Thank you for reading and being a part of Volume One of Heroes of The Collective! I'm interested to hear your views on what has happened, so please comment below if you have any!
I just wanted to take some time to discuss the series, in particular my rationale for how it ended, as I recognise it might be a bit divisive. unpopular or unexpected.
I think in general, killing characters- especially at the end of a series/book can be a risky thing and can be seen to be done solely for a shock tactic or as lazy story telling. A death in the story needs to make sense and maybe have a point that can be explored after. I think people get quite disheartened with a series if a death feels cheap. I understand that.
However, I hope my attempts to build to this moment over the series has been noted.
Throughout Lucas' development, he's been someone who is constantly doubting his worth and value, because of how people close to him- his peers- and how they deliberately and inadvertantly doubt him and take him for granted.
When we meet him and through our look at what happened in Los Angeles, this is something he's been dealing with since before we meet him. So his mental health decline hasn't just started when we see him first.
Brad actively dislikes him, blaming him for his sister's death. He repeatedly tells him that his enhancements are not helpful in a crisis and belittles their uses whenever he does use them.
On paper, Lucas is extremely helpful and has specific enhancements that can be incredibly useful, but when it mattered to Brad, he wasn't able to rise to the challenge.
Dylan and Terri inadvertantly ignore or take for granted what he can do. They like him and have no problem with him, but Lucas isn't physically matched or involved in crises like they are. Do they subconsciously see themselves as better than him?
Dylan ignores Lucas' instructions when they are in San Francisco and goes ahead with his own plan, discounting Lucas' experiences being older and with The Collective longer.
In Terri's first issue, she forgets what Lucas can do and doesn't necessarily appreciate what he has already done for her by using his enhancements.
During The Battle For London, and something explored a bit more in the final issue, The Secretary's instinct is to not need Lucas out in the field. Is she wrong though? What could Lucas have done out there? Wasn't he better used at The Facility?
We see in Lucas' origins which he recalls during his final moments, that he once was more active in the field. Him and Brad worked well together loads pre the LA earthquake. That disaster was likely to be a big factor in losing his confidence and in him taking a back seat by remaining behind the scenes.
Fast forward to Network #5 'Corrupted', and the reasoning for giving Don the information he needs.
By this point he's at the end of his tether. He's drunk. He's scared of Don. He's vulnerable. He's not thinking straight and he's hearing Don remind him of how people percieve him, bullying him and threatening him into giving him what he wants. He's wondering why he would or should continue to honour his friends and his responsibilities? All that leads to him snapping and giving Don the information.
Then with that regret, it sends him down a path. He's not a bad guy, but his impulsive actions will inevitibly lead to a man's death. How will that be percieved by everyone in The Collective after that?
So onto Lucas' ultimate decision to end his own life.
I like to think in a way that no one considered this to be how it ended. One of my goals as a have a go author is that I want to try writing something (this series) which keeps people guessing, where a moment can't be easily predicted- where someone doesn't think "That was obvious, I saw that coming." There are spoilers and guesses for most things and I think it can water down the experience if you saw something coming too much.
So whilst I like to think that this was a surprise and a shock- because that's how I've written it- I want it to be known that it hasn't been done just for the shock factor. I planned this in when I planned the first volume.
Whilst I did want it to be a complete surprise, I didn't want it to come out of the blue. There was a moment in Proten #1 'Reaching Out' where a conversation was had between Brad and Lucas, which hinted at Lucas' earlier mindset and in a way suggesting that this outcome for him was not beyond the realms of possibility.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Solid idea, good work,” Brad said, walking with Lucas down the stairs. “I hope to God I don’t find myself in that position. I couldn’t imagine it,” he added. Lucas blushed and Brad noticed. “What about you?”
“Well, I was just thinking that I can imagine it, yeah. It can happen so easily and just surprise you from nowhere.”
“Have you?” Brad asked vaguely, but the suggestion crystal clear.
“Yeah, well perhaps. Once,” Lucas said honestly.
“When?”
Lucas coughed awkwardly. He wasn’t entirely comfortable getting this vulnerable with someone like Brad, but he went with it. “Six months or so after.. after, well you know,” Lucas replied, keeping his gaze down following the staircase round as they descended.
Yes, Brad did know. And it was in that moment, watching Lucas embarrassingly stumble over his words to explain his reasons for being close to taking his own life, that he was reminded why he loathed him so much.
I think it was important to show Lucas sharing that he had already had thoughts after what we since learnt was after the LA Earthquake. Back then was that because of the trauma of the experience? The grief of losing people he cared about? Or the treatment and blame he was getting from Brad who was processing his own loss?
There was an alternate world/option where I thought Don could have just followed Lucas back to his apartment and killed him there for Terri to find him dead. But, in Volume 2 we explore the wider consequences of what Lucas did and how those left behind feel about their own behaviours. I feel this potentially leaves us with richer character moments going into the new volume.
Volume 2 picks up immediately in the aftermath of the finale, and throughout the run of issues there will be moments that pick up on what has happened.
I also wanted to show another side to being a super hero. Having abilities/enhancements doesn't make you completely invincible, and so I did want to explore the fragility of individual's mental health as an issue.
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In Lucas' absence in the next volume, we have a whole bunch of new characters introduced- some more prominent than others. We learn more about Pan and see more of his dynamic with Dylan. The other addition to the roster I won't talk about too much, but we meet her in the first third.
What I will say, is there are going to be more bad guys, familiar faces and old friends as the world... and the universes... further grows.
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Volume Two won't start until 27th August, but I'm excited to say that there will be 2 spin off series released weekly before it starts:
Woodland Warriors and The Rodeos
Woodland Warriors will consist of 4 special issues and picks up from the rescue of Bao in Network #3. We meet the other members and follow them in their own stories.
The Rodeos will then follow after for 3 issues. A warning: The Rodeos will be a very mature cousin of HoTC. With more swears, more gore and slightly more sexual content than you were used to, we see what they get up to and why the way they operate is not favoured with the rest of The Collective.
They will be added to the end of this fiction page as they are part of Volume One, and after, this will be marked as complete.
This is how the summer of releases will look like in between Volume One ending and Two starting.
Network #6/Volume One finale
Woodland Warriors #1 part 1
Woodland Warriors #1 part 2
Woodland Warriors #2
Woodland Warriors #3
The Rodeos #1
The Rodeos #2
The Rodeos #3
Volume 2 Issue 1 - Volume Two will be a new book.