Story: "Guardian Angels" (22 Pages)

Credits:

Brian Augustyn (plot, script)
Sal Velluto (pencils)
Giuseppe Palumbo and Ken Branch (inks)
Ken Lopez (letters)
Patricia Mulvihill (colors)
Chris Eades
Rob Simpson & Kevin Dooley (edits)

Feature Character:

Firebrand III (next in Showcase '96 #4)

Supporting Characters:

Javier Sanchez (last in #2)
Leo McCloskey

Villains:

Maxim Kolnikoff
Vassily Mikhailov (Russian mobsters; first and only appearance)
Eddie Carrera (a more established mobster; first appearance, dies)
Eamon Doolin (and his brother; first and only appearance)
Jackson
Johnson
Jameson
Josephson
Abel
Baker (weapons dealers, first and only appearance of all)

Other Characters:

Ruben "Ruby" Rios (a mobster who sees the light)
Alton (his friend; first and only appearance of both)

Synopsis:

Ruby Rios survives a firefight and believes he is touched by God. He is determined to make things up to God, and gets himself into some extremely sticky situations, watched over by Firebrand, whose brother Javier is Ruby's priest. Rios somehow survives everything that is thrown (or more accurately, shot) at him, and helps bring down some weapons dealers and Russian mobsters. Firebrand can only conclude that Rios must indeed have been touched by God and given a very vigilant guardian angel.