Original Series - Page 3 #22 - May 1998 Part 3 of 6 Cover Ian is having difficulty controlling the Witchblade, it’s taking him over. Sara is visiting her ‘Mom’ Ruth who’s her aunt not her mother, it’s also clear that Sara doesn’t know where her real Mom is. Ruth tells Sara to go easy on Julie and to be careful, and almost lets slip something about her father. Sara gets called away to the scene of a murder which she has to keep Jake away from as his ex - fiancée Cynthia is the victim. Jake is devastated to hear of Cynthia’s murder and has Julie with him for company. While they’re talking Jake realises that Cynthia was in New York for Gavin Taylor’s appearance and heads to the station. Sara’s at Cynthia’s autopsy and the only real clue that’s found is a button which the victim had swallowed. Later Sara’s walking through the city when someone stops her, it’s Ian who’s in need of saving from the Witchblade. #23 - June 1998 Part 4 of 6 Cover The Witchblade is killing Ian and starts lashing out at passers by. Sara commands it to stop and it obeys, she then convinces Ian to stay at her apartment until she can think of a way to get the Witchblade off him. In Times Square Jake is trying to organise a meeting with Taylor but is pushed away, even by fellow police officers. He goes snooping around and meets a woman who’s willing to talk and who gives him her number. However the meeting has been observed by Taylor who’s not pleased. Sara’s researching buttons in the library and discovers her button is made by the Ming Do Garment Company. She’s joined by Julie who is off to do her own investigating into Gavin Taylor. Ian has left Sara’s apartment and has gone to see Gahan at Level 42 to find out what exactly was done to him in the year he spent there at the command and expense of Ken Irons. Before he can get any answers the Witchblade takes over and kills Gahan. Sara goes to the Ming Do company and finds out some more about the button, like that Irons had a suit with them on. Taylor wants Jake and his errant female employee killed, and is planning an evening of seduction. #24 - July 1998 Part 5 of 6 Cover Cynthia’s parents have come to New York to ID their daughter’s body and it’s clear they’re Prosperites too, which only angers Jake further. In Chinatown Sara’s waiting for her takeaway. On her way out she gets jumped by three guys who she deals with easily. At the same time she goes all ‘Witchblade’, and then it’s gone again. Elsewhere Ian has been hired by Taylor to eliminate Caroline. Sara returns to the Ming Do company enraged by the attack on her and gets nasty with Mr Do, whilst doing so she notices a photo on his wall, one of Gavin Taylor, Kenneth Irons and her father. Gavin Taylor’s date for the evening is Julie, who’s digging for information on Cynthia. In the subway Jake has gone to meet Caroline to learn more about Taylor. He’s on the train to the platform where she’s waiting when he sees her, and Nottingham behind her. Ian doesn’t kill her but she’s knocked out, and then the same happens to Jake… #25 - August 1998 Part 6 of 6 Cover DF Black and White Cover Still angry Sara’s now at Siry’s demanding answers about her father. Before she can get anywhere she ‘feels’ Ian again and has to leave. The Witchblade has completely taken over Ian and he leaves Jake and Caroline to die on the subway track, they manage to escape though. Julie’s still with Gavin who turns on her for distracting him while he’s on the phone, then someone else enters the room who grabs Gavin by the neck and then slams his head into the floor. He then debates what to do with Julie, the man is Kenneth Irons - very much alive. Jake and Miss Lemay have managed to get away from the subway but Nottingham is still after them, he’s barely human anymore. He really hurts Jake and then turns on Caroline. At this point Sara arrives to take him on, she shoots him repeatedly but it has no effect and as a last resort she shoots one of the gems off the Witchblade causing a huge explosion. Sara regains the blade, minus the gem. Central Park West - the missing gem is now in the possession of Irons. #26 - October 1998 Part 1 of 10 Cover In the aftermath of Sara’s battle with Nottingham the WB, minus its red gem, seems calmer. Sara is also introduced to her fill in partner, Eric Sketh. Jake’s in hospital, and in a vaulted chamber Nottingham lies, cared for by Setsuke. Meanwhile Gavin Taylor introduces Kenneth Irons as the new leader of the First Church of Holy Prosperity. Sara returns to her apartment and finds she has an intruder, her sister Julie, and that Kenneth Irons is alive and well. Later on Siry gets a visit from Irons who wants to talk… #27 - November 1998 Part 2 of 10 Cover It’s clear Siry and Irons go way back together and despite his protests Siry isn’t going to be allowed to forget old allegiances. Irons gives him a small gold box. Sara visits Jake in hospital and ends up using the WB to heal him. Taylor is preparing to give a press conference when he is attacked by a masked assailant, or so it seems. Taylor is fine and his would be assassin, Setsuke, is captured by his security men. Sara meets up with Eric at a museum to talk work and he shows her an exhibit of artefacts very similar to the WB. Back with Gavin Setsuke’s discovering the consequences of her attempt on his life, an act which wakes Nottingham and leaves him bent on revenge. Sara and Eric are called to the murder of a doctor which looks like an S&M session gone wrong… #28 - February 1999 Part 3 of 10 Cover Eric and Sara begin their murder investigation and find they work well together. Siry has a flashback to a robbery investigation he worked as a young detective which led him to a makeshift graveyard in the Bronx and a secret society who forced him to abandon his enquiries. Setsuke is still being held by Gavin, who wants to know who wanted him dead. Back at the scene Sara and Eric are waiting for a cab to arrive when the flat is broken into by a gunman. Taylor is about to kill Setsuke when Ian bursts in. Sara is still in trouble until she shoots their attacker in the shoulder. She follows him out and he jumps her. Things look bad until the WB joins in. Sara and Eric try to corner the guy but before they can talk to him he shoots himself, leaving them with just one lead, he’s a Mafia man. #29 - March 1999 Part 4 of 10 Cover Sara meets up with a young woman named Jeanny who knows who the Doctor’s killer is. She says the murderer is a young woman exacting her revenge on the people who turned a blind eye to her father, Lou Pironi, molesting her. When Sara asks the woman to come down to the station and the girl agrees but then leaves the church. Sara chases after her, almost getting knocked down by a car which the WB protects her from. Back at the station Sara goes to see Siry, they’re talking when the WB reacts to the box on Siry’s desk, the box Irons gave him. On her way out Sara runs into Jake who’s now working in the Research Department and trying to nail Gavin Taylor, and who helps her out with a lead. Taylor is flying back into New York, we can see he’s branded with the same symbols as Ian and it’s clear from his reflection that everything is not quite right. Sara’s chasing up her Mafia lead when the WB shows itself and the mobsters realise who she is and try to take her. She fights her way out to the car, and starts following up another piece of the puzzle, one of the abused girl’s teachers. However before Sara can reach her the attacker strikes again. #30 - April 1999 Part 5 of 10 Cover Siry has been taken to Irons by Nottingham and it’s clear there’s no way out for him. It becomes evident that Siry murdered Sara’s father for Irons and is also required to murder Sara too, much to his dismay. Back at the station Sara goes to chat with Jake and she tells him all that’s happened to her concerning the WB to date, while Eric listens at the door. She’s also realised that her informant is actually the murderer. In a church Pironi’s discussing how to eliminate his daughter Jeanny before she causes any more problems, he wants to organise a trade with rival mob boss Fancetti; kill my daughter and I’ll give you Pezzini and the WB. In the same church his daughter comes for communion in disguise, the priest another who turned a blind eye. Sara’s travelled to Jeanny Pironi’s centre for abused children to track her down. She finds her but before she can take her in Jeanny’s taken by Jackie Estacado who’s been hired to carry out the hit on her. They drive off with Sara following on foot, Jeanny and Jackie fight and the car gets out of control, Jackie shoots Jeanny and Sara ends up being attacked by the WB. Meanwhile Irons wants an end to the problems Setsuke’s been causing and asks Ian to eliminate her. Ian returns to her and she knows she has to die but asks for one night with him before her death. Ian obliges but as they embrace Ian’s hand is on his sword… #31 - May 1999 Part 6 of 10 Cover After sharing one night together Ian carries out his orders and executes Setsuke. Back on the road after Jackie’s hit 2 officers have arrived at the scene and have discovered the body. A forensics guy then discovers Sara and the Witchblade attacks him as he tries to help her. Sara gets control of the Witchblade and then hides from the officers. On a country estate somewhere Gavin Taylor is indulging his carnal desires, an addiction which has pretty much ended his career with Irons and his freedom, as Jake and his team crash his party. When Sara returns home she finds a box waiting for her, it’s filled with mementos of her father and trinkets of his. The items and newspaper clippings lead her to one conclusion - Siry killed her father. Joe appears at the door and confesses. Sara goes crazy, threatening Joe who claims Irons forced him to kill her father, that it was Sara or Frank and that Irons wanted Sara and Joe felt he had to hide her. Eric Sketh’s gone to see Pironi to inform him his daughter’s dead. He doesn’t care and doesn’t want to ID her. We also learn Eric spent 6 months in prison for shooting a man. #32 - July 1999 Part 7 of 10 Cover In a dream we see a group of shadowy figures chanting whilst stood around what looks like a gem from the Witchblade, while close by a baby, probably Sara, lies in a cot. Sara wakes to find a new gem in the Witchblade. Whilst waiting for a train Sara plays with the new gem, which causes the Witchblade to blast a hole in the wall of the subway. When she arrives at work she finds Siry has resigned and tells Jake why. A guy then comes to see Sara, he tells her Drexler is waiting to talk to her about Lisa. Later Jake goes to interrupt one of Irons’ business meetings to find Taylor, Irons is happy for Jake to take him. Jake questions Taylor about Cynthia, he admits to killing her because she wouldn’t sleep with him. Jake punches him and Taylor’s face under the skin is scaly and inhuman. Back at Irons' place Ian is angry over Setsuke’s death, and Irons has a new gold hand. Sara goes to talk to Drexler about Lisa. As the two talk  they are being watched. Drexler runs off and she follows, only to be confronted by a man/creature called Shine. As they fight, ending with Shine’s defeat, they are being watched.