Wolverine Vol 2 3

Wolverine Vol 2 3

"The Black Blade"

• Release Date: September 13, 1988
• Cover Date: January, 1989

Continued from the previous issue.

Patch (Logan) is under the control of the The Black Blade(also known as the Muramasa Blade), and the blade finds him an ideal host for it's power. It announces to the Silver Samurai and Lindsay McCabe that it intends to sacrifice Lindsay's friend the detective Jessica Drew in order to make the bond between it and Patch permanent. Before the two can act, Patch disappears into the flames of the burning building with Jessica in his arms. Thinking that her friend is burning alive in the building Lindsay impulsively rushes into the building only to have to be saved by the Silver Samurai. Realizing that jumping into the burning building was only a means to cover his tracks, Lindsay and the Samurai decide to check out a lead to try and track them down.

They travel to the Princess Bar where O'Donnell has just recently returned following his rescue from Roch[1] just as he is being interrogated by Captain Tai the chief of police in Madripoor about the battle that just happened. After Tai leaves, McCabe and the Samurai ask to see the members of the Cult of the Black Blade that O'Donnell has tied up in the basement. There, Lindsay uses her acting skills to pretend that she is torturing one of the followers of the cult to make the others talk. With the other followers scared out of their wits they are left to tell O'Donnell Patch's location. Outside Lindsay explains to the Samurai that she faked the whole beating using stage props and her own natural acting ability. That night as they are preparing to go and rescue Jessica, Lindsay watches the Samurai in one of his work outs. He explains to her his mutant nature and the origins of the Muramasa Blade and how it links to the soul of its wielder augmenting their abilities.

Later that evening they travel to a temple where the Cult of the Black Blade are stationed, there the Samurai and O'Donnell arm Lindsay with a sniper rifle and send her to take out Patch before he can use the Muramasa blade to kill Jessica (who is entranced by it) and permanently bond him with the sword. Although she has her reservations about killing Patch, she fires to save her friend. The shot strikes Patch but doesn't kill him and the distraction allows the Silver Samurai to attack, cutting his way through the followers of the cult as he goes along. Lindsay rushes down and tries to get Jessica to run but Logan revives before they can get away and is about to strike down Lindsay with the sword when the Samurai steps in.

Patch gets the upper hand against the Silver Samurai and is about to kill him when Lindsay attempts to shoot him again with the sniper rifle, she fails when he tosses a sword at her and she has to dive out of the way. The distraction allows Logan to regain some control over himself and with extreme effort manages to fight off the blades influence and toss it away. With Logan free the threat of the blade is over, however the Silver Samurai -- having come to claim the sword for himself -- grabs it, and much to everyone's surprise is not transformed by it like Jessica or Patch before him. Realizing that he and the sword are suited for each other the Silver Samurai departs leaving Patch to take Jessica and Lindsay back into Madripoor to celebrate their victory until dawn.

Appearances

• Cult of the Black Blade
• Silver Samurai
• Tsuboro