Warning: Contains spoilers forHellverine #3!
An old love interest ofWolverinewas tragically murdered many years ago, but the character is finally making a grand return to Marvel Comics, and it’s unfortunately under more horrific circumstances than anyone could even imagine. One of Logan’s sons has become theX-Menfranchise’s own mutant Ghost Rider, and his next threat is a truly terrifying creature that also serves as a brutal reminder of his tortured past.
Hellverine#3 – written by Benjamin Percy, with art by Raffaele Ienco – finds Akihiro continue trying to get to the bottom of his demonic possession and how Mephisto fits into it all. Going back to the village where his mother was killed,Hellverine discovers that she’s been reawakened and transformed into an ungodly monster.
In Hellverine’s new ongoing series, Akihiro has been revisiting his history in order to figure out what the demons Bagra-Ghul and Mephisto want with him. However, nobody expected his past to come back to bite like this, with his mother being resurrected as a gigantic cryptid-like beast.
Hellverine#3 – Written By Benjamin Percy; Art By Raffaele Ienco; Colors By Bryan Valenza; Lettering By VC’s Travis Lanham
The tale of Itsu’s murder was always heartbreaking, but her becoming one ofthe most fearsome monsters in the Marvel Universehas made her story even more haunting. The big reveal of her monstrous form comes on the final page of the issue, but the story the villagers tell beforehand is still creepy long before it’s clear what Itsu’s become. After being reawakened by a mysterious figure under a red-hooded cloak,Itsu’s demonic resurrection has made children go missing across the village, like a scary story from folklore come to life to terrorize the people of Jasmine Falls, Japan.
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With her grotesque reveal at the end ofHellverine#3,this series has given Itsu the worst Marvel comeback of all time. Not because the creature reveal isn’t exciting and cool in some ways, but because it’s just so brutal and, ultimately, depressing. Akihiro calls her transformation “a defiled version of what I had always wanted”, and reveals his Hellverine persona has taken over for the nightmare-fuel fight.Mephisto has been orchestrating something big for Hellverine, and remaking his deceased mother as a seemingly mindless evil being is already one of the most despicable things a villain has ever done.
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Itsu’s Harrowing Marvel History, Explained
Itsu’s history in Marvel Comics has always been defined by tragedy, and though she is known asone of Wolverine’s best love interests, she was actually killed in her very first appearance inWolverine #40by Daniel Way, Javier Saltares, and Mark Texeira. While Wolverine recollected memories, he remembered his time in Jasmine Falls with his wife. Itsu was murdered by the brainwashed Winter Soldier while pregnant with Akihiro, devastatingly setting the stage for his own complicated future. Now it’s been revealed that the tragedy has left a hellish stain on the place of her death and her son’s birth.
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TheHellverine transformation has helped Akihiro receive redemptionand atone for his past indiscretions as a Marvel villain, which were a product of the anger he felt after discovering his own harrowing origin. However,Akihiro’s literal demons are now facilitating the desecration of his mother’s memory, once again making Itsu’s story revolve around her powerful husband and son, unfortunately denying her agency in newly horrifying ways. Jasmine Falls has been a place for peace, where those with violent pasts would go to redeem themselves, and Itsu’s demonic transformation from Mephisto seeks to destroy her home and tarnish her legacy.
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Itsu’s Comeback is Emotional & Spine-Chilling
As Akihiro prepares to fight his own mother and the demonically-possessed children of Jasmine Falls, the next issue ofHellverinecould contain one of the most devastating battles in Marvel Comics history, weaving immense tragedy in with its thrills and chills.Dead characters are always coming backin the comics, but Itsu’s return is equally nightmarish and heartbreaking, with the only hope seemingly being that her super-powered son can finally manage to help her rest in peace. If even that isn’t an option, it would be a nice consolation if Itsu could somehow take control of her powerful new form.
[Itsu’s] transformation in the X-Menline’s new supernatural series officially solidifies the character as one of Marvel Comics’ most tragic figures.
With Akihiro’s new role as Hellverine, Itsu’s story is being remembered now more than ever, and it will be touched upon once again in an upcoming story by Daniel Warren Johnson in the milestoneWolverine #400. For now, readers will have to wait and see what comes of her horror-style return inHellverineas Mephisto’s plan for the mother and son reaches a boiling point. Itsu is already half of one ofWolverine’smost heart-wrenching love stories, and her transformation in theX-Menline’s new supernatural series officially solidifies the character as one of Marvel Comics’ most tragic figures.
