STRICKEN.
YES.
AND THE BIG MAN,
LIEUTENANT LONGSTREET, IS IT?
SO HE LOOKS
TO BE THE LIVING INCARNATION
OF NIETZSCHE'S DICTUM:
WHAT DOES NOT KILL
YOU WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER.
WE'VE PASSED THE NINETY
DAY MARK ON THE TESTS.
CHANCES FOR SURVIVAL AT THIS
POINT INCREASE EXPONENTIALLY.
THEN I'D SAY WE'RE
ON THE VERGE OF SUCCESS.
I WOULDN'T GO THAT FAR.
NINE OF OUR TWELVE
SUBJECTS HAVE DIED.
WE ONLY NEED ONE SURVIVOR TO
ACHIEVE THE RESULTS WE DESIRE.
AND ASSUMING
LIEUTENANT LONGSTREET
DOES LIVE, ALL WE NEED IS
A SAMPLE OF HIS DNA TO
TAKE THIS TO THE NEXT STEP.
TO GENETICALLY ALTER A
HUMAN BEING INTO A NEW MUTANT.
WELL, MY PEOPLE
SHOULD BE JUST ABOUT IN
PLACE TO BRING LIEUTENANT
LONGSTREET IN
FOR HIS INTERVIEW NOW.
THERE'S FOUR BASIC
TYPES OF NEW MUTANT:
THERE'S ELEMENTALS, LIKE ME;
PSIONICS, FREAKS AND FERALS.
SO, BEAU AND I...
YOU HAVE LIVED WITH
THIS ALL YOUR LIFE?
WHAT?
YOU MEAN MY NEW MUTANCY?
YEAH.
BUT I GOTTA TELL
YOU, IT'S NICE KNOWING
YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
SO YOU TWO...
TEAMMATES.
TEAMMATES.
I LET MY TEAM DOWN.
IT WASN'T
YOUR FAULT, BEAU.
TEN OF MY BEST PEOPLE.
THEY USED THEM
AS HUMAN GUINEA PIGS.
I HAVE TO MAKE SURE
THEY DIDN'T DIE IN VAIN.
WE'VE GOT COMPANY.
SOUNDS LIKE SIX MEN
COMING FROM THE NORTH SIDE.
TWO MORE IN THE BACK.
I'LL TAKE THE BACK.
YOU GUYS GET THE REST.
HOW'D THEY FIND US?
PROBABLY THE
SAME WAY WE DID.
HEY, C'MON, WE GOTTA JAM.
AT LEAST A DOZEN AGENTS
OUT THERE, MAYBE MORE.
I HAVE TO GET CORPORAL RANDALL.
C'MON, THERE'S NO TIME.
LET'S GO.
WE MAKE TIME.
BEAU.
WE HAVE TO GO.
HOW LONG HAS
SHE BEEN LIKE THIS?
ABOUT AN HOUR.
YOU KNOW, I GET THE FEELING
FROM WHAT THEY TOLD ME,
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED
TO ALL THE OTHER
MEMBERS OF DARK STAR.
HOW'S SHE DOING?
SHE'S STABLE.
HER VITAL SIGNS ARE STRONG.
BUT IT'S THE BLOOD WORK
THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
HERE. TAKE A LOOK.
HER BLOOD CELLS ARE TRYING TO
FIGHT OFF A SERUM DERIVED FROM
A HYBRIDIZED PLANT
CALLED A REFLISHA PRISAY.
WELL, THEY JUST TRICKED
THESE POOR BASTARDS.
THEY THOUGHT
THEY WERE GETTING
MALARIA VACCINATIONS.
THE SAME KIND OF LIES THEY
TOLD YOUR PARENTS, RIGHT?
PARENTS OF ALL
THE CHILDREN OF GENOMEX.
YEAH, BUT THESE GUYS THOUGHT
THEY WERE VOLUNTEERING TO SERVE
THEIR COUNTRY,
NOT PARTICIPATE IN SOME
FREAKY GENETIC EXPERIMENT.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE KIND
OF POWER MASON ECKHART HAS.
WHY WE'VE DEDICATED OUR LIVES
TO KEEPING THAT POWER IN CHECK.
ADAM GETS THE LIVING.
AND WE GET THE DEAD.
I'M AFRAID YOUR GS AGENTS
WENT IN WITH A TRIFLE
TOO MUCH
SELF-CONFIDENCE.
WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY
JUSTIFIED IF NOT FOR THE
ANNOYING PRESENCE
OF ADAM'S PEOPLE.
WELL, AT LEAST THEY WERE
ABLE TO RETURN A TEST SPECIMEN
TO US FOR FUTURE STUDY.
ALTHOUGH
I'M FAR FROM CONFIDENT
IN YOUR ABILITY TO WRING
ANSWERS FROM A CORPSE.
I'M AFRAID YOU'RE
PROBABLY RIGHT.
OUR BEST HOPE
FOR A SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION
TO THIS EXPERIMENT
IS A LIVING SUBJECT.
AND SINCE ONLY
TWO POSSIBLE CANDIDATES
REMAIN ALIVE,
I'VE GOT MY AGENTS
SCOURING THE CITY.
OUR LATEST DATA WOULD INDICATE
THE WOMAN, SERGEANT DORN,
WHO APPEARS
TO HAVE BEEN STRICKEN
WITH THE SAME PATHOLOGICAL
ILLNESS THAT'S
KILLED THE OTHERS.
WELL, THAT
MEANS THAT UNLESS LIEUTENANT
LONGSTREET SURVIVES,
YOU'RE IN A
GREAT DEAL OF TROUBLE.
I PROMISE YOU, IF ANYONE
CAN HELP HER, IT'S ADAM.
I BELIEVED IN
MY SUPERIOR OFFICERS.
LOOK WHERE THAT GOT ME.
YEAH, BUT IT'S NOT
LIKE THAT WITH ADAM, BEAU.
IS HE ONE OF YOU?
ONE OF US?
YOU MEAN A NEW MUTANT?
NO.
ADAM MADE IT POSSIBLE
FOR US TO SURVIVE WHAT
GENOMEX HAD DONE TO US.
AND HE'S LED US ON A
CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE PEOPLE
WHO EXPERIMENTED ON YOU.
TRICORP BOTANICAL?
TRICORP BOTANICAL IS JUST
ANOTHER PUBLIC FACE FOR
THE GENETIC
SECURITY AGENCY.
I'M A GOOD SOLDIER.
IT'S ALL I'VE EVER WANTED.
TO DO MY DUTY THE BEST I CAN.
BUT YOU DIDN'T
SIGN UP TO BE EXPERIMENTED
ON WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT.
TO BE TURNED INTO SOME
ROGUE WARRIOR FOR THE GSA.