TIGER-X #4 THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES!

“You Fight How You Train”

Writer: Paul O’Connor

Artists: Greg Lane and Barb Kaalberg

Tiger-X travels through a moonlit desert to a destroyed city. There in the ruins he faces three Soviet battlerobots and a squad of troopers with a tri-tank. Jordy manages to use Tiger-X to destroy the Soviet enemy. Then he wanders around the nuked-out city and comes to his old high school. This brings back old memories. Jordy then is attacked by zombies and about to be overwhelmed. He then is revived by Marlene and Dr. Chin. This was a simulation based on his imagination.

This final issue was a strange one. A very surreal one with the battle in the ruins of a nuked-out city. It has all the creepy traits of a nuked-out city. Including the burned shadows of people and even dogs into walls. Starts out like a normal adventure then just gets really weird with all the zombies. Of course, this is just a simulation and not real.

So ends the Tiger-X saga. This came out at the beginning of 1990, so the evil Soviet stories were dying out. We never did find out if they beat the Soviets. This was a fun series with its giant robots and Soviet invasion plot. Really my kind of story. Drawn in a manga style it has a charm to it. Sadly, short lived but fun while it lasted.

TIGER-X #3 THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES

“The Way We Were”

Writer: Paul O’Connor

Artists: Greg Lane and Barb Kaalberg

Jordy wakes up to find himself imprisoned with a woman chained to the wall. The bullet just grazed his skull. The woman is Dr. Chin who was instrumental in designing Tiger-X. He finds out that the militia are a bunch of white supremacists that call themselves the Lone Star Rebs. One of the guards comes to rape Dr. Chin and Jordy knocks him out with the food tray. They get out and Jordy goes to rescue Marlene. Only she has managed to free herself and tie up the leader. They manage to free their companions when Dr. Chin gets into Tiger-X and forces the militia to surrender.

So, we do find out that the Soviet invasion has brought some of the scum to the surface. Naturally they manage to escape and free themselves. They find a doctor that actually has an understanding of Tiger-X. I loved how Marlene easily took out the leader but still couldn’t free herself from the handcuffs. There is also the continuing subplot of the Soviet rivalry between Major Tovarish and his sister Tanya.

TIGER-X #2 THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES

“Sugar & Spice”

Writer: Paul O’Connor

Artists: Juan Muro, Greg Lane, Bruce Miller and Barb Kaalberg

A Soviet sergeant is giving a report to his superiors on a failed mission. He was leading a troop of tri-tanks against the American rebels and was low on fuel. He was attacked by the American robot Tiger-X. His tanks were powerless against it. It had superior weapons and could self-repair itself. He was the only survivor. In spite of this victory the rebel’s moral is at an all-time low. Most want to abandon the fight and head to Mexico. Marlene their leader rallies them and it is decided to head to Phoenix and join the American army there. Along the way they come on a Soviet patrol attacking a town. They defeat the Soviets and the town’s militia welcome them. Only the militia has an ulterior motive and captures the rebels. Jordy is shot in the head.

The second issue is a fun action-packed issue. The rebels now have the Tiger-X suit working yet are practically defeated in terms of moral. Yet is seems the war is turning against the Soviets. Ends with them finding this mysterious militia showing that not all the enemies are Soviet in this alternate dystopia of 1995.

TIGER-X #2 THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES!

“Stalking Horse”

Writer: Paul O’Connor

Artists: Juan Muro, Bruce Miller and Barry Blair

Jordy now operates the new Tiger-X the rebels have managed to capture. Just in time to fight off a column of Soviet tri-tanks that are approaching the rebel base. Jordy attacks and takes out some tanks but is forced to retreat. The Soviets are short on fuel and break off. All but one tank that wants all the glory disobeys orders. It is determined to take out the American robot. This renegade tank is instead taken out by the rebels. Jordy finds a young boy from the resistance and takes him into the suit. This bratty boy manages to disable Tiger-X just as the Soviets are approaching.

This series picks up with a new writer. It picks up just where the last series left off. Jordy now has the Tiger-X working but is still trying to figure out everything about the robot. A humorous bit is having Jordy wonder how you take a leak in this robot. He hears running water in the background on a radio call and this gets him squirming. Also, the Soviets are now starting to run out of fuel and spare parts as an American offensive is launched from the east. This also is against the brother/sister feud going on between the commander and Tanya. A good start to the continuing series.

TIGER-X #3

“Untitled”

Writer & Artist: Ben Dunn

The rebels come back to camp and find out that a traitor has told the Soviets their location. They have to quickly get out. Unfortunately, two Vostok battlesuits come on their base. Luckily Jordy managed to find a manual and figure out the Tiger-X suit. He engages and destroys both the Soviet suits. Meanwhile at Soviet HQ the infighting between the various commanders continues. At the end a massive offensive is launched from the east by the Americans. The rebels regroup and mourn their losses. Also, Jordy and Marlene have a moment together.

The final issue in this first series ends on a somewhat positive note. There is tragedy as Marlene’s father gets squashed fighting the battlesuits. The rebels though manage to survive and have the powerful Tiger-X suit. The Soviets continue to have their petty internal power struggles. A big offensive is started. All point to the war finally going the Americans way.

TIGER-X #2

“Untitled”

Writer & Artist: Ben Dunn

Lone Wolf manages to climb into the Tiger-X and start it up. The Soviets attack and knock the robot off a cliff and into a river. While this is going on, a traitor at the rebel camp makes his move. He calls the Soviets to tell them most of the rebels have left. A boy overhears him, and he takes him captive. Later he starts to murder the other young boys but gets a bullet in the head. One of the rebels takes off in an ultralight to warn the rebels and gets ambushed by a Hind gunship. He is saved by a P-51 Mustang. Lone Wolf crawls out of the Tiger-X that washed ashore, wounded and wondering what next.

The story is moving along nicely. Lone Wolf managed to get the Tiger-X and get it working. It is more powerful and can absorb direct hits. The Soviets still have dissention in the upper ranks, especially between Major Tovarish and his sister Tanya. The Soviets apparently have control of the Panama Canal and have a naval blockade but have lost a major battle. Finally, a traitor is exposed and eliminated. A really fun and enjoyable series.

TIGER-X #1

“Untitled”

Writer & Artist: Ben Dunn

The resistance has rescued the head scientist of the Tiger-X project from the Soviets. Unfortunately, his mind is a bit gone. They do manage too eventually get the location. The Soviets though have a head start and arrive at the secret base. They load up the Tiger-X robot on a flatbed truck. The resistance ambushes them and suffers heavy losses. Lone Wolf and a companion manage to capture the truck, but the companion is killed. Meanwhile there is still intrigue between the commander of security and his sister Tanya who wants to depose him.

Another fun story for the first of the series. There is plenty of action filled with tri-tanks that hover and giant robots. Between the action we learn some more about the rivalry between Major Tovarish and his sister Tanya. There is also a traitor in the rebel camp who discovers that they are on to his presence. This is a great series that takes me back to the old days of the Soviet menace.

TIGER-X #1 SPECIAL

“Tiger-X Special”

Writer & Artist: Ben Dunn

It is 1993 and Libya decides to conquer its neighbors. The Soviets have to intervene and reveal a new weapon, huge battlesuits. They intimidate Europe into surrendering. Soon they launch an invasion of America. They capture the middle from the Mississippi to the Rockies and split America in two. Two resistance members led by the beautiful Marlene go in search of a deadly guy operating alone. Known as Lone Wolf, he is a teenager that saves the two from a Soviet helicopter. At first, he doesn’t want to join with them, but the beautiful Marlene convinces him.

The Soviets meanwhile have captured a scientist that knows the location of the secret American project Tiger-X. This was the American’s version of a battlesuit. This is also Marlene’s father and she and Lone Wolf infiltrate the Soviet HQ in Austin. They rescue the scientist and now have to race the Soviets to the location of the Tiger-X base.

Think of Red Dawn with giant robots and you have an idea of what this story is about. Naturally I love it. This is the kind of stuff I use to live for. Dunn has a kind of Manga style to his work. The first special was to introduce a mini-series and it does an amazing job. We get the set up to this future 1993 and the evil commie Soviets. The Soviets have a brother and sister in the leadership and there is some rivalry between them. Lone Wolf has a father who is in the army and went off the fight the invasion. His mother, sister and dog named Wolf were killed by a giant Soviet robot. The resistance is losing and needs this new prototype of an American robot to defeat the Soviets. Just some great stuff from the eighties.