now.
On the character side of things, the Dreadnoks gets some
personality,
which is mostly reserved for Buzzer. He's seems to be the leader of the
group. Though he appears to be the smartest of the three, he really
just
thinks he is. An idiot who thinks he isn't one is much more dangerous
than
an "evil genius." We also find out the truth behind Zartan's ability to
change his appearance: holograms. This was obviously a way to explain
Zartan's
camoflauge abilities with advanced technology instead of some kind of
superhuman
ability.
As the Joes start their vacation, an insightful scene is
included. The
young gas station attendant learns the Joes are in the army and says he
can't wait until he can enlist. Rock 'n' Roll discourages him,
surprising
Clutch. Rock 'n' Roll tells him that "kids like him join up the same
way
girls his age get married." They want to get away from home. They find
out that they were "running away from themselves."
The art duties for this issue is divided up among Rod Whigham, Bob
Camp,
Mark Bright and Larry Hama himself. The next issue will do the same.
Both
Whigham and Bright will become regular artists later in the series. |
