Original Series - Page 2 #11 - December 1996 Part 2 of 5 Cover Sara goes after the hooded figure but all she finds is the hood and a small piece of material which is similar to the Witchblade. At Daytona Beach superbike track Jake’s contact Bruce Wilder is meeting with a Yakuza man named Takata to exchange information while one of the riders commits suicide on the track. Worried about Lisa, Sara visits Dannette Boucher’s place. Lisa’s not there and having met the lady of the house Sara’s even more worried about her. #12 - March 1997 Part 3 of 5 Cover Flashback: Sara’s father, Vincent ‘Frank’ Pezzini and Joe Siry are called to a triple homicide where 3 young women have been murdered, cooked form the inside out. Over in Little Italy Sara and Jake are at the scene of the murder of a Mafia man, apparently committed by a Japanese hitman. Siry decides to pull Sara and Jake off the Microwave Murderer case, in another flashback we see Siry telling Mrs Pezzini, Sara and Julie that their husband/father has been shot in the line of duty. Joe rings Sara telling her he needs to talk to her. Unable to get answers out of Sara Jake agrees to meet Bruce at Grand Central Station, whilst they’re talking Bruce is shot and Jake goes after the gunman, catching up with him, but before he can learn anything the gunman is shot by a sniper. Jake then realises Bruce has disappeared… #13 - April 1997 Part 4 of 5 Cover Sara goes over to Siry’s place to talk and he tells her that the Microwave Murderer was around in the late 60s and 70s and that her father wasn’t really shot but was a victim of the murderer. The next day Sara goes to Boucher’s studio to meet Lisa, it’s clear Lisa’s been taken in by the glamour of her new environment and has no plans to return home. Back at the station Siry tells Jake he and Sara are off the Microwave Murderer case, Jake’s angry until he sees a photo of the latest victim, the reporter Becca. As part of their investigation into the Mafia murder Sara and Jake pay the Yakuza a visit. Mr Takata’s previous appointment is just leaving as they arrive, it’s Bruce, who pretends not to know Jake. The Yakuza want the Witchblade, which flies off Sara’s wrist and into the air. Back at the station Siry gets a call from Lisa who’s in need of help. The Witchblade gets out of control and kills most of Takata’s men as well as hurting Jake. Sara clicks that there’s a big connection between Bruce, Lisa and Irons, she looks for information on the Police computer and the falls asleep. Whilst sleeping she dreams about Dannette Boucher and Irons together in Athens years ago, when they were married. When she wakes she looks at photos of the victims and sees they are all wearing rings like Lisa and Bruce’s, and realises Irons isn’t dead. Siry’s breaks into Boucher’s home on Long Island and going to an ajar door he looks through the gap and sees Lisa kneeling on the floor, with Bruce standing over her… #14 - May 1997 Part 5 of 5 Cover Irons, having retrieved the Witchblade, is conducting tests on the gauntlet and has obviously tried to wield it himself as his right arm ends in a bandaged stump. In the present day Sara wakes from her dream of past events on her way to Boucher’s home with Jake. Inside Siry halts the ritual Bruce is performing just as Sara and Jake burst in. Bruce jumps through the window and Jake fires at him, injuring Lisa. While Jake goes after Bruce Sara takes care of Lisa and the Witchblade alerts her to a presence. In another flashback we see Irons forcing the Witchblade onto his wife, with her being rejected but left with part of it embedded in her. Sara walks into a room and sees Dannette, covered by a Witchblade – like substance. Sara learns that Dannette was Irons’ wife and that it’s her who has committed all the murders, in flashback we see that Sara’s father also had suspicions about Dannette. Dannette then attempts to give her portion of the Witchblade back to Sara. Outside Jake has caught up with Bruce but is getting beaten up badly, ending with Bruce breaking Jake’s arm. Siry catches the pair up and has Bruce at gun point but it’s obvious that Bruce has some hold over him and he allows to Bruce to escape. Sara takes back the power from Dannette and kills her. Just before she dies Dannette tells Sara that she didn’t murder her father. As Sara takes Lisa home Bruce cradles Dannette’s body, his mother’s body. #15 - July 1997 Part 1 of 3 Cover The Yakuza are planning a series of hits in New York and are going to call on the services of a man named Tora No Shi to achieve their aims. After the events at Dannette’s mansion Sara and Jake are in serious trouble with Captain Lofrumento which results in both of them being suspended. On her way out of the building Sara is approached by a man named Gahan who offers her a job in the Justice Department. Jake goes home to San Diego and is welcomed with open arms by his parents and an old flame. Sara meets Gahan and is shown around his department, Level 42, and is given her first assignment. Jake and his old flame Cynthia are getting on well and Sara boards her flight. Later on an explosion rips through Sara’s station, Tora No Shi has begun his campaign against NYC. Sara arrives at her destination, Rio De Janeiro. #16 - August 1997 Part 2 of 3 Cover Whilst Sara’s enjoying the sun in Rio Jake is learning of the destruction of the station via the evening news. Later Sara’s enjoying the high life in the casino when she faints and is caught by one of the patrons. When she wakes she finds herself bound and gagged inside a lab where others are being held and discovers her mission was a set up to get her to Rio. It seems she’s wanted as part of a super human army. She breaks free of her bonds only to be injected with sedative again but before it can work some of the other ‘inmates’ come to life. They fight their way to the exit, but when she won’t join them they turn on her. Sara and the Witchblade are weakened by the drug and cannot defend themselves… #17 - September 1997 Part 3 of 3 Cover Still being pursued Sara and the Witchblade wake up and fight back, with bloody consequences, but she’s still out numbered. Back in New York Captain Lofrumento is organising a group of cops, the White Bulls, who are planning their own revenge on the Yakuza, which Siry reluctantly agrees to be a part of. Back in the jungle Sara is still in trouble, until a black - clothed, sword - wielding figure appears. In San Diego Jake is leaving for New York again, upsetting Cynthia and his parents. Driving across town in his sports car Jackie Estacado is planning his own revenge attacks. Yakuza boss Takata is giving Tora No Shi more orders, and in the room with him is Bruce Wilder who is trading information again. The sword bearer kills all of Sara’s attackers and then comes after her too, she runs but the figure catches her up and turns out to be Ian Nottingham… #18 - November 1997 Family Ties Part 1 of 4 Cover The action starts in a museum in the aftermath of a blood bath and then switches to two days earlier where Wilder is meeting with a man named Sonatine, organising for Sonatine to hire a mercenary. Over on Staten Island Sara and Jake are back on the force as a result of the explosion at the station, with Jake sporting a new clean cut image. A Mafia man has been killed, the one eyewitness reporting that the murderer introduced himself as Jackie Estacado. In New Jersey Nottingham is meeting with Takata, it is clear the two have some history together. Moving on a day Sara has tracked down Jackie with help from her informant Drexler. She meets Jackie and the Witchblade goes crazy, then all hell breaks loose when a Yakuza SWAT team burst through the window. Jackie escapes the scene pursued by Yakuza members and Sara. He kills all the Yakuza guys and thinks he’s safe when he’s knocked to the ground by a tiger - topped cane and comes face to face with Tora No Shi…Continued in Darkness Vol. 1 #9 and #10/Family Ties Parts 2 and 3 of 4 #19 - December 1997 Family Ties Part 4 of 4 Cover The blood bath has come to pass, a massacre instigated by Sonatine and Wilder with dozens of police and others injured or killed, and with Nottingham having the power of both the Darkness and the Witchblade. However, this is a bad combination as it causes strange disturbances. Sara and Jackie decide to try and take back their powers to prevent further damage but before they can one of the dinosaur skeletons comes to life and throws Sonatine from the room. Wilder is enjoying the chaos he’s caused by inviting Sara and the Witchblade to the party. Sara and Jackie enter the energy surrounding Ian to try and retrieve their weapons. Meanwhile Siry confronts Wilder and this times puts a bullet in his head. Jackie takes back the Darkness but Sara refuses the Witchblade and so it stays with Nottingham. #20 - February 1998 Part 1 of 6 Cover Despite having lost the Witchblade Sara’s mind is still being plagued by dreams and voices. The police station has been rebuilt in the wake of the Yakuza bombing. Jake is incredibly suspicious of Sara after the events at the museum and the two fall out. The latest big thing to come to New York is D. Gavin Taylor’s First Church of Holy Prosperity. Mr Taylor is a former rock star turned guru whose personal morals leave a lot to be desired. Jake is generally annoyed about the whole situation regarding events at the museum and the aftermath and is put in his place by Chief Siry. Sara promises to explain things to him, but she has a burning desire to go to the subway. Down beneath the subway Sara finds Ian Nottingham, she wants to talk about the Witchblade, he agrees but first he needs to borrow Sara… #21 - March 1998 Part 2 of 6 Cover Ian goes into a Japanese restaurant and to the back room where the Yakuza are to rescue a girl, Setsuke. The plan doesn’t go as expected and Sara has to come and get the girl out while Ian kills the guards. Setsuke isn’t grateful for Sara’s help and tells her to go. Ian and Setsuke meet to have a book sent to her family, Setsuke would like a relationship with Ian but he feels like a father to her and so refuses. Sara goes to visit her “Mom”, and Ian meets with a man who’s glad to see him and who does not want to lose Ian again.