Remembering Artist M. D. Bright

Remembering artist M. D. Bright on his birthday (December 27, 1955 - March 27, 2024) with his covers to Firestorm the Nuclear Man, done during his Millennium crossover issues (#67 and #68, January and February, 1988).

Celebrating Artist Al Milgrom

Celebrating the birthday of artist Al Milgrom (March 6, 1950), born in Detroit, Michigan.  

Al was the co-creator of Firestorm (with both Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein), as well as his most fearsome foes...

..being Multiplex, Killer Frost and the Hyena, in Firestorm's first five issues that came out in the 1970s.

Firestorm #1 and #2 (March and April, 1978)

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Firestorm #3 and #4 (June and August-September, 1978)

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Firestorm #5 (October-November, 1978)

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Crisis Recruits

The Crisis On Infinite Earths started in Crisis On Infinite Earths #1 (April, 1985 by Marv Wolfman and George Perez), with the Monitor transforming his assistant, Lyla, into the Harbinger, and sending her off to recruit various heroes (and villains)  to help save the Multiverse.

While that first issue showed some of the recruitment meetings, others were handled in the individual titles of characters.

Here is where Harbinger reached out past the Crisis title.....

Firebrand

In "Crisis Point" for All-Star Squadron #50 (October, 1985) by Roy Thomas, Mike Clark, Vince Colletta, Arvell Jones and Tony DeZuniga (with cover by Jerry Ordway), Harbinger echoed her retrieval of the second Firebrand (Danette Reilly) from a War Bonds rally on Earth-2, April 1, 1942....

...but so much more happened as well.

The current JSA was "Shanghaied Into Space" in an adventure based on their appearance in All-Star Comics #13 (October-November, 1942 - but, instead of going to the eight other planets of their own solar system, they were sent through hyper-space to other dimensional versions of Sol's planets, that were inhabited).

The rest of the Quality heroes (including Plastic Man and Phantom Lady) followed Uncle Sam to Earth-X (an unfortunate world where, at the time, the Nazis were winning World War II).

Commander Steel, behind enemy lines, defeated his enemy, but was thrown into another Earth (Earth-1) that had no super heroes during World War II, and there he remained (having a grandson, who would be Steel in the JLA).

Johnny Chambers and Libby Lawrence (Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle) got married, and headed to their honeymoon, except for the red skies, which had Green Lantern (Alan Scott) come for their help, and then ended them up on Earth-S for a time.

The All-Star Squadron as a whole was a part of the Crisis from All-Star Squadron #50 to #60, and these issues were reprinted in the Crisis On Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition Volume 1 of 2018.

Obsidian

In "Helix Goes To Hollywood" from Infinity, Inc. #18 (September, 1985) by Roy and Danette Thomas, Todd McFarlane and Pablo Marcos, the members of Infinity, Inc. were facing their foes, the super villain team Helix, when Harbinger arrived to take Obsidian (Todd Rice) away.

The rest of the team soldiered on, getting involved in the Crisis up to Infinity, Inc. #25, as well as their first annual and being part of the last JLA/JSA team up in Justice League of America #244 (with these issues all being reprinted in the Crisis On Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition Volume 2 of 2019.

Firestorm

Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein were trying to settle into their new life at college in Pittsburgh in "Storm Warning" from Fury Of Firestorm #41 (November, 1985) by Gerry Conway, Rafael Kayanan and Ian Akin (cover by Rafael Kayanan and Dick Giordano).

Harbinger, bring along Psycho-Pirate, came to retrieve Firestorm (and Psycho-Pirate's emotion manipulation powers caused a little bit of a problem first, as he induced fright in Martin Stein, the "thinking" half of Firestorm).

This issue and the next of Fury of Firestorm were this titles Crisis crossovers, and were reprinted in the Crisis On Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition Volume 1 of 2018.

Cyborg

Cyborg (Victor Stone) was Harbinger's recruit from New Teen Titans #13 (October, 1985) by Marv Wolfman, Eduardo Barreto and Romeo Tanghal, in "Crisis".

This issue showed that some time had passed between Harbinger taking Cyborg to the Monitor's satellite and the effects of Crisis hitting Earth...

...as shown when the Titans, Outsiders and Superman dealt with some Crisis problems (mirroring issue #3 of the main Crisis series), as well as the Titans involvement in Crisis #4-#9, and Wonder Girl getting help from Firehawk in Fury of Firestorm #42, while Nightwing, Starfire and Jericho go back to Starfire's homeworld of Tamaran (which unfolds over the next few issues of New Teen Titans, also involving the Omega Men).

New Teen Titans #13 and #14 are reprinted in the Crisis On Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition Volume 2 of 2019.

Green Lantern

The last individual recruited was Green Lantern in Green Lantern #194 (November, 1985) by Steve Englehart, Joe Staton and Bruce D. Patterson in "5".  Green Lanterns Katma Tui and John Stewart were coming back from a space mission, when they see the red skies on Earth, and check in with Green Arrow and Black Canary in Star City to find out what is going on.

That is when Harbinger shows up to recruit John, but first a battle happens between Green Arrow, Black Canary and Katma against Harbinger.

Explaining her need, she takes John along (as soon as he "fixes" his costume).  Meanwhile, former Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner are taking steps to get their hands on a Power Ring, with the Guardians of the Universe providing an unexpected answer.

John Stewart goes through the same scenes he did in Crisis #1 and #2, fighting Shadow Demons and learning about the threat the worlds face.  This story, and the rest of the Green Lantern Crisis issues are reprinted in the Crisis On Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition Volume 1 of 2018.

The other original recruits of the Monitor were King Solovar of Gorilla City, Dawnstar of the 30th Century Legion of Super-Heroes, Blue Beetle of Hub City, Psycho-Pirate (JSA foe), Arion (lord of ancient Atlantis), Psimon (of the Fearsome Five), Geo-Force (of the Outsiders), the Golden Age Superman, Green Lantern foe Dr. Polaris, and Firestorm foe Killer Frost (the second version of his original foe).

This group faced a breach of Monitor's satellite by the Anti-Monitor's Shadow Demons, and then were dispatched through time and space to protect the Monitor's towering tuning forks in an attempt to stave off the Crisis.....

Watching The Monitor: Justice League of America

The Monitor and Lyla weren't just watching Green Lantern and the Titans.

His interests lie beyond...and that started to show has he watched rest of the Justice League of America as well.

Here are a few observations on those encounters.

Battleground

Justice League of America #232 (November, 1984) by Kurt Busiek and Alan Kupperberg, under a cover by Chuck Patton and Dick Giordano.  The Monitor is watching during the last of the JLA/JSA team-ups (with special guest, Supergirl), including being watched by the Commander, before the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Sadly, this story has yet to be reprinted.

The End Of His Rope

Fury Of Firestorm #28 (October, 1984) by Gerry Conway, Joey Cavalieri, Rafael Kayanan, Pablo Marcos and Rodin Rodriguez, has the Monitor and Lyla providing their services to Firestorm foes, the 2000 Committee, in capturing Firehawk, connecting them with the assassin, Slipknot (this being his first appearance).

This story has, sadly, not been reprinted as of yet.

The Revenge Of The Rogues

Flash #338 (October, 1984) by Cary Bates, Carmine Infantino and Frank McLaughlin, see Flash's foes, the Rogues (including Captain Cold, Mirror Master and Trickster), tired of being beaten by the Flash.  So, they get hi-tech armor from the Monitor (though he and Lyla don't appear physically in this issue) and provide to Dufus P. Ratchet (a victim of a health problem that saw his body grow, while his intelligence shrank) with the means to take on the Flash as Big Sir.

Sadly, this story has yet to be reprinted.

Warday

Flash #339 (November, 1984) by Cary Bates, Carmine Infantino and Frank McLaughlin, see the work Monitor put in behind the scenes pay off, as Big Sir attacks the Flash over confusion and a dead mouse.  Lyla questions the Monitor's choice, but he defends himself.

This story has, sadly, not been reprinted as of yet.

Claws

Justice League of America #234 (January, 1985) by Gerry Conway, Chuck Patton and Bill Anderson sees the Monitor and Lyla checking out the new Justice League of America, as Steel and Vibe follow Vixen through Detroit.  The Monitor checks on the formation of the Cadre of the Overmaster.

This story has been reprinted in the Justice League of America: The Detroit Era Omnibus.

Night Of Many Wonders

Wonder Woman #323 (February, 1985) by Dan Mishkin and Don Heck sees the Monitor and Lyla arrange a gathering of Wonder Woman foes (Dr. Psycho, Cheetah, Silver Swan and Angle Man) to fight "Wonder Etta" Candy as Wonder Woman's life gets more complicated before the Crisis.

Sadly, this tale has yet to be reprinted.

The Monitor watched more than these Justice Leaguers (including Green Lantern, previously covered), as will be shown, as future installments show his involvement with Superman, Batman (and the Outsiders), Blue Devil, Swamp Thing, Infinity Inc. and more!

DC Invasion Crossovers Part 2

Invasion! was a three issue limited series by DC Comics in the later 1980s that crossed over with many of its titles.


Already covered some of them last time, here's the rest of the bannered crossovers of the time.

Firestorm

Firestorm was, at this time, a hero with his own mind, coming from the merging of Ronnie Raymond and Mikhail Arkadin (Martin Stein was not known to be part of the matrix at this time).  In Firestorm The Nuclear Man #80 (1988 by Robert Greenberger, Tom Grindberg and Sam DeLaRosa), Firestorm was recruited (along with his similarly nuclear powered friend, Firehawk) and Power Girl to battle Khunds (freeing Starman along the way), and the lot work to free America's first spaceman, Adam Strange (which happens in Starman #5).  In Firestorm The Nuclear Man #81 (January, 1989, by John Ostrander, Tom Grindberg, Arne Starr and Sam DeLaRosa), Firestorm returns to his normal life, but ends up reforming in Russia to help hero group Soyuz (young Russian heroes with mutant powers) fight Stalnoivok (a villain of extreme strength, who has gone mad battling aliens).

Atom

Ray Palmer was fighting his time traveling foe, Chronos, when the Invasion! hit.  The shrinking hero formed an alliance with Chronos in Power of the Atom #7 (Holiday, 1988, by Roger Stern, Graham Nolan and Keith Stan Wilson). freeing humans trapped by the Khunds. In Power Of The Atom #8 (January, 1989,  by Stern, Nolan and Wilson), Atom checks on the world's repair efforts (meeting Green Lantern along the way), finds that Chronos ended their truce by killing a Thanagarian Wingman (Ray thinking for a second it might be his friend, Hawkman), and goes to confront his foe as something bad happens for Earth (resolved in Invasion! #3).

New Guardians

The New Guardians were heroes that came out of the last DC crossover, Millennium, and were a group of heroes (Ram, Gloss, Floro, Extrano, Harbinger and not pictured, Jet) who, working with former Green Lanterns Arisia and Kilowog, faced the Warlords of Okaara in New Guardians #6 (Holiday, 1988 by Cary Bates, Joe Staton and Mark Farmer) with fatal results for a member of the team.  In New Guardians #7 (February, 1989 by Bates, Staton and Farmer), the team splits up to deal with the loss, and team sorceror, Extrano, gains a crystal skull to focus his power.

Doom Patrol

A later incarnation of the Doom Patrol, with original members Robotman and the Chief, and newer members temperature controlling Celsius, Negative Woman (similar powers to Negative Man), energy blasting Tempest, magnetic Lodestone and fiery Scott Fischer work with alien foe of the Patrol, Garguax (who was not invited into the Alien Alliance) against the Gil'Dishpan, to save Atlantis (along with help from Aquaman, Aqualad and the Sea Devils) in Doom Patrol #17 (1988 by Paul Kupperberg, Graham Nolan and Timothy Dzon), with the team losing a new member.  In Doom Patrol #18 (January, 1989, by Kupperberg, Nolan and Dzon), the team deals with the loss, as former Negative Man Larry Trainor is injured in a crash, and Negative Woman Valentina Volstok loses her powers, as the rest of the team gathers for the funeral for their fallen comrade (and leads into Invasion! #3, where another new member also perishes).

Batman and Spectre

Batman was recruited to battle Thanagarians, Durlans and Khunds in Cuba by Maxwell Lord in Detective Comics #595 (1988, by Alan Grant, John Wagner, Irv Novick and Steve Mitchell), and the Spectre kept the supernatural members of the DCU (Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Demon, Dr. Fate, Phantom Stranger, Tala and Zatanna) out of the conflict (with one exception, as seen in Invasion! #2), in Spectre #23 (Holiday, 1988 by Doug Moench and Chris Wozniak).

Superman

Superman had his two issues after Invasion! #2, the Aftermath issues, starting with Superman #27 (January, 1989 by Roger Stern, Kerry Gammill and Brett Breeding) with an exhausted Clark Kent (Superman), getting some rest, while Gangbuster goes to attack Luthor (who is protected by Brainiac, though not that well, as Brainiac went into a coma trying to read Gangbuster's mind), then Gangbuster is confronted by the Guardian, who finds out that Gangbuster is.... next in Adventures of Superman #450 (January, 1989), revealing who this Gangbuster really is, and leading Superman to decide that it is too dangerous for him to stay on Earth (and we also see the prototype Supergirl, Matrix, with the Kents in this issue).  Superman prepares to leave Earth (but events lead him back for Invasion! #3).

Justice League International

The current Justice League is pretty busy fighting Khunds with Wonder Woman, so Mr. Miracle's assistant, Oberon and future hero, Booster Gold, are left to defend their HQ in  Justice League International #22 (1988, by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maquire and Josef Rubinstein) from miniaturized Khunds.  The team regathers in Invasion! #2, plus many other heroes, and in Justice League International #23 (January, 1989 by Giffen, DeMatties, Maquire and Rubinstein), sees the gathering of the Injustice League (Big Sir, Cluemaster, Major Disaster, Multi-Man and Clock King, and the not pictured Mighty Bruce) form to raid a Khund ship, with disastrous results (for the Injustice League), facing Guy Gardner (then, onto Invasion! #3, and meeting more heroes).

The invasion had ended, and the pieces needed to be picked up....and they were in Justice League International #24 (February, 1989), with an expansion of the current JLI of Blue Beetle, Fire, Guy Gardner, Ice, Batman, Mr. Miracle, Captain Atom, Rocket Red, Booster Gold and Martian Manhunter), into a new team with Elongated Man, Wonder Woman, Power Girl, Animal Man, Metamorpho and Flash (Wally West) (and Hawkman and Hawkwoman leaving).....with more on that to follow, and of these stories, only the Justice League Internationals have been collected so far (#22 in their 3rd TPB, and #23 and #24 in their 4th)!

But, wait!  There is more!

Batman Meets Atom And Firestorm

Batman met the atomic age well, and worked with a few heroes involved with atoms and nuclear power, specifically his fellow Justice League of America members, the Atom and Firestorm, in the pages of Brave and the Bold.

When Batman met them, they were already beginning to be legends in the DC Universe, but the team-ups still proved to be fresh and interesting....

Brave and the Bold #77

Batman first met with Atom in B&B with Brave and the Bold #77 (April-May, 1968), with "So Thunders The Cannoneer!" by Bob Haney, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito, with the Darknight Detective and the Mighty Mite facing off against the Cannoneer (a human cannonball) and Lilli De La Pooche (his midget assistant) as they plot to rob the Brotherhood Express train (packed with artistic treasures, passing through Gotham City).  Batman faces off against the Cannoneer while Atom deals with Lilli, eventually prevailing and getting the art back.


This story has only been reprinted in black and white, in Showcase Presents the Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups #1 of 2007.

Brave and the Bold #115

Batman was "The Corpse That Wouldn't Die" in Brave and the Bold #115 (October-November, 1974) by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo.  Batman was fatally wounded while searching for Debbie Manton, and Atom is called in to stimulate Batman's body, and continue the hunt to find the kidnapped girl.  While keeping Batman's body moving, Batman's brain also is stimulated, eventually restoring the Gotham Guardian to life.

This story has been reprinted in black and white, in Showcase Presents the Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups #3 of 2008, as well as in color in Batman: The Strange Deaths Of Batman of 2009 and in the Legends Of The Dark Knight: Jim Aparo Volume 1 of 2012.

 

 

Brave and the Bold #152

Batman's next solo team-up with the Atom is in Brave and the Bold #152 (July, 1979) with "Death Has A Golden Grab" by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo, with Bruce Wayne and Ray Palmer finding themselves labeled as criminals due to a computer mix up, which puts their alter egos on the chase across the country to find out the hackers behind this problem.


This tale should be reprinted in the Legends Of The Dark Knight: Jim Aparo Volume 3 of 2016, though it appears computer hackers have messed with the various listings of this online, as descriptions of this volume have the book starting with Brave and the Bold #151, and not containing #152 (though it appears #151 was in Volume 2, with a team-up with the Flash, which has been covered here).

 

 

Brave and the Bold #172

Batman moved on from the Atom and the 1970s, and had his only B&B team-up with Firestorm in Brave and the Bold #172 (March, 1981) with "Darkness and Dark Fire", by Gerry Conway, Carmine Infantino and Steve Mitchell (under a cover by Jim Aparo, at least).  This tale, written by Firestorm's co-creator, has Batman being called in by the Justice League facing off against Firestorm (a relative rookie in the JLA at this time), who has been taken over by the nuclear reactor that gave him his powers, and Batman has to play detective to find out why Firestorm is a menace, then free his nuclear powered friend.


This tale has been reprinted, in the Tales Of Batman: Carmine Infantino book of 2014, though sadly, the Nemesis back-up contained in the book has not (and that series cries for collection!).

 

Brave and the Bold #129 and #130

With all this excitement, almost missed Brave and the Bold #129 and #130 (September and October, 1976), but Atom was one of a few co-stars there, along with the Joker, Two-Face and Green Arrow....and Green Arrow team-ups with Batman (including this one) have been covered here.....so, go back there to read more on these, and we'll B&B seeing you soon!

Flash Facts Firestorm Foes

The CW Flash TV Show has been introducing a few villains lately, and these are a few of the ones seen recently...but, their comic book origins came from the Firestorm comic!

Let's take a look at the Sand Demon, Tokamak and Killer Frost through the pages of DC Comics!

Sand Demon

Eddie Slick was just a degenerate gambler, that happened to look like Martin Stein (half of the Firestorm hero, along with Ronnie Raymond).  Eddie managed a wrestler named King Crusher, who got some bad drugs and turned into a monster...looking for revenge on Eddie, but instead found Martin Stein in Fury of Firestorm #51 (September, 1986) by Gerry Conway and Joe Brozowski.  Firestorm forms, and attempts to stop King Crusher, and cure him as well in Fury of Firestorm #52 (October, 1986).

These losses were enough for the mob to want to "take care of" Eddie, whose dead body they dumped in the deserts of Las Vegas, where Eddie revived as the Sand Demon, to take on the Ronnie Raymond/Mikhail Arkadin Firestorm in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #74 (August, 1988) by John Ostrander and Joe Brozowski.  Firestorm was worried that this was Martin Stein, so it took him a little longer to take down this villain who manipulated sand....but Firestorm ended the undead menace, saving Las Vegas (all in Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #75 of September, 1988!).  Ronnie soon found Martin as well!  How this related to the original Flash is a bit of a mystery, but Jay Garrick did face sand creatures in All-Flash #22 (April-May, 1946), which was represented in Four-Star Spectacular #1 (March-April, 1976)...so check my Golden Age Flash reprint guide for more info on this!

Tokamak

Henry Hewitt was wealthy, but all that wealth couldn't protect his health, as Henry had no immunity to diseases, making him very vulnerable (as shown in the Fury of Firestorm #15 of August, 1983, by Gerry Conway and Pat Broderick).  Henry used his Hewitt Corporation to found the 2000 Committee to take over the world, and try to save himself in the process.  First, Hewitt tried to use Firestorm's first foe, Multiplex, to recreate the conditions which created Firestorm, testing them on Senator Walter Reilly's daughter, Lorraine, turning her into Firehawk (in Fury of Firestorm #17 of October, 1983)...

...then on himself in Fury of Firestorm #18 (November, 1983, written by Gerry Conway, with art by George Tuska), and his battle with Firestorm using his new nuclear powers continued into the Fury of Firestorm Annual #1 of 1983, in which Firestorm cracked Tokamak's suit, causing him to fade away (though he did appear in the Crisis On Infinite Earths #10 of January, 1986, working for Luthor and Brainiac, so something likely saved the man who was a living nuclear reactor).

Tokamak later returned in Firestorm #14 (August, 2005) by Stuart Moore and Jamal Igle, creating a new villain out of Dr. Julius Hastur (that of the Pionic Man, for the pions that the physicist turned into, which were fading away until Hewitt made him a containment suit) for a new Firestorm (Jason Rusch)...

...but there wasn't much of an explanation for the return of Tokamak....

Then, Tokamak continued his vendetta against Firestorm in Firestorm the Nuclear Man #28 to #32 (October, 2006 to February, 2007), with Firestorm the Nuclear Man #31 (January, 2007) explaining how Henry survived, cloning himself and merging with the clone (and pretending to be his own son, Victor, to inherit his own money), as well as creating an army of cybernetic Dollies to aid him, getting Firestorm to accept Gehenna (a female clone he hyper-aged to keep as a daughter) to manipulate Firestorm, then worked against Martin Stein, Pozhar (Mikhail Arkadin's separate nuclear-powered identity) and Firehawk, and using a giant energy collecting Dollie to try to absorb the world's energy for himself, stopped only when Firestorm separated Henry from his clone (letting Henry die from his original radiation poisoning).  

Killer Frost

Crystal Frost first appeared in Firestorm #3 (May, 1978) by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom in the story "Kiss Not The Lips of Killer Frost" (which Firestorm was learning on the cover).  Crystal was a student at Hudson University, felt unloved and scorned by all men, except for her professor, Martin Stein, who encouraged her (and she held a unrequited love for).  Later, when Stein met her at a project in the Arctic, she found out he didn't love her, fell back on her inferiority complex, and then ended up in the thermofrost chamber (which transformed her into Killer Frost, a villain with a need for heat....that froze everything around her, including Martin Stein, saved only by being a part of Firestorm, who formed and Ronnie Raymond and Martin found a way to freeze the girl, stopping her rampage).

The scientists at S.T.A.R. Labs asked Superman to free Killer Frost with his heat vision in DC Comics Presents #17 (January, 1980 by Gerry Conway and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez), with Martin Stein trying to stop them (as always, they should have listened to Martin as Killer Frost got free, turned the scientists and Superman into her slaves, and were only stopped by the newly reformed Firestorm...

...who so impressed Superman that the Metropolis Marvel recommended the Nuclear Man for membership in the Justice League of America, which more can be read on here!).

This led to Killer Frost joining the Secret Society of Super-Villains under the Ultra-Humanite (in Justice League of America #195 to #197 in October to December, 1981, by Gerry Conway and George Perez) with villains like the Mist, Rag Doll, the Signalman, Brain Wave and more, only to be defeated by the JLA and JSA.

Killer Frost got loose when she was brought to trial in Fury of Firestorm #3 and #4 (August and September, 1982 by Gerry Conway and Pat Broderick), and fought Firestorm (and then a group of Justice Leaguers including Superman, Wonder Woman, Hawkman, Zatanna and Red Tornado as well).

Killer Frost needed heat, and escaped again in Fury of Firestorm #20 (February, 1984), realizing being trapped in freezers was killing her.  Crystal informed her colleague, Dr. Louise Lincoln, of her approaching death in Fury of Firestorm #21 (March, 1984 by Gerry Conway and Rafael Kayanan), then absorbed too much heat from Firestorm, which ended up killing the first Killer Frost.  Dr. Louise Lincoln ended up becoming the second Killer Frost, after an encounter with Plastique in Fury of Firestorm #33 (March, 1985), in Fury of Firestorm #34 (April, 1985), and the story of Killer Frost got more complex (involving the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and later, getting her power boosted by a deal with Neron during Underworld Unleashed....but more on Louise Lincoln later).

Other Firestorm villains have appeared on Flash as well, including Firestorm's first foe of Multiplex, and his explosive female foe of Plastique, and even the Flash foe, Pied Piper, that faced Firestorm in his Fury of Firestorm title and they've been covered in previous Flash Facts!