From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Alien 3 (1992)

Posted on April 2, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. For this update we are going to travel to the outreaches of space and where no one can hear you scream and the terrors of Xenomorphs are all around you! And for this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update we will be talking about Alien 3 and the adaptation comic series done by Dark Horse Comics who did a great job of delivering great comics based around the Alien series as well as many other movies when they had the licenses. To be honest, I was really torn on what Alien film to choose to cover for this update as I could have gone with Heavy Metal’s graphic novel adaptation of the original 1979 film, or the Aliens adaptation done by a Turkish publisher or lastly Alien: Resurrection that of course Dark Horse Released…but I chose Alien 3 as this was the one series I had when I was younger so it holds a special place with me. So if you are ready, get into your space suit and let’s head out to see what terrors and chaos this Xenomorph has in store for us.

Let’s start by taking a look at the Xenomorph (also called Dragon) from this film and its way of dealing death to those who cross its path. This Xenomorph was born when a face hugger attached itself to a Rottweiler dog on a planet that is filled with prisoners who have turned religious, but some are truly still bad people. This alien takes on the characteristics of the dog host the birthed it and walks on all fours and moves very fast when charging at its prey. This Xenomorph is also very stealthy and can hide in the shadows as well as small places in order to sneak up on its prey. Let’s not forget about its strange and monstrous appearance that can frighten a person to death as its blackish, grey in color has a skeleton looking endoskin, long fingers and a small mouth that extends from his normal mouth that it can used to puncture the skin of a person putting a whole right through them. This Xenomorph also has sharp teeth that, if it chooses, could bite and rip flesh, and it will use them and its claws to shred a person like a wild animal. It also has a long tail that it can uses to impale a person as well as can whip it around causing injury. The Xenomorph can also spit acid and its blood is also made of acid and this will burn the flesh of humans straight through and will also burn through metal. The Xenomorph is also very strong and can lift a person up into the air very easily and it can also climb on walls and ceilings. It can also make weird hissing noises and when attacking sometimes will go into a frenzy slashing and biting its human prey. But while this dog Xenomorph is very dangerous and deadly, it is still a living thing and that means it can be hurt and killed with being shot being a big way to end its life, you can also drop boiling hot lead onto it and then cold water as this will cause it to explode. But while it can die, this Xenomorph is very dangerous as if it is able to breed and create more of its kind worlds could truly end and become overrun with its species.

So now that we looked at this canine infused Xenomorph, I think that it’s time we took a look at the film that spawned him and that of course is Alien 3 that was released in 1992 from Fox. Like always, I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s run around this isolated planet and see if we can stay one step ahead of this Alien.

Alien 3 (1992)

“Ellen Ripley is the only survivor when she crash lands on Fiorina 161, a bleak wasteland inhabited by former inmates of the planet’s maximum security prison. Once again, Ripley must face skepticism and the alien as it hunts down the prisoners and guards. Without weapons or modern technology of any kind, Ripley leads the men into battle against the terrifying creature.”

20^th Century Fox was very much behind making more sequels to the 1979 hit Alien and with the 1986 film Aliens being a big hit for them a third film in the series was put into motion, but that was after going through a ton of scripts and ideas as they could not find the right one they felt would take the story to a new place and not just repeat the actions of the previous two films. Some of the ideas pitched would have had the Xenomorphs being used as weapons to keep people in line by the Weyland Corporation with Ripley and Hicks having to fight them in a epic battle. Another idea would have the Aliens invading Earth with another being that it would take place on a prison world…the latter is what Fox ended up choosing. So with many rewrites and drama, the film’s screenplay would be written by many writers that include David Giler, Larry Ferguson and Walter Hill ,and after a big search and rehires the directors chair ended up going to David Fincher, who was a music video director. The casting would see Sigourney Weaver and Lance Henriksen return to play Ellen Ripley and Bishop and new names to the cast included Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Pete Postlethwaite, Tom Woodruff Jr. and Holt McCallany to name a few. Fox would give the film a budget of $60 million and would be shot in England, and the film had a stressful shooting schedule and time, but once done Elliot Goldenthal would do the film’s score and it would be released in theaters on May 22, 1992 and would do well for Fox as the worldwide box office bringing in $159.8 million and would end up being #28 for the year out of 200 films. The film was meet with very mixed reviews from critics and movie goers and it would gain its following over the years, mostly thanks to home media releases. In 1992 Alien 3 was released alongside such other horror films as Army Of Darkness, Candyman, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Dr. Giggles, Demonic Toys, The Lawnmower Man, Hellraiser III, Dust Devil, Mindwarp, Tale Of A Vampire, RAAT, Critters 4, Waxwork II, Severed Ties, Stepfather III, Split Second, The Vagrant and Buffy The Vampire Slayer to name a few. Alien 3 is a film that still gets some hate over all these years but has found its fan base as well and is worth a watch if you enjoy the Alien film franchise.

I am going to start off by saying that I am a fan of Alien 3 and have never understood the hate that the film would get from critics and viewers who trashed the more dark tones and complained about the downbeat mood of the film. I do understand one complaint about the film and that’s the death of Hicks and Newt in such a lackluster off screen way from the start, as we all would have liked to seen them continue on, but instead we got to watch Ripley once more be the hero she is and help a group of prisoners try and survive as well as sacrifice herself in order to kill the baby alien that was growing inside her. The film also gives us one more scene with android Bishop played masterfully by Lance Henriksen who also appears briefly as Michael Bishop Weyland, a man who clams to have been the creator of the androids. But one thing that I noticed that stands out like a sore thumb in this film is many of the digital effects look bad, and I mean really bad now as sometimes the alien looks like clip art made into a gif and placed in the film. But while the digital effects are questionable, the practical effects look really good and the Xenomorph looks as scary as ever. Speaking of the Xenomorph, I really like that they hint that the alien takes on much of its hosts traits and in this case a dog as the alien behaves at times like a wild dog! One thing that kind of stinks is that the film’s own director David Fincher is said to hate this film as do many of the past cast who think Fox did the whole series dirty with this one mostly by killing off the characters from the second film early all with off screen deaths. I saw the film when released on home media and at this point had already played and beat the Sega Genesis game based around it, read the adaptation novel and had talked about the Alien films with family and friends all the time…and after seeing it the first time, I really enjoyed it, a feeling I still have about the film to this day. While I get that the film is not as scary as Alien nor as epic as Aliens, it was a nice follow up that pushed the story forward and try something new with Ripley and the universe this series was building. Don’t just follow the trends of hating on films before you even see them, and check this one out and make up your own mind as you might just find yourself enjoying it.

So now that we have taken a look at the Xenomorph as well as the film Alien 3, we should get to the adaptation comic of the film that was released by Dark Horse Comics who for many years made some very cool comics based on films and shows as besides Alien they had comics based on Predator, Godzilla, Starship Troopers, The Terminator, The Thing, Gamera, Pumpkinhead and Darkness Falls to name a few. I would like to thank Bell Book And Comic for having these issues in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s walk around the passage ways of the foundry located on Fiorina and see if we can stay out of the reach of the alien lurking around in the shadows.

Alien 3 # 1 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 1 of 3

A spaceship floating through space crash lands on the prison planet called Fiorina 161 with Ellen Ripley being the only survivor as Corporal Hick and Newt died, but an alien has also arrived on the planet via the crash. Mr. Andrews runs the prison planet and is not happy that a woman has arrived on the planet and order Doctor Clemens to keep her in the sick bay and not let he roam among the prisoners. A group of prisoners are sent out to retrieve the bodies and the wrecked ship, and their pet dog acts strange after making some noises. When Ripley wakes up, she finds out about the deaths of her friends and has Clemens take her to the ships wreckage and then learns that there are only 25 prisoners and one dog on the planet and they just work maintenance at the Weylend factory they all live in. Ripley asks Clemens to perform an autopsy on Newt as she tells him that it’s cause she wanted to make sure of the cause of death claiming it could have been from a sickness, but really she fears that the young girl could have an alien inside her as the wrecked ship had marks of acid blood being split. After the autopsy she finds that Newt really did pass away from the wreck and Andrews allows the Doctor to cremate the bodies and all the prisoners attend with one named Dillon saying the prayer. But while they all pay respects to the dead, the pet dog is sick and an alien is born from its torn apart body! Ripley shaves her head and finds that the prisoners really do not want her around as many of them in the past were killers and sexual predators of females, and she also has a bond with Clemens who is called out to look at a body of a prisoner that was knocked into a giant fan by the Xenomorph who spit acid in his face unknown to all of them. As Ripley goes to the scrapyard to find the body of android Bishop who would have the flight recorder of the crashed ship three prisoners on repair duty are attacked by the Xenomorph and only one is able to make a escape.

This adaptation comic from Dark Horse Comics starts pretty strong as it does a good job of staying true this far to the films plot and yet speeding up some of it in order to not only fit the film into three issues but also to keep it a little faster paced. The plot for the first issue to sum it up has Ellen Ripley waking up in a prison planet after the ship she was on wrecked and killed her friends, now she is stuck there with convicted killers and attackers who have now turned religious. But unknown to her the convicts are not the only threats that she has to worry about as a Xenomorph that was born inside a dog has also arrived and is looking to kill. While Ellen Ripley is tough, she is around some very dangerous men who nearly all have a history of violence towards women, so she really needs to be on her toes. Doctor Clemens is clearly a prisoner as well who seems to have changed his ways, but is not yet ready to share his dirty little secrets with Ellen who he has been treating. Clemens also seems to be respected by the fellow prisoners but also is on the annoyed side of Andrews who seems to not be filled in on all the goingson in the prison. And while Dillon is a dangerous man, it’s clear that he is trying to stay very loyal to his religious oath, and while he don’t like Ellen being there, he clearly has no want to hurt her. The Dog Xenomorph is very mean and quick and in this issue claims three lives that we see with one getting acid spit into his face! The issue does have some blood being spilt and violence making it a fun spooky read. The cover is really cool and eye-catching as it showcases a Xenomorph, and the interior art is done by artist Christopher Taylor and is good stuff and truly has that 90’s Dark Horse Comics look, and I have to praise his ability to draw the Xenomorph…and for those wondering the characters do not look like the actors who played them. A good issue for sure and is your average horror comic read based on a film, so if you are ready, let’s head to issue two and see what scares await us.

Alien 3 # 2 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 2 of 3

Ripley heads to the junk pile and finds the body of Bishop, but before she can get it back to the medical bay, she is attacked by some of the prisoners who are looking for a good time…but she is saved by Dillon, who beats up his fellow inmates with a crowbar and sends Ripley out of the area. Meanwhile Clemons is getting yelled at by Andrews for spending to much time with Ripley and not sharing any information with him as they have gotten a call that members of a very powerful corporation are on their way to get her. While at the medical bay Ripley learns from Bishop that a alien was on board the ship when they crashed and that all this information as been sent to the Weyland Corporation, he then has her terminate his life. The surviving prisoner of the Xenomorph attack is blamed for the murders of his fellow inmates and Ripley tries to warn Andrews and his assistant Aaron of the horrors that is roaming their prisoner factory, only for her to be mocked and ignored, as Andrews does not respect her at all and can not wait for the Weyland company to get her. Ripley goes back to Clemons and he comes clean to her that he was a drug addict doctor for years and that is what landed him there, but out of nowhere the Xenomorph attacks knocking Clemons’ head off and Ripley runs away to the mess hall where Andrews is holding a prisoner meeting and is his grabbed up into the ceiling by the Xenomorph. Ripley takes control and gets all the prisoners to set up a trap tat will seal the Xenomorph away from them all, and during this time she also learns that she has an Alien Queen in her chest! And also the crazed prisoner is free and thinks the Xenomorph is his friend.

The second issue has Ripley being attacked by some of the prisoners, being hated by the warden, finding out that a Xenomorph is in the prison factory, finds out that a company has interest in her, she is feeling sick and she watches as her only friend on the planet gets his head knocked off…so in other words she is having a very bad time on this planet! While Ripley is having a rough time, she is also a fighter as she does what she can to survive as well as try and warn the others of what kind of terror could be waiting for them around every dark corner. The one bad thing is that she also learns that the planet does not have any weapons as they do not want the prisoners to get ahold of them, leaving her pretty much defenseless against the alien. And when things get really bad Ripley also steps up and becomes the “leader” of the prisoners when they have to find a way to bring down the Xenomorph. Speaking of the Xenomorph, this alien is on a killing spree and is taking down the prisoners one by one and is doing so in such bloody ways, as that’s right this issue brings the blood and violence with the best kill being Clemons getting his head knocked off. The Prisoners seem very lost when their warden and boss Andrews is killed, and while some are for following Ripley others are not, but when Dillon puts his foot down that she is the one with leadership skills they all fall in line. The issue ends on a cliffhanger as Ripley discovers that she has an Alien Queen growing inside her, not to even mention that the Xenomorph is now on the attack causing panic with the prisoners. The cover for this issue is my favorite of the series as it really is a great cover that features the comic/movies monster. And like the last issue the interior art was done by Christopher Taylor, and again is good stuff if you like that Dark Horse Comics art style of the 90’s. And like before this, comic does a good job of staying close to the source material of the film and has some changes that makes it seem like a slightly new experience in that film’s universe. With that, let’s get to the third and final issue in this adaptation comic mini series.

Alien 3 # 3 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 3 of 3

Ripley discovers a message from the Weyland Company that alerts that they want the Xenomorph alive, and worse the Xenomorph has been captured but is set free by the crazed blamed prisoner who gets himself as well as another prisoner killed! The remaining prisoners all rush to the cell block and talk if they want to try and fight the Alien or just hide for the next 10 hours until the rescue ship arrives. Ripley meanwhile finds the Xenomorph and learns that it will not kill her cause of the Queen growing inside her, she makes a deal with Dillon that when they kill the alien he will in turn kill her to end this things bloodline…he agrees. After some harsh words with the fellow prisoners they come up with a idea that would have them trap the Xenomorph again and this time drop molten lead on it! The plan starts off smooth but soon goes into chaos as the Xenomorph starts catching and killing the prisoners until only Ripley, Dillon and one other are left alive…they are able to trap the alien and drop the lead on him, but during this time it is able to kill Dillon. The team from Weyland show up just in time to see Ripley drop water onto the melting Xenomorph and it explodes! And as the Weyland people try to convince Ripley to follow them to the ship so they can help her, she does not trust them and as the Queen in being born she leaps into the molten lead ending her life as well as the new Queens.

The saga of Ripley comes to an end…well at least until the next film and comic based on that film was released. In this issue’s plot Ripley and the remaining prisoners come up with an idea to kill the Xenomorph before the rescue team can arrive as they all know that the company wants to save the aliens life to use it as a weapon in wars. And while most of them all die they are able to kill the creature and Ripley is able to end her own life and destroy the Queen that was being born, ending the terror for now. Ripley really does want to die in this issue as she fears what will happen if any of the aliens are taken to Earth and knows that her death is the only thing that can stop it from happening as if they get their hands on the Queen growing inside her they could have an armor of them in no time. Dillon becomes a hero for sure as through this series he is the one who stops the other prisoners attack on Ripley, gives his life to try and bring down the Xenomorph and seems to truly be one of the prisoners who have found religion. The Weyland people are very much liars as they even send the creator of the android Bishop in order to try and get Ripley to follow them to their ship to “save” her and get ride of the alien baby…its clear they do not care about the people on the prison planet and really just want the power of the Xenomorph. And speaking of the Alien it really is a killing machine as it makes quick and bloody work out of many of the prisoners and while it is very dangerous it dies a painful death as hot lead and cold water don’t mix! The comic stays pretty close to the film and does change Dillon’s death as here he is dragged into the molten lead as in the film he is trapped with the alien and demands they drop the lead to try and kill the alien. The issue has lots of blood and kills and this helps add to the Horror of the comic, but to be honest lots of the scares comes from the dark mood and atmosphere. Like before artist Christopher Taylor does the interior art and its good stuff and the cover like before as well is really cool and eye-catching. Over all if you like the film Alien 3 or just the Alien films and comics in general, you should check this one out. Take a look at the artwork below to see the style used by Christopher Taylor in this comic mini series.

Alien 3 really is one of those films that you either love of hate, with much more being very negative about it…but if you like a more dark mood outing for the Aliens, then this is one I think you will enjoy. Plus once more I have to stress that I miss the days of Dark Horse Comics when they would make some amazing comics based on horror films, they seem to be lacking in that department lately. But with all that said our time with Alien 3 is coming to an end so I think that before we head our separate ways I would like to tell you that the next update of course will keep us in the world of horror films as we will be talking about the 1965 film Two On A Guillotine and the Dell Comic adaptation of the film. So until next time, read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next time for a evil magic show in a haunted house!

The Red Twister Man-Droid Of The DC Universe!

Posted on June 21, 2017 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink, my readers and friends. For this update I have decided to take a look at another DC Hero, one that always captured my attention as a youngster thanks to the Kenner toy Super Powers. The hero I am talking about is the Red Tornado! Growing up I was more of a Marvel comic reader, and 8 out of 10 times while at the comic newsstand at Hearts, I would pick a Marvel book over a DC or independent as I was always more into their characters like Hulk, Captain America and Spider-Man. But I still always enjoyed reading DC heroes Batman, Superman, Swamp Thing and even Justice League Of America. With that said, I still really enjoy DC and enjoy discovering the characters they have created to entertain the comic readers worldwide and that’s why I choose to cover Red Tornado. One thing that has always driven me crazy about DC Comics is the fact they have a rich history of characters, but they only ever really want to focus on the same handful when it comes to major storylines and even merchandising. I mean look at how many items and major comic plots go to Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern and how little go to characters like The Creeper, Captain Marvel, Black Canary and Red Tornado. But on this update here at Rotten Ink, I am going to give Red Tornado his time to shine in the comic spotlight! So dress warm as this wind might chill you to the bone while Tornado is on the loose to save the day!

So who is the Red Tornado and what is he all about? Let me take a moment to fill you readers in on his past as I am sure you will find his weird and complicated history interesting. The thing that I must stress about DC and their character histories is that they can get very weird and confusing as they have many “Earths” that have different timelines, and this makes the bios very murky in my opinion, but let’s try and give this a shot. Red Tornado was created on the planet Rann in the Earth-One universe and was made up of two different beings, Tornado Champion and Tornado Tyrant, and became a bad guy who attacked Adam Strange only to lose. This loss made it take a looks at itself and choose to be good as he found that side to be the stronger. But this ultimately did not matter as the bad side won the inner war that raged inside the split identity body. As the evil Tornado Tyrant, he comes to Earth-Two and fights the Justice League Of America and this allows the Tornado Champion side to dominate. He is tricked by evil criminal T.O Morrow into tricking Tornado Champion to take over an android that he had built. This wiped the memory of Tornado Champion and now a new life-form was born named Red Tornado! After being used as a tool for evil, Red Tornado turns on his creator and turns to the ways of good and becomes a member of the Justice League Of America and tries to live his life as an android superhero as well as tries to have a human life side. Later Tornado Champion breaks free from the android body and becomes a weapon for Anti-Monitor and ultimately fails returning to the android body and Red Tornado was once more! After this, he became a nature protector, guided the members of Young Justice and has even been an off and on team member of the Justice League Of America! Say what you will about Red Tornado; he has been good and he has been bad but one thing is for sure, this android hero is one of DC’s coolest B-Listers!

In 1985 Kenner decided to add a second series of heroes and villains to their popular Super Powers line of action figures, and among the likes of Martian The Manhunter and Mantis was the one and only Red Tornado. Growing up me and my brother loved to get our hands on Super Powers as we both loved comic books as well as the movies and cartoons based on the DC heroes. Between the two of us, we owned almost all of Series 1 minus Brainiac whom we never could find, and we also had many of the figures in series 2. When I was in the first grade in the Waynesville, while on the bus home a fellow bus rider had a Red Tornado action figure, and I can remember being obsessed with it and for weeks trying to trade other toys in order to get it from him. Sadly he never would trade nor did we ever get the figure until many years later when my brother bought it to add to his Super Powers collection. But this figure is what made me become obsessed with Red Tornado and who he was way back when I was just a six year old lad. My brother who was 9 years old was the one who told me what he knew about the character that he had learned from issues of Justice League Of America. Below are some pictures of the Kenner Red Tornado figure loose, in the package and a look at the mini comic that came with the toy. One day I should get myself this figure just to remind me of my youth and the time I discovered Red Tornado. I should note that other figures over the years have been made of the Red Tornado, but for me the Super Powers is still the best one.

So besides in comics and toy,s Red Tornado has also had other appearances in media that include being in the animated series “Justice League Unlimited” and being voiced by Powers Boothe, “Batman: The Brave And The Bold” voiced by Corey Burton and “Young Justice” voiced by Jeff Bennett showing that he has made his mark on the world of DC animation. He also appeared in the 2010 animated film “Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths” but was just a cameo and didn’t even speak a word! He also also been in a handful of video games like “DC Universe Online” and “Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham” and also whirlwind, the pixel world! More recently he was in the live action show “Supergirl” episode called Red Faced and is played by Iddo Goldberg and is portrayed as an android ready for combat. So while he is by no means as in demand as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman or even Green Lantern, he still over the years has tried to get his time to shine in other media besides comics.

So now that we have had a crash course of the history of Red Tornado and have also taken a look at the character in the world of merchandise and other media, I think we should twist our way down to the comic reviews and see what this 1985 mini series has in store for our android superhero! Shockingly enough, this will be my first time reading this mini series, and I must think Dark Star in Yellow Springs for having them all in stock. I can hear these words in the whirling wind: “I grade these on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story.” So if you’re ready, I am ready to see what this Red Tornado mini series has in store. So avoid the wind gusts and let’s dive in shall we!

Red Tornado # 1 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 1 of 4

New Jersey is having a massive tornado that is destroying property, and as Lana Lang is reporting live, Red Tornado appears and saves the day when he reverses the funnel cloud and rushes away as he still thinks the world fears him even if he is a member of the Justice League Of America (JLA). Once back home, he turns into his alter ego John Smith and takes his girlfriend Kathy Sutton and young orphan friend Traya out to dinner and a movie. After the film is over, robots come from the ground and have their sights set on taking out John Smith who has to turn into Red Tornado in order to lead them away from his loved ones and innocent people! After beating the robots, he returns back to being John Smith, and while watching the evening news, he is heart broken when he sees Lana Lang report that he was responsible to the tornado and that it destroyed thousands of dollars worth of property! And worse, as the report goes off, Superman along with fellow Justice League Of America members call Red Tornado outside only to fire him from the team. As the sad android hero flies away, we soon learn that the robot villain The Construct is mind controlling the JLA and others in order to push all the human feelings out of Red Tornado so that robots can kill off man and rule the world, as he knows that Red Tornado could stop him and his plan.

This first issue in a four issue mini series is a great way to introduce Red Tornado to readers who might not know who he is, as well as a cool way to start off our story! The plot of this issue has Red Tornado trying his best to gain the trust of humans. As he does his best to stop crimes as well as natural weather disasters, he is filled with doubts about being accepted not only as the android hero but also as his “human” life John Smith. While he battles his inner thoughts, unknown to him, an evil robot power is in play as The Construct is controlling all the bad things happening to him and even controls his firing from the Justice League Of America! Red Tornado is an android on a mission to save human life and uses his weather powers to do so, but he is very much bothered that the whole human race is not hip to the fact he is a good guy and wants to do no harm to them. His ability to become a tornado is his main defense against crime, but he is also very smart. I also really like in this issue that while he is an android, he does show signs of having feelings and this makes the character deeper than just a hunk of metal with powers. As his “human” life John Smith, it’s clear that he doesn’t know how to be human as he is just going with the flow of what life he thinks he should have by working a so-so day job and even being boring with his girlfriend by not understanding they don’t always need Traya around to go out! It’s odd, it almost seems like as John he shows less emotion than he does when he is Red Tornado, making it clear that his mechanical mind is trying its best to figure out what it means to be human. Kathy Sutton is a sweet woman who has fallen in love with John Smith, even knowing that he is not human showing that she has a big heart, and I hope by the end of this mini series she finds happiness. Traya is a young girl who was saved by Red Tornado many years back and thinks her friend and savior can do no wrong nor even lose a battle. She really does care about her friend and never questions why she has to sit in a orphanage and Red Tornado never has adopted her. The Construct is one mean machine as it has made its life mission to destroy mankind, defeat and out smart the JLA and ruin a normal life for Red Tornado by making him feel that every thing he loves has turned on him! I can’t wait to see how its plan plays out and how Red Tornado will defeat him! Another great aspect of this comic is the fact that it has cameos from Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and many more making it truly feel like a mainstream DC Comic series. The cover is fantastic and eye catching as it shows Superman talking harshly to Red Tornado making the reader want to open the book and find out why. The interior art is done by Carmine Infantino and is solid and great work and has that 80’s DC charm. Over all I really enjoyed this first issue as I liked the atmosphere of a rain soaked big city under the gloom of some unknown power. I like the cameos and most importantly I really dig the book’s title hero as he is pretty interesting and has layers to his odd personality. So let’s see what issue two has in store for us and if this mini series keeps up the good art and writing that this issue has set up for the whole run.

Red Tornado # 2 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 2 of 4

Red Tornado stays out in the rain all night wondering what he did wrong and why he has been booted from the JLA as his girlfriend Kathy Sutton has worried about him all night! The Construct is happy thus far as his plan to mentally break his android nemesis is going perfectly, and his next movie is to mind control Superman once more to set up a meeting with Red Tornado who thinks they are allowing him back into the JLA but soon finds himself ripped into pieces and thrown over the Brooklyn Bridge into the cold water below by Superman, his one time friend! Red Tornado brings himself back together and is now filled with anger as he does not understand why he has been targeted and snubbed by his friends As our hero is deep in thought, The Construct starts his plan on taking over machines all over the world. All the scientists and labs are coming up with no answers to why the machines are acting up, and it’s only Thomas Oscar Morrow who figures out that The Construct is the world’s attacker but he doesn’t know what to do as he is a criminal and also the creator of Red Tornado! While walking in the park as John Smith, a call goes out about a massive fire where helicopter pilots and kids are in danger and once while saving them all from a terrible death, the crowd turns on him calling him a monster and evil machine. He leaves and goes to the orphanage and is told by Traya that she no longer wants him around and that he is a soulless machine! And just as Kathy Sutton find him, Red Tornado snaps and turns on all the humans and tells them he no longer will be their hero as they have done nothing but demonized him and he leaves them all behind swearing never to help and see them again. Kathy Sutton is heart broken as she watches her boyfriend fly away, and as this happens The Construct has taken over all the world’s machines and is now in charge of the world!

This second issue follows Red Tornado as he is attacked by Superman and told never to help mankind again, only to go against orders and save some kids from a fire to have the crowd as well attack him. His breaking point comes when his own friend Traya turns on him and tells him to get lost! This enrages the android who turns his back on trying to be human and leaves the world open for the attack by The Construct! Red Tornado just can’t get a break in this issue as everyone he tries to help or call a friend turns on him with Kathy Sutton being the only one who is not affected by The Construct’s mind control but it’s even to late for her to try and stop his rage of being blamed and spit on by mankind. You have to feel for Red Tornado as he really does wants to feel like a real man and only wants to help and can’t see that the world around him is going mad! Poor Kathy Sutton is worried to death about her man but seems helpless in reaching him before rages takes over and his feeling turn as cold as steel, and his friends Traya and Superman are used like puppets to drive him cold. The Construct’s plan is perfect as he clearly got under the skin of his only nemesis that can fight off his mind control and by doing so drives him away and opens up his path for world domination. This issue also makes me wonder how Thomas Oscar Morrow, the only scientist to figure out what’s going on will get help as he is not liked nor trusted by those who could help! This second issue does a great job of piling on bad events for Red Tornado to drive him off and does so that I as a reader was getting mad at characters and their behaviors! Now that’s a good sign of a solid writer in Kurt Busiek, who penned this story. The cover once more is very eye catching and has Red Tornado in pieces with the interior art once more being done by the talented Carmine Infantino who captures the mood so well of 80’s DC. Over all, this is a very solid second issue that brings the story closer to the final battle and showcases how cool Red Tornado is and how evil The Construct is! Lets see what issue # three has in store for us, shall we?

Red Tornado # 3 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 3 of 4

The Red Tornado is away enjoying just being an android and not having any connection to humans, while around the world citizens and superheroes alike are fighting the machines being controlled by The Construct that are ready to take over the world, and to make things worse, the evil machine is now also controlling the minds of humans! Kathy Sutton is not infected yet and goes to a trip to find Thomas Oscar Morrow as she thinks he can help track down Red Tornado who can stop this madness. As Morrow tells her the location and shows her his force matrix field to hold The Construct, his mind is taken over and now Kathy is alone on her quest to save the world. Kathy travels to the mountains of Colorado and finds Red Tornado who is so disconnected from mankind that he is watching as two campers face death from a fire that surrounds them. Kathy explains that the world did not turn on him, that The Construct mind controlled people and he is still cold. She explains that she never turned on him and loves him and still nothing. But when she points out that he does have a soul and that’s why he questions his own being, it snaps him out of his robotic mood and he saves the campers, shows his love for Kathy and swears to destroy The Construct and save the world!

The Construct has made the world a terrible place to live as he has brainwashed many humans and is using robots to do so and attack those who stand up to his rule! Our only hope is Red Tornado but he has turned his back on mankind as he feels they have done to him and it takes one woman to put her safety on the line and get the world’s only savior back on track! This is the cool plot of this issue that follows Kathy Sutton as she has to dodge and listen to the evil taunts of The Construct who mocks her at every turn! What works the best for this issue is that Kathy is not just a throw away girlfriend character but takes the lead and becomes the key to help save the world! Poor Thomas Oscar Morrow tried to be the world’s hero, but his brain is zapped and he becomes a mindless zombie before he can do so. But I am sure his new invention will come into play to bring down The Construct. Red Tornado is so cold for most of this issue and think about just how cold blooded it is that he was just watching people about to be burnt to death, but once he realizes that he in fact does have a soul and is more human than he ever thought, his cold fish manner disappears and back is the hero that was a member of the Justice League. The Construct is cocky and almost enjoys messing with humans that he finds weak or no threat to his goal of world domination. It will be great to see him taken down a peg or five. Another cool aspect of this issue is that once more it has cameos from other DC heroes who are fighting robots like Superman, The Creeper, Batman and even Green Arrow. The cover is eye catching and has Red Tornado standing around the piled up bodies of brain washed humans as Kathy begs him for help and he just is not having it! The inside art is once more great and done by Carmine Infantino who really is bringing Red Tornado alive on the newsprint pages. Over all this is another great issue that is building us up for the final showdown that is coming up next issue!

Red Tornado # 4 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 4 of 4

Red Tornado heads toward the hideout of Thomas Oscar Morrow to find out if his machine is still intact, only to find that The Construct is waiting for him and has built himself a massive robot body and is ready to fight it out to the death with the world’s only hope. The fight is powerful as each robotic fighter tries to take down the other but finally The Construct overcomes Red Tornado and brings his broken body to the matrix field that was built to bring him down. The Construct then finds Kathy Sutton and takes over her mind as now everyone in the world is under his control when even Red Tornado allows him to enter his in order to get free of the matrix field. But as The Construct enters Red Tornado’s mind, he soon finds out it was a trap and our hero takes down The Construct on his own home turf of the electronic dimension by making him question if he is just a machine or something more! Once he beats The Construct, he traps him in the matrix field and even is able to break his bond with Thomas Oscar Morrow, freeing himself from everything that has tied him down. The world is saved and Red Tornado as John Smith decides that he fully wants to live life and along with Kathy and Traya he plans to try and partake in all the cool things our world has to offer.

This final issue in the series plot is: Red Tornado knows that he is a living being with feelings goes head to head with the worlds conquer The Construct who is out smarted when he must face the facts that maybe he is more than just a machine! This is a fitting way to end this series as Red Tornado finds the peace he is looking for and truly looks inside himself to see that he is a living thing complete with a soul, and he has wasted so much time trying to be what he thought a human should act like. The Red Tornado shows that he can have multiple moods in this series from super smart over thinking superhero, to hurt feelings when he feels he is being unfairly judged and even cold as a dead fish when he decided being human was not worth the time to please mankind. He also uses his tornado powers as well as his smarts to win this major fight throughout to not only defeat his enemies but also save lives. As John Smith he also grows from being a boring homebody and becomes a fun loving let’s go out and discover boyfriend. Thomas Oscar Morrow who is a bad guy seems like over this mini series as well is trying to change from being a villain to a hero and wants so much to have the respect of his creation the Red Tornado that he soon finds he must earn and not command. Kathy Sutton sticks by her man and is the only reason Red Tornado found his inner soul and decided to save the world, so the whole world owes her a thanks! Traya is your typical kid sidekick character who is around to idolize their hero friend and be used as a pawn when things hit the fan. With that said, she is an okay character who filled her role well. The Construct was a great bad guy who for the most part seemed unbeatable until he is tricked to over think his own existence that leaves him open for defeat. I mean think about it, he controlled the mind of Superman that shows you how powerful he was! Speaking of Superman, it was cool to see him in a cameo role for many of this series issues and it was great to see him act like a jerk to not only Red Tornado but also a young teenager who just wanted to thank him for help after the massive storm. While many might not like the way the final fight ends with Red Tornado using his smarts to defeat The Construct I found it very cleverly done and helped add a layer to this character and storyline. The cover for this issue is cool and while not as eye catching still holds a classic DC look mixed with TRON for me. The interior art is once more done by Carmine Infantino and is fantastic and really makes me want to see what other comics he did for DC. I must also praise the inker Frank McLaughlin and colorist Tom Ziuko of whom both really made this comic pop and come alive. Over all this was a great read and I would have loved this comic as a kid as it had robots fighting as well as showed Red Tornado doing what he does best and that’s be a hero the world needs. If you like 80’s DC or even have a little bit of interest in Red Tornado, I would suggest checking out this mini series as it’s a great read and well worth your time. Below is some artwork for this series and showcases the characters, you will encounter in this series.

While Red Tornado is by all accounts considered a B-Hero and not one of DC’s mainstream like Batman, Superman and Green Lantern, for me he has always been a great superhero who has always captured by attention and imagination. But while this update has us walking away from Red Tornado, for our next update we will however stay in the DC Universe as we will be taking a look at a classic public domain character they tried to bring back to the reading masses called Fighting American that was co-created by Jack Kirby. This will be just in time for July 4^th our nation’s Independence Day! So until next time, read a comic or three, buy a classic action figure or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update for fireworks and a classic comic hero, see you then readers and friends.