Jem and The Holograms, Issue 15 (IDW)

## Dark Jem, Part Five

***Jem and The Holograms #15***, subtitled *Dark Jem, Part Five*, is the fifteenth issue of the *Jem and The Holograms* main comic series, and is the fifth part of the six part story-arc *Dark Jem*.

It was originally published physically and digitally by IDW Publishing on May 25th, 2016, and was later included in the *Jem and The Holograms Vol 3: Dark Jem* trade paperback published on August 30th, 2016, followed by being digitally available on the same day.

## Official Synopsis

"Silica’s band The Sickness take over The Misfits' Tour — and The Holograms have to work with The Misfits to stop her! And just as things look hopeless, an unexpected guest shows up in appropriately dramatic fashion to help save the day... or maybe bask in their destruction!"
—IDW Publishing

## Plot Summary

In a flashback, Jerrica, Kimber, Aja and Shana are young children having a water fight around their pool at home. It is Emmett Benton's birthday, and Jacqui Benton is preparing lunch for them all. Emmett is in his office, tinkering on Synergy. Jacqui goes to fetch him, irritated that he's working instead of spending time with his family. Jerrica overhears them talking about the fact there is something wrong with Synergy's code, and sees Emmett produce a hologram, which startles Jerrica and sends he running towards the pool. Jerrica slips and falls, nearly drowning in the pool, but is rescued by her mother.

In the present day, Jerrica is awoken by Synergy. Synergy tells her that, in order to protect them from Silica, she put her and her sisters to sleep using a similar effect to the mind-control wave that Silica uses. Synergy explains to the girls that Silica was inside of her all along, a corruption in her programming. Silica is free because she has used The Sickness to build her own system, so that even if Synergy is disconnected, it will not stop Silica. Silica's plan is to enslave the whole world, and intends to continue her plan with a live broadcast concert that evening.

On The Misfits' tour bus, Clash and Blaze have been corrupted by Silica's virus, and are being held down by Roxy and Jetta. Techrat has flown in to try and help Eric Raymond, and is analysing the corrupted recording on his tablet. The Holograms enter The Misfits' tour bus to form a plan together. Techrat explains to them that Silica's soundwaves takes advantage of humans' saccular acoustic sensitivity - a physiological response to certain sounds (fingernails on a chalkboard, for example). It behaves like hypnotism or a subliminal message, making peoples' minds malleable to suggestion and bringing them under her control.

Backstage at the concert venue, Shiver is wandering around, scared and confused, because Silica's virus has worn off. Silica appears to her, and re-corrupts her. Silica reveals her plan to bring harmony to the chaos of humanity by freeing them from choice, worry and fear by making everyone the same under her control.

Roxy and Jetta break Silica's hold on Clash and Blaze by giving them a shock. Now knowing that Jerrica's theory about how to break the hold is correct, the two bands try to figure out how to break the hold on everyone at the concert. To their surprise, Pizzazz enters the tour bus, with a plan to form a supergroup with both bands together.

## Notable Locations

* The Benton House (flashback)
* West Coast Tour Buses

## Cover Variants

Default Cover
by Sophie CampbellSubscription Cover
by Jen Bartel
## Bonus Material

Reader comments answered by
John BarberReader comments answered by
John Barber

## Navigation

 Main Series
Jem: Dimensions: 01 • 02 • 03 • 04