Polite Dissent

Elektra #32, #33, and #34 “Fever, Parts 1-3″
Rob Rodi, writer
Steven Cummings, penciler

I was worried when I started reading the first issue and found a major mistake on the second page. Luckily the rest of the story arc was fine from a medical point of view. (The story was too thin for a three-parter, and all the chararacters — especially the male characters — looked a little too cartoony…but the medical facts were good).

Elektra, recently back from a mission to Southeast Asia has picked up an influenza virus. Will it interfere with her mission to kill a Russian mobster? (Spoiler: yes, but of course she succeeds.)

The first issue is mostly set up, while the second and third issue show Elektra under the effects of the virus: weakened, febrile, hallucinating.

The influenza virus is correctly shown to be a serious infection. Influenza is a particularly nasty virus, one that we in the US do not take as seriously as we should. Fever and chills are common with influenza. However, as influenza is a respiratory virus, I would have expected Elektra to show more respiratory symptoms (cough, for instance). She is shown gasping for breath in one scene, and shortness of breath is a common symptom of influenza.

The mistake on page 2? The radio in the background of Elektra’s room: “In international news, reports of a virulent new strain of flue virus that’s seemingly resistant to all existing varieties of penicillin…”

Influenza is a virus. Penicillin is an antibiotic – that means that it works on bacteria, not viruses. All strains of influenza, in fact all viruses, are immune to pencillin. This may be a common mistake (see recent Avengers issues, and many Batman issues dealing with the “Clench” virus), but still one that shows a misunderstanding of one of the basic principles of modern medicine.