Wild Kingdom

• Writer - Peter Milligan
• Penciler - Salvador Larroca
• Inker - Danny Miki
• Inker - Allen Martinez
• Lettering - Virtual Calligraphy
• Lettering - Cory Petit
• Colorist - Liquid!
• Ass't Editor - Sean Ryan
• Associated Editor - Nick Lowe
• Editor - Mike Marts
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

The Apes of Wrath

Summary

  The Panther has been nabbed by a gorilla. Peotor starts to hypnotize him to put him to sleep as he counts down, but he's only a baboon and forgets what comes after three. The Panther's Dora Milajae guards arrive and kick him, battle the gorilla, and free their "master." The Panther didn't order them to follow him, but they help him fight off other mutant apes. Ororo finds them after the battle is over; when she sees the shapely women attending to him, she turns and leaves.

  The Red Ghost arrives in Niganda; Mikhlo the gorilla drives him through town, where he blames the chaos on capitalism. When the apes aren't sufficiently dialectically materialist, he jokes about sending them to Moscow for retraining; the apes note Moscow is now capitalist, as well as China and the entire Eastern Bloc. Peotor the orangutan tells him the dream's over; he slaps him in the face and insists the dream will flourish in Niganda, where he plans a socialist utopia based on the ape world. The apes look dubious.

  Paine slaps his baboon for not hypnotizing the Panther successfully, and when he talks back, he raises a fist.

  The Panther follows Ororo, who insists he won't break her heart again. She's on the trail of a strange beast that's been attacking refugees; while they have a spat about his Dora Milajae, the monster appears, rampaging. Ororo asks if he was able to find a way to turn these creatures off; he says no, they'll have to battle each one, so they attack. The Panther says it's fun, especially fighting beside her.

  Red Ghost meets Paine, who has the baboon chained and an eye-patch on one eye to prevent hypnotism. Red Ghost's apes aren't happy to see their brother in chains; Paine wants his payment, but Red Ghost has decided he's too capitalist and nationalizes his factory for the common good, as judged by himself. He wants to view his merchandise: the X-Men, captive in stasis chambers. Paine plans brain surgery to make them docile. He starts drawing lines on Lorna's forehead, and she opens her eyes.

  Emma contacts Ororo, warning her the X-Men's readings are faint, and orders her to go to the Factory. The Panther insists she help him, but she decides the X-Men are her priority; he doesn't know why she wastes time with "those fools"; she used to say the same to herself about him.

  Paine releases the X-Men, now wanting their help against Red Ghost, "a filthy Communist." When they don't hop to it, he uses Bobby's mutant power and blasts ice chips at them. Using Alex's power, he blasts up at a crate, revealing Lorna in a cage suspended from the ceiling. She's been drip-fed mutated snake venom and is his hostage.

  Red Ghost sends his apes to take an inventory of the Factory, but they immediately free the baboon, who has a plan to do away with all their human tormentors.

  Alex wants to blast the apparatus Lorna's hook to, but Bobby thinks battling Red Ghost is the best option, since that's what they give medals for, anyway. Rogue doesn't want to be anyone's slave, and Logan agrees. Ororo arrives, and Paine watches them all on monitor.

  The baboon has been working on a human meta-virus, but now he can't find it. Red Ghost's apes figure this is why Stalin never worked with baboons.

  Paine monitors the Panther as he sneaks into the Factory; he's big and strong, but there's always something bigger. He pushes a button, and the Panther hears a creak.

  Note: this continues in Black Panther IV:9.