Issue(s): Silver Sable & the Wild Pack #18, Silver Sable & the Wild Pack #19
Cover Date: Nov-Dec 93
Title: "Recouping losses" / "My enemy, my ally! / Man-Eater: Man or beast?"
Credits:
Gregory Wright - Writer
Steven Butler / Nelson Ortega - Penciler
Pam Eklund / Michael Ritter - Inker
Lynaire Brust - Assistant Editor
Craig Anderson - Editor

Review/plot:
Silver Sable is upset that whenever her team appears in another book, they seem to fail at their missions. She's got the recent contracts to bring in Venom and the Human Torch in mind.

The Human Torch is no longer wanted, but she figures that to save her team's reputation, they should make another attempt at Venom. So, after a scene of Sable appearing on the Phil Donahue show in a not-so-successful attempt to bolster her team's reputation, they go to San Francisco and attack Venom while he's (violently) stopping some muggers.

Silver Sable's boobs have apparently gotten too big for her old costume.

There's some fun irony in Venom mocking the Wild Pack. At least he doesn't take money for being a "hero".

It's also fun watching two "reformed" Spider-Man villains (or maybe i should put "two" in quotes) fighting. Sandman and Venom's fluid powers are an interesting match for each other.

But the fight is interrupted by mist rolling in from the Siege of Darkness crossover.

The Wild Pack had Venom on the ropes, but now they have to contend with an influx of Lilin.

But Venom recovers, and agrees to help the Wild Pack in return for his freedom.

They manage to escape.

It's later said that the mist disappeared with the aid of "a Ghost Rider and that scary fellow, Stephen Strange".

Also in this issue, Paladin is sent to find an embezzler that worked at Sable's company. As he's leaving, he runs into Lightbright, one of the "Bio-Genes" that we met last issue. She was invited by Battlestar.

There's a weird scene with Fin and a watermelon when the team gets back.

I get that Battlestar is embarrassed about the stereotype of black people and watermelons, but it's a really odd scene to include and it doesn't resolve to anything.

Sable's nice Anna is also waiting for her.

This story may not be good but it's 100% more readable than any of the core Siege of Darkness issues.

Issue #18 has the final origin back-up for Silver Sable (as with the last part, it's just a recap of Sable's early published appearances). The back-ups continue with issue #19, but now with new, present day material. This one focuses on Man-Eater.

He's chasing some "terrorists" in the jungle. When they ask who he is, we flash back to when he was an archeologist/explorer.

But he also has the memories of the tiger he was merged with.

When the flashback is over, we see him struggling with his animal impulse to eat the people he's supposed to capture.

Note the mention of an Intruders miniseries. The super-powered members of the Wild Pack are interesting enough that i could see them getting a series if it had been proposed like a year earlier, but Marvel's expansion period was coming to a shattering end at this point and that series will not manifest.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is not a numbered part of Siege of Darkness, but the cover of issue #19 does identify it as part of the crossover, and it definitely takes place during the storyline. The fight takes place in San Francisco (although there is also fog in New York), and the incident doesn't seem to line up with any actual portion of Siege of Darkness. Since Stephen Strange is identified, it would have to take place before his costume change. I'm assuming that "the" Ghost Rider and Dr. Strange teleport to San Francisco to deal with this threat while Morbius is betraying the other group of Midnight Sons in Darkhold #15.

References:

• The Wild Pack attempted to bring in Venom in Amazing Spider-Man #375.
  
• They attempted to get the Human Torch in Fantastic Four #373.
  
• During Sable's talk show appearance, the fact that she appeared nude in Petshop comes up. We learned about that in Silver Sable and & Wild Pack #15.
  
• Man-Eater's origin is expanded on from what we already know from Silver Sable & the Wild Pack #8-9.

Crossover: Siege of Darkness

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A