And we're back in the past and can check the eyrie archive
once again.

And here's where you can find The Multi-Tasking Man miniseries:

https://archives.eyrie.org/racc/lnh/Miniseries/Multi-Tasking.Man/

And we have Multi-Tasking Man #3 by MTM creator Jeff Coleburn!
Can anyone stop this Power Mad Multi-Tasking Man?!! (I mean
probably the Ultimate Ninja -- probably him) And will someone
finally pay for a coke?!!!!

Find out in...

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|_| OF NET.HEROES

ADVENTURES #308

=====================
Multi-Tasking Man LS Part Three
=====================

From: jecoleb@eos.ncsu.edu (have clue, will travel)
Subject: I.B.: Multi-Tasking Man LS (part 3 of 4?)
Newsgroups: alt.comics.lnh
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1993 23:40:29 GMT

Because NOBODY demanded it...

"Innocent Bystander"
--The Multi-Tasking Man Limited Series, Part Three (of 4?)--

-----

"Time for you to get taken down a peg or two, Ultimate Ninja. I'm the
new powerhouse in town."

"I don't know what's gotten into you, Multi-Tasking Man, but I think my
blade can remove it nicely."

"What is going ON around here?"

When large amounts of screaming take place at LNH Headquarters, it's
usually a safe bet that Rebel Yell is around. However, this time only the
last cry belonged to him...

"I think Multi's FLIPPED... he's NEVER been this vicious or aggressive!",
he cried to Contraption Man. "He and UN will tear each other apart..."

"Could be," replied Contraption Man, "but can you suggest something we
can DO about it?"

-----

The two combatants slammed into each other, as the program running in
the Peril Room died away, leaving a bare metal-plated room...

"Give it up, Ultimate Ninja, you can't dodge my energy forever," Multi-
Tasking Man taunted, as the ninja frantically evaded the plasma blasts.

Reaching for a handful of Ninja Bush, Ultimate Ninja replied, "And YOU
can't dodge my attack in that bulky iron suit." The lethal projectiles flew
through the air, straight and true towards the gleaming juggernaut.

"Who needs to dodge?" Multi-Tasking Man quipped, as he sizzled the
projectiles out of the air with well-aimed eyebeams.

Ultimate Ninja thought for a moment, then growled, "You know, you're
right. A good offense IS the best defense." He sprang for his armored foe,
just as Multi-Tasking Man let loose with a concussive punch...

*Ba-WHOOM!* A flash of blinding energy sent all onlookers scrambling
for cover. When it was over, both Ultimate Ninja and Multi-Tasking Man lay
motionless against the walls of the Peril Room.

-----

As Rebel Yell, Contraption Man and the other Legionnaires rushed to the
floor of the Peril Room, the pair groggily awoke.

"Still want some more?" Multi-Tasking Man mumbled, as he raised his arm
to fire, only to be stopped by a gesture by Ultimate Ninja.

"If we keep this up, we'll kill each other. You've proved your point."

The armored hero paused, then nodded. "Yeah... I don't know why, but I
got such a rush of confidence during that battle, as if I was invulnerable!
Must be the new armor."

Ultimate Ninja replied, "Or... something like that," quietly. "C'mon,
loser buys the Cokes."

Multi-Tasking Man grinned. "Loser, eh? Then pay up."

As the two wrestled each other down the hallway, Rebel Yell could only
mutter under his breath about lunatic teammates and who was going to clean
up the place...

-----

*CLICK* The hidden communicator activated again.

"Two more Cokes. If BOTH of them are corrupted, they'll tear the LID
off of the so-called Legion."

"Er, boss, I *really* don't want to be here when that happens. I'd
better get one HELL of a bonus for this..."

"Just do it. Here they come."

-----

As the two reached the battered Coke machine, it *ka-THUMP ka-THUMP*
churned out a pair of Cokes. Ultimate Ninja grabbed them, flipping one to
Multi-Tasking Man. "Drink up," he said, "I'll buy."

"Isn't that paid for by Legion funds?" Multi-Tasking Man asked, as he
popped the top off.

"YES, it is," snapped Rebel Yell, marching down the hallway. "JUST like
the walls you two smashed through, the broken light bulbs, the..."

"Oh, all right," snarled Ultimate Ninja, who reached into his pocket and
whipped out twelve dimes. "There's two sodas' worth." Before anyone could
react, he slapped the dimes into the coin slot of the machine.

Probably the LAST thing they expected to hear was the sound of someone
gagging and choking, but that's what came next. As the trio stepped back,
the Coke machine polymorphed into a slight figure, spitting dimes out of his
mouth.

"GRRR... ONE guy had to be a goody-goody and pay up," the figure growled.

"A shapeshifter..." Rebel Yell breathed. "WHO ARE YOU, and WHAT ARE YOU
DOING IN OUR HEADQUARTERS?"

The transmorph grinned. "Bogus-ite's the name, Bogie to my friends. I
would think it's painfully obvious that I've been spying on you for months,
and getting paid QUITE nicely for doing it.

As for what I'm doing in your headquarters NOW, I'm LEAVING it. Ta-ta..."

In a flash, the man shrunk into the form of a jet-powered skateboard and
zoomed down the hall towards the Monitoring Room.

Before either Rebel Yell or Ultimate Ninja could react, the voice of Multi-
Tasking Man boomed out--

"LEAVE EVERYTHING TO ME!" *

The armored figure followed the laughing skateboard into the Monitoring
Room, and the blast doors slammed shut.

"Good lord, no WONDER he was acting strange..." murmured Rebel Yell. "The
Cokes must have been drugged... something in them was turning him arrogant,
and power-hungry... Who could have created such a thing?"

"You don't imagine that HE'S behind this, do you..." asked Ultimate Ninja;
at this realization, the two dashed down the corridor in a desperate attempt
to gain access to the Monitoring Room...

-----

Multi-Tasking Man cackled, as the skateboard morphed back into human form.
"You really don't think you'll get AWAY, do you?", he said, as plasma bursts
erupted from his armor's hands.

"Er... it's on my agenda," Bogie chirped, as he turned into a Matchbox car
and rolled away from the blast.

"You CAN'T dodge all my attacks," Multi-Tasking Man taunted, sending sonic
bursts into every corner of the room.

"As you put it, 'I don't need to.'," laughed the shapeshifter, as he
transformed himself into a microphone. "Nice acoustics, by the way. Can I
have the CD rights?"

"You're DOOMED, fool," Multi-Tasking Man chanted like a mantra, peppering
electric death in every direction...

"Well, if you're going to be like THAT," said Bogie, "I'll take my toys
and go HOME."

*poit!* A blue flash, and the shapeshifter was gone.

-----

A similar blue flash greeted a now-familiar dark figure, lighting up
the room for a moment.

Bogie coughed, and sputtered, "Well, it cost me a few lumps, but I got
those scenes of the armor in action you wanted. You realize I can't act as
a monitor in their HQ any more..."

The figure quieted him with a gesture. "It is but a small loss, compared
to the power that armor represents. All has gone according to plan; we are
ready to enter the final stage."

The shapeshifter shivered, quietly. "If you say so, boss. This is gonna
COST you, though."

"Never mind that," barked the sinister figure. "Just ready your power
template; it will endow you with my power for a short time, which you will
need to capture that armor."

Concentrating, the shapeshifter began to grow, and glow...

The dark figure cackled wildly. "What are paltry thousands of dollars to
me, when I can gain the potential for ultimate power by combining my might
with that armor? And who knows more of the potential of absolute power
than... *I*?"

As Bogie's transformation into a particularly familiar form progressed,
his employer's laughter rang into the night...

-----
Just who IS the dark and mysterious mastermind behind this scheme? Where DID
Multi-Tasking Man get the technology for his updated armor? Will the LNH HQ
switch to Pepsi? And HOW will this all end in the next episode, or WILL it?