Issue(s): New Warriors #60
Cover Date: Jun 95
Title: "The only constant"
Credits:
Evan Skolnick - Writer
Patrick Zircher - Penciler
Andrew Pepoy - Inker
Tom Brevoort - Editor

Review/plot:
This is my last issue of New Warriors (next issue's Maximum Clonage tie-in seemed like a good stopping point) and it's really just a tie-up of Nova's series, so i wasn't too interested in... awww hells yeah, is that a Dire Wraith!?!?

That is in fact Volx, the Queen of the Dire Wraiths. She previously appeared in Nova's final issue, where it's pretty clear from the art that she was a Wraith, but it's only confirmed here). The story is that she infiltrated a mission from Xandar and has come to Earth in an attempt to release the Wraiths from Limbo. She's also captured Garthan Saal, previously known as Super-Nova and now as Nova Omega; Xandar's Queen Adora gave Rich Rider's Nova powers to him in the Nova series.

This issue starts with the New Warriors finding Nova after having gotten the call from Laura Dunham at the end of last issue. Rich has thrown himself off a roof in an attempt to get his powers back. It doesn't work, and he's saved by Turbo. The New Warriors learn that Garthan has been captured (but not that it was by a Dire Wraith) and decide to rescue him. The non-powered Rich is allowed to tag along.

Meanwhile, Volx's plan is to drain Garthan's powers, which will activate a device created long ago by the male Dire Wraiths. Volx said it was poorly designed and would have killed all of the Wraiths too (and this kind of poor planning is why she "replace[ed] them with girls").

Turbo is able to trace Nova's energy signature, leading them to a mountain with a sealed secret doorway. Alex Power (who doesn't want to be called Powerpax anymore but doesn't have a new codename) gets a brief moment to shine, using his "Mass Master" power to slip through a crack.

Unfortunately, he's met by a disguised Volx. Alex is trapped, and Volx disguises herself. Volx seems to have the ability to take various forms, including that of inanimate objects without the tongue-suck, which seems more like a male Wraith's ability, although with sorcery there's no reason a female couldn't have also done that (and they may very well have and i just don't remember). But Turbo's visor is able to through Volx disguise.

This is finally payoff for those of us who know that Turbo's suit is based on (or is) Torpedo's, and that Torpedo's suit was an attempt by the Dire Wraiths to recreate Galadorian armor and had the ability to detect Wraiths. What's interesting is that, while Volx immediately focuses on acquiring the suit, no one really knows why. So the audience (potentially) has information that the characters don't, which is frankly more sophisticated writing than i've come to expect.

(It is worth noting that the Turbos seem to at least be aware that their costume comes from Torpedo's based on Marvel Comics Presents #166-167.)

One thing i don't really like is Volx's weird appearance. Just make her an awesome giant Dire Wraith! No need for all these 90s X-Treme claws and mouths.

Garthan is freed during the fighting, and he seemingly kills Volx and then the heroes all have to flee the mountain before it explodes.

It does turn out that Volx has actually survived.

Meanwhile, we see Night Thrasher and Rage training the Genetech team. Later, Night Thrasher gifts the New Warriors with a large sum of money to show that he has no hard feelings (he also lets them continue to use their HQ and overlooks the fact that Sprocket has continued to chauffeur them).

Hindsight Lad (who now just wants to be called Hindsight) has also made new costumes for himself and Justice and designed a few other gadgets (like keychain communicators). Turbo and Alex Power are officially made members of the team.

In an epilogue, we get another scene with Timeslip seeing a glimpse of the future. This time, she sees Speedball getting killed, and she decides to warn the Warriors.

This was a fun issue, and i'm not just saying that because it has a Dire Wraith. I'd enjoy the use of continuity (the Xandarian stuff, the Torpedo armor) even beyond the references to ROM, and the fight sequences are fun.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating:

Chronological Placement Considerations: Continues directly from the end of Nova #18.

References:

• Continues directly from the end of Nova #18!
  
• Nova jumped off the roof in an attempt to replicate the situation in New Warriors #1 where he got his powers back.
  
• The New Warriors met Super-Nova previously in New Warriors #40-42.
  
• The story where the female Dire Wraiths displaced the males ROM #48 (which also possibly includes a flashback-only appearance of Volx).
  
• All most of the New Warriors know about the Dire Wraiths is regarding the invasion that "the X-Men and Avengers" helped ROM to repel in ROM #65. But Rich Rider knows a little more, having teamed-up with ROM in ROM #24.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A