Night of the Wolf-Woman

Here's another short little tale from me. I hope you all like it.

"Werewolf Priestess" by CyberKaku. The inspiration for Sister Candace. 

Night of the Wolf

Night had fallen over the forest, a dark blanket with shining stars covering the canopy of the many trees there. From within the forest, the light of a campfire poked through the darkness of the forest floor. The fire popped and crackled as it burned the logs underneath it.

The end of a metal pole with a marshmallow impaled on it hovered over the flames, held in the hand of a lithe sandy blond-haired man. He wore a green flannel shirt, blue jeans, and brown boots. A smile was on his face.

Yes. Gary Pearson thought as he watched the marshmallow heat, carefully turning it in his hand. This is cooking wonderfully. A smile appeared on his face as he watched the small white foodstuff.

“You. Are. A. Child.” A woman's voice teased. Still smiling, Gary looked up and to his right. Sitting on the ground and wearing a red shirt, jeans, and brown cowboy boots was a woman whose frame showed powerful muscle mixed with feminine curves. Long curly black hair was spilling out onto her powerful shoulders, her head topped by a white Stetson. The fire cast orange light on her dark brown skin. She was drinking out of a small silver cup.

“You never toasted marshmallows over a fire before, Viola?” Gary asked.

Viola Renard snorted. “Never even been camping in my life before I started this gig.”

“The joys of bounty hunting.” Gary smiled. “You get to be your own boss, you get to make your own hours, and there's always an adventure.”

“You forgot getting shot at, nearly blown up, sliced up, and there was that one time I nearly got turned into a newt!” Viola retorted.

“But you didn't.” Gary grinned. “Good thing I was there. That dimwit didn't expect to get a firehose full of water to the face, heh heh. Besides, we know that's not a thing.”

Viola rolled her eyes. “You're an idiot, Gary.”

“I prefer to think of myself as 'pleasantly optimistic'.” The sandy blond-haired man chuckled. He noticed the marshmallow. “Ahh, perfect.” He put the toasted white foodstuff in between a pair of graham crackers. The bottom cracker also had a piece of chocolate in it.

“S'mores. You're making s'mores.” Viola noticed.

“Love 'em.” Gary said. “You want one?” He held his s'more out to her. “Come on, they're good.” He waved it at her. “Campfire made, the best way to make them.” Viola huffed and rolled her eyes.

“Alright...” She sighed in mock tiredness and accepted the s'more. She bit into and chewed the s'more. Her dark brown eyes widened. “Wow.” She said. “This is good.”

“Told you.” Gary smiled. The two then perked up when they heard the sounds of fighting. “The hell?”

“That doesn't sound good.” Viola scowled.

“No, it does not. We'd better take a look.” Gary suggested, getting to his feet. Viola did the same.

“Right.” Viola ran to the pickup truck lying nearby. She opened the back door, and opened up a long metal box on the floor of the passenger seat area. The dusky-skinned woman pulled out a dual-barreled shotgun, and a bandolier filled with shells. She put the bandolier across her chest. “Gary!” She pulled out a belt with a pair of futuristic silver pistols in twin holsters and tossed it to him.

“Thanks!” Gary said as he caught the belt and put it on. “The noise came from over there!”

“Right!” Viola grabbed a bucket of water and poured it on the fire, putting it out. “Let's go.” The two bounty hunters quickly and carefully made their way through the woods. As they went closer to the noise's source, the two's ears picked up some new noises: the sounds of hooting, laser firing, and snarling. “Gary, I'm not liking this.” Viola whispered.

“Neither am I.” Gary agreed, pulling out his laser pistols. The two continued making their way through the woods, careful to avoid making too much noise. The two bounty hunters made their way towards a clearing when they saw quite a sight: a pair of cyborgs fighting a wolf-woman.

She had tan fur, and orange-brown hair. She wore a white dress that did little to hide her curvaceous form. On her head was a white miter that was blue in the front with a golden crescent moon on it. Slung over her generous chest was a duffel bag. She held a golden staff in her hands, and she was panting.

“You will never have me.” The wolfwoman snarled, baring her sharp teeth. “Not alive, at least!”

“Trust us, woman. You are indeed quite beautiful, but we aren't after you.” One of the cyborgs said. He was tall and muscular, wearing worn blue jeans and a torn black shirt with a sleeveless leather jacket over it that had metal plates on it. His hair was styled into a green mohawk. His right arm was robotic, with signs of wear and rust in places, like he wasn't able to properly maintain it. The other was shorter and stouter. He wore a leather jacket, a red shirt, and black leather pants. He had a metal plate over his left eye, and wild blond hair. The ocular prosthetic glowed green.

“We know you got it in your bag.” The man with the blond hair and glowing green eye said in a smooth voice. “Just hand it over.”

“I don't know what 'item' you speak of.” The wolf-woman growled. “Whatever it is, you shall not take it from me!”

“We don't want to harm you, but we will if we must.” Green Eye said.

“Speak for yourself, Anders!” The green-Mohawked man snarled. “I want to skin this hairball and make her hide into a rug!” His cybernetic arm sprouted a chainsaw blade. The saw whirred, and the man's face formed a wide grin. “I'm going to cut you slowly, you fleabag...”

The Lycan woman's crimson eyes narrowed. “You may try.” She twirled her staff. “But I will not go down easy.”

“Trenton, no!” Anders snapped.

“I'm done waiting!” Trenton yelled. “I want this fuzzbrain's hide, and I will have it!” The sound of a shotgun firing got the two cyborg and wolfwoman's attention. They turned their heads and saw Gary and Viola.

“What is going on here?” Viola demanded, pointing her shotgun at the three.

“Back off, broad!” Trenton yelled. “This ain't your business!”

“Yeah, we heard some of your little...conversation with the wolflady here.” Gary smirked, gesturing to Candace with one of his laser guns. “I believe she told you lot to back off.”

“You think you scare us, pal?!” Trenton mocked. “I'll slice off that big mouth of yours!” Anders put a calming hand on his shoulder. Trenton growled, but he backed down.

“This is none of your concern.” Anders told Gary and Viola. “I take it you two are bounty hunters?”

“What's it to you?” Viola asked.

“I'm sure you can appreciate that we are on a job ourselves.”

“Yeah, this is our payday!” Trenton snapped. He growled at the wolfwoman. “She got something our boss wants!”

“Who's your boss?” Viola gestured at the furry priestess with her shotgun. “And what's she got that you're after?”

“You understand that our client wishes to remain anonymous and his reasons the same.”

“Yeah, that smells fishy to me.” Viola scowled.

“Yup. Nothing ever good comes from a client making those kinds of conditions.” Gary agreed.

“That's it!” Trenton roared. “I'll have your heads!” He screamed as he charged the two bounty hunters, raising his chainsaw arm. Gary quickly blasted at it with his laser pistols. The energy blasts smashed through the cyborg's chainsaw blade, completely wrecking it.

“You'll have what now?” Gary taunted. Trenton snarled at the blond bounty hunter.

“You son of a-GAH!” The cyber-psycho gasped as he was kicked in the back by the wolf-woman. It made him fall flat on his chest.

An amused Gary smirked at the she-wolf. “I thought there was some kind of rule against attacking people from behind.”

She merely shrugged. “They wished to fight without rules. I was merely accommodating them.”

“Fair enough.” Gary nodded. Trenton snarled as he got to his feet. He looked at his ruined chainsaw, and saw that it was reduced to a sharp shard of metal. The cyborg grinned widely as he jumped up to his feet.

“I'm gonna gut the both of you like fish.” Trenton snarled.

“Not if I put a laser between your eyes.” Gary retorted, pointing his laser guns at the green-mohawked cyborg.

“You think you can blast me?!” Trenton laughed. “Come on then, you goof! Let's see what you got! Come on!”

The wolf-woman looked at Gary. “May I handle this?” She offered.

“What do you plan to do, wolfie?” Gary asked.

“Come on, fleabag.” Trenton taunted. “Come on! I'll skin you and take it from you!” The glaring wolf-woman twirled her staff. Meanwhile, Anders was engaging Viola.

“Take another step, and you'll eat buckshot.” The dark-skinned woman growled.

“You do not frighten me.” Anders said. “We just want the wolf-woman.”

“Why? She's a priestess. You need a blessing or something? Go to a church.”

“She has an item we need.” Anders explained.

“What kind of item?”

“That is none of your concern.” Anders answered. “She gives it to us, we'll leave.”

“Yeah, I want answers!” Viola snapped.

“Unlike my more...crazed comrade, I have no desire to fight you.” Anders said. “I just want the item from the priestess.”

“You ain't leavin' until I get some answers!” Viola sighed.

A sigh escaped Anders's lips. “Very well. I guess we'll have to do this the hard way.” His cybernetic eye's jade glow intensified. Viola was faster. She realized what that glow had meant.

“EAT BUCKSHOT!” She yelled, firing her shotgun. Much to her surprise, the cyborg lifted his organic arm, a silver band around it glowing. The band sprouted a series of interlocking glowing blue hexagons that formed a shield. The energy shield blocked the buckshot. “What?!”

“Energy shield.” Anders smirked.

“I know what that is!” Viola snapped. She fired again, only for Anders to block it. “I know you can't maintain that blasted shield forever!” Those things are effective, but they eat battery power like acid through metal.

“I don't have to.” Anders smirked. He started firing his eye laser at Viola. She cursed and leapt out of the way. The energy blast destroyed the trees behind her.

Sweet goodness, what is he packing in that eye?! Viola gaped in horror.

“Impressive, isn't it?” Anders smiled in amusement. “Cost a pretty penny, but pays for itself.”

“I've seen better, pal.” Viola scowled. She whipped out a small black grenade from her belt. She pressed a button on it as she dodged another eye blast from Anders. “This'll give you a bit of a shock, you jerk.” Viola tossed the grenade at the cyborg. The projectile exploded, shocking the man. He roared as the electricity ran through his body, forcing him to his knees.

“Anders!” Trenton yelled. “GAH!” He yelped as he got blasted in the knee by Gary. He fell backwards into his comrade. The snarling wolf-woman then slammed her staff on the ground, her eyes glowing a brilliant white. She growled out a spell, and then a big tornado kicked up, sending the two screaming cyborgs into the air.

“Whoo...” The priestess huffed as she went down to one knee. Air magic was the easiest form to learn, but calling up big tornadoes out of a calm night still could be draining. If she were human, she likely would have fallen asleep right now.

“You alright, Wolfie?” Gary asked in concern, running over to her.

“I am well, I just need a moment.” She assured, giving the blond bounty hunter a warm smile. She got up to her feet, thanks to her using her staff as a support.

“What was that all about?” Viola asked as she walked up to the two.

“I wish I could tell you, but I am just as lost as you are.” The shewolf answered, picking up her miter and dusted it off. She smiled and bowed towards the two. “I thank you two very much for your aid today. I am Sister Candace, priestess of the Sisterhood of Luna.” She bowed humbly to the two.

“Gary Pearson. And this is Viola Renard.” Gary introduced. Viola gave her a wave. “We were camping in these here woods when we heard the fight. If you want, you can join us there.”

“You sure about this, Gary?” Viola frowned at her partner.

“She's a priestess.” Gary shrugged. “Besides, I wonder what those two half-clankers wanted with that girl?” The woman sighed.

“Ah, I hate it when you have a point.”

“I have no intention or desire to intrude on you.” Candace assured warmly.

“It's fine.” Viola assured with a waving gesture. “Besides, Gary's right. No offense, but those two may not be the last to come after you.”

“I can take care of myself, but a wise person knows their limits, and there is no shame in having aid.” Candace agreed. A rumbling from her stomach could be heard.

“Yeah.” Gary snickered. “We got food.”

The three made their way back to the campsite, where Viola worked to reignite the bonfire.

“At least we won't have to worry about seeing those two cyber-idiots again.” Gary noted as he fished out an item from his backpack. Viola scowled and stomped over to him.

“Don't say that, you fool!” She snapped, lightly punching Gary's arm. “You'll jinx us!” She went back to her previous position.

“And she says I am a child.” Gary muttered as he rubbed his arm. He noticed Candace was looking at the item in his hand. “You ever had one of these?” The blond man asked as he held out a wrapped foodstuff to Candace after sitting down next to her.

“No, I don't think so.” A curious Candace answered as she accepted the item. She gave the wrapped bar a sniff. “I smell blueberry.”

“Yeah, it's a blueberry fruit bar.” Gary nodded. “I love those. Give it a try.”

“Gary loves those.” Viola chuckled. “They're the only flavor of those things he'll eat.” Candace looked at the bar, then opened the wrapper. She took a small bite of the bar, and chewed it tentatively.

“Mm! It's good!” Candace said. She ate the rest of the bar.

“Yeah, I love 'em.” Gary chuckled.

“Nice to see you two finding something to bond over.” Viola remarked as she took her own seat after restarting the bonfire.

“I do apologize for intruding on you.” Candace said. “I won't stay too long.”

“Yeah, don't worry about it, fuzzy.” Viola waved.

“So, how did you two meet?” The wolf-woman asked.

“We met in the military.” Gary explained.

“Really?” Candace noted.

“Yeah.” Viola nodded. “We were both serving on the Ironside.” She then let out a snort. “I was a grunt.” She then pointed at Gary. “This nerd was working the computers.”

“I helped maintain the starfighters on the ship, and I was an engineer. It wasn't just 'working the computers'.” Gary rolled his eyes.

“The Ironside...” Candace blinked. “Wasn't that one of the ships that was involved in that battle on Selzon III?”

“Yeah, that one.” Viola nodded, sipping from a bottle of water. “Ye gods, it was a mess.”

“No kidding. I was stuck helping repair starfighters for a week.” Gary nodded. “Viola was part of the ground forces.”

“I would be happy to never set foot on that planet ever again.” She shook her head. “You could not pay me enough to go there again.” She sighed. “Lost some good friends there.”

“I met Viola in the medbay while she was recovering from some injuries she suffered on the planet.” Gary recalled.

“Gary, the dork he is, like to entertain the people in the medbay on his off time.” Viola explained. “He would do all kinds of stuff. Tell jokes, do dances, wear silly costumes, the whole nine yards.”

“I was always a creative sort.” Gary preened a bit. “Viola laughed her head off at my antics.”

“Because of how terribly bad you were.” Viola retorted.

“I think it's quite wonderful that you worked to aid in raising the spirits of your comrades.” Sister Candace smiled at the blond man.

“We all did our part there.” Gary sighed. “And Viola loved it, she just didn't want to admit it.”

“Sure, Gary.” Viola shook her head. “If you say so.” Both the blond man and the wolf-woman noted the small smile that briefly appeared on the woman's face. “We're getting off track.” She looked at the priestess. “I would like to know what those two were after you about. One of them mentioned you had an item they were after.”

“I assure you, I have no idea what they were talking about.” Candace said. “I am just as confused as you.”

“Those two clowns clearly thought that you had something.” Gary noted. He looked at her duffel bag. “Maybe there was something in that bag of yours.”

“This?” Candace blinked, patting her bag. “I just keep my few possessions, some extra clothes, and a travel kit.”

“Includes a comb for that fur?” Viola teased.

“And shampoo. Have to keep the fur neat and shiny.” Candace grinned.

“You sure that's all you got? Someone may have slipped something in there.” Viola suggested. Candace blinked at the taller woman.

“I'm...I'm sure it is.” She said. She opened up her bag and rifled through it. “No, nothing I did not have packed myself in here.”

Gary eyed something at the edge of her bag. “Yo, Candy. There's something funny poking at your bag there.”

“There is?” Candace blinked.

“Yeah. It's right there.” Gary pointed at the end of her bag. Candace held up her bag, noting the bulge the blond man was pointing at.

“Huh?” The brunette she-wolf blinked, her crimson eyes showing confusion. “That's odd.” She unzipped the compartment the bulge was in, and put her hand in. She then pulled out a small yellow device from her bag.

The device was rectangular, with rounded corners. The top of the rectangle had a pair of short gray parallel antennae, making it look almost like it had little ears. The small machine had a large screen, and on the bottom were five buttons. Each of the buttons were triangular in shape, forming a five-pointed star. The top button was red in color, the two side buttons were green and blue, and the bottom two were yellow and white. On the top of the device above the screen was a solar panel. On the sides of the colored buttons were a trio of small gray dials forming a “V”.

“I take it that isn't yours.” Viola deduced.

Candace shook her head. “No. It's not.”

“Do you know what it is, Gary?” Viola asked. “I know you're a geek for this kind of stuff.”

“May I?” Gary held out his hand. Candace gave the device to the blond man. He turned it around and over. “Hmmm...”

“You think it's some kind of phone?” Viola suggested.

“I doubt it.” Gary said. “The keypad is weird. Let me try to turn it on.” He frowned as he continued examining it. “That's odd. There's no power button...oh here it is.” The man found the button by opening a panel on the side. “Yeah, no phone would hide a power button like this. You're supposed to easily access them.”

“Turn it on.” Viola ordered. Gary nodded and pressed the button. The screen powered on, showing a green grid with yellow lines on it. “What in the name of...?”

“Maybe it's some kind of video game?” A frowning Candace scratched her head. Viola choked out a laugh.

“Wolfy, Pong didn't look like this!” She laughed.

“Oh.”

“Hmmm...” Gary frowned as he looked the device over. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say it's some kind of detector.”

“If it is a detector, what is it made to detect?” Viola wondered.

“Maybe it's made to find treasure! Like in the old adventure books!” Candace offered with a big grin on her face.”

“You a big reader, huh?” Gary chuckled.

Candace nodded happily. “I love reading old adventure books!” She pulled out a couple old paperbacks from her bag. Viola took one and looked at the title.

“...Treasure?” She blinked. “That's...not a very imaginative title.”

“Can I see?” Gary held out his hand. Viola handed the book to him. “Hey, a fellow Clive Cussler fan!” He grinned and gave the book back to the wolf-woman. He then went back to fiddling with the device. “Nice to see you got some good taste in books.”

“Give me a good Trek novel any day.” Viola remarked.

“That reminds me, you still need to give me back my copy of Strike Zone.” Gary said as he continued fiddling with the little yellow gizmo.

She quickly shook her head. “We're getting off track here. What is that little gizmo for?”

“I think I may have figured something out.” Gary announced. “Check this out, you guys.” Viola and Cadace gathered around the screen. “Look at this.” He pressed the buttons, and certain icons would appear on the screen. The red button showed an icon of a flame. The blue showed an icon of a waterdrop. The yellow button showed an icon of a bolt of lightning. The green button made an icon of a green tree. The white button showed an icon of a white tornado.

“What the...” Viola blinked.

“I recognize those symbols.” Candace pointed at the screen. “Those are the symbols of the Five Magical Arts: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Lightning.”

“Magical Arts?” Viola frowned. “That crud meant nothing out in space.”

“Because those magics require a person to be on a planet to be used.” Candace explained. “I myself am pretty good with the Wind Art, although that's arguably the easiest to learn because, well...” She smiled and gestured everywhere. “We are surrounded by it.”

“Considering how you blew those half-clankers away, I say you're more than 'pretty good'.” Gary complimented.

Candace blushed. “I was merely repaying you for aiding me. Nothing special.”

“So, this gadget is made for detecting something magical.” Viola frowned. “But it doesn't exactly indicate anything.”

“No kidding.” Gary frowned. “Whoever made this display is an idiot, or in a serious hurry. There's no details given.”

“What I don't understand is how can someone build a gadget to detect magic?” Viola frowned. “Magic is...weird.”

“Magic is weird, but energy is not.” Gary smirked. “Magic still has to follow certain rules of science. At least, that's what the ladies at the Luna Temple told me.”

“For example, you can't use fire magic underwater.” Candace illustrated. “Because water puts out fire.”

“Ah.” Viola nodded. She sighed. “You sure you have no idea how you got this?”

Candace shook her head. “I am just as confused as you.”

“Well, we're not going to find anything out here.”

“Too bad we didn't ask those guys where it came from. They may have had an idea.” Gary remarked as he continued fiddling with the device.

“Yeah, too bad they were more interested in trying to kill us.” Viola reminded.

“Yeah, that sucked.” Gary agreed. He looked at Candace. “Hey Candy, you don't mind hanging out with us a little longer?”

“I have no intention of intruding on you...” The wolf-woman said.

“Naw, it's not an intrusion.” Gary assured. “Think of it as paying us back for helping you out against those half-clankers there.”

“I didn't help you guys because I wanted a reward.” Candace said. “I helped you guys because it was the right thing to do. I have no desire to be a burden to you.”

“Eh, there are worse people that we can end up around you, fuzzy.” Viola said.

“Hmmm...” Gary frowned at the device. “I think I may know a guy that could give us an idea who built this thing.”

“You do?” Candace blinked.

A nod from Gary. “Yeah. And in fact, I think he lives near here. You know that tavern we passed by on the way here?”

“He lives in a bar?” Viola frowned.

“Yeah. He has an apartment there.” Gary nodded. “He helps maintain the place, so he's allowed to live there.”

“Oh yeah, that tavern had an inn as well, huh?” Viola recalled.

“I hope he can help!” Candace smiled.

“So do I, kiddo.” Gary smiled back at her. Little did the three realize they'd end up having an epic adventure...

Thanks for reading!

Thanks again for reading this short story. If you like wat I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Earth Day

 Happy Earth Day, everyone!

What is Earth Day, you may ask? Well, Earth Day is a day to celebrate the Earth's natural beauty and to call for protection of the environment. The first Earth Day was celebrated on this day in 1970. One year earlier, a peace activist named John McConnell had proposed a day to celebrate the concept of peace that would be held on March 21, 1970. That day was considered the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. He proposed this day at a UNESCO conference. This proposal would be made into a proclamation that was written by McConnell and then signed by then-UN Secretary General U Thant.

A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson (yes, that was his name) proposed an idea for a nationwide teach-in to be held on April 22, 1970. Nelson was inspired by witnessing the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill from an airplane. He hired an activist named Denis Hayes to be the teach-in's National Coordinator. The event became "Earth Day". Hayes took the idea national, and 20 million Americans participated in the protest, making it the largest single-day protest in human history.

Over the next 50 years, the event would grow. In 1990, Hayes would organize Earth Day events in 141 countries. In 2020, over 100 million people amassed online to celebrate Earth Day's 50th anniversary, the largest mass-mobile gathering ever.

On this day, we should do something we should do every day, think about our natural world. Enjoy its beauty, appreciate it. And also, stand to protect it. We only got one planet, better take good care of it. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Damage Control #2 (June 1989)

All the way back in 2022, I took a look back at the first issue of the first Damage Control miniseries. Basically, in the Marvel universe, Damage Control is a group dedicating to repairing the, well, damage and destruction caused by superhero battles. I think the concept is really neat, and the Damage Control miniseries that have been done over the years are hidden gems, underrated bits of Marvel output, and I wish they got more love. As such, I wanted to look at the next issue. What further adventures do these brave fixer-uppers get up to? Let's find out what happens when they cross paths with a certain Latverian dictator in Damage Control #2!

The cover is an Ernie Colon piece. It's one of the outright funniest covers I have ever seen. It has Dr. Doom looming over Albert Cleary, who declares that Doom will pay his bill. It's such a dramatic cover for something seemingly so mundane as paying a bill. But this is Dr. Doom. He does nothing in a mundane manner.

"In It Up to Arrears." 
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Penciler: Ernie Colon
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Colorist: John Wellington
Letterer: Rick Parker
Editor: Sid Jacobson
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins in Manhattan, in particular on the Upper West Side. A group of German-speaking scientists are working on a new weapon. And as it goes in these things, something is about to go horribly wrong. 

"I told you not to order those parts off Temu, Hans!"

The overloading cannon caused the brownstone and everything inside to be turned to glass. This gets the scientists worried, as it turns out, ol' Doctor Doom gave them this project to work on, and this is not supposed to be the result. 

This gets the attention of, naturally, our heroes of rebuilding. Robin Chapel calls in a meeting of the main characters of the team: Account Executive Marie Leahy, Senior Foreman Lenny Ballinger, R&D Director Gene Sailors (I accidentally said his last name was "Strausser" in my look at the last issue), and fellow Account Executive John Porter. Sailors gives the group the 411 on what Doom's new weapon did to the brownstone. Ballinger has no clue how to fix it, as evidently the transformed building is putting out vibrations that shakes any equipment that comes near it to pieces. 

Comptroller Albert Cleary points out that Doom has not paid his bills to the company in six months. Why on Earth should they fix this? I mean, it's not like people lived in that brownstone or anything. But to be fair, Damage Control is a business, and they can't stay in business if people don't pay their repair bills. Hoag asks Cleary to send the bill over as the company doesn't have a collection department yet. He agrees, even though Porter is quick to point out that Doom is a killer. 

We get the skinny on who Doom is, because evidently, Cleary has no idea who he is. Does he live in a cave with no TV? Victor Von Doom in universe is the dictator of a nation. He's fought various superheroes for years. How can Cleary not know who Doctor Doom is?!

The rest of the gang realize Cleary can't go alone, so they draw straws to see who goes with him. And guess who "wins"?

"Ha ha ha ha...I'm gonna die."

...John Porter is a dead man. Nice knowing ya, Johnnie! Well, not really. An intern named Bart Rozum wants to come along, as he never gets to do anything. There is a good reason for that. Kid hasn't even graduated from college yet. Cleary decides to bring him along anyway, much to Porter's relief. 

Cleary and Bart head out to the Latverian Embassy. After all, when he's not battling American superheroes, or crushing Latverians with his iron-covered fists, that's where he likely hangs his green hood. But Doom is not the only one with issues with Damage Control right now. Here's the Thing!

"THE BEER WAS WARM!"

You may have noticed that Ben is a bit...spikier than normal. That's because of the events of Fantastic Four #310 (January 1988). In that comic, during a battle with a villain called Fasaud, Ben Grimm got exposed to cosmic rays and they mutated him into this new spiky form. Fun fact, the animated series Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes paid homage to this form in the episode "Annihilation". 

Benjy Grimm is in a Karen mood today, as he demands to see the manager about the FF's own bills to the company. So, the secretary throws Porter under the bus. Well, Porter's able to handle himself just fine. Ben has an issue with the FF's insurance, but Porter's found the problem.

It turns out the FF's insurance only covers the original roster of the FF, but not their current roster. Yeah, like any long-running superhero team, the FF have had their fair share of roster shake-ups over the years. If you know of the Scott Lang Ant-Man and She-Hulk from the MCU, in the comics, they both served as members of the FF for a while. Not at the same time, but yeah. 

Porter is able to clear that up, with a little help from Ben's angry growling. Meanwhile, Cleary and Rozum arrive at the Latverian Embassy. They are greeted by a Count Gunter Flounder, who is supposedly speaking on behalf of Von Doom. He announces that Doom is not only discontinuing the usage of Damage Control's services, but that the bills will not be paid. However, Doom himself is seemingly in the house.

"No, Dr. Doom! We didn't see you playing with your dolls again!"

Cleary plays with Doom's ego a bit, telling the mad monarch that he and Flounder were discussing the money that Flounder was embezzling from Doom. Flounder tries to tell Doom is a lie, but he's not hearing it. Gunter Flounder, you are fired!

Back at Damage Control HQ, Ben Grimm is amusing the employees by telling some stories of his misadventures. He has one for every occasion. He's about to leave as the insurance issue is settled (just needed to write a check for the deductible) until Robin remarks that she hopes Cleary is doing well trying to get Doctor Doom to pay his bills. Ben thinks he's in danger (this is Doctor Doom after all), and so, calls in the FF. 

"Oh my God, that meteor has the FF logo on it!"

At the time, the FF is not comprised of its classic roster. Instead, we got Ben, Johnny, Crystal Amaquelin of the Inhumans, and Sharon Ventura, aka She-Thing.

Sharon Ventura, aka formerly the second Ms. Marvel. Yes, in the comics, there was a Ms. Marvel between Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan. First appearing in The Thing #27 (September 1985), she first met Ben during his time as a pro wrestler. She joined the FF in Fantastic Four #306 (September 1987), and then was mutated into the She-Thing in Fantastic Four #310 (January 1988). She would appear on and off over the years. In her most recent appearance as far as I know in Astonishing Avengers #17 (June 2025), she somehow gained the ability to switch between her human and She-Thing forms at will. 

Anyway, the FF fly into action, however...it turns out that Cleary and Rozum are just fine. Doom not only willingly pays the bill, he even offered Cleary a job. 

So, yeah. The FF can go home, although Ben does wonder if that's the actual Doom or it's just a Doombot, robotic doubles Doom's been known to deploy on occasion. I believe the concept was introduced by John Byrne in Fantastic Four #258 (September 1983) as a way to explain inconsistencies in Doctor Doom's characterization over the years. 

With that taken care of, Damage Control can get back to work. There's still one problem, though. Lenny and his crew have no idea how to approach repairing the building. Thing is, Porter has not only a knack for insurance law, but he also has a knack for finding the simple solution to a problem. He picks up a rock. He throws the rock at the glass building, and...

John Porter unintentionally ruined a piece of art.

Just sweep up the glass and rebuild the building. Porter even found the original blueprints. Lenny tells him he should ask for a raise. Porter agrees, as he feels overworked. 

This was a fun issue. I always loved the concept of Damage Control as a way of exploring the Marvel Universe from the perspective of a regular person. It makes sense that in a universe like this, there would be an organization dedicated to cleaning up the messes caused by superhero battles. I also loved this miniseries as it's a way for Marvel to tell a more comedic story than in their standard titles. The characters are a delight.

I know some would count this appearance of Doom as a Doombot, but I actually would personally prefer if it was the actual Doom here, as having it be the real Doom would not only be much funnier, but I can imagine that Dr. Doom, petty as he can be at times, would do this if only because I can imagine him thinking he can rub this in Reed Richards's face somehow. "DOOM ALWAYS PAYS HIS BILLS, UNLIKE THAT DEADBEAT RICHARDS!" 

I can imagine that the late Ernie Colon was having quite a good time drawing this comic. He has said growing up that he wasn't fond of superheroes outside of the Billy Batson Captain Marvel because he found him fun and willing to be silly. Makes sense a more humorous title would be right up his alley. His art is fun to look at. It does remind me of the style the (sadly recently passed) Sal Buscema would adopt in the 90s, only less heavy with the lines and angular. 

In a way, I think Damage Control was ahead of its time. If this came out when the US version of The Office started broadcasting, I can imagine it would have become an ongoing series that would have lasted quite a while. If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2015 trade paperback Damage Control: The Complete Collection. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and wish to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

International Bat Appreciation Day

 Hello, everyone! Welcome to International Bat Appreciation Day!

This day celebrates a little flying critter that is rather misunderstood: The bat. It's celebrated in April as this is the time of year bats start to emerge from hibernation. Bats are often misunderstood creatures, associated with witchcraft and vampires. But bats are actually rather important to the ecosystem. Not to mention, bats are pretty cool.

Bats are mammals, just like humans. They are also the only mammals that are capable of true flight, thanks to their forelimbs being adapted into wings. In fact, what could possibly be considered the smallest mammal is a species of bat: the Kitti's hog-nosed bat, native to Thailand and Myanmar. These little guys have a six-inch wingspan, are around an inch in length, and weigh less than an ounce. The biggest known species of bat is the giant golden-crowned flying fox. Native to the Philippines, this bat can weigh about 3.5 pounds and has a wingspan of over five-and-a-half feet. 

There are about 1,400 species of bats, and they can be found in every continent except for Antarctica. They are the second largest order of mammals, only beaten by rodents. Most bats are nocturnal, and they feed mainly on fruit, nectar, and insects, depending on the species. There are bats that do feed on other things, most famously the vampire bat. 

Despite the reputation bats have in the West, bats are actually very important to their ecosystems. Because many species of bats eat insects, they can help reduce the need for chemical pesticides. In fact, one bat can eat up to one thousand mosquitoes in an hour. Bats are also expert pollinators. Many plants in tropical regions need bats for this purpose. For example, you like tequila? Well, tequila is made from the agave plant. The agave plant needs the lesser long-nosed bat to pollinate.

In some cultures, bats are associated with protection from disease, long life, and even rebirth. 

So, yeah. Bats are awesome critters and deserve a lot more love. They are fair more than an inspiration for a certain superhero and a form a certain vampire can assume. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Street Fighter Trailer, My Thoughts

Some time back, I wrote about the teaser for the upcoming new live-action Street Fighter movie. I thought it looked like some harmless silly fun. So, let's travel back to the wild year of 1993 and look at this trailer!

Yeah, I don't see the point of this whole "Trailer Starts Now" thing. I mean, why is it here? I know it's a tiny little thing, only like, a couple seconds, but I just wonder why they do it. More curious than annoyed, to be honest.

Chun-Li: "LOOK AT MY NICE NEW BOOT!" She's very proud of her nice new boots. Can't wait to kick some butt in them.

I get the impression that Shadaloo here is kind of like Ancient Rome, a beautiful place with a very dark underbelly.

The people love them some Ken Masters. 

I think it would be nice if the trailer used a song from 1993. People were making music then.

I think Chun-Li is working undercover here. She's the one gathering the fighters and is hoping to have them help her take down M. Bison. Would fit her motivation in the games. 

I love that they let Guile have his wild flattop. 👍 

Ooh, El Fuerte did not have a good time in the ring that day.

Ken wasting perfectly good champagne. I mean for other people to enjoy, I'm a teetotaler. I do not drink alcoholic beverages.

Yeah, I'm betting Ken's arc is his rediscovering his fighter roots or something like that. Classic story, nothing wrong with that.

Heh heh, he's beating up a car. Another game reference.

Okay, now we got an actual 90s song here. And even better? "What's Up?" was actually released...in 1993!

Dear goodness, the size of that lad! Where did they find this guy? And what does he eat?!

Heh heh, you can tell Ryu and Ken are bros. Either that, or Ryu really owes Ken some money.

Well, the tournament is being held by M. Bison. Of course it's not going to be on the complete up-and-up.

Again, it would have been so funny if Cody Rhodes screamed "AMERICAAAAAAAAA!" as he gave Vega that Flash Kick.

Chun Li: "Oh yeah? Well, everyone goes crazy over your butt, but I don't see why!" 

Getting pile-driven into a car. That would SUCK.

...yeah, I'll be doing a lot of that during the movie.

Acknowledge Akuma. ☝

BLANKA.

Guile ain't lyin'.

AND WE HAVE A HADOUKEN! I love that it seemingly takes time to charge, like it's something that requires a lot of effort and concentration to pull off. You have to be good to pull off that move. 

Well, I was excited for this movie before, but now I am even more hyped! This film is going to be a fun time at the theater. I can't wait to watch this movie! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you enjoy what I write and want to give this blog a little additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

World Art Day

 Today is World Art Day!

What is World Art Day, you may ask? Well, World Art Day is a day to celebrate, well, art! The reason why it's on April 15 is because it's the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci, considered one of the greats in fine art. The day was first declared in 2015 by the International Association of Art.

Art comes in a wide variety of forms, and people use art to express themselves in a variety of ways. Painting, drawing, filmmaking, writing, photography, it's all forms of art. Since humanity started scribbling in caves, art has been used for a variety of reasons: to express themselves, draw attention to issues, to show off their creativity. Art helps make this crazy world a little more interesting, a little more vibrant, a little more beautiful. Art is something that transcends culture and language. It truly is one of those things that we all have in common.

So, enjoy some art today, or make some art, whether with paints, words, or a camera. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! If you enjoy what I write, please make a donation to my ko-Fi! See you next time!

National Dolphin Day

Today is National Dolphin Day!

Dolphins are aquatic mammals that share a close relation with beluga whales, narwhals, and porpoises. "Dolphin" and "porpoise" are sometimes used interchangeably, but in reality, they are different animals, and there are ways to tell them apart. Mainly that porpoises have shorter beaks and spade-shaped teeth (dolphin teeth are conical in shape). They also behave differently than dolphins. There are about 40 known species of dolphins, the arguably most famous being the bottleneck dolphin due to it being the most common dolphin in captivity.

Most dolphins live in the seas, but there are some dolphins do live in freshwater bodies as well as in brackish waters (Brackish waters are basically between fresh and saltwater in salinity). Dolphins also lack gills. Like whales, they use blowholes to breathe, and their time in the water is just them holding their breath like humans. Dolphins are carnivorous, often feeding on fish and squids, but some do feed on other dolphins and even seabirds. The term dolphin comes from a Greek term meaning "fish with a womb", a reference to the mammalian animals giving live births like humans instead of laying eggs. 

Dolphins are social animals, and they form pods of various sizes. They are also rather vocal, communicating through clicks and whistles. Dolphin are among the noisiest marine animals, and that's because they use echolocation to get around. Dolphin pods can be close-knit, and they have been known to aid injured members. In fact, dolphins have been shown to be among the most intelligent animals in the sea. They are capable of grieving, scheming, teaching other dolphins, and even cooperation with each other. 

In Ancient Greece, dolphins were seen as protectors of humanity, and since dolphins have been known to help human swimmers, it makes sense. Dolphins in the wake of a ship was seen as a good omen. They were seen as messengers of the sea god Poseidon. Hindu mythology ties the dolphins of the Ganges river to the goddess Ganga. In the Amazon, it's believed the Boto dolphins of the river are shapeshifters than can have children with human women. There's a similar belief in the Caroline Islands.

So yeah, dolphins are wonderous critters. Hope you learned something neat today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some extra support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time! 

 

International Day of Human Spaceflight

Today is the International Day of Human Spaceflight!

This day is for the celebration of human exploration of space. It was on this day in 1961 that Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) became the first human to go into space onboard Vostok 1. The word "vostok" means "east" or "Orient" in Russian. He completed one orbit around the Earth in 108 minutes, his craft launched from Kazakhstan, then known as the Kazakh SSR. This event, combined with the earlier launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 (the word "Sputnik" means "satellite" in Russian), the first artificial object in space, kicked off the Space Race of the 1960s. 

On April 7, 2011, a few days before the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's trip to the stars, the United Nations General Assembly declared this day. However, this celebration is a bit older than that. You see, it was originally known as "Yuri's Night" in honor of Gagarin.

"Yuri's Night" was created by Trish Garner, Loretta Hildago Whitesides, and George T. Whitesides, and first held on this day in 2001, to honor the 40th Anniversary of the flight. These days are celebrated by space-themed parties at NASA centers and various other places. Events can be large or small, and held all over the world. Russia refers to this day as Cosmonautics Day.

This day also commemorates the first launch mission of the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-1, which also happened on this day in 1981. That was actually not intentional. The Columbia had actually been intended to launch a couple of days earlier but got delayed due to a technical issue. 

The purpose of this day is to not just honor the brave men and women who traveled to the stars, but to also knowledge the pioneering innovations that came from man's desire to explore said stars. Wondering what is out there is a question people all over the world have asked for centuries. Maybe one day, we will meet intelligent life. This day is special to me as I was a nut for space as a kid. Still am in a way. I hope that one day, space travel will be as commonplace as it is in Star Trek. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you like it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

Marvel: The Lost Generation #9 (June 2000)

It's that time again! It's time to look in on the Lost Generation of Marvel Super Heroes! Last time, we saw the First Line fight off the forces of the Deviant Warlord Kro, saw the birth of Gadfly, and the beginnings of SHIELD. So, where do we go from here? Let's find out in Marvel: The Lost Generation #9!

The cover is a John Byrne and Al Milgrom piece. It depicts what looks like some members of the Line, almost like it was a poster. However, what makes it unique is that the characters' heads all have crosshairs over them, like they're targets. And in a way...they are, as the comic promises that one of the First Line will be lost here. However, it doesn't quite work because of how the mini-series worked. We saw Black Fox, Flatiron, Nightingale die in issue #12, which showed the team's final adventure. Presumably Pixie and Oxbow also met their ends in that issue as well. As such, the only suspects are the three new characters we see on the cover. It's still a cool cover, though.

"Unholy War"
Writers: Roger Stern, John Byrne
Penciler: John Byrne
Inker: Al Milgrom
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins some years earlier than the events of the last issue, at the estate of one William Carmody, aka the Eternal Brain. We look in on said Eternal Brain with his daughter Mary and her main squeeze Jim Fitzpatrick. 

"And now, it won't be long before I can rock out on guitar again!"

William and Jim have developed a prototype body to allow William to, well...walk about. If you didn't guess, this body would eventually become Walkabout. Mary laments her father's current state, but Carmody's accepted it. After all, better a brain-in-a-jar than dead. Yeah, believe it or not, these three characters were not created by Stern and Byrne for the mini-series. They were actual pre-established characters from the Golden Age of Comics. All three of them appeared in Red Raven Comics #1 (August 1940). 

As for why they're in a story set in the early 1980s? Well, you see, the original 1940 story said that it had been around 50 years since Charles Lindbergh started researching in 1930 for his 1938 book The Culture of Organs. So yeah, that original story took place around the early 1980s. Pretty clever on Roger and John's part.

The three get a visit from Jake Scott, aka Effigy. He was able to get into their home despite its advanced security system because of his shapeshifting powers. Remember, he is a Skrull. But he's not here to show off his powers. He's actually here because he needs some help from the Eternal Brain and his telepathic abilities. Two day earlier, Mr. Justice was flying an experimental aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz as part of a mission he independently went on to save a trio of diplomats that were being held hostage over the Kingdom of Halwan. The craft was shot down. It was feared Justice was dead, until they got word that he is very much alive...

...But he is now a captive of the Halwanis himself.

Scott wants Carmody's help to rescue Mr. Justice. But he won't have to do it alone. 

"We were promised beer. Where's the beer?" 

Meet the First Line's roster at this time: Reflex, Flatiron, Positron, Black Fox, Blackjack, Oxbow, Pixie, and Nightingale. The members imply that Nixon screwed with the team in some way. Carmody remarks that the team broke up in 1972, around the time of the Watergate scandal. As for why Carmody's telepathy is needed, it's because sunspot activity is messing up satellite communications. In this situation, Carmody's telepathy is more reliable. And they'll need it when they head to Halwan. So, let's check in on Mr. Justice, shall we?

"Lady, I keep telling you, I'm not into this!"

Yeah, Tim Carney has seen better days. Despite being tortured for two days, he's refused to talk. One of the torturers, a Jameel, has developed a bit of respect for the man as a result. Princess Zafina is not impressed by Carney's toughness. Back in the USA, the First Line are plotting out the assault on Kamilabad, the capital city of Halwani. A team of covert agents will also be aiding them. Blackjack wonders why they should rescue Mr. Justice, as his screw-up caused this. Thing is, Mr. Justice is still a First Liner, and they don't abandon their own. 

We also get a bit of character moments here. Oxbow gets aggressive with Reflex after she accidentally runs into Reflex, triggering his power to cause anything that hits him bounce off. Jim notes that Oxbow is certainly loyal to Pixie. William tells him they've been together a long time, joining the Line together in the early 60s. Thing is, there's something funny about them. Back then, Pixie looked like the elder of the two, Oxbow likely being in his late teens when he joined, but now in the 1980s, he looks like the elder of the two...and Pixie has seemingly barely aged at all. Remember, Pixie is an Eternal, but as the last issue showed, only Oxbow is aware of it. 

Carmody has no desire to telepathically pry into Pixie's mind to find answers...and he couldn't if he wanted to, anyway. Her mind has psychic blocks in them that are incredibly powerful. Like Effigy's mind. 

In Kamilabad, the sun is about to rise on another day. But a group of men, led by a certain near-immortal WWII veteran, is at work. 

"Gleason, if you crack one of your stupid fart jokes, I'll kill ya myself!"

Fury and his team make their way into the royal compound, only to find the place empty. The team is left wondering. Are the Halwanis moving around the hostages...or have they been set up for a trap? Or maybe both? One man finds one of the doors is closed, with the others all open. Fury roars not to open it, and boom.

Elsewhere, in another castle, Mr. Justice wakes up in a rather comfy bed. And he is not alone.

"People make bug jokes around me for some reason."

Meet Dr. Khadijah. She's the cousin of Princess Zafina and spent some years in America training to be a doctor. It's a time in her life she considers a happy one. Zafina charged her with treating those who survive her torture chambers. And Tim Carney is her first patient in that capacity.

Even though he's been through the ringer, Tim tries to turn on the charm. Seriously, dude? You're banged up ten ways to Sunday! 

Cassandra Locke then arrives. She thinks she's finally arrived somewhere quiet...only to nearly get blown up. She is not a genre-savvy woman. Thankfully, she isn't hurt. And the explosion was caused by Positron, Blackjack with her. The two split, but not before sharing a kiss. Their dialogue makes Cassandra realize something: this is a mission in which things go horribly wrong.

The Black Fox flies towards the royal compound in his...Flying Fox (yes, I am aware that flying foxes are actually a genus of bats...which makes sense as Black Fox is a Batman pastiche), and fires something at the building. It manages to blast into the building. The Halwani guards think it's a crashed aircraft and shoot into the cockpit...realizing too late that it was a trick. The Fox managed to make his own way into the building and gives the guards a Mighty Thrashing. 

Cassie is found by Nightingale. The time-traveling scientist is shocked by this, as they're not supposed to meet yet (remember issue #12?). Nightgale says they have...in their past.

Nightingale knows the future, implying the healer is of many lives living in one body. Cassandra sees Flatiron, Oxbow, and Pixie in action. The scientist remembers seeing them die in issue #12, and is determined to do something to save a least one person. She looks around the castle, remembering this mission led to the death of a First Liner. However, she doesn't know who it is. She gets caught by a man known only as Scimitar. This Scimitar is the predecessor of the Scimitar that first appeared in Iron Fist #5 (June 1976). Blackjack takes him on, only to get the man's named weapon across the gut.

Time travel causing the thing it was trying to prevent. An enraged Positron vaporizes Scimitar, and the two share some last words, the dying Blackjack telling Positron he'll save a table for her on the other side. Cassandra vows to find a way to make up for this...by doing some more time travel. Cassie, you're going to end up destabilizing the universe at this rate!

Anyway, the battle between the First Line and the Halwani forces continue until Oxbow forces a surrender.

"If you don't let us go, we'll give her back...her old nose!"

With Princess Zafina a hostage, the Line leaves the country. It's then revealed that she's not a hostage at all. In fact, she wasn't even there with the group. It was Effigy in disguise.

They head out towards the Ben-Gurion Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Israel. And Black Fox is furious. Mr. Justice's capture? The hostage rescue? Effigy used all that as a distraction to help destabilize the regime in Halwan. The First Line were set up, and if something went wrong, they could be disavowed as a bunch of costumes that went rogue, the story earlier implying that the First Line did not have government clearances anymore. Right now, though, Mr. Justice is the priority. He's alive, but he many never truly recover from his injuries. Not if Nightingale has anything to say about it.

"Man, this new skin scream is great!"

Effigy praises them for a job well done, but Black Fox points out the CIA team (outside of Fury, naturally) and Blackjack are still dead. He storms out, muttering that he's getting too old for this, setting up his status quo in issue #11. Pixie laments that this is the end of the First Line. Not quite there yet, lady. But it's coming.

I enjoyed this issue. One thing I love about this miniseries is how much personality that Stern is able to give these characters with only a little bit of time. Oxbow is shown to be a protective hothead over Pixie, Reflex is the team jerk (and possibly a bit racist, considering he calls the half-First Nations Oxbow a 'half-breed'), Mr. Justice is shown to be a man of strong will and determination, Blackjack is a bit hard-hearted, etc. I also liked the scene with Black Fox snapping at Effigy over the mission realizing the Line was set up. It makes sense the government would do this. At this point, the Line is independent. It would not be out of character for the CIA to use them as a distraction so they can do their own dirty work. And considering what we'll learn of the Black Fox's past in future issues, it makes sense that he would not appreciate the Company setting his team up. 

I do wish we got a bit more exploration of Nightingale. There was some hinting at her nature that I found incredibly tantalizing. Nightingale's dialogue implies that there is more to her, that she may possibly not be a singular person. The Marvel Appendix entry on her theorizes that she may have been a group of life-forces/souls unified in one body, and I think it's a theory that makes sense. Her healing powers may have burned out those souls until there was nothing left, making her fade away.

Halwan is a fictional country, but its placement is rather...goofy. You see, the country is, according to Cassandra Locke, in the Middle East. That does make some sense here, as Mr. Justice was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait borders Iran in the north, and the south is the Musandam Peninsula, which is shared by the United Arab Emirates and a territory of Oman. However, the country was not created for this maxiseries. It was originally from the first Iron Fist series. And in that series, it was established to be hit by "the winds of the Hindu Kush". Said Hindu Kush is an actual mountain range, in Afghanistan/Pakistan. The later Power Man and Iron Fist series would establish that Halwan is neighbors with another fictional country called Martakesh. Martakesh is in the Sahara Desert...which is in Africa. The Marvel Atlas puts Halwan in northern Africa, but that was published long after this. 

I am sorry about this, I'm a bit of a geography nerd, and it's just something I wanted to point out. I can see why Stern put Halwan in the Middle East here. This story is set in the 1980s, and the Middle East was becoming prominent in American politics and in culture at the time, so it does fit here. Princess Zafira is a one-note villain, nothing special about her, really. It can be argued that she does draw from Middle Eastern stereotypes. I do wish we got some interaction between Zafira and Dr. Khadijah (the story did say they were family, after all), to help deepen their characters a little bit. I can imagine that they did not always see eye-to-eye, considering Khadijah defected to America. A scene setting that up would have been nice.

I have said this before about Byrne's art on this miniseries, but it does come off as having a bit more "grit" for lack of a better term than in the past. But that could be because of age and the inker. It's still good, though. And a lot better than the Liefeld imitators of the preceding years.

Sadly, this maxiseries has never been collected as part of a standalone trade paperback. It was collected in a 2018 Omnibus: The Marvel Universe by John Byrne Vol. 2. Otherwise, you're going to have to look in the back issue bins at a comic book shop and hope you find copies. I found the series on eBay myself. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!