Important note:The continuity monster seems to have made itself known in this series. Becuase there’s some death and ressrection of characters going on. And things that make a person goes ‘huh?’ Making it a continuity-challenged story. Which makes me believe that series is a stand alone. The pressence of Gill, Oruchi (Resident gods) and Morrigan seems to bring this continuity monster to be. Hints point to the fact that this take place right before the deathmatch of Ryu and Ken (SF3). And I think I need a Panadol for my aching head
Basic infomation
– Ryu and ChunLi are lovers ( Thank you Yagami for the conjecture) CL unrelated to Vega
– Ryu is suppose to be one of the four main characters. Ryu, Iori, Ken and Kyo in this order. And the story revolves around them. Of the four, Ryu and Iori are the two most powerful fighters
Pilot issue – Starts off with Ryu having his death match with Ken. While elsewhere Kyo and Iori are having their death match. During an intense moment of the fight. the buildup from one side attracts the attention of the fighters from the other side.
– The evolves into a Ryu and Ken vs Iori and Kyo fight instead.
Volume 1 the first story (issue 1 to issue 26 ) Three months later
– A battle between Gill and Oruchi starts the comic And the duo ends up being sealed in some rock formation. After which we have Gouken sending Ryu off to some KOF tournament to reclaim something that belongs to them. The mission turned into a wild goose chase that causes more trouble then what its worth.
– While Ryu is doing some soul searching. Gouki shows up annoying him some. Telling Ryu that he will be needed when the two Resident gods (Gill and Oruchi ) be unsealed. So snap out out of it and go there
– Some fights, backstories and subterfuges on both sides later. Ryu had a run-in with various KOFers and Mai who was dressed as CL (just so to distract him). After that fight. he hung out at at Ryo’s dojo for a bit to learn more about reaching the perfect stage Satui no Hadou from Geese.
– CL makes her apperance, a fight with Blanka that caught the brooding Iori’s attention. Catch his attention she does. CL lures Iori into a trap where a bunch of 3rd Strikers were waiting to ambush him.
– The fight led CL and Iori to fall into some cave. As CL’s luck goes. She found Iori in another part of the cave having a fight with his own personal demon. And after being mistaken as Kasumi Iori killed CL (Iori thinks he did kill her. For the plot’s sake. we all should think he did kill her)
– Ignore scene of Ryu riding on a whale to the tournament ground and Iori riding a giant bat. As its just some things about their Satsui no Hadou and Riot of the blood affecting stuff
– Before these two can get there the tourney heats up so much and got out of hand when Rugal beats up the SFers(minus Ken who is not there yet) and Vega( Bison) beating up the KOFers. The frenzy overtook the two and cause them to beat up each other after killing everybody else.
– More mindless fights (duh) as Iori and Ken joins in, turning it into a free for all until Satsui no Hadou Ryu finally arrives and a decent bit of sanity returns and its finally Ryu vs Iori (Go Ryu!!)
– The two strongest guys going head to head to determine who be the better one
– Until Ryu discovered that his beloved CL was killed by Iori (apprently), he finally snaps and reaches his perfect stage Satsui no Hadou and faces off a complete Riot of the blood Iori
– Fight got messier when Gill was unsealed and that forced Ryu and Iori to work together
– Even worse is when Oruchi/Orochi (whatever) joins the fray and merges with Gill (Imagine – Long white hair, Orochi face, Gill colours and Orochi’s pants – one freaky entity but prettier and sleeker than bulky Gill. *LOL*)
– Fight fight fight. Ryu giving his last ditch for the fight before the new god kills him ditto for Iori leaving Kyo to finish off the new god.
– Morrigan pops by and grabbing the essence of the new god in hope to revive her darkstalkers. But nothing happen. Instead all dead SFers and KOFers are revived for the second story
– Ignore the hint of some SFers or KOFers having a wee bit of Darkstalker power
– Gouki? Him in 2nd story.1st one is cameo
Volume 2 the second story story (issue 27 to issue 46 )
– At Tokyo Tower, Gouki issue a challenge to all warriors to come for a fight a month later
– While Yagami seems to have a territory of his own. And in comes a new original character name Wu-Ya (Long white hair, Ryu’s headband, Ken’s bracers, Kyo KOF99 style black cross shirt and jeans) pops up. Somewhat relevant to the story and related to Morrigan and Iori.
– Seems like there is also another tourney going on
– One started by the apprently amnesiac Lord Vega. It is to find a husband for CL. Winner gets CL and Vega’s territory. Some warriors take up the challenge for money and glory, CL, while others go there for the sake of the fight (Ken, Ryo, Beni, Zangief, Terry and Joe.)
– It turns out that CL had inflitrated Vega’s base for revenge. But seeing him as an amnesiac she hung around him and make use of him to help her find Ryu. Hence such a fight with her as the prize. As she hopes that Ryu would show up to prevent his woman from being taken by some guy with bad intent
– While elsewhere, we have this nerdy reporter fellow with glasses thicker than mine. guy’s name is Peter although he looks somewhat Clark Kent-ish. Without his thick glasses he resembles Ryu much. And the way things go Peter is so relevant to this story that he ends up in the thick of things
– Peter being the reporter is assigned to keep track of the news of the fights, had a run-in with an annoyed Honda, who beat him up and caused him to fall out the window. who have died if not for Ken(drove by in his car) who save him since Peter resembles Ryu
– Ryo and Kim shows up and break up the fight. Somehow Ken is baffled by the silly and somewhat wussy (Ken’s words) looking Peter. Half convince that Peter could not be Ryu. Yet he can’t shake off a naggy feeling that Peter is Ryu.
– While Ryo just had to look Ken up to tell him that although he joins the fight, he has no intentions whatsover on CL. So please inform Ryu if he sees him.
– While at a press conference with Iori, Peter hears Iori aknowledging Ryu as his worthy challenger, but why is Iori’s attention on Peter as he speaks
– Day of the fight itself. Ryu hadn’t turn up. But Peter the reporter show up and took pictures.
– Ahem, back to CL. Lord Vega shows his true colors that he was also using her to lure Ryu out.
– But because of Gouki showing up the fight got canceled as little fights erupt all around. Gouki turns attention back to his so call tourney and leaves.
– The other person to be disappoint is Honda, who apprently enter the fight for CL.
– Various other fights later
– And Peter gets visits by Gouki who tells him the current Gouki is an imposter. And why is he calling him ‘Ryu’? So is he dreaming or are things for real?
– And so Peter decides to head to this mountain that Gouki mention and checks things out. Gets beaten up by ‘Gouki’ there
– A gathering of heroes as CL and everybody heads up to the mountain to see what the big fuss is about.
– A berserk Gouki beats up everybody while the injured Peter reveals to Ken the truth about Gouki
– A whole big messy fight as everybody tries to stop him. Something big is brewing in the air.
– One flashback later, Shin Gouki summons Ryu. Ryu regains his memory and joins the fray, The main villian here is Pyron. Of course the only person who happy to see Ryu again is CL.
– Gouki and Pyron fights. A huge explosiuon of flame follows. Ryo rescues King. While CL unable to get away fast enough but she was saved in the nick of time by Ryu (39 issues later some form of interaction… sheesssh)
– She couldn’t find the words to say, a simple touch is more than enough. Ryu smiles as he sees her again.
– But. But Ryu tells her to go wait for him at their usual place while he finishes the fight at hand.
– CL knows that her pressence here would distract him. So she tells him that she’ll be waiting there and left. And Ryu gets in a fight with Wu-Ya
– Fight turns into a long talk about the darkstalkers, Iori, Ryu and Wu-ya’s role in it all.(hints point to Wu-Ya being the a future + alternate realtiy son of Iori and Morrigan because of encounter in prelude of chapter 26)
– Gouki ended this saga by defeating Pyron and righting the balance.
– And another fight between Kyo and Iori is to happen again. Gouki tells Ken of the time he was trap in another dimension. While Iori met a girl who looks like Kasumi
– While Ryu is hanging out at some quiet temple.
– On day of Kyo and Iori fight, Ken became possessed by other worldly creature and aims to kill Ryo ( nearest guy around) but Ryu came along and stop him. Beat the demon out of Ken and stop the Iori and Kyo fight, giving over to Iori the burden of be the world saviour and left with Ken.
– And this volume ends
Volume 3 the third story story (issue 47 to issue 54 )
– No mention whatsoever of the the last 2 volumes storyline. Smacks a bit of the Ryu – Final manga
– We got Ryu training at the waterfall and Ken showing up. He has his family to motivate him on. What has Ryu got? And starts a fight with Ryu.
– Beating Ryu up. And says that he now deserves to fight Gouki. If Ryu wants to take back that right prove it at the CVS tourney
– So off went Ryu for his training. first stop is to Sagat. but Sagat deems him unworthy as he finds that there’s something missing. So end up fighting of Adon and later accepting Ryo Sakazaki’s challenge (smacks of Dudley vs Ryu fight in Ryu – Final manga)
– How can it be that he is losing to Ryo? And then he gets a flashback of a lesson Gouken gave him about that falling leave (hmmm)
– And that Ryo and Ryu unleash that one straight punch of which Ryu won (hmmm Kaze no Ken……). And both guys promise to train harder so as to not disappoint the other the next time they get another fight on.
– Other fights and Iori jamming on his guitar and his on-off fights with Kyo, Run-ins with Guile and Ken. A Rugal vs Gouki fight later
– We get tourney day that has Ken getting a headache over who his other 2 partners would be. Sagat demands to be his partner while Guile shoves CL over to him. An annoyed Ken starts a fight with CL but for once she beats him up Surpising Ken with the fact that her powers have grown some
– So at the tourney. CL didn’t have much trouble until she ran into Dan (a Gouki powered Rugal infuse Dan with his qi)
– Just in time for Ryu to show up at this last issue and takes on Dan and take over for CL
– And the fights just go on and on as this last issue ends
And thank you for making it to the bottom of this page.
For once CL gets to beat up a top tier guy (Ken and at earlier point Iori). But compared to the other ladies she gets more screen time, lines and plays an important enough part where Ryu and Iori are concern (the perks being Ryu’s woman. If you can call that a perk)
Oh and she earn her own Wai Zhuan where she beat up Geese Howard (where Yuri got kidnapped again)