Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 116

Cover Artist: Sean McManus
Published: October 1992
Original Price: $1.50

Title: "Legion of Vengeance, Part 4: Our Name is Legion..."
Writer: Joey Cavalieri
Artist: Shawn McManus
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Colorist: Fred Mendez
Editor: Terry Kavanagh
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS
Nearly dead from disease, Iron Fist is on the ground in the cavern.  While Ghost Rider is held at bay, Bacillus attempts to touch Iron Fist one last time to finally kill him, but Iron Fist is able to grab the villain and hold him.  Threatening to snap him in half if he doesn't reverse his sickness, Iron Fist is restored to full health by Bacillus' touch.  Ghost Rider uses his hellfire and Penance Stare to uncover the origins of the four members of the Legion of Vengeance, and how in each case a malevolent entity was working behind the scenes.  When Ghost Rider demands the entity show its face, the demon D'kay appears.

ANNOTATIONS 
This issue of MCP also contained stories featuring Wolverine/Typhoid Mary, Giant-Man, and Two-Gun Kid.

This story was reprinted in the Iron Fist: The Book of Changes trade paperback.

REVIEW
"Legion of Vengeance" picks up a little bit, strangely enough by slowing its pace down to a crawl.

While I can't say the four villains of this story have been very compelling to this point, the writer certainly seems to have a lot invested in them.  I have to give Joey Cavalieri credit for at least attempting to give the villains interesting back stories and personalities, even if they still remain a bit too bland and broad.  Mind's Eye and Vesper are given semi-legitimate reasons for becoming murderous vigilantes, what with the "seeing corruption" and religious righteousness angles, but Strontium 90 and Bacillus are just generic scientists that weren't given that extra motivation.  Still, at least we have something more to hang on the characters than we did before, and even this depth of characterization is more than I've come to expect from a Marvel Comics Presents serial.

The artwork takes a major upswing with this chapter as well, with McManus doubling down on the gruesome nature of the villains' powers and providing some macabre atmosphere to their origin flashbacks.  Iron Fist at the beginning of the chapter looks absolutely grotesque, like his flesh is rotting off from the diseases that are killing him, and I'm surprised the editor let him take it that far.  Ghost Rider gets some good moments (though he's inexplicably throwing hellfire again, something that usually happens when the writer isn't familiar with the 90s version of the character) and he gets a great Penance Stare in about halfway through.  The demon that shows up at the end, D'Kay, doesn't have the most appealing visual design, but the decent looks of the other villains kind of make of for that.

All in all, this still isn't a very good serial, but at least this chapter held my attention.  That's more than the first three chapters did!

Grade: C+

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