Description

Operation: Knightstrike                            Comics Lot
Featuring the Complete Main Cover Collection.  Awesome!!
Created by: Rob Liefeld
Writer: Brian Witten
Artist: Richard Horie
Inker: Jaime Mendoza
Colorist: Gloria Vasquez
Letterer: Kurt Hathway
Editors: Kurt Hathway & Eric Stephenson
Main Cover #1 by: Richard Horie & Tanya Horie
Main Cover #2 by: Richard Horie w/ Danny Miki, Tanya Horie & Elizabeth Lewis
Main Cover #3 by: Chap Yaep, Danny Miki & Aron Lusen

Set in 1986, towards the end of the Cold War, this series focuses on a secret government operation with an unusual, but oddly familiar, team of action fighters. As you quickly discover, the motley team is comprised of Image super-heroes, from the days before they attained supernatural powers or joined up with teams such as Youngblood.

Operation: Knightstrike was a top-secret task force of the United States of America government led by Chapel. The Team consisted of Chapel, Battlestone, Duke, Dutch, Al Simmons (aka Spawn), & Peter Frehley. With cameo appearance from Cabbot Stone.

Operation: Knightstrike gives us a rare glance at the close but doomed friendship between Bruce Stinson (a.k.a. Chapel) and Al Simmons, who later became Spawn. A frighteningly determined Colonel John Stone (Battlestone) rounds them up, together with Jake Holland (a.k.a. Dutch) and Peter Frehley, for their first dangerous mission – rescuing sensitive government documents from Russian forces in war-torn Afghanistan.

Story/Spoilers
In issue #1, In 1986, Alexander Graves and Alan Keever introduce their boss to Battlestone, commander of Operation: Knightstrike, and brief him on the operatives they intend to recruit. In Detroit, Chapel and Al Simmons beat up a street gang holding up a store. Stone arrives shortly afterward and invites Chapel to join Knightstrike. Chapel accepts on the condition Simmons comes with him. In Chicago, Stone finds Duke in a barfight and hires him. In Los Angeles, Dutch is cornered in an alley following a heist when Stone intervenes and recruits him in exchange for keeping him out of prison. In a Las Vegas brothel, a pimp attacks Peter Frehley for failing to pay. Battlestone enters, pays off the pimp, and hires Frehley. That evening, the members of Knightstrike assemble at their secret base in Washington, D.C., and Graves briefs them on their first mission: recovering secret documents from a downed U.S. helicopter in Afghanistan.

Next in issue #2, The Knightstrike team deploy to the Afghan-Pakistani border and meet their guide, an Afghan woman named Roxanne, and her son, Mujahadeem. In Kabul, Soviet Lt. Fruman informs Gen. Grozny that the microfilm captured from the downed U.S. helicopter includes a list of American spies. Rather than expose the spies, Grozny wants to use it as bait for U.S. forces.  Meanwhile, Knightstrike is stopped by Pakistani bandits. Battlestone kills one with a mortar, and the team wipes out the rest. Knightstrike continues on until they are attacked by a Soviet response force. Frehley uses a rocket launcher to destroy a Soviet helicopter while Dutch takes down another, and Battlestone crushes a Soviet tank with a boulder.  Simmons blows up a transport truck, but one soldier survives and attacks him. Mujahadeem shoots and kills the soldier, saving him. That night, Knightstrike reaches the outskirts of Kabul, and Roxanne leaves with her son.

Next in issue #3, Knightstrike hides in a cave prior to their assault. Chapel challenges Battlestone’s leadership, but Simmons talks him down. The team moves into Kabul and is soon attacked by Soviet troops.  They return fire but are soon cornered in a back alley. Inside the Soviet headquarters, the captured helicopter pilot, who is Nu-Gene positive, is tortured.  In the streets, Lt. Fruman deploys a squad of genetically enhanced Spetsnaz troops to attack Knightstrike. The team kills them all so Fruman drops barrels of knockout gas, takes the team captive, and reports back to Gen. Grozny. The members of Knightstrike awaken in restraints. Battlestone argues with Grozny until the general reveals the captured U.S. pilot is Stone’s brother, Cabbot.

Collectible Entertainment comment: Operation: Knightstrike (1995) is an ill-fated title that was originally to have run for four issues instead of just the 3 that were published and is therefore an incomplete story (cliffhanger last panel in issue #3)… Nonetheless, an early tale of Al Simmons, who later became Spawn is awesome. And Richard Horie’s artwork is still awesome from cover to interior. Recommended for any Richard Horie art enthusiast… as well as any and every Al Simmons/Spawn enthusiast. It’s good stuff.
Comics lot contains: Operation: Knightstrike {Main Cover Collection} (1995) Issues #1-3.  Image Comics

Comics are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

All First Printings
Publisher: Image Comics
Publication Date: 1995
Format per comic: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25″ x 6.75″
UPC: None Stated

Collectible Entertainment note: Comics 1,2,3 are in Fine to Very Fine + condition.  Very Nice Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Operation: Knightstrike and/or Al Simmons (aka Spawn) collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Recommended.

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