"Break-Thru Part I"
Break-Thru #1
December, 1993

Quote: "Men. They'd make me sick, if I wasn't one myself." - Lukasz as Eden, encountering his co-workers at Aladdin

Credits: Mike W. Barr, Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber, James D. Hudnall, Tom Mason, James Robinson, Len Strazewski (contributing writers); Gerard Jones (script); George Pérez (contributing writer, penciller); John Lowe (inker); Tim Eldred (ink assists, letterer); Moose Baumann (color design); Chris Ulm, Hank Kanalz (editors)

Cover: George Pérez (artist); George Cox III (colorist)

Main Characters: Amber Hunt, Dr. Rachel Deming, Mantra, The Strangers, (Atom Bob, ElectroCute, Grenade, Lady Killer, Yrial, Zip-Zap)

Supporting Characters: The Alternate, Choice, Colonel Samuels, Dr. Rains, Firearm, Freex (Anything, Boom Boy, Plug, Pressure, Sweet-Face), Hardcase, The Night Man, Prototype, Prime, Rune, Sludge, Solitaire, The Solution (Dropkick, Outrage, Shadowmage, Tech), Warstrike, Wrath, Moon Cult, The Entity, Exiles (Catapult, Deadeye, Ghoul, Mastodon, Mustang, Tinsel, Trax), Heather Faraday, Stanley Leland, Marjorie, Negresco*, Salvie, Niall Quinn

Villains: Bloodstorm, Rex Mundi, Omega Team, Quattro (Book, Death Dance, Gate, Meathook), The Sportsmen

Story

In Exiles #4, Amber Hunt used a M-RNA bath to stimulate her Theta Virus and give her ultra powers. However, she did not know how to use the bath correctly and the process resulted in the destruction of the Exiles' headquarters, Stronghold Island, and the deaths of many of the Exiles. Afterwards, Amber, filled with a tremendous amount of energy from the bath, rockets skyward. She begins to emit colored lights that have a strange effect on the human population of Earth. Many people are driven mad by it. For some reason, most of Earth's ultras are not affected by this madness. Dr. Rachel Deming survived the destruction of Stronghold Island and calls upon Spectral and The Strangers for help, hoping that Spectral's color-based powers could provide some explanation for Amber Hunt's behavior. The Strangers decide to confront Amber directly. They are joined by Mantra. Rex Mundi, knowing that Amber is a source of tremendous power, sends his mercanaries, Omega Team and Quattro to capture her. The Alternate, knowing Mundi's plans, sends her own agents, Choice, Hardcase and The Solution to stop them. Stanley Leland also orders Prototype to investigate. After defeating Omega Team and Quattro, the heroes (Choice, Hardcas, Mantra, Prototype, The Solution and The Strangers) learn that the reason for Earth's current situation is originating on the moon. Colonel Samuels, one step ahead of the ultras, sends Prime to the moon to investigate this "Entity."

* Denotes First Appearance
+ Character Dies