SAVAGE DRAGON #268
Schoolgirl Crush!
February 2024
20 Pages
CREDITS
Erik Larsen: Story & Art
Jack Morelli: Letters
Nikos Koutsis: Colors
Mike Toris: Flats
Gavin Higginbotham: Editor
Josh Eicchorn: sings like a walrus giving birth to farm equipment
HEROES
Malcolm Dragon
Battle Girl
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Maxine Jung Dragon
Amy Dragon
Jackson Dragon
Madeline Dragon
Tyrone Dragon
Angel Murphy (Alternate)
Cindy Ho (First Appearance) (Death Issue)
Frank Darling Jr.
Jon Day
Mickey Mouse (First Appearance)
Walter the Tiger
VILLAINS
Mister Glum
SUMMARY
Malcolm and Maxine go grocery shopping in San Francisco and are present when a group of men burst into the store exhibiting superhuman abilities. They attempt to steal numerous items but are effortlessly defeated by the hero. Malcolm is informed by the police that his opponents had been fuelled by Super Juice, a new drug on the market that temporarily gives anyone powers. A large quantity has apparently gone missing from a bus recently too.
Meanwhile in Dimension-X, Frank desperately tries to figure out a way back home to his wife and hopes that the child Angel will be able to help. She hopes that when she gets older that Frank will instead love her and they will instead be married. Frank cannot understand how the girl is still loyal to Mister Glum who essentially abandoned her to die on his home world. The portal mechanism that would have returned him to Earth has been destroyed which cuts off another avenue to explore.
Back on Earth, a couple of hobos on a train investigate a strange sleeping underneath some tarpaulin in case they have any valuables to be stolen. They are horrified to discover this person is actually Walter who roars at the duo, causing them to leap from the train. Walter is making his way slowly across the country to be reunited with Amy Dragon.
As Malcolm and Maxine go for a walk, they are shocked to learn that Mickey Mouse is living in the city and introduce themselves to him. They are initially pleasantly surprised that the famous cartoon mouse recognizes them both but the experience soon turns sour. It turns out Mickey has seen Maxine’s viral videos and is a huge fan of them. He asks the couple if they would be interested in hooking up with him and his wife but they politely decline.
Malcolm is alerted to a disturbance and goes to investigate and is horrified to witness a schoolgirl has gone on a rampage at her school. The severely bullied Cindy Ho has taken a large dose of Super Juice and has brutally killed all of her classmates as revenge. Malcolm tries to talk with the girl to comfort and calm her down but to no avail. Cindy attacks the hero but during the resulting melee she suddenly collapses to the ground and dies of a massive heart attack.
Following this tragedy Malcolm reunites with his family as Maxine is telling the kids all about the strange encounter with Mickey Mouse. He worries for the future as all four of his kids have tremendous strength and what would happen if they too are subjected to relentless bullying. Maxine assures her husband that it will all work out fine as their kids are good but Malcolm is still concerned.
BACKUP STORY
ROUGHNECK
Frankenstein Force
7 Pages
CREDITS
Rich Woodall: Plot & Script & Colors
Mark Welser: Plot & Art
Trevor Rubin: Flats
Jack Morelli: Letters
MAIN CHARACTER
Roughneck
HEROES
The Canadian
VILLAINS
Professor Pugly (Death Issue)
GUEST VILLAINS
The Frankenstein Force (First Appearance)
Badly Behaved Rascal (First Appearance) (Death Issue)
Ballast (First Appearance) (Death Issue)
Firearm (First Appearance) (Death Issue)
Purple Agitator (First Appearance) (Death Issue)
Tough Jeff (First Appearance) (Death Issue)
Vice Grip (First Appearance) (Death Issue)
Weird Owl (First Appearance) (Death Issue)
Wimp Puncher (First Appearance) (Death Issue)
SUMMARY
Roughneck awakens in a strange laboratory where he is greeted by the eccentric English scientist Professor Pugly. He is informed that he was plucked from the aftermath of the Vicious Circle’s final battle and chosen to lead a brand-new army created by Pugly. Roughneck has had his lower half merged with Brawn’s to give him back his mobility and to increase his strength. He is then introduced to his new minions, the Frankenstein Force!
This legion of the undead were created using the body parts of numerous fallen Vicious Circle thugs and were to be controlled via a remote control and serve Roughneck. Roughneck decides he wants all the power to himself and seizes the control device and has his new followers brutally tear apart the helpless Pugly.
With an army behind him, Roughneck raids the hideout of a group of super-freaks and declares himself the new leader of the Vicious Circle. His would-be new recruits point out that the criminal organization is no more and so Roughneck orders the Frankenstein Force to slaughter them all. A previously disguised Canadian leaps into action to take down Roughneck and takes the remote control so that the zombie villains can never take another life again.
BACK COVER: Don Simpson