No connection at all to BATO.
First Issue Special was kind of like
Showcase; it introduced a new character or team each issue, sort of as a try-out to see if it hit. Some characters were familiar, like Doctor Fate and the Creeper, and others, like these "Outsiders," were brand new. The title gave the impression that it was a "# 1" each month. IIRC, these characters were sort of a mix of horror and superheroes, and never appeared again after this one story.
PS. There was one success story to come out of this short-lived series; Mike Grell's
The Warlord.
