Dynamo 5 #3
Dynamo 5 #3 (May 2007) carries its weight within Jay Faerber's creator-owned series by delivering the first appearance of Synergy — a character who impersonates the deceased Captain Dynamo and goes on to become a recurring presence in the book's mythology. The issue is also notable for spotlighting Myriad (Spencer Bridges) in a character-defining solo spotlight: his shapeshifting power forces him to literally become the father he resents, dramatizing the series' core tension between legacy and identity in a single story beat. That willingness to put moral complexity ahead of action spectacle was the hallmark that made Dynamo 5 stand apart from its Image contemporaries in 2007. The issue fits squarely inside the first arc later collected in the Post-Nuclear Family trade, cementing the series' reputation as one of the more emotionally grounded superhero ensembles of the mid-2000s independent-comics landscape.
Dynamo 5 #3 (2007) delivers a tense, emotionally charged chapter as Quake, struggling with his medication, becomes a threat the team must confront. Just as the fight reaches its peak, the team is stunned by the sudden return of their father, Captain Dynamo—though his presence brings more questions than answers. Written by Jay Faerber and brought to life by Mahmud A. Asrar’s dynamic art and Ron Riley’s vivid colors, the issue’s cover by Asrar captures the moment’s intensity.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Dynamo 5 grew directly out of a conversation between Jay Faerber and editor Andy Helfer, in which Helfer challenged Faerber's notion that what made the Teen Titans special was that they felt like a family — pointing out that any superhero team could be described that way. Faerber responded by designing a team that was a biological family but emphatically did not act like one, drawing additional inspiration from his own parents' divorce. Artist Mahmud A. Asrar came aboard at the suggestion of Invincible artist Ryan Ottley, and Invincible writer Robert Kirkman — whose work had been a major influence on Faerber — advised the creative team during the development stage on production and marketing. Asrar remained the ongoing series artist for its entire 25-issue run, giving Dynamo 5 an unusual visual consistency for an indie monthly of its era.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published May 2007 by Image Comics; written by Jay Faerber, art and cover by Mahmud A. Asrar, colors by Ron Riley, letters by Charles Pritchett.
- First appearance of Synergy (Dynamo 5) — a character who impersonates the late Captain Dynamo and recurs throughout the series.
- The issue's central plot pits the team against Quake, a former ally of Captain Dynamo who has gone dangerously off the rails after neglecting his medication for a schizophrenic condition.
- Myriad (Spencer Bridges, the team's shapeshifter) is the issue's focal character; Maddie Warner tasks him with impersonating Captain Dynamo to reach Quake — a dramatic device that forces the series' most reluctant member to embody the father he despises.
- Quake later becomes a recurring supporting character: Scrap (Bridget Flynn) eventually recruits him to serve as one of four hero-replacements when the original Dynamo 5 disbands.
- The series is a spin-off of Faerber's Noble Causes (also Image); Captain Dynamo's death actually occurred in Noble Causes #18, making Dynamo 5 a direct continuation of that book's universe.
- Issue #3 is included in the first Dynamo 5 trade paperback, 'Post-Nuclear Family' (Image, 2007), which collects issues #1–7.
- Asrar went on to become a major Marvel artist (Storm solo series, All-New X-Men); Dynamo 5 was his first sustained professional work, and his ability to convey kinetic action was already drawing attention from reviewers by this point in the run.
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Reprinted in Dynamo 5 #1 (2007)
Key issues in Dynamo 5
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