Witchblade (2017) Issue 1 is the first issue of the 2017 reboot Witchblade comics series. This issue is the first part of "Life After" story arc.
Synopsis[]
Gunned down and left for dead on a New York rooftop, Alex Underwood's life should have ended there—but instead, at the moment of death, she became host to the Witchblade, a mystical artifact that grants the woman wielding it extraordinary powers. But the power comes with a heavy cost, and Alex finds herself thrust into the center of an unseen battle raging on the snowy streets of NYC. Demons are real and walking among humans, and every one of them is intent on taking out the Witchblade's newest host before she becomes too strong to kill. But the artifact chose Alex for a reason, and she's not going down without a fight.
Characters[]
- Alex Underwood
- Witchblade
- Myra Groves
- Blake Groves
- Megan Masters
- Debbie Maddox
- Asher
Plot Summary[]
Alex Underwood is laying on the snow, slowly bleeding to death. A mysterious, cloaked man approaches her and Alex pleads him for help. She then releases mysterious burst of energy from her. Twenty-four hours earlier, Alex wakes up in the bedroom, having seen the same dream every night for a week. She then goes to Office of the District Attorney, where Alex and her colleague Debbie talk with their client, Myra Groves, who's been in abusive relationship with a NYPD detective Blake Groves. Myra recognizes Alex, having seen her in the news, but Alex ignores this point.
Detectives wife is doubtful, that she has any chance to win against her husband in court. Myra then gives Alex a photo of her and Blake, so someone know just how much of a liar he is, if something happens to her. Alex asks her if Myra is okay to go back to the hotel and she reassures Underwood, that Blake isn't foolish enough to brake the restraining order in broad daylight. Debbie isn't so sure and suggests Alex to find the maid who supposedly saw Blake beating up Myra.
Alex then wakes up in her apartment, heavily bleeding. She remembers how someone shot her. Alex then sees her entire life flash before her as the Witchblade narrates it. She then sees Myra with a bullet wound in her head, laying near her as a man stands besides them. The voice tells Alex, that this will be her future unless she saves Myra. Alex then wakes up and washes her face as she suddenly sees her reflection in the mirror with bleeding obsidian eyes. The reflection tells her, that she real and she is her. Alex then sees Myra's corpse, telling her, that she can save her.
The mysterious voice tells Alex, that no one can save her. She must save herself. Alex tells the voice to shut up as it warns her, that someone is coming after her and she should run. A man then jumps through the window into her apartment. He then grabs her, but under the influence of the Witchblade, Alex grabs a glass shard and drives into the attackers face. She then jumps out of her apartment into an alleyway down below. There a man approaches her and she pulls out a a spray, aiming it at him.
The man calms Alex down, revealing to know about what happened to her, the mysterious voice, memory loss and the attacker in her apartment. The man also knows about the visions she has saw. Alex then collapses on the ground. In her subconscious, Alex sees a familiar woman, named Meg with a half burned face. The woman explains, that this is her mind's attempt to process the trauma of the last few hours. Alex doesn't understand why is she seeing this as she has been taking her medication and sees Dr. Hawkins twice a week for a therapy. Meg tells her, that this isn't her PSTD or anything else for that matter. This is happening in reality. Alex then begins to bleed from her abdomen, much to her confusion. Meg tells her to stop fighting what brought her back and wake up.
As Alex wakes up, she finds herself in the apartment of the man, she met in the alleyway. She's pissed, that someone attacked her and now she is being held as hostage by some creep. The man tells her, that she can leave whenever she wants and only took her to his apartment for safety. He continues, telling her, that the artifact hasn't completely merged with her and Alex is at her most vulnerable until the host transfer is complete. Alex doesn't believe him and decides to leave. The man tries to talk her out of this action by telling her, that a scavenger already has tried to kill her in her apartment. He warns Alex, that next time it will be something worse.
Alex still doesn't believe him, thinking he's crazy. The man tells her, that she should stop resisting the artifact as it kills the hosts who reject it. He then asks, what are her last memories. Alex tells him, that yesterday the husband of one her clients was following her. Believing to have lost him in the subway, Alex goes to interview his housekeeper. As she climbs up the fire escape ladder onto the roof, she's shot in the chest and falls off the building. Alex then asks the man if this is hell. The man explains, that this is opposite of hell and the power of the artifact comes from the moment of host's death. It gives life, but the price is, that she has been seeing and hearing strange things.
After hearing all this, Alex decides to go to check on Myra, much to her guardians objections. He suggests, that she should wait another few days, until the artifact bonds with her. Alex disregards his warnings and proceeds to leave. Outside, she tries to get the Witchblade in its bracelet form, off of her hand. The Witchblade warns Alex, that if she does it, she will die. The artifact tells her, that it needs a host to survive, to give it voice and flesh. And in return, the Witchblade will gift her with visions of the past and future and incredible power, as she is its host.
Alex then calls, Debbie who reveals, that without the maidens statement, Blake has been released. Hearing this. she rushes to Myra's apartment. As Alex walks into the apartment, she finds Blake holding Myra at gunpoint. Myra then bites Blake's arm in order to get the pistol. Although she succeeds, Blake punches her and then prepares to shoot her. Blake tells Myra, that if she didn't the drive, she be in an oil drum in the East River by now. Myra responds by telling him to shoot her already as it has to be better than spending another second with him. Before Blake can do that, Alex conjures multiple appendages, which impale him. To be continued...
Trivia[]
- Debbie mentions American singer Chris Brown when describing how Blake beat up Myra. This is a reference to the scandal, where the singer attacked and punched a female singer Rihanna, his girlfriend at that time.