Last issue Warpath learned from the Demon Bard that a man named Eli Bard was responsible for doing all kinds of nasty things to the souls of Warpath’s tribe. Like us readers, when Warpath tells this to his team they ask, “Who the Hell is Eli Bard?” That’s the hilarious title to this issue where we learn who, in fact, the Hell is Eli Bard.
Bard is immortal–he knew Selene back in ancient Rome, where he conspired to murder most of Rome to her. As a consequence, Roman authorities burned him (and Selene) at the stake. Selene’s powers enabled her to survive and to save Eli, whom she “cursed” with eternal life. I guess the curse is that he’d live forever but Selene would never love him.
Since then, for centuries, he’s been obsessed with her.
So basically he is an immortal stalker who keeps doing bad things to impress a chick who will never love him back.
No, Domino. It is definitely not romantic.
The issue ends with Eli bodyguarded by zombie Apaches who are infected with the TO virus. He goes to Selene and offers her a gift: A TO-resurrected CAliban, who can help her track dead mutants from around the world, raise them from the dead, and use them as her personal army.
So maybe she can love Eli after all?
This issue is setting up the next story, but, wow–it does it really well!