Wolverine (2nd series) #171

Issue Date: 
February 2002
Story Title: 
Stay Alive - part 2
Staff: 

Frank Tieri (writer), Sean Chen (penciler & cover artist), Norm Rapmund (inker), Avalon’s Raymund Lee (colorist), Mike Raicht (assistant editor), Mike Marts (editor), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Bill Jemas (president)

Brief Description: 

In the Arctic, Logan and the Wendigo face off against Mauvais. Each time Logan gains the upper hand on Mauvais, the Wendigo intervenes and attacks Logan. Eventually, Mauvais is able to get the Wendigo alone and proceeds to kill him. After eating its heart, Mauvais turns into a Wendigo hybrid. Extremely powerful, Mauvais beats Logan into unconsciousness and goes to bite him in the neck. Before he can, however, members of Alpha Flight show up and save Logan from death. Elsewhere, Sabretooth spies on Lady Deathstrike in Japan.

Full Summary: 

In the Arctic, Mauvais, Wendigo and Logan all prepare to do battle.

As Wendigo and Logan rush towards Mauvais, Mauvais unleashes a blast towards Logan that knocks him away. However, this opens him up for an attack from the Wendigo, who grabs him by the neck. Unleashing some magical claws, Mauvais slashes Wendigo across the face. When he does, Logan rejoins the fray and slashes Mauvais across the chest. Unfortunately for him, the Wendigo smacks Logan away and begins to go after him.

Before he can attack, however, Mauvais bites him on the back of the neck. Logan is then able to recover and leaps at Mauvais, pinning him to the ground. Again, Logan prepares to deliver another claw slash against Mauvais. This time, the Wendigo picks up a tree and narrowly misses crushing Logan beneath its massive weight but succeeds in crushing Mauvais underneath. When the Wendigo leaps at Logan this time, vines emit from the tree itself and proceeds to tie up both Logan and the Wendigo. Using his claws, Logan frees them both and they prepare to attack Mauvais again who emerges from the middle of the tree. This time he is glowing, crackling with mystic energy.

In Japan, a geisha is dressed in full regalia, praying at the statue of Buddha. Just then, a number of agents enter the temple armed with guns and swords. Using her long claw fingers, the geisha, Lady Deathstrike lashes out and kills them all. Once she has slaughtered them all, Deathstrike changes into her fighting costume as she leaves the temple. As she does, Sabretooth watches her from afar via binoculars.

Back in the Arctic, Logan delivers a kick to Mauvais face as Mauvais blasts the Wendigo in the face with an energy blast. Mauvais is able to hold them off for a little while but the combined efforts of Logan and the Wendigo break through his energy shield and knock him to the ground. Again, Logan goes to finish off Mauvais, but is stopped by the Wendigo who punches him across the snow.

Using this to his advantage, Mauvais recovers, blasts the Wendigo in the face and uses his magic to cause the section of snow that Logan was lying on to grow into an extremely tall column. Once he determines that it is tall enough, Mauvais uses his power to cause it to collapse, burying Logan underneath.

Just then, the Wendigo punches Mauvais with all of his force and knocks him to the ground. When the Wendigo charges him again, Mauvais uses his power to create an energy sword and jams it into the oncoming beast’s chest. Slashing it again, Mauvais leaps onto the beast, reaches into its chest cavity and pulls out its heart.

While Logan watches in horror, Mauvais takes a bite out of the Wendigo’s heart. Once he does so, Mauvais transforms into an energy-filled monstrous Wendigo hybrid. Logan does what he can to attempt to take the powerful creature down but it is to no avail. Mauvais is way too powerful for him and proceeds to beat him senseless.

As he picks up the almost unconscious Logan out, Mauvais goes to bite Logan’s neck. Before he can do so, however, an energy blast hits him in the back. Turning around, Mauvais finds Guardian standing there with his fist still smoking. Flanked around him are the rest of Alpha Flight – Aurora, Snowbird, Shaman, Sasquatch and Puck.

Characters Involved: 

Wolverine

Mauvais

Wendigo

Lady Deathstrike

Various unnamed agents who attempt to attack Lady Deathstrike (all unnamed)

Sabretooth

Aurora, Guardian, Puck, Sasquatch, Shaman, and Snowbird (all Alpha Flight)

Story Notes: 

This issue is part of Marvel’s ‘Nuff Said silent month. There is no dialogue, caption boxes or wording of any kind in this issue.

Other issues that followed the same format were:

Incredible Hulk (2nd series) #35

New X-Men (1st series) #121

Peter Parker: Spider-Man #38

Amazing Spider-Man (2nd series) #39

Punisher (6th series) #7

Thor (2nd series) #44

X-Force (1st series) #123

Issue Information: 
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