Issue(s): Deathlok #16
Cover Date: Oct 92
Title: "Just following orders"
Credits:
Dwayne McDuffie - Writer
Walter McDaniel - Penciler
Jimmy Palmiotti - Inker
Mindy Newell - Assistant Editor
Tom Brevoort - Editor

Review/plot:
Infinity War provides an opportunity to show an incarnation of Deathlok that is the opposite of the one that Michael Collins fought to not become. It's even worse than the cold killing machine he was intended to be; it's just straight up evil.

This is, i guess, required by the nature of the crossover (although wait until we get to Moon Knight; certainly some liberties are taken there), but i think it would have been better for him to face a dark side of himself that was closer to what he might have become and/or might still become. Alternatively, i wouldn't have minded going in a more geeky route and having Michael Collins face off against something inspired by the Luther Manning version of Deathlok. But we're going the pure evil route.

Deathlok defeats the thing by hooking into its I/O ports and shutting down its brain.

I'm a superhero comic book fan, so sometimes i feel guilty when i say "This is just a big dumb fight issue". That's a big part of what superhero comics should be! But still, this isn't how i would have filled one of my precious Dwayne McDuffie issues of Deathlok. Couldn't Gregory Wright have handled this one?

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This was published much later than the other issues that i'm treating as tie-ins to Infinity War #1. I'm treating it that way because Mr. Fantastic's call to Deathlok seems to be at the same time he's reaching out to other heroes, as seen in Infinity War #1. The random nature of the doppelganger attack is also similar to the ones that other heroes (Spider-Man, Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Wolverine, Captain America, even D-Man) faced early on in the crossover, rather than the (somewhat more) targeted attacks that come later. I'm not listing the Mr. Fantastic doppelganger as a character appearing since i think this is only meant to be a recorded video message...

...but i will note in support of my placement that the MCP places the Mr. F doppelganger here circa Infinity War #1. The only thing that gave me pause regarding placement was a scene showing Adam Warlock standing with the Magus and the Thanos doppelganger, but i'm pretty sure the scene is just meant to be a conceptual overview of the crossover.

The real Deathlok is seen at the beginning of this issue getting dropped off by his wife Tracy at the apartment/warehouse that he shares with Jesus Badalamente. It almost feels like she's dropping him off after the end of last issue, but last issue actually ended with Deathlok already back with Jesus and talking to Tracy on the phone. Which is good because i've placed other Deathlok appearances between this and last issue.

References:

• The Deathlok doppelganger kills some thugs that were gunning for Deathlok after he "nailed" them in the Deathlok mini-series.

Crossover: Infinity War

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A