I’m the one who should be mad! You took a hero I created and gave his name to the villain!
The Strangers #14
Malibu Comics/Ultraverse (July, 1994)
“The Man Of Power”
WRITER: Steve Englehart
PENCILER: Rick Hoberg
INKER: Tim Eldred
COLORING: Tim Divar & Prisms
LETTERER: Kevin Cunningham
EDITOR: Roland Mann
As a child, Kenneth Sinclair was hit by one of the “jumpstart” effects, but nobody would believe he had superpowers, even locking him in an insane asylum without letting him show off his superstrength, leaping, and invulnerability. Mad that he lost the prime years of his life due to that ignorance, the man now calling himself Powerhouse wants revenge on the world. Meanwhile, Bob and Hugh visit their old Berkley stomping grounds for some rest but fans recognize them even out of costume. While they cheer on the local boys done good, Powerhouse gets mad seeing them get the praise he was never allowed and attacks the pair. While Atom Bob gets knocked out, Grenade manages to hold his own until Powerhouse feels his age and lack of real training and leaves. But who was the invisible guy interested in his identity, and what does he have planned for the Strangers?
What they got right: You kind of feel sorry for Powerhouse, especially at a time when Ultras are so more well known. Dude could have stopped World War II with the right training, or at least been a help to the Allies, but because Ultras weren’t public knowledge yet he was believed to be crazy. There’s also a look into Bob and Hugh’s characters. Bob goes into a bookstore to avoid the crowd because he’s not as public as his jock friend, who also has a history with the bookstore that shows he’s learned from the mistakes of his own youth. It’s a good showing for superheroes.
What they got wrong: So did the invulnerable thing come later? Kid Kenneth was easily knocked out by his well-meaning but ignorant father pretty easily, and you’d think the needles would have stopped penetrating his invulnerable skin long before the mental institution shut down for lack of funding. With Ultras coming to public attention at least since the days of the Squad, that should have been evidence to at least take another look at his claims.
What I think overall: A good done-in-one adventure that sets up potential problems for our heroes in the future.
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