Polite Dissent

Black Widow #2 Right to a Life, part 2
Richard K. Morgan, writer
Goran Parlov and Bill Sienkiewicz, artists

Natasha: Medusagen…? Sounds like a hormone.
Phil: Yeah, a really nasty one. You seen it before?
Natasha: No. But these I do recognize. You?
Phil: Pheno– I can’t even pronounce that. Painkillers?
Natasha: Military-issue painkillers. Very powerful. Very difficult to get hold of outside of military circles.

There are no such things as “military-issue painkillers.” The military uses the same painkillers available at any pharmacy.

Biochemically, acute pain is the same, no matter the cause. Why should the military need special painkillers? I doubt a soldier feels worse pain than a chronically ill cancer patient. If anything, military physicians are more restrictive in their choices of painkillers than most other physicians. First, space constraints need to be considered. There is very limited room for medications on a deployment; only the most useful drugs can be taken*. Second, many military personnel are limited in what drugs they are allowed to use because of their duties. Would you want a pilot or an armed guard taking a narcotic pain killer? Often, the best choice is a weaker painkiller in these situations.

Medusagen is a fictitious hormone, therefore it’s safe from my commenting. Well, mostly safe. I’d be interested to know what kind of hormone it is. Is it a female hormone? Is it an anabolic steroid? It is extremely unusual for a pregnant woman to be taking hormones…and what exactly makes this hormone “really nasty.”

---

* A photo of the medication cabinet in a typical USAF Air Transportable Clinic.