Spitfire and the Troubleshooters, later known as simply Spitfire, and finally Codename: Spitfire, was a story about a woman and her highly advanced, Man Amplified Experimental armor technology. The M.A.X. suit she used saw plenty of use in the New Universe, both during and after the run of this series. The book was published for a total of thirteen issues.
Jenny Swensen, daughter of the developer of this M.A.X. technology, gained control of it soon after the murder of her father by Fritz Krotze, owner of Krotze International, a firm that itself was at the sway of a mysterious group of international terrorists. She used it for a time to avenge her father's death, to help people, and then to stop the proliferation of M.A.X. technology itself.
This particular section of the New Universe handbook is a comprehensive guide to events within this comic, with detailed information on the major characters that appeared in the book (good and evil), the technology they utilized, and of course, a brief summation of what happened to the M.A.X. armor once the series got itself cancelled.
Known M.A.X. Pilots:
Jenny Swensen (before the Pitt): the first Spitfire, Professor Jenny Swensen became an armored heroine after recovering her late father's M.A.X. suit from the evil Fritz Krozte. After this, Jenny began to help the government battle the proliferation of dangerous technology. Availability:
Jenny Swensen (after the Pitt): after exposure to the so-called Pitt-Juice, Jenny Swensen was forever altered. This mutagenic compound caused her to become a paranormal, and she evolved a sort of organic steel skin to replace the M.A.X. armor she'd lost to the government. Availability:
Jake Travest: though an unrepentant, cold-blooded killer, the mentally imbalanced Jake Travest was assigned to be Jenny Swensen's assistant during her time with Codename: Spitfire. When she abruptly quit the group, Jake was chosen to pilot her armor in her absence. Availability:
The M.A.X. Armors:
the Mark 1 M.A.X. Suit: the first Man-Amplified Experimental armor, built by Dr. Karl Swensen, was a revolutionary application of his new heuristics technologies. Intended for peaceful purposes, it was converted into a weapon by Swensen's corporate backers... Availability:
the Mark 2 M.A.X. Suit: Karl Swensen's greatest work, the Mark 2 M.A.X. armor was not perverted as his first was. After his death, his daughter Jenny made off with the suit and proceeded to use it against all manner of villains who utilized technology for evil purposes. Availability:
the Mark 3 M.A.X. Suit: the first (and only) M.A.X. armor built by Jenny Swensen, the Mark 3 was a dramatic improvement over the creations of her father. Of course, she built it with government backing, and the finest weaponry their money could buy. Availability:
the Mark 4 M.A.X. Suit: a smaller, stealthier armor than the previous three M.A.X. suits, this armor was built not by one of the Swensens but instead Willy Deere, a government technician who had apparently been 'studying' Dr. Karl Swensen for years... Availability:
Project: Spitfire
Brick: this bizarre thug is a trained killing machine in the C.I.A.'s employ, that has been utilized by Edmund Roth for Project: Spitfire in the past. Though he's very good at what he does, he's susceptible to the ultrasonic frequencies used to control his mind during his training. Availability:
Willy Deere: high tech inventor, super spy guy, and general creep, Willy Deere studied Dr. Swensen's technology for years - without the man knowing it. However, he did build Jenny a suit with the stuff, that being the Mark 4 M.A.X. armor the two used against Saxon St. John. Availability:
Anne Pollicino: aside from Jenny Swensen herself, Anne was Project: Spitfire's greatest techie. She not only helped Jenny to build her Mark 3 M.A.X. armor, but has assisted her both as mission support and in keeping the armor operational from one job to another. Availability:
Edmund Roth: the founder and leader of the C.I.A.'s Project: Spitfire, Edmund Roth is a questionable individual indeed. His ultimate goal is to keep Doctor Swensen's M.A.X. technology out of the hands of every other government on the planet, no matter the cost. Availability:
The Troubleshooters:
Eric Chin: the master computer hacker of the bunch, Eric is the only Troubleshooter with a serious criminal record, attempting to translate his skill at breaking into computers into real buildings. After the Law set him straight, he went to M.I.T. to turn his life around. Availability:
Timothy Ferris: the athlete of the bunch, Timothy Ferris was a football player that derived the 'Fast-Back' partial exoskeleton from the late Dr. Swensen's M.A.X. technology, which he used until the terrorist known as the Steel Hawk destroyed it - and his legs! Availability:
Eduardo Giotti: smitten with Jenny Swensen, Eduardo Giotti was the first of the bunch to build a new M.A.X. armor, his being the 'Strong Arms' partial exoskeleton that granted him great strength - strength he used to crush the Steel Hawk after the man killed his friend Andy. Availability:
Andy Meadows: the electronic expert of the bunch, Andy Meadows was able to break down the laser equipment in Jenny's M.A.X. armor and develop his own gear with it: the 'Beam-Splitter'. He was busy perfecting this weaponry when he was killed by the Steel Hawk. Availability:
Teresa 'Terry' Roberts: the computer hardware expert of the bunch, Terry built a truly revolutionary computer interface with the late Dr. Swensen's technology. This partial exo-skeleton, the 'Think-Tank', is the New Universe's very first cyber-deck. Availability:
Odds and Ends:
Dimitri Durovich: Dimitri was originally a Soviet scientist working to operate the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but when it began to melt down, he stayed behind while his compatriots fled, trying to save the facility. Little did he know the radiation would change him forever...! Availability:
Evan Reinger: pilot, mercenary, and all around bad guy, Evan Reinger would gleefully kill a busload of kids if the money was right. Lacking morals of any stripe, he'll do whatever is asked of him as long as there's enough green in it for him, no matter how depraved the task. Availability:
War Tiger: an elite Nicaraguan military officer, the man known as War Tiger came into conflict with Spitfire when she tried to rescue a reporter he was supposedly holding captive. Little did she know that the man had some sort of advanced, anti-M.A.X. gear waiting for her! Availability:
Villains of Note:
The Club: the chief troublemakers throughout the run of the series, the Club was a band of international terrrorists and arms dealers that worked hard to procure lots and lots of new weapons, both for their own use and for sale to others. As such, their attempts to seize the M.A.X. technology has caused innumerable trouble for Jenny Swensen and the Troubleshooters.
Krotze International: this firm is a weapons manufacturer that works for the United States government; or it did, at least, until it was found out that owner Fritz Krotze was selling his developments to foreign interests, like the Club, and the Soviet Union. The current status of the company is unknown, especially after the death of Fritz Krotze...
Codename: Spitfire Issue Guides:
| UT | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | PS |
Extra Goodies:
Codename: Spitfire created by Eliot Brown and John Morelli!
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