Retro Review

It must be seeing all the Secret Invasion books on the shelves that has me going through my back issue collection reading all the super-heroes-fight-alien-invaders comics, like DC’s Invasion! and Marvel’s Kree-Shiar War. Happily, that gave me an excuse to re-read Peter B. Gillis and Brent Anderson’s Strikeforce: Morituri, an excellent super-hero comic and a good science-fiction story.

 Strikeforce: Morituri is more than just a super-hero book, more than just an alien invasion book. It is an analysis of what it means to be a hero and a patriot, and a story about what drives people to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. A number of things make it a book worth hunting down: Brent Anderson and Scott Williams’ excellent and expressive artwork, the rich cast of characters, the originality of the concept, and the intelligence of the writing. That Strikeforce: Morituri has never been collected in trade paperbacks or even as an Essentials is astonishing: the first 20 issues are among Marvel’s best output from the late eighties. With most of the back-issues retailing at around $2, it’s not too expensive to collect, and it is well worth the time and price.

 A sadistic and aggressive alien race called the Horde have invaded Earth, and are using their vastly superior technology to hold the world prisoner while they take what they want. With their main force unassailable in orbit, they raid the planet for supplies and slaves, hunt and torture humans and wildlife for sport, and plan to leave only when they have drained the Earth dry of everything of value. Conventional forces cannot stand against them, so an unconventional solution is needed. Enter Dr. Kimmo Tuolema, a scientist who has developed a process that will give humans super-powers strong enough to allow them to face the Horde in combat. There are some catches thoug. The process only works on a tiny fraction of the population, meaning the ranks of the Earth’s super-defenders will not be filled with trained military. More significantly, the super-powers come with a lethal cost: within one year of undergoing the process, the recipients will die. Called the Morituri (’We who are about to die’), these heroes have less that 12 months to make their sacrifice count.

 What kind of person will choose to undergo a 100% fatal process that will give them super-powers? What makes someone a hero or martyr? Can civilians follow military discipline and understand the command decisions that don’t make sense to them? Will all of those who are about to die stay strong till the end, or crack under the pressure? Will their sacrifice make a difference? These are some of the questions that Peter B. Gillis, known for cerebral runs on books like The Micronauts and The New Defenders, asks during his 20-issue run. The cast is a rich one, and the stories never predictable. The Horde fight back viciously with physical and psychological attacks, and the Morituri must contend with their own mortality, the chain of command and Earth politics, and the fight they signed up for.

 Almost any issue is a great read, but there are few that can be read in isolation. #1 sets up the story and introduces the world from a strong central character’s viewpoint, and #3-5 are good action- and character-filled stories of the heroes’ fight, the Earth’s reaction to their new heroes and the Horde’s vicious counterattacks. #4 has a particularly amusing sequence with an in-continuity Morituri comic book. Any of these can be read as stand-alone introductions to the world, but I advise starting with #1. #10 is also a stand-alone story, telling the origin of the Horde and explaining how they operate. With art by guest penciller Whilce Portacio, it is an interesting story, but would prove confusing to a new reader.

 (various Strikeforce: Morituri covers, copyright Marvel Comics)

#6-9 and 11-15 make up an arc that shows how far each side will go to win, with a sub-plot regarding a possible traitor on the human side. This whole arc has a great plot and script, but #13 seems a little out of place, with a clichéd super-hero versus super-hero battle that does little to advance the story. #14 also misfires with one of its two plots, as the interesting trial sequence has a illogical ending that weakens the set-up. However, the other sub-plot, focusing on a Hordian, is excellent. #16-20 are more character-driven, but good stories nonetheless, especially #19. Peter B. Gillis ended his run with #20, wrapping up the remaining sub-plots, and ending on a note of hope. The book continued with a new creative team, lasting another year.

 There are only a few flaws to the first 20 issues in terms of story. The concept of the Garden, where the bulk of #2 takes place, is neither original nor logical. A chamber of deadly traps that forces the Morituri’s powers to activate, it is too reminiscent of the X-Men’s Danger Room, with the added disadvantage of being literally deadly to some who enter. Is there really no safer way to activate and train these heroes? Are we expected to believe that the Earth forces would risk killing these preciously rare and expensive defenders so pointlessly? #2 is a poor read, drama that neither advances the story nor answers the questions it poses. Besides that, the removal of a major non-powered character, while opening things up to more interesting character conflicts, feels mishandled: the manner of her removal contradicts what has been established about the science of the world, and stretches the concept too far.

 The art, by Brent Anderson and Scott Williams, is excellent and expressive. Equally skilled at action sequences and quiet character moments, they create a rich world populated by a cast of real-looking characters. Scott Williams’ inks complement Anderson’s pencils superbly, giving the art a cleaner look that Anderson’s early Astro City issues. There isn’t a weak issue in the first 20 in terms of art. Al Williamson guest inks #14, #10 and 16 have guest penciller Whilce Portacio, whose characteristic style suits the world well, and #17 is pencilled and inked by Scott Williams.

 Be warned that despite being an eighties book under the main Marvel imprint, the content of some issues is not for younger readers. The sadism and violent behavior of the Horde is neither hidden nor glorified, making some scenes rather disturbing, particularly their execution of prisoners including children, and their treatment of human slaves. Furthermore, the characters are all created to die: none can survive more than a year, and there is no comforting reprieve or resurrection in Gillis’ world. Given that this world is not part of the Marvel Universe, it could easily have fit into Marvel’s Epic line, which were aimed at a more mature audience. Editor Carl Potts decided to keep it in the Marvel imprint, meaning Strikeforce: Morituri probably had more of a chance to reach an audience, as Epic books were not as widely distributed at the time.

 Strikeforce: Morituri #1-20, from Marvel Comics. A for plot and script, A for concept, A for art, for a solid overall A. If you’ve never read it, look for #1 or any of 3-5 for a good sample. If you remember it and have a few issues, dig them out for nostalgia’s sake and then hunt the rest down in back-issue bins under Marvel Comics.

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