Liberty Project

Creation

The Liberty Project was a series about a band of super-powered characters which was co-created by Kurt Busiek and James W. Fry and published by Eclipse from 1987 through 1988. Though the core concept they were supercriminals turned government agents. Eclipse published the title for eight issues, ending May, 1988. It was followed by a one shot venture with a company-wide crossover, which linked the series with Miracleman, The Heap and others Eclipse publishing during its time. When Eclipse folded, Busiek, as writer, used them as guest stars in Jack Kirby's TeenAgents #3 in October, 1993 which was published by Topps Comics. In 2003 About Comics and Juke Box Productions published a black and white graphic novel which included every issue published with the team and some appearances in other titles.

History

Eclipse Comics

The Liberty Project was a government initiative designed to provide vocational rehabilitation for young super-humans who had fallen afoul of the law. In exchange for their services, the team’s members were given an opportunity to straighten themselves out before they fell into habitual super-villainy.

Four super-powered juvenile offenders are given an opportunity by Wayne Linnier to repay their debt to society; They are offered membership in the Liberty Project; The project provides an opportunity to assist law enforcement officers in the apprehension of other powered criminals. They are offered an early parole in exchange for protecting their country against other dangerous super-powered criminals.The diverse group of personalities soon found them selves in the custody of Liberty Testing Inc. which had ties to U.S government contracts. These group consisted of a smirking delinquent Slick, a remorseful and conscientious Crackshot, a hot-headed wild amazon Cimarron, to anti-establishment hothead Burnout.

The team would come across several exotic and mundane encounters as agents of the Liberty Testing Inc. This would include a battle downtown with a group of some semi-omnipotent alien adversaries. Not totally accepting their new teammate, Johnny Savage would become a problematic new addition. The team has gone their separate ways prior to completing their first mission; Johnny Savage is still en-route to murder his parents; The most unlikely member rallies the team to complete their mission.

Topps Comics

The Liberty Project made a guest appearance in Jack Kirby's Teenagents. The Liberty Project includes two new members, Heartbreak and Raider X.

Members

Cimarron was Rosalita Vasquez who had super strength, super humanly agile and was near invulnerable. Not a hardened super-criminal, who's quick temper would cross pass with the law. She was arrested for destroying the Las Vegas strip after losing her saving at the casinos

The young girl named Beatrice Keogh, Who went by Burnout could create fire with a thought. Her teenage angst and massive powers cast her as an outcast and led her to juvenile delinquency. Burnout was arrested due to multiple counts of arson, she was kept sedated and floating in a sensory deprivation tank at a high-security juvenile facility until she became a member of the Project.

And finally Slick whose real name was Nicholas Walcek and had the super power of reducing friction, causing very low coefficient of friction thereby making things super slippery. He was arrested for armed larceny and was the field leader of the group, however this title would be carried lightly at times.

They were joined soon after by Johnny Savage, who used his surname as his superhero monicker. Able to change his shape into a massive, troll like creature, gray-skinned hulking brute with razor sharp teeth and ram's horns.