Wolverine/Gambit: Victims #1-4 (1995-1996): 1st Mastermind 2

The ’90s team supreme: Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. Together, the duo put their stamp on classic origin stories, retcons, and, of course, Batman–making some of the greatest comics of the decade. Batman: The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. Marvel’s “color” series (Daredevil: Yellow, Hulk: Gray, Spider-Man: Blue, and Captain America: White). Superman For All Seasons. Victims was one of their earliest projects.

The story has the two heroes going to London to investigate killings by a new, modern-day Jack The Ripper. One of the victims is an old friend of Gambit, which is what draws the heroes there.

Actually, it’s what draws Gambit there. Wolverine just shows up, blood on his claws, with no memory of how he got there.

And so the stage is set. Of course Wolverine isn’t the killer, and neither is Gambit (although both are set up for it).

The real menace is Arcade. But not just Arcade.

Mastermind’s daughter!

She spends much of the series mind-bombing the title characters.

But in the end, Arcade double-crosses her and she literally drives him insane.

He ends the series arrested and institutionalized.

No, this book isn’t as good as this pair’s later work–but those are some of the best the comic book medium has to offer. It’s still much better than anything with Gambit on the title deserves to be.

Leave a Comment