The Big Lockdown

"The Big Lockdown" was originally published in Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.2 No.14.

Synopsis

Carl Donewicz, the supervillain known as Steeljack, is released from prison after twenty years and the police warden knows that he'll return back "You People don't change" As he rides the ferry to Astro City, everyone looks at him knowing his past. walking around, he ends up back in his old neighborhood, Keifer Square, where everyone treats him a lot more fairly. He has a beer and listens to conversations around town and notices Donnelly Ferguson the booker looking at him. Carl leaves the bar and he reminices on his past, how he joined the Skullcrushers gang when he was younger, he killed a kid in a gang fight and "Went a little crazy", thanks to Ferguson he got in contact with Dr Norton Ganss and he got fused with steel becoming The Steel Jacketed Man who constantly got into fights with heroes and in '78 he stayed in prison.

Wandering around at night he stops a man being killed in a robbery but the man is so scared by him that he gives him $400 and runs away. The next day his Parole officer is annoyed at him missing an appointment, but gives him jobs... which does not go well. Trying to find jobs himself goes just as badly and causes the Samaritan to make it clear that he's watching him. Letting his anger out on an abandoned and decomissioned building, Carl walks home to his apartment discovering visitors, which to him is not a good sign.

He discovers a large group of people, all of whom are connected to people he's worked with in the past. A killer is on the run killing Black Masks in the area and Police aren't bothering to do anything and they want Donewicz to figure out what's happening. He weighs his options, and agrees to it. Carl goes to bed knowing that the next day, he's got a job to do.