Origin

June Branch was a psychology major with ambition to become a social worker. She traveled to Brody Island, Maine in September 1983 to visit her boyfriend, Liam, who was finishing up a stint as summer auxiliary police. His last responsibility was guarding the police chief’s house while the chief was looking for four fugitives who managed to escape a prison work detail. June was staying with Liam when the fugitives broke into the house looking for a mystery item. While Liam investigated the noise, June armed herself with a special Viking axe, the Axe of Yggdrasil, from a collection of Norse artifacts that the chief's wife had collected. While looking for Liam in the house, she only managed to find his finger. It was cut off by the fugitives who were looking for money they think Liam took off a suicide victim, Emily Dunn. Three of the fugitives took off with Liam in Liam’s car, leaving June alone with the remaining fugitive, Sal Puzo. June was forced to use the axe on him, when he attacked her, lopping his head off. Surprisingly, Puzo’s head continued to live so she picked it up and placed it in a basket to carry with her.

Creation

June Branch debuted in Basketful of Heads #1 by Joe Hill and Leomacs

Major Story Arcs

Basketful of Heads

She started to walk in the rain to the next house, which belonged to Ned Hamilton, the wealthy owner of apple orchards and local councilman, whom June met earlier that day. He offered her a ride to find the chief, but she found a pair of bloody pliers in his truck which she assumed were used on Liam. At the same time, Ned found Puzo’s head she had hidden. Ned attacked her, forcing June to use the axe again, creating yet another talking, living head for her basket. She drove to the police precinct, where she found only Hank, the chief’s son. She filled him in on everything but the basket. Hank locked her in the holding cells, revealing he was also in on the plan.

The fugitives had actually been long dead, with members of the police force assuming their identities as fall guys. He explains that Liam has been an undercover FBI agent this whole time and has a recording that could incriminate someone on the island. The chief was torturing Liam as they spoke trying to get him to give up the recording. June tricked Hank into checking the truck she arrived in for a gift from Liam she hadn’t opened yet that could be the tape. Once there, she managed to get a hold of the axe. She cut off one of her own thumbs to slip Hank’s handcuffs, and then she took his head. She tortured Hank into radioing his dad and sending him on a wild goose chase so she could rescue Liam from the boat.

Unfortunately, Hank used a code phrase that meant he was in trouble. The chief left the boat long enough for June to board it and then doubled back. He was now threatening June’s well being for Liam’s cooperation, eventually throwing her overboard tied to an anchor. Thankfully, the chief had previously ditched the axe overboard as well. It started to glow, getting June’s attention. She managed to use it to cut her restraints. She sneaked back on to the boat, cutting its tie line, allowing it to drift. June attacked the chief, cutting him across the shoulder and chest. As June started to untie her broken boyfriend, Liam revealed he was never a federal agent. He confessed to stealing money from Emily Dunn to pay for an engagement ring. He also confessed to finishing her off since jumping off the bridge didn’t kill her right away. It was the only way to keep the money secret. Disappointed, June cut his head off too and set the boat on fire with both Liam and the chief inside.

June went for the bridge with the basket and axe. She was about to ditch all of it over the side when she was approached by the chief’s family maid, Gabby. She offered June a ride to a hospital and even revealed that she was the federal witness who was collecting evidence against the family. She was friends with Emily and blamed the family’s treatment of her for her suicide.

Refrigerator Full of Heads

By July 1984, June had settled into New Jersey where she worked for a daycare. She was approached by FBI agents with questions over the incident in Maine including asking about the whereabouts of the axe. She refused to answer, so they kidnapped her, revealing that they were not actually FBI. They were members of a biker gang, called The Berserkers. They took June back to Brody Island so they can continue interrogating her about it. Once there, their leader, Erika Furie, explained that the axe was one of four Norse weapons, the last they needed to collect. June continued to deny knowing of its existence when Erika threatened her with the Sword of Huginn and Muninn, which could steal the memories of the killed by the killer. Just then, they are interrupted by the decapitated head of a member, who told them that the axe is in the possession of a yuppie couple who had been sneaking around the gang. They turned out to be agents with the Department of Defense.

Erika sent a bunch of her goons after the DOD agents, while she continued to reveal all the details she knew from the incident last summer, including how she knew. Wheeled in on a motorized wheelchair was Wade Clausen, a man rendered just a head, half a chest, and a single arm. He had clawed his way out of the burning boat and swam to shore. He plans on using each of the weapons on June to get revenge for what he did to him and his family. Erika announced her plans to betray Wade, though. She decided she wanted to keep the weapons for herself, so Wade grabbed the Belt of Jörmungandr and wrapped it around his chest. The power of the belt turned him into a giant snake creature. June ducked away while the Beserkers and snake Wade fought.

Snake Wade caught up to June and brought her to his old house, still abandoned. He still intended to go through with his vengeance, but he was interrupted by Arlene Fields, a surviving DOD agent. She used the memory stealing sword on Erika to track down June and save her. She hit Wade with her car and then threw the axe to June to dice him up. While her DOD backup cleaned up the area and collected evidence while Arlene gave Erika a ride out of Brody.