Even the Losers

Even the Losers

Johnny Guitar reflects back on the greatest moment of his life. It was when he and his partner-in-crime, Doctor Sax, fought the mutant singer known as Dazzler (Alison Blare).[1] However, he is getting ahead of himself and thinks back to how it all started.

They both grew up in Clack, Mississippi and both wanted to become famous musicians. The two formed a band with Johnny on guitar (obviously) and Dr. Sax on the saxophone. However, their dreams of stardom were kneecapped when they both got their respective girlfriends pregnant. This did not make them want to give up their dream of being musicians, but their gigs didn’t pay enough to support their families. The two then got into burglary in order to supplement their income. When their bandmates discovered their side hustle, they weren’t interested in taking a cut. In the ensuing scuffle, Sax was blinded by the blowtorch they were using to break into a safe.

While they were in prison, they befriended the Trapster who told them all about his exploits as a supervillain and his fights with the Fantastic Four. Inspired by these tales, Johnny and Sax decided to follow in his footsteps and become villains as well. They went to a weapons maker named the Techmaster who outfitted them with gear to commit crimes. Sax got a saxophone that could drive people crazy and goggles that allowed him to see basic shapes, while Johnny was given a guitar that could unleash sonic blasts. However, in their first outing as Johnny Guitar and Dr. Sax, they had their asses handed to them by Dazzler.

Still, the pair hoped that having fought a villain would get them on a team. Unfortunately, they were turned down by the Sinister Six (who laughed in their faces), the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (for not being mutants), and the Deaththrows (because they had a juggling motif). Eventually, they found themselves hitting the skids, getting drunk in alleyways with members of the Circus of Crime. Eventually, Johnny’s wife Ravonda got fed up and took their daughter and left him. The two went back to performing music again and made a meager living in Las Vegas. That’s when their fortunes seemed to change.

One night, they were visited by the Trapster who was flush with cash. He told them how Norman Osborn was running things now and that they could get rich by pretending to be superheroes.[2] Johnny and Sax went down to their local Initiative office and enlisted right away. After they past their training, the Taskmaster told them that they were being recruited into the Shadow Initiative.[3] However, Johnny started getting a bad feeling about things when they were immediately briefed on a mission to retake Prison 42 in the Negative Zone after it was recently conquered by Blastaar.[4] When he went to talk to Taskmaster about his fears, he overheard him and Constrictor boasting about how the new recruits were going to be used as expendable cannon fodder.

Johnny then went to Camp HAMMER’s councilor, Trauma (Terrance Ward), who told them that they would be well compensated in the case of death or serious injury. This would ensure that his family was well looked after. With that in mind, Johnny went back to his bunk and told none of this to Dr. Sax, who was confident that this mission would be a real cake walk. However, as they were gearing up for their mission, Johnny started a fight with his friend and injured his hands with a sonic blast. This made sure that Sax would be taken out of the fight and wash out of the Initiative. Before leaving on his mission, Johnny visited his friend in the infirmary and handed over his diary that explained everything and gave him instructions to give it to his daughter. Sure enough, when Johnny entered the fight, he was fatally stabbed in the middle of his battle. His diary would go on to explain his motivations and that he sacrificed himself so his daughter would have a good life. His only request was that they play the song “Jungleland” at his funeral.

While Johnny Guitar’s story ends in tragedy, Dr. Sax got his happy ending as he was sent home to live an idyllic life with his family.[5]

The Taking of 42

A Short time ago

Blastaar had just taken over Prison 42 and freed all the inmates. When breaking open Hardball (Roger Brockridge)’s cell, he offered him the chance to join his army. Since he had nothing better to do, Hardball decided to join up.

Now

Johnny Guitar was not the only fatality that day, as the cannon fodder sent into the prison start dropping like flies. Although Blastaar is long gone, the inmates have no interest in going back to their cells. After Slaughter Boy, Firearms, and Blackwing are killed, Butterball (Emery Schaub) radios back to base to find out when reinforcements are coming. Taskmaster doesn’t know what Emery’s concern is since he is impervious to harm, but assures them that they are on their way.

Arthur Nagan, the Gorilla-Man, has taken command and continues to rally his troops. This is until Hardball decides to begin restraining all of the other escapees with his energy spheres. As the tide of battle begins to turn, Taskmaster finally shows up with a team of heavy hitters. This leaves the remaining fodder to wonder why they weren’t sent in first, and learning that they were viewed as expendable to soften up the prisoners. When Taskmaster discovers that Hardball helped recapture the escapees, he is commended for a job well done.

Back on Earth, Barton Grimes of the Brothers Grimm arrives with his injured brother looking for help. Tapped on his brother’s chest is a note from Tigra, the woman who beat him, saying that they are all next.[6]

Recurring Characters

Initiative staff: Taskmaster, Physique, Trauma

Trainees: Brothers Grimm, Cuttthroat, Living Laser, Penance, Scorcher

Shadow Initiative (Komodo, Batwing, Badd Axe, Bengal, Butterball, Constrictor, Dr. Sax, Firearms, Johnny Guitar, Heavy Mettle (Barracuda, Blackwing, Riot, Stronghold, Warbow), Ringer, Slaughter Boy), Blastaar, Hardball, Dragon Man, Gorilla-Man, Condor, Mindless Ones, (in flashback) Dazzler, Trapster, Techmaster, Sinister Six (Electro, Sandman, Vulture), Blob, Pyro, Ringleader, Knickknack, Clown, one of the Great Gambonos

Continuity Notes

1. Johnny Guitar and Dr. Sax’s real names, nor the names of their family members are given in this story. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #3 identifies them as Jonathan Logan (Johnny Guitar), Jack Dulouz (Dr. Sax), Jenny Logan (Johnny’s daughter). Dr. Sax’s family is unnamed as of this writing (August, 2024). They fought Dazzler back in Dazzler #20.

2. This story takes place after Norman Osborn was made the head of national security after he killed the leader of a Skrull invasion of Earth in Secret Invasion #8. He later turned the Initiative into a training ground for villains in Avengers: The Initiative #25.

3. Taskmaster boasts how Constrictor and Typhoid Mary were on the Shadow Initiative along with him. Constrictor and Mary were founding members in Avengers: The Initiative #5, while Taskmaster was put in charge in issue #12. After Osborn took over, both Taskmaster and Constrictor were bumped up to senior staff in issue #26. Typhoid Mary went AWOL on a mission in Avengers: The Initiative #24.

4. This happened in Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #8-10.

5. As of this writing (August, 2024), Johnny Guitar is still considered among the deceased. Likewise, Dr. Sax has apparently remained in retirement ever since, although Steve Rogers considered him a likely candidate for the Thunderbolts in Heroic Age: Villains #1.

6. Tigra beat up one of the Grimes brothers last issue. She did so out of retaliation for the beating she took from the Hood’s gang back in New Avengers #35.

Topical References

• In the flashback where Johnny Guitar and Dr. Sax are fighting Dazzler, we see a cassette tape among the debris caused by their fight. Cassette tapes were first introduced to the market in 1963 and by the 1980s they were the most common format to listen to music. They fell out of common use in the 1990s when compact discs became the new format. Still, this format still perseveres for a certain niche market that likes retro stuff. That all said, given the fact that Dazzler enjoys disco and originally wore a disco themed outfit, one could assume that she also enjoys listening to music in a retro format as well. As such, this wouldn’t necessarily be considered a topical reference.

• Johnny and Dr. Sax’s musical inspirations are cited as Bruce Springsteen and John Coltrane. This wouldn’t necessarily be considered a topical reference as these two musicians are considered icons in their respective genres.

• After he was blinded, Dr. Sax was compared to Steevie Wonder and Ray Charles, both famous black musicians who were also blind. Again, given the iconic status of these musicians, I don’t think these would be topical references. That said, even if you did, there aren’t very many black and blind musicians outside of these two. But that could easily change at some point in the future. YMMV.

• Johnny states that his guitar was a Fender. This is a real world brand of guitars.

• There is an iPod depicted on the table of Taskmaster’s office. These devices were popular for listening to music around the time this comic was published in 2009. However, these devices were discontinued in 2022 as smart phones became the more widely used method for listening to music.