The breakout series Radiant Black from Image Comics has had its fair share of twists and turns. A dark, subversive deconstruction of the super sentai and superhero genres, Radiant Black has spent the last fifteen issues deconstructing the hero's journey in the name of generational angst and stereotypes. The hero is struggling to be heroic, the villains are struggling to be evil, moral ambiguity is rampant, redemption is scarce and the Power Rangers-esque team doesn't really get along that well -- not to mention the original protagonist was replaced immediately.
In Radiant Black #16, former slacker Marshall has started finding his stride as Radiant Black. He steadily rebuilds his reputation and reluctantly works alongside his fellow Radiants even if it can be awkward. But in the subversive world of Radiant Black, it seems the bad guys are predictably teaming up. And in doing so, they are setting in motion one of the most classic tropes ever, a requirement of all superhero stories -- the hero must face his rogue's gallery in battle.
Radiant Black has made good on its Invincible meets Power Rangers setup. Marshall only assumed the role of Radiant Black because the previous protagonist and original holder of the power, his best friend Nathan, was rendered comatose thanks to Radiant Red's recklessness. This power shift served the hero deconstruction well, with the sardonic, cynical but ultimately good-natured Marshall being far less forgiving, and far more willing to enact brutal justice than his soft-spoken predecessor. However, it was this shift that set up the classic villain team up trope. The hero's actions, specifically his rough dispatching of criminals made it inevitable that Radiant Black would undergo the traditional rite of passage every hero must face.
In many contemporary superhero titles, every hero has had to face their rogue's gallery en masse at some point, especially if said hero has had a hand in leading them on the path to villainy. Marshall's Radiant Black has done just this, interacting with, and tearing down each individual member of the Syndicate. He's decimated previous collections of villains, of which Sheer and Accel were members. Shift, the group's de-facto leader, and Doppler were dispatched of separately. As such, their resentment towards Radiant Black is personal, leading all four of them to recruit their own personal mecha to aid them and creating an ideal team. Thus, Marshall's Radiant Black created his own worst enemy in dramatic fashion by ironically doing the right thing for society.
It's the first really challenging fight Radiant Black has had outside of fighting other Radiants and cosmic beings. Before, he's had little trouble with the villains individually, but this is part of the test for every major superhero and why this represents an important rite of passage in the genre itself. The villain team-up proves to readers just what the hero is made of, how much they can take, and if they are as good as their villains collectively.
Whether Marshall lives to fight another day has yet to be determined, but it's clear that Radiant Black–whoever wears the helmet–much like the rogues gallery battle, is here to stay. And by the looks of things, he's more than capable to facing the "Fab Five." Or "5yndicate." Or the "Sinister Six." Again, the name of this villain team is yet to be determined.