ManHunt

• Inker - Harry Candelario
• Lettering - Richard Starkings
• Lettering - Comicraft
• Ass't Editor - Pete Franco
• Editor - Mark Powers
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada
• Penciler - Sunny Lee
• Writer - Joe Pruett
• Colorist - Hi-Fi Design

Summary

  Somewhere in the South China Sea, a lone helicopter hovers over a private island. Wolverine leaps out of the helicopter, and descends upon the island with the aid of a parachute. As he descends down, he recalls the letter that Yukio, a friend of his in Japan, had read about the kidnapping of his adopted daughter, Amiko, and how the letter instructed Wolverine to come alone to the island.

  Upon landing onto the island, Wolverine is attacked by a Raptor, which Wolverine recognizes by scent as one of those who had come from the Savage Lands in Antarctica. He quickly subdues the raptor, and enters the lone residence, unchecked by any resistance. Making his way through the compound, he finds Amiko within an underground jail complex. From behind, Logan is hit in the neck with a blowdart containing a mixture of a poison and a paralysis chemical. Stepping out of the shadows, the assailant reveals himself, calling himself Zaran. He considered himself to be "a hunter ... a trapper ... a master of the art of weaponry". He revealed how in the past, he was feared throughout the entire world because of his perfect record of never failing a mission until he lost against a MI6 agent named Shang-chi. As a result, he lost many contracts. To redeem his clients' faith, he planned on killing Wolverine in a game of hunter vs. prey. He makes a deal with Logan to release him and Amiko, and give Logan the antidote to the poison, if he survives the night as prey and Zaran being the hunter. If Zaran wins, Logan would be dead, and Zaran wins back his reputation as a feared hunter.

  Later that night, the hunt begins with Logan given a 10-minute head start. Somewhere in the forest, Wolverine, still slowed from the poison within his body, is hit with a narrow into his arm. However, Zaran makes a noise after stepping on a twig, and Logan quickly locates Zaran and destroys Zaran's bow with a slice of his claw. Logan attacks again, only to have Zaran run a long, sharp dagger through the side of Wolverine's body. Logan reels back while Zaran, wounded by Logan's attack, makes a getaway. Logan pulls out the daggar, and follows the trail of blood that Zaran had left behind. He finds the end of the trail of blood with Zaran nowhere in site. With the poison now filted out of his body (thanks to his healing factor), Wolverine's senses quickly locates Zaran's scent behind him, and manages to dodge Zaran's attack with a spear. Logan destroys Zaran's spear with another swipe of his claws, and proceeds to attack Zaran again. Armed with a pair of daggars, Zaran was no match for Logan, as Logan easily runs his claw through Zaran's midsection, injuring Zaran severely.

  Logan senses the presence of people watching him, and tells them to come out. A crimelord, Shinji Kizaki, and his band of ninjas reveals themselves. Shinji comments how Zaran had used this test to prove to Shinji that he would be worthy to serve in Shinji's employment, and how Zaran was a fool to fight without honor by kidnapping an innocent girl and poisoning his opponent beforehand. As per agreed, Shinji handed over the antidote to the poison and Amiko over to Logan. As they leave, Shinji comments how although Zaran failed in his attempt to impress him, Shinji did recognize Logan as a legitimate threat, and had his ninjas fire arrows towards Logan and Amiko to kill them both. Logan shields Amiko from the shower of arrows, and manages to flee. Leaving Amiko at a safe spot, Logan returns and quickly takes out Shinji's band of ninjas. He was about to kill Shinji until Amiko steps in to stop him, saying that Logan was an honorable samurai, and to kill someone who was "old and defeated ..." was not right because "there is no honor in killing what is already dead."

  The helicopter that took Logan to the island arrives, and whisks Logan and Amiko away. Zaran reappears, and takes aim at the helicopter, planning to shoot it down because "my honor is again lost to me". Shinji steps in to stop Zaran, telling him that if Zaran were to shoot, they would both be dead. However, now that they are both more familiar with Wolverine, they would try to learn more about him ... his strengths, his weaknesses, and his motivations ... and soon, they would have the tools to see to it that Wolverine dies.