Synopsis / Summary / Plot
As usual this anthology contains 4 8-page stories with no adverts.
Wolverine/Nightcrawler in Male Bonding part 8 of 8: Together Forever ... A Pair
Writer Scott Lobdell. Pencils Gene Colan. Inks Al Williamson. Letters Michael Higgins. Colours Kelly Corvese.
In this story Nightcrawler took time off from Excalibur to return to the German circus that raised him, and Wolverine took time off from the X-Men to visit him. They discovered that Jutta and other mutated members of the circus were determined to kill a band of 'monsters' disguised as humans. When the peaceful monsters were exposed the local villagers grabbed pitchforks and flaming torches (as they do) and chased them to a (convenient) ruined castle which caught fire. Last issue Kurt Wagner went to save the monsters while Logan dealt with the circus folk.
Nightcrawler bamfs into the castle where the monsters explain they are Neuri who left their people to study humanity. But now they just want to die together as a family. Hearing some humans trapped in the burning castle with them Nightcrawler and 1 of the Neuri go and help them escape. The villagers think they are attacking the humans until the saved ones explain the truth. But Jutta arrives and uses her flame power to kill the 'monster'. Then Wolvie catches up and kills (I think) her. The villagers douse the monster's flames but he tries to crawl back into the castle to his family. Kurt teleports him there and Logan follows the hard way. All the Neuri are dead so the heroes port out again to deliver the moral of the story.
Young Gods in Against A Rogue God part 8 of 9: Nauda's Tale
Writers Gerry Conway/Eric Fein. Pencils Scott Kolins. Inks Jonathan Holdredge. Letters Michael Higgins. Colours Tom Smith.
The Young Gods have been captured by the rogue god Nauda and he now has the 3 Black Stones he needs to restore his power.
But for this issue he tells them his history. He led the Tuatha De Danaan to Ireland to take it from the Fir Bolg and their gods the Fomorians. They won but Nauda lost his right hand until Dian Cecht replaced it with a hand of silver. The Fir Bolg/Fomorians were confined to Connacht but rebelled and in the 2nd war Nauda was killed. He recruited followers in the Underworld who created the Black Stones and planted them in the Middle East to gain power from hate, guarded by a robot which the Young Gods destroyed in Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #8. So his followers separated the Stones for safety, but now the YG have gathered them together and it's time for Nauda to use their power to rule the world (of course).
Ghost Rider/Werewolf in Return Of The Braineaters part 2 of 6: Claw And Bone
Writer Chris Cooper. Pencils John Staniski. Inks James Palmiotti/Ken Branch. Letters Steve Dutro. Colours Fred Mendez.
Last issue Jack Russell (Werewolf By Night) followed a gang of biker werewolf Braineaters to Prospect Park in Brooklyn where he was too late to save their latest 2 victims. The killings were witnessed by young Billy Baldwin who saw the the villains in their human forms. He also saw Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch) attack Jack thinking he was the murderer.
Billy watches them fight until they spot him. Then he blurts out that the Werewolf is innocent and runs away. Ghost Rider drives off. We see that the bikers are at Billy's house. They've killed his parents and now his sister because they can't tell them where the son is. So they wait until he comes home but Billy sees them. Meanwhile our Werewolf tracks Dan Ketch to Cypress Hills Cemetery.
Thanos in I, Thanos part 1 of 4: Into The Abyss
Writer Jim Starlin. Pencils Larry Alexander. Inks Tim Tuohy. Letters Michael Higgins. Colours John Kalisz.
Thanos and the Infinity Watch (Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Moondragon and Pip The Troll) have tracked a mysterious energy through dimensions to what turned out to be just a repeater station (in Infinity War #3). Now they are waiting while Thanos' teleporting 'chair'/platform recalibrates to follow the trail further to its source, the universe-threatening Magus. Even though he has given up his goal of universal domination (after he gained it in the Infinity Gauntlet event and found it unsatisfying) he still fancies stealing whatever power Magus has. But his thoughts are interrupted when his spirit is taken by Death through a dimensional rift to a large red crystal which is an entrance to her realm. Thanos thinks his spirit wouldn't survive the passage so he blasts a hole in the gem and enters on his own terms. He enters Death's skull-shaped abode prepared to suffer her vengeance, the 1st phase of which is an attack by her Legion Of The Doomed.