Supercrooks: The Big Finale

**The Big Finale** is the final issue of *Supercrooks*. The heist ends with a confrontation between The Praetorian and The Bastard, and the supercrooks trying to rob them.

## Synopsis

The Supercrooks are raiding The Bastard's mansion, but everything goes horribly wrong. The Bastard—the world's greatest super-villain and 4th richest man on the planet—discovers that the Supercrooks are out to steal every cent he's ever made. Group leaders Johnny and Kasey fight and split up. The heist is complex, but the reward is enormous—and if the Supercrooks can survive, it will mean the end of The Heat's debts back in Vegas…not to mention an enormous payday.

## Plot

In the basement of the mansion, Forecast chilled the hinges of a large security door while Sammy Diesel used the robotic arms that he won in a prize match to rip it from the wall. Within they found a long shaft into the depths of the mansion, so TK McCabe used his telekinesis to levitate everyone safely to the bottom. At the same time, The Praetorian, The Bastard, and his servant Miguel were en route to the mansion with Kasey, despite seemingly taking the road to an abandoned theme park instead.

Circumventing a flame pit by having Roddy Diesel blast through a wall instead, they came to the entrapped passage leading up to the vault. Guarded by "molecular chainsaws" which would slice apart even The Ghost, they send the Diesel brothers to rush through them. Although they were sliced limb from limb numerous times, they constantly regenerated any limbs they lost. Over thirteen long minutes, they were able to stumble to the off switch while leaving a trail of gore behind them, deactivating the lasers for their compatriots. Finally arriving at the vault door, The Heat brought out his signature ray gun and melted through it, allowing the supercrooks to take the loot and depart.

In the "mansion", The Bastard ministered truth serum to Kasey and learned from her that he was being robbed, so he sent The Praetorian to intercept the departing supercrooks. Teleporting in front of them, The Praetorian morphed into multiple copies of himself and assaulted the supercrooks as an entire unit, The Gladiator standing by in amusement to watch the men who blackmailed him get a "shit-kicking". Eventually however, The Gladiator did get tired of it, and revealed himself to The Praetorian. In fear, The Praetorian tried to reason with The Gladiator, but The Gladiator was disgusted by The Praetorian's corruption and abandonment of being a superhero to be The Bastard's bodyguard, and with one punch The Gladiator defeated The Praetorian and left him with permanent brain damage.

Once more in the "mansion", The Bastard prepared to shoot Kasey until she pushed him away with psychic powers. Countering her powers with his own, The Bastard then exploded her brain and asked for his security detail to report. The guards informed The Bastard that the entire mansion had been leveled and plundered, even as The Bastard stood in what appeared to be a pristine mansion. The Bastard then realized that he was standing in an illusion, and after rejecting it, he discovered that he had killed his servant Miguel, not Kasey, and as the illusion collapsed around him he found himself in the theme park far away from his now-destroyed mansion.

Meanwhile, Kasey joined the fleeing supercrooks and they celebrated her psychic mastery, only allowing The Bastard to see what she wanted him to see. They split the loot eight ways, with TK McCabe getting a family vacation, Forecast buying a space shuttle, The Ghost buying up Greek properties, Roddy Diesel worked on creating a time machine, Sammy Diesel bought hookers, and Johnny Bolt and Kasey pooling to build a retirement fund. The Gladiator, who did not get a cut, nonetheless came out as gay and was accepted by society, but The Heat also managed to keep his cut rather than pay back The Salamander.

As it turns out, the costumes Johnny Bolt and the rest of of the supercrooks wore were identical to those worn by The Salamander and his crew, making The Bastard think them responsible. The Bastard then slew them all in misplaced vengeance, removing The Heat's obligation to repay and avoiding The Bastard's retribution. The Heat, free of obligation and enemies, then spent all of his share on investments, fine wine, women, and most of all gambling.