The Pull List – The Six Million Dollar Man #4
Falling into the depths of the sea, the bionic Steve Austin leaves his partner Niko to face off against two ANSA henchmen. The corrupt technology company plans to eliminate the two agents before they can alert their governments of ANSA’s missile plan. Steve has put his expensive body through some extreme conditions so far, can the sea floor ruin the super spy?
The head of ANSA, Mr. Amari, leaves his fortress behind and puts distances between him and the spies. But Mr. Amari is prepared a trap for Steve and Niko. Instead of more armed guards or masked swordsmen, ANSA latest trick is revealing pitting family against family. Niko soon realizes the connection to ANSA and her hometown, and the lengths to keep to cover up ANSA’s hidden operation. The mission becomes a personal vendetta for Niko, seeking to end the nefarious Mr. Amari.
Writer Christopher Hastings shows the spy business isn’t all fighting nameless thugs with fun gadgets while looking cool. Sometimes the business can get personal and ugly. This is a dramatic entry where Niko is faced to confront enemies she never suspected. Hastings still gives Steve a few moments to be a bumbling super spy but balances it with Niko’s taking a personal hit. Artist David Hahn adds in some subtle details that make the story a bit more emotional without clouding the humor. The artwork is playful, so it would be out of place for this story to take a sudden shift into a melodrama. Mr. Amari has a big plan for the USA and only the bionic man with no plan can stop him in the final issue.