Comic 3: The Enemy Within

Comic 3: The Enemy Within
Comic Information
Outside/Alt Title	The Enemy Within
Author	Greg Farshtey
Illustrator	Elmer Damaso

"Von Ness...Remember him? He was part of Hero Factory, but he was weak. He couldn't take it. Now he's Von Nebula, the worst villain in the galaxy. Is that what you want to be? Remember who we are...what we are!"

— Furno talking sense into Stormer.

Comic 3: Enemy Within is a the comic adaptation of HF003 in the Hero Factory TV Show.

Summary

The comic opens with an infected Chief Drax, a friend of Stormer and Hero Factory, firing on our main characters. Furno and Stormer quickly apprehend him, but not before Meltdown appears. The Alpha Leader pushes the red rookie out of his way, but not before getting infected by the villain's viral attack. Once Stormer was shot, Meltdown left and the veteran hero was taken back to Hero Factory.

Inside the Hero Factory Med-Lab, a computer analyzes Stormer's vitals saying that the hero's entire structure has been infected with nanobots. Though Stormer is surrounded by his two team mates and Furno, he proceeds to warn them that their muscle might not be enough to stop him when the nanobots take over. Suddenly Stormer lets out an eerie grow he jumps out the window and escapes Hero Factory. While the entire building is on full alert for the crazed Alpha Leader, Stringer brings news that the cure for Stormer's condition is on Lunar Tratix. Furno decides that Stringer, Breez, Bulk, and Surge should get the cure while he looks for the Alpha Leader.

Immediately Furno recalls a time when the veteran hero mentioned his disdain for Heroes being in

Aww, they're friends now.

advertisements and believes an HF billboard will be Stormer's first target. The red rookie is proven right an engages the hero in combat. Eventually Furno makes the infected Alpha Leader remember what had happened to Von Ness and his fate would be the same if Stormer allowed the nanobots to take control. Thankfully, at the same time, Breez and the rest find the cure on Lunar Tratix where she reveals her ability to speak to nearly any species when talking to a vicious Tratix Reptoid. With the cure in Hero Factory hands, the group returns back to the Assembly Tower where Stormer is finally cured. The comic ends with a picture of Von Nebula standing by an abandoned city.

We have no idea where he is, but Vonny looks darn cool in his "epic pose" moment.

Differences from the TV Series

The most obvious change from the Hero Factory TV Show would be the entire first act of the episode being taken out of the script. Unlike in HF003, where we saw Furno, Stormer and the rest going to Mekron II to investigate an emergency, the comic begins with a fire fight lead by the infected Chief Drax. Another obvious difference is that in the show when robots were under Meltdown's control, their eyes turn green; this does not happen inthe comic.

Again there is no sign of Zib or Quadal as when Stormer is infected he is analyzed in the HF Med-Lab via computer. One of the more obvious changes in this comic would be when Stormer lashes out at his team mates when the nanobots take over. In the television series the infected Alpha Leader merely jumps on top of a computer and climbs higher to escape on the roof. Interestingly enough, the comic is far more dramatic since the instant Stormer is under control he jumps out of the window next to him and proceeds to jump across the buildings in Makuhero City. Even when Bulk falls off one of these buildings, Furno alone saves him unlike in the movie where it took Furno and Stringer together to rescue the silver hero. This moment is a far more exciting version of the television series since the heroes are dangling on top of buildings rather than random equipment in the Assembly Tower.

Wow, this moment actually gives Furno.......a personality?

Another change is when Furno deduces that Stormer may be after the billboard in Makuhero City. The redrookie says that "Stormer always said we were heroes not rock stars. So when Makuhero City erected billboards of us all over, he was pretty angry about it." In [[HF003] where Stormer randomly mentions in the beginning that he hates advertisements using heroes, this quote emphasizes how much the Alpha Leader hates propaganda. By saying that "Stormer always said" implies that Furno has heard his leader mention his dislike of HF ads for a long while.

"Konichiwa!"

Also the way Furno gets Stormer to "remember himself" is a little wordier in the comic. While in the TV series all Furno did was mention "You're just like Von Ness" and the Alpha Leader regained his senses, the comic makes this moment last a little longer. Furno's speech is as follows, "on Ness...Remember him? He was part of Hero Factory, but he was weak. He couldn't take it. Now he's VonNebula, the worst villain in the galaxy. Is that what you want to be? Remember who we are---what we are!" This is the first time the audience gets to hear Von Nebula be referred to as the coward he is when he ditched Stormer and Thrusher all those years ago. This speech clarifies a few things about Stormer's rival and seems to affect the Alpha Leader far more than what was said in the TV series.

The final difference is shown on the very last page with the appearance of Von Nebula. The last scene in HF003 feature Von Nebula, but inside his own black hole, while the comic shows this villain in the middle of some abandoned city. It is possible that the city is New Stellac City where he deserted HF, but this is uncertain.

Characters

• Preston Stormer
• William Furno
• Jimi Stringer
• Natalie Breez
• Mark Surge
• Dunkan Bulk
• Von Nebula
• Meltdown
• Nanobots
• Tratix Reptoid
• Chief Drax
• Floater Enforcer Drones

Link

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