SCARE TACTICS
Membership: Arnold Burnsteel, Fang, Grossout, Screamqueen, Slither
Base of Operations: Mobile
First Appearance: Showcase '96 #11 (December, 1996)
History: Fang, Grossout, Screamqueen and Slither, all
monstrous superhumans, met and allied themselves at the R-Complex, where they
were being held by government officials keen on using their powers for their own
ends. They escaped R-Complex with the help of Arnold Burnsteel.
(Scare
Tactics #1) - Burnsteel drove Fang, Grossout, Slither and Screamqueen to
Screamqueen's neighborhood in NYC. The group decided to go their separate ways,
but soon banded together again at club Slaughterhouse to save Screamqueen from
the Graveyard Shift, a group of vampire hunters. Screamqueen brought them
onstage to give an improvised rock performance as the newly named Scare Tactics.
They decided to stick together, and as Scare Tactics they intended to go on
tour. (Scare
Tactics #2) - Burnsteel bought a tour bus for Scare Tactics, and they drove to
Burnsteel's home in Boston to pick up some things befor a long stretch on the
road. Burnsteel got lost, and they ended up in Beaumont, CT. They split up to
get gas, and were confronted with their own worst nightmares until Burnsteel
saved them, and the nightmares vanished. When they left the town they learned at
a nearby town that there was no such place as Beumont, CT. (Scare
Tactics #3) - Scare Tactics arrived in Boston, and Burnsteel insisted on going
to his apartment by himself, and left Fang in charge of keeping the others on a
short leash. The team enjoyed some time at a bar and grill before changing
their mind about listening to Burnsteel. They found him on the verge of being
captured by R-Complex agents. Scare Tactics beat off the agents, but had a
harder time with Scorcher, a former inmate from one of R-Complex' facilities.
Burnsteel convinced her to leave them alone, and Scare Tactics made their
escape. (Scare
Tactics #4) - Grossout wrote his tragic life story out on Burnsteel's computer
for Scare Tactics to read. Scare Tactics played a small club, with their opening
song written by Screamqueen, and inspired by Grossout. The next morning while
eating in a diner, their Scaremobile tour bus was stolen by Cain Van Zandt with
Screamqueen sleeping inside. (Scare
Tactics #5) - Scare Tactics met Burnsteel's friend Bud, who hacked into the
phone company, then sent a fax to the Scaremobile to pinpoint its location. They
confronted Van Zandt, but Screamqueen'd become infatuated with him and wanted
him to ride with them. The rest of the group objected because Van Zandt was a
serial killer who made "art" out of his victims. The escalating
argument became moot when Van Zandt ran off. Scare Tactics went back on the
road, and they ended up in the Appalachian Mountains where Fang was born and
raised. (Scare
Tactics #6) - Fang's family, the Ketchum clan, handed Scare Tactics over to
their mortal enemies the Kingsbridge clan to sacrifice to their god Tsathugoth
as a peace offering. Scare Tactics escaped with the help of Fang's childhood
friend Rod Kingsbridge and Ketchums Deke and Lemmy. Tsathugoth destroyed the
Kingsbridge estate in a fury over being denied sacrifices. (Scare
Tactics #7) - Scare Tactics opened up for Children of the Beast. During the
Children's performance they performed a magic musical ritual from the occult
Deus Requiem that transformed them into demons and opened a doorway to Hell. The
Demon Entrigan was bound to destroy them, and Scare Tactics decided to help him
out. Screamqueen hit it off with Entrigan, and they flirted during the entire
fight. Demon destroyed the Children of the Beast, and then Fate appeared to the
heroes because he needed their help. (Scare
Tactics #8) - Fate told Scare Tactics that forces from Gemworld were intent on
conquering the Earth dimension. Fate told Scare Tactics they owed him for
freeing them from R-Complex, so they agreed to help him. A man claiming to be
Sentinel was there to aid them, but soon revealed himself as a disguised army of
Emerald Shocktroops. Scare Tactics defeated the army, but afterwards Slither
went into a coma. Comments: Created by Len Kaminski & Anthony Williams. All characters mentioned or pictured are
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