Ravage 2099 #15

Issue Date: 
February 1994
Story Title: 
Horns Of A Dilemma
Staff: 

Pat Mills and Tony Skinner (writers), Grant Miehm (penciler), Keith Williams (inker), Gina Going (colors), Phil Felix (letters), Joey Cavalieri (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor in chief)

Brief Description: 

The X-Men are looking for their friend Jordan Boone and have tracked down a disk he compiled with Alchemax data on it, to the office of Paul-Phillip. They demand the disc, but Paul-Phillip changes into Ravage and a brief battle starts until they realize that they are on the same side. They all head to the floating city Valhalla. The X-Men want to search for Boone, while Ravage wants to meet with Doom to destroy the city, as it is causing many ecological problems. Once there, they encounter Heimdall. Ravage slips away in the confusion, but gets attacked by Hela. During the fight with the self-proclaimed Goddess of Death, Ravage realizes that she is his former friend Tiana. Ravage chooses to not fight back, and Hela finally snaps out of it when she can’t bring herself to kill him. Yet she is confused and instead of letting Ravage help her, flies away to be alone. Down in New York, Spider-Man teams up with the Punisher. They too intend to get to Valhalla.

Full Summary: 

The X-Men have crashed into the office of Paul-Phillip and demand that he hands them over a disc he has liberated from Alchemax. He doesn’t like their arrogant attitude and refuses to hand it over. Bloodhawk gets mad and leaps onto Paul-Phillip. He says that Meanstreak’s friend Jordan Boone, who has disappeared, compiled the data on the disc and as they need the disc he tries to grab Paul-Phillip by the throat. Yet the human blocks the attack and then takes off his suit, much to Bloodhawk’s surprise. Paul-Phillip explains that he has ruined too many of his clothes during transformation, and then changes into Ravage. He tells the X-Men that if they really want a fight they can get one.
Bloodhawk finds the offer tempting but refuses, a fight would not help them achieve his real goal: the bringing down of the ecological nightmare Valhalla. Ravage agrees that Valhalla needs to fall and tempers calm down as they realize that they are all on the same side. The X-Men and Ravage tell each other what little they know about Jordan Boone, the disc and Valhalla and decide that to get any answers they need to go to the floating city themselves. The four heroes board a jet. Along the way they discuss how to handle the city. To simply crash it down is out of the question as the impact’s consequences would be devastating. Ravage knows of a better option, they have to replace the city’s long wave generators. Ravage reveals he has an uneasy ally named Doom, and together with him he is sure that the threat can be neutralized. Meanstreak is not happy with having to follow the lead of somebody the X-Men do not know, and he starts another argument with Ravage. Yet this time Bloodhawk is the voice of reason and he and Krystalin make the two hotheads concentrate on the task at hand.
As they approach Valhalla, the craft is recognized by the security staff of Alchemax. Once they are sure that these are not the official Valhalla heroes they attack. While the X-Men battle the guards, Ravage grabs himself one of their hoverbikes. He is not used to fighting among a team, so flies ahead to meet up with Doom. On Valhalla, Ravage is met with more resistance, but he smashes through them and flies into the corridors between the many complexes of the floating city. There, Heimdall discovers him and readies himself to fight his new opponent.
Down below in New York, the Punisher is pointing his gun at Spider-Man. He says that he saw Spider-Man fighting Thor, and also that apparently there is something odd going on on Valhalla. Spider-Man assures him that they are both on the same side: against Alchemax, against Valhalla and the so-called Aesir. The Punisher then takes his new ally to a flycycle, so that they can get up to the floating city. Spider-Man asks if he has a plan, and the Punisher announces his brilliant strategy: “What I always do ... kick butt.“
Up above, Heimdall leaps onto Ravage and threatens the “sullying Beast“ for entering the sacred city. Ravage however points out that it is actually the floating city that causes pollution and other ecological damage. A fight starts. Heimdall destroys Ravage’s hoverbike with his sword. Ravage jumps onto Heimdall and knocks him out with a head to head slam. Both crash down to the floor, and get up slowly. Ravage sees Bloodhawk approaching from behind and tries to keep Heimdall distracted, yet to no avail. Heimdall senses the enemy and hits him in the head with the broadside of his weapon.
Meanstreak and Krystalin arrive on the scene. Krys states that as a kid she believed in the Norse gods and Heimdall, but this certainly is not the legendary god. Heimdall is not surprised by the X-Men’s arrival, in fact he mentions that Loki warned him that they would come looking for him. While the X-Men wonder how the Aesir knew of their quest and what has become of Jordan Boone, Loki is spying on them through a video monitor.
Ravage decides to let the X-Men handle Heimdall and slips away in the confusion of the battle to meet Doom. However he doesn’t get very far, as suddenly his back is pierced with a trident. Ravage turns around to see Hela looming over him, another one of the so-called Aesir. Hela says she knows of Ravage’s remarkable healing powers, yet he won’t be able to regenerate when she cuts him to pieces. To back up her claim she cuts through solid steel. Ravage decides to take the battle to her, as he is bigger, harder and faster. Although he hates hitting a lady, he punches her in the face, and Hela falls.
Apparently the blow shocked her back to her senses, as she no longer behaves like the Goddess of Death. Instead she addresses Ravage by his real name and asks how he could hit her. Ravage realizes that it is his friend Tiana, who has been transformed into Hela. He tends to her, but Hela grabs her trident and this time uses it to slice across his chest. The battle starts again, and Ravage forces himself to not see her as the weak woman he knew but a deadly opponent. Still, he tries to talk some sense into her, but Hela doesn’t want to be called Tiana. She no longer is the secretary that fawned Paul-Phillip’s every word. Ravage brings up the good qualities of her former self, that she was sensitive, intelligent, and kind, but Hela doesn’t want to listen. Ravage goes on, telling her that she is being used, and that the floating city causes environmental damage that will kill millions of people, but she refuses to believe his “lies“. Ravage understands that for Hela it is a personal thing, and she won’t listen to reason. He tells her that to prove his point, he is willing to die, and ceases to fight.
Hela grabs her trident, takes aim and then rams it... into the floor a few inches before Ravage. She is impressed by his willingness to die, just to prove his point. Tiana bursts into tears. She admits that she hasn’t thought it through at all. They hug and Ravage offers to help her, but suddenly she turns away. Tiana says that she does not even trust herself, so why should she trust him. She needs time alone and flies away. Ravage tries to stop her, but it is too late. Ravage finds a woman’s heart much more frightening than Alchemax, the villains and the flying city put together. This reminds him of his mission.

Characters Involved: 

Ravage

Krystalin, Meanstreak (both X-Men 2099)

Bloodhawk, X-Men ally

Spider-Man 2099

Punisher 2099

Heimdall 2099, Hela 2099 / Tiana, Loki 2099 / Jordan Boone, Thor 2099 (all Aesir 2099)
In a flashback :

Ravage

Doom 2099

Story Notes: 

Part 2 of the Fall of the Hammer crossover.

Issue Information: 
Written By: