Wolverine #170Wolverine #170
Title: “Stay Alive! Part 1 of 3”
Writer: Frank Tieri
Penciller: Sean Chen
Inker: Norm Rapmund
Colors: Avalon’s Raymund Lee
Editor: Mike Marts
On television an entertainment reporter is talking about how the reality game show “Stay Alive”, which is set in the Canadian Arctic, might not stay alive much longer itself as the ratings have been dropping. The show goes on, but it can’t be heard in the office of Tyler Stone as he is yelling at Bartlet. Chen Lu stands by Stone’s desk with his arms folded as he yells. Stone asks Bartlet if he hears what she is saying. He says that the thing that kills him is that she is right. Bartlet says that with all due respect the idea that these reality programs would have some drop-off wasn’t completely unexpected. Stone says that maybe he should have thought of that before he plopped the show into the “freaking arctic”. Stone says that people want to see bimbos in bikinis not people freezing their butts off. Stone says not to mention the fact that “you imbeciles convinced me to air the show live via remote controlled cameras”. He asks him who convinced him of that so he can have that person killed. Bartlet says that it was Milo Stevens, but that Stone already has had him killed. Stone remembers and says that just leaves Bartlet. Stone says that Bartlet is going to make sure that nothing else goes wrong with the show. Bartlet says that actually they just got word that one of the contestants was just airlifted to the nearest hospital after being bitten by a seal.
In Canada, they are unloading the patient from the helicopter at the hospital. The patient is mumbling to himself about how he managed to get bit by a seal. One of the doctors unloading him grabs hold of the arm of one of the men in the helicopter. The man asks him what he is doing, but the doctor says that he is only “doing away with masks that are no longer relevant, mon ami…” The doctor seems to drain the life out of the man whose arm he is holding. The patient asks if this is still part of the show. The doctor is being transformed physically into the man whose life he just drained. The three doctors are then revealed to be Mauvis, Bloodscream, and Vermin. The helicopter pilot tries to get away, but Mauvis does some sort of mental trick that causes the helicopter to crash. Mauvis turns to Bloodscream and Vermin and says that he is taking his leave of them now, but that he assumes that the amassing of human flesh for his consumption will continue while he is gone. Bloodscream asks Mauvis what he wants to do with the “patient”. Mauvis says that he has just eaten, and that they can do what they want with him. As Mauvis disappears, Vermin and Bloodscream rip the former “Stay Alive” contestant to shreds.
Elsewhere in Canada, Wolverine walks into a diner. He thinks to himself that this has been a rough couple of weeks. He says that he failed to capture the guy pulling Bloodscream and Vermin’s strings in the “homeless murder” caper, and then he finds himself back north fighting an alien. Wolverine calls out to the man behind the counter and asks what he has to do to get some service. The man apologizes and says that his wife got him hooked watching this “Stay Alive” show. He says that he will be with him in a minute. On the set they are voting on of the players off. Wolverine looks up and spots something that seems a little off. The host tells the latest outcast that she has been eliminated. As he does so the man’s eye resembles that of Mauvis. Wolverine watches wondering if he is just seeing things. The woman starts making excuses, but the host cuts her off. He says that she has such a big mouth, but that perhaps this will shut it. The host takes a big bite out of the woman’s shoulder. She screams and shouts for somebody to help her. The host turns into Mauvis and says that no one can help her. He turns to the other contestants and says that no one can help any of them. Mauvis douses the flames of all the remaining torches. Wolverine asks the stunned counter man if he knows where the show is filmed. The man says that it is filmed up north in the arctic. Wolverine says that he needs his order to go, and asks if the man knows where he can charter a plane.
At the Pyramid Club in Brooklyn, Nikolai Vernoff is cavorting with two beautiful women. A man in an overcoat walks up to his table and asks for a moment of his time. Nikolai says that he is busy as he kisses on one of the woman’s neck. The man says that he can also see that he is getting fat off the drug money that he got selling drugs in the territory of the General. Nikolai continues kissing the now worried looking woman and says that the General is rotting away in some jail cell, and that there is nothing that he can do about it. A coil wraps around Nikolai’s neck. Nikolai looks up to see Omega Red standing above him. Nikolai tries to talk his way out of it, but Omega Red snaps his neck with his coil. Nikolai’s men try to sneak up on Omega Red, but they drop over dead from his death spores. A man in the club says that no one is going to mess with the General’s territory now that Omega Red is around. The feral face of a man with long claws looks over his shoulder at Omega Red.
Flying above the arctic, Wolverine’s pilot tells him that there is no way that he is going to be able to land in this storm. He says that he will have to turn around. Wolverine tells him to just fly over a clear patch of land, and that he will take care of the rest. The pilot says that he is crazy, but Wolverine leaps from the plane with a snowmobile under him. Wolverine tries to open his parachute, but it is immediately tangled up and Wolverine is forced to cut it. He hits the ground and starts driving his snowmobile. Wolverine thinks to himself that he is coming for Mauvis. Wolverine says that the last time they fought Mauvis took one of his eyes, and that this time he plans on taking more than that off of him.
Back in Tyler Stone’s office, Bartlet comes rushing in to see if Stone has seen the horror show that “Stay Alive” has become. Stone says that he has seen it, and that it is wonderful. As Stone talks, Mauvis is dragging the stump of someone’s leg in the snow. Bartlet says that people are being slaughtered. Stone asks who cares, and says that finally something is happening on this show that will force people to watch. He asks Bartlet how he thinks that is a bad thing. Bartlet says that Stone is insane, and that he is going to go cut the transmission. Bartlet turns and walks right into Chen Lu’s chest. Stone says that he thinks that Bartlet is right, and that maybe they should part ways. Stone tells Chen that he knows what to do. Chen says that he understands as he holds Bartlet in the air by his neck. Stone calls the control room, and says that from now on he will be overseeing the show personally.
Back in the arctic, Mauvis continues dragging the stump of someone’s leg in the snow. As draws a giant symbol in the snow he talks, “Oh, ‘oh I’ve longed for this moment… to finally pluck your ever-present thorn from my side! No longer will you interfere in the affairs of mortal men as you did when we first clashed during the so-called French and Indian War, or with the role you played in my eventual downfall in the midst of the French Revolution.” Mauvis says that they never thought that he would return to attack them where they are at their strongest. Mauvis creates a tornado around himself. Suddenly he senses a presence approaching though it is not the presence that he seeks. Mauvis asks the gods if this is their doing, and that it seems they have recruited a champion for themselves. Mauvis picks up a skull and floats it into the air. He says that he is curious to see who they deployed. The skull looks down at Wolverine. Mauvis says that it is an interesting choice, but one that can be dealt with.
As Wolverine approaches he sees a flare of power shoot up into the sky towards him. It occurs to Wolverine that he hasn’t used his enhanced senses at all in arriving at his destination. He says that it is almost as if something else was leading him there. The power lands in front of him. Wolverine thinks to himself that Mauvis’ aim must be off, but then he is swatted off his snowmobile. Wolverine looks up to see three polar bears attacking him. Though he hates to do it, Wolverine is forced to kill the three polar bears. He runs back to his snowmobile and says that if it makes them feel any better that they are about to be avenged.
Mauvis stands in
his power tornado and asks what is taking him so long. He says
that surely cannibalism of this scale should draw him. Suddenly
Wolverine’s snowmobile bounces off Mauvis’ back. Mauvis
looks through the tornado to see Wolverine’s silhouette
coming towards him. Mauvis says that Wolverine has more lives
than a cat, but that where the bears failed, as did Vermin and
Bloodscream in New York, he will not. Wolverine says that Mauvis
being responsible for Vermin and Bloodscream is just one more
reason for him to kill him. Mauvis says that t is hard to kill
what he can’t touch. Wolverine is shocked by the tornado as
he tries to reach Mauvis. Mauvis says that he is glad to see
Wolverine is there because he wants him to witness the correction
of a grave injustice as he returns “Canada back into the
hands of the French… this Frenchman in particular.”
Wolverine says that Mauvis must realize that there are forces
more powerful than both of them that protect this land. Mauvis
says that he needs no lectures about the gods from him. Mauvis
says that is what this is all about. He asks Wolverine who he
thinks lead him there. He says that they must have sensed his
plans to use their own creation against them, a creature
attracted to cannibalism, “a creature whose power will be
added to my own once I’ve devoured its living heart”.
Mauvis says that will enable him to lock the gods out forever.
Wolverine says that he sees that Mauvis is lowering his column,
and asks if that means he is ready to fight him. Mauvis says that
he didn’t lower it for Wolverine. Wolverine looks behind him
and sees Wendigo shouting his name behind him.
Mutant Scum rating: 6.5 out of 10
Sean Chen’s pencils are incredible. Man I miss him on Iron Man. I don’t know why if the mutant books are so stinking successful they need to take all the best artists off the regular Marvel Universe books. The pencils get a 4.5 out of 5. As far as the writing goes, I enjoy the inclusion of Wendigo in the book (this is standard Frank Tieri form, he includes great villains), but I don’t care much for Mauvis. I find his French accent as annoying as I do when Gambit is the one babbling it.