Appearing in "Hard Road"
Featured Characters:
- Hardcase (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Alternate
- Celia Brady (Only in flashback)
- Sol Gernstein (Only in flashback)
- Ultraforce (Only in flashback)
- Ms. Hawke (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
- Hardcase's unnamed son (First appearance) (Flashback and main story)
Adversaries:
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Ultraverse
- United States of America
- California
- Los Angeles
- Malibu
- Mount Shasta
- California
- United States of America
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Hard Road"
Believing Rex Mundi is the cause of all his problems, Hardcase is determined to find the villain. Earlier at Hardcase’s office, his assistant Celia let him know his parents called while he was gone, and he called his mother back. While he was on the phone, a costumed figure briefly appeared behind him then vanished. Elsewhere, the man who rescued Hardwire from Hardcase’s burning house injects Hardwire with a serum to make him invulnerable. The man then introduces himself as Genius and tells Hardwire he has big plans for them both. Meanwhile, the Alternate looks at NM-E’s remains and gloats at how much her plans will anger Mundi. Hardware checked in with Contrary and Prime, and Prime related how Mantra seemingly collected NM-E’s dismembered parts at Hardcase’s request. Hardcase revealed he made no such request, and Prime gave him Mantra’s address. Next, Hardcase’s agent Sol stopped by and told him no one will hire him for acting roles out of fear supervillains will attack him. In Malibu, the costumed figure briefly appears in the ruins of Hardcase’s house then teleports away. After Hardcase met with Sol, Celia informed him no hotel would let him book a room. He called several friends seeking for a place to stay, but they all refused due to the danger he could attract. Celia offered to let him stay with her, but, thinking of Choice, he declined. Instead, he went to Van Nuys and bought an armored RV from a man who builds prop cars for movies. Now, the costumed figure watches Hardcase drive the RV on the freeway and resolves to catch up with him eventually, calling him “Dad”.
Trivia
- The storyline involving Hardcase's son from the future was never followed up on or resolved.
- Someone in an original X-Men costume appears in the background at Contrary's Academy.