Lesser Beasts

• Writer - Tom Defalco
• Penciler - Joe Bennett
• Inker - Joe Pimentel
• Lettering - Richard Starkings
• Lettering - Comicraft
• Colorist - Joe Andreani
• Colorist - Paul Becton
• Editor - Bob Harras

Summary

  We begin off with an opening scene in a cave somewhere in Canada where a bear has wondered into, and upon opening an ancient urn, caused a spirit of some sort to enter and possess its body.

  Meanwhile, we see that Shaman, a member of Alpha Flight, and Wolverine had teamed up. Shaman had notified Logan to help in searching for two armed criminal who had killed many of their victims, and now were somewhere in the wild forest. Logan inquires Shaman about why won't he just let the authorities handle it. Shaman explains that in his dreams, he was warned that one of the "Great Beasts of Antiquity had recently awakened" and was going to bring terror to the world.

  Nearby, a family of three, the Totebinds, were planning a camping trip to the Canadian wilderness, only to be denied by the mounties there. Forcing them to turn around, Bob's wife, Catherine, yells at her husband for being too unbrave to challenge them. So, to satisfy her, he decides to go off-road around the mounties to camp in the wilderness.

  After setting up their campsite, the family is held at gunpoint by the two criminals, Jocko and Hale, who demands the cash and the keys to the Jeep that the family has. Logan then stumbles upon the two hoodlums, and Logan threatens them to drop the guns and move away, or else, face the wrath of his claws. They were about to open fire at Logan until the possessed bear appears behind Logan. The two and the family flees to the Jeep, leaving behind Bob, who was worried about Logan's well-being as Logan fought against the bear. He tries to help, but instead, is knocked out by one swipe of the bear's claw. Shaman shows up to tend to the man, while Logan lets the animal nature side of him take over to fight the bear.

  As he continues fighting, Logan realizes that he had been working too long as of late to regain his humanity, and he was not willing to give it up this easily. So he retracts his claws, and fights the bear with only his fist. He manages to knock down the bear, giving Shaman the opportunity to recapture the evil spirit back into the urn. The bear was restored back to its original self.

  Back to the family...after the Jeep hits a tree and is totalled, the men threaten to kill the kid after he smart-mouths both the criminals. But Logan shows up just in time, threatening to kill one of the men. The other raises his gun to kill Logan, but Bob whacks Jocko in the head with a stick. The criminals were then apprehended by the local authorities.