WOLVERINE vol 8 #26
“Savage Journey”
Writer: Saladin Ahmed
Artist: Julius Ohta
Colour artist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: Cory Petit
Editor: Mark Basso

COVER: Wolverine, with the three “savage champions” from issue #20. Only two of them actually appear in this story, Red Hare and Boneclaw. The one on the left is Wolf With a Gun, and presumably we’ll see him in due course.

There’s not a great deal to be said about this issue, but let’s run through it.

WOLVERINE: 

Last issue, he regained his healing factor and the bone claws on his right-hand grew back. As this story begins, he’s uncertain whether to call in some favours and get them coated in adamantium again. On the one hand, his adamantium was originally foisted on him against his will and he’s uncomfortable with the idea that it defines him. But at the same time he clearly does think of it as his default setting, and seems to worry that he’s being self-indulgent in not making himself the strongest Wolverine he can be.

His narration lists a string of other recent failures: “failing the New Morlocks, Silver Sable cutting things off, bumping heads with Alpha Flight, watching Mor die”. The New Morlocks rejected Wolverine in issue #20, with Silver Sable choosing to stay with them and fulfil her contract. Alpha Flight and Mor were last issue.

Somehow, he gets transported to the home world of Red Hare, one of the “savage champions” that he previously met in issue #20. In issue #19, we were told that each world has a “savage champion” who embodies “man”, “beast” and “metal” in a single soul, and who is uniquely capable of defeating the Adamantine, apparently as some kind of predestined event that plays out on each world. In issue #20, three other savage champions – all obvious Wolverine counterparts – show up to help against the Adamantine, but they were shown waiting in a limbo location for the point where they were able to enter. Here, Wolverine just gets transported to Red Hare’s world. It’s not clear why this happens – Red Hare denies having actively done anything to bring Wolverine there, beyond pray for aid. Nonetheless, Wolverine decides to help out, since he owed Red Hare a favour anyway.

He still hasn’t adjusted to fighting with bone claws, and shatters them anew while fighting the Adamantine.

SUPPORTING CAST:

Nightcrawler. He encourages Wolverine to make a decision about whether to restore his adamantium, but he’s neutral about what that decision should be. He’s going on a date with MacKenzie DeNeer, his girlfriend from current issues of Uncanny X-Men, though she doesn’t appear.

Red Hare. Last seen in issue #20, but this is the first time we’ve seen his homeworld. His home appears to be a version of China at some vaguely medieval point in history. (There was an actual Gao Wei in the sixth century, but Red Hare’s armour looks far too modern for that.) He refers to a “threefold kingdom”, which doesn’t seem to be a real-world term.

Despite his “savage champion” billing, he seems like quite a cheerful fellow, and the locals regard him as a hero and protector of the people.

Boneclaw. The “neanderthal” Wolverine from issue #20. His world seems to be a frozen wasteland complete with giant sabretooths (literal sabretooths, not Sabretooth counterparts).

VILLAINS:

The Adamantine. This is the Adamantine’s counterpart from Red Hare’s world – or at least, presumably it is, because it seems to be able to move between worlds. As indicated in issue #20, it can be defeated but not permanently eradicated. Red Hare has evidently defeated his world’s Adamantine in the past, but it’s returned with the warlord Gao Wei as its host. According to Red Hare, when active, the Adamantine feels compelled to destroy any savage champions.

Perhaps because it’s already been defeated in Red Hare’s world, the Adamantine seems to be relatively easy to defeat by killing its host. At this point it turns into a giant metal sword and cuts a portal into Boneclaw’s world; Red Hare concludes that it’s fleeing there, which seems reasonable enough. On arrival, it selects a mammoth as its new host.

Gao Wei. Described by Red Hare as a warlord who has ravaged “the threefold kingdom”, and who has apparently rallied an army of killers to his banner after allowing the Adamantine to host him.