Archer Street Comic Shop

Archer Street Comic Shop is a location in The Saviors of Sunset City. It is Sunset City's best-selling comic store, and is run by a clerk named Oz.
== History ==
Archer Street Comic Shop was finally rebuilt shortly after The Echelon Eight battled Flood. Spinflux, on opening day, bought all of the remaining comics, being Puck #2, Neon Knight #48, Flurpman #1 and Normalcy #87. It was at this point Oz and Spinflux's friendship began. Later, Spinflux returned, buying Crossknight #1, Nightwalker and Owlet #1, Short-Circuit #12, and Yokai Mask #1. From then on, more of The Author's comics would emerge slowly.
== Issues ==
=== Puck #2 ===
Danny, under his Puck persona, went out for his first night of crime-fighting. His equipment, untested, but reliably fortified, consisted of his signature goalie uniform and his hockey stick. Along with this, his new puck shooter, which he just installed. He was ready to prowl the streets, and catch himself a bad guy.
Danny walked for a long time, no action at all, and the hot air of the summer night steaming him like broccoli in his exceedingly warm suit. Just as he was about to give up, he heard a crash from a nearby window. Two robbers broke the glass of a jewelry store window, and were helping themselves to the goodies inside. Danny knew this would be his opportunity to shine.
Danny snuck up on one of the robbers, and quickly, there was a THWACK! Danny had smacked the robber upside the head with his hockey stick. In a fake deep voice, Danny spoke to the robber. “Put down the jewels and turn yourself in. Lest you meet up with my slapshot.”
The other robber ran into a nearby alleyway, and Danny followed closely behind. Using his puck shooter for the first time, Danny shot at the robber, bludgeoning him with multiple pucks, before ultimately making him face the slapshot he so severely dreaded. Hitting a puck into the man’s feet with his hockey stick, he caused the robber to trip, dropping the jewels. In the process, however, he fell into the road, and an oncoming car collided with his body. Danny, survival instinct overflowing his brain, chose to flee the scene.
The next morning, Danny woke up for school, and he saw his mother crying at the breakfast table. “What’s wrong mom?”
“It’s Jerome, he got hit by a car yesterday.” Suddenly, the cogs started moving in his brain. Jerome, his cousin, could’ve been the robber that night. “How is he?”
“Bad, like really bad. They don’t know if he’ll make it.” Danny’s stomach sank. He had no idea what he’d do with himself if he’d actually killed a man, much less Jerome. Danny could barely bring himself to eat his bacon and eggs that morning, and his mind was clouded at school that day. That thought hadn’t left his brain from the moment he heard his mom utter it. That night, Puck had to right his wrongs. He went out on another patrol, trying to clear his head, and quickly encountered an honest to goodness supervillain. At least this guy couldn’t be hit by a car.
=== Neon Knight #48 ===
Flying up to the Space Station Tartarus, Neon Knight knew he wasn’t going to enjoy this battle. His arch-nemesis, a deadly, shapeshifting alien known as The Dragon, had escaped his cell on the Tartarus, and was killing everyone on board. Luckily for the Knight, he wouldn’t be alone in this battle. The Immortal Portal would be joining him, and would be essential to the fight.
As he arrived on the Tartarus, he almost immediately ran into the destruction left in The Dragon’s wake. Officers, Wardens, and other prisoners all slaughtered in a grisly display. Bodies thrown like ragdolls, torn like wet tissue paper, and burned like a marshmallow thrown into the fire, with blood on the walls making the clean parts of the wall as difficult to find as a needle in a haystack. Jacob couldn’t entirely handle the sight, and threw up a bit in his mouth. The Dragon has always been a murderous psycho, but he’s never seen a scene this large.
He quickly came upon the sight of a scrambling Immortal Portal avoiding The Dragon at all costs. Clearly unprepared for the battle before him, his face shined with glee upon seeing the Neon Knight, and the Knight saw The Dragon’s face sour. He watched The Dragon’s arm shape into a blade, and wings sprout from his back. Immortal Portal had only seen a small fraction of the Dragon’s true power, and the Knight quickly put together that the other bodies shared a similar fate.
The Knight quickly fired against the Dragon, with blasts from his fingertips offered as covering fire for the Portal to gain some distance. The Immortal Portal, repeatedly making gateways to a short distance away, was still barely outrunning the Dragon. The Dragon shrugged off every blast, with the smoke left behind dissipating without so much as a marking on him.
Funneled back into the initial crime scene, The Immortal Portal slung various hits through portals at The Dragon, though barely damaging him and just making him angrier. Neon Knight chose to forgo the ranged battle and summoned his light bat, preparing a strike against the Dragon, before the Dragon hit him hard in the stomach with his remaining fist, sending him flying into the pile of corpses. The Knight, wavering in between consciousness and unconsciousness, watched as his friend sent one too many strikes at the Dragon, who, in retaliation, ripped his arm off in a bloody display. The Portal screamed in agony as The Dragon stepped on him, with an audible crunch from the ribs of the Portal ringing out in the Knight’s ears. Angered, the Knight took action, luring the Dragon down that same hallway he found him in, peppering him with shots, before eventually reaching the airlock switch. Turning around and throwing his bat at the button, the Dragon was sucked out into space, and in a haste, The Knight held onto a nearby safety rail, before throwing another bat at the switch, closing the airlock.
The Knight returned to Earth, hoping that what he did was successful in stopping The Dragon for good.
=== Flurpman #1 ===
Flurpman was just walking down the street before he came upon some no-good criminal bros, so he showed them the power of Purple Flurp, shooting his Flurp beams and hydrating the enemy with grape goodness. Try as they might, they couldn’t resist the Flurp, giving Flurpman enough time to call the police and send the criminals and get them into jail. Boy do they wish they had Purple Flurp in jail. It’s grape goodness is just perfect in every way, and Flurpman can show you the gift of it. Purple Flurp can be bought at any local retailer, and buying it gives Flurpman more power, yo. Give him the power to fight off the evil bros.
=== Yokai Mask #1 ===
“You got the goods?” Ryu asked. “Absolutely,” the bargaining Ace said. Right before a deal could be made, a security officer arrived, and the Ace of Hearts slashed the man with a knife, causing Ryu and the other Aces to run from the incoming policemen. The Aces got away, but Ryu was surrounded.
“You’ve gotta stop doing this Ryu,” Officer Drew said. “We can’t keep bailing you out. You’re supposed to get intel on their ops, not make them go haywire!”
“That wasn’t my fault, Derrick! Hearts is crazy!” Ryu replied, trying to gesture with his hands still cuffed. “Whatever the case, we need to get intel on Dollface’s operations. Get some info to get him into the slammer.” 
“I know, I know. Just let me try again!” Ryu replied. Later that night, Ryu saw a zombie-like man in an alley, screaming for help. He couldn’t help but try and help him, before looking into the man’s skeletal eye-sockets. Entranced by the flames inside, they blasted out into Ryu’s face, providing the feeling of a burn but not harming him. He now had a voice in his head as the man collapsed. “What the hell just happened!?” Ryu asked. “You now have my power, boy.” The voice said.
“What do you mean your power? Who the hell ARE you!?” Ryu yelled. “I am Yokai Mask, or I was, before I died. You are now the new avatar for my power. Use it to protect those in need, and condemn evil to the depths of hell.” The voice disappeared abruptly, before Ryu could ask another question. Soon after, his radio chirped, before he felt a second in his pocket. “What?”
“Ryu, we need you, another deal is going down. Aces and Road Crew this time. Get down there and see what you can figure out.”
Before Ryu could respond, he clicked the wrong radio, which gave him the suit belonging to the previous Yokai Mask, modified to fit his leather jacket, black jeans, and biker boots into the design. “What the fuck?”
Before he could continue, a motorcycle appeared before him, and he gave up on asking questions and just drove. Seems like it knew where to go, as he was led right to the deal, and engaged with the gangsters, and at first fighting them with slightly enhanced strength, before finding some nearby chains, accidentally imbuing them with fire as they lashed the Ace of Hearts. “That’s for Kenshi, fucker!"
=== Short-Circuit #12 ===
In a nightly crime search, Short-Circuit came across a bewildering sight. A man in a moth costume, commanding a swarm to terrorize the Hader Labs offices. Chasing him down, she watched him enter the building, screaming for Dr. Hader. Koharu was confused, but she continued to press on, spouting a one-liner at the bad guy. “Hey you Mothra wannabe! Leave them alone!”
“Mothra is sacred, do not compare me to her greatness!” The Mogul retorted. “I am the Moth Mogul, commander of all mothkind! They’re going to take me seriously now!”
Not making much sense of his latter comment, Koharu was shocked enough for the moth swarm to get a head start towards her. Shooting them wouldn’t be enough, so she had to try something she could only do against one foe before, the Zap Dash. Channeling her energy, she reappeared behind the pile of sizzling mutant moth corpses. “My children! What have you done to them!?”
“I’m a bug zapper, Butterfly Boy! Now give it up!” She replied. “I’m not intimidated by your cheesy one-liners and fancy tricks, you’re almost half my height and I can definitely kick your ass!” the Mogul retorted.
It was at this point Koharu had enough, kicking the Mogul in the face. He sent another wave of moths at her, but by this point she has learned to do her dash on purpose. He was no match for the lightning striking his body. After being tased multiple times, and kicked into a wall, he gave up, letting the officers come get him.
=== Crossknight #1 ===
Spencer had the worst life he could think possible. Poor, bitchless, and watching TV while eating junk food and drinking beer. One night, he decided he’d had enough of this life. Running into a nearby forest, he screamed to the heavens. He tripped, and found something under his foot. The Holy Bible. He questions the book, but suddenly a light appeared before him, like a spotlight. He thought he was going to be abducted by aliens, but instead heard the voice of God in his head. “Become my soldier, my child. This world needs the faith it had centuries ago.” Spencer happily obliged, and suddenly blacked out.
In his place, Crossknight emerged. Ready to fight the forces of evil, he could now sense evil from a mile away. That mile, of course, led him to finding the Doubtmeister, who was picking on small children, and gave off really bad vibes. He suited up and chased after him. Doubtmeister’s doubtful afflictions did nothing to Crossknight, and he swiftly tore the villain to shreds with his holy fire blade. He resolved to be the best hero he could, even if he had to share headspace with that sleazy Spencer.
=== Nightwalker and Owlet #1 ===
As Nightwalker ran into the big top, he saw the Berry Buffoon forcing two trapeze artists into doing endless tricks without a net. He ordered the Berry Buffoon to stop, but the crazed clown wouldn’t cease his sick entertainment. The mauve miscreant began his trek around the circus, with Nightwalker not far behind. Unbeknownst to either of them, a young Benjamin was sitting in the stands, terrified of the fate his parents were thrust into. The clown kept running, and throwing various objects at Nightwalker, but he soon encroached, tackling the villain. Unfortunately, one of the artists lost their grip, and the other soon followed, falling to the concrete floor and leaving a massive splat on the pavement. As Nightwalker stood in utter shock, he noticed a face in the stands. As Nightwalker went to assist the civilian, the Buffoon ran away, cackling.
Nightwalker saw the boy in the stands, brought to tears by his parents’ sudden demise. Nightwalker said nothing to the boy at first, just giving him a tight hug. His suit now covered in the tears of the boy, Nightwalker asked “what’s your name, son?”
“Benjamin.” The boy said. “Benjamin,” Nightwalker paused. Benjamin was his father’s name, and the more Nightwalker thought about it, the more it felt like he could relate to the young Benjamin. “It’s nice to meet you, Benjamin. I just wish we could’ve met under better circumstances.”
“What’s going to happen to me? Are mommy and daddy okay?” The naive Benjamin asked. Nightwalker had to figure out how to explain to the kid what happened. Maybe Nightwalker wasn’t the right person for this. Maybe Neil was more appropriate. Regardless, Nightwalker needed to get the boy to safety. Ignoring his questions, he asked “Hey son, wanna go for a ride in the Nightmobile?”
“Would I ever!” the boy screamed in glee. The two drove to the underside of Neil’s mansion, and he told Jethro to attend to the boy’s every need. Neil would eventually find a way to explain death to the boy, but for now, he felt responsible for what happened to his parents. For now, Benjamin would be Neil’s son, and soon a fellow crime fighter. Maybe not a good coping mechanism, but it’s how Neil has done it for the last 15 years.
=== Normalcy #87 ===
Norman looked as a beautiful dame walked into his office. His old, cold face had its eyebrows raised by a barely noticeable slight. He was more surprised that someone had walked into his office, as his business has been on rapid decline for what felt like centuries now.
“Detective?” The woman asked, brushing her hair to the side of her head. She clearly didn’t want to be here, but Norman couldn’t quite pick out why. “In the flesh. How can I be of service?”
“You see Detective, my sister isn’t doing too well. She’s terribly sick, and can’t take care of her daughter,” she said, and was going to continue, before Norman interrupted her. “Wait, you’re her sister, why not take care of her kid? You seem perfectly fit to-”
“You see, her daughter isn’t normal. She’s a filthy mask! One who’s killing my sister in one of the worst ways to go!” Norman, repulsed by but understanding her choice of words, asked her “So, you want my help because I’m good at wonky supes?”
Norman walked to the house, confused as to why there was caution tape and many hazmat-ridden personnel around a suburban home. He pondered for a second, before he was stopped by one of the many hazmats. “Sir, this is a restricted area.”
“Detective Mann. Here on business.” Norman said. “I see. Put this on.” Norman was handed a hazmat suit of his own, and put it on. Walking into the house, Norman spotted a little girl, no older than nine or ten, and she was visibly frightened by all the masked men. Norman noticed this palpable fear, and reached out to her. “Hey, Lily. Your aunt asked me to take you out for the day. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Can we get ice cream?” Lily asked. “Sure, so long as you hold my hand.” Norman walked out of the house, with Lily in tow, walking her while holding her hand to the local Chilly’s. Walking in, Norman told the clerk his order. “Could we get two…” Norman couldn’t remember what Lily’s favorite flavor was, despite just being told. Lily noticed this, and said “mint chocolate chip!” Norman stammered “what she said, two cones of mint chocolate chip.”
The clerk handed the two their ice cream treats, as they walked out of the building. Lily gladly gobbled on the cone, while Norman mostly just let his melt with the occasional lick here and there. Mint chocolate chip is not a flavor he particularly cared for, preferring vanilla. They finished their walk, and ended up at a suspiciously blank warehouse.
“Lily, this part is going to be a bit scary. If you need to, hold my hand tighter.” Lily looked at Norman with a longing eye, not sure what he was referring to. As they entered the warehouse, he walked Lily into a containment chamber, and as the doors shut and he let go, Lily started to cry. Norman wasn’t happy about what he’d been paid to do, but he did what he had to do. Those bills couldn’t pay themselves.
One of the scientists gave Norman the payment he previously craved, and Norman gave one last look at Lily in the chamber. For the first time since Norman watched Jean die, Norman actually felt something. A glint of sadness poking at him from within. One which he wished he could hide with his stoic exterior, but one of which he couldn’t exactly. He slowly walked back to his car to drive back to the office, to try and not think about what he’d done today. Condemn a little girl to a life of solitude, all due to powers outside of her control. There would be other people there, but none that could give her what she thought Norman had given her. A friend.
=== Mr. Superior #27 ===
A long time has passed since Xal-Vor fled from Alita. His new home of Earth is beautiful and bright, but he feels he’s missing something. Maybe he’s just homesick. This feeling is squandered once he remembers who’s in charge. Lord Threxus, the Man Who Stole the World. If only he hadn’t killed King Dorvik to obtain that throne.
A loud thud was heard outside. Not unusual in Sunset City but unusually loud. Then the screams emerged. Xal-Vor knew he had to act. What he saw in the area was horrifying. Bloodshed, carnage, and an Alitan causing it all. He knew he had to act, but which Alitan he found shocked him.
“There you are,” he said. “I’ve been slaughtering your pets for 5 minutes, I was worried you wouldn’t come.” The Alitan crushed the man’s skull he was holding. Without a word, Mr. Superior threw the hardest punch he had ever thrown. He holds back for humans, but refuses for Threxus. “Nice one Xal-Vor,” the man said as he pushed his jaw back into place. The man flew forward, grabbing Mr. Superior by the neck. “But that’s no way to treat royalty.”
The Alitan flew at the speed of sound into a nearby apartment building, causing it to collapse as Mr. Superior was dragged through it, watching the people get crushed in brief stints he could do nothing about. The man then threw him into the ground, collapsing him into a subway tunnel. “Your rebellion on Earth has inspired countless revolutions on Alita. I’m here to change that.” It was at this point Mr. Superior knew. This was, in fact, Lord Threxus. Mr. Superior was then thrown into a subway train, causing it to derail and be crushed against the tunnel. “I will never understand why you continue to protect these inferior life-forms.”
“I do it because they can’t protect themselves from people like you, Threxus.” Mr. Superior said, covered in the blood of innocents. “That’s why I made the Alitans strong. Shame you can’t see things the same way I do.”
“You made soldiers, Threxus. I help these people be the people they were meant to be. Not mindless weapons.” Mr. Superior rebutted. “Pity the fool who can’t bear to save himself. This will all be over if you just kneel to me, and become an Alitan for once in your life.” Mr. Superior fired a laser beam at Threxus, only to be met with a challenging beam in return. “You can’t beat me Xal-Vor. I have all of Alita at my disposal, and the strength of 10,000 Alitans!” Threxus said as he pushed Mr. Superior’s beam further from his eyes, eventually dispelling it altogether. “Humanity’s protector. Such a fitting title for a man who’s grown as weak as they have.”
“You talk too much,” Mr. Superior confidently said as he landed another blow to Threxus’ face. “Go home, pretty boy. This isn’t your place to conquer. You stole one world, you don’t need another.” Blow after blow after blow landed to Threxus, but almost none meant anything. The man didn’t even flinch. “Bow before Threxus!” He grabbed Mr. Superior by the neck again, flinging him up through the hole he came out of, before flying after, a boom heard as he elevated himself. He grabbed him once again. “I should kill you where you stand!” Mr. Superior blasted him again, with Threxus retaliating. “But a fight like this is so invigorating!” Threxus finally let Mr. Superior go. “I’m not done with you Threxus!”
“Neither am I done with you. But I’m late for an appointment with my council so the killing will have to wait.” Mr. Superior now was stuck to pick up the pieces left in Threxus’ wake once again.
=== Rocketman #3: ===
The newly-minted Rocketman was testing his jetpack yet again, making sure that his win against Hat Man, the man who could teleport from a portal in his hat, wasn’t just a fluke, and swiftly rose into the air, hearing the whirring of his jetpack and the wind rushing in his ears. It was almost euphoric taking up the same airspace as the greatest heroes and only planes before him.
He flew around the burgeoning Sunset City, in awe at the sights he could see doing this. Somehow, despite having already done this, the feeling didn’t go away. The city was beautiful. He could touch the sky and the skyscrapers too. It was magical. All of a sudden, he heard a noise in his ear, at first he thought it was just the wind, but would later realize it was screaming from below him. He looked down and saw a man running around terrorizing civilians while carrying stolen merchandise.
He swiftly flew down to take a look, only to find out the man was carrying bags of money, and that the building he was over was a bank. “Stop right there!” he yelled. The villain was an old man, but one with many mechanical implements looking straight out of a work of steampunk fiction.
“I will not cease! Young man, get out of my sight with your inferior gadgetry!” the man said, before he shot one of his hands at Rocketman. Swerving out of the way, Rocketman said “Okay, now you’ve done it!” as he flew towards the man with an arm outstretched, ready to scrap with the old-fashioned crook. His fist collided with the man’s face, though the padded glove didn’t protect from the metal plating he had just punched. “That’s pure brass you insolent oaf!”
Taking a real punch to the face, Rocketman knew he’d have to get creative to stop this madman. When another rocket fist came his way, Rocketman got an idea. He grabbed the fist as it flew away and turned it around, sending a fist into the man’s face that could actually hurt him. “The genius of Sanford Comstock will not be undermined by you, you impertinent, petulant, insubordinate nuisance!” the man said as a loud bang was heard from his face plate.
“What do you even need that money for? Oh wait, I know, the golden teeth I’m about to knock out of your mouth!” Rocketman, now wising up to the man’s physiology, targeted a flying punch at the human part of the man’s head, which sent him tumbling backwards, throwing the money sack into the air. “Jokes on you, boy, I don’t have teeth! I don’t need to eat” the man said before launching another rocket fist. Once again, Rocketman turned it around, and at this point The Automaton knew that it was over, as he received another dent in his armor. “I knew I should've invested in arm cannons instead,” he said before he collapsed on the ground in defeat, with Rocketman scooping him up and flying him to the police station, with them thanking him for his service.
== Trivia ==
* Archer Street Comic Shop is inspired both by The Domain from Mighty Med and The Archives from Dead by Daylight, with the clerk being a direct spoof of Oz Harmounian from Fanboy and Chum Chum.
Category:Locations
Category:The Saviors of Sunset City