First Story:
Wolverine is out in the Madripoor wilds, hunting deer. Unfortunately, a pack of wild dogs has the same idea. He’d hoped to touch the deer before the dogs knew he was around, which he did, but now the killers plan to make Wolverine their main course. Their mistake! Of course, they’re not going to turn tail, so they need to be convinced… the hard way.
Wolverine fights the dogs for a while before turning tail and running. The pack follows and Logan is forced to leap into a tree to safety. The pack is hungry enough to actually hurt him. He almost doesn’t make the leap, and it’s a good thing that he doesn’t have to go anywhere. He decides to get comfy. It might take a while before his healing factor kicks in. As he waits he hears a noise above and turns. It’s an airplane and it’s a familiar sound. Loud. It’s a DC3, which is the one Archie Corrigan owns. It’s flying almost at treetop level. That’s bad news, thinks Logan. No one risks the low-level air currents unless he’s got a good reason. One that involves avoiding the law.
(meanwhile)
On board the aircraft, Archie and Tyger Tiger are being held prisoner by the Sheikh and his henchmen. The Sheikh is pleased with Tyger. He can see fire in her eyes. His master will be most pleased.
An Englishman, Rhys, informs the Sheikh that it’s lucky that she can’t kill him with those eyes. Two guys - muscle for hire, sit nearby. Scarface reckons Rhys is like little Dumas. Afraid of the woman. Stump replies that he broke her guards’ backs and he tamed her the same way - with his stump. Tyger warns the Sheikh that she may be his prisoner, but she’ll never be anyone’s plaything! She bites his hand hard and he screams in pain. He steps backwards and orders Scarface and Stump to take her and teach her the lesson all women must learn when they challenge the will of his master. Scarface wraps his arms around her and Stump warns Tyger that this will hurt.
Dumas, a small weasly guy, asks if he should tie her to the frame. Rhys spoils his fun but informs him that no human can break Scarface’s hug. He searches his pockets for his camera and informs Archie that he has clients who will pay a fortune for these photos. “Y-You’re sick!” replies Archie, but Rhys tells him he is money hungry, actually. It comes from being disowned.
Tyger, never one to give in lightly, struggles to get free of the muscle man’s grasp, but she manages to swing her legs sideways and pushes against the side of the fuselage. She launches them both to the opposite side, causing the plane to flank and knock Scarface unconscious. The pilot, Barrett, asks the Sheikh to tell the blockheads to stay put, or next time he’ll have to walk outta Madripoor, provided they survive the crash.
Archie realizes that he must stop them. He uses his tied-up legs to kick Rhys in the butt and he drops his camera before falling into Stump. The thug doesn’t appreciate being hit from behind and he lashes out, only he connects with Dumas instead. Dumas is sent flying into the cockpit and onto Barrett, who loses control of the aircraft. The plan plummets the short distance to the ground and crash-lands in the forest, watched by Wolverine.
Logan now has a problem. Archie’s his friend and he’s in trouble, but he has a pack of hungry dogs between them, and he’s still in rough shape. He may have to give his beast side free reign. And that’s the easy part… The hard part is gonna be regaining control before he reaches Archie or he could end up dead, too.
The plane’s occupants leave their stranded craft and walk through the river to the bank. Dumas warns them that they can’t go into the jungle. He can hear something killing a wild dog pack. Barrett pushes him to the bank, telling him that if anything chases him he should yell out his name. Napoleon Caesar Dumas. It’ll die laughing!! The Sheikh’s opium consignment is ruined. Rhys reminds the Sheikh that he promised them a king’s ransom for their help. Is that it being washed away? The Sheikh replies that he’ll be paid. Rhys asks how. He can’t tell him that his ‘master’ can laugh off that lost fortune. The Sheikh replies that the money loss means nothing to him. Rhys demands to know his master’s name, so the Sheikh humors him and opens his shirt, revealing a tattoo on his chest. Both Rhys and Barrett take a step backwards when they realize that his master is Abdul Alhazred!
(meanwhile)
Wolverine lets loose his animalistic side and roars loudly. It alarms the assembled villains and Wolverine takes the opportunity to rush in, grab Archie and scarper into the jungle before they can respond. A scream of anguish frightens them, and the Sheikh likens the sound to that of a soul being torn from its flesh. Barrett think that they’ve gotta save him but Dumas thinks not. Tyger, with her hands tied behind her back, recognized Wolverine but doesn’t think he recognized her. She feels he may have done something awful to Archie. The Sheikh wants Archie found as his master has plans for him, as well as Tyger.
Rhys sees something and rushes into the jungle. He discovers a torn rag with blood on it. The Sheikh realizes that it’s a piece of Corrigan’s shirt. Rhys reckons that it’s too quiet. He bets that ‘wild man of Borneo’ is watching them and planning his next attack. The Sheikh agrees. Tyger, meanwhile, feels that they might be doomed if Archie is dead. Wolverine has become a blood-mad beast!
