You can sort of imagine a cute story with the two of them, but this isn't it. This is the start of the second phase of the development of Wolverine (the first phase being the Wolverine-in-Japan stories), as we consider the adamantium. (Windsor-Smith, of course, will go on to write the Weapon X serial in Marvel Comics Presents only five years from now). We know Wolverine has adamantium attached to his skeleton - we've known since Kitty Pryde & Wolverine that it was something that was done to him. But we don't know anything about how that might happen.
Enter Spiral, owner of Ye Olde Body Shoppe (my spelling), who has given Lady Deathstrike - aka Oyama Yuriko - a cyborgification treatment, along with those three Hellfire goons that Wolverine almost killed in X-Men #133 and have re-appeared in #152 and the New Mutants graphic novel. They are all very stupid - pursuing a vendetta against Wolverine is possibly the most dangerous thing for your health in a comic (unless you're Sabretooth, I suppose). At least they have a reason. Lady Deathstrike has a grudge against him for entirely abstract reasons of intellectual property.
Cut to Kate P, who finds Wolverine being attacked by the quartet, and hurting badly, regressing to a feral state, even. Wolverine is grateful that she's bought him time to heal, but as soon as he comes around, immediately tells her to hide, refusing her offer to help with her powers. After everything's done and dusted he reassures her and takes her home.
There is a fight. Wolverine wins, but spares Lady Deathstrike, in what can be read as either an act of mercy or a cruelty. She doesn't have that healing factor, and the link that the adamantium might kill her isn't quite made. But at any rate, she chose this, and if there's a monster, it's her, not Logan. At worst, he's an animal.
Lady Deathstrike has a grudge against him for entirely abstract reasons of intellectual property.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger, I always felt like that was a pretty silly rationale for the lengths Lady Deathstrike will go to seek revenge. Now, I wonder if it's not a subtle dig at the relationship between freelancers/work-for-hire and Marvel.
Either way, in story, it's still a pretty flimsy rationale for unquenchable vengeance.
It's a strange one. Especially for a Wolverine enemy. I mean, I could a Fantastic Four villain who claims to have the patent on unstable molecules, or whatever; but Wolverine should acquire foes more viscerally.
DeleteHmm, it appears I should have done Alpha Flight #33/#34. Oh well, too late now.
Hmm, it appears I should have done Alpha Flight #33/#34. Oh well, too late now.
ReplyDeleteToo late for you, but not for me! I'll have to give them a look (I don't think I've ever read them) and see if it's something I can/should cover. :)