Freebie Friday!

This Freebie Friday is a sort of Double Freebie. A buddy of mine at work knows I'm crazy for Super heroes, Star Wars, Batman, and the like, plus being a retired military man he still has access to on base shopping. He was strolling through the Base Exchange and came across some free comics and thought he would pick one up for me!

I really like comics like this, it's obvious that it is one of those special advertising issues, but this one is done for AFFES, the Air Force base exchanges. It is the New Avengers staring Captain America, The Punisher, Ghost Rider, our pal the Silver Surfer, and the brave men and women serving in Iraq.

The story goes that Hydra has taken control of a satellite station that controls a military satellite that happens to have a particle beam on it. Why not, right? That is the least of the problems Hydra has caused, because this satellite also carries the "low-priority communications channel" that allows the soldiers to e-mail their loved ones. Dammit, Captain America is not going to stand for this crap anymore. Hydra has to be stopped!


Turns out it's the Holidays and the Avengers are all off with their families, so Cap puts together a team that really has no ties to family and friends and can work the Holidays! New Avengers Assemble!!! Answering the call is our four heroes above. Ghost Rider goes to take out the Hydra Agents that are surrounding a U.S. relay station and help the soldiers there to get through to the satellite. When their up link fails, Ghost Rider tosses them a USB drive to download their e-mails too and he'll deliver them to another station himself. Those USB drive sure are handy.

Silver Surfer is to intercept these creatures that threaten to destroy the satellite itself. Seems Hydra set up a back up plan. This poses no problem for the Silvery Hero and he stands guard in orbit just in case. Cap and the Punisher rush to the main station to take out the rest of Hydra and re link the satellite. The task is complete just in time for the Ghost Rider to show up and give Cap the USB drive and upload all the troops e-mail. The day is saved and everyone can have a happy holiday.

Okay it's not the best of stories, but during each of the individual hero's mission they are thinking of their long lost families and what they meant to them and this fuels their desire to complete the mission. It's sort of a nice way for each of the characters to relay a brief origins story to the reader. Also it seems that each have no problems taking out the Hydra Agents that have given the Military and FBI trouble in this story, that they have time to let their mind wander.

Comics sure are fun, especially free ones!