Street Fighter Unlimited # 3

 By Mark Rodriguez

Ryu is training to deal with the darkness within himself. Chun Li has been abducted and Ken teams up with Guile and Cammy to see what Balrog knows about this. After a fight, the boxer tells them that Vega might know. Ken lets Guile and Cammy use his jet to get to him and they have someone in mind to help them out. Meanwhile Gill has a device he wants to use to form his new world, and he wants to use the power of the Dark Hado to power it. Now what will happen?

The story opens with Chun Li sneaking into a building and trying to get information from a computer. Vega arrives and Chun Li asks him if Bison is still alive. After a quick fight, Chun Li pins Vega down and cuffs him, but is suddenly struck from behind. As Chun Li hits the floor, face first, she sees what looks like two Vegas before she passes out.

Chun Li wakes up, now dressed in her Street Fighter 4 black dress, and Vega is now wearing Bison's shoulder pads and cape. He says he now runs Shadaloo in Bison's absence and invites her to a party, against her will of course. Before Chun Li can hit him, she's tased by the bracelets she's forced to wear. At this party, people marvel as Vega fights three big guys that he paid to attack him. After slicing and dicing one of them, he prepares to kill the other two, as everyone claps all around him.

Ryu arrives to meet Retsu. He already know why Ryu has arrived and knows about the Dark Hado. Ryu sees he feels it growing stronger over the years and is lost without his master. Retsu says he thinks he can help and tells him to follow him.

Guile, Cammy and Alex all arrive at Vega's part as things are closing up and people are carting out the dead bodies as if nothing was wrong. Guile and his friends walk down the halls and come across several Vega statues. They see Lola, Vega's assistant and tell her that Balrog sent them. She lets them in to see Vega.

Cammy demands to know if he's teamed up with The Secret Society. Vega says he's already concluded any business with them and mentions Chun Li. Guile demands to know what's happened to her, and Vega tells Lola to bring her in. Chun Li is happy to see them and Vega undoes her handcuffs. He says he has other things to do but will leave them with company as we see several Vega clones surround the team.

Cammy tells the clones that they don't have to work for Vega and can be set free like she was. As she knocks one of the Vegas out, it turns into Twelve. All of the Vegas turn into Twelves and surround Guile, Cammy, Chun Li and Alex.

'Some Wisdom' starts wirh Karin and Ibuki fighting it out, on top of a car which is still in motion. As they fight we hear their monologue as Karin challenged Ibuki to a fight to prove her superiority. Ibuki admits Karin is superior in hair care and compliments her gloves. Karin thinks the flattery is just lies to distract her. Ibuki says she doesn't know her well enough to know if she's lying or not and a single match can't decide who's the best best on unpredictable outcomes.

We go back 45 seconds as Karin takes Ibuki's wisdom into consideration. She then decides to take her on in ten fights to determine the outcome, and also demands they spend their free time together so she can know her well enough to know when she's lying or not. Ibuki sighs and says 'oh crap' as Karin says she is ready to begin.

My Opinions on the main story-

The main story is getting interesting, both with the guys fighting against the Twelves, and Ryu seeking out Retsu. The whole scene with Vega killing random strong guys with everyone watching as if it was something of beauty reminds me a bit of the episodes with Vega in Street Fighter V, the anime. In that episode, Ken was forced in a death match against Vega, with the people in the audience loving every minute of it, despite the fact that a guy is getting killed in front of them. Where does Vega keep finding these sickos?

Now that SFV exists, I have to specify if I mean the game or the anime

My only complaint in the story is the artwork panels when the characters have their mouths hanging open. They lack any expression, and despite the characters looking in shock or disgust at Vega's victims... they literally just look like they're letting their mouths hang open. It kinda makes a serious or tense moment look silly when it shouldn't.

It's also kinda funny and clever how they sneak in some of the characters' alternate outfits, in this case, Vega has Lola change Chun Li's outfit into her one of her DLC outfits from Street Fighter 4. That's right, every time you pick that outfit, it's an outfit Vega forced Chun Li to wear that one time he kidnapped her.

The second story was short and sweet. It's ironic seeing Karin leave Sakura alone for a while and challenge Ibuki. I wonder if it was done on purpose since Karin is in Street Fighter 5, and Ibuki was set to appear as DLC at around that time, so eventually got to clash there.

Let's see what happens next issue as Gouken returns to action.