Heroes For Hire

Heroes for Hire (1996)

In 1996, as a consequence of the Onslaught and Heroes Reborn storylines, the Marvel Universe suffered a power vacuum after the Fantastic Four and Avengers were presumed killed. Following up on the status of the Oracle Corporation that Namor had set up in the pages of Namor, Jim Hammond (the Golden Age Human Torch) and Danny Rand decided to set up a new Heroes For Hire organization. Iron Fist recruited Luke Cage for this. Heroes for Hire debuted in 1997, with a core team consisting of Fist, Cage, and an assortment of hangers-on: Black Knight (Dane Whitman), a new White Tiger, Hercules, She-Hulk, Ant-Man (Scott Lang), the original Human Torch, and even Deadpool were included in the cast of the book, though much of the cast rotated in a Defenders-like manner, hired for missions as necessary. Heroes For Hire was written by John Ostrander and illustrated by Pasqual Ferry. It lasted for 19 issues before it was cancelled.

Heroes for Hire (2006)

A new Heroes for Hire series was developed as a spin-off of 2006's Civil War storyline. The book is written by Zeb Wells, with art by Terry Pallot. The team roster for the book is Colleen Wing, Misty Knight, the new Tarantula, Shang-Chi, Humbug, Orka, Black Cat and Paladin, the latter two joining for money. They serve as enforcers for the SHRA. After the murder of Goliath in battle, they made plans to take on Captain America.

After learning Captain America's location from a Pixiu, the team (minus Orka and Tarantula) tracks him down. While Misty and the team just want to talk and find a peaceful solution, they are betrayed by Paladin. Paladin disables the team with knock-out gas and attempts to capture Captain America. Shang-Chi's martial arts training had allowed him to hold his breath long enough to avoid the effects of the gas. Shang-Chi defeats Paladin and switches his uniform with Captain America. When S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives, Paladin is unintentionally taken into custody.

Shortly thereafter, Captain America and the Heroes For Hire part ways, and the "anti-regs" abandon their now compromised base. Meanwhile, the Heroes For Hire discover a black-market operation that surgically implanted superhumans with Skrull organs that would endow those who had the operation with Skrull shapeshifting abilities. Several of these hybrid Skrull-villains bust Misty Knight's old foe Ricadonna from prison. Ricadonna destroys the Heroes' headquarters by sending an explosive package, and puts hits out on the entire team. Most notable of these were Insecticide (the hit man sent to kill Humbug — Humbug neutralized him with help from his pet killer bees), Shadow Stalker (an old foe of Shang-Chi sent to kill him--Shang-Chi quickly humiliated him), and the gang of ninjas that attacked Tarantula when she was with her father. After they murder her father, Tarantula kills the entire gang herself. The team splits up in search of Ricadonna — while Misty Knight and Colleen Wing try to shake up the Toddler for information, Humbug uses his flies to discover Ricadonna's base--and also that she has somehow gained superpowers.

The team would also come into conflict with the Headmen, as well as travel to the Savage Land and encounter Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy. Following these adventures, the Heroes For Hire became involved in World War Hulk, being captured aboard Hulk's stoneship. Humbug turns on the group, but in turn is betrayed by Earth's hive, which had been using him from the start. Colleen and Tarantula are heavily tortured, but are rescued by the rest of the team. Shang-Chi kills Humbug to avenge Tarantula's torture, and possibly out of mercy, as Humbug had mutated into a grotesque monster and was in great pain. Afterword the team splits up, with Paladin taking Moon-boy in for the reward offered for his capture. Black Cat tries to appeal to Paladin's good nature, but Paladin kicks her away and informs her she does not know him at all. Shang-Chi departs the group carrying the still injured Tarantula in his arms. Misty attempts to console a still heavily distraught Colleen, trying to encourage her that the team could still keep going, but Colleen will hear none of it. Colleen states that the moment the team sold their service as heroes they sold the best part of themselves. Colleen walks away leaving Misty alone, signalling the complete end of team.