Q7 STRIKE FORCE

Membership: Automaton, Banzai, Firestryke, Harvester, Victor Sternwood (leader), Tanuta Umbotha

Purpose: Mercenaries

Affiliations: Allies: Otomo and Otomocorp (employers); formerly Mys-Tech

Enemies: Gene Dogs (Cat, Howitzer, Kestrel, Pacer, Panther, Tyr), Hurricane (Albert Potter), Iron Man (Tony Stark), Knights of Pendragon, Mys-Tech (Crowe)

Base of Operations: formerly Otomocorp HQ (Siberia), formerly Mys-Tech Central, below the Museum of Pagan Antiquities, London, England

Aliases: Mys-Tech Strike Force Unit Q7

First Appearance: Knights of Pendragon II#2 (August, 1992)

History: The origins of the group and individual members are for the most part unrevealed. Harvester, Sternwood, andTanuta were former agents of Mys-Tech, and some or all were most likely empowered or enhanced by their research laboratories. At some point they left Mys-Tech, and began working as mercenaries. They were employed by Otomo, CEO of Otomocorp.

(Knights of Pendragon II#2) - Harvester, Sternwood, and Tanuta were dispatched by Mys-Tech to search for Union Jack III. However, they encountered and were overpowered by Iron Man, who was involved in an adventure with the Knights at that time, and they were teleported away by Mys-Tech.

(Gene Dogs#1) - Otomo learned of a powerful weapon known as the Gene Scanner, from information deliberately leaked by Mys-Tech. Otomo dispatched the Q7 Strike Force to the Nakasoni Corporation, a subsidiary of Mys-Tech, to obtain the Scanner. Q7 was opposed by the Gene Dogs, who were sent by S.T.O.R.M. (Special Task Force Omega Response Mandate) to prevent Otomo from obtaining the Scanner. The Gene Dogs ended up with the Scanner, but one of their members, Panther, was killed by Banzai in the process

(Gene Dogs#2) - Mys-Tech sent Hurricane III to steal the Gene Scanner from STORM. Suyin, a spy within Mys-Tech loyal to Otomo, leaked this information to Otomo (This also was deliberately allowed by Crowe, a Mys-Tech Techno-Wizard). Otomo sent Q7 to ambush Hurricane and bring him and the Scanner back to Otomocorp HQ in Siberia.

(Gene Dogs#3) - Sternwood enjoyed torturing the seemingly helpless Hurricane, who absorbed the energy, broke free, and took mental control of Q7. The Gene Dogs arrived to attempt to retrieve the Scanner, and defeated Q7 by linking their minds through Cat. The Gene Dogs were defeated by Hurricane, and imprisoned alongside Q7.

(Gene Dogs#4) - The members of Q7 teamed up with the Gene Dogs, and were freed by Otomo to oppose Hurricane, who now had control of the Gene Scanner. The combined group traveled to Otomocorp Space Station, from which Hurricane planned to use the Gene Scanner to mutate large portions of Earth's population. Again united mentally by Cat, the group defeated Hurricane, at which Otomo attempted to activate the Scanner for his own use against Mys-Tech. However, Otomo learned too late that the Scanner was actually a bomb designed to destroy its user when activated, a plan of Mys-Tech (specifically Crowe) to rid themselves of Otmo's competition. Tanuta teleported the Gene Dogs and Hurricane to safety outside Otomocorp HQ, and it is presuemd she teleported her own allies to another location.

COMMENTS: The Q7 team, Harvester, Sternwood, and Tanuta created by John Tomlinson and Phil Gascoine.

Automaton, Banzai, and Firestryke created by John Freeman and David Taylor.

I have no idea what the Q7 stands represents, other than to illustrate the fact that Mys-Tech is so extensive, that it has had hundreds of Strike Force units, possibly.

Sternwood's first name was revealed in Marvel Atlas#1.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Q7 has no connection to:

• Strikeforce One, an team of clones of the heroes for hire, serving the master, @ Heroes for Hire#11
• S.T.R.I.K.E., the Special Tactical Response for International Key Emergencies, a british intelligence agency, precursor to RCX, @ Captain Britain I#17