Ultimate Wolverine #14 – Looking for Limbo

Sentinel One, Logan and Jean search for Magik in issue #14 by Chris Condon, Alessandro Cappuccio, Bryan Valenza & Cory Petit from Marvel Comics

PREVIOUSLY

After a long hard-fought battle, Moscow has fallen. The former rulers of Eurasia, Colossus and Omega Red, are no longer in the picture. Previously, Omega Red made the mistake of crossing Wolverine. That proved to be fatal for him. On the other hand, Colossus met his maker thanks to Jean Grey, the Phoenix. Who sent him to the afterlife in a fiery blaze of burning pain. Lastly, Ilyana Rasputin, also known as Magik, did not stay to try her luck. When she saw the Phoenix rise and burn her brother alive, she fled to Limbo.

CHAOS IN EURASIA

After a long hard-fought battle, Moscow has fallen. The Rasputins are dead or on the run. Although it goes unsaid, the war took a high toll. Only 3 members remain from The Opposition. While the regime change was long overdue, this is only the beginning. The citizens of the Eurasian Republic have flooded the streets. Cheers from the crowds of suppressed people storming into city halls and other landmarks that stood tall by the might of their fallen rulers. An entire empire ruled by force, fear and an iron fist crumbles.

REMNANTS OF THE REGIME

Underneath all the chaos, in the sewers of Moscow, Logan and Sentinel One found refuge. Jean Grey is in rough shape after years of torture, imprisonment and forced labor. They dodge their best to nurse her back to health with whatever first aid supplies they managed to get. However, with the fall of the government, it was every man for himself. In the chaos an old acquaintance of Logan also escaped. Ursa, another victim of the Directorate X program found her way through the sewers. Until she ran into Wolverine. Unfortunately Logan had to put her down. 

*SPOILERS FOR ISSUE #14*

FROM SOLICITATION

“AN ULTIMATE ENDGAME TIE-IN! The search for the missing mutants takes a terrifying turn when Wolverine and Jean Grey discover that the captives may be trapped in Magik’s Limbo realm! Their mission to find Illyana leads them straight into a brutal battle with the Eurasian Republic’s forces, including the devastating, all-new Ultimate Lady Deathstrike!” – From Marvel Comics

HIDING IN LIMBO

Issue number 14 has a brief exposition on limbo, the pocket dimension where magic is hiding. It is not clear who rules this dimension. However, Magic wants you to believe that it is her that is the one in charge. Ilyana recalls her early memories of limbo and how she came to know about the demon Darkchild. Unfortunately, the narrative in this issue relies heavily on the reader being somewhat familiar with X-Men lore. It happened in the previous issue with Ursa and it happens again here twice with this world’s version of Lady Deathstrike. 

FREE THE EURASIA REPUBLIC

Previously at the very end of issue 13, Logan discovered that there are a lot of people missing. Apparently, the Rasputins never stopped feeding their citizens to the horrible experiments conducted in the Directorate X program. Since Ilyana is the sole survivor of the regime, it’s of the utmost importance that Wolverine finds her. Not just to kill her and end the Rasputin era once and for all. But also, so they get answers as to where all the missing people are.

HOW ABOUT THE ART?

Alexandro Capuccio and Brian Valencia continue their incredible depiction of the now fallen Eurasian Republic. This is the one series where the characters get to cut loose and take out all their frustrations, rage, and anger on their enemies. By far, the ultimate series with the most gore blood and guts that’s allowed in a Marvel comic book.

OVERALL GRADE: 8/10

FINAL THOUGHTS

Chris Condon was given an entire region of the world to play with. Along with a set of characters to go with an established narrative. This is still the story of a totalitarian regime and a dictatorship that oppressed, suppressed, and abused its people. But ultimately met its doom by the hand of its own citizens. The last Survivors of the opposition are regarded as Liberators. I commend Chris Condon for writing a tragedy. It goes to show how malleable and flexible characters can be when you allow writers to explore different ideas.

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