Appearing in "Origins part 1: Too Much Pressure"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Old Man (First appearance)
Adversaries:
- Night Patrol (First appearance)
- SFPD
- Jacob Rome
- Connor
- Death-Angel (Voice only)
- Dr. Arthur Geisler (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
Other Characters:
- Ruby
- Marie Geisler (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
- Ronald Sharp Jr. (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
- Ronald Sharp Sr. (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Origins part 1: Too Much Pressure"
After stealing clothes from a store, the Freex argue over what they should do. Anything lashes out at Plug for criticizing his leadership. Sweetface separates them but insults Pressure. When Boom Boy tries to calm her, Pressure angrily blasts him. Anything wants to visit Ruby in the hospital, and Sweetface follows him while Plug decides to investigate the nurse who injected them with Wetware, transforms himself into energy, and enters the internet via a phone. A nearby resident sees them and calls the police, prompting Capt. Jacob Rome to question Ruby about them again. In cyberspace, Plug makes his way into J.D. Hunt’s computers but runs afoul of an anti-virus program. Anything and Sweetface sneak into Ruby’s hospital room but flee out a window when cops enter. More police corner them outside until a man on a nearby rooftop fires gunshots as a distraction, enabling them to escape. In the park, Pressure opens up to Boom Boy, relating how her stepfather beat her, and her mom covered for him with the police. Her powers manifested when a man tried to force himself on her, and her parents sent her away to school. When her powers activated again, she ran away. Boom Boy posits that she can control her powers if she stays calm, deducing a connection between the Freex’s personalities and their powers. A bullet bounces off Boom Boy’s head, and Pressure turns to see it came from an angry mob calling themselves the Night Patrol. In cyberspace, Plug escapes the anti-virus program and returns to his body in the park. The Night Patrol turns to attack him, but they scatter when a sniper kills one of them. Once Anything and Sweetface return, Plug wants to keep investigating Wetware. Anything demands they go back to see Ruby, but the other Freex side with Plug. Suddenly, Anything has a vision of a garden, and the voice of the Death-Angel promises to end his loneliness.
Appearing in "Hardcase Origin"
Featured Characters:
- Hardcase (Origin revealed)
Adversaries:
- NM-E (Cameo)
- Head Knocker
Other Characters:
- The Squad (Cameo)
- Jamal Brown
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Hardcase Origin"
Tom Hawke moved to Los Angeles to become an actor. During an audition, a bolt of energy struck him, granting him superhuman strength and durability. Hawke took the name Hardcase and became a superhero. Together with other superpowered Ultras, he formed The Squad to fight crime and make money through commercial endorsements. Months later, the creature NM-E decimated the team, and Hardcase gave up heroics to return to acting. However, guilt over failing to help a cop led him to fight and defeat the Ultra bank robber Head Knocker. His self-confidence restored, Hardcase is a superhero once again.
Appearing in "untitled"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Adversaries:
Other Characters:
- Hank Kanalz (Voice only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "untitled"
Series writer Gerard Jones describes the powers and personalities of the Freex and the forces that seek to capture them. Jones then discusses how he understands the isolation of the characters. Editor Hank Kanalz calls to him from upstairs, promising to let him peek out a window once he finishes writing the story.
Notes
- This issue includes a two-page Aladdin profile of Pressure.
- "Hardcase Origin" is reprinted in Ultraverse Origins #1.