Udon Street Fighter # 10

 By Mark Rodriguez

Cammy continues to piece together the fragments of her past after running into a Shadaloo Doll that recognized her as the Killer Bee. Chun Li meets up with Fei Long as Triad members  kept coming after him. Now Lady Xiayu and Lady Yanzu decided that Chun Li and Fei Long have to be eliminated. Meanwhile Ryu defeated Adon in Thailand and found out that Sagat went to seek Dhalsim in India. Ryu and Sakura will now head out to India.

 

The issue opens in Hong Kong as Chun Li and Fei Long walk down the street. Chun Li asks if Fei Long didn't know that his director was working with the Triads. Fei Long says he always had a bad feeling about him, but in this business it's hard to tell the regular scumbags from the dangerous scumbags. Chun Li asks if the director will help them with Xiayu and Yanzu and Fei Long says he will. 

When they arrive at the studio, all of the filming equipment was gone. Fei Long was surprised as they were just filming a few days ago. Chun Li says they must have left right after their most recent ambush attempt failed. Fei Long apologizes to Chun Li, since despite wanting to take down the Triads as badly as she did but now he doesn't know where to turn. Chun Li says she has an idea. She knows someone who might send them in the right direction, though she was hoping to have left him out of this.

Later on in the Genhanten Restaurant, Fei Long is chilling as Yun is serving orders while on his skateboard. He sees Fei Long and gets distracted, tripping and dropping his order. Yang sees this and quickly catches all of the dishes onto his plate. He tells Yun to be more careful.

Chun Li talks to Master Gen as they comment on how Yun and Yang have grown. Gen says they're good pupils when they're not causing mischief. Chun Li she is sure Lee is happy to see how Gen has raised them, seeing as he is the closest thing they have to family after he passed (they killed off Lee from Street Fighter?). Gen says being their master is not the same as being their father, and adds that no child should be without their father. Chun Li has a brief silence, and then asks him for a favor.

Chun Li says they haven't been in touch but she thought she'd see him at her father's funeral. Gen said he thought it would be best he didn't go. Chun Li said he would have been welcome. Gen says her father was a good friend and deserved a worthy burial without someone like him there to ruin the ceremony. Their friendship was the only reason a policeman like him overlooked the sins he has committed. Gen asks if Chun Li now doing her father's work is what brought her to him. Chun Li says it's not the main reason but one of them, and asks if she heard anything about the Triads, and Xiayu and Yanzu in particular.

Gen says he's old but he still has ears and the two 'Ladies' have been noisy among the Hong Kong underworld. After several assassinations they took control and organize the top Triad groups. Any gang that was opposed was quickly eliminated and the police has been slow to stop them due to their power and influence. The 'Twin Empresses of Hong Kong' have reigned unopposed for months.

 

Chun Li asks Gen if he knows where to find the 'Twin Empresses'. Gen knows where to find them but tells her not to expect him to tell her. He says she owes her father to not waste her life. Chun Li explains that these women are working with Shadaloo, the same people behind her father's death. Gen says he will tell her on the condition that he takes her personally. Chun Li says this is her fight. Gen says those are his conditions and he can't let his prize pupil go to such a situation alone.

Later on in another part of Hong Kong, Chun Li, Fei Long and Gen arrive in front of a building. Chun Li hopes Gen isn't offended but she asks him not to kill anyone. Gen says her sense of mercy is laudable. Chun Li says it's about mercy, she is out to stop Shadaloo and the dead can't talk. She also knows that since the day her father died, Gen has tried to lived differently and doesn't want to be responsible for him adding more blood on his hands. Gen says he will never be a saint, but he wants her to know something.

Gen says he will never forget the day that they were training together. His life was always dark and there are very things he regretted. Killing that one assassin in front of her is one of them. Chun Li says he was defending her. Gen says he had ended her childhood and robbed her of her innocence in an instant, and he has always regretted that. Fei Long says that considering the area they're in is part of a huge criminal organization, the place didn't seem that well guarded. He asks if they also left the front door open. Just then the door in front of them opens, letting them step inside.

Chun Li says that something feels wrong and things are too quiet. She asks Gen if this is the right place. Gen says his contacts aren't as reliable as they used to be so maybe they're wrong. Up ahead, Xiayu and Yanzu are waiting for them, and one of the women says that maybe Gen's contacts were right. The Ladies welcome Fei Long and Chun Li and say they made things easier for them. One of them slams her staff down, which summons several men which surround the three in a circle. The open door slams shut. Fei Long asks if police work is always this exciting. Chun Li says it's just another day in the office. 

The Ladies call for the men to kill them, and Chun Li, Fei Long and Gen defend themselves. Gen ducks under Xiayu's nunchucks while noting that Chun Li is using some of his forms and techniques in her attacks. Chun Li says when she's trained by a good master, there are things she'll never forget. She uses her Gen Dan Ansatsu Shu on some of the thugs. Gen smirks and easily dodges Xaiyu's attacks. She tells Yanzu that this unknown objective is strong and they should capture him to run some tests in the lab.

Gen jumpkicks Xiayu in the face and says before they decide to take him in dead or alive, they should be more worried about their own lives. Gen thrusts his fingers forward, jabbing Xiayu in the abdomen. He then catches her arm and smacks her across the face, making her drop her weapon.

 

Yanzu fights with Fei Long and says maybe Shadaloo was wrong in targeting him as his skills seem insufficient. Fei Long leaps over her attack and kicks her across the back. He then low sweeps her and kicks her in the face, knocking her back. Yanzu stands her ground and says Shadaloo should be in charge of people that possess good fighting potential and not actors that pretend to do so. As she leaps towards him, Fei Long knocks her out of the air with his flaming spinning kick, the Shien Kyaku. Yanzu lands hard, and Fei Long nurses his knee after he lands from his attack.

 

Gen lifts Xiayu by the throat and gets ready to finish her. Chun Li calls out to him and he slowly lets her go. Suddenly Gen coughs up blood, which worried Chun Li. Xiayu dashes in and grabs the unconscious Yanzu. Yanzu leaps off into the distance.

Chun Li asks if Gen is alright. Gen says it's nothing. Chun Li says he's coughing up blood which isn't nothing. Gen says he's dying of leukemia. Chun Li says he should have told her. Gen says he didn't want to trouble her. Chun Li says he owes her that much. She offers him her hand and says she deserves to know when she's about to lose the person that matters the most to her. Gen looks at her surprised and takes her hand.

Later on the police arrive and Chun Li tells than that Xiayu and Yanzu got away. One of the men find a secret passage that leads to a hidden lab. The main computer screen shows something called the Psycho Drive, and the officer also finds archives. Chun Li asks the captain what he knows about this. The captain says the Psycho Drive is an incredibly dangerous weapon that they thought was just a rumor. Shadaloo had been developing this technology right under their noses. They have creating the components simultaneously in several labs spread across the world. The last component is being completed as they speak... in Brazil. Meanwhile Cammy and the rest of MI-6 have arrived in Brazil.

Meanwhile in a cyber cafe in Thailand, Sakura is surprised to find out that Ryu had never used an email before. She says he really needs to get with the times. Ryu says that Ken made an email for him on a website. Sakura says she'll just need his user name and password. Ryu says the user name is Boring Ryu and the password is Ken Rules. Sakura says they'll have to get a better one but they can worry about that later. She succeeds in logging in and sees lots of emails from Ken, all of them sounding urgent. Clicking on one says that there's an emergency and to call as soon as he gets this message.

Ryu calls Ken who is glad to hear from him, saying he wouldn't know what to do if he didn't contact him by the next day. Ryu asks if Ken is OK and if he's hurt. Ken asks what made him think he was hurt and he wants him to fly out to the U.S for wedding photos. Ryu is surprised that this about wedding photos. Ken says Eliza is going crazy and will want him there since he's the best man. Ryu sighs as Ken continually asks if he will be there.

A moment later in Las Vegas, Ken tells Eliza that Ryu will make it after all, as they both watch a boxing match. Eliza is happy but asked why she was dragged out to a boxing match. Ken says they had a deal, he went to a Vegas Musical with her so now they can watch a boxing match together. Ken point out that one of the boxers is Balrog, a former heavyweight champion. He says that this is his first match back after his suspension. Eliza says this all seems dumb to her, two grown men hitting each other in the head until one of them falls. Ken says boxing is one of the most artistic and strategic sports out there and is a real thing of beauty. Balrog socks his opponent out, ending the match in a single punch. Eliza asks Ken if that's a thing of beauty.

Balrog is declared the winner by knockout, three seconds into the first round. As Balrog poses, he noticed Ken and Eliza in the crowd as people start to leave. Some time later, Balrog calls Vega up to tell him about who he just happened to see. Vega says he's busy at the moment and asks if he can call back later. Balrog says he might want to hear this, as it concerns a particular blonde he wants to beat up and his girlfriend too. This grabs Vega's interest and he says to give him five minutes and he will call back after he wraps up some business. 

In Madrid, Spain, Vega ends the call and apologizes for making people wait. Vega is in a cage match, his claw ready for action as he is surrounded by strong fighters. Vega asks them where they left off.

 

Street Fighter- Gen's Shame 

This takes place ten years ago in Hong Kong as a guy gives a hitman his objective. He'll get paid half now and the rest after the job is done. The client also has a special request, they want the man's head unharmed. He comments these mob guys always want their hits to be spectacular and symbolic when a shot to the back of the head would have sufficed. He says the customer is always right, especially when they pay that much. He tells the guy to be careful and now blow half the guy's head off. The hitman examines the pictures of his target. The man says his name is Gen and is very dangerous.

Later on in another part of Hong Kong, Gen is training Chun Li, who is a young girl at this point. Gen is impressed by her form and says her father's comments on her martial arts skills weren't exaggerated. Chun Li says she will become the strongest woman in the world. Gen says if she follows his teachings she will become just that. Chun Li says she plans to learn and perfect all of her forms and techniques. She adds that she wants to learn everything. 

 

Gen asks Chun Li if she is sure about it since not all knowledge is beneficial. Chun Li asks if he's hiding things from her. Gen states that there are some techniques that he hasn't shown her and some that he might never reveal to her. Chun Li asks if it's because he thinks she's not good enough to handle them. Gen says having a thirst for knowledge is the greatest trait for a martial artist but knowledge can be as much of a burden as it is a blessing. He says there are dark secrets that he never wants to weight upon Chun Li's mind and soul. She says the doesn't understand.

As they talk, a ninja hides behind one of the trees and whips out some shuriken. Gen senses his presence and calls out to Chun Li. The ninja tosses his throwing stars at them. Gen tells Chun Li to duck and shoves her aside as he catches the shuriken that were aimed at her head. Gen tells the ninja that coming to assassinate him is reasonable but putting one of his pupils at risk is unforgivable. Gen hits the ninja with his Gekiro attack, hitting the ninja with several kicks in mid-air.

 

Gen and the ninja both land on their feet and have an intense stare-down. The ninja charges towards Gen as the martial arts master assumes his stance. Chun Li watches as Gen dashes towards and past the ninja using his Zanei attack. Gen's hand drip with blood. The ninja stands still when suddenly the impact of all the unseen strikes hit him and he drops dead.

Gen asks Chun Li if she's hurt and offers her a hand. Gen realizes it's the same hand he just used to kill and turns away. He says he never wanted Chun Li to witness that and he apologizes. Chun Li stands up by herself and looks up at her master. Gen stares at his hand and says she now understands why there are several things he never wants her to learn. 

 

My Thoughts-

This was kind of a condensed issue, or rather the Mexican version. The story started with the inside page of the cover page and went all the way to the end without any pages devoted to ads, posters, fan mail or nothing. At first I thought I skipped a page or something, but no, page 1 is on the other side of the cover. I don't think this comic was any longer than the previous issues but this one seemed like they had a set page limit and had to sacrifice the extra fluff to make sure the story and back up story fit within the slotted pages.

Gen takes center stage in this issue and we see him kick some ass alongside Chun Li and Fei Long. I love how both the main and back up stories portrayed Gen's fighting styles. We also get a small cameo of Yun and Yang, which shows how Udon takes advantage of the benefit of hindsight. Though I am surprised they killed Lee off in the story unless it's a mistranslation. This would limit any future appearances to flashbacks, because believe me, Udon loves to dig into the classic Street Fighter one well whenever they can. The back up story did show Gen fighting against Geki after all.

 

Speaking of Geki, it's a wonder if Gen killed the actual guy that was in the first Street Fighter game. The Ibuki mini-series showed an entire Geki ninja clan with similar looking individuals so who knows. Again with the Alpha retcons, it sounds like the only match that really happened was Ryu facing Sagat in the finals. So far it really doesn't look like Adon, Gen and Geki didn't take part in Udon's take on the Street Fighter tournament. 

It's cool to see this mini-arc where Lady Xiayu and Lady Yanzu are the main villains. It's cool to see these two more forgotten Shadaloo Dolls take on a major role when they could have easily have used Juni and Juli from Alpha 3. From what I can tell Yanzu consistently uses a bo staff while Xiayu seems to alternate between nunchucks and a sword.

Xiayu and Yanzu got away so we'll see what else will happen to the Twin Empresses of Hong Kong. The way they took over the Triads and made a name of themselves while representing Shadaloo shows just how deep the level of brainwashing goes. Similar to Cammy and Satsuki their entire personalities change and they're free to do their own thing just as long as it serves Shadaloo and its current objective.

The one part that didn't quite flow well was Chun Li ever so cheerfully offering her hand to help Gen up, which the back up shows was similar to when he offered her a hand. The gesture makes sense thanks to the back up..... but um... Chun Li seems awful chipper and happy after Gen told her that he's dying not even a full minute earlier. The scene could have been written or drawn a bit better.

 

When it comes to weird translations, Balrog referred to Eliza as Ken's 'mujerzuela' which could be translated to whore or slut. I know the last issue used the word bitch but I don't think Udon would go that far with the language. Unless someone has a copy of this issue that can confirm, but I wanted to bet that maybe in the English version Balrog said something like 'bimbo' or 'tramp' because I doubt Udon would take it that far. 

Speaking of Balrog, I'm surprised it took this long to see him as we only get a brief cameo in the first story arc when Bison was attacking Charlie. That one cameo is the only time we see Balrog, Sagat and Vega with Bison as part of Shadaloo. We'll see what happens as Balrog and Vega have now set their sights on Ken and Eliza.

The final note is how funny it is to see Ryu adapt to the internet. I don't think he ever bothered to check or care that the user name Ken created for his email was 'Boring Ryu'.