(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#1 (fb) - BTS) - Carlos and Jamal reported their powers to the press, and subsequent reports convinced  Linda to report her powers as well.

(Hardcase#4 (fb) - BTS) - Tom Hawke turned on the news and learned about three other people in the Los Angeles area who had experienced bursts of power.

     There were unconfirmed rumors of other events.

(Break-Thru#2 (fb) - BTS) - These empowerments were via the Entity on the Moon, and they were later referred as jumpstarts.

(Hardcase#4 (fb) / Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#1 (fb)) - Tom contacted Carlos, Linda and Jamal and arranged a meeting at "--oscanella Italian Kitchen" (apparently starts with a "C" (or maybe a "T," with the very bottom of the preceding,  apparently two letter word shown preceding that , possibly "Il" or"La" ). There he told them they all had something to gain and that if they pooled their resources, they could get major media exposure, which could help all of their careers. When Carlos and Linda noted the offers they had received, Tom told them that those were just 15-minutes-of-fame stuff, and he told them they needed to look at the long-term.

(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#1 (fb)) - Hawke suggested they form an ultra-hero team, noting Ultratech's Prototype (Bob Campbell) as an example of how such publicity could be good for business, and they might actually do some good.

     While Carlos and the others were initially incredulous, they soon considered that they would be heroes in the public's eyes, and that kids would want toys of them.

(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#1 (fb)) - BTS) - Rex Mundi observed this interaction and assigned the four as targets to his robot servant NM-E; however, he instructed it to wait to see who else came out into the limelight after this group went public.

(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#2 (fb)) <Two days after the restaurant meeting> - Tom had the group meet out in a desert to showcase and test the limits of their powers in preparation for a press conference to announce themselves to the world.

    The next day, Jamal told the others about the Zulus crack gang terrorizing his neighborhood, explaining how they hurt people for fun and that he wanted them to know that they could not continue on the path they had chosen.

     Having grown up with gangs, Carlos agreed that they should make an example there and that it could do some good. Tom and Linda agreed as long as no one got seriously hurt, and all four made a pact that they would never knowingly maim or kill another human being.

    They further acknowledged that their powers did not give make them gods and that they had not been given a mandate to right wrongs: They all just wanted to live in a better world.

    After the four of them arrived at Jamal's house, Jamal's mother told them that the gang had taken his sister, Yolanda, as well as Patti.

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     However, as they prepared to leave, the LAPD showed up and arrested Carlos and his allies. Although Yolanda and Patti told the police what had happened, they were ignored, and Carlos and the would-be heroes spent the night in jail; although no charges were filed.

    The next morning, the group was brought before the mayor and the chief of police, who told them that alhough they had acted as vigilantes, they had been calm and prepared and that they not used any unreasonable force; these things impressed the authorities, who arranged for them to be able to fight crime under the city's supervision (vs. being prosecuted if they continued independently).

    Soon after, the mayor introduced them publicly in a press conference as LA's newest crimefighting team, the Squad. They met with immediate public approval by a crowd outside the building cheering for what they did, and the four appreciated the city officials' motive to make them their own.

    Fashion people said they defined a new, health-conscious look.

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(Hardcase#4 (fb) / Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#2 (fb)) - They received costumes based on the clothes in which they had been arrested. At around this same time, they adopted super hero aliases: D.J. Blast/Jamal Blass, Forsa/Carlos Jimenez, Hardcase/Tom Hawke, Starburst/Linda Warren.

    Seeing the public's reaction, the media jumped at including the Squad everywhere possible.

(Hardcase#13 (fb) - BTS) Aladdin began extensive surveilance of the Squad (see comments).

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(Hardcase#4 (fb)) <Late 1991> - Soon after, the Squad was a national sensation, on the cover of almost every magazine. 

(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#2 (fb)) - They were also guests on almost every talk show.

(Hardcase#4 (fb)) - They started out doing charity work for the disadvantaged.

(Hardcase#4 (fb)) - The Squad members also did advertisements, which paid nicely.

(Hardcase#4 (fb) - BTS) - Mayor Bradley gave the Squad sanction to help out the police on cases where cops might get killed.

(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#2 (fb)) - The Squad were sent into dangerous scenes which the police wished to avoid. Their ability to take down the opposition without casualties pleased the police, the city and the public. 

(Hardcase#4 (fb) - BTS) - They started with some "simple things," like crack houses.

(Hardcase#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Squad shut down a number of crack houses and did a lot of community service, which was greatly appreciated by the local police. 

(Hardcase#4 (fb) - BTS) - The Squad later moved on to bank robbers and the like.

    They found things to seem "too easy," as normal criminals were no match for them.

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(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#2 (fb)) - The squad was deluged with mail. On slow days, they sat around the coffee room, going through letters. Some were full of praise, while others were cries for help: Kids wanting protection from bullies, people afraid of their neighbors, women who were being stalked by their ex-lovers, and children who wanted their father to stop hitting mommy.

    A romance blossomed between Hardcase and Starburst.

(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#2 (fb)) - The Squad's success contributed to UltraTech's looking into a replacement for their public agent, Prototype (Bob Campbell)

(Hardcase#4 (fb) - BTS / Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#2 (fb) - The Squad got an office in Century City, along with a secretary (Celia Brady) to handle all the mail and calls that they were getting.

(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#3 (fb) - BTS) - The city made the Squad heroes in the eyes of the public through carefully orchestrated attacks on crack houses and hostage situations, although they spent most of their time doing public relations work.

    The Squad was ordered not to get involved as officials feared they might do more harm than good without police supervision. Pretending they had never heard these orders, the Squad tried in vain to bring peace and order to the town.

    Although they were frustrated by their lack of success, Officer Jamal Brown thanked them for being level-headed and credited them for preventing things from getting even worse.

(Ultra Monthly#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Squad took on everything from arsonists to anti-Zionists.

(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#4 (fb) - BTS) - Rex Mundi instructed NM-E to kill a number of ultras in Los Angeles and to save the Squad for last.

(Hardcase#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Squad thought they were the only ultras on the planet. 

(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#4 (fb)) - The Squad discussed their mixed feedback following the riots. In response to a federal government offer (Aladdin), while none of them wanted to be forced to follow government orders, Linda convinced them to agree to the meeting, so they would not be seen as being against the government.

(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#4 (fb)) - The LAPD informed the Squad of brutal slaughters of 11 ultras in the city in the last 10 days; this disabused them of the notion they were the only ultras, and also put them on alert as they might be next. 

(Hardcase#4 (fb) / Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#4 (fb)) <Around March 3, 1992> - Agents of the US federal government group Aladdin met with the Squad, telling them they were doing great work in LA, but that their country could put them to better use. Despite assurances that Aladdin were the good guys and wanted to help them live up to their full potential, the Squad was leery about working for some government agency of which they'd never heard. Tom voiced this opinion and politely declined the offer.

(Hardcase I#13 (fb) - BTS / Aladdin Datafile Report) - Aladdin began formulating plans to capture the Squad to learn the source of their powers. 

(Ultra Monthly#1 (fb) - BTS) - Carlos and his wife bought a house in Studio City in the San Fernando Valley, California.

(Ultraverse Premiere#0/4 / Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#4 (fb)) <March 9, 1992> - When terrorists took hostage a class of students at Canoga Park's JFK Junior High, the Squad arrived to stop them. Hearing news reports of their arrival, the terrorists instructed the authorities to call the Squad back, but the Squad had already gone in. Working in pairs -- Hardcase and Starburst, and D.J. Blast and Forsa -- took out a number of the terrorists.

    The terrorist leader ordered his men to kill some of the kids as a warning, but the Squad united to protect the kids and take them down without a single fatality.

(Ultraverse Premiere#0/4 - BTS) - A newswoman reported the the Squad had captured all of the terrorists and that the FBI and SWAT teams were moving in.

(Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#4 (fb)) - As the FBI took away the terrorists, the Squad regained their confidence and their belief in what they were doing.

(Hardcase#4 (fb) / Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#4 (fb)) <March 10, 1992> - Forsa (Carlos) and his wife had a housewarming party, attending by family, friends, and his Squad teammates.

(Hardcase#1 (fb) - BTS / Hardcase#4 (fb) / Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#4 (fb)) - NM-E (whose identity was not known at the time of the attack) burst through the roof and attacked everyone present

(Hardcase#4 (fb) / Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#4 (fb)) - Before anyone could react, NM-E had slain half of the people in the room. Furious over the slaughter of his family, Forsa launched the creature out of the house into a nearby drainage canal into which NM-E had already cast Hardcase.

   Forsa joined the others in following it there, but after NM-E had incapacitated the other three, including blowing a hole through DJ Blast's chest, Forsa found his power insufficent to hold back the creature.

    Forsa called out to the stunned Hardcase to wake up and help...

(Hardcase#1 (fb) / Ultraverse Zero: Death of the Squad#4 (fb)) - As Hardcase recovered and prepared to attack NM-E anew, D.J. Blast advised him that NM-E had smoked Forsa, that he was almost done himself, and he instructed Hardcase to get Starburst out of there.

     After Hardcase had grabbed Starburst and leapt away, Jamal cut loose with his power, vaporizing himself, NM-E, and seemingly Forsa.

(Hardcase#13 (fb) - BTS) - Apparently having created enough of a force field to protect him from the explosion, Forsa's body was found by agents of Aladdin, who took it to their Groom Lake facility. Forsa never regained consciousness and died soon afterward.

    Aladdin agents preserved Forsa's brain and other organs for study.

(Hardcase#1 (fb) - BTS) - The news reported how D.J. Blast and Forsa had perished; Hardcase recovered, but Starburst remained comatose and in critical condition, with little hope of recovery.

(Ultra Monthly#1 (fb) - BTS) - Forsa was reported to have vaporized...

(Hardcase#13 (fb)) - Aladdin agents soon discovered what portion of Forsa's brain controlled his powers and were able to crudely duplicate them .

(Hardcase#13 (fb) - BTS) - While Hardcase was away, shooting his first movie, Undercover Agent, Aladdin agents removed Linda Warren from the coma ward for 48 hours, during which they flew her to Groom Lake and removed the ultra-center of her brain, after which they returned her, having paid off (and threatened the hospice staff) to keep the secret.

(Hardcase#13 (fb) - BTS) - Aladdin merged Forsa and Starburst's brain tissue with biochip into wetware that they implanted into their subject Amy Tran Kwitny, who became their agent. The biochips dampened her powers after an hour and required her to verbally name her powers to select/access them; these limitations were placed so that if she ever went rogue, she could be captured.
    She was further enhanced with ultra-strength and enhanced senses, and she was given the codename of Choice.

(Hardcase#4 - BTS) - At the request of the ultras known as the Strangers (Atom Bob/Bob Hardin, ElectroCute/Candy, Grenade/Hugh Fox, Lady-Killer/Elena la Brava, Spectral/Dave Castiglione, Yrial, Zip-Zip/Leon Balford), Hardcase related the history of the Squad.