"He wanted to share it with the press. It's proof the American government was behind Project Starfish the all time."

―Ratcatcher 2 to Bloodsport^[src]

The Destruction of Jotunheim, also known as Operation Jotunheim, was the final mission of Task Force X to destroy every trace of Project Starfish. After kidnapping Thinker, the squad infiltrated the base, implanting pumps throughout it.

During the mission, Rick Flag refused to delete the records after discovering that they contained information about the financial support of the United States in illegal experiments carried out at the base. In an act of protecting world peace, Peacemaker confronted him, ending with Flag's death, but with Smith being defeated by Bloodsport.

The mission ended with the bombs exploding and consecutively with the release of the creature Starro, who began to attack the city of Valle Del Mar.^[1]

Background[]

Project Starfish[]

In 1990, a space creature known as Starro was captured by NASA. Hoping to weaponize it under the codename of Project Starfish, the United States government made a deal with the Corto Maltese government of the Herrera Family to conduct illegal experiments with the beast in the Jotunheim base. The metahuman scientist known as Thinker was hired to oversee the experiments, who for 30 years physically, sexually and mentally abused Starro. During the experiments, journalists, political rivals of the Herreras, and their loved ones were kidnapped to feed the beast that controlled their bodies by killing them.

The Corto Maltese Armed Forces led by Silvio Luna carried out a coup to overthrow the Herrera Family in 2020, finally Luna would take power by assassinating the Herrera Family in a public execution. As the new president, Luna would contact Thinker to make a deal and take over Project Starfish, hoping to use it to start a conflict against the United States and to assassinate all people and loved ones who ever were against his government.^[1]

Task Force X[]

In retaliation, Amanda Waller was informed of the violent coup in Corto Maltese, as Luna was completely anti-American, it was feared that the information about the participation of the United States in the illegal experiments in Jotunheim would be made public to the world. Waller would begin to recruit various prisoners gifted or with special abilities from Belle Reve, under the promise of reducing their sentence by 10 years in exchange for infiltrating Jotunheim and destroying the base together with Project Starfish. However and as a contingency plan, Waller personally contacted Christopher Smith to ensure that the records of American participation were eliminated, Smith being a person who defended peace and strongly patriot.

Two teams of Task Force X were formed that headed towards Corto Maltese, the first team faced the Armed Forces being killed and leaving Colonel Flag and Harley Quinn as survivors, this was done to distract the soldiers and make way for the second team leaded by Bloodsport without difficulty, which consisted of members with more useful skills. This team would meet Rick Flag, in this way they began the mission to kidnap Thinker with the intention of forcing him to help them enter Jotunheim.^[1]

Kidnapping of Thinker[]

"That is a gun, so smile. We are old mates and we're gonna take a trip to Jotunheim."
"Even with my help, do you think you can get into Jotunheim?"

―Bloodsport and Thinker^[src]

Task Force X was able to rescue the Maltese rebel Milton from some soldiers of the armed forces, Sol Soria guided the team explaining that Milton would take them to the La Gatita Amable club, a place where Thinker frequented, and from there kidnap him to force him to enter. After arriving, the squad would spend a few hours waiting, when Grieves arrived, Bloodsport approached and threaten him with a pistol to force them to go to Jotunheim and let them enter. When leaving the place, the soldiers of the armed forces would arrive in search of the Americans who arrived in the country.

Consequently, Bloodsport would ask Cleo Cazo and Abner Krill to take Gaius Grieves to the truck using the back doors and threatening him with the pistol, while DuBois, Smith and Flag would surrender to the soldiers. DuBois's group would manage to escape from the armed forces by crashing the truck in which they were transported and killing the soldiers, captured Thinker would see the squad captured with handcuffs to meet again. The squad then set out to rescue Harley Quinn from Luna's palace, however upon arrival they discovered that Quinn broke free on her own, reuniting again with the squad to infiltrate in Jotunheim.^[1]

Destruction[]

Infiltration in Jotunheim[]

Before entering, Ratcatcher 2 would be in charge of sending a herd of rats to bite the cables of the security cameras in Jotunheim, in this way to avoid being discovered, when the cameras stopped working the security guard would be surprised while she ate. Then the suicide squad would explain to Gaius Grieves how he was to help them enter while Milton delivered empanadas. Thinker would view the mission as suicide, so Rick Flag told him that was his specialty. Finally, Thinker was forced to drive the squad in Milton's truck to the base, being threatened with a gun by Bloodsport and Peacemaker, while the squad hid so as not to be seen through the windows.

Upon arrival, the soldiers opened the door to Thinker but saw the arrival of Thinker in the truck strangely, while Thinker parked, a heavy rain would begin. The squad would prepare their weapons where Milton tried to use Flag's shotgun, but he was instantly denied it, the squad would then get out of the truck having the rain as an advantage so that they would not be seen. They then made their way to the entrance walking through the rain while Quinn ate an apple, getting close enough the soldiers saw them, so Task Force X quickly began to brutally kill them. This automatically made the soldiers call for more reinforcements, so Peacemaker hit Thinker against the retinal scan, after that threat Thinker was forced to open the door and the squad entered.

Seeing the reinforcements arrive, Bloodsport forced Thinker to close the door, so Grieves began to type the lock pattern slowly to generate time, but closing it before any soldiers could enter. Seeing that the retinal camera was broken, the soldier Isabella called for a battering ram to be swallowed in an attempt to break down the door, while the security camera guard notified the soldiers inside the base of the arrival of the Task Force X. Shortly after, the head of security in Jotunheim would call President Mateo Suarez to notify him of the unauthorized entry of the squad, so Suarez would go there, leaving the government house and sending more soldiers.^[1]

Implanting bombs[]

"Peacemaker!"
"It's actually very nice, just put it again on the wall. It's nothing like me."

―King Shark and Peacemaker^[src]

As soon as they entered, Task Force X began to distribute the bags with the explosives, where they organized their positions in the mission. Bloodsport would accompany Harley Quinn, Milton and Polka-Dot Man who would go to the second floor, while Peacemaker and King Shark would place explosives on the first floor. Immediately each of them would go to their positions.

As the Armed Forces soldiers continued to try to get in, Peacemaker planted a bomb on the walls, but Nanaue used an explosive to form the figure of Christopher Smith and show it to him, Smith got upset with him for playing with explosives and would ask him to put it back on the wall. In that, Peacemaker would listen to Rick Flag, and then see how he along with Ratcatcher 2 took Thinker to the elevator with the intention of showing them Project Starfish, quickly Smith began to follow them without them noticing. Meanwhile Nanaue would finish arranging the explosive on the wall, seeing that Smith had left and not knowing what to do, Nanaue began to explore the Jotunheim base.

King Shark met the Bloodsport team about to plant bombs while climbing the stairs, DuBois saw more soldiers arrive so he began to hurry. However, Nanaue decided to continue going up, reaching a room with Clyrax tanks, as they approached touching the glass, these individuals formed the figure of Nanaue, King Shark then began to jump and the Clyrax moved in their wake, so Nanaue saw them like new fool friends while running with happiness.

Meanwhile, Thinker arrived with Flag and Cazo at the floor where the Starfish Project was guarding, as soon as they entered, Flag and Cazo were surprised to see the number of people affected with spores while they talked to them about how they were tortured for years, in that Flag was He started to get angry when he saw the experiments, while Cazo got scared approaching a window, where one of Starro's limbs hit a blow to ask for help. Flag then asked who the people in the experiments were, so Thinker responded by saying they were political rivals, journalists, and loved ones. Cazo then asked to help them, but Thinker said that they were already dead and that Starro controlled their bodies, Cazo then said that they were sent to stop these illegal acts, but Thinker replied that the American government only sent them to cover up their participation. Rick Flag told him that he was a liar, Thinker then explained to him how the US government financed the experiments in Jotunheim financially, hoping to weaponize Starro. At that, Peacemaker would come to the floor, annoying Flag by saying that he should be planting explosives. In an act of anger at being used as a puppet, Flag took out the drive with the records of the American participation with the intention of showing it to the press, but Peacemaker threatened him with a gun.

While Smith and Flag were arguing, the Bloodsport team entered one of the offices, however, Polka-Dot Man would drop the explosives from the bags so he tried to pick them up, at which point some soldiers began to shoot killing Milton, then scared Abner murdered the soldiers with his moles. Krill saw Milton's dead body and began to cry notifying Bloodsport when he asked if there were any more soldiers. Harley Quinn, very confused, asked who Milton was, so Krill angrily showed her the body. At that time more soldiers would arrive, so Bloodsport shot one, and Polka-Dot Man threw some moles, Harley Quinn screamed for the explosives but it was too late, Krill's moles touched the explosives causing a massive explosion in chain.^[1]

Rick Flag vs. Peacemaker[]

"If that information gets out it cost an international incident. Keeping the peace is worth than any price, including the life of a hero like yours, sir. So please... don't make me do this."

―Peacemaker to Rick Flag^[src]

Smith and Flag began to argue where Peacemaker explained how Waller had sent him to make sure that this information was not made public, when several debris began to be destroyed by the explosions, a scared Thinker asked them to quickly deliver the disk. Rick Flag would see the threats of Peacemaker very personal, emphasizing how they experimented with children, Smith then stressed that maintaining world peace was more valuable than any price, finally the debris finished destroying the structure in which they were. Among the rubble, Sebastian woke up Ratcatcher 2, while Thinker got up but Starro used his limbs to grab him and carry him, a very desperated Thinker accepted to have crossed the line but was ready to change, Starro however would not pay attention to him by grabbing his limbs. Despite Thinker's pleas, Starro ended up cutting off his limbs and throwing him against a window.

Peacemaker and Rick Flag would then get up, while Flag took out a splinter he saw the disc so he picked it up, and Smith quickly tried to stop him by starting a fight. Flag tried to kick Smith, but Smith grabbed his foot to throw it against some seeds to do it again, to defend himself Flag grabbed a nearby pipe with which he began to hit him, Smith however stopped him but Flag continued to hit him, in defense Smith grabbed Flag and threw him against a broken bathtub, seeing the disc he decided to kick it so that Flag wouldn't catch it. Flag then hit Smith with a bar knocking him to the ground, then using the bar again he tried to drown Smith, however Smith managed to grab a piece of broken tile with which he stabbed into Flag's heart, killing him. Rick Flag before dying told Peacemaker that his name was just a joke.

Cleo Cazo saw how Smith killed Flag, so she decided to take the disc, Peacemaker warned her to give it to him, but Cazo escaped starting a chase where Peacemaker would stop her and threaten her with a weapon being about to kill her.^[1]

Results[]

"How?"
"Smaller bullets."

―Peacemaker and Bloodsport^[src]

The chain explosions would cause the Clyrax tank to rupture, causing the water to flood King Shark and reach the floor where the Bloodsport team was, the explosions also caused the security camera guard to be burned without possibility of escape. Knowing how to swim, the squad came to the surface, King Shark found himself happy with the Clyrax thinking that they were going to play, however they began to attack him by biting his skin. More bombs began to explode at the entrance of the base, causing the floor where the squad was to collapse and the water to slide them until they fell, King Shark would fall to the ground, but Bloodsport managed to grab a bar.

The soldiers tried to shoot Bloodsport but Harley helped him, on the ground several soldiers shot King Shark, however he got up and began to kill several soldiers. Seeing that the floor where the squad was about to fall on them, the soldiers began to escape, while Quinn, Krill and DuBois ran to the top to survive, jumping to grab some rubble, while a structure crushed Nanaue, but surviving. The rope on which DuBois was held detached from the wall, causing him to fall on a floor, this floor continued to collapse in a timely manner to come face to face with Peacemaker, who was about to kill Cazo.

Bloodsport and Peacemaker when seeing each other, fired at the same time with the bullets colliding, however DuBois's bullet destroyed Smith's bullet as it was smaller. This bullet went through the neck of Smith, who before fainting asked how it was possible. DuBois then met with Cazo, who explained that Smith killed Flag and how the drive contained information on American participation in the experiments. Finally DuBois kept the records and the squad assembled at that location.^[1]

Aftermath[]

Escape of Starro[]

After the bombs exploded and having killed Thinker, Starro would begin to destroy the rubble of the base to escape, for that reason, Ratcatcher 2 would warn her companions to escape from the base. While the squad ran to survive, Starro would finish escaping destroying the base completely and screaming. In that, several soldiers of the Armed Forces began to shoot Starro on the orders of Mateo Suarez, however this creature would begin to release spores of itself that began to mentally control the soldiers, killing them. However, Task Force X would survive by covering their faces preventing spores from affecting them.

Shortly after, Starro would take the controlled bodies of the soldiers to attack the city of Valle Del Mar, however Amanda Waller would call the squad to warn them that the mission was completed as the Project records had been destroyed and that the attack on Valle Del Mar did not it was a problem. However, the squad would take over against Waller to face Starro, so Waller would attempt to assassinate the squad with the nano-bombs by disobeying her orders, but would be knocked out by her team. After a battle, Task Force X would manage to assassinate Starro by stopping the attack. Having uploaded the Project's records to a server, Bloodsport would come to an agreement with Waller to keep them a secret in exchange for the team's freedom.^[1]

Murder of Armed Forces Generals[]

"Generales, nosotros, el pueblo de Corto Maltese hemos tomado el poder del estado. Bajen la guardia.^[2]"

―Sol Soria^[src]

As the squad had previously infiltrated Jotunheim, many soldiers from the armed forces went to the base to arrest them, leaving the government house without defenders, this would facilitate the entry of the Maltese resistance led by Sol Soria. Consequently to the death of President Mateo Suarez at the hands of Starro, Soria and her teammates would appear to force Vera and the other high-ranking generals to surrender, telling them to lower their guard or they would open fire. Vera would then insult Soria, so Soria and her teammates began to brutally murder the generals in a shootout, leaving only the assistant Camila as a survivor. Soria then held democratic elections so that the people of Corto Maltese could elect their representatives. Some time later, the Resistance began to celebrate their victory.^[1]

Rescue of Peacemaker[]

After almost dying after having confronted Bloodsport, a team sent by Amanda Waller would be in charge of rescuing Peacemaker and sending him to the Mount Rouge Health Center, where he would be treated by Dr. Alandy while in a coma. After awakening from his coma, ARGUS agent Clemson Murn would give him the opportunity to get out of prison in exchange for working for him.^[1]

References[]