Everybody loves new comic book day
So it turns out that I like getting new canon information regarding my characters--especially when it already fits in so nicely with how I play them in camp. Thanks to The Loners #2 which came out this week, I can fill in some of the blanks about Ricochet's backstory and a little more about his habits.
Backstory stuff could be spoilerific so I place that under the cut, but here are some fun facts about Rico revealed in this issue.
Ricochet:
--plays Guitar Hero in his underwear (Spider-Man boxers, no less)
--has used heroing to get laid (gg, Johnny)
--can totally beat the shit out of an irate ninja assassin
--describes his status as the second person to use this hero identity by calling himself "Ricochet 2: Electric Boogaloo," and
--writes letters to dead people
Here's How It Was:
--The Slingers disband, with Dusk (Cassie St. Commons) vanishing, Prodigy (Ritchie Gilmore) striking off on his own, but Hornet (Eddie McDonough) and Ricochet (Johnny Gallo) remaining active heroes in NYC and briefly enjoying some success and media acclaim.
--Media attention shifts away from the Hornet & Ricochet duo in favor of other superheroes, leaving Johnny feeling unfulfilled and discouraged and leading him to give up the masked life. Eddie, more concerned with helping people than getting attention, remains active as the Hornet and periodically attempts to convince Johnny to rejoin the game to "do the right thing."
--Enemy of the State: During Wolverine's global rampage, Eddie calls Johnny and asks him to suit up again, only hinting that there's something big on the way that will put them back on the map. Johnny declines, suggesting Eddie finally give up the hero life himself, and hangs up. Eddie flies his last mission as Hornet alone, and is killed while attempting to apprehend the mind-controlled Wolverine in the midst of a civilian massacre.
--Distraught and guilt-ridden by Eddie's death, Johnny moves to Los Angeles, but brings his Ricochet gear with him.
--At some point, Johnny is made aware of the Excelsior group in LA, and joins up with the other members--Phil Urich (the non-villainous Green Goblin), Michiko "Mickey" Musashi (Turbo), Chris Powell (Darkhawk), and Julie Power (Lightspeed)--looking for mutual support in putting their pasts as teenage superheroes behind them.
--A mystery benefactor (revealed to be Rick Jones acting on behalf of Captain America) hires Excelsior to apprehend the Runaways. In return, he agrees to fund the group's "teenage superhero recovery" operations. Although unsuccessful, Excelsior defeats an incarnation of the killer robot Ultron and receives Avengers' sanction to remain active as a superhero presence on the West Coast.
--M-Day: The majority of the world's mutant population suddenly lose their powers; Johnny retains his.
--I bring Ricochet to camp.
--Civil War: Excelsior (eventually renamed the Loners) remains largely uninvolved in the wider superhero conflict, true to their mission statement of getting out of the superhero business to lead normal lives.
--The Loners series: Joined by newcomer Mattie Franklin (the 4th Spider-Woman), Excelsior returns to their self-help group roots, with varying degrees of success. Some members begin clandestinely returning to costumed life in order to bust a superhuman drug cartel; Johnny, partly inspired by Eddie's memory, partly reinvigorated by the adrenaline rush of their last mission against Ultron, is among them.
Backstory stuff could be spoilerific so I place that under the cut, but here are some fun facts about Rico revealed in this issue.
Ricochet:
--plays Guitar Hero in his underwear (Spider-Man boxers, no less)
--has used heroing to get laid (gg, Johnny)
--can totally beat the shit out of an irate ninja assassin
--describes his status as the second person to use this hero identity by calling himself "Ricochet 2: Electric Boogaloo," and
--writes letters to dead people
Here's How It Was:
--The Slingers disband, with Dusk (Cassie St. Commons) vanishing, Prodigy (Ritchie Gilmore) striking off on his own, but Hornet (Eddie McDonough) and Ricochet (Johnny Gallo) remaining active heroes in NYC and briefly enjoying some success and media acclaim.
--Media attention shifts away from the Hornet & Ricochet duo in favor of other superheroes, leaving Johnny feeling unfulfilled and discouraged and leading him to give up the masked life. Eddie, more concerned with helping people than getting attention, remains active as the Hornet and periodically attempts to convince Johnny to rejoin the game to "do the right thing."
--Enemy of the State: During Wolverine's global rampage, Eddie calls Johnny and asks him to suit up again, only hinting that there's something big on the way that will put them back on the map. Johnny declines, suggesting Eddie finally give up the hero life himself, and hangs up. Eddie flies his last mission as Hornet alone, and is killed while attempting to apprehend the mind-controlled Wolverine in the midst of a civilian massacre.
--Distraught and guilt-ridden by Eddie's death, Johnny moves to Los Angeles, but brings his Ricochet gear with him.
--At some point, Johnny is made aware of the Excelsior group in LA, and joins up with the other members--Phil Urich (the non-villainous Green Goblin), Michiko "Mickey" Musashi (Turbo), Chris Powell (Darkhawk), and Julie Power (Lightspeed)--looking for mutual support in putting their pasts as teenage superheroes behind them.
--A mystery benefactor (revealed to be Rick Jones acting on behalf of Captain America) hires Excelsior to apprehend the Runaways. In return, he agrees to fund the group's "teenage superhero recovery" operations. Although unsuccessful, Excelsior defeats an incarnation of the killer robot Ultron and receives Avengers' sanction to remain active as a superhero presence on the West Coast.
--M-Day: The majority of the world's mutant population suddenly lose their powers; Johnny retains his.
--I bring Ricochet to camp.
--Civil War: Excelsior (eventually renamed the Loners) remains largely uninvolved in the wider superhero conflict, true to their mission statement of getting out of the superhero business to lead normal lives.
--The Loners series: Joined by newcomer Mattie Franklin (the 4th Spider-Woman), Excelsior returns to their self-help group roots, with varying degrees of success. Some members begin clandestinely returning to costumed life in order to bust a superhuman drug cartel; Johnny, partly inspired by Eddie's memory, partly reinvigorated by the adrenaline rush of their last mission against Ultron, is among them.