Dave's ASH Archive - Academy of Super-Heroes: #1-88

Last Updated: 5/1/12

#89-106 added.
    From left to right, top row: Solar Max, Comet, Peregryn, Essay, Contact, Green Knight, Scorch, Beacon, Lightfoot, Breaker, Fury and Peter the Satyr. Bottom row: Meteor, Gawain, Channel, old Scorch. Bottom row is old costumes or identities.
    Academy of Super-Heroes by Dave Van Domelen - The current ongoing series starring the bulk of the Academy team in 2023-5. The Academy of Super-Heroes is the premiere hero team of the North American Combine. Now with arc titles!

The Romance of Three Republics - #51-60

    This is a pretty ambitious arc, the first time I've plotted out ASH for 10 issues in a single storyline. Not the first time I've planned an arc of that size, of course (Century Pact was 12 issues in Dvandom Force, and A Season In Crimson in Exarch was 24), but the biggest chunk I've planned out in advance for ASH. Of course, since it deals with China, a lurking dragon for the past decade, I think ten installments is appropriate. (Originally planned to be 12, but I decided that making it go that extra two issues would be padding.)

Time and Space - #61-64

    The main purpose of this arc is to take all the Venus buildup from during RoTR and shove it to the forefront, plus deal with the mysterious Timeslip.

  1. "Genesis Climber": Peregryn is alone on a hostile Venus, where the entire world seems determined to kill him! And that's BEFORE all the various factions working on ways to exploit Venus get there! Plus, Timeslip arrives in 2025 to begin his mysterious mission.
  2. "Serpents In Eden": The mysterious foes pursuing Peregryn are revealed, and it looks like everyone's grabbing a piece of land on Venus!
  3. "The Land of Nod": Snapshots of a moment in time, scattered across space. All eyes are on Venus, but something more sinister may be happening much closer to home....
  4. "Year's End": As Peregryn gets closer to Montreal, Timeslip puts his plan into motion! "Time and Space" comes to its conclusion, and what stability may have existed before is shattered!

Manifest Destiny - #65-70

    In the wake of Time and Space, the new frontier of Venus has been opened, for good or ill.

  1. "Two Faces": The status quo on Venus has been smashed, and now the various factions have to decide how they're going to cope with that...as mythic forces gather for battle!
  2. "Eruption": Things seem to have calmed down for a moment, while the North American Combine puts its plans for Venus into motion. But that ominous rumbling is about to burst forth into something no one will dare ignore!
  3. "Monstrous": Four daikaiju, titanic beasts full of elemental power, now inhabit the surface of Venus...but what do they want?
  4. "Legion": The minions of Heraclius spread out over Venus in an attempt to help him understand what he's missing, and good luck to anyone getting in their way!
  5. "Beetle Battle": Political and social matters back on Earth take center stage for a time, but eventually the children of Heraclius find Falcon Bay...and what they were seeking?
  6. "Morning Star": Heraclius has come to Falcon Bay seeking the solution to his problems...but how do you solve a problem like Heraclius?

Metropolis - #71-75

    A sort of homage to Fritz Lang's movie of the same name, which was set in the far-flung future of 2026. The focus comes back to Earth, specifically to Manhattan, which has had months to become...something else. Note: The CyberNostra of the ASH Universe is not related to the French online musician organization La Cyber Nostra.

  1. Journey to the Lost City - The last time Juliana Silvestri did designs for a wedding, the wedding party ended up on Venus. Could Rex Umbrae's nuptuals have an even more spectacular blow-up? Only time will tell....
  2. Human Desire - We all want things, but not everything we want is good for us, and sometimes our desires can lead to the opposite of what we wanted in the first place.
  3. Hangmen Also Die - Tensions rise as more of Rex Umbrae's enforcers meet their end in foul play, while preparations continue for a wedding that will bring together guests who have all too many reasons to want each other dead.
  4. Clash By Night - It's time for the Bachelorette Party, and that tends to mean things go boom when it comes to paranormals. Special guest appearance by Morgan Adams!
  5. Eyes of Evil - The wedding of Rex Umbrae and Maria Incarnata goes off, but not without a hitch....

Four to Never - #76-78

    Crossover with CSV #26-28! Monaco is the site of the first paranormal race, the Prix Ultime, but it's also the site of a plot that could destroy the world!

  1. Prelude: Time Enough - It's the wedding of Peregryn and Essay, but could it possibly outshine the festivities in Manhattan? Of course! Continues in CSV #26, "Time Trials".
  2. Lap 1: Time Traps - It's the Prix Ultime, the first ever sanctioned supernormal Formula race. Five start, but only one can win...or maybe not! Continues in CSV #27, "Time Bombs".
  3. Lap 3: Time Slips - The mysterious quartet that appeared at the end of Lap 2 has split up, forcing ASH, STRAFE, EUROPA and the CSV to give chase...which is exactly what the newcomers want! Not everyone will make it out of this issue alive.... Concludes in CSV #28, "Time Flies"!

Timequake - #79-83

    Fallout from Four to Never!

  1. Part 1: Divine Wind - There's a dinosaur in Rome, Nazi tanks in Poland, and half the Mongol fleet has showed up off the coast of Japan! If the Impossible Five wanted a distraction, they certainly got one, as the world's heroes are stretched thin trying to cope with all the time-related disasters...so it's time for some of the villains to shine as well!
  2. Part 2: Blitzkrieg! - You'd think that dealing with an understrength brigade of 1939 Nazi tanks wouldn't be too hard, but what if you're not allowed to just shoot them? And the threat isn't just from the past, a sword of damocles from the future is also hanging over Earth!
  3. Part 3: Dallas Rocket - A pause to take stock, and it seems like things might be getting better rather than continuing to get worse. Then, of course, they get worse....
  4. Part 4: The Furnace - The Fornax has come back to Earth, intending to wipe humanity from the pages of history! Can a desperate plan avert this devastation, or will the series focus permanently shift to Venus?
  5. Part 5: Aftershocks - The world has been saved, but has everyone involved survived the experience? Plus, the machinations of the Impossible Five continue....

Coming Home - #84-88

    After Four To Never, Solar Max and Jen Kleinvogel were stuck in the distant past. As seen in Coherent Super Stories, getting home took some doing...now you see exactly how much doing. Arc crosses over into CSV Annual #2.

  1. Part 1: Stormbringer - In 79 C.E., Solar Max and Jen Kleinvogel need to figure out how to get home...and failing that, find a place they can live out the rest of their lives....
  2. Part 2: Devastation - The demon that destroys realities, Devastation, has come to erase the entire world...in 82 C.E.! Forget about getting back to 2026, Solar Max and Jen Kleinvogel need to worry about there being a 2026 to get back TO!
  3. Part 3: Infiltration - It's the other side of Coherent Super Stories #4, with JakZak and Jen trying to fit into Somebody Else's Detroit in 1976. Questions are answered, 70s clothing is worn, and another cliffhanger is hung!
  4. Part 4: Escalation - Waking from a long sleep to find their hiding place under assault, Solar Max and Jen Kleinvogel must help one of the Third Age's few surviving heroes keep a weapon of terrible power out of the wrong hands...even if it means detonating the weapon themselves!
  5. Epilogue - The Next Morning - Jen and JakZak have gotten home at last, only to be greeted by news of Derek and Cas's return (in CSV Annual #2), something that's stirred up the world sociopolitical situation, as one might expect. But that doesn't mean there won't be some happy reunions anyway!

Kheper's Path - ASH #89-92

   Devlin Marx has been murdered, and the list of suspects is almost as long as the ASH Wiki! Arc length uncertain at the moment.

  1. Part I: Sunset - The death of Devlin Marx has started dominos falling, but some of those dominos were set in motion months before, and on more than one world!
  2. Part II: Jaws of Apophis - Contact starts trying to collect clues to the death of Devlin Marx, taking him to exotic...Detroit?
  3. Part III: Crossing Midnight - Contact's investigations take him to the darkness at the heart of Vatican City, and the darkness in Gimble's own heart starts to come to light. But some secrets can be fatal when exposed....
  4. Part IV: Newborn Dawn - The terror of a child, the vision of a god, the best laid plans of mice and men gone agly!

Billions Served - ASH #93-96

   They've been working behind the scenes for months, and the machinations of the Impossible Five are finally starting to come to light once more, as the "franchises" they've spread around the world go active. But are these the true threat, or merely a distraction?
  1. Part 1: Roll the Bones - The Rush have gotten themselves up to five members and done enough to draw the attention of the NAC Marshals...but they don't seem to be worried about that too much!
  2. Part 2: Counterparts - It's rematch time, and this time ASH and the Marshals are ready for the Rush...but is anyone ready for the new Freedom Alliance?
  3. Part 3: Test For Echo - People are starting to put the pieces together and wondering just who's getting served by whom. But it might all be for naught, depending on what the Light Brigade's up to!
  4. Part 4: Different Stages - Things seem to have quieted down, but only on the surface. The Impossible Five's agenda continues to be advanced by their franchises, and the Light Brigade's plan finally comes to fruition....

Rising Sun - #97-100

    The Light Brigade's most audacious plot to date...stealing the Sun itself! And this isn't a problem that ASH can simply shoot at, it's going to take some creativity to solve it....

  • Part 1: Plan Orange - The world reacts to the theft of the Sun, with everything from panic to mild disinterest. But ASH can't give in to either extreme, and they have to figure out how to save the world. Or worlds, as Venus is behind the shell around the Sun....
  • Part 2: I Shall Return - The panic is still happening in the background, but now it's time for people to make other plans, the ultimate "Go To Hell" plans. And some of the cures may be worse than the disease! Meanwhile, the virtual Freedom Alliance enters the Pacific Theater of Operations and starts the march on Tokyo!
  • Part 3: Cherry Blossoms - The Battle off Samar! Bakajin! A second Sun! Storming Mount Suribachi! The penultimate chapter of Rising Sun brings death, destruction and fear...and there's more to come!
  • Part 4: Starslayers - The plot to return Doublecross from beyond the grave comes to a head as the Freedom Alliance strives to capture Okinawa in a virtual World War II, while the Photonics fight back in the real world! Special gatefold cover by Saxon Brenton!

    Rival Schools - #101-106

        A bit of a "breather" arc after Rising Sun, lighter in tone and more personal in consequences.

    1. Part 1: Superpowers 101 - The main cast of ASH gets to take a break, but it's back to school for a lot of members of the supporting cast...and not everyone is going to like the lessons being taught.
    2. Part 2: Cram School - It's a week of studying, assessment and playing pranks on the teacher. Well, trying to, anyway.
    3. Part 3: Field Trip - Conflicto has taken the Understudies of Crime to the top of the world on a field trip, but are all their permission slips in order?
    4. Part 4: Charm School - It's "Aaoooww" and "Garn" that keep them in their place, not their spandex clothes or their glowing face. Well, maybe the glowing bit matters.
    5. Part 5: Chasing ADA - It's time to put up or shut up, as Netwalker puts his plan in motion to rescue the Advanced Difference-Engine Autosophont! Meanwhile, a shadow falls across Slovakia....
    6. Part 6: No Behind Left Behind - Graduation time, as the various characters move on to the "real" world and Red Widow finally figures out who was, er, behind her troubles.
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