"To be honest, I don't even remember why I became a hero. Maybe I thought I was going to be the next Superman. Maybe that's just what you do when you're an android who can control the weather. Or maybe I was just young and stupid enough to imagine that I could change the world. Not yet understanding that it's always the world that changes you."
One-Star Squadron is a miniseries written by Mark Russell and drawn by Steve Lieber, and published by DC Comics.
Desperate to remain relevant in an age where the Justice League has monopolized conventional superheroics, Power Girl, Red Tornado, and a host of other lesser heroes band together to form Heroz4U, an agency dedicated to helping C-listers find steady work to keep them out of trouble. However, Red Tornado's latest case, attempting to rehabilitate an amnesiac who used to be Gangbuster, is throwing things out of joint.
This series contains examples of:
- Amnesiac Hero: Jose Delgado doesn't remember who he is or what he used to do as Gangbuster. The only reason he even remembers that he used to be Gangbuster is because someone wrote it on his hospital shirt.
- Bittersweet Ending: By the final issue, Gangbuster is dead, Heroz4U has collapsed, and much of the cast are in disarray, with Terry even attempting suicide, but Terry survives his brush with death and finds a new life running an ice-cream stand in Montana, and becomes much happier after giving up on being a superhero.
- Blessed with Suck: Minute Man has superhuman abilities, but they only last one minute at a time.
- The Bus Came Back: This series brings back several C-list heroes, many of whom hadn't appeared since before Flashpoint, like Flying Fox, Heckler, Jack O'Lantern, Gangbuster, G.I. Robot, Miss America, Black Condor and Firehawk. It also reintroduces Red Tornado's wife Kathy and daughter Traya Sutton. There’s also a cameo of Don Hall/Dove, who hasn’t been seen alive since Crisis On Infinite Earths.
- Church of Happyology: Maxwell Lord seems to have started one of these, selling books that purport to teach people to "realize the prize". Power Girl has become obsessed with the book.
- Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Lex Luthor has gotten out of the supervillainy game, instead putting his considerable genius into things like apps and streaming services. He even created an app, Hench, that helps low-level supervillains like Sportsmaster get legitimate gigs.
- Fantastic Drug: Minute Man gets his powers from Miraclo, the same stuff that gave Hourman his powers, except that he doesn't have access to Rex Tyler's supply, so his pills only give him about a minute per dose. And since he's getting his pills on the street, sometimes they don't even last that long.
- Flying Brick: When the Miraclo kicks in, Minute Man is superhumanly strong and durable and able to fly... for all of one minute.
- Life Saving Misfortune: Terry's attempt at suicide is thwarted because after slitting his wrists, the knife he's using accidentally punctures his waterbed, flooding the apartment downstairs and causing the neighbor to call the police.
- Mundane Utility: The Heckler's superhuman ability to annoy and provoke people might not be useful in combat, but it makes him a surprisingly good telemarketer.
- Promoted to Scapegoat: In the fallout from the Jack O'Lantern scandal, the executives behind Heroz4U promote Red Tornado because they want him to fire half the staff so that they will remain profitable enough to sell the app to another company.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: In a bid to take over Red Tornado's job, Power Girl tells the executives that Red is unpopular and that most of the staff hates him. The executives call Reddy in and tell him to fire Power Girl, because they don't want employees who will try to take each other out in an attempt to move up.
- Skewed Priorities: In the third issue, Jack O'Lantern blows off rescuing people from a shipwreck because Heroz4U suddenly called him up and offered him bonus money to make an appearance at a Halloween party. When the Justice League finds out, Superman makes the decision to pull their endorsement from the app.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Minute Man used to work for the government, and even had a movie made about him. He assumes that should put him head and shoulders above his peers. His severely low rating on the Heroz4U app suggests otherwise.
- Sports Hero Backstory: Before becoming Gangbuster, Jose Delgado was an up-and-coming boxer in Suicide Slum.
- Take That!: Among the Heroz4U board's stupid purchases is a massive painting that the receptionist says is the most valuable object in the building. Eventually, the camera pans out to show that it's a Bored Ape
painting.
