In the army they teach you to plan. Order as a response to chaos. A planned approach to the unknown. Sometimes your plans catch fire. 
Men of War (Volume 2) #1 is an issue of the series Men of War (Volume 2) with a cover date of November, 2011. It was published on September 7, 2011.
Synopsis for "Joseph Rock"
Lieutenant General Schiff, Sergeant Torisi and Corporal Joe Rock are in a room. Lt. Gen. Schiff congratulates Cpl. Rock about the many tours of duty he`s done. Lt. Gen. Schiff asks wheter he has any family left and Rock explains his mother is still alive but has been in a coma for 18 months and is attached to life support at the Woodhull Medical Center. Lt. Gen. Schiff sympathises with Cpl. Rock and says his mother died during his first tour. Sgt. Torisi steps forward and asks Cpl. Rock why he does not use his talents and become a sergeant instead of staying a corporal. Sgt. Torisi says his file names 6 counts of insurbordination. Despite that, the men who accompanied him to the front lines all say that every order he's ignored has led to a tactical victory. Torisi tells Rock he should have been promoted ages ago, even against Rock's wishes. Lt. Gen. Schiff mentions to Cpl. Rock that he had already met his grandfather Frank Rock, one of the best soldiers in the army, in his youth and makes a passing comment of how Cpl. Rock has shoes to fill. Lt. Gen. Schiff then assigns Cpl. Rock a mission.
Inside an aircraft, paratroopers are being briefed about the mission by Sgt. Torisi. Sgt. Torisi tells them that they are headed in a region run by an insurgent force. They do not know how much firepower the insurgents have and the maps of the area are dated. They have no modern intel on the region. Their mission is to extract Senator Bell who went inside the zone to negotiate a cease-fire but has disappeared. They have to get in, get out without making any noise or firing any shots. Cpl. Rock is Torisi's second in command with a designation of 3-1 Alpha. The paratroopers jump out and take different air routes toward the town occupied by the insurgents.
Suddenly, a blur of red light moving like a hypersonic missile speeds past Cpl. Rock. Cpl. Rock realizes its a man. The superhuman crashes into an enemy base below causing a raging inferno. The fire causes the paratroopers parachutes to rise due to the air currents, leading them away from their goal and making them susceptible to enemy fire. Sgt. Torisi detaches himself from his parachute, jumping into the flames below and leading enemy fire away from the paratroopers. Cpl. Rock takes out a Carl Gustav recoiless rifle, makes sure Sgt. Torisi is out of the way and fires a round toward the ground, obliterating the fire and razing the field. The ground is now safe to walk on for the paratroopers as they land. Sgt. Torisi requests backup from Cpl. Rock by radio while insurgents are chasing him. Sgt. Rock looks around him and is in awe at the damage the superhuman caused. The superhuman comes into view and crashes through an enemy outpost. Sgt. Torisi on the ground runs for cover as the debris from the outpost falls behind him and finds a cave to hide in. The insurgents follow him inside. As they enter the cave, Sgt. Torisi puts on night vision goggles and guns down the insurgents with a sawed-off shotgun. Cpl. Rock arrives and Sgt. Torisi gets out of the cave alone and alive. As they head for the town, a soldier points up toward the superhuman floating still over their heads. Sgt. Torisi says the superhuman is probably supposed to be on their side.
Suddenly a purple shadow arrives through the air like a supersonic bomber and tackles the superhuman, making them crash through several buildings in the town. Sgt. Torisi commands everyone to get off the streets as an insurgent jeep with a mounted machine gun arrives. The troops scramble for cover inside a house. The purple shadow crashes through the wall, breaking the sound barrier over the troops head. There is a sudden loss of air pressure and the debris falls on top of the soldiers. Cpl. Rock has a broken arm, is bleeding from the head, and is on the verge of passing out when a dying impaled-by-debris Sgt. Torisi gives him a dog tag and with his last dying breath, names him sergeant.
To be continued!
Appearing in "Joseph Rock"
Featured Characters:
- Cpl. Joe Rock (First appearance)
- Sgt. Torisi (First appearance; dies)
Supporting Characters:
- Lt. Gen. Schiff (First appearance)
- Korba (First appearance)
- Alexander (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Insurgents
Other Characters:
- Senator Bell (Mentioned only)
- Frank Rock (Mentioned only)
- Pandora (Cameo)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Human Shields, Part 1 of 3"
The Navy SEALs are operating in a war-torn region. "Tracker" Trachsel and Jonah "Ice" Berg are operating a camera taking pictures or filming the bombed-out town when the recon team, Mike Reno and Litzau, arrive. Reno and Litzau had just found a high value target, a school that had been repurposed as an ammo dump, and are preparing to blow it up. A sniper shot occurs and Reno is hit in the shoulder. The Navy SEALs start shooting in the general direction of the sniper. As Ice presses on the wound, Reno asks Ice how did someone like Ice, who is a ex-peace corps pacifist, get paired up with Tracker, who loves battle. Ice tells him that he and Tracker were swim buddies in the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. Ice said that he realized that when doing good for the world, it helps having an assault rifle in your hands. Mike realizes that the sniper is waiting for the Navy SEAL's evacuation copter to arrive so he can blow it up with an RPG. It'll cause a political disaster since the Navy SEALs aren't even supposed to be in this country. Litzau changes places with Ice and keeps the pressure on the wound while alerting the commanding officer that they've been compromised. Ice and Tracker locate the sniper inside a building and enter inside. As they clear the building, Tracker reveals he is native american, of Chippewa blood from Grand Forks, North Dakota. His native american origin is why they call him Tracker. Ice says his codename is a pun on his last name, Jonah "Ice" Berg. Hearing gunshots meaning Reno and Litzau were still alive, Ice and Tracker make it to the top floor. As they lay in firing position, the sniper turns around and shoots a few shots which Ice and Tracker evade by rolling out of the way. Tracker is about to shoot when Ice tells him to hold his fire as the sniper was just a terrified little girl. As Ice and Tracker get up and reason with the girl. A man jumps out behind the girl with an assault rifle and starts firing at Ice and Tracker.
To be continued!
Appearing in "Human Shields, Part 1 of 3"
Featured Characters:
- Navy SEALs (First appearance)
- Jonah "Ice" Berg (First appearance)
- "Tracker" Trachsel (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Litzau (First appearance)
- Michael Reno (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Enemy Sniper
Other Characters:
- Terrified little girl
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
Pandora appears.
- Pandora makes a cameo appearance to witness the events of this storyline, as she does every #1 issue published as part of The New 52. This is directly following her first appearance in the pages of Flashpoint.[1] She can be seen during a battle while the soldiers are fighting through the streets.
Trivia
- According to Ivan Brandon, the first two stories take place in two different parts of northern Africa, even though it isn't explicitly stated in the story.[2]
See Also
