‘Last Blood: Final Stand’ #1: Marat Mychaels Brings His Toys to the Sand Box

In February 2025, Rob Liefeld and Marat Mychaels released a book that is a companion to Rob Liefeld’s ‘Last Blood’ series. This comic, ‘Last Blood: Final Stand’ #1, has a main story written and drawn by Mychaels with a “Major Vance Victor Prelude/Epilogue” (story/art by Liefeld) bookending the tale.

The comic was released by both creators via their respective WhatNot stores in February 2025. Liefeld’s version was made available first via his WhatNot store on 2/12/2025. Mychaels’s version was made available the next day, 2/13/2025, from his own WhatNot store. (I could find no differences in content between the books, but did notice that the order of the cover credits changes depending on the storefront.)

**************************WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD**************************

‘Last Blood: Final Stand’ #1 is a side story, but it doesn’t appear to be a one-shot. A week after releasing the issue, Marat Mychaels’s Counterpoint Comics posted on Facebook that work on ‘Last Blood: Final Stand’ #2 was already underway.

This is the third ‘Last Blood’ book, released after ‘Last Blood’ #1 & #2. (If you didn’t read issue #1 you can read my write-up here. My write-up for issue #2 can be found here.)

Some Background

During the original WhatNot livestream where Liefeld made this book available for the first time, he suggested to the audience that they re-read the original ‘Brigade (1992)’ mini-series. In that series, the Crown Prince J’nissyde (“Genocide”) fights the members of Brigade, first on Earth but, before the battle is over all involved are teleported away to another planet. The members of Brigade are judged for having started a battle with the Crown Prince. When the Brigade members attempt to escape, the Magistrate gives Genocide “one chance to make amends” for his “earlier failure”. Genocide fights Brigade (mostly Battlestone) and ends-up killing Atlas. A group of freedom fighters (and recent Brigade allies) called the Birds of Prey stop Battlestone from killing Genocide implying that they will arrest the Crown Prince and make sure he his held responsible.

NOTE #1 (of 2): Genocide only has two other appearances that I know of*. He appeared in ‘Supreme (1992)’ issue #2 in double-page spread highlighting all the “major” characters in the Image Comics Universe at that time. Genocide is pictured with the major villains.

Genocide’s next (and only other*) appearance is in ‘Youngblood Imperial’ #1 from June 2004. In this book, written by Robert Kirkman and drawn by Marat Mychaels, we quickly see an “expendable” Youngblood team made-up of various villains under the mind-control of Psi-Fire. (In the image below you can see Genocide, identified by his pauldrons and gauntlets; not to be confused with the villain Blackrock behind him.)

NOTE #2 (of 2): Issues #2 and 3 of ‘Brigade (1992)’ are the only appearances of the Birds of Prey team before ‘Last Blood: Final Stand’*.

* Technically, Genocide & The Birds of Prey each have entries in ‘Brigade Sourcebook (1994)’ #1 from August 1994. But these are not story-based appearances.

The Story

We start with Liefeld’s story…

Major Vance Victor is informed by a member of his Star Command that Genocide has escaped from “lockdown”, stolen a ship with warp capacity, and is headed to Earth. Major Vance Victor notes that Genocide’s escape “was a well coordinated affair” and that “he’s acting as a vessel for a higher power that seeks to obtain whatever he’s after.”

We shift to Mychaels’s story…

A team is already awaiting Genocide’s arrival. People have been moved away from the city to minimize the damage. While we will learn the identities of these heroes in Liefeld’s epilogue, for now we just see them in action:

1. Guy, full-face covering, two swords (GFF)
2. Lady, half-mask, two swords (LHM)
3. Guy, armored suit (GAS)
4. Guy, half-mask, arm-blasts (GHM)

There is no waiting. On page #2 of Marat’s story we see Genocide on Earth. He hates being there, but he is on a quest. He addresses the team, “Bring the tome to me.” (This is our major connection to the main ‘Last Blood’ series. ‘Last Blood’ #2 ended with the members of Doom’s IV looking to “find the book before the final chapter is written”. This is all in reference to the 1997 series ‘Judgement Day’ by Rob Liefeld and Alan Moore. The story involved “The Book of All Tales”, a magical book that could alter reality and change people’s fates.)

GFF, LHM, and GAS confront Genocide. Genocide knocks-out (kills?) GAS. (GFF calls-out to “Marc”.) Invoking the “Gods of D’Vor,” GFF takes-on Genocide, claiming “I found… your… blindspot!” as he stabs the villain in the eyes with duel swords. Genocide still smacks GFF aside. Before Genocide’s “healing factor” can kick-in, LHM attacks, but she is also knocked-out, possibly killed. Genocide yells, “I see your drones. I know you are watching. Your ‘warriors’ are defeated. Bring me what I seek.”

Enter GHM who hits Genocide with blasts from his hand. GHM knows that Genocide escaped from prison and threatens to send him back. Marat’s story ends with a stand-off cliffhanger between Genocide and GHM mid-fight.

Back to Liefeld’s story…

Star Command member Akron updates Major Vance Victor, “There was a skirmish between Genocide and a group of assailants. The damage was limited, and he is still at large.” (This suggests that the battle ended and Genocide either won or escaped.)

Akron continues, “The assailants are not as they appear. Our network reveals them to be familiar identities within our database. They are operating under aliases and could pose a threat to our mission.” Akron then shows Major Vance Victor a screen with codenames for the four heores that took-on Genocide:

• GAS is Coldsnap/Seahawk (aka “Marc”) from Brigade
• GFF is Talon from Birds of Prey (note spelling difference, “Talyn” in ‘Brigade (1992)’)
• LHM is Swift from Birds of Prey
• GHM is Boone from Brigade

Major Vance Victor responds saying, “By my oath, by my birthright. None may claim the ancient tome but me.”

The issue ends with the text: “To Be Continued…”. There are no previews for future issues.

Some Analysis

I think we have a main hero! Major Vance Victor appears to be looking for “The Book of All Tales” and it feels like Rob Liefeld wants us rooting for him.

We are still missing a major villain, but the idea of one is taking shape. Genocide pops-up looking for the book, but Liefeld’s Prelude suggests that Genocide is “a vessel for a higher power that seeks to obtain whatever he’s after”. Is Genocide possessed in some fashion? Is he just a manipulated pawn?

A quick note about GAS/Coldsnap/Seahawk/Marc: Marc was the original Seahawk. Marc’s brother Alex was Coldsnap, a member of Brigade that could manipulate ice and would battle covered in a thick layer of ice. (Think Marvel’s Iceman if he made himself look like Beast.) Alex/Coldsnap died during the “Extreme Sacrifice” crossover storyline in ‘Brigade (1993)’ #16, January 1995. [Alex/Coldsnap is killed, again, in 2003’s ‘Youngblood: Bloodsport’ #1, but I believe that this is the death of an alternate universe variant. I could be wrong. The ‘Bloodsport’ story involves the members of Youngblood fighting each other to the death to the last man/woman standing for the opportunity to join a multiversal Youngblood team. I believe it is either an alternative universe, a farce to ensure each fighter gives their all, or part of a story that would have restored these characters. Alex/Clodsnap didn’t die in the contest. He was attempting to leave and was murdered for not participating.]

The most fun part of this book, for me, was in revisiting the earliest days of Image Comics and the Liefeld-verse. When Image Comics first started most series were announced as mini-series titles. The earliest issues of ‘Youngblood’ and ‘Brigade’ were printed by Malibu Comics under the Image Comics banner. After the first year, Image Comics established their own publishing network and were no longer under contract with Malibu Comics. Youngblood (1992) #1 released in April 1992, but Brigade (1992) #1 wasn’t far behind, releasing in August 1992. Genocide and the Birds of Prey are some of those characters that early readers of Image Comics were introduced to, but never got to see in action again. There is something satisfying in revisiting these characters over 30 years later and calling-back to the first few issues of this world.

Another element I enjoyed was the team-up of Rob Liefeld and Marat Mychaels on this title. Long-time collaborators, having Marat add to this ‘Last Blood’ world just feels right.

Here are the questions I am left with:

• Who is the “big bad” of the story?!
  • Still no idea!!!
  • Genocide is the biggest we have seen thus far, but we are clearly told in Liefeld’s Prelude that he is “a vessel for a higher power”.
  • Someone (or some group) coordinated to aid Genocide’s escape. Who?
• Is Major Vance Victor the hero we are supposed to root for?
  • As far as I can tell this is the first appearance of Major Vance Victor.
• Are Talon and Swift (from the Birds of Prey) dead? Are Marc and Boone dead?
  • Liefeld’s Epilogue seems to suggest that Genocide escaped from his run-in with the group. Were there any survivors? Is ‘Last Blood’ the “final” Liefeld-verse story where anyone can die?
• We saw Talon and Swift, but what of the other member of the Birds of Prey, Ironside? Is he going to pop-up in issue #2?
• While looking at the ‘Brigade Sourcebook (1994)’ I noticed (for the first time) that Genocide and the Birds of Prey belong to Marat Mychaels.
  • 
  • Will the teased issue #2 of ‘Last Blood: Final Stand’ feature a different set of heroes trying to stop Genocide?
  • Might we see other Marat-created characters from the Extreme Studios days featured in future issues ‘Final Stand’?
  • Is the main ‘Last Blood’ series for Liefeld-created characters only?
• How many factions are there looking for “The Book of All Tales”? Big bad guy, 1. Major Vance Victor, 2. But what of the heroes in the main ‘Last Blood’ series? Are they aligned with Major Vance Victor or are there other groups/alliances/parties also gunning for the magic tome?
• Is the “Suicide Squad” Genocide from ‘Youngblood Imperial (2004)’ the same one from ‘Brigade (1992)’ and ‘Last Blood: Final Stand (2025)’?
• Will we see Ca$h Carter & the Sci 5, The Defiants, or other members of EKO 92 in future issues of ‘Last Blood: Final Stand’?
  • If Liefeld introduced Major Vance Victor here, it makes sense that other new characters could appear in future ‘Final Stand’ books.
• When will the ‘Last Blood’ and ‘Last Blood: Final Stand’ stories finally intersect?
• Will there be a ‘Manga Edition’ of ‘Last Blood: Final Stand’ #1?
  • There was mention of it during the early WhatNot shows, but eight months after releasing the regular version I have seen no updates on a ‘Manga Edition’.

extremeexcursus@gmail.com