X-Men Unlimited #4 pg 12 (Bennett pencils, Moncuse inks, Lobdell story) - Graydon Creed abuses Lorette

Another page from one of my favorite issues, X-Men Unlimited #4 - THEORIES OF RELATIVITY.  

This page features Graydon Creed at his finest.  He was first introduced a year earlier in Uncanny X-Men #299 (1993), he is the "normal" son of Raven Darkholme (Mystique) and Victor Creed (Sabretooth).  He grew to hate his mutant heritage and helped form the terroist group FRIENDS OF HUMANITY.  He is captured so well to his horrific human form by Bennett/Moncuse art and Lobdell's script.  After freshly killing his private investigator, Gunther Reinhold, for trying to exhort him for more money regarding some new intel on another mutant relative, Kurt Wagner (aka, Nightcrawler) being his half brother.   Lorette attempts to have him leave immediately, per her orders, Graydon does not take well to orders by inferiors and especially doesn't like being "thrown out".  His true form continues to emerge and he takes his ill begotten frustrations out on her.   

The lower 1/2 splash panel really sells this page.   Lorette has been put in her place by this abuser, former lover, Graydon and we see the canary freed from it's cage, which was weaponized (in an earlier page) as it sits on the dead bloodied hand of Gunther.  Panels of his rage and her pain/fear stricken face add to the intensity of this page.  But her last stance, with her back to us, in a bit of a surrendered given up any opposition pose, is so beautifully executed, for such a horrific moment.  Her tight, lightly see through lingerie on her slightly broken pose and one word answer of "whatever" says everything you need in this page to understand the mood.  This new information sets up the story where we dive into the familial relationships between some of my favorite characters.