Star Wars' New Bad Batch Series Introduces a Rival Clone Squad

Dark Horse's Rogue Agents #1 introduces Sergeant Cole's clone squad and reveals they have defected to the Separatists; the issue ends with a clash that sends members of Clone Force 99 into space before they are rescued.

Dark Horse's Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories - The Bad Batch: Rogue Agents #1 continues the Clone Wars-era story of Clone Force 99. The issue opens with Sergeant Cole leading an ARC-like squad that appears to be a Republic unit. Tech from Clone Force 99 investigates and uncovers files that change the situation. The first issue concludes with a direct confrontation between the two groups. Key facts: - The issue introduces Sergeant Cole and his squadmates Hank, Rice, and Charger as an elite clone unit operating alone. - Tech hacks Republic files and reveals that Cole's squad are defectors working for the Separatists for payment to retrieve a new device and its creator. - Cole and his team unleash a rancor against Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair, who escape by shooting themselves into the vacuum of space and are later rescued by Tech. - The story frames a coordinated clone squad actively siding with the Separatists as a comparatively rare development in Star Wars fiction. - Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories - The Bad Batch: Rogue Agents #1 is on sale now from Dark Horse Comics. Summary: The issue sets up a direct rivalry and pursuit between Clone Force 99 and Sergeant Cole's defecting squad, changing the immediate stakes for both sides. Undetermined at this time.