8FOLD/ACRA: Jolt City # 20, "Download of Doom!" FOOTNOTES

[Tom Russell]

   EIGHTFOLD COMICS GROUP PROUDLY PRESENTS 
////////////// THE RETURN OF TOM RUSSELL'S 
    ////  //////  /// //////  ////// /// ////// \  // 
// ////  //  //  ///   //    ///    ///   //     \//# 20
//////  //////  ///// //    ////// ///   //      //NOTES

Part 1.

[1] This flashback happens just after the parting in the woods in JOLT CITY #11. Gallery, Whistler, and Chemist were the three villains who helped Martin Rock make good his escape from Earbox in JOLT CITY #10.

[2] Pocket Vito was thought murdered inside Earbox in JOLT CITY #10 by his bodyguard, Beefeater.

[3] I've used faux "industry terms" for my heroes and villains before (cf. "union" for a costume, "four-colour" for a hero, etc) but it's a little thicker here than usual. Most is easy enough to figure out I think, but the following rough lexicon is provided:

"The toast": the end goal, the prize.
"The cheese": a Swiss bank account.
"ginglymus": skeletally a hinge joint, here a sort of sideways reference to "elbow grease".
"stainer"/"stains": a villain who murders.
"solomon": used as a verb for figuring something out.

[4] Martin's hand was torn off by Fish, one of the Little League of Doom, in JOLT CITY #19.

[5] Derek used Martin's real name in conversation with Doctor Fay in JOLT CITY #19.

[6] Dani lost her job at the end of JOLT CITY #19 due to her mishandling of the Little League of Doom crisis.

[7] With the exception of Merlot, who appeared in JOLT CITY #12, these are all new villains.

[8] The super-speedster Darkhorse was put in traction by Martin during his prison escape in JOLT CITY #11. He has been recovering ever since. He attempted to jump into the fray in JOLT CITY #19 to help against the Little League of Doom, but was not fully healed and caused himself further injury.

Part 2.

[1] Phil is Phillip Whaley, the original Darkhorse. His career ended when he lost his speedster powers, but not his slowed-down perception, in battle with Gregory Dingham in SPEAK! #7. He recovered and became George W. Bush's Secretary of Four-Colour Affairs. Though it extends past this story, which takes place in June 2008, he continued to serve in that capacity under Barack Obama, as seen in JOURNEY INTO #15, where he met the future third Darkhorse.

Brian Clipper, the Darkhorse in this story, originally went by the name Fleetfeet. He faked his own death in JOURNEY INTO #3 to foil a plot to expose his secret identity perpetrated by his archenemy, the Gorgon.

[2] Depending on who you ask, Pill Hill is either the same place as Calumet Heights, or a part of it.

Part 3.

[1] Derek and Doctor Fay figured out how to rob the Little League of Doom of their powers in JOLT CITY #19; this is the first of the two times he can claim credit for saving the human race.

[2] Trinity Tran turned Blue Boxer's action bag into the FCL office after her brother had stolen it in JOLT CITY #18. Derek was working in the office at the time, which is why he recognizes her.

[3] Councilman Carlos Canton is an ambitious politician running for Mayor of Jolt City. He used media manipulation and populist outrage against the Ellis Banks spree killings to get a ballot proposal passed that set mandatory police staffing levels. This only created more high-paying desk jobs and did not put more men on the street; this crippled the city budget (JOLT CITY #16-17). He was also involved with J. Donald Proctor, chief business rival of Cradle Industries, who secretly pulled the strings of the Little League of Doom before they got out of control. He and Proctor are also responsible for the future scapegoating of Fish, arguably the Little Leaguer who was the least to blame.