Shadow Riders HQ
Classification: Underground base
Creator: Vorin
User/Possessors: Shadow Riders (Boot, Che, Goodfellow, Grunt Roadie, Stranger; Vorin)
Visitors: Abadon, Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch/Noble Kale)
Location: Subterranean base underneath a non-descript cottage in Lancashire in North-West England, United Kingdom
First Appearance: Shadow Riders#1 (June, 1993)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: Vorin's base is full of advanced technology. There is technology that allows the Shadow Riders to detect and trace energy readings (including mystical energies) from around the globe. In this way they can spy on others, or monitor teammates that are out on missions. They also have communications technology to keep in touch. There are diffusers which can be used when a Shadow Rider is on a mission. These diffusers make it difficult for scanners to monitor the Shadow Riders.
The base is accessed via a hidden staircase entrance covered by a hologram in the cottage above it. Vorin has one or two labs, at least. There is the medi-lab, as well as an unspecified lab that Vorin uses to stabilize the transformations of new Shadow Riders (see comments). There is a gym area where Shadow Riders spar against each other, as well as a recreation center with many television screens, etc.. The area near the transit drive also appears to be a transportation bay of some kind. What appears to be a plane and a tank have also been partially visible at times in the background, and this is presumably where the Shadow Bikes are kept. There is a circle on the floor in this area where Vorin normally performs the ritual to revive and transform new Shadow Riders (see comments).
History:
(Shadow Riders#2) - The base is underground.
(John Freeman's Shadow Riders Guide) - <1393> The base was established in caverns by Vorin, shortly after he arrived on Earth.
(Shadow Riders#1) - The base is in a secret location in North-West England.
(John Freeman's Shadow Riders Guide) - Vorin has a sub-basement which is used as a home for "reject" Shadow Riders.
(Shadow Riders#3) - In modern times, the base was hidden underneath a non-descript cottage in Lancashire, close to a motorway service station. Vorin owns both the cottage and the station.
(Shadow Riders#1 - BTS) - Roadie monitored Boot's mission to Mys-Tech Central.
(Shadow Riders#1) - Roadie contacted Vorin in New York to inform him that Boot had stopped transmitting. Vorin and Boot later returned via transit beam, brining the body of Arnold Coltrane with them. Arnold's body was altered by Vorin, and taken to Vorin's lab. Meanwhile, Roadie monitored energy readings at Mys-Tech Central. Once Arnold's transformation was stabilized, he -- as Grunt -- joined the team prepared to infiltrate their enemies base.
(Shadow Riders#2) - Vorin remained at the base to monitor the
team and operate the transit beam, while the team went on their mission. They
returned with Matt Ryan (secretly the powerful Abadon) and Ghost Rider, though Vorin swiftly returned Ghost
Rider to New York.
(Shadow Riders#2 (fb) - BTS) - Stranger assessed data stolen from Mys-Tech on a portal wormhole. Meanwhile, Matt Ryan was taken to the medi-lab. Boot and Grunt sparred nearby while "Ryan" was being examined.
(Shadow Riders#2) - The examination over, Vorin and Roadie discussed "Ryan." Stranger reported to Vorin about the portal wormhole.
(Shadow Riders#3 (fb) - BTS) - "Ryan" was given a room in which to rest. Vorin learnt that Mys-Tech's portal wormhole could return him to his home world.
(Shadow Riders#3) - "Ryan" had a nightmare, and his powers
flared out of control damaging the room. When he woke, Roadie calmed and
reassured him. Vorin informed Matt of his plans to return to his home world.
(Shadow Riders#3 (fb) - BTS) - Boot left the base to fetch some shopping. Roadie began to bond with "Ryan." While Grunt worked out, Vorin and Stranger discussed the portal wormhole and transit system.
(Shadow Riders#3) - Later, Boot returned to the base, entering via the cottage above the HQ and walking down through one of Vorin's solid light holograms. Vorin prepared to adapt the transit drive to harness the peculiar properties of Ryan's energy flares. An hour later, the team used the transit drive to access the portal wormhole and travel to Arena World. As they left, the mutant time traveler called Cable appeared and was accidentally taken along with them.
(Shadow Riders#4 - BTS) - Cable returned the Shadow Rider's to their HQ using his bodysliding technology, after their adventure on Arena World. Ryan, who had been revealed as Abadon, was left behind. Instead, they returned with Cable's inside man from Mys-Tech, Che.
(Shadow Riders#4 (fb) - BTS) - Having been mortally wounded, Che was transformed by Vorin into a new Shadow Rider while Cable and the others recuperated in the recreation center. Goodfellow had also brought back a component from a transit drive from Arena World, unknown to anybody else.
(Shadow Riders#4) - Vorin brought Che into the recreation center where they joined the others. Vorin then spotted the transit drive component in Goodfellow's possession, and realized that it was possible some of his people had survived destruction at Mys-Tech's hands. Cable said his goodbyes and departed by bodyslide, as the team welcomed their new member and vowed to take the fight back to Mys-Tech.
Comments: Created by John Freeman, Brian Williamson, Ross Dearsley, Euan Peters.
The Medi-Lab may well be the same lab where Vorin took Arnold Coltrane to stabilize his transformation. However, being something of a genius with advance knowledge of physical and natural sciences, particularly genetics and electronics, I think it highly likely that Vorin had at least one other lab. Also, there may be more magic circles dotted around the base for Vorin to perform his rituals, as I doubt he'd want to be limited to working in the transportation bay.
It's interesting that the Transit drive only operates at light-speed, as revealed in Vorin's profile as supplied by John Freeman. Arena World is presumably light years away, meaning Vorin's journey to Earth should've lasted several years at least. However, as we don't know all the details of that journey it's possible there are other factors involved that shortened the journey time on that occasion. John Freeman's notes for an unpublished Shadow Riders adventure suggest that the journey was interrupted by the entities that gave Vorin his powers and allowed him to continue to Earth to battle Mys-Tech. As there is a note to link in Dark Guard and Dark Angel, I suspect these mysteries entities are in fact the Time Guardians.
Thanks to MarvellousLuke for the images.
Profile by Changeling.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Shadow Riders HQ has no known connections to the base or HQ's of:
Vorin owns the small and non-descript cottage in Lancashire in North-West England that sits atop the Shadow Riders HQ. The grounds are apparently tended to by a man called Joel. It is near to a motorway service station, also owned by Vorin. Inside the cottage is a solid light hologram with the appearance of a decorative carpet. This hologram hides a staircase entrance down to the underground base. Those in the know can walk through the hologram by using a code word. Boot was seen to use the code word "Rumplestiltskin." The other means of access shown is, of course, the transit beam. Although not shown, there must be a physical access point for the Shadow Bikes and other vehicles to use.
--Shadow Riders#3
This appears to be adjacent to, or part of the same area as, the Medi-Lab. Vorin and Roadie walked to it from the Medi-Lab while discussing Matt Ryan's examination. Vorin also spoke to Stranger about data stolen from Mys-Tech on a portal wormhole, while Roadie watched Boot and Grunt fighting. While two of the screens in the gym area can't be seen in great detail, the larger one has a close up of Grunt holding Boot in a headlock. This is speculative, but perhaps other screens monitored vital signs.
--Shadow Riders#2
This is the only physical entrance shown to the base. It is accessed via the cottage through the hologram floor. The stairs lead down to this vast area, which opens up onto two floors. The other means of access shown is, of course, the transit beam. Although not shown, there must be a physical access point for the Shadow Bikes and other vehicles to use.
--Shadow Riders#2
The Medi-Lab was used to examine Matt Ryan. However, Vorin decided that Matt was too weak to endure further examination or a deep psi-probe.
The Medi-Lab appears to be very high tech. There is a very fancy looking couch where patients lie to be examined, and a bank of computer screens that presumably display the results of the examinations. With Vorin's skills in natural sciences and genetics, it's likely he has advanced genetics equipment in this lab. It may be the same lab where new Shadow Riders are taken to stabilize their transformations.
I think it's notable that Vorin halted the examination on Matt due to his being weak. With Vorin's advanced knowledge and technology he might well have discovered that Matt wasn't who he seemed to be if he had continued studying him. Of course, the series would've been over slightly quicker and with less action... But it's worth noting. Alternatively, perhaps he did discover more than he let on, as we do find out later that Vorin suspected a trap and had planned for it by using Goodfellow as back up.
--Shadow Riders#2
Due to the Shadow Riders having a radically reduced need for sleep, the recreation center is decked out with various television screens and presumably other forms of entertainment.
This being a 90's era series, the Shadow Rider's were using video tapes to record various shows, in particular Star Trek and Red Dwarf. There is a gag in issue four where they know that Stranger has recovered from his injuries when he accuses Boot of taping over "The Search for Spock". While he admits nothing at that point, at the end of the issue he tells Roadie that he has indeed used one of Strangers old tapes to record Red Dwarf. Presumably they have more up to date means of catching up on television these days.
--Shadow Riders#4
Vorin developed an experimental transit system while on his home world. Vorin and Goodfellow used this transit system to travel to Earth. They only traveled in space. However, something happened to them both, transforming them. He arrived in 1393. Unfortunately, the transit system recorders had crashed and all records of the spatial location of his own world were lost to him. In time, Vorin's transit systems became fully developed.
Vorin used his transit systems on his recruiting missions, traveling to places such as Egypt, New York, and Mys-Tech Central. He also used it to send the team and their Shadow Bikes into Mys-Tech Central, where they liberated Matt Ryan (secretly Abadon), and to return their ally Ghost Rider to New York.
Vorin adapted the transit drive to harness the peculiar properties of Matt Ryan's energy flares so they could breach Mys-Tech's wormhole and reach his home world. The attempt was successful, and accidentally transported Cable along with the team when the mutant bodyslid into their base. While on Sharin, Goodfellow found a component from another Transit Drive, suggesting more of Vorin's people might've escaped using similar technology.
Vorin's unique black light Transit technology enables him to project himself, his Shadow Riders, and others anywhere in the world with the correct navigational co-ordinates. It does so by means of a Transit Beam. Transit only operates at light-speed and has no time travel capability. He can send people off planet, if he has the correct co-ordinates. The transit drive needs charging periodically. The Transit Beams can levitate their targets (if need be) and project them to their destination.
To clarify: I've recorded any information on the Transit systems in this sub-profile. The Transit Drive Vorin uses in the series is only seen in #3, but the system is seen in use in #1, 2 & 3 as are the Transit Beams. #4 marks the appearance of the Transit component found by Goodfellow, but Vorin's system is neither used nor seen.
--Shadow Riders#1 (Shadow Riders#2, Shadow Riders#3, Shadow Riders#4
images: (without ads)
Shadow Riders#1, p12, pan3 (main image)
Shadow Riders#1, p13, pan5 (a circle where Vorin performs his majicks)
Shadow Riders#2, p4, pan4 (Vorin using monitors and controlling the Transit
system)
Shadow Riders#3, p8, pan6 (a solid light hologram/"carpet")
Shadow Riders#3, p8, pan4 (the Cottage)
Shadow Riders#2, p19, pan5 (a Gym area)
Shadow Riders#3, p9, pan2 (an entry area adjoined to the cottage)
Shadow Riders#2, p19, pan1 (The Medi-Lab)
Shadow Riders#4, p20, pan1 (the Recreation Center)
Shadow Riders#3, p11, pan1 (the Transit Drive)
Appearances:
Shadow Riders#1 (June 1993) - John Freeman & Brian Williamson (Story), Ross
Dearsley (Art), Euan Peters (Colors), Stuart Bartlett (Editor), Paul Neary
(Editor-In-Chief)
Shadow Riders#2 (July 1993) - John Freeman & Brian Williamson (Story), Ross
Dearsley (Art), Euan Peters (Colors), Stuart Bartlett (Editor), Paul Neary
(Editor-In-Chief)
Shadow Riders#3 (August 1993) - John Freeman & Brian Williamson (Story),
Ross Dearsley (Art), Euan Peters (Colors), Stuart Bartlett (Editor), Paul Neary
(Editor-In-Chief)
Shadow Riders#4 (September 1993) - John Freeman & Brian Williamson (Story),
Ross Dearsley (Art), Euan Peters (Colors), Stuart Bartlett (Editor), Paul Neary
(Editor-In-Chief)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
First Posted: 03/21/2015
Last Updated: 03/21/2015
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