Doc Samson #4Doc Samson #4
Title: “The Final Analysis”
Story: Dan Slott
Script: Evan Skolnick
Pencils: Roberto Flores, Joe Bennett, and Andrew Wildman
Inker: Brad Vancata
Color: Tom Ziuko
Computer Color: Malibu
Editor: Chris Cooper
Exec: Bobbie Chase
Detective Sharp is holding onto Geiger’s shoulders as she leaps along. Sharp tells Geiger that she is going to throw up. Geiger tells Sharp to hang on just a little longer and that they are on Samson’s trail. Geiger lands and Sharp says that she is just glad that Geiger senses that he is still in New York. Sharp says that she knew that he wouldn’t leave town no matter how bad Patchwork beat him. She says that it looks like Samson went back to the scene of the last murder. The police are wrapping up their investigation of the scene and the officer is about to call in to Detective Sharp when he sees that she is right there. The cop says that he heard she was looking for Samson. He says that Samson was here and that he left something for her. The cop hands Sharp a ripped corner of a magazine. Sharp wonders what that has to do with anything. She says that she is glad that he is back on the case, but wonders what he is up to. Geiger says that she is picking up Samson’s signature again back on the surface.
Sharp and Geiger miss Samson again as Jennifer Walters tells them that Samson was asking her about what Patchwork said to her during their fight and then he took off. Sharp says that they are off to their next destination. Jen says that Samson told her that he would be back for some therapy if that is any help to them.
Sharp and Geiger finally find Samson standing at a newsstand. Sharp says that he is buying “nudie magazines” and asks Samson if this is his new approach. Samson says that they aren’t “nudie magazines”, and that they are not for him. Samson says that he will tell them about it on the way. Sharp asks where they are going, and Samson says that they are headed to the offices of Playpen magazine.
Samson tells Mr. Chamberlain that this won’t take more than a few minutes of his time. Chamberlain says that he will listen, but that he doesn’t know what this would have to do with him. Samson says that it is all about the statistics. He says that the Playpen playmates have all their vital statistics listed. Sharp adds that the last four centerfolds exactly match the composite corpses that Patchwork has been making. Sharp shows Chamberlain the corner of the magazine that they found at the scene. Chamberlain says that he can’t believe that someone would use their magazine as a “serial killer guidebook”. He asks Samson if his girls are in danger. Samson says that he doesn’t think so. He says that Patchwork views them as parts, not people or even bodies. Samson says that each part of his final construction must be perfect. Samson says that he thinks that Patchwork knows that the girls in the magazine have been airbrushed. Samson says that this brings him to why he is here. Samson says that Patchwork will go after one of their models if she already possesses a perfect body and a unique attribute that couldn’t be duplicated by any other woman… like green hair. Samson, Sharp, and Chamberlain all look down at Geiger. Geiger’s eyes open wide and asks, “What? You… you want me to pose?” Samson says that her hair make her unique, but Sharp cuts Samson off and says that it seems green hair isn’t as unique as he thinks. Samson looks out the window and sees Lorna Dane, AKA Polaris, coming towards the building. Sharp asks if Samson is moonlighting on him. Samson says that of course he is, and that Lorna is one of his more persistent patients. Samson excuses himself.
Samson greets Lorna and says that he assumes that she is here to see him. She says that she is sorry to bother him on the case, but that she really needs to talk to him. She asks if he has a minute. Samson says that he will make one since he has been blowing her off so much lately. Samson says that they will borrow the publisher’s office for a bit. Samson asks if it is more trouble with Havok. Polaris says that she is so confused by their relationship. She says that it is only since they broke up that she realized how much of her identity was tied into being a couple. She says that she feel ineffectual, insecure, and incomplete. She says to make matters worse that she feels stupid for feeling that way. She says that she is supposed to be a hero and role model, but that she runs to her psychiatrist at the first sign of trouble. Samson says that Lorna knows that everyone needs help. Samson realizes something and says, “…even… me”. Samson runs from the room and says that they will have to continue this later. Lorna asks what kind of therapy this is.
Samson bursts into the room and says that Patchwork is that suicide jumper he saved the other day. Sharp asks why he says that. Samson says that the kid called him yesterday and said that he told him that everyone needs help sometimes. Samson says that he just realized that he didn’t say that to Kyle, but that he did say it to Patchwork. Lorna says that he just said it to her too, she looks over at Geiger and asks if this is a green hair convention. Sharp says that it is a long story. She radios in that they have a possible ID on the Patchwork killer. She gives the name Kylr Barker. One of the men in the office says that he knows Kyle Barker. He says that he is a college student that studies photography. He says that Kyle does some retouch work for them and that he is probably there right now. Sharp draws her gun and asks where he is.
Downstairs, Kyle Barker is removing a
freckle and a laugh line on one of the models. He thinks how they
have to keep that “perfect girl” myth going for all the
guys out there. Kyle thinks how young the models look and thinks
back to his own youth when his grandmother found him with
“girlie magazines”. She told him that they were filth
and that if she ever caught him touching them again that she
would cut his fingers off along with the rest of him. He starts
panicking and tells himself not to think about it. He tells
himself to just do the job and collect the check. Sharp puts her
gun to Barker’s head and tells him not to move and that he
is under arrest. Barker changes into Patchwork instantly and
turns to Sharp. Sharp says that she warned him and that is all
she needs. Sharp fires a bullet into Patchwork’s head.
Patchwork smacks Sharp and says that it hurt. Polaris tells Sharp
to go limp and that she will catch her in a bubble of magnetic
force. Patchwork says that they caught him and to leave him
alone. Samson tells Patchwork to let him help him. Patchwork
promises that he won’t touch them again and plows through a
wall. Samson realizes that catching him off guard like this has
sent his psychosis into a whole new phase. Geiger stands on the
other side of the wall Patchwork breaks through. 
They look at
each other. Geiger says, “I… know you… everything
about you… everything inside you…” Patchwork
shouts, “Nooo! Don’t wanna knows what’s
inside…” Geiger says that she knows who he is.
Patchwork shouts “no” as he starts to run. Samson says
that he is weakened and confused and that now is their chance,
but Patchwork spins around and swats Samson and Polaris.
Patchwork smashes the building’s support and takes off while
Geiger and Samson hold it up. Sharp radios in to put an APB out
on Patchwork and that his real name is Kyle Barker. Samson thanks
Geiger for her help, but says that since they know who Patchwork
is now that the police can handle it. He says that she should be
getting back to her studies. Geiger says that Samson sounds like
her mother, except that her mother never asked her to pose for a
girlie magazine. Samson apologizes, but says that desperate times
called for desperate measure. Geiger says that
“desperate” is right. She says that she will see him in
therapy. Samson tells Dee Dee that he looks forward to it. Geiger
says that her friends call her Delilah. Samson mutters that he
doesn’t believe it. Sharp asks Samson if he is staying on
the case. Samson says that of course he is. He says that their
next move is to spread Patchwork’s identity out to the
media. Sharp says that Samson must be kidding. Samson explains
that Patchwork is ashamed of what he did, and that he
doesn’t want to get caught. He says that plastering his face
all over the place should draw him out. Sharp asks Samson if he
really wants to stoop so low as to use Pinkerton. Samson smirks
and says that he is already using Pinkerton.
Pinkerton stands over the hospital of Jennifer Walters. Pinkerton says that he got a hot tip that she was the first victim of Patchwork to survive. Jen tells him to get out of there or she is going to call the nurse and sick security on him. Pinkerton grabs the nurse call button and says that he is only asking for an exclusive. He says that he is only asking for a few hundred questions. Jen says that Pinkerton is making her made. She tells him that he wouldn’t like her when she is mad. Jen’s hand starts to turn green. Pinkerton comes slamming through the hospital door. Samson and Polaris are there as Pinkerton comes hurtling out. They find She-Hulk standing in the doorway. She-Hulk says that she supposes that this was Samson’s idea. Samson said that he thought a little “aggression therapy” might get her back on her feet. Polaris helps Pinkerton to his feet and says that the funny part is that Pinkerton has been scooped. She says that they released Patchwork’s real identity and asks him how it feels to be scooped. Pinkerton says that it doesn’t feel good.
At the Felder institute, Samson asks if Kyle went missing last night. The doctors say that they searched the grounds and filed a missing persons report, but that they haven’t had any luck finding him yet. One doctor says that they had him in a low security area because they didn’t know that he posed a threat to anyone but himself. Samson says that he doesn’t know how they would have known. Polaris says that Kyle’s pin-up shots might have been a good place to start. She is holding the picture and spots a green glow on the picture. She-Hulk says that she recognizes it as gamma radiation captured on film. Samson says that he thinks that She-Hulk is right, and that there is only one thing that could have created the pattern… a gamma ray accelerator like the one at Empire State University.
At Empire State University, one of the students is asking Geiger what it was like to hang with Doc Samson. She says that it didn’t suck, and that it beat studying. The student asks if she got to fight Patchwork. Geiger says that Patchwork did punch her. The student asks if Geiger knew that he was also an Empire State University student. Geiger asks her what she just said. The student tells Geiger that it is all over the news that Patchwork is a kid named Kyle Barker. She says that he was from the photo department. Another student reminds Dee Dee that Kyle was the kid who was the “bald-headed spaz who was always borrowing our particle accelerator to take pictures of collisions”. Geiger says that she knew that she had seen his face before. Geiger tells them to go call Detective Sharp at the 15th precinct while she goes to check something out.
Geiger walks down to the particle accelerator. She asks Ed, who was there, if she could see whatever gamma materials he has handy. Ed says that they have some for tomorrow’s experiment on gamma micro-bursts. He looks for them and discovers that they are all missing.
Geiger is walking around the accelerator when a green hand reaches out and grabs her wrist. Fortunately for Geiger it is She-Hulk’s hand that grabbed her. Geiger starts telling them that she thinks that Patchwork got his powers in the same accident that she did. Sharp says that they are one step ahead of her. She-Hulk says that Samson and Polaris are on the other side. She says that she can’t believe how big this thing is. Geiger does tell them that the materials used to cause gamma bursts are missing. Sharp asks Samson if he heard what Geiger said. Samson says that he doesn’t know what Patchwork is up to, but that it can’t be good. Samson says that they will continue the search and asks Sharp to clear out all students and faculty from the area.
Samson and Polaris find Patchwork using some
controls. Samson tells Patchwork to get back and asks him what he
is doing. Patchwork says that he is ending this the only way that
he knows how. He says that he is going to give himself a lethal
dose of the radiation that turned him into a monster. He says
that is the way that he wants it and tells Samson to get lost or
he will kill him too. Samson hits Patchwork and says that he is
not giving up on him, and that he is not letting him give up on
himself. Patchwork says that it is too late for him. The gamma
accelerator starts. Polaris manages to protect herself and Samson
in a magnetic bubble, 
but Patchwork is
caught in the blast. Polaris tells Samson that if he goes to help
him that she won’t be able to protect him. Samson says that
he doesn’t care. Samson says that they both know that there
are thousands of superhumans out there with more appearing every
day. Samson says that he is sick of pretending and denying who
and what he really is. He says that heroes don’t stand by
while others die right in front of them… even if that
someone is a killer.” Samson manages to walk forward and
pull a lever down. He drags Patchwork to safety.
The next day, reporters hover around the 15th precinct waiting to talk with Doc Samson. Inside, Samson is opening his Chanukah present. He says that it is time to see if Bruce remembers his size. A short time later, a reporter asks if it is true that Samson is going to be testifying for the defense. Samson says that he is. The reporter says that Samson helped arrest him and asks why he would help in the insanity defense. Samson says that Kyle Barker isn’t a serial killer. He says that the gamma rays that he was exposed to caused him to live out his hidden fears and desires. The reporter asks if Samson is claiming that Patchwork is the victim. Samson says that in comparison to those slain he is not, but that he didn’t ask for this to happen to him. Samson says, “Before you condemn him, think about this… if your own inner demons were given true form… would you fare any better?”
Samson walks inside and She-Hulk tells him that what he just did took guts. She says that it was definitely the “superhero” thing to do. Samson says that he isn’t going to stop being a psychiatrist either. Polaris says that is good because he owes her a twenty-hour session. Samson says that he is probably going to owe her that for a while since he is going to be busy with the trial. Polaris says that it sounds like he is blowing her off again. Samson says that what he is telling her is that she is stronger than she believes. Samson says that as for Delilah, he gives her a lock of his hair. Geiger asks if that won’t screw with his strength. Samson says that it won’t, but that is will help keep her steady if she picks up on any bad gamma signals. Geiger says that she will try not to abuse it. Sharp shakes Samson’s hand and says that she isn’t thrilled to hear that he is going to try and keep Patchwork off the electric chair, but that he has turned out to be a heck of a superhero and psychiatrist. Samson says that he is glad to hear she feels that way and that he will see her in court. Geiger asks Sharp what Samson slipped to her when they shook hands. Sharp laughs and says that it is his bill.
Leader’s Lair rating: 7 out of 10
Still a very good story, but the ending is a little odd. It seems to drag out quite a bit to the finish. The art is a little rougher than last issue, but it’s still decent. I was surprised to see Joe Bennett in this issue and didn’t remember that he did it. This must have been some of his early work as it is nowhere near as polished and beautiful as his current work. Now again I have to say, I WANT MORE GEIGER AND PATCHWORK! These characters have a lot of depth and should be seen more.