Issue(s): New Warriors #21
Cover Date: Mar 92
Title: "The Folding Circle"
Credits:
Fabian Nicieza - Writer
Mark Bagley - Penciler
Larry Mahlstedt - Inker
Eric Fein - Assistant Editor
Danny Fingeroth - Editor

Review/plot:
This is a prologue to what the narration says will be "the Warriors' greatest saga ever", which refers to the Nothing but the Truth storyline in the next four issues.

The group called the Folding Circle continues to go around recruiting members. They start with Firewall, recruiting her away from Force of Nature / Project: Earth.

And later they go for Night Thrasher (who left the New Warriors last issue).

Unlike the others, Night Thrasher isn't recruited willingly, and he's last seen getting knocked unconscious. Right after that, the Folding Circle is attacked by some security guards, and when Bloodstrike kills one of them, he gets an upgrade of some kind.

Meanwhile, Silhouette is talking with Tai in Chord's hospital room. Tai tells Silhouette that she killed Sil's mother, who was also Tai's daughter. Tai then blasts Silhouette while talking about a "pact".

Also meanwhile, Firestar meets up with Namorita (who came back to Japan with Marvel Boy earlier than the rest of the team, as we saw in the last arc), and learns that Marvel Boy has been arrested.

The available New Warriors are rounded up to meet with their lawyer, Foggy Nelson, and to see Vance.

A nice moment of characterization is when Speedball picks up on what's going on in the legal proceedings, since his father is an ADA.

That might be a little too subtle for someone that didn't follow Speedball's solo series, but Nicieza will be a little more explicit in the next few issues.

The prosecutor, Rachel Dreyfuss, ominously says that she's going to use the rest of the New Warriors' testimony to put Marvel Boy away. And then the charges against him get upped to murder, because his father dies.

It's a nice build-up issue.

Random comment: In the lettercol, someone signs off their letter with "Until Speedy becomes dark and gritty... Make Mine Marvel!" So until 2007, then.

Statement of Ownership Total Paid Circulation: Average of Past 12 months = 172,858. Single issue closest to filing date = 209,600.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Firestar says it's been "two days" since the New Warriors got back from Japan. Next issue begins with Night Thrasher waking up "fourteen hours" after he's knocked out here. One of the Guardsman appearing in this story will later be revealed to be Scott Washington, who merges with symbiotes to become Hybrid.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

"Until Speedy becomes grim and gritty...". Heh.