Remember Scorcher from our old SuperKids Comics Vote? Well, here it is at last! Note: This is kind of an old comic, so many of the extra characters will not be in it. Even Elektra wasn't really fleshed out by this comic, so she isn't here. Click here to read the updated cast list. There's another think you'll need to know--Teenage Girl #1 has blonde hair, and Teenage Girl #2 has brown hair.
Historical Note: This is Speedlight's unofficial debut. His official debut was in the comic "Brotherhood Clash," which Owl and I began but have not yet finished. Elektra's unofficial debut was in "Jailbreak."
[Torch and Owl are standing in Owl's room. Owl's pet tarantula is sitting on Torch's head.]
Owl: So, you've never held a tarantula?
Torch: (rolling his eyes to look at the tarantula) AHH! It's in my hair!
Owl: I'll take THAT as a no. O.K, back in your cage, Taran-Chula.
[She puts Taran-Chula into his cage.]
Torch: So, how was school?
Owl: Mostly boring. No cries for help. The only thing interesting that happened was, Laser tripped with her lunch tray and splatted ravioli in Nightshade's face!
[Torch laughs. Shadow is watching them on a hidden camera.]
Shadow: No, no cries for help, my friends. Not yet. (He cackles evilly.)
[The next day, Owl is doing jujitsu for phys-ed at SuperSchool. She is in a uniform and is standing in a very uncomfortable-looking position with one leg off the ground, with the teacher, Ms. Won Mi-nit, watching her.]
Ms. Won Mi-nit: Okay, so now we hold this pose for one more minute...
Owl: (thinking) Hold this pose for one more minute and I'll fall over and freeze like this. Sheesh!
[Later. Owl hops awkwardly toward Jett, with her hands in the same position and one leg in the air.]
Help me get out of my costume, Jett.
[Later, when Owl is back in her costume, she hears a bell ring.]
Oh no! Not Etiquette!*
[In Etiquette class. Owl is drinking tea, glad of a break.]
(thinking) This has been one heck of a day...I sure hope Torch is having a better time then me.
[Meanwhile, Torch is in Shadow's lair, gagged and bound to a post with impenetrable rope.]
Torch: (voice muffled by gag, but still angry) MMP!!!
Shadow: I've got a surprise in store for you, my little human bonfire!
[Later, in Owl's room.]
Owl: Am I gad to see you, Melon! I've had a horrible day!
Melon: Woof!
[Owl tries to dial Torch on her communicator.]
Owl: Torch! TORCH!
Communicator: (mechanical voice) Signal not found. Signal not found.
[Owl hangs up.]
Owl: I lost Torch's signal! What does it mean?
Melon: That your rotten day just got a lot worse?
Owl: Looks like it! I've got to contact Speedlight, fast!
[Later, after Owl has contacted Speedlight.]
I've got him! And he's still got that homing beacon thingy that we planted in Torch's suit! Woo-hoo!
[Later. Speedlight is at the SuperKids main computer, tracking the signal.]
Speedlight: Bad news, Owl. Torch seems to be awfully far from home...
[Meanwhile, in Shadow's lair. The homing beacon on Torch's shoulder starts flashing.]
Shadow: Oh! What have we here? A tracking device? How very clever...
[He rips it off Torch's suit, crushing it in his black-gloved hand.]
...But cleverness cannot save you now! HAHAHA!
[Meanwhile, at the base.]
Owl: Oh my gosh! The tracking light just went out!
[Back in Shadow's lair, Torch manages to free one hand and has pulled off his gag.]
Torch: You will not get away with this!
Shadow: (dropping pieces of the crushed homing beacon onto the floor) Oh yes I will! Soon the earth will be a miniature SUN!
Torch: Umm, what do I have to do with it?
[Shadow sighs.]
Shadow: How can you be so smart and yet so DENSE!? Do I have to explain it to you?
Torch: Yeah, whatever.
[Meanwhile, at the base.]
Owl: (yelling to Speedlight) The signal's gone!
Speedlight: Quick! Get the Batmobile!
[Later. Speedlight and Owl are driving out down the freeway in the Batmobile.]
Owl: Speedlight, pull over! There's someone in the road!
[The Batmobile stops, and its headlights flash on the figure in the road.]
Owl: Torch?
Speedlight: (sarcastically) Okay, this isn't weird.
Melon: Where were you?
Torch: Well, I was going for a walk, until you nearly ran me over with the Batmobile.
[Next day, at SuperSchool. Owl is lifting rocks for Phys-Ed.]
Owl: Ms. Won Mi-nit, can't I stop now?
Ms. Won Mi-nit: One minute.
[All of a sudden, the room is alight with flame.]
Owl: Oh my gosh! Ms. Won, you evacuate the students. I'll see what's up!
[As Ms. Won leaves, Owl forges her way through the engulfing smoke and flame, until she sees a scarily familiar figure at the center of it all.]
Owl: Torch!
[Torch steps toward her.]
I don't want to fight you, Torch.
Torch: I want to fight you!
Owl: This is gonna hurt.
[Torch throws a blast of fire power at Owl, who lifts her telekinetic shield. Too late, she realizes that whatever happened to Torch, he has gotten a lot stronger.]
(thinking) My powers won't hold up much longer! Think fast...
[Suddenly Melon arrives out of nowhere and pounces on Torch, knocking him down. Owl scoops up the mutant and tears out of the burning school just in time. Melon sits on her head and licks her hair.]
Melon: Owl's faithful pet has saved the day!
Owl: Is this sanitary?
[She sees Speedlight's house. The door is open, and she runs in.]
Speedlight? SPEEDLIGHT!
Speedlight: What?
Owl: No time to explain. Let's just say we'd better hurry up, 'cause TORCH IS GONNA BURN THE WORLD!!!!
Speedlight: (angrily) I KNEW something was up! Ever since...
Owl: Ever since he disappeared and then 'mysteriously' appeared on the freeway?
Speedlight: No, ever since he ate everything in my fridge. Who knew the guy had such an appetite?
Owl: Trust me, you have NEVER seen Melon eat.
[She turns around and sees Melon setting up a little table and tying a napkin around his chin. Later, Owl and Speedlight prepare for battle...]
Owl: You evacuate the city! I'll tackle Torch!
Speedlight: If you're sure you can handle him alone...
Owl: I can! Just MOVE!
[Speedlight thinks for a moment, then sees a deep pit leading underground and gets an idea.]
Speedlight: (calling) Okay, everyone into the hole in the ground!
Teenage Girl #1: This is sooo unfair! I was so shopping!
Teenage Girl #2: Totally!
[Meanwhile. Owl has found Torch burning up everything in his path.]
Owl: YOU are going down!
Torch: Oh yeah?
[He shoots a fire blast at Owl.]
Owl: HA! You SO missed!
Torch: Oh yeah?
[Owl turns around and gasps.]
Owl: Oh my gosh! My house!
[She pulls out her communicator and talks into it.]
Speedlight! Evacuate my family and pets FAST!
[She turns to Torch.]
(grinning) Oh, you are so goin' down for that!
[Just then, the area is engulfed by the smoke from Owl's house, trapping her.]
Okay, where did he...(she starts coughing)
[Meanwhile. Speedlight has taken everyone to an underground cavern.]
Speedlight: Alright, everyone, stay calm! If the core of the earth explodes, follow this simple rule.
[He lifts a large boulder over his head.]
Duck under a rock, like so.
[Suddenly, there comes a distant rumbling sound. The walls begin to crumble.]
Evacuate! FOLLOW ME!
[Everyone picks up a boulder and runs for it. When they try to stop, they are brought down by the weight of the boulders and fall on their heads.]
Teenage Girl #2: Running with rocks is an official bad idea.
Teenage Girl #1: Like, ditto.
[Meanwhile, Torch has escaped Owl and gone back to Shadow.]
Shadow: So, have you gotten rid of her?
Torch: Temporarily. My smoke attack won't last forever.
Shadow: Fine, then. Go.
[Torch heads for the door.]
Ha ha ha! This plan is sheer genius! Infallible! Simply foolproof! Astounding! Astonishing! A--
Torch: Can't we just get on with it without the speech?
Shadow: Whatever. I'm just glad I bought that mind-control ray. Imagine! A 50% discount from the smugglers at the evil Mobil station--and I short-changed that dark-haired guy in charge of the whole operation.** What a deal!
[Meanwhile, Melon has tried to go into the smoke to rescue Owl, but has become trapped as well, while Owl tries to find an end to the smoke. Finally, she come to the edge of the clearing and blows the last of the smoke away with her ice breath.]
Owl: Well, my hair is kind of messed, but the smoke's go--(she gasps to see Melon lying on his side, coughing and wheezing) MELON!
[Later, Owl has sent Melon underground with Speedlight and the refugees.]
Melon: (thinking) I hate staying home sick.
Speedlight: Okay, stay calm everyone...
[Meanwhile, Owl has found Torch again, in a broken-down building. She prepares for the attack.]
Owl: Traitor!
Torch: Sissy!
Owl: Chowder-head!
Torch: Witch!
Owl: Wait a minute. Who are we kidding? Name-calling won't solve anything. We need to get down to business!
Torch: Good point!
[He sends another fire ball hurtling towards Owl.]
Owl: Me and my big mouth.
[She retaliates with a blast of telekinesis, but the fire ball disappears and Owl realizes that Torch formed it around a large rock, which is now hurtling towards her at great speed. She tries to avoid it, but it succeeds in hitting her forcefully in the side of the head, knocking her out. Meanwhile, Speedlight and company have come to another underground cavern.]
Speedlight: Alright, we're out of that danger...
[Teenage Girl #1 is standing with her arms in the air. She has let go of her rock, but her arms are now so stiff that she can't pull them down.]
Teenage Girl #1: Like, how about the danger of explaining this to my boyfriend? I still can't move my arms?
Teenage Girl #2: Trust me, girl, you've got it good.
[She is standing calmly with her arms at her sides, but Melon has perked up and is now hopping around next to her.]
Melon: It's a bird...It's a plane...It's Melon the Mini-Mutant!
[Meanwhile, in Shadow's lair. Torch has reported back.]
Shadow: Did you get her this time?
Torch: Yep!
[Back in the crumbling building, Owl wakes up to find that Torch has doused the place with flames, and that it is fast burning down.]
Owl: (thinking) Oh my gosh! How will I get out of this one? (shouting) Um, help?!
[She picks up her communicator.]
Speedlight? SPEEDLIGHT!
Speedlight: You needn't shout! I heard you QUITE well the first time!
Owl: I'm trapped in a burning building.
Speedlight: What?
Melon: Woof! Meow! Moo! Moo! Bark! Roar! Toot!
Speedlight: (to Melon) What are you saying?
Owl: Let me talk to him. I understand mutants, Speedlight. Speedlight? Speedlight? Help!
[Torch and Shadow are watching a screen in Shadow's lair, which reveals that Speedlight and Melon lost the connection and are locked in a vicious struggle with Shadow's robots.]
Shadow: Ha!
[But there is one thing that stands in the way of this evil plot...eight-year-olds. Jett and Rain burst into the burning building.]
Rain and Jett: GIRL POWER!!!
[Rain uses her weather powers to put out the fire, while Jet helps out.]
Owl: (shaking Rain's hand) Thanks, Rain! And now to go beat up my friend!
Rain and Jett: Huh?
[Later. Owl has managed to sneak into Shadow's lair and is spying on him.]
Shadow: Now that I have sent my robots out to distract the superheroes, I shall complete my master plan without any nasty interruptions.
[Owl sneaks into the hall and tries again to contact Speedlight.]
Owl: Speedlight! Look ou...
Mechanical Voice: Intruder alert! Intruder alert!
[Three doors open at the end of the hall, and a robot pops out of each one.]
Owl: HA! I'll have you down fast, you old bucket of bolts. Why, I'll...
[The robots chase her out of the hall.]
WHEEE!!!!!!!
[Later, when Owl finally manages to lose the robot's trail, she peeks around the side of Shadow's hideout. She sees Shadow and Torch standing there, next to what looks like a small rocket, and inches in to hear them talking.]
Shadow: Now at last the world shall know the full extent of our abilities! We ourselves shall take this escape pod to Neptune to terrorize the peoples of other planets!
[Owl gasps as Torch begins to pull fire from the earth. Then she throws a blast of telekinesis at him. It hits him in the side of the head, and he turns around.]
Owl: Can't catch me!
Torch: We'll see about that!
[But, apparently, the most powerful force in the world has sided with Owl...]
Melon: MELON POWER!
[Melon pounces on Torch's head.]
Torch: (rolling his eyes to look at Melon) What is it with mutants and getting into people's hair?
Owl: Fell for the distraction, huh, Torch?
[She sends a huge blast of telekinesis in the direction of Torch. It slams into him and knocks him out against the wall. Owl grins evilly.]
I have always wanted to do that.
[Later. Speedlight and Owl have tied Torch up with the impenetrable rope.]
Owl: But how do we un-mind-control Torch?
Speedlight: Leave it to me!
[Speedlight dumps a bucket of water on Torch's head.]
Torch: Okay, WHY is everyone staring at me?
[Later, after Owl has told Torch the whole story.]
Torch: Well, that comes as a surprise.
Owl: It always is a bit perplexing to wake up after being mind-controlled.
Torch: No, I mean that I can pull fire from the center of the earth. Who knew?...Sorry I burned down your house.
Owl: Well, you did do something good.
Torch: What?
Owl: Well, let's just say we won't have to go back to school...for a very long time.
Fin
*It is an oft-repeated joke in the early comics that Owl and Torch have a separate "etiquette" and "manners" class at their school, for which they get in big trouble if they are late.
**The "Evil Mobil Station" was our name for a Mobil station that Mom boycotted because of the rudeness of the "dark-haired guy" who worked there.
