We're nearing the end of the original Morituri's era, as the team make one final desperate stand. Their relationship with the Earth government becomes increasingly strained, as the contrast between their heroic ideals and the grim reality of a production line of soldiers that underscores the Morituri process begins to set in.
Strikeforce: Morituri #9 (1987)
Pencils: Brent Anderson
Inks: Scott Williams
A few major plot developments occur this issue, as Robert returns from blowing up the Horde mothership, seemingly indestructible. As Louis discovers the Paideia Government are more concerned with creating stronger, more reliable Morituri than finding a solution to the one year limit, the Horde dangle a possible cure in front of his nose. Can it be genuine, or a trap? You can probably guess which, but it certainly creates a dilemma to divide the Morituri forces. The Horde mission of the month is largely forgettable, yet Gillis was never afraid to devote the majority of space to subtle character development, of which this is a perfect example.
Also, this issue the Strikeforce get kitted out with flight shoes, which may be convenient for storytelling purposes, but bugs me as a device. They're a little too Legion of Super Heroes for the grittier Morituri.
Strikeforce: Morituri #10 (1987)
Pencils: Whilce Portacio
Inks: Scott Williams
Starting with this issue, Strikeforce switched to direct sales only. Not a promising sign inside its first year, as wider newsstand distribution was the chief reason Gillis and Anderson were keen to release the book through mainstream Marvel. This is also the first of two fill-ins by Portacio, who also drew the Black Watch sequence in the first issue. He gets to revisit them here, as the Black Watch's fateful raid on the Horde's base in South Africa is told in greater detail, from the perspective of an alien captive of the Horde, that they dismissively treat as a pet. This issue also fleshes out the Horde's backstory, portraying them as opportunistic scavengers, who stole spaceships and tech from an advanced visiting race, to begin their galactic reign of terror. It may not advance the story any, but it fills in the blanks nicely.
Strikeforce: Morituri #11-12 (1987)
Pencils: Brent Anderson
Inks: Scott Williams
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| Gillis sneaks in a reference to The Black Flame. |
After that flashback interlude, we're back where we left off with a two parter. Will Louis turn traitor for the promise of a cure, that may just turn out to be a Horde trap? It certainly appears that way, until it turns out to be a clever double bluff on the part of Louis and Robert, who use the opportunity to commandeer a ship to attack the Horde's main fleet gathered around Jupiter. There's a sense of deja vu about the team's raid on Horde HQ, as it runs along very similar lines to their mothership jaunt back in #7. The difference this time is that the surviving original Morituri are fast running out of time. Desperate to make a real dent before they inevitably expire, Robert takes Jelene to the Horde's data banks to absorb and process their sum total of knowledge. Robert then goes out with a literal bang, using his energy absorption powers to blow up the base.
Back on Earth, things aren't exactly looking rosy. The Horde nuke the hidden Morituri base in retaliation. There's a stunning final page of the bombing by the art team delineated in stark negative space.
Also their boss and den mother Beth is dying, having secretly put herself through the process, only to draw the booby prize of a useless, but metaphorical power to make flowers bloom.
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| Another beautiful final page by Anderson and Williams. |
Three down, three to go, with a whole new troupe of fresh replacements waiting in the wings...
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