War Machine #9 **Spoilers**

[jackolover]

Rhodey uses Skipe to connect Norman Osborn to Ultimo!! Okay, that's an exaggeration, but there are some real stunning moments in this book that I never expected from Greg Pak

Starts out that Ultimo is on a rampage after connecting with Rhodey and seeing all the horror of death that Rhodey has a feed too, in his head. Ultimo begins to transform all plant life into Ultimo to choke the earth and get rid of humans. All well and fine. Then Norman Osborn attacks alone as Iron Patriot, and the art here is the best on his armor so far. Rhodey decides to interface again with Ultimo and tell him all the good things about being War Machine and who he saved. No dice. Ultimo sees through that. The Stark cousin emerges from Ultimo, and Rhodey has an idea. He pushes captured Iron Partiot towards Ultimo and asks Norman to show Ultimo h tender moment Norman has had in his life, showing Norman holding baby Harry in his arms. This affects Ultimo and it spits out Morgan Stark. Suzi has been monitoring Ultimo and tells aeveryone Ultimo is a clean slate now. Norman attacks Rhodey and sends him unconscious after Rhodey congratulates Norman in defeating Ultimo. Norman gloats over Rhodeys unconscious body saying to Ultimo, "Come to Daddy".

The best showing of Iron Patriot for a while

Two stunning moments:
1. Normans letting Ultimo see that Norman wasn't always a mad man and human once.
2. Rhodey expressing faith in Norman Osborn to show Ultimo compassion and thus save the human race as a true hero.

Trouble was, Norman Osborn has his own agenda, and next issue Osborn will be taking that faith by Rhodey and shoving it down his throat.

This is a stunning revelation that Norman Osborn can overcome himself to do good, not only during the Skrull invasion, but on other ocassions, and it just inflames the debate about who Norman Osborn is, and how heroic he has become. This puts another arrow into his quaver of good deeds while he is the Leader of Security of the USA.

[RolandJP]

I wish I wouldnt have tradewaited on War Machine after issue 4 ( I just wanted it in Hard Cover). *sigh* This is a well written series.

[jackolover]

Okay, it's official. Clint Barton is the new Wolverine. He appears in 3 books in this weeks spread - WM, MA, and Reborn. Wolvy? Move over.

[Jimmy Holograph]

Okay, it's official. Clint Barton is the new Wolverine. He appears in 3 books in this weeks spread - WM, MA, and Reborn. Wolvy? Move over.

I thought Black Widow was the Wolverine of Dark Reign?

Either way, this was a good issue, not mind-blowing in any way, but not bad either. I was really surprised to see Rhodey trusting Norman to save the world, basically out of necessity.

[XPac]

Okay, it's official. Clint Barton is the new Wolverine. He appears in 3 books in this weeks spread - WM, MA, and Reborn. Wolvy? Move over.

As much as people wanna knock Bendis usage of Clint (and those criticisms are more than justified), I do think we see a positive end result at least in regards to the characters exposure and usage.

When Bendis adopts you, you get pushed to the front of the line.

[DarienA]

This is a stunning revelation that Norman Osborn can overcome himself to do good, not only during the Skrull invasion, but on other ocassions, and it just inflames the debate about who Norman Osborn is, and how heroic he has become. This puts another arrow into his quaver of good deeds while he is the Leader of Security of the USA.

I disagree. Ultimo's rampage was not part of Osborn's plan so of course he's going to put his best effort in shutting that down... now as far as USING Ultimo now that he has control of it... that's to be expected. Osborn is out for Osborn. He was when he made the shot during the Skrull invasion and everything he's done since. It's simply a byproduct that right now his interests run generally parallel with doing "good deeds" for the country.

[Monty_Cristo]

As much as people wanna knock Bendis usage of Clint (and those criticisms are more than justified), I do think we see a positive end result at least in regards to the characters exposure and usage.

When Bendis adopts you, you get pushed to the front of the line.

problem is that he adopts you, makes you suck @$$, then pushes you to the front line. he made Clint into some wannabe ninja, Spider-woman into a suddenly flying hag with a ridiculous origin story, and Luke Cage into a boring bald hubbie to Bendis' saggy faced potty-mouthed Mary Sue. i don't think i even need to mention the Sentry, do i?

[DarienA]

problem is that he adopts you, makes you suck @$$, then pushes you to the front line. he made Clint into some wannabe ninja, Spider-woman into a suddenly flying hag with a ridiculous origin story, and Luke Cage into a boring bald hubbie to Bendis' saggy faced potty-mouthed Mary Sue. i don't think i even need to mention the Sentry, do i?

I have one Luke Cage comment to make.... Luke should have kept the Crowbar.

Ok I'm done. ;)

[jackolover]

I disagree. Ultimo's rampage was not part of Osborn's plan so of course he's going to put his best effort in shutting that down... now as far as USING Ultimo now that he has control of it... that's to be expected. Osborn is out for Osborn. He was when he made the shot during the Skrull invasion and everything he's done since. It's simply a byproduct that right now his interests run generally parallel with doing "good deeds" for the country.

It's the vulnerability that Norman showed when he revealed his human side that was the killer. As bad and manipulative as Osborn is, and the fact that he has his plans in place, to see Osborn in a primal state before the Goblin was a shocker.

I have been impressed that Greg Pak had been able to make Meik into a hero from his Planet Hulk arc, and to do this by extension again with Norman Osborn is a challenge to us who have preconceived ideas of what a monster is. Norman Osborn is a monster, but even monsters can be heroes.

[Monty_Cristo]

I have one Luke Cage comment to make.... Luke should have kept the Crowbar.

Ok I'm done. ;)

he should have melted it down and made himself some replacement bracelets.

[The Amazing Mike]

he should have melted it down and made himself some replacement bracelets.

Or another Tiara.

[Filthy Mutie]

he should have melted it down and made himself some replacement bracelets.

Or knuckles.

[Monty_Cristo]

or fronts
http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/1812/100358-18257-107238-1-cage_super.jpg

[4sake]

or fronts
http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/1812/100358-18257-107238-1-cage_super.jpg

NO!!!!!!! lol :biggrin:

[RolandJP]

or fronts
http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/1812/100358-18257-107238-1-cage_super.jpg


Not those again. :FAINTS:

[Kasper Cole]

I've been digging this series since issue one, but this issues was AWESOME.

Plus we a got a brief Crew Cameo :biggrin:

[XPac]

problem is that he adopts you, makes you suck @$$, then pushes you to the front line. he made Clint into some wannabe ninja, Spider-woman into a suddenly flying hag with a ridiculous origin story, and Luke Cage into a boring bald hubbie to Bendis' saggy faced potty-mouthed Mary Sue. i don't think i even need to mention the Sentry, do i?

Matter of taste I suppose. I happen to think his Spider-Woman and Cage are improvements.

But that aside, even if you don't like Bendis version the point is that the odds of the character being used more by other writers in other books jump up considerably. So even if you don't like Bendis version, you're still more likely to see him written by other writers... perhaps one more to your liking.

[Monty_Cristo]

Matter of taste I suppose. I happen to think his Spider-Woman and Cage are improvements.


i'm not sure how you're even judging this since only 2 issues of her book is out. she hasn't done jack squat in New Avengers. and before that she was a skrull.

[XPac]

i'm not sure how you're even judging this since only 2 issues of her book is out. she hasn't done jack squat in New Avengers. and before that she was a skrull.

Two issues is enough for me to make a judgmement on whether or not I enjoy his take on the character, at least so far.

She want from being a relatively unusued character, to having her own on-going book and motion comic that I personally like. So that's a check in the improvement category, at least in my book.

[jackolover]

I've been digging this series since issue one, but this issues was AWESOME.

Plus we a got a brief Crew Cameo :biggrin:

And look how it is that Norman Osborn knows how to contact them, when he spoke to Suzi Endo. Nothing is sacred when it comes to Norman Osborn. I'll be interested in next issue, when Rhodey gets put on trial, as Norman and Rhodey had a team up to save the day. Does Norman just ignore that?