Writer Charles Soule
Art Jonathan Marks
Colorist Lee Loughridge
Letterer VC’s Cory Petit
Finland. Paradise Wolverines (which is how they cast list has them, but not as a combined word) are falling towards Mister Sinister’s fortress. Lady Deathstrike wants to know what the plan is, which I would think they should have talked about before they were in mid-air and falling to the floor. Neuro states that they need to keep the element of surprise, which Shogun agrees with.
Shogun is surprised as they have stopped mid-air. We learn that the person Mister Sinister was ordering at the end of last issue is Starky Gripes. Gripes reveals the fortress’ true form, which annoys Mystique as they clearly know where it is as they were falling towards it.
Gripes has a lake of lava appear below them and he states that Mister Sinister knows Lady Deathstrike, very well. Fantomelle’s fox doesn’t like that they are part of this mission. Gripes doesn’t speak like how I thought a Sinister lackey would, he sounds like a regular guy.
Gripes sets everyone on the ground, if they don’t want to go inside, they don’t have to. Endo really doesn’t want to go inside and runs off. Gripes presses a button on his watch and dark matter opens around Endo.
Shogun takes his sword to Gripes’ neck. He reveals that no one leaves so Shogun slices off his head, Highlander style. Ogun compliments Sharp.
Sinister being who he is, has cloned several Gripes. They have individual names, with a theme – Parky, Barky, Harky, Zarky and Glarky. Shogun agrees that they should just enter the fortress, there is no other options. X23 isn’t thrilled about the decision. Sabretooth assures her that he will protect her, which doesn’t assure her.
Mister Sinister has a giant recording image of himself. He wants them to stay entertaining and give his experiments a workout. Or, at the very least, die in engaging ways. Mystique isn’t happy with Shogun’s goal of coming here.
Sinister separates the group into two. Shogun and Nuero are one group and the other is X23, Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike; for sure but I’m not sure where everybody else lands. Fantomelle is above them, on some wires. Her fox reveals that she is only six months old, as she is also a Paradise experiment but one of the good ones.
Shogun, Skel and Neuro land in a new room. Shogun reminds the two of them that they only have a year to live. A gate opens and it looks like a giant creature is about to come out.
In another room – Sabretooth, Mystique, Lady Deathstrike and X23, land. I wish the two teams were more combined, as it is now, it is the Paradise team and the other is the Wolverines. Lady Deathstrike regrets to simply killing the Paradise crew when they first arrived. Sabretooth re-explains that since AXIS, he has a new outlook on life – mainly that he is done killing. Mystique shifts into Mister Sinister, only to quote him, that seems unnecessarily. X23 notices a fifth person.
Paradise Crew. The big creature isn’t just a big creature, it is living legend . . . Fin Fang Foom! I like how quick Sharp asks if Ogun knows what they are facing and Ogun doesn’t know. Neuro is there to give the name. Fin Fang Foom admits that he isn’t the genuine article. Just then, Thor hits Foom.
Wolverines. The person X23 saw was . . . Ben Reilly, in the most beloved Scarlet Spider outfit! Man, I do enjoy that red suit with that silly blue sweater. Ever since Web of Spider-Man 118, which came out in November 1994. Which I can’t believe was 21 years ago!
Mystique sort of recognizes Scarlet Spider. He says that he has friends up ahead, and it turns out that there are even more Scarlet Spider clones. Hopefully one of these guys can escape and get a proper series.
Parky Gripes appears in the room and states how proud Mister Sinister is of his Scarlet Spider experiment. Then he admits that he isn’t Parky, he is Marky – what a twist! Lady Deathstrike kills poor Marky. This upsets the Scarlet Spiders.
Paradise. Shogun takes on the Thor Clone, Clhor! He ends up killing both Thor and Fin Fang Foom.
Neuro hopes that, if Mister Sinister can create all of these different types of clones, that he may be able to cure them. Neuro offers control over the Wolverines in exchange for the cure, which Sinister finds to be interesting.
Mister Sinister isn’t that concern that Fantomelle and her fox are unaccounted for – though he keeps calling the fox, a dog. Fantomelle sees Wolverine, the only problem is that Sinister stands right next to it, the entire time. Sinister has Daken’s blood and hopes to use it to relive Wolverine. Sinister hopes there will be no more interrupts, so of course, Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus appear. I still want the scene where X23 calls the X-Men about Wolverine’s death. How did they know the location of the fortress? Maybe we will find out next issue?
. . .
The Top 12 Comics of 2015!
- Legendary Star Lord 8
- Legendary Star Lord 7
- All New Ultimates 12
- All New X-Men 35
- Uncanny X-Men 30
- Wolverines 5
- X-Force 14
- Weapon X Program 5
- Wolverines 1
- Wolverines 4
- Amazing X-men 16
- Amazing X-Men 15
Shadow and Flame with Magik 