Showcase #96

Matt Cable manhandledThe Doom Patrol returns home after their defeat of General Immortus to find a U.S. agent waiting for them in their headquarters. Lt. Matt Cable has been assigned by U.S. Intelligence to apprehend and arrest Russian ex-cosmonaut Lt. Col. Valentina Vostok, aka the new Negative Woman. The Doom Patrol defends their new teammate, and trap Lt. Cable in a locker.Robotman grills Negative Woman on her past, and she leaves. Her exit, though, is interrupted by the Cossack, a Russian agent assigned to bring her in. The Cossack’s energy sword neutralizes Negative Woman. Tempest and Robotman try to stop Cossack from leaving, but Cossack knocks Tempest out. He then bursts through a hole in the wall, and flies away on his winged horse. The Doom Patrol give chase in their helicopter.Meanwhile, Matt Cable escapes from his closet trap using a set of lock picks. He sees the Doom Patrol’s helicopter leave, but is spotted by the Cossack’s friend, a Russian spy named Brunovich. Cable and Brunovich fight, with Cable taking Brunovich captive afterward.In the air above Midway City, Robotman performs a flying tackle at the Cossack’s winged horse. A swing of Cossack’s sword sends Robotman flying, but Celsius provides an ice slide to not only break his fall, but to send him back sailing at Cossack. Robotman’s attack grounds Cossack, and allows the rest of the team to catch up. When Tempest blasts Cossack, it reveals to the team that Cossack is a robot. Tempest and Celsius stop holding back, and destroy the robot.With Cossack destroyed, the team sees to Negative Woman. She is none the worse for wear from the fall. She realizes her place is with the team, and the team invites her to stay.