The WOW Finish

"The WOW Finish" was orginally published in Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.2 No.20.

Synopsis

The Conquistador's plan is in full swing: Black Masks are committing robberies all around Astro City, whilst big name villains are distracting the superhero community outside, meanwhile Steeljack's got a mission to do. Having paid a pilot to fly him above Astro City, Steeljack jumps out of the plane and lands in the Wildenburg Centre where he knows the Conquistador's base is, having no idea where to start lookng, the Conquistador blasts him in the back, Steeljack recovers and attacks, calling him out as El Hombre, The Conquistador takes off his mask to reveal, Maria Alvarado.

Stunned for a moment, Steeljack immediately knows that Hildago's faking it, since both of them had the same thought, "How every failure in your life just piles up on you, heavier an' heavier and you gotta try and throw them all of your shoulders at once." He insults Hildago for using Maria and The Conquistador is impressed by him and he lays out his real plan, when all the Black Mask return, he will show up as 'El Guerrero' and make an incredible debut as a hero. Steeljack points out that the police will find out once the Black Masks start talking, until Hildago reveal that they won't, thanks to a "Tragic accident - a power overload in their lair, during their final battle. An Insulated Hero."

And with that, Steeljack realizes just how far Hildago has gone to be seen as a hero once again, and filled with rage he leaps at the Conquistador. He thinks to himself as he attacks about just what was eating up inside Hildago all this time, as well as figuring out that he was the Black Mask killer, all so that no one knew about his plans. Steeljack points out that Hildago's plan was going to avoid any deaths and he clarifies, "I meant people. Innocents. Not such as you." Slamming Hildago into the water, Steeljack takes a brutal pummelling and is knocked unconcious.

Dragging him up, Hildago plans on framing Maria and placing Carl in the armour and whilst he walks away, Steeljack somehow, even though he can barely move and his lungs are full of water, rises to his feet and continues to fight and he explains how he's doing this, "And in the end, it ain't about being smart. It ain't about being clever. It ain't even about right. Unless, somehow, bein' right---- is what makes me tough enough." Steeljack lands a series of blows that crack the Conquistador's armour, allowing water to seep in and zapping him unconcious.

Carl collapses and lays there silently, thinking about what he'd just done and then he notices something in the sky and he sees them, the angels coming down from the sky. Honor Guard comes down, picks up Hildago, calls an ambulance for Carl and leaves. Shockingly, the police aren't taking Carl in, Honor Guard informed the police about what had happened, as well as make it clear that if Carl hadn't interfered, Honor Guard would have been too late and so, they were dropping the charges. Hildago's invovement is being kept silent and he's being thrown into an asylum for the rest of life, since they don't want to disgrace him again, not because of what he'd done, but for the memory of he'd used to be, and silently both Bravo and Carl shake hands.

Some time later, Ferguson leaves Keifer Square, scared of retribution, Goldenglove starts training with the Irregulars and Carl now works in the graveyard. He finally got his ma an angel for her headstone, "Had to get it on credit, of course, but I'm paying it off in installments."

Notes

• White Lightning first appears here, although he was first seen in an Astro City promotional post card in 1996 that was promoting volume two of the series starting up.