#harpis

Harpis info page

“they’re here”

OMEGA MEN #9-11 DECEMBER 1983 - FEBRUARY 1984 BY ROGER SLIFER, TOD SMITH, MIKE DECARLO, ANTHONY TOLLIN AND ADRIENNE ROY

SYNOPSIS (FROM DC DATABASE)

Kalista attends the royal coronation ceremony at the royal palace and resumes the role of queen of Euphorix. Her first official act as the reinstated queen is the deactivation of Euphorix's planetary shield. A huge celebration is held and hundreds of attendees rejoice at their newfound freedom from tyranny.

Elsewhere, fringe elements of the Citadel Empire regroup under the leadership of the Citadel's supreme military commander and the Earth man Harry Hokum. Together they travel to formerly occupied worlds executing political prisoners. They also succeed in locating the crippled Omega Men mothership and find the injured Harpis. Shlagen however, also on the ship, manages to avoid capture in an escape pod. Hokum sends a ship to retrieve him, and Shalgen's shuttle is shot down where it crashes onto a planetoid. Shlagen emerges from the wreckage but runs into the bounty hunter Lobo. Lobo agrees to take Shlagen to Euphorix.

When the Citadel learns that Euphorix's planetary shield has been dissolved, they mount a steadfast invasion. Raider ships bombard the coronation ceremony and the attending Omega Men are quick to fight back. They succeed in repelling the invaders and former monarch Alonzo Dulak re-activates the shield. Primus transmits a broadcast to Harry Hokum requesting a summit in the hopes that the two factions might be able to forge an accord. Hokum agrees to the meeting.

Meanwhile, Tigorr, on his way back from the Citadel Homeworld finds the scuttled remains of the Omega Men mothership. Inspecting its empty corridors, he is surprised when two predatory animals known as Ravagers leap out and attack him. He shapeshifts into his full feline form and fights back, but the overwhelming strength of the Ravagers prove too much for him and he is knocked unconscious.

Elsewhere, Primus sends Nimbus to act as the Omega Men's official delegate. He arrives at the pre-arranged meeting place to discuss terms with Harry Hokum. Unfortunately for Nimbus, Hokum baits him into a trap and Nimubs is locked inside an airtight room. Even his shadow powers won't allow him to escape. When Primus learns what has happened, he has little choice but to turn to Lobo for help. Lobo agrees to help Primus, but for a very special price - a single human life.

Lobo brings the remaining fugitive Omega Men to a prison planet run by the Citadel. Harry Hokum is content with simply disintegrating the lot of them, but the Citadel commander wants to savor their pain. Once inside, the Omega Men are marched down one of the numerous prison blocks. Suddenly, the Omega Men break free of their bonds. It was all a ruse. Lobo is actually working alongside the Omega Men in an effort to rescue their captured allies. Harry Hokum presses a switch that releases a pack of Ravagers. The vicious animals pounce on the Omega Men and even their own various powers are not enough to keep them at bay. Broot, still haunted by his recent experiences, is reluctant to raise his fists, even to defend himself. Lobo encourages the Changralynian by planting the idea that the ones responsible for ordering the death of Broot's child might reside inside this facility. Brute finally unleashes his anger and begins battering the walls until his fists smash through to an adjacent passageway. The Omega Men scramble into the tunnel to escape from the Ravagers.

The tunnel leads them to the prison's command center where the Citadel commander and Harry Hokum have Tigorr suspended from a torture device. Primus uses his telekinesis to unseat the Citadel commander, bringing him down to their level. Harry activates a laser grid, but the Omega Men have come prepared for just such a trap. Each of them is fitted with a personal force shield designed by Euphorix's Alonzo Dulak. Lobo disconnects an explosive device from his belt and gets in close to the Citadel commander. The device explodes and the commander is killed. Primus extends his force shield to protect Lobo from the blast.

Harry Hokum, in a bid to consolidate his power proposes a deal with the Omega Men. Now that the commander has been killed, Harry is the highest ranking member of the old Citadel Empire. He suggests that Primus and he should split the territory of the Vega star system between them. After some deliberation, Primus agrees, but with the caveat that Hokum's Empire may only include worlds that join with him of their own free will. All others will be invited to join the New Vega coalition. Hokum agrees and a broadcast is sent out to the various races within the Vega star system. Surprisingly, several worlds voluntarily agree to become part of the New Citadel Empire, including Broot's home world of Changralyn. Just as many however, decide to align themselves with Primus.

After solidifying the deal, Primus receives a message from Kalista on Euphorix. Unwilling to risk any further invasions to her world, she is erecting the planetary shield permanently. Once this is done, nobody will be able to enter or leave Euphorian air space. Primus is left with a choice: Stay and help rebuild the coalition of free Vegan worlds, or return to the world of his birth.

The Omega Men bring Harpis to the world of Rashashoon. Harpis has suffered a sever nervous breakdown due to her injuries as well as learning that her sister Demonia had been killed. Prior to becoming the winged warrior, Harpis spent a great deal of her youth working at a bordello in the city of Raggashoon. The bordello's mistress Mama Madame greets the Omega Men and Harpis is hooked up to a neural stabilizer. Mama Madame uses a process known as a Psycho-Drama in an effort to heal Harpis' psychological scars. The Omega Men witness the visual display and learn a great deal about their teammate's past.

Flashback While still humanoid, Harpis and her older sister Demonia came to Raggashoon many years ago to work as professional companions. hey were both thrilled with the prospect of earning wealth and power and living in the sort of opulence that only Mama Madame could provide. Harpis found herself highly suited to most of Raggashoon's clients and became one of Madame's most popular providers - even more so than her jealous, yet protective sister Demonia. Although Mama Madame usually catered to clients loyal to the Citadel, she also provided companionship to various revolutionaries. 

During these years, Harpis had relations with the Karnan Tigorr, as well as Tigorr's second-in-command Delengis Jarouq, the latter of whom she fell deeply in love with. Such attachment was strongly discouraged amongst those under Mama Madame's charge and it was made all the worse by the fact that Jarouq was a revolutionary.

One evening, a high ranking Citadel leader, Komand'r of Tamaran, came to Raggashoon to find suitable mates for her troops. Harpis and Demonia were both selected, but Komand'r was not content with simply hiring them for an evening. She had both women undergo drastic genetic modification so that they would be physically alluring for their selected mates. Demonia was transformed into a serpentine woman whose visage reflected her twisted heart. Harpis was turned into a winged bat-like creature with claws and a tail. While Demonia embraced her new appearance, Harpis was horrified. Komand'r would often times have the women present at battle sites so they could witness their mates in action. Harpis was present when Komand'r's forces fought against Tigorr's revolutionaries at the Battle of Tamaran. 

Seeing her lover Delengis Jarouq present on the field, she could no longer sit idly by and do nothing. She fled from her keepers and joined the ranks of the revolutionaries. The revolt failed, and Harpis was sent to a prison planet along with Delengis and Tigorr.

While in prison, Harpis learned that another band of revolutionaries led by the warriors Primus, Broot and Kalista had staged a breakout. This incident exploded into a violent firefight and where it was believed that Jarouq had been killed. Free from captivity, Harpis, Demonia and Tigorr joined with Primus' team to form the Omega Men.

As the rest of the Omega Men keep vigil over their comrade, a strange visitor enters the room - Delengis Jaroug. He had actually survived the original attack, but is now a cyborg.

REVIEW

This could count as a “Secret Origins” for the whole group, but there is still much backstory to reveal. This is amazing because it means that there may have been some kind of bible before the series started (either that or Slifer improvised very well).

This Lobo is a different character, he is not even a Czarnian yet. I wonder if we are going to see him change before the crisis. He is more intelligent than the Lobo we know.

Primus makes some really difficult choices, and while Tigorr failed in keeping the peace... I still agree with his methods. There is no diplomacy that can keep freedom in the Vegan Star System at this point.

Clark may have just met these Omega Men, but they have an effect on criminals... ...mainly because they're freaky as sh-