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O'Neil: Vic the Seeker (pt 5)
I've worn myself out doing little dances over the announcement for Question #37, so I figured I'd celebrate another way, especially since it's been a month and a half since my last post in this series.
We're going through Question v1 #'s 13 & 14 today, a two-parter that runs Vic's endurance, conviction, martial training and detective skills through the gauntlet as he takes on a elite special forces unit gone rogue. I was originally going to put #15 in this post as well, but after re-reading it I'm still not quite sure of my take on it, and it's subject matter is heavy enough that it should be analyzed on its own.
These two issues may be a little light on the scans, but I assure you're there's a reason for it. I'm having to hold some pages off for later posts, which was especially hard with #14, which has two main stories running throughout, but only one I'm showing here. I promise we'll get to talking about what Myra's up to in good time, and I'll be damned if it isn't a hell of a story.
Question #13, February '88 (less than 9 pages out of 27)
We open with Tot asking, in a way that is certainly not at all foreshadowing what the following story will be dealing with at all, no sir, what drives Vic to go through those ridiculous and gratuitous contortions we've been seeing him put himself through for the last year of issues.
And speaking of gratuitous, sorry, had to cut the crotch shots to keep with page-count this time.
Vic answers Tot's question with one word, and it's a word nobody likes...
Oh, hey! Everyone got a haircut. Tot prolly wasn't so comfortable with the moustache and long-hair combo he gained in his sort-of coma when he first came to, but as you'll see as we go on, it must have been growing on him, because this is the last time we'll see him without it in Denny's days.
Their little discussion gets broken up by the phone. A bridge has collapsed in the city in the middle of rush hour. When Vic gets there, there's still a car teetering on the edge with a boy trapped inside, and guess who's the only person ballsy enough to try saving him?
Unfortunately, the car slides into the drink as Vic approaches, but sometimes you just have to get your feet wet.
The guy with the limp? Remember him. This will be on the test.
And it obviously isn't Wesley in the car. Did I mention that everyone got haircuts?
(we'll deal with the cut half of this page later)
If only you knew, Vic. Elsewhere in the city, cogs are spinning, and the guy with the limp is in a colonel's uniform lecturing a few dudes on how America's character is decaying and it's all the military's fault. This calls for a grand gesture.
Elsewhere, we have a little more foreshadowing and a nod to a recurring mystery.
An elite force of the army's very best, Bravo Team's come to Hub City to give a free demonstration to boost the city's morale. Trained in a variety of martial disciplines, their claim to fame is knife-fighting. They're also, as they learn too late, absolutely hated by ninjas.
Most of the spectators figure it's part of the show, but some people just know better.
When the ninjas start turning Bravo Team's own knives against them, the doubts start to clear, but by then Bravo Team is dead and the ninjas are making for their helicopter.
Vic heads home and tries to make sense of the whole mess.
Using the name inside the collar of the jacket he was given earlier, Vic finds out about one Colonel DeBeck, former head of the army's last most elite team. When the Pentagon want to publicize the troop, DeBeck argued that might be counter-intuitive for a black ops team, so the Chiefs dropped him and replaced his crew with Bravo Team. Somebody's bitter.
Vic tracks him to the area around the bridge, and confronts him (well, technically DeBeck realizes he's being followed and shoots out Vic's tire). First he tells him to tell his boy hiding in the dumpster behind Vic to come on out, even challenges him.
He throws the kid into DeBeck and lands a couple of good hits while he's at it.
Vic doesn't go down easy (he actually handles those three pretty well, but the guy on the ground trips him and takes him out), but he goes down all the same. This is only, of course, the beginning.
This results in what may be one of the series' best covers, and a great opportunity to give more page time to Myra (which means even fewer pages to post at this time!)
Question #14, March '88 (less than 9 pages out of 27)
"Okay, but what's the point?" Vic asks.
DeBeck makes the compromise that if Vic makes it out longer than DeBeck did in the same situation, he'll go free. But will he tell Vic how long that is?
But before they go in, one guy has a question.
Heh heh, typical Vic (he was probably crying when it happened, too, if any of the previous flashbacks are any indication).
The guy with the glasses is Billy. He's a jerk who's been killing army recruiters because he's a sociopath. The blond guy is never given any name beyond Sergeant, even though the other four get actual names. I guess Denny has a bad habit about that, remember how long it was before Jake got a name? Anyway, Sarge is a decent enough guy, he gives Vic his hat to keep the heat from escaping (DeBeck didn't have to do this in the middle of November, after all), and keeps him company every now and then. He genuinely believes in DeBeck's cause, that the army needs to answer for the dishonor done to its men.
Eventually, Vic's mask gives in to the elements and malnourishment, and slips off. His mind does too, a bit, which is when he starts hallucinating.
Vic is probably pulling stuff Richard actually said out of his subconscious, because this conversation is later referenced while Richard is training Renee. Otherwise, we'd have to accept that Richard has, in fact, taken the form of a scorpion to chill with Vic, and that's not exactly something in the guy's repertoire.
Either way, Billy is officially freaked the fuck out by the whole deal.
It rains that night, and Vic is glad for the drink. The next day, DeBeck passes the time by shooting bullets around our hero, but he's got the right time on his watch to start talking now.
Turns out DeBeck was put there back in 'Nam because the CIA thought he was selling to the Asian black market. After 74 hours, he confessed, and on that information the CIA ran a raid and killed a lot of people. But there's a twist!
DeBeck was looking for justification, an excuse. Something to help alleviate his guilt. He's been dealt a lot of bad hands, but unfortunately, Vic wasn't able to give him this one.
DeBeck's "honorable men" waiver, a few take Billy's side, but Sarge doesn't budge. Billy lunges, and a fight breaks out.
Interesting thought here, is this DeBeck's reason fighting his honor here, or is he still sore at being proven wrong? Killing Vic would certainly be the reasonable thing, and that was his position from the beginning, but I can't help but think this might've become personal when Vic had the audacity to survive those 74 hours.
Anyway, Billy gut Sarge and moves in to take care of Vic, but Sarge hits him heavy with the shovel, and Billy collapses in a heap with a broken neck.
Thusly shamed twice in five minutes, DeBeck see no other option but to swallow a bullet. The other two guys follow suit, leaving Sarge and Vic alone, though Sarge won't be staying long.
Shakespeare is quoted once more, Vic takes a moment of silence before finding his way back to the city, and we find ourselves at the end of this sad tale.
Next time, racism! Oh boy, I'll have to make it a delicate one.
Question #13, February '88 (less than 9 pages out of 27)
We open with Tot asking, in a way that is certainly not at all foreshadowing what the following story will be dealing with at all, no sir, what drives Vic to go through those ridiculous and gratuitous contortions we've been seeing him put himself through for the last year of issues.
And speaking of gratuitous, sorry, had to cut the crotch shots to keep with page-count this time.
Vic answers Tot's question with one word, and it's a word nobody likes...
Oh, hey! Everyone got a haircut. Tot prolly wasn't so comfortable with the moustache and long-hair combo he gained in his sort-of coma when he first came to, but as you'll see as we go on, it must have been growing on him, because this is the last time we'll see him without it in Denny's days.
Their little discussion gets broken up by the phone. A bridge has collapsed in the city in the middle of rush hour. When Vic gets there, there's still a car teetering on the edge with a boy trapped inside, and guess who's the only person ballsy enough to try saving him?
Unfortunately, the car slides into the drink as Vic approaches, but sometimes you just have to get your feet wet.
The guy with the limp? Remember him. This will be on the test.
And it obviously isn't Wesley in the car. Did I mention that everyone got haircuts?
(we'll deal with the cut half of this page later)
If only you knew, Vic. Elsewhere in the city, cogs are spinning, and the guy with the limp is in a colonel's uniform lecturing a few dudes on how America's character is decaying and it's all the military's fault. This calls for a grand gesture.
Elsewhere, we have a little more foreshadowing and a nod to a recurring mystery.
An elite force of the army's very best, Bravo Team's come to Hub City to give a free demonstration to boost the city's morale. Trained in a variety of martial disciplines, their claim to fame is knife-fighting. They're also, as they learn too late, absolutely hated by ninjas.
Most of the spectators figure it's part of the show, but some people just know better.
When the ninjas start turning Bravo Team's own knives against them, the doubts start to clear, but by then Bravo Team is dead and the ninjas are making for their helicopter.
Vic heads home and tries to make sense of the whole mess.
Using the name inside the collar of the jacket he was given earlier, Vic finds out about one Colonel DeBeck, former head of the army's last most elite team. When the Pentagon want to publicize the troop, DeBeck argued that might be counter-intuitive for a black ops team, so the Chiefs dropped him and replaced his crew with Bravo Team. Somebody's bitter.
Vic tracks him to the area around the bridge, and confronts him (well, technically DeBeck realizes he's being followed and shoots out Vic's tire). First he tells him to tell his boy hiding in the dumpster behind Vic to come on out, even challenges him.
He throws the kid into DeBeck and lands a couple of good hits while he's at it.
Vic doesn't go down easy (he actually handles those three pretty well, but the guy on the ground trips him and takes him out), but he goes down all the same. This is only, of course, the beginning.
This results in what may be one of the series' best covers, and a great opportunity to give more page time to Myra (which means even fewer pages to post at this time!)
Question #14, March '88 (less than 9 pages out of 27)
"Okay, but what's the point?" Vic asks.
DeBeck makes the compromise that if Vic makes it out longer than DeBeck did in the same situation, he'll go free. But will he tell Vic how long that is?
But before they go in, one guy has a question.
Heh heh, typical Vic (he was probably crying when it happened, too, if any of the previous flashbacks are any indication).
The guy with the glasses is Billy. He's a jerk who's been killing army recruiters because he's a sociopath. The blond guy is never given any name beyond Sergeant, even though the other four get actual names. I guess Denny has a bad habit about that, remember how long it was before Jake got a name? Anyway, Sarge is a decent enough guy, he gives Vic his hat to keep the heat from escaping (DeBeck didn't have to do this in the middle of November, after all), and keeps him company every now and then. He genuinely believes in DeBeck's cause, that the army needs to answer for the dishonor done to its men.
Eventually, Vic's mask gives in to the elements and malnourishment, and slips off. His mind does too, a bit, which is when he starts hallucinating.
Vic is probably pulling stuff Richard actually said out of his subconscious, because this conversation is later referenced while Richard is training Renee. Otherwise, we'd have to accept that Richard has, in fact, taken the form of a scorpion to chill with Vic, and that's not exactly something in the guy's repertoire.
Either way, Billy is officially freaked the fuck out by the whole deal.
It rains that night, and Vic is glad for the drink. The next day, DeBeck passes the time by shooting bullets around our hero, but he's got the right time on his watch to start talking now.
Turns out DeBeck was put there back in 'Nam because the CIA thought he was selling to the Asian black market. After 74 hours, he confessed, and on that information the CIA ran a raid and killed a lot of people. But there's a twist!
DeBeck was looking for justification, an excuse. Something to help alleviate his guilt. He's been dealt a lot of bad hands, but unfortunately, Vic wasn't able to give him this one.
DeBeck's "honorable men" waiver, a few take Billy's side, but Sarge doesn't budge. Billy lunges, and a fight breaks out.
Interesting thought here, is this DeBeck's reason fighting his honor here, or is he still sore at being proven wrong? Killing Vic would certainly be the reasonable thing, and that was his position from the beginning, but I can't help but think this might've become personal when Vic had the audacity to survive those 74 hours.
Anyway, Billy gut Sarge and moves in to take care of Vic, but Sarge hits him heavy with the shovel, and Billy collapses in a heap with a broken neck.
Thusly shamed twice in five minutes, DeBeck see no other option but to swallow a bullet. The other two guys follow suit, leaving Sarge and Vic alone, though Sarge won't be staying long.
Shakespeare is quoted once more, Vic takes a moment of silence before finding his way back to the city, and we find ourselves at the end of this sad tale.
Next time, racism! Oh boy, I'll have to make it a delicate one.
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So there.
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(I know it didn't happen the way the story is remembered, mind you.)
Some things can not be allowed to be repeated.
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Another thing that I've found interesting that issue demonstrates is how Vic spends almost as much time getting beaten up as he does beating dudes up, and when he does it always leads to something wild (#1 an obvious example, bookended pretty well by the last few issues, where a thug steals an injured Vic's mask and commits dozens of crimes while wearing it).