Samurai vol. 2 #1 Aircel Publishing, 1987, colour.
1 Samurai vol. 2 #1 1 cover Barry Blair, Pat McEown
Syrian Desert: Hotachi is trying to rescue reporter Mr. Alabaster from Khomeini's fanatics. The reporter has information on terrorist activity. He is killed by Arabs trying to stop them. Hotachi kills several but is chewed out by Velvet (she telling him she is mistaken thinking that he could fill the void left by Toshiro) as well as Prof. Stringfellow ("you are unstable, violent, incapable of commanding restraintññmy God, man, you're a walking time bomb!"). Hotachi tells Homer and Archie that he loves the danger, the violence, the death, "God help me. I love it." Hotachi goes for a walk and reflects on things: how he knows hundreds of ways to kill a man with his bare hands, how some of his memories must be Toshiro's, how the world has beauty but nothing made by man...like him. Hotachi thinks the love and happiness Toshiro felt is what got him killed. He also feels he doesn't feel emotions. Gen is letting Hotachi live upstairs in her place. She treats him like her little brother. He thinks of her as his sister...or is that Toshiro's thoughts. He feels someone following him...and for once it is a fun someone...a snowball hits him in the head. Simon who hit him with it. Lee (with thick hair) and Yue (with a red or pink Mohican cut). Gen opened up a ballet studio and makes Simon, Yue, and Lee take lessons. Black and Prof. Stringfellow think the boys need to be taught about social graces and be less clumsy. Gen thinks Hotachi may be developing a sense of humor when he suggests putting slush in their leotards (after Gen laughs that they got him with a snowball). John passes by to ask him if he wants to go to the pub for a pint of guiness. The boys want to see Gen put Hotachi over her knee (Yue calls her a kinky wench). Gen feels Hotachi is opening up more now. He sort of grows on you, she feels. Someone (Hotachi? The bad guy coming up? An old man?) sees flashbacks and memories dealing with the battlesuit, Hotachi, Quan and the Naganata). He spies out the area around the house of Gennin, happy that Hotachi likes to stay alone...it suits him and his kind just fine when they come for him...