Frank Cho’s AWA limited series is nearing its conclusion with Fight Girls #4 and we really get the fight girls of the title! Last issue ended with Agent Matteo investigating candidate #7, Xandra Blackwater. He was stabbed in the neck by The Butcher and kicks into a wall his colleague. Cho’s cover has only two contestants left so Xandra is in the center ready to fight, #4 Tora Winter’s face is to the left panel in close-up, and a fist (either fighter) with number 4 below it. We have the “Deep Min, Helgrave” buildings where The Butcher is kicked back into a wall. Right back at him. This is Agent Matteo who asks if he was Empire trained and The Butcher replies he was in Heavy Infantry, Shock Troop. Matteo answers he was in Recon, Black Guard. The fight has several swings and kick that breaks The Butcher’s rib. Fight Boys? Matteo says he is enhanced. The Butcher says he was only delaying him for the rail gun. The panel is in silhouette as we see the projective from the rail gun, a pistol, pierce Matteo’s head!
Rail guns are usually rifles, the length for the electromagnetic rail to shoot the projectile, a weapon in Gears of War and Fortnite. Nigel, his colleague, shoots Matteo two more times with his rail gun. He helps The Butcher walk the alley noting that the cover is blown to “blondie”. Xandra is wrapping up her wrists and gets the message that she is compromised and should run. So they are operatives working with Xandra. She has red hair and an eyepatch, her disguise, so she’s blond and maybe her eye under the patch may be surprising, different color, or something else. She walks out into the lights of the arena. We get the camera close-up of Xandra and then Tora Winter, she has short, dark hair with streaks of white, as we get the final challenge. We get the two page spread with several small panels on the left with “Challenge 4: Combat.” The panels show closeups of the fighters getting ready to attack, I keep hearing the Mortal Kombat song when Xandra leaps forward with a flying knee. This is all narrated by the commentators, but this is blocked by Tora.
Xandra throws swings and finally strikes Tora with her knee sending out specks of blood. She closes in and then we get the crowd cheering and the prime minister watching from his window. An assistant checks on the prime minister who asks for the security director. Xandra closes in at the arena and Tora gives her side kick to the stomach! Contestant #7 feels the pain and Tora moves in. Contestant #4 shifts and tackles Xandra. She pins Xandra and is about to give a knockout punch. Xanra counters with a palm to the chin and then kicks her in the jaw in a large panel. It is a back and forth battle. Tora wipes the blood from her mouth, Xandra smiles, and then they shout in rage. The two contestant in close combat, trade a kick and knee strikes. Xandra gives her a kick to the chest, kicks to Tora’s chest, and others send her off the platform. In partial silhouette, she falls on her upper back. A long vertical panel has Tora knocked out and seeing stars. She still manages to recover and sees Xandra above her on the platform. They eye each other.
Xandra gestures Tora to face her. Contestant #4 walks up the steps. The two contestants lock in their gaze and then their fists are up for the commentators to say is round three. The prime minister watches the battle. The security director says Agent Matteo has not reported in and Beta Team is sent to find him. The prime minister angry that the security director says the investigation will take a week. He says his niece is in a coma, this would be Contestant #1, Dyana Adamson, struck by Xandra in issue #1. The prime minister says that once Matteo is found, then they can eliminate Xandra. They both turn to see the battle. We get a close-up of Tora’s blood splattering from her mouth from Xandra’s right cross. She staggers and then Xandra draws back her fist to punch her, this is the panel from the cover! Then, Tora swerves back and Xandra’s overextends her missed strike. She catches Xandra in a chokehold, they struggle, and then Xandra falls with Tora holding her in a body lock with arms and legs restraining her. Tora yells for Xandra to yield, but she refuses. The outcome is probably not as clean cut with still an issue to go. What forces will conspire against the winner? Fight Girls #4 goes full MMA to win the title of queen of the Gilmoran Empire!
#FightGirls, #Challenge4Combat, #AgentMatteo, #TheButcher
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