Comic Title: Checkmate #12
Publisher: DC
Cover Date: February 1989
On Sale Date: December 13, 1988 Shipping Date November 15, 1988
Source: Direct Currents, #10

Shipping Date November 15, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #152

Direct Market Date November 17, 1988
Source: Comic Shop News, #72

Copyright Date January 24, 1989
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1989

Cover Price: $1.25
Page Count: 32
Editor: Jonathan Peterson

Title: "Knight Launch"
Pages: 24

Feature(s):
Checkmate

Crossover Event:
Invasion

Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciller: Steve Erwin
Inker: Al Vey
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Julianna Ferriter

Feature Character(s)

• Checkmate (last appearance in Checkmate #11; next appearance in Manhunter #10)
• Grace Guiness (last name spelled Guinness in this story; last appearance in Checkmate #3; no further appearances)
• Connie Webb (a Checkmate knight; next appearance in Checkmate #13)

Villain(s)

• Ben Rogers and Dick Guilardi (astronauts; Dick dies in this story; no further appearances)
• A gang of thieves (some die in this story; no further appearances)
• An alien (likely one of the Dominators; mostly behind-the-scenes; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Ray Allen (an astronaut; no further appearances)
• Naomi Crenshaw (an astronaut; next appearance in Checkmate #13)
• General Wiley (no further appearances)
• Mr. Benson (no further appearances)
• Sylvia (a reporter; no further appearances)

Comments:
This issue is labeled as an Invasion Aftermath Extra.

The final panel of this story depicts the detonation of the gene bomb and leads into Invasion #3.

Synopsis:
During the alien invasion of Earth, Cape Canaveral was attacked. The damage set back the American space program. One shuttle, the Atlantis commanded by Colonel Ben Rogers, survived the attack. An urgent mission is put together for the shuttle team to launch a tri-sat defense satellite. However, a series of technology thefts lead Checkmate to believe that someone inside the space program is trying to sabotage the mission.

Knight Connie Webb joins the shuttle crew. She uncovers flight engineer Dick Guilardi, who has taken navigation technology intended for a planned Mars mission. He dies before he can reveal his plan or his accomplices.

When the mission gets underway, Colonel Rogers reveals himself as another traitor. He tries to guide the shuttle toward the alien fleet in orbit. He hopes to gain interstellar technology from the aliens. However, before they can reach the fleet, it leaves orbit following the alien defeat by Earth's heroes. Webb takes down Rogers and completes the mission to launch the satellite.

Before they return to Earth, the remaining crew witnesses a small alien ship fire a device toward Earth which detonates in an explosion of black light.