Next Wave

Origin

Next Wave is a trio of mercenaries that was employed by Penner Security Associates which was a respected, privately run security agency. The leader of Next Wave named Agent X wanted more control of the missions and a bigger cut of the profit since they were the most popular operatives. Mr. Penner told Agent X that he could not meet their demands and would survive the loss. Agent X and his two partners, Turk and Snare decided to go independent. The trio felt disrespected and attacked the Penner compound. Turk killed an innocent woman during his violent rampage which caught the attention of Ghost Rider. Snare trapped Ghost Rider in a net but was cut free by Wolverine and the Beast. The two X-Men were following Ghost Rider since their encounter with the Brood in New Orleans a few days earlier and Wolverine wanted to make sure Ghost Rider was completely rid of the Brood infection. Agent X blasted Wolverine and Beast which begun a three on three brawl. Turk ended up blasting Ghost Rider into pieces and the rest of Next Wave concentrated on the two mutants. Ghost Rider resurrected himself during the fight and gave his penance stare to all the Next Wave members who experience the pain of a living death.

Creation

Next Wave was created by Howard Mackie and Andy Kubert in 1992 and first appeared in Ghost Rider # 29.

Story Arcs

Cyberwar

HYDRA agent Cassandra Romulus hired the Next Wave to destroy the Cyberwarriors, deadly automatons belonging to the rival terrorist organization the Genesis Coalition. Agent X recruited two new members, Sandman, and the mysterious Fin, and the group attacked the Coalitions undersea headquarters. They soon discovered that they weren't the only ones, encountering Sandman's old crew, The Wild Pack, and its leader Silver Sable, on a similar mission. The two groups reluctantly teamed up, and defeated the Genesis Coalition, but shortly afterward both Sandman and Fin deserted the Next Wave and joined the Wild Pack.

Chinatown

The trio of mercenaries would reappear sometime later in New York's Chinatown as they try to seek refuge from their unseen pursuers. A huge firefight occurs on the streets of Chinatown and this also attracts the attention of the police and Ghost Rider. Turk activates a bomb as they try to escape from Ghost Rider and the Spirit of Vengeance is caught in a huge explosion. The members of Next Wave hide out in a run-down hotel in Mid-Town Manhattan when they receive a call from their former employer named Frederick Penner. Penner informs them they are to be terminated for disrespecting him and his team he calls the Posse are the ones pursuing them. A brawl breaks out between the Next Wave and the Posse and caught in the middle are Ghost Rider and Wolverine. Ghost Rider captured all three members of Next Wave and they received the penance stare.