(Hitman #8 (fb)) - Natt  came home from the war and hooked up with his old gang the Sixties. He was a bit war of them because most of his crew were dead and gone, and the new shot-caller Nero constantly smoked crack. They were involved in a drugs for guns deal with another gang, and Natt wanted words with that gang’s leader Little duke. Duke had gotten his sitter Karen pregnant while he was in the service and ran out on her. Nero had Natt hand a suitcase that was supposed to be full of drugs to Duke, but all it had inside was a note saying Natt was Karen’s sister and was going to shoot Duke. Nero figured a gang war was cheaper than actually paying for the guns. Duke smirked, and told Natt to cover. Duke was a deep cover police officer, and his men gunned down Nero’s Sixties. Duke said he figured he was square with Natt since he was still alive, and admitted he’d gone too deep undercover and owed Karen a call.

(Hitman #4-7) - Natt the Hatt was a hitman notorious for his raggedy motley hat and boundless appetite. He returned to Gotham City after a number of years away when he learned that his mother way dying. Her last wish was that he stop cursing, since he always swore like a sailor, and he promised he wouldn’t any more. Natt caught up with his old buddy Hitman Tommy Monaghan, who told him he’d been offered a $10,000 contract on Nightfist, a vigilante that had angered crooked GCPD cop Nicky Lincoln by taking drugs off the dealers he crippled for himself before Nicky got his cut. Natt and Hitman were ambushed by the Black Lotus Ninjas and massacred them after an intense firefight. Hitman explained that he always had hitmen on his tail as of late, because of a beef with Moe Dubelz. Moe was a conjoined twin and a mobster and two years ago Hitman fatally shot his twin Joe. Natt felt pumped up, and said he’d be happy to be Hitman’s backup taking out Nightfist. Hitman introduced his pal Natt the Hatt to the regulars at Noonan’s. Sean Noonan was pleased to show off his new billiards tables, and Sean, Hitman, Natt, Pat, Ringo and Hacken settled in for a night of games. Natt mentioned that he became friends with Tommy during their service in the Gulf War, and seeing Hacken’s Desert Storm t-shirt he assumed he was a veteran as well, but Hacken admitted he got the shirt from a videogame he ordered. Hacken invited further derision by insisting using a laser-scope in pool was perfectly legal. Pat kept taunting Hacken until he punched him in the mouth. Hitman and Natt drew their guns, and Hacken said that Pat would be sunk on his own, and that he always relied on his friends to get him out of the trouble he caused. Hacken’s words hurt, but Pat knew he was speaking the truth. Hitman and Natt lured out Nightfist by staging a mugging where Natt robbed Hitman. They gunned down Nightfist, but Hitman realized Lincoln set them up when they were hit by a grenade. Lincoln was working with Moe Dubelz hitman Johnny Navarone, who just needed a way to draw Hitman out of hiding. Johnny bragged that he went from town to town, finding whoever the locals thought was the best, untouchable hitman and killing him. He said he wouldn’t call himself the world’s greatest hitman, but the facts were obvious. Johnny shot Hitman numerous times, but Natt grabbed a grenade and threw it at Navarone, who survived, but the distraction allowed Hitman and Natt to flee. Having no other choice Natt brought Hitman to his girlfriend Wendy’s apartment. She freaked out, never believing Tommy wasn’t joking around when he said he was a hitman. She wanted to call the police, but Natt insisted Hitman would be dead by the time they got there, and called up Sean Noonan while he gave hitman emergency medical treatment. Johnny visited Dubelz, telling him he thought hitman was dead, but Dubelz insisted he be 100% certain. Joe’s death was killing Moe, whose health had deteriorated. He was wheelchair bound and hooked up to an oxygen tank and an IV drip. Navarone said Nicky Lincoln knew all Hitman’s contacts, and he intended to put pressure on Pat Noonan, seeing him as a weak link. Sean patched up Hitman, and he was unconscious for a week. When he woke Wendy said she wanted him out of her place and out of her life. She told him and his friends that they were all scum, and they’d brought evil to her door. Hitman bemoaned his loss to Natt, who told him he had to be realistic, that a woman like Wendy wasn’t the type to look the other way or not ask questions, so his relationship was doomed from the start. They spotted Lincoln, and Hitman knew he couldn’t kill him, even though Natt wanted to, because the murder of a GCPD officer would keep him on the run for life. They compromised and Natt ran over Lincoln’s feet, crippling him. Johnny tortured Pat until he was dying, but Pat refused to give up anything about his best friend. Hitman found the dying Pat, who was proud that he’d done right by his friend. He said Hacken’s words really got to him, and he wanted to stand up for himself for once in his life. Hitman realized his death was inevitable, but slow, and shot him in the head as an act of mercy. Hitman told Natt they were going to find Dubelz and kill everyone in sight until no one from Dubelz crew was left alive. Nicky Lincoln warned Moe Dubelz that Hitman was still alive and Johnny Navarone tried to assure Moe that his death was inevitable. Natt the Hat and hitman crashed their car into Dubelz’ mansion, crushing Lincoln to death. Dubelz ordered his men to fire on hitman and Natt while he fled with Navarone. Nightfist, wanting vengeance on Dubelz, burst through a window, but while he was making threats about his dark revenge Moe’s men and hitman and natt both opened fire on him, cutting him to ribbons. Hitman and Natt tore through Moe’s men, and Hitman cornered Moe. They engaged in a shootout, and Moe said he was dying, but refused to go before his family had their revenge on hitman. Hitman silenced him with a bullet through his his. Navarone shot hitman in the arm, and hitman fired off wildly, managing to shoot off Navarone’s trigger finger. Navarone was astonished, saying hitman had just ruined his life. He told Hitman they could go into business together, his brains and Hitman’s abilities made them elites, unlike most hitmen who he considered scum. Hitman said he was happy to be scum and executed Navarone. Hitman felt empty, realizing nothing he’d done would bring Pat Noonan back. Natt told him he empathized with how much Hitman lost, but told him he didn’t need to let his losses cripple him emotionally. Natt promised to be there for his friend to help him keep it together.

(Hitman #8) - Hitman and his crew played pool at Noonan’s during the Final Night, when the Sun-eater extinguished the sun. They boarded up the bar and decided to ride things out. Power went out in Gotham, there was lootings, and the crew passed the time drinking and talking about their various brushes with death. “Cannibal Kevin” broke into Noonan’s with an axe, calling himself a raider of the apocalypse. The crew pulled their guns on him, but when they recognized him as neighborhood man Kevin Flynn, they told him to pull himself together and go home to his wife and kids. Hitman realized that despite his recent losses and the fact that they might be witnessing the end of the world he was enjoying himself.

(Hitman #9) - Hitman, Natt, Sean, Ringo and Hacken attended Pat’s funeral, and passed around a bottle of whiskey.

(Hitman #11) - After Hitman turned down a job working for Mr. Truman, who ran a CIA agency dedicated to controlling superheroes, he sicced Green Lantern on him. Green Lantern and Hitman fought, but when Hitman realized GL thought Hitman had accepted a hit on him he dropped his gun and promised GL he didn’t kill good guys. Hitman took him to Noonan’s to buy him a round of beer, introduce him to his friends, and explain the situation. Natt was at Noonan’s, and the entire bar decided he was a bum when he said he couldn’t get the next round for Hitman because he didn’t carry a wallet in his spandex.

(Hitman #13, 14) - Hitman, Natt, Ringo and Hacken played a baseball game behind Noonan’s when Sean told Hitman he had a call coming in. Jackson, a scientist from a Gotham research center, met with Hitman and Natt. When Pat Noonan was alive he handed out Hitman’s info to various power plants and science labs, knowing metahumans and monsters that would have to be taken care of often emerged from them. Jackson was part of Project Wormwood, along with Dr. O’Hearne and Dr. Oswald Minett. They’d developed a nerve agent that could resurrect the recently dead as zombies. They got their funding from the Pentagon, but the zombies they created were mentally unstable and the government planned on pulling the plug on the project. Minett was determined to demonstrate the effectiveness of the gas, and after an argument with O’Hearne Minett murdered him and stole several canisters of the nerve agent. Jackson wanted Minett taken down quietly, fearing reprisals if the government learned Wormwood Gas had been taken from their facility. Hitman and Natt tracked Minett to the Gotham Aquarium, where he heated up the water tanks to kill all the animals within before turning them into zombies. They ran into Ringo Chen, who’d been hired by Wormwood’s directors to kill Minett. Hacken showed up with a chainsaw, having overheard that Chen got a hit and hoping he’d cut him in on it because he was broke. Natt noted how tense things always were between Hitman and Chen. They both fancied themselves the best killers in Gotham, and half-hoped and half-feared one day facing off against each other. The hitmen were confronted with a mob of zombie octopuses, seals, sea lions and penguins. The hitmen went into battle guns blazing, and a zombie seal bit Hacken’s hand. He was worried that he was infected and would turn into a zombie, asking Hitman to cut off his hand with his chainsaw. Hitman told him he’d watched too many zombie movies, but Ringo was happy to perform the amputation for him. They made their way to the Shark Encounter area, looking to flee the aquarium. Minett surprised them by dumping a bucket of chum on them. He said a video of his zombies killing several dangerous hitmen would be the perfect demonstration for the Pentagon. Hitman asked him if you could turn into a zombie after being bitten, and Minett dismissed the idea as ridiculous. A zombie shark full of bloodlust crashed through its’ tank and bit Minett in half. The hitmen avoided getting eaten and fired on wave after wave of zombies. The Wormwood Gas revived Minett, who said being dead hurt, and Hitman put him away with a bullet to the brain. The Gotham research center burned the aquarium to the ground, covering up the incident. Hitman and Ringo got drunk at Noonan's, disturbed at having to slaughter so many animals, and they decided to donate their money to Greenpeace.

(Hitman #15-17) - Hitman and Natt paid off a security guard on the Gotham waterfront so they could raid a warehouse of military armaments. The Arkannone rebuilt Mawzir, who confronted them, threatening to drag Hitman to Hell. Hitman and Natt blew up the warehouse and escaped in their car, but Mawzir was unharmed. Hitman and Natt drank at Noonan’s, and Hitman advised his friend to sit this case out, not wanting him to have to deal with demons, but Natt wouldn’t hear of it. Sean Noonan told Hitman someone was shadowing him, so Hitman and Natt dragged the man into the bathroom to see what he was up to. He was part of Markie Mategna’s old gang who’d been pressed into serving Mawzir, who ordered them to fan out across Gotham and call him if they spotted Hitman. Hitman didn’t want to put Sean in danger, so he decided to skip town with Natt, staying in the Hotel Remington. Hitman wanted to get a hold of Catwoman, because he’d seen images of her when he read Mawzir’s mind earlier. He used a cat that got hit by a car and a searchlight on top of the hotel to create a makeshift cat-signal. Catwoman showed up, although she wasn’t thrilled with the way she’d been summoned. After talking she realized that the man who hired her to steal the Ace of Winchesters from the Gotham Museum and then vanished in a puff of brimstone was Mawzir in disguise. She agreed to help Hitman and Natt take down the demon because she didn’t work with bad guys and she didn’t like being used. Hitman figured they could use Jason Blood’s help, and told Catwoman to call him posing as a nun whose convent was haunted. When Catwoman left Hitman and Natt cooed over her, having both been smitten with her looks. Blood believed Catwoman’s story, and when he arrived in Gotham he was met by Hitman, who reminded him that he owed him two million dollars or at the very least a big favor. Sean Noonan allowed the group to use Noonan’s after hours to discuss strategy. Blood explained that the Ace was forged by an occultist and former Texas Ranger. The prairies of his time had become infested with demons, drawn to the sites of evil perpetrated by colonization, and the Ace of Winchesters was capable of killing them. Blood surmised that Mawzir wanted to keep the gun out of Hitman’s hands. Deborah Tiegel showed up, telling Hitman they had to talk about her admitting to her feelings the night before. Mawzir’s men spotted Hitman’s group and phones their boss. Mawzir and his gang attacked Noonan’s, and Hitman and company fled in Natt’s car. They drove to St. Joe’s cathedral, knowing Mawzir couldn’t enter sacred ground. Mawzir sent his men in and Hitman and company engaged them in a firefight. Hitman said he needed the Ace, and Jason suggested it was in Hell with Mawzir’s masters. Hitman asked Jason to change into Etrigan the Demon to retrieve it, and the thought horrified Jason, who said he had as little to do with Etrigan as possible. Jason reluctantly demanded Demon retrieve the Ace from the Arkannone, threatening him if he didn’t comply. The GCPD sent squad cars to St. Joe’s and Mawzir ordered his men to raze the church so it would no longer be sacred ground. Mawzir slaughtered the GCPD officers in a hail of bullets. In Hell Etrigan was greeted by Kakk, who wondered why he no longer rhymed. Etrigan revealed that his heart was gone, so he felt little pleasure in anything, let alone rhyming. Etrigan asked after Baytor, and Kakk was saddened to report that the Crown of Horns had only made his insanity worse, and he was incapable of ruling Hell in any meaningful way. Kakk accompanied Etrigan to Baytor’s castle, where Baytor unleashed his acid spew, disintegrating Kakk. Etrigan wrested the Crown away from Baytor, who was happy to be his normal level of insane again. Mawzir’s men started ramming the church with their cars, breaking down the walls. Sixpack showed up, offering his help and brandishing a broken beer bottle. He narrowly avoided being gunned down by Mawzir’s help, and Hitman begged him to leave and get to safety. Sixpack said he’d be back, because he was putting his old team Section 8 back together.

(Hitman #18-20) - Etrigan, with Baytor tagging along, confronted the Arkannone and demanded the Ace of Winchesters. The Arkannone responded by summoning a giant gun and shooting Etrigan, leaving him a smoldering pile of bones. Etrigan was healed by the Crown of Horns and forced the Arkannone into a confrontation. The Arkannone realized they were outmatched and contacted Mawzir, demanding he return to Hell and protect them. Mawzir told them no because all he cared about was vengeance on Hitman, and that he was tired of being their pawn anyway. Etrigan ripped the Arkannone to pieces, threw down the Crown of horns, and claimed the Ace. Jason Blood told Hitman and company he’d need a few more hours to transport the Ace from Hell. Hitman said they didn’t have that much time and told him to summon Etrigan. Blood refused, so Hitman restrained him, and used the spell needed to turn Blood into Etrigan that he’d found while reading Jason’s mind. Jason was furious, but events had gone beyond his control. Etrigan seemed pleased to see Hitman, who was already regretting his decision to summon him. Etrigan threatened Hitman, who reminded him they were on sacred ground. Etrigan scoffed, saying he had no fear of bringing the wrath of angels down, and breathed fire, starting a fire in St. Joe’s. Etrigan told Hitman he’d give him the Ace in exchange for his heart, which Jason Blood kept in a box, but neither trusted the other to make the first transaction. The demonfire desecrated the church, enabling Mawzir and his men to storm it, so Tommy and his friends fled to the church’s crypt. Mawzir was surprised to see Etrigan, wo promised him he wasn’t there to interfere because he hated Hitman too. Mawzir was well aware Etrigan had destroyed his masters and said he knew what every demon in Hell knew, that Etrigan was never to be trusted. Sixpack reassembled his old superhero team, Section Eight, who made the scene, and despite their outward ridiculousness they held their own against the mobsters, brutalizing them in different ways. Etrigan realized Baytor had escaped Hell by stowing away in his cape and let the demon know he didn’t appreciate him messing with the possessions in his cowl. Mawzir got tired of the situation and detonated an explosive that blew up the church. Catwoman was injured and Mawzir took Deborah Tiegel hostage. Hitman, seeing no other choice, handed over Etrigan’s heart to the demon. Hitman aimed the Ace of Winchesters at Mawzir, who was terrified, but an empty click let him know the gun was unloaded. Mawzir started battering Hitman, promising to take him to Hell and torture him for eternity. Demon, with his hear6t back in his chest, was pleased that he was whole again and had betrayed someone he had a grudge against. Baytor had made off with the Ace’s ammunition and refused to give it back to Etrigan, hissing at him. Catwoman posed seductively, convincing Baytor to give her the ammo, which she tossed to Hitman. Hitman shot Mawzir with the Ace, and he was once again the group of damned Nazi soldier souls. The Nazis pleaded that they were only following orders, and Hitman executed every one of them with a handgun. Etrigan was tempted to attack Hitman, but knew he didn’t dare risk being shot by the Ace and changed back into Blood. Jason cursed Hitman for making the Demon whole again, saying he’d increased his burden a thousand fold. Catwoman mocked him, saying he should have paid Hitman the two million he owed him in the first place. Section Eight survived the church explosion, and even though they were all injured to some degree, with Defenestrator having lost his arm, Sixpack told Hitman they were still in fighting shape. Sixpack was proud of his team, and told them he’d bring them together again the next time evil and injustice needed avenging. Hitman, Natt, Catwoman and Deborah celebrated their victory at Noonan’s. Hitman asked Sean if Baytor could stay at Noonan's until he found his own place. Sean was hesitant, worried that he’d scare off customers. Hitman reminded him that a giant space monster ate the sun during final night, and people got used to weird things, so Sean let him stay. Hitman offered to give Catwoman the Ace, saying she could get a hefty price for it, but she said she had a feeling he might be in need of a gun that killed demons again, and told him he wasn’t a half bad person for a hired killer. Etrigan surprised Hitman, and admitted he liked him because he always had an interesting time when they met, but warned him that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to kill him again one day, because he always held on to his grudges.

(Hitman Annual #1) - Noonan’s had a Spaghetti Western marathon on the TV, and Hitman and Natt discussed their love of the movies and Clint Eastwood. Sean Noonan told Hitman he had a call from Tiburon from Sheriff Halliday. Hitmen went down to Tiburon where a car full of men threatened him, asking him what his business in Tiburon was. He tossed a grenade into their car, and they scattered. Halliday told Hitman the men worked for Luis Santiago, who had his fingers in the police department and ran vice in Tiburon. Halliday and Santiago had an uneasy peace, with Santiago paying him to look the other way on his operations. Halliday explained that developer came to Tiburon, buying a graveyard that was to be paved over to build a mall. Local legend had it that in 1905 a group of outlaws robbed a wealthy industrialist during a train robbery and buried his two million dollar fortune in a coffin in the graveyard. The Coffin Full of Dollars was marked, but the gravesite wasn’t, and Halliday had paid the construction workers to alert him when they found the coffin. Santiago wanted the money for himself, and hired Manko, a metahuman, to help him get it, so Halliday needed Hitman’s help to take him out. Hitman said he was interested, but wanted to scope out Manko first before he agreed. At a local bar Hitman met Jorge Gauto, a fellow Desert Storm vet, and they talked about how they felt used by the U.S. Santiago confronted Halliday at the sheriff’s office, having discovered his mole in the gang. Manko demonstrated his superhuman speed, lighting a cigar and executing the mole with a handgun. Hitman told Halliday he was out, believing his war with Santiago endangered the citizens of Tiburon, no matter who won. Halliday responded by calling up Santiago, letting him know that Hitman was drinking at a bar where Santiago’s men could ambush him. After a fierce firefight Hitman killed a number of the men, but they overwhelmed him, tied them to the back of their truck and dragged him until they were sure he was dead and dumped him in the desert. He survived thanks to his healing factor, and Jorge found him, gave him shelter and medical attention. Santiago learned Hitman was still alive and kidnapped Jorge. The Coffin Full of Dollars was unearthed, leading to a standoff between Halliday and Santiago’s men. Natt the Hat learned of Hitman’s predicament and came to back him up. Hitman confronted both groups, and when Manko was ready to duel with him Natt killed him by sniping him. Hitman freed Jorge, who strangled Santiago. Halliday was busy at the gravesite, unearthing the coffin, but found the money inside crumbled to dust. Hitman tied him up, tossed him in the coffin, and buried him alive, saying he’d add to the legend of the Coffin Full of Dollars as the gravesite of the dumbest man in all of Texas.

(Hitman #21) - Hitman, Natt, Ringo Chen, Hacken, Sixpack and Baytor spent down time at Noonan’s. It was a slow week, and the highlight for everyone was seeing Hacken spill scalding hot coffee on his crotch. Natt was happy that Hitman’s relationship with Deborah Tiegel was moving forward even though that meant Hitman couldn’t make it to Natt’s place to watch Anaconda.

(Hitman #22) - Hitman and Natt the Hat spend Christmas Eve at Noonan’s, and Sean took pity on hitman because he was broke after some bad bets and treated him and Natt to a round on the house. Natt complained that Hitman had turned down a hit on a werewolf, and hitman said werewolves weren’t evil, they were just trying to live their lives. At Sean’s insistence they joined him Christmas caroling at St. Killian’s Orphanage. Hitman knew Sean had feelings for head nun sister Conceptia, and that they’d had a relationship in the past. Hitman and Natt got a call from the heads of Gotham’s nuclear plant, needing them to take out bob Smurd, a janitor who’d gained radioactive powers after falling into nuclear waste. They feared fallout for having created another metahuman and Hitman was happy he’d have money to spend on Christmas presents. Smurd hated Christmas, so he dressed up as Santa Claus and went on a rampage at the Mall of Mammon, irradiating and killing the holiday shoppers. Hitman and Natt drove their car into through the mall, hitting Smurd and pinning him against a wall. Smurd pleaded that he’d seen the error of his ways and loved Christmas now, but Hitman and Natt realized he was being disingenuous and gunned him down. They celebrated their payday at Noonan's with Hitman buying Natt a Sixpack of beer and Natt buying Hitman a junior cop playset, poking fun at him for dating Deborah Tiegel.

(Hitman #23, 24) - Sean gave Hitman the bad news that Men’s Room Louie learned he was involved in the death of his right hand man Lefty Lugano, and demanded a sit down. Sean told him to show Louie respect, saying that was the only thing keeping him alive, and warned him to not even consider a hit on him, because he controlled a large part of Gotham’s underworld. Natt agreed to give Hitman backup, and during the meeting Louie said he owed him for killing Lugano, no matter the circumstances, and demanded a hit of his choosing. Hitman said he’d accommodate him, but refused to go against his moral code. Louie threatened him, but backed off when he realized Hitman could call in the feared gunslinger Ringo Chen as his backup. Hitman hoped the matter was behind him, but knew it always rankled Louie that he had a sense of morals. The S.A.S. had discovered that Hitman and Natt were the ones responsible for the disappearance of Captain Richey, and troopers Riggs and Cooper during the Gulf War. S.A.S. soldiers Sgt. Eddie Baker, Page, Plug and Whitey were dispatched to Gotham City to take care of them, despite Baker’s reluctance, knowing friendly fire was part of war, and suggesting the pressure to eliminate them came from the late Richey’s father, who was Brigadier-Commander. They located Natt and Hitman at Noonnan’s, and tossed a grenade into the bar. They’d used a flash grenade so Hitman and Natt knew exactly why they were going to die, but Men’s Room Louie, who’d decided he wanted Hitman taken care of, sent a squad of killers to Noonan’s. The S.A.S. and Louie’s men engaged in a firefight, allowing Hitman and Natt to flee. Baker and his crew slaughtered the mobsters, and although irritated their quarry eluded them, they were not afraid of the Gotham mob. They ran into Hitman and Natt at a burger joint, and when one of the patrons, who was overweight, Hitman and Natt used his body as cover before escaping. Natt and Hitman were panicked, and badly wanted to get out of town, knowing the S.A.S.’s reputation. The S.A.S. decided they should go after Hitman’s friends, choosing Sean Noonan, who Hitman viewed as a father figure. With Sean at their mercy they phoned up Hitman, who knew it was a trap, but had to save his friend.

(Hitman #25-27) - Hitman decided on a risky plan and he and Natt attacked Men’s Room Louie’s mansion, killing a number of his men. Hitman mocked Louie as someone who watched The Godfather too many times and shrugged off his furious tirade about being untouchable as Gotham’s top crime boss. Hitman promised to put each and every one of Louie’s operations out of business and kill all his men before returning and killing Louie last. Hitman was counting on Louie sending his mob after him, and hoped that when they met up with the S.A.S. it would kick off a firefight between his two enemies. Natt thought his plan sounded like something he saw in a movie and wouldn’t work, but was still loyal to his friend. Sgt. Baker found Sean’s photos of his time spent in the Korean War, and mentioned that his father had also served. He was once again conflicted, believing the S.A.S. were on a fool’s errand that didn’t do anything to protect the organization. They called Hitman, telling him Sean was safe, but ordering him to meet them at the Weyland Mill, promising him a quick death. When Hitman and Natt pulled up, so did Louie’s mob, and as predicted they went to war with the S.A.S. Hitman and Natt scoured the grounds looking for Sean, but ran into S.A.S. soldier Whitey. During a struggle Whitey fired a shot that ricocheted and killed him. Hitman and Natt knew the S.A.S. would be out for blood, and Hitman had read Whitey’s mind and knew Sean wasn’t at the mill. When the S.A.S. discovered Whitey’s body they were in agreement that it was time to go ballistic. The S.A.S. disposed of Whitey’s body, and Baker’s concerns about going against the mob added to how much he hated the mission they were on. Page acquired explosives, saying he was willing to burn Gotham to the ground to avenge Whitey, and reminded the recalcitrant baker of the S.A.S. motto “Who Dares Wins.” Baker set Sean free, telling him he had nothing to do with their plans of revenge, but warned him about how close to death he’d come. Sean called upo hitman to tell him he was free and advised he get out of town quick, but Hitman refused to back down from his enemies. The S.A.S. blew up a number of Men’s Room Louie’s businesses, partially blaming him for Whitey’s death, and called him up to know he was next. S.A.S. Plug was shot taking down Louie’s casino, and Baker told Page things had gone too far, coming to blows with him. Plug assured Baker he’d survive and they had to carry out their mission. Hitman and Natt stumbled into a war on Gotham’s streets when the S.A.S. blew up Louie’s mansion. Plug was fatally shot by Louie’s men and Baker went into a blind rage, gunning down row after row of Louie’s men. Page confronted Louie, who promised that no one knew vendettas like the mob, but Page wasn’t intimidated and shot him in the head. Baker spotted Hitman and Natt, telling them to walk away. Page felt Baker was betraying the S.A.S. and shot him. Hitman and Natt pleaded that they made a mistake, but Page still felt obligated to doing his duty. Baker snuck up behind Page and broke his neck. Baker cursed Hitman and Natt, angry and in grief that his closest mates were gone. Baker dragged Page’s corpse to a gas station set on fire after they’d bombed Louie’s mansion, allowing himself to be caught in the ensuing explosion so there would never be a trace of the S.A.S. having been in Gotham City.

(Hitman #28) - Hitman had a nightmare that Sgt. Eddie Baker and the S.A.S. returned from the dead and gunned him down. Deborah woke him because he was having night terrors and said she was getting sick of him disappearing for long stretches of time and refusing to tell her what he’d been up to or why he was having nightmares. They argued and she kicked him out. He went to stay at Natt’s and convinced Natt, who’d refused to leave the house for the past ten days, to go to Noonan’s. Noonan told Hitman and Natt that he was training a new bartender that he was sure was going to work out just fine and was happy to announce he’d booked an act for the night, Hank Cahill and the Blarney Rockers. Hitman detested the music, calling it fake shamrock junk. Hitman and Natt agreed they were shaken because they’d never been outclassed like they had been against the S.A.S. and Hitman pointed out that the only reason Baker didn’t kill them was because he considered them a waste of bullets. They agreed the encounter was a wake-up call. They realized they were being shadowed and left the bar, getting the drop on a would-be hitman who said the mob had a contract out on them for the death of Men’s Room Louie. Hitman insisted they weren’t responsible for Louie’s death and after threatening the hitman told him to give a warning to the mob to back off or there’d be bloodshed. Natt shot the hitman in the head, saying Hitman was wasting his breathe, and if they let him live to deliver his message it wouldn’t dissuade the mob and they’d just send him back after them. Hitman said they should get out of town and suggested they do something good for karma’s sake. Natt called him a hypocrite for his rule against killing “good” people and trying to be a better person, telling Tommy should just admit he killed for money because he enjoyed it. Natt then agreed to accompany Hitman on whatever mission of goodness would make him feel better.

(Hitman #29, 30) - Ringo Chen arranged a meeting with Hitman and Natt and Mr. Martindale, the head of the Third World Concern agency, at Noonan’s. Martindale represented President Kijaro, the ruler of the African nation Tynanda, and admitted they weren’t a charity, they were a private military company looking for security advisers. Tynanda was in a constant state of civil war, and Martindale said Kijaro’s military was faring poorly against rebels who ran an opium trade. Ringo, Hitman and Natt would be paid one million dollars for acting as NCOs whipping Kijaro’s military into shape. Hacken was eavesdropping on the conversation and begged to be hired. Hitman vouched for him, saying his credentials were impeccable and he used to be a ninja. In Tynanda the crew got to meet the soldiers they were training and Third World concern senior officer Captain Gerheim, who warned them their troops would only be getting on the job training fighting rebels. Hitman struck up a conversation with NCO Bob Mitchell, who served with the British Airborne, and was interested when Mitchell said he served in the Falklands, but was shocked when Mitchell showed him a picture of his old friend Sgt. Eddie Baker. Hitman was about to tell Natt they had a problem when President Kijaro arrived with his superhuman bodyguards Scarlet Rose and Skull. Hitman and Natt weren’t sure they were fighting on the side of the good guys. Hitman, Natt, Ringo and Hacken met at camp and thought the soldiers they were training showed little promise. Ringo learned from his men that half the military, including most of the veterans, had defected to the rebels. Bob Mitchell disliked the Walker M33As they’d been provided, noting they were in rough shape and a bad fir for new recruits. Mr. Martindale and Captain Gerheim overheard them and warned them to know their place and not discourage the troops. After a rebel attack on a nearby village Gerheim ordered Hitman and Mitchell’s troops to get moving. Hitman and Mitchell made a plan to flank the village, but Gerheim demanded a frontal assault, saying they wanted to make a show of strength. After they subdued the rebels Gerheim accused the villagers of being rebel sympathizers and told Skull and Scarlet rose to make an example of them. Skull took a newborn baby and killed him and Rose was ready to massacre the village. Hitman couldn’t believe what he was seeing and opened fire on Skull, although his superhuman durability meant he was only scratched. Gerheim called Hitman a traitor and ordered the Tyandan troops to shoot him. Mitchell was on hitman’s side, and after shooting Gerheim in the arm he helped hitman flee. Scarlet rose finished off the villagers by impaling them on rose tendrils. Gerheim told Ringo, Hacken and Natt that their friends had been killed by rebels. He assigned NCO Sgt. Karkov, a Russian soldier, to track Hitman and Mitchell in the desert and kill them before their friends found out they were alive, fearing they’d talk about how Gerheim and the Third World Council found war crimes acceptable business.

(Hitman #31-33) - Hitman and Mitchell walked through the desert and discussed why they signed up with Third World Concern. Mitchell said he was never cut out for being anything except a soldier, bemoaning that in civilian life people didn’t value their friends or their duty. Hitman admitted being a hired killer, but Mitchell said he couldn’t be all that bad because he saw no hesitation in Hitman when he tried to keep the villagers from being slaughtered. Karkov and former Delta Force soldiers Watts and Grover caught up with them. After a brutal fight Karkov, watts and Grover were all dead, but Mitchell was mortally wounded after Karkov stabbed him. Hitman knew he was dying, and wanting to get it off his chest, told him he was responsible for Sgt. Eddie Baker’s death, but Mitchell just laughed, saying there was no chance Hitman could take out someone like Baker. Hitman dug a grave for Mitchell and put up a cross with the parachute regiment’s hymn “God is Airborne” written on it. Ringo Chen started having suspicions about the Third World concern, and after breaking into Mr. Martindale’s files found out that he was a consultant for Walker Firearms Inc., stirring up international conflicts to sell his weapons. Hacken, Natt and Ringo ambushed Martindale, and he admitted he worked for Walker, but tried to make excuses about genocide not being so bad, and they decided to execute him. Martindale pleaded for his life and told them hitman was still alive, but that Gerheim was trying to kill him because he’d learned the lengths Third World Corcern was willing to go to. With Karkov’s failure Gerheim and some of his troops went into the desert to finish off Hitman, but Chen, Hacken and Natt followed him. Chen exdecuted Gerheim, saying he would not allow himself to be commanded by a dog. Hitman and his crew planned their next move. Hitman and company began a trek towards Zimbabwe, where there was an American consulate. Ringo Chen had some favors to cash in from the intelligence community and was sure he could get his friends back home. Hacken awkwardly tried to bond with Nat, asking him if he was excited about being in Africa where he could discover his roots. Nat knew Hacken meant well, but told him he was a clueless idiot. They were attacked by a Tynandan gunship that Hitman shot out of the sky, and were then confronted by Christian Ributu, leader of the rebel forces. Ributu asked them to dine with him, and tried to plead his case that Tynanda was suffering under President Kijaro and only his rebel forces offered hope for the country and its’ people. Hitman and his friends weren’t convinced they should work for a major heroin dealer, and Ributu responded that western powers had destroyed a number of African nations by supplying weapons and means of terror so selling poison to them didn’t keep him up at night. After much deliberation Hitman decided he could accomplish the good deed he’d hoped for by helping Ributu depose Kijaro. Hitman and company said they’d help for free as long as Ributu agreed to stop selling drugs and instead seek aid from the U.N. Ributu brought them to a captured army outpost, and Hitman and Nat were excited to see a Tiger I tank, and were itching to try it out because they were both huge fans of Kelly’s Heroes. After an intense firefight with the Tynandan army Hitman and crew cleared a way to Kijaro’s palace using the Tiger I. Kijaro ordered Rose and Skull to defend him. Ros momentarily stopped the Tiger with plant vines, but the Tiger pulled free and rolled over her, killing the mercenary. Skull proclaimed himself a god and attacked the tank, only to be ripped in half by tank fire. Kijaro tried to roll away in his wheelchair, but was rushed. The Tynandan army surrendered to the rebels, and Ributu promised Hitman the country was saved and thta he’d be a benevolent ruler. Hitman said he’d take him art his work, but reminded him he could always come back if he heard Ributu was slipping.

(Hitman #35) - Natt introducing Hitman to Frances Monaghan, his big sister from Ireland who’d been looking for him at Noonan’s. She’d been searching for their mother Kathryn, who left Ireland to travel to Gotham in 1972. She died the same day Tommy was taken in as an orphan at St. Killian’s Orphanage. Hitman went to Killian’s, demanding an explanation from Sister Concepta, who told him she found in on Killian’s doorstep in a bag with his name on it. It turned out that Kathryn was a prostitute who’d fled Ireland to escape her abusive client Tom Dawson, who ended up following her to the staes and murdering her.

(Hitman #37, 38) - Natt the Hat and the rest of the Noonan’s crew started worrying about Hitman after they hadn’t seen him in three weeks after his return from Ireland. Natt found him in Pat Noonan’s old place, and he admitted he was isolating himself, telling Natt the whole story of how he learned his mother was a prostitute killed by his father. Natt insisted he didn’t need to let his past define his present and cheered him up enough to get him to go to Noonan’s. Sean told Hitman he owed him a long conversation, and they’d have it when he was ready. Hitman, Natt, Ringo and Hacken practiced their shooting skills with target practice in Noonan’s backyard. They talked about the recent earthquake that had turned Gotham City into No Man’s Land, and Hitman thought it was funny that once a year like clockwork a major event occured that required all of the superheroes to save the world and then everything went back to normal. Sean introduced Hitman and Natt to Maggie Lorenzo, a waitress at Donegan’s that couldn’t find her son Michael after the earthquake hit. Natt and Hitman drove around looking for the boy, finding him at his kindergarten, but he’d been killed by a vampire. The vampire attacked them, but they shot his arms and legs off and when sunrise came dragged him into the sun and watched him burn. He mentioned his friends were going to take over the Cauldron, and Hitman was more than up for vampire hunting. Vampires in cars with tinted windows tried to run them down, so they fled to St. Peter’s church, but were shocked when the leader of the vampires, Darius, was waiting there for them. Darius was trying to establish himself as the new King of the Vampires, and decided the Cauldron section of Gotham would make a good kingdom. He offered Hitman and Natt the opportunity to run the Cauldron for them, saying that if they proved themselves he might one day embrace them and make them into vampires. They were furious that Darius saw their neighbors as nothing but cattle and wanted nothing to do with the vampire lifestyle. Hitman tossed a grenade to the roof of St. Peter’s exposing Darius’ minions to sunlight. Darius was furious, and assured Hitman and Natt that one night fell he’d finish them off since they still had no way to escape the church. Hitman used his cell to phone Noonan’s but was disappointed to get Baytor on the line. He begged for back-up, and despite Baytor’s insanity he managed to pass on the message to Sean. Sean, Ringo, Hacken, Sixpack, and a number of bar patrons came in guns blazing. They gunned down the vampires and Hitman shot Darius in the neck, causing his head to come detached, though he still swore vengeance. Bar patron Pete Kranski brought a bulldozer and demolished the church, and the last rays of the sun obliterated the vampires. Everyone felt like celebrating at Noonan’s except for Hitman, who said he still had to tell Maggie Lorenzo what happened to her son. As a warning to anyone else to dared threaten the Cauldron he posted a number of a vampire skulls on a pike warning visitors to play nice.

(Hitman #40, 42) - Ringo was being hunted by Waterman, the enforcer of British crimelord Sir Richard Harcourt, who wanted revenge for Chen killing his son Tarquin. Chen survived an encounter with Waterman and his friends, and went to Noonan’s to talk to Sean. He talked about his falling out with Hitman, and wanted to make amends. His girlfriend Wendy recognized Hitman because they’d briefly dated, so she dumped him because she correctly ascertained that Ringo was a killer too. Hitman and company shot pool at Noonan’s, and Ringo tried to talk to him, but he was still upset and left. Natt gave Hitman a ride and said that whatever was up with him and Ringo and Sean he needed to clear the air. He told Hitman he hadn’t been the same since his trip to Ireland, and needed to stop focusing on the dead and focus on the living.  Hitman and Ringo were kidnapped and tortured by Waterman until they escaped their cell. They massacred Waterman and his men, but Ringo died in a blaze of glory during the firefight. Hitman went to Noonan’s to have a drink with the boys in memory of Ringo.

(Hitman #43) - Hitman went to see Ringo Chen’s love interest Wendy to tell her about his murder. They got drunk to mourn his passing and ended up sleeping together, and both of them sorely regretted it the next morning. Hitman went to Noonan’s and confessed to Sean that he’d cheated on Deborah, but decided not to tell her because he knew it would never happen again and the knowledge would only hurt her. Hitman met Deborah at the zoo and she consoled him about Ringo’s death and again asked him to think about leaving the business. When she saw a hickey on his neck she decked him and walked away, as one of her elephants urinated on Hitman’s prone form. Hitman went to shower up at Natt’s, and Natt told him he had a job for them. Timmy the Fish put a hit out on Benny Richter, who owed the Chinese mob $50,000. Hitman wasn’t sure, because he knew Benny’s boss Fritz would be on their back, but Natt convinced him they would play it smooth and keep from getting caught or IDed. They caught up to Benny at his favorite watering hole, Brennan’s Bar, and were confident no one there would know or recognize them. They followed Benny into the bathroom, planning on shooting him with a silenced gun, but Hitman, having a lot on his mind, forgot the silencer, infuriating Nat.. Natt had to drown Benny in the toilet On the mostly silent ride home Deborah called Hitman, asking him to meet her at the zoo. She met him at the zoo administration office, wearing lingerie and beckoning him in. She turned off the lights, saying she had a surprise for him, and when she turned them on Hitman found himself face to face with a tiger as she locked him inside. Hitman scrambled up a bookcase and called Natt, pleading for him to get him out of a jam.

(Hitman #44-46) - Dr.. Jackson from the Gotham research facility contracted Hitman and Natt for another hit because once again one of his metahuman experiments had gotten loose. After the job was done they returned to Jackson with the metahuman’s head. Natt needed to use the bathroom, but got lost in the labyrinthine facility and walked in on a bunch of armed men who demanded to know how he knew to find him. Hitman wondered what was taking Natt so long, and when he found him he drew his gun, leading to a standoff. A time machine in the room created a flux field that sent the entire group back in time to 70 MYA. The armed men were led by soldier of fortune Mr. Butcher, who introduced them to his wealthy client, a big game hunter. The hunter had bankrolled the Gotham facility’s time machine in exchange for a chance to go back in time and hunt dinosaurs. The whole operation was supposed to be secret, but they believed Hitman and Natt ran into them by accident because the Gotham facility, as ever, had very lax security. Butcher sternly warned Hitman and Natt not to go anywhere while they went off hunting. When they left Hitman told Natt how euphoric he was because he loved dinosaurs ever since he was a kid. Natt went to the bathroom, but made the mistake of using nettle as toilet paper. His screams attracted a T. rex, who picked him up in his jaws. Hitman shot out the T. rex’s eye and they fled, activating the portable time travel device, but it took the dinosaur on the ride back with them. The T. rex started eating facility security and Dr. Jackson was afraid more dinosaurs would make it through the time machine, which would stay open for the next five minutes. In the past the big game hunter was killed by a stegosaurus, and his dying cries attracted T. rex Scarback and his pack, who massacred Butcher’s men and bit off his left arm. Butcher fled to the time machine, bringing the predators after him. A flock of pterosaurs followed suit, with one of them eating Butcher’s left eye. Scarback and his crew burst out of the Gotham facility, and started making their way to Gotham City proper, where they could smell more food waiting for them. Hitman and Natt couldn’t let their city get destroyed, so Dr. Jackson lent them a hangglider powered with jet engines. As they made their way to Gotham Natt reflected that his life never got so crazy before he met Hitman. They prepared for landing and were oblivious to the pterosaurs circling overhead. Butcher, bloody and mutilated, but still living, rose from the ruins of the Gotham facility swearing he’d kill Hitman for botching everything up. They had to crashland in an apartment building to avoid the pterosaurs, and then went to Pat Noonan’s old place, where Hitman had stashed a rocket launcher he picked up from Timmy the Fish. Scarback and his pack tore apart Gotham City, feasting until they were full. Hitman and Natt confronted Scarback, and Hitman aimed his rocket launcher, but couldn’t bring himself to use it, because he knew Scarback was a magnificent beast who belonged in the past, and the current calamity was entirely the fault of Mr. Butcher and his wealthy client. Mr. Butcher arrived to extract his revenge and started slashing at Hitman and Natt until Scarback chewed him up and swallowed him. Scarback and his pack were starting to feel sick from ingesting so many humans and from all the pollution in the air. Scarback felt sick from being in the modern world and led his pack back to the Gotham facility, where they entered the time machine and returned home. Scarback was pleased to be back in his own world with clean air and uncontaminated meat, he had seen the future and had no use for it.