PS238

PS238 is published by Dork Storm Press. Cover price is $2.99.

Last Issue

 * PS238 #16: 10 May 2006

Current Issue

 * PS238 #17: 26 Jul 2006

Next Issue

 * PS238 #18: Sep 2006

Status
On-going, irregular schedule. B&W.

Staff

 * Cristina Kyle - A former super-hero teacher who is a staff member at PS238. She is the only teacher at the school who had previous teaching experience: she was a grade school teacher before she became a super hero, and has been instrumental in acclimating other former heros to their new roles, as well as setting up the basic procedures of the school.
 * Alfred Cranston - The principal of PS238. He has a metal band around his head and a mysterious past.  He has retired from a political career of some kind, has been seen experimenting with (apparently weak) telekinetic powers, and knows the Revenant.
 * Vashti - A magic-based super who is also a teacher at PS238. She uses her magic-based illusion powers to make everyone at the school believe she is dressed "normally" even though she always wears her superhero costume.
 * Herschel Clay - The technician of PS238, in charge of security. His powers are based around his ability to build advanced technology, and he has built most of the equipment at PS 238.  He began teaching a shop class shortly after Angela arrived.  His wife is missing and is the source of at least one mystery at the school.
 * Ms. Oberon - The staff member in charge of the Rainmaker Meta Program. The Rainmaker program was originally founded in the 1960's to test seemingly "useless" powers and find military applications for them.  When that program went disastrously bad, it was discontinued and has only recently been reconsituted.  It still works with children with "useless" powers, but no longer looks for military applications.
 * The Human Alloy - ("civilian name" unknown). A former superhero whose metallic exterior makes him invulnerable, he teaches science at PS 238.
 * Doctor Positron - a sentient android who acts as the staff doctor at PS 238, he has built several versions of himself, many of whom have slightly different personality profiles.
 * Roland Wooster - the Family Advocate at PS 238 is rarely seen, and acts as a sort of school psychologist and facilitator. He works to place students in appropriate classes or help them with family or social issues.

Students

 * Tyler - Perhaps the only normal kid at PS238, he's constantly in danger from the situations around him created by his super-powered classmates. His parents are famous and powerful superheroes who have sent Tyler to PS238 in hopes that his powers may manifest there.
 * Suzi - A young girl with large glasses and radiation-based powers.
 * Ron Peterson - currently calls himself "Captain Clarinet", after his band instrument. He's the son of Atlas, the world's most powerful superhero, and he has many of the same powers as his father.
 * Zodon - Would-be foul-mouthed emperor of the world, he's constantly being outsmarted by the adults at PS238, particularly Herschel. He has had a "Barry Ween" chip installed in his brain that makes him spout random words instead of curse words, and makes him break out in showtunes if he tries to go off on a tirade of cursing.
 * Victor Von Fogg - a recent arrival who also wants to rule the world, he constantly battles with Zodon for supremacy.
 * Propsero - an alien child who crashed in a spaceship next to the school, he attends classes but speaks in an unintelligible alien tongue. His powers and even his appearance are unknown; he lives inside a armored spacesuit at all times.
 * Tom Davidson - a student whose power is to time travel, apparently to any point in the past. When he does so, he can bring people and objects back with him if they get within his time-travel field.  (Series in-joke: this student's name is a mix of the names of two famous actors who played Doctor Who)
 * Bernard Brenner - A blue muscled super-kid with few obvious cognitive abilities.
 * Angela - a young Asian girl who recently arrived and has powers similar to Herschel's: the ability to build complicated or technologically advanced devices easily (a sort of "MacGyver effect").
 * Ambriel - known as Guardian Angel due to the unknown force which protects her from harm and surveillance.
 * Malphast - the child of an angel and a demon, he is a mystical boy with unknown powers
 * USA Patriot Act(Dillon) and American Eagle (Jenny) - two child superheroes reared to be ultra-patriots who are constantly running for office inside PS 238.
 * Charles Brigman - the local school bully who does not attend PS 238 because he doesn't have any superpowers. He attends the above-ground school which acts as cover for PS238, Excelsior Grade School.
 * Murphy - a small part of a mystical being who manifests as a child.

Other Characters/Places/Things

 * PS238 - The school for metaprodigy children, the children of Superheroes and Supervillains. Located three miles below ground, under Excelsior Public School, PS238 allows the metaprodigy children to have a normal education along with training in their powers.  The original creation of PS 238 has not yet been fully explored, but seems to have something to do with burying an old space station as the basis for construction.
 * Barry Ween Chip - A device implanted into Zodon to control his foul mouth, forcing him to say nonsense words in the place of profanity, or showtunes if he really goes off on a tirade.
 * The Revenant - a metahuman who doesn't appear to have any actual powers but is well-off and has many gadgets to assist him in his crime-fighting. Principal Cranston has asked him to assist Tyler in coping without superpowers at school.
 * Harold Nelson - the original participant in the Rainmaker Program, his weather-controlling powers were accidentally augmented and enhanced. He can now enhance or sap other metahumans' powers at will, and believes the current Rainmaker Program at PS 238 is as devious as the original.
 * Doctor Irons - a devious scientist who had his brain transplanted into a robot of his own design, he was the one who experimented on Harold Nelson in the 1960's and accidentally enhanced his powers.  He then was reduced to only a talking robot head, which Harold carries around with him.  Doctor Irons has the ability to speak subliminally and hypnotically control people with his electronic voice.
 * Union of Justice - an apparently long-defunct superhero team that has some unknown relationship to PS 238 and is the source of at least one mystery surrounding the school.

PS238 #17
This is the current issue, and therefore no story information will be posted about this issue. Please check your local comic shop for copies of this issue.

Past Storylines
Most of the earlier issues are standalone stories, complete in one issue, and wouldn't really qualify as storylines, per se. There were some early recurring themes, however:


 * The mystery surrounding the Union of Justice has recurred a number of times. In one early issue, the students discover that PS 238 may have been built from the old U of J satellite.  Later, Tyler visits an Oracle-like woman who sells information and he asks her for information on the Union, though the Oracle does not respond in time.  There have been later intimations that at least some of the staff are former members of the Union of Justice.  It is still unclear what role (if any) the Union played in the formation of PS 238 itself, however.


 * The Time After Tyler storyline (issues 12-15) was a complicated multi-issue time-travel story that included Zodon attempting to develop time-travel technology based on Tom Davidson's abilities, and the return of Harold Nelson and his attempt to "rescue" the current children in the Rainmaker program. During the course of the storyline, Tyler is bounced to many different time eras, meets Harold Nelson as a child, and meets many different "alternate reality" versions of himself, most of which turned out very badly. Tyler also talks with a future version of himself, who has apparently become the Revenant's sidekick.  Tom Davidson meets himself and shows himself the Castle Outside Space And Time, and discovers the nature of an upcoming event beyond which he cannot time travel.  The Revenant has a major battle with a restored Doctor Irons and apparently destroys him in a helicopter crash.


 * The ongoing "battle" between USA Patriot Act and American Eagle to "out-American" each other was featured in issue 6 but has recurred repeatedly over the following issues. Each is trying to become the most American hero ever.


 * Tyler's training with The Revenant has been one of the many foci of the book since it was introduced in issue 9. Tyler is taking the equivalent of independent study with The Revenant and has been critically important in his battle with Doctor Irons in issue 15.

Collections

 * PS238, vol. 1: With Liberty and Recess for All - Collects #1-5.


 * PS238, vol. 2: To The Cafeteria... For Justice! - Collects #6-10.


 * PS238, vol. 3: No Child Left Behind! - Collects #11-15.

Order Codes
These are the order codes and prices as provided by Diamond Distribution. Your local comic shop should be able to order these for you.


 * JAN05 2659	PS238 #11	$2.99
 * MAR05 2821	PS238 #12	$2.99
 * MAY05 2710	PS238 #13	$2.99
 * AUG05 2886	PS238 #14	$2.99

Collections

 * MAR05 2822	PS238 VOL 2 TO THE CAFETERIA FOR JUSTICE TP	$15.99

Future Publication Dates
Dates subject to change at the whims of the publisher or distributor. Please see the Diamond Shipping Lists for current information.


 * PS238 #18: Sep 2006
 * PS238 #19: Nov 2006

Links

 * PS238 - Official Website
 * PS238 #0 - Free online in PDF format
 * PS238 #1 - Free online in PDF format