Wins, losses, and an oath to keep are all on the table in Wolverine #7, by writers Benjamin Percy and Gerry Duggan, artist Joshua Cassara, colorist GURU-eFX, and letterer Cory Petit. Part sixteen of X Of Swords, this issue dispenses with the set-up and gets right to the action, but the Krakoans are learning there is more to this tournament than meets the eye.

Magik is taken to the kingdom of Roma Regina for her battle with Pogg Ur-Pogg, but it’s not a sword fight but an arm-wrestling contest, which the massive reptile easily wins. Wolverine finds himself in Blightspoke, the graveyard of realities, and is thrown into a fierce battle with Summoner. The two battle through the shearing winds of dead realities, and Wolverine kills him… but he loses the point because the fight was to the death, and Summoner died. He later finds himself in a drinking contest with Storm as part of the tournament, and they get Krakoa a point. However, Mad Jim Jeffries spikes the liquor with one of Death’s scarabs. Wolverine, very drunk, is suddenly teleported into a battle between Solem and War- Solem made him promise to help Solem whenever he called for it in exchange for helping Wolverine get one of the Murasama blades. The fight is until someone loses an appendage, and Wolverine realizes that the only reason he’s this drunk is that his healing factor is gone. War gets the upper hand against the drunk mutant, but he’s able to cut off one of her hands with his claws, getting Arrako a point.

Percy and Duggan deliver the goods with this chapter of X Of Swords, which isn’t surprising for writers of their caliber. It’s all killer, no filler- just the tournament at its finest, and things are looking very bad for the Krakoans. While everyone probably thought these would be fights to the death, it’s all being done according to Saturnyne’s rules- Magik would have easily been able to take down Pogg Ur-Pogg… except in an arm wrestling. Summoner puts up a good fight, but Wolverine is easily his superior, but the wording of the contest thwarts him. Saturnyne has it in for Wolverine since he tried to kill her in Marauders #14, so she pretty much screws him over for the rest of the issue. This allows Jeffries to take away his healing factor while giving Krakoa an easy point and then allowing Solem to use Wolverine as a proxy combatant.

It’s all manipulation, and it asks an interesting question- what exactly is Saturnyne’s game here? So far, she’s pretty much allowed the Arrako side a lot of leeway, and while the Krakoans two points have been earned easily, every other fight has in some way been turned against them. Maybe she hopes that if Arrako and Amenth are busy taking over Krakoa and Earth, they’ll spare her realm? This issue is exactly what X Of Swords should be- too many of the chapters have been set-up or predictable. This issue gets down to the nitty-gritty and shows the mutants and readers that none of this is going to go like they expected, and that’s a very good thing.

Joshua Cassara’s art is amazing in this issue, especially Wolverine and Summoner’s battle in Blightspoke, as the shifting winds of reality shear through them, changing the battlefield and them. His detail throughout is top-notch, and GURU-eFX’s colors top the whole thing off perfectly. The art in this book is just as good as the writing, and that’s saying something.

Wolverine #7 is everything that X Of Swords could be, but that’s hardly a surprise, seeing as how Percy has already been responsible for the best parts of the crossover so far. Together with Duggan, who after a bit of a long-winded, rocky start in Marauders #13, has really stepped up his game with issues #14, #15, and this one, they weave an exciting tale that gives readers more than they expected and changes the game for everyone. Combine that with Cassara’s amazing art, and this one is a rollicking good time.

Grade: A