Deathlok #17-21 "Cyberwar"
Writer: Gregory Wright
Penciler: (#17-19, 21) Walter McDaniel (#20) Tom Raney/J.J. Birch
Inker: (#17-18 ) Jimmy Palmiotti, (#19) Kim DeMulder,
Colorist: (#17-18) Gregory Wright, (#20) Kevin Somers, (#21) Sara Mosoff
Letterer: Ken Lopez

The new administration at Roxxon make a deal with Deathlok; they'll tell him where his human body is in exchange for shutting down a rogue cyborg plant run by Harlan Ryker in Paris using stolen Cybertek technology. Deathlok takes the deal, although Fury advises him to stay out of it.

Arriving in Paris with Silver Sable and her Wild Pack, Deathlok encounters the cyborg warrior army. During the battle the former human host of the Deathlok unit, John Kelly, escapes into one of the cyborg warriors and becomes Siege. With the first lab cleared out, Silver Sable leaves just as Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. arrive. Deathlok and Fury have a falling out as Deathlok learns that Fury was holding out information on the whereabouts of his human body. The base collapses and Deathlok moves on finding Ryker.

Ryker brings his cyborg army to the Middle East where Deathlok and S.H.I.E.L.D. and Roxxon collide for an all-out battle.

• Continuity Notes
• Appearances by Fury in issues #17, 19-21
• Appearance by Alexander Pierce, Gabe Jones, Dum Dum, and N'Gami
• Dum Dum is serving as director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Fury had knowledge of the whereabouts of Collins's human body, but did not indicate for how long.
• Gregory Wright would later serve as the final writer on the S.H.I.E.L.D. comic
• For more, check out our interview with Editor Gregory Wright

Review
Worthwhile addition to any S.H.I.E.L.D. fan's collection, primarily for the tight continuity with the S.H.I.E.L.D. title courtesy of writer Gregory Wright, although Fury is not portrayed in a very good light. Its a shame after the firm friendship established in both character's respective titles, that it should end on such a sour note. Deathlok's words of wisdom to Fury "Technology isn't always an ally" is a well deserved attack on Fury with his heavy reliance on LMDs and other various paraphernalia. Although done so by coincidence, a curious dark character trait to Fury has become his obsession with technology that replaces or augments human soldiers; evidenced here by his desire to obtain the Cybertrek technology and later with the next Deathlok unit inhabited by Jack Truman.

The story and art is typical busy 90's style with a plethora of guest-stars and slugfests. Two new cyborg warriors, Siege and Coldblood join the fray making for sometimes confusing action. Deathlok, together with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Silver Sable seemed to coexist nicely together in a small corner of the 90's Marvel universe and this was the last gasp of this continuity. Well worth for a buy if found cheap.

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