Heroes and villains can’t help but have some trouble holding themselves back. It’s always nice to see Wolverine let out the inner beast…but what happens when Superman does? Welcome to your weekly comics pull list. This week, we get to see some heroes and villains really cutting loose in a few very big ways. Each issue seems to be hitting its stride and I encourage you to buy every one of them, as there couldn’t be bigger ramifications for either Marvel of DC universes. Buckle your seat belts.
[alert type=yellow ]Spoilers to Follow[/alert]
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Action Comics # 33 “Doomed”:
Superman truly is the greatest of them all. Just like everyone else though, sometimes he needs a pep talk. When we last left Kal-El, he was fleeing Earth and what horrors he could cause there. Supergirl catches up with her cousin and they have a heart to heart chat and brashly tries to convince him that he never should have left. Failing, she reminds him there is good to be done all over the galaxy: “You’re the greatest hero the universe has ever seen!” Flattering, eh?
As luck would have it, Clark takes her advice to heart and eventually finds a planet being attacked by a being named Harak, who’s dead set on eating the planet’s molten core like DC’s Galactus. That isn’t going to slow down the Man of Steel one bit, and he attacks with such fervor that even Harak is scared. The ships evacuating the planet are put in danger as debris from their fight threatens the mass exodus, so during a moment of introspection, Superman realizes that this Doomsday contagion doesn’t control him and he and he alone can decide how to use this new terrifying power. Firing off a strange purple energy (that’s new by the way, even for Doomsday) and wrecks the debris field saving millions of lives. Just another day for Superman…but a first for Doomsday.
Wait, isn’t there some villain around? Yup! Harak is just as shocked as everyone else. That moment of hesitation is capitalized on by a ruthless “Superdoom.” Needless to say, this ends poorly for Harak and teases that Earth wants a new savior… Cyborg Superman!
Amazing Spider-Man # 3:
Black Cat makes her debut in the latest run of Amazing Spider-Man. We also learn that Silk is somehow connected to Ezekiel, a mysterious figure from Peter’s past who just happens to have spider powers.They fought a super villain together during the time that Spider-Man evolved to have organic web-shooters and many “Other” powers. Felicia had a great life until Spider-Man (see Doc Ock) screwed it all up for her by helping throw her in jail, so Pete’s former lover is back with a vengeance and back to stealing and holding people hostage. Nothing is ever simple for ‘ole Spidey.
While he’s out collecting readings about Electro’s energy signature a fire breaks out in a nearby apartment building. With great power comes great responsibility. Pete is off to save the day. What’s this!?!? It turned out to be a clever and vindictive ruse by Black Cat. They tussle a bit and Pete is of course winning, but time is running out for the people trapped in the building. Pete has to channel his inner octopus to scare her off in time to save them. In the end, her ruse within a ruse worked. Felicia pickpocketed a way to track Electro. Time for a villain team-up!
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Avengers Undercover # 6:
Does it feel good to be bad? These kids seem to think so. Death Locket finds herself a boyfriend in all this mess and they play games together like Death Race (much like the movie). Darkhawk doesn’t like this one bit. At first it seems like some petty jealousy, but it all turns out to be far more serious as the comic continues. Zemo eventually deploys the new villains to attack A.I.M., and things go as expected and the kids start to triumph, mainly because of Death Locket and her new found confidence, and she doesn’t bother holding back and really causes some havoc.
It all seems to be going according to plan until Captain America shows up on A.I.M. Island. You see, these kids work for a super villain now. Death Locket tries to follow orders and snipe Captain America. This doesn’t sit well with Darkhawk who intervenes by tackling her. Cap lives to fight another day while Darkhawk explains to Death Locket that they never really joined Zemo. They’re undercover…makes sense given the comic title and all huh?
Things end badly for Darkhawk when Death Locket and her new beau beat him seemingly to death…cliffhanger!
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Original Sin # 5:
We all knew Nick Fury was THE super spy of the Marvel Universe. What we didn’t know is quite how badass he is, just as much as we didn’t know just how connected he was. Original Sin issue five takes us all the way down that rabbit hole.
While this issue is primarily all about Nick Fury explaining who he is and how he does what he does, it’s also about Nick’s own Original Sin. Nick Fury’s been running things from behind the scenes since 1958. He and Howard Stark Sr., Tony Stark’s father, monitored and stopped the greatest threats to Earth and Nick’s been using Life Model Decoys (LMDs) to be in several places at once. He killed the living planet, he killed a demon lord of the astral plane, he killed subterranean monsters for years…either him, or one of his LMD copies in any case. Fury was even ready to start killing super heroes when they showed up if they became threats: Spider-Man included!
However, Fury has always had good judgment (or so the comic tells us…I bet Nick offed a few capes in his day) and let them live. Nick has had a secret job hidden from S.H.I.E.L.D. and everyone else for over half a century. He makes the hard decisions and stops threats before they happen. Even as badass and well connected as Fury is…he still doesn’t know who killed the Watcher…
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Wolverine # 9 “3 Months To Die”:
This issue we learn Wolverine indeed fears death. The entity Death herself is on holiday and willing to talk with Wolverine. The Hand ninjas don’t seem to care. Sent to kill Logan by his arch-nemesis Sabretooth, they seem to know as much Kung-Fu as anyone else on the island of Wolverine’s new place of torment in Death’s Temple. Shang Chi and Iron Fist are determined to let Logan have some alone time in Death’s temple and face his fears, but martial arts hijinks ensue, especially once some make it past them to Wolverine. Death reminds him not to kill while she’s on holiday and Logan takes a beating as a result.
More faces from Wolverine’s past haunt him from there, and long story short, Death informs him his acts of bravery before were rare since he couldn’t die. Without his legendary healing factor, he needs to show that death defying bravery in every fight. The comic closes as Sabretooth heads to New York city to commit untold atrocities as he is known for. He knows Logan is coming for him and he welcomes the chance to finally kill him; he’ll stop at nothing.
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That’s all for now true believers. Had a different take? I’d love to hear what you think about the latest comic events and talk comics. Visit our forums and keep reading and stay tuned to BagoGames for all your game, movie, and comic needs.