Issue(s): Marvel Comics Presents #72 (Red Wolf story only)
Cover Date: 1991
Title: "Flesh of my flesh"
Credits:
Fabian Nicieza - Writer
Javier Saltares - Penciler
Mark McKenna - Inker
Kelly Corvese - Assistant Editor
Terry Kavanagh - Editor

Review/plot:
Fabian Nicieza introduced Bengal in Daredevil #258. Bengal's origin involved a squad of US soldiers during the Vietnam War that included Will Talltrees, aka Red Wolf. Bengal later hunted down and fought Red Wolf; we saw the fight in flashback in Marvel Comics Presents #15. That story was also by Nicieza, and so is this one. It starts with another flashback from the Red Wolf/Bengal fight, and this time we learn that Red Wolf's pet wolf, Lobo, was killed at that time.

And the rest of this story is about Red Wolf getting a new Lobo.

The story involves some drunk hunters...

...a wolf with pups...

...and an angry Red Wolf.

It ends with at least one of the hunters realizing that they've been jerks, and Red Wolf adopting the only wolf pup that wasn't killed.

Earlier in the story, Red Wolf was performing a ritual saying goodby to the original Lobo (well, Will Talltree's original Lobo; there have been more Red Wolfs and Lobos than i can count). Red Wolf has actually carved a new headpiece for himself out of his first Lobo. He also talks about them being "together forever" which i guess refers to the headpiece but could also imply that the new Lobo is a reincarnation.

In any event, i've logged this as a new Lobo in the Characters Appearing.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Since the new Lobo is a puppy, there shouldn't be any appearances of Red Wolf with a full grown Lobo after Marvel Comics Presents #15.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

This issue was supposed to take place before Doctor Strange 25, where the new Lobo is first mentioned, but it wound up coming out a few weeks after it. What was going on with the stories in Marvel Comics Presents? They wound up coming out months or even years after they were commissioned. Did the editors let writers and artists submit as many stories as they came up with without caring when they would be published? Is that one of the reasons Marvel Super Heroes was created, to handle the excess stories?

This issue should be moved immidiatelly after MCP 15
Red Wolf basically skinned his previous wolf. Are we supposed to believe he kept his body for months/years before he did that? Did he keep him forsen or what?

I believe he did that next day, at most...

The problem is that when Black Crow encounters the new Lobo in Doctor Strange #25 he describes him as "new", "new enough to not be well trained" (i.e. he made a mess, something that Red Wolf presumably wouldn't wait too long to train him not to do). So Doctor Strange #25 should take place not long after this. It doesn't seem like moving Marvel Comics Presents #15 would be right either, since i think that should go before Bengal's appearance in New Warriors #7-9 (since Night Thrasher #1 shows that Father Janes had been trying to stop Bengal from pursuing his vendetta between the New Warriors and Night Thrasher issues).

I think we can say that Red Wolf kept the original Lobo's body preserved until the time was right to perform the ritual that he does here. I don't know what forsen is, but some kind of embalming process (since liquid is shown coming out when Red Wolf cuts him here) doesn't seem unreasonable.

Of course as Michael noted, the real issue is the weird publication schedule for the three Red Wolf stories. But in the face of that, something has to give.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think Lobo we see playing with baby Bucky on cover of Nomad 10 is still anything less than untrained wolf cub
And its easier to believe someone trains young wolf cub for months than to believe someone kept his favourite wolf in a fridge for months just to skin him
Uncle Google says wolf body is something that should not wait no te than a Day before skinning because it deteriorates fast. But i never actually skinned anything do what would I know..

first sentence of previous post should say "anything more" not "less".

Oh, and about that liquid coming out of Lobo's body: I've seen it before somewhere. I think it was Morbius story. I Think they called it "blood" there ;)

and "forsen" was meant to be "frozen"
Damn mobile phones...