Synopsis / Summary / Plot
As usual this anthology contains 4 8-page stories with no adverts.
Wolverine/Typhoid Mary in Typhoid's Kiss part 3 of 8: Over-exposed
Writer Ann Nocenti. Pencils/Inks Steve Lightle. Letters Bill Oakley. Colours Renee Witterstaetter.
A man named Roberts alerted Wolverine to an organisation called the Project which turned him into a killer following orders from a radio receiver in his head. Roberts thought Logan might have been a Project subject, and he's also been working with another possible subject Mary Walker. Roberts was was homicidal so Wolvie chained him up while he went to Walker. Roberts escaped but isn't in this issue. Mary took Logan to see information they'd compiled but then they kissed.
We don't know what followed the kiss but this issue suggests nothing. Instead we find Logan and Mary infiltrating a laboratory at night. Wolvie beats the only guard unconscious and they find a lab full of animal test subjects which Mary insists they set free. Logan is a friend to wild animals but thinks animal rights activists are hypocrites who continue to use the products tested on animals. He breaks into a safe and finds the Project tapes Mary's info said would be there. They go back to hers (along with some rescued rabbits) and Logan plays a tape which shows how the Project created killers. But watching it triggers innocent Mary Walker to turn into her alter ego Typhoid Mary (and it seems she wears Typhoid's clothes under her own). She kisses Logan at the same time as setting fire to him with her pyrokinesis, and then she leaves.
Iron Fist in Menace Of The Mad Abbot
Writer Joey Cavalieri. Pencils Alex Morrisey. Inks Brad Vancata. Letters Steve Dutro. Colours Brad Vancata.
Iron Fist stops 3 men attacking a woman but then leaves them to the police as he hears a sound no-one else does. He follows it to an abandoned church and inside finds coffins with unknown mystic markings which suddenly disgorge 'mummies'. He feels compelled to follow them further inside to where Abbot Thanademos is summoning them. We learn that these were victims of an incurable sleeping sickness (or maybe other similar states) and are related to his followers. As promised his magic has reanimated them, but now the Abbot reveals to his flock that the 'mummies' are now thralls to his command. Danny Rand theorises that it is *his* recent revival from a near-death state (Namor #23) that has made him susceptible to Thanademos' call. But 1 of the mummies rebels, and it turns out that it's because he's wearing an ankh. So Danny grabs it for himself. Up to now no-one's noticed him but now the Abbot sends his mummies and acolytes against IF while he himself escapes. But Iron Fist releases a giant gong (which was presumably producing the sound) to roll and hit the villain. The same police arrive to tidy this mess up too.
Ghost Rider/Werewolf in Return Of The Braineaters part 5 of 6: Roadkill
Writer Chris Cooper. Pencils John Staniski. Inks James Palmiotti/Ken Branch. Letters Steve Dutro. Colours Fred Mendez.
Ghost Rider and Werewolf are after a werewolf biker gang of Braineaters who have kidnapped young Billy Baldwin as hostage. Last issue Dan Ketch found them at the Black Moon Bar & Grill but they beat him and left him for dead outside.
Now Danny wakes to discover that Jack Russell found him and took him away to heal his wounds a day ago. And he's been preparing another stage of their plan. He holds up something clutched in tongs (presumably something silver like a bullet). Back at the Bar & Grill the Braineaters figure Ghost Rider's not coming for them so they can kill Billy. Their female member Lupe has been rethinking her options and now she causes a fight between gang members over her and takes the opportunity to run away with the kid. The gang chase them and Lupe stops to stall them while Billy keeps running. But only the leader Scuzz stops to deal with her and the others continue after the boy. Our heroes find her as she dies and GR swears vengeance. He corners Scuzz who reminds him that the gang will have got the kid now, leaving GR with a choice - vengeance or saving Billy.
Thanos in I, Thanos part 4 of 4: Betrayal
Writer Jim Starlin. Pencils/Inks Shawn McManus. Letters Steve Dutro/Dave Sharpe. Colours John Kalisz.
Death abducted Thanos' spirit to her realm and promised him an eternity of her love if he killed Adam Warlock for her. Now she sends him back to his body in the situation where he left it with the Infinity Watch on a planet in another dimension waiting for his chair/throne to prepare for the next leg of their journey. He leaves Drax, Gamora, Moondragon and Pip and floats his chair over to where Warlock is brooding alone. Thanos considers that Warlock may be the only being capable of saving the universe by defeating his 'alter-ego' Magus. He prepares his chair to fire on his unsuspecting ally but still ponders. The fate of the universe won't matter to him when he's reunited with his love Death. But she spurned him before when he gave her the universe so why should he believe she will accept his love after just this 1 kill? Come to that, is he sure that his encounter with Death wasn't just a wish-fulfilment fantasy? And logic persuades him to let Warlock live, and he'll live with his emptiness.