Featuring the following heroine!

Turbo
by Ray Schaff

Real name: Michiko "Mickey" Musashi

First appearance: The outfit itself goes all the way back to Daredevil 126, but Micky first showed up wearing it in New Warriors 28.

Favorite quote: "I just know he's gonna hold my elbow and think he's reached second base." (New Warriors 47. Having been out to dinner with the Warriors, Mickey finds herself stuck going to the movies with an over-enthusiastic Robbie "Speedball" Baldwin. Worse still, this actually led to a time-altering, Speedball clone story! Deep breaths, everyone...)

Team affiliation: Long Island University sophomore Michiko Musashi first wore the blue and metal costume to a party that was crashed by flying gunmen. Afterwards, Mickey and freshman Mike Jeffries (who found the armor) took turns using the suit; having met and trained under the New Warriors, the more experienced Michiko was inducted into the group over the hero-happy Mr. Jeffries. (Ironically, journalism major Musashi once thought of super-heroics as "a ridiculous calling", but she didn't want others to suffer for her inactions). A major complication, however, was that the armor was designed by and for the Dire Wraiths (albeit used against them by Brock Jones, the foredoomed Torpedo). Once the Wraith queen mother Volx saw the suit, she wanted it bad. Volx's scheme to wreak vengeance against humanity ended along with her life, but not before she donned the armor after killing Mike Jeffries.













Abilities: Outside of her courage, tenacity and wits, Mickey's powers came from the suit and its four collapsible nuclear-powered turbines; at least three times she flew straight from New York to Paris in less than three hours before returning, faster than many commercial jets. The turbines on her wrists could fire powerful air gusts or let her throw a "hyper-punch", while the helmet's visor had telescopic sights, and could detect energy patterns and, thanks to modifications made by the Spaceknight Rom, certain unsavory shape-shifters. The armor itself dispersed energy attacks (primarily radiation), occasionally showed strength-enhancing properties, and gave new meaning to the term "one size fits all."

Favorite storyline: Late in her first appearance, Turbo talked Namorita into catching the armored mercenary Cardinal while she handled the helicopter carrying Nita's enemy Jeremy Swimming Bear, a.k.a. Sea Urchin; both ladies were quite successful. An unarmored Mickey would later defeat a vengeful Cardinal and his Air Force buddies with a sprinkler system and an electrical cable (New Warriors 35). Both times she proved that her mind could be as big an asset than her wardrobe -- what a concept!

Least favorite storyline: The last twenty-some issues of the New Warriors were a mixed bag, with some better-than-I'd-like-to-admit writing used to jettison several original members and force in hangers-on like the Scarlet Spider; some Warriors fans will hold their noses (as well they should) and point to the issue featuring the Avengers and a bunch of HYDRA agents with cabin fever. But the one Turbo-specific story that I truly loathe is "Mylar Shrug" from New Warriors Annual 3, in which a near-drooling Mike Jeffries drags Mickey along as he tries to get his Zinc Edition of X-Force 1 signed; not so much a parody of comic conventions and attendees thereof as is it was a heavy-handed, clichéd, unfunny exaggeration that left a bad taste in the mouth.

Future for the character:Mickey decided to continue as Turbo to honor Mike's memory as well as share the armor with resident Warriors tactician and general nuisance Carlton LaFroyge; with the New Warriors regaining lost members, being cancelled and limited to short guest appearances, neither Mickey nor Carlton have been seen for a while. Still, it's more than enough time to rinse out whatever Wraith DNA may be left in the suit...