On occasion, I spotlight cool comic book moments from various points in comic book history. Here is an archive of all the past cool comic moments that I've featured so far over the years.
Today, we take a look at Wolverine proving his worth in battle against Lord Shingen in Wolverine #4 by Chris Claremont, Frank Miller and Joe Rubinstein...
To set the scene, Wolverine came to Japan to ask the woman he loves, Mariko, to marry him. He arrives to learn that she has already been married to a business associate of her father, the gangster Lord Shingen. Wolverine challenges Lord Shingen to a fight, but Shingen has drugged him and then beats him nearly to death (it was almost as if Wolverine was faced off against the Wasp, that's how badly he was beaten!). The mysterious Yukio nurses him back to health and the two become lovers. However, it turns out that Yukio was sent BY Shingen to get Wolverine's help to kill Shingen's biggest rival. Wolverine gets Yukio close enough where she is able to kill the other crime leader. Wolverine is displeased. He also kills lots of Hand ninjas. Yukio finds that she has fallen for Wolverine so she refuses to kill him as Shingen asks. Instead, she kills a friend of Wolverine. She then decides to kill Shingen to balance the scales of honor with Wolverine. She instead manages to save Mariko from being murdered by her own husband (Yukio kills him). Wolverine can't forgive her for killing his friend, but he also can't repay her for saving Mariko.
So anyhow, Wolverine (who by now is fully healed and is no longer drugged) challenges Shingen to prove his worth. What follows is one of the most famous fight sequences of the 1980s...
Stunning action and then that great moment where Mariko reminds him that HE is the most honorable guy in this situation and that he never really ever LOST his honor during this story. This leads to the pair deciding to get married (it does not go well).
Joe Rubinstein, by the way, is credited for inks for the series but actually did finishes over Miller's breakdowsn.
If you have suggestions for future cool comic book moments, drop me a line at bcronin@comicbookresources.com!