Polite Dissent

It was just supposed to be a quiet night at the restaurant. Aunt Ruth had reserved a room so that she could throw an engagement party for Donna and Kyle. Dawn had other plans — it’s the night of Dove’s date with Captain Arsala, conveniently at the same restaurant. She doesn’t want the Captain to know who she really is, so she wears a wig that looks just like Dove’s hair. Her mother catches her when she’s putting the wig on, but with an understanding wink, helps her get dressed.

The date’s not going well at first. All Dove (well, Dawn) and Arsala can find to talk about is work. Upstairs in the private room, the conversation isn’t going much better. Ruth and Hank begin to argue about Viet Nam. Ruth reveals that she was a war protestor during the conflict, and she and her friends even went as far as plant some bombs at a local defense contractor. When the police try to arrest them, one of the other girls is shot and Ruth ran away and has been on the run ever since.

Downstairs, the Dove/Arsala date is finally picking up speed. However Dawn realizes that she’s much smarter as Dove, and knows that that’s who Arsala thinks he’s on a date with. The captain’s pager goes off: a strange costumed woman with the power to cause explosions has been making her way across town towards the restaurant they’re at.

It seems that Ruth’s friend somehow survived being shot, but the experience turned her into the villainous Shellshock. As Shellshock, she can fly and has the power to make items explode, just by speaking their name. She seems to blame Ruth for their past and as luck would have it, has finally managed to track her down tonight of all nights.

Luckily both Hawk and Dove are nearby and jump into action to save Ruth. Remember how when Hawk was injured, fur could be seen beneath his costume? Well in this fight, Dove is injured. Instead of blood coming from the wound, light pours out of it. In the end, Shellshock speaks her own name as Hawk smashes her with a table and she explodes. Hawk tells Ruth that although he doesn’t agree with what she did, he understands why she did it, and lets her escape before the police arrive.

Hawk and Dove re-enter the restaurant to find a scene of slaughter. Kestrel’s back, and he’s possessed Ren’s body.

Mostly forgettable, the story does provide some good moments. The whole Dove/Dawn/Arsala date is funny, particularly when Dawn’s mother finds the wig. Shellshock has a neat look, but a strange power. Her motivation is never explained well enough. Why does she hate Ruth – and why did it take her 20 years to find her? You’d also think she would know better than to speak her own name and make herself explode.

The return of Kestrel was handled well. It explains why Ren had been acting so erratic (read: chaotic) recently, and leads into the subsequent four-part storyline where the origins of Hawk and Dove are finally revealed.