TROUBLE-SHOOTERS(Earth-7484)
TROUBLE-SHOOTERS
(Earth-7484)
Classification: Alternate reality (Earth-7484) advanced technology-users
Membership: Five unidentified men
Purpose: To kill Deathlok (Luther Manning)
Aliases: None
Affiliations: Death-Machine/Super-Tank, Simon Ryker;
formerly indirectly Nina Ferry (under Ryker and the Omni-Computer's control)
connected to the Omni-Computer (and through that to Nina Ferry) by unrevealed parties under the supervision of Simon Ryker
Enemies: Deathlok (Luther Manning), Linc Shane
Base of Operations: Manhattan, New York;
specifically active from the North Wall and into Suicide Park
First Appearance: Astonishing Tales I#28 (February, 1975)
Powers/Abilities: Each of the Trouble-Shooters carried a laser rifle with a heat conversion unit.
They were able to force Deathlok to flee from them under fire, but were no match for him in direct combat.
They briefly rode in and/or fought beside the Death-Machine.
History:
(Astonishing Tales I#28 - BTS) - Ryker's Terminal Eye noted that Deathlok was unaware of "cannibal-decoys" and that it was initiating phase two of his plan.
(Astonishing Tales#28 (fb) - BTS) - As Deathlok fought a group of cannibals in the vicinity of the 42nd street museum, the Super-Tank headed toward him.
(Astonishing Tales I#28) - As Deathlok finished off the cannibals, he was shocked to see the approaching tank. However, he had no idea of the tank's true nature.
Having previously
destroyed his laser pistol in a pique of anger, Deathlok hurled a
grenade he had claimed from an armory in a park near Fort Dix, New
Jersey. However, Deathlok was disappointed when the grenade proved to
be a dud and did not go off. 
The Trouble-Shooters then exited and fired on
Deathlok, forcing him to flee. Deathlok subsequently encountered the
revolutionary Linc Shane; after some discussion, Shane joined Deathlok
in fleeing from the pursuing Trouble-Shooters.
(Astonishing Tales I#28 - BTS) - Observing the events via his Omni-Computer, Simon Ryker resolved that either his Trouble-Shooter agents or his Super-Tank would destroy Deathlok.
Deathlok led Shane toward his waiting helicopter
atop a nearby building two blocks east, but other agents of Ryker
pushed the helicopter off of the building, causing it to crash to the
ground. The two continued to flee on foot but then ran into a dead end
at the North Wall.
As the tank approached them, Deathlok advised Shane to take cover, but
Deathlok was frustrated when his automatic weapon -- obtained from the
same
armory as his grenades -- jammed. Unwilling to just wait for the
Trouble-Shooters to arrive, Shane charged the tank armed only with his
handgun.
(Astonishing Tales I#30) - As the Death-Machine's weapon had locked onto Shane, Deathlok rushed toward Shane, carrying him out of the way of a direct hit. However, the concussion knocked them both to the ground, and Shane's body was punctured with multiple pieces of shrapnel. As the tank prepared to fire at close range, Deathlok ran to the wounded Shane, picked him up and tried to leap over the wall while dodging fire from the Trouble-Shooters. One of the Trouble-Shooters urged the others to "Burn 'im -- 'cause if he makes it over that wall, Ryker'll burn us!"
Shane's weight prevented Deathlok from clearing the wall, but he was able to grab the top of it. However, before Deathlok could pull himself and Shane over to the other side, the Trouble-Shooters shot Shane repeatedly, killing him.
 Reluctantly dropping Shane's corpse, Deathlok pulled himself over the top of the wall and hit the ground, after which the tank blasted a hole in the wall and then moved at high speed to smash its way through the damaged wall. Encountering the smaller Columbus Circle perimeter of the barricade surrounding Suicide Park, Deathlok vaulted over it. As the tank backed up to build up sufficient
speed to smash
through this wall, the Trouble-Shooters pursued Deathlok on foot into
Suicide Park, considering that if they did not take some on-foot
initiative, Ryker was going to give their lasers -- and their right to
live -- to a new group of Trouble-Shooters. (Astonishing Tales I#30) - Encountered the auxiliary
weapons armory, Deathlok ripped off the bars covering one of the window
and entered the the building.
Deathlok
picked up at least a pair of handguns and bandoleers, after which he heard a pair of scuffling footsteps, and his computer confirmed that two of the
antagonists were approaching the armory's east wall. (Astonishing Tales I#30) - As the two
Trouble-Shooters approached and flanked the armory's doors, the one in
the yellow shirt shushed his orange-shirted partner and told him to get
ready. Having heard "the loudest shush in all my death," Deathlok smashed his hand through the wall by one of the waiting Trouble-Shooters, striking and killing him. Deathlok's computer noted, "First subject successfully extirpated." Drawing his handguns, Deathlok decided to drag out his "Two Gun Kid-Corpse" routine. |
 
Hearing the other Trouble-Shooters
approaching, Deathlok was forced to flee before he had a chance to
pick up one of the rifles.(Astonishing Tales I#30 - BTS) - Coming across the "Flesh Factory"
(a medical cryogenics facility where illegal surgery -- such as the
creation of cyborgs -- was allegedly performed), Deathlok entered it
and waited for the remaining Trouble-Shooters. (Astonishing Tales I#30) - The three
Trouble-Shooters approached soon after, and the light green-shirted
member noted that Deathlok had to be in the cryogenics building. The
gray (or light lavender?)'s shirted guy noted that Deathlok was likely
waiting in ambush and that he didn't like it at all. As they entered the building, the gray-shirted guy continued that the place gave him the creeps: He noted that the place used to be called the Flesh Factory because they manufactured things from pieces of bodies, from living flesh; he reiterated that he did not like it. The green-shirted guy then silenced him, calling him a
"yellow-spined" jerk and then noting that the only body in the building
now (beyond the three Trouble-Shooters, of course) belonged to the Deathlok cyborg. He continued that Deathlok had to be in the operating room in front of them. "So unless you want Ryker to manufacture something outta your living flesh, you're gonna stick with us until we freeze Deathlok for good!" |
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Disregarding this with a "Yeah...but so what?," Deathlok kicked open the door as the men approached and stated, "Hello suckers...and goodbye...suckers." The green-jacked man fled through another door while the gray- and brown-shirted guys stood, shocked, and could only voice "WHA--?!" before Deathlok fatally fired through their chests and/or faces. Deathlok's computer warned him that the third assassin remained extant, but Deathlok had seen him slink off, and he fired through the door behind which the man stood, finishing him off as well. (Astonishing Tales I#30 - BTS) - Deathlok subsequently took out the approaching Death-Machine with a giant crossbow he had fashioned from a girder (the "arrow") and a bumper/fender and some cable. |
Comments: Created by Rich Buckler.
So, the main image is not a great
representation of the Trouble-Shooters, as none of them really match
that appearance. But it is a relatively dynamic image and the only one
that shows all five clearly. We'll call it artistic license.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Trouble-Shooters have no known connections to
images: (without ads)
Astonishing Tales#28 cover (Trouble-Shooters exiting tank and firing on Deathlok);
pg. 14, panel 4 (fatigues);
#30, pg. 4, panel 1 (firing on Deathlok as he attempts to leap over the North Wall);
pg. 8, panel 10 (Trouble-Shooter outside armory; just before getting smashed by Deathlok);
pg. 11, panel 4 (Trouble-Shooter shot outside armory);
pg. 15, panel 3 & 5 (three
remaining Trouble-Shooters pursuing Deathlok outside and within
Flesh-Factory);
pg. 16, panel 5 (shooting two Trouble-Shooters);
pg. 17, panel 1-3 (shooting last Trouble-Shooter through the door)
Appearances:
Astonishing Tales I#28 (February, 1975) - Rich Buckler (writer/artist), Roy Thomas (editor)
Astonishing Tales I#30 (June, 1975) - Rich Buckler & Doug Moench
(writers), Rich Buckler, Keith Pollard & Arvell Jones (pencils), Al
McWilliams (inks), Len Wein (editor)
First posted: 08/11/2024
Last updated: 08/12/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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Deathlok's computer noted their approach and advised him that
his ballistic weapons were no match for his opponents' high-intensity
maximum-destructive laser weapons and that there was an 98.75% chance
of failure, injury, dysfunction and/or termination of his lifelife.