“Gen13 : Ordinary Heroes” issues 1 & 2

This entry covers “Gen13 : Ordinary Heroes” issues 1 and 2 by Adam Hughes and Mark Farmer.

This story starts off with Caitlin finally picking up her stuff that she left at Princeton, from before she going to the Gen13 Program. She runs into the boyfriend of her former roommate, and he doesn’t really recognize tall, buff, confident Caitlin at all. She manages to shame him in the most hilarious way as she boards an airship meeting back up with the rest of the Gen13 crew. Something’s off and Lynch is acting like a dick, well more than usual anyway.

Rainmaker fills Caitlin in on what happened while she was away as the team is flying into action. See, Lynch gets a call, and this call leaves Lynch frightened. He tells the kids to suit up, something very bad has happened and he needs to make sure it is set right. Lynch is taking this job as personally as he is angry.

I/O’s Black Hammers are all about this town and the blast the Gen13 aircraft out of the sky. Roxy and Bobby save Grunge and Rainmaker while Caitlin and Lynch are left to fend for themselves. Caitlin survives the long fall, and just as she’s thinking that good luck is shining upon her, she encounters a Black Hammer. There isn’t too much time to fight as soon enough the real threat rears its… head?

It’s a giant silly putty monster that is devouring everything in its path! Even the Black Hammer that Caitlin was just in battle with. The other kids manage to save Caitlin while they assess the situation. They all decide that they need to find Lynch and get the bottom of this all. Oh, and Rebecca Hawkins of the Black Hammers shows up and is all “Hey, help me find Lynch so we can stop this, mmm-kay?” I mean she’s not wrong, but she’s also holding back a lot of information she knows from the kids, because, you know, I/O and all that.

They find Lynch, broken ankle and all, and he fills them in on the history of the flesh colored blob monster. See, it is the child of Gen12s that I/O captured. Why? Well, come on, this is I/O and a super powered being, of course Craven wants to get his filthy hands all over it! It was just a baby and they all did such horrible experiments on it.

As the kids go to do battle with the putty monster, Grunge gets a look in his eye and dives into monster voluntarily. This catches everybody off guard and they all watch in horror as the goop recedes to leave a dead looking Grunge laying on the pavement. But hey, guess what? He’s not dead! Woohoo! You see, old Eddie did some thinking, and figured out that this poor little dude didn’t know anything save for being poked and prodded and experimented on. Hell on Earth since birth. Grunge figured that if he merges with the creature and shows him nothing but love and happiness it could change the crazy puddle’s mind. Yes, Grunge beat the gum creature with the power of positivism and friendship. It’s the kind of plan that only Grunge could have and only Grunge would enact. I think there’s a real reason why he didn’t run it past the team, none of them would’ve let him try it.

What is left of the goopy-goo-killy-poo is what looks like a baby with electrodes all over its body. The Gen13 kids consider it as one of their own because much like them, they are all children of Gen12 parents. Caitlin alone buries the poor little guy in a secret location, they all thought it best if hardly anyone knew where it was, as some crazy I/O spook would dig it up if it was more public for “research” and such. While they did the right thing and saved the city, Caitlin can’t help but feel bittersweet at the loss of life that was caused by and to the “monster” she was just fighting hours ago.

Continuity Corner:

• Look, it’s Rebecca Hawkins back from “Gen13” volume one issue 5! Never thought I’d see her again!
• Lil Angry Slime Baby was held on I/O’s level 9, with all the other I/O misfits.
• In this story we start seeing Caitlin doubt the motivations and trustworthyness of Lynch. When we start “Gen13” volume two issue 3 we see Caitlin very much still in the mindset of doubt. I see “Ordinary Heroes” leading to that paranoia in issue 3 quite seamlessly, one of the reasons why I place this mini-series here.
• Because Caitlin and the kids are based in La Jolla we know this issue has to take place after “Gen13” issue 0.
• Honestly, I just want to see Gen13 going on more adventures before the next big crossover. From volume two issue 3, until “Fire from Heaven” has either the kids separated from Lynch or is related to the Team 7 drama that kicks off “Fire from Heaven” so there’s no time for this book much later.
• Lynch doesn’t seem to know that Bobby is his son yet, and vice-versa, so that puts it firmly before “Fire From Heaven” (issues 10 & 11 of volume two) as well.
• Oh, and Grunge still has his long hair, so it had to happen before “Gen13” volume two issue 8.

NEXT: “Wetworks” Vol. 1 issues 9 – 11 by Whilce Portacio, Francis Takenaga, Steven Grant, Dan Norton, Mark Pacella, Tom Raney, Mike S. Miller, Dan Panosian, Sal Regla, Scott Williams and Sandra Hope