New Age Icons #2 Introduction, Synopsis & Cast Reveal

If you read New Age Icons #1, then you're probably well aware of how wild (and a bit confusing) the post-credits scene was! A ship drops from the sky and crashes into the ground, a girl comes out, claiming to be Tamara Tybalt... but not our Tamara. so who the hell is she?

Well if you live under a rock and have never watched more than 2 science fiction movies, then you were aware that you were just introduced to the multiverse. and that's where #2 opens, we follow that Tamara, who we call Tamara-5 (as in, Tamara from Universe-5). Why exactly has she come to the world of our heroes, seeking their help?

New Age Icons #2 deals with a multiversal conflict, which our heroes are thrust into after meeting Tamara-5. Her world has been taken by the iron clutch of an all-powerful dictator, and his name is Korzoro, the Annihilator. Korzoro is of the Darze, an alien species that believes in universal imperialism. He bears the title of "Annihilator", one of the top ranks of the Darze army, and has conquered many universes throughout the multiverse. 

Our heroes, The Icons, travel to Universe-5 to intercept Korzoro's latest conquest, still with very little idea of the battle, the war, that awaits them. On their journey, they also bring a lot of emotional baggage with them, complicating things even further. because, of course, when you're off to fight an intergalactic dictator who can destroy the most powerful warriors of multiple worlds, your own emotions also take priority. Right?

The Multiverse

obviously, one of the most prominent gimmicks of this adventure is the multiverse. But the multiverse's influence is not simply restricted to Universe-5. as is obvious, the conflict extends far beyond that. The heroes of other universes will find themselves joining the battle, some of them even former and surviving remnants of Korzoro's previous conquests. 

Main Cast

For this "cast reveal", we'll only focus on the main, immediate cast for now. There's tons of secrets to be had when you actually read the story, and revealing certain characters will spoil certain things... you get the gist. Let's just keep it simple!

The Icons

The Icons, the team has grown since we've last seen them, gaining quite a favorable reputation on planet Nivius (and, in particular, Sylvania City). They make their "headquarters" in Ryan Nathen's manor, where they more or less live together, eat together, and train together. So, if you need a reminder of just who the hell "they" are... then let's get to it

Valentina Posadas (codename Lavender Heroine) is the leader of The Icons. If you read the first one, you know her story, you know what she's about. A seeker of truth, she's spent most of her life standing against injustice. Whether it's uncovering dirty plots with her investigative journalism or punching superpowered bad guys in the face, she's fully embraced her calling in life. It's Valentina's seemingly insatiable desire to help the disenfranchised that drives her to take on the task of battling Korzoro. It also drives her to make a crucial judgment call that changes the course of the mission. 

thanks to Tomoe, she's also got some modifications to her exosuit, including a mouth filter that lessens the surrounding impact of her sonic/ballistic screams.

The loose-lipped speedster with an attitude is back to kick some ass. Tamara Tybalt (Instant Velocity) takes no shit from anyone, and doesn't plan to alter that attitude this time around... Continuing her character arc from the original story, she's still got quite a ways to go before her "coming of age". although she never imagined herself as part of a team long-term, she's gotten along well with her teammates in the months following their formation. out of all the members, of course, she's closest with Valentina. in this adventure, Tamara's personality will finally be tested, and whether she decides to change or not will be a determining factor in the outcome of the mission

Scientist, inventor, and the one who modifies all of the costumes on the team, Tomoe (Mainframe) probably loves doing this more than anyone. and when she's given the chance to go to another universe? She leaps at the opportunity, in spite of the circumstances. in the last story, Tomoe's backstory was only briefly explored. she'll have to take a deeper dive into her origins and her motivation for discovery and adventure. It's her quick brain and high intelligence that will prove paramount in the conflict with Korzoro. 

After the tragedy she suffered in the original story, Kuriko (Tyrian Savior) has decided to put on her brother's cloak and fully embrace what he left behind. The cloak, which has been passed down from family generations, engulfs her and grants her special abilities such as telekinesis, super strength, laser vision, and flight. Just as her brother did, she retains these abilities even without the cloak. not everything is as tip-top as it seems. she's still much inexperienced, and has that fear of losing another friend in battle. however, she's retained most of her bubbly personality, including that camera she carries around to chronicle their adventures.

Willow (Mokurei) had... a tough time in New Age Icons 1. but if there's one thing you learned about Willow, it's that she's fearless, stubborn, and lets no setback get in her way. for years, she longed to do more, to be more. She's getting a second chance at being a crimefighter, and she's going at it head-on. re-united with Ryan, and now officially a member of The Icons, Willow is just itching for that one big adventure. She's finally going to get it!

Aika's still figuring it all out. How powerful she's become, the "superhero" thing, as well as her career as a musician. despite all this on her shoulders, Aika doesn't complain. she never complains. She takes on any task with the same mental fortitude that she was raised with, every day is a blessing to her. in addition to that, she's taken her cousin Hanae under her wing, the two of them working it out together.

With the Power of Apollus The Goddess of Melody, Aika with her Acoustokinesis can... 

-she can use her acoustokinesis to heal herself 

- is able to infuse sound with physical attacks, using sound waves to influence and disorient opponents and strengthen attacks.

- can fly, glide and/or levitate through manipulation of sound. She can fly at varying speeds, levitate, or propel herself without taking flight, including enhanced jumping by a short burst of flight.

- Acceleration by riding sound waves.

- Create/generate, absorb and modify the loudness, pitch, and tone of sounds, even to destructive levels.

- Limited Frequency Manipulation by adjusting the tune of sonics and vibrations produced.

- Counter Vibration

- Earthquake Generation by releasing sound waves into the ground.

- Molecular Acceleration

- Sound Nullification

- Sonic Stimulation

- Sonokinetic Constructs, including weapons, walls, armor, and allies/servants.

- Sound Absorption

- Inaudibility

- Muting

- Sound Nullification

- Sound Amplification

- Sound Amplification Field

- Sound Attacks

- Sound Containment

- Sound Conversion

- Sound Immunity

- Sound Sculpting

- Voice Manipulation

- Omnitone (the ability to speak, sing, whisper, yell, hum, etc. in any pitch or tone)

- Persuasion (can compel people by speaking)

- Voice Projection (Project her Voice in Any Area w/o being there)

- Vocal Replication (Can Copy anyones Voice)

Aika will need to call upon the powers of the Matrix again in a big way in this adventure, as she's confronted by yet another not-so-pleasant member of her family.

Previously the penultimate antagonist in New Age Icons 1, Hanae's coming back as one of the good guys this time around. and if you saw how powerful she was the last time, you'll know exactly why that's a good thing for the team. That doesn't mean she's the easiest person to work with, as you know how she is, but they make it work. Just because she's been forgiven by the team, doesn't mean she is absolved of her past, however. and that will be particularly apparent when a ghost of her past makes their return.

The brash and arrogant Aussie is back for another round. he's spent the last few months helping his best friend, Willow, back to her feet after the last story's events. despite his original reluctance to get into the crimefighting game, Ryan has embraced the journey and the countless lives he's saved along the way. also, Ryan is seeking a romantic relationship with Kuriko, as he's finally been able to admit his feelings for her after years of a close-knit friendship. we'll see how that goes!

Other Main Cast

Universe-5's resident speedster, Tamara-5 is the girl who comes to the team looking for their help with Korzoro. Her world has been invaded, and while she did battle Korzoro briefly, she barely escaped with her life. in contrast to our Tamara, this Tamara is lighthearted, outgoing, compassionate, bubbly, and she's been on adventures since she was a toddler. Years of experience couldn't have prepared her for Korzoro though, leading her to escape to Universe-Prime to recruit The Icons. 

S-Seiji?! what's he doing here?! Well, in New Age Icons #1, the reception to Seiji's cameo scenes were amazing. the only logical step was to give him an increased role in this one. Seiji and Mya are both members of the Nivius' Finest, the planet's premier team of heroes. and... well, there's really not much else to say without spoiling!

Mya is Valentina's caretaker via adoption, and she played a part in New Age Icons 1 as well. if you read Existential War and Extinction, you know all about who Mya is and what she stands for, ideals of which Valentina has taken as her own. What is Mya doing in this one? you just gotta read.

Korzoro, The Annihilator

Right... Korzoro, he's the main villain, so what about him? Come ooon... like I said earlier, I'm not giving that much away! Some things you'll just have to read and find out. Korzoro is better seen in action than talked about! but you've already figured out a lot about him if you read this introduction all the way through. Guess you'll just have to find out the rest when New Age Icons #2 releases this summer!