{"id":7864,"date":"2022-07-03T16:13:53","date_gmt":"2022-07-03T15:13:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=7864"},"modified":"2022-08-07T09:58:25","modified_gmt":"2022-08-07T08:58:25","slug":"the-incomplete-wolverine-2002","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=7864","title":{"rendered":"The Incomplete Wolverine – 2002"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 1: Origin to Origin II<\/a> | <\/a>Part 2: 1907 to 1914<\/a>
\n<\/a>Part 3: 1914 to 1939<\/a> | <\/a>Part 4: World War II<\/a>
\n<\/a>Part 5: The postwar era<\/a> | <\/a>Part 6: Team X<\/a>
\n<\/a>Part 7: Post Team X<\/a> | <\/a>Part 8: Weapon X<\/a>
\n<\/a>Part 9: Department H<\/a> | <\/a>Part 10: The Silver Age<\/a>
\n1974-1975<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/a>1976<\/a> | <\/a>1977<\/a> | <\/a>1978<\/a> | <\/a>1979<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>
\n1980<\/a> | <\/a>1981<\/a> | 1982<\/a><\/em>\u00a0| 1983<\/em><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a01984<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>|\u00a01985<\/a>
\n1986<\/a>\u00a0| 1987<\/a> | 1988<\/a><\/em>\u00a0| 1989<\/a> | 1990<\/a><\/em> | 1991<\/em><\/a>
\n1992<\/em><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a01993<\/em><\/a> | 1994<\/em><\/a> | 1995<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a01996<\/a> | 1997 <\/a><\/em>
\n1998<\/a> |<\/em>\u00a01999<\/a><\/em>\u00a0|\u00a02000<\/em><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a02001<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

We’re in the Frank Tieri run, and we left off with Wolverine teaming with Alpha Flight against Mauvais. Meanwhile, thanks to all the books being miles out of synch with one another, we’ve only had a single issue of the Morrison and Casey runs on\u00a0New X-Men\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Uncanny X-Men<\/em>…<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>WOLVERINE vol 2 #173-175<\/a><\/strong>
\n“The Logan Files”<\/strong>
\nby Frank Tieri, Sean Chen, Norm Rapmund & Raymund Lee<\/strong>
\nFebruary to April 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

As per Mauvais’ warning in the previous arc, bad things do indeed start happening: Sabretooth, Omega Red and Lady Deathstrike start going after Wolverine’s loved ones, and use a hacked Weapon X device to shut down his powers. Sabretooth has escaped the Weapon X project and stolen a copy of all their data on mutants – which he keeps on, er, single floppy disc. (Even at the time, this was a bit much, and\u00a0Weapon X<\/em> #1\/2 retcons it to make this just a part of what he took.) Deathstrike and Omega Red are working with Sabretooth in exchange for access to the data and Weapon X’s money, but Sabretooth is just stringing them along, since what he really wants is to lure Wolverine into yet another cat and mouse game.<\/p>\n

Sabretooth takes Amiko hostage and gives Wolverine a choice: either they can fight directly, or Wolverine can run for it and try and rescue Amiko before Sabretooth gets to her. He also claims to have Weapon X’s “Logan Files”, which contain everything they know about Logan’s lost memories. Naturally, since Wolverine doesn’t have his powers and isn’t about to risk Amiko’s life, he runs for it. But he outwits his pursuer by setting traps. Sabretooth lures Wolverine to the Weapon X compound, where he finds a mortally injured Amiko and a “Logan Files” case that turns out to be empty. Sabretooth explains, apparently truthfully, that this really\u00a0is<\/em> everything that the current Weapon X project knows about Wolverine’s lost memories – the gaps are due to his healing factor erasing his traumatic memories (as established in\u00a0Origin<\/em>). Weapon X show up, Sabretooth escapes, and Wolverine collapses from his injuries. A Weapon X doctor declares him dead.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The idea that Wolverine’s remaining memory gaps are self-inflicted is quite a good idea, and Chen’s seventies-gambler take on Sabretooth is quite cool. On the other hand, Deathstrike’s motivation for being involved in this story is never really explained, beyond Tieri wanting to use Wolverine’s three greatest enemies for the anniversary issue #175; apparently we’re just forgetting that she reformed as recently as 2000.<\/p>\n

WOLVERINE vol 2 #175 (second story)<\/strong><\/a>
\n“The Vow”<\/strong>
\nby Frank Tieri, Georges Jeanty, Ray Snyder & Raymund Lee<\/strong>
\nApril 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Matsuo Tsurayaba readies himself for Logan’s annual attack, and is baffled when he never shows. Logan appears only in the final two panels, as his body bag is zipped shut.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>WOLVERINE vol 2 #176<\/a><\/strong>
\n“The Logan Files: Epilogue”<\/strong>
\nby Frank Tieri, Sean Chen, Norm Rapmund & Raymund Lee<\/strong>
\nMay 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Logan has an out of body experience, in which he and a redheaded woman (whom he assumes to be Jean) watch the Weapon X medics save Amiko. The woman tells him that in order to move on to the afterlife, he needs to come to terms with his feelings, instead of just lashing out or withdrawing. She challenges him about his childish refusal to show up for Scott and Jean’s wedding or for Colossus’s funeral, and questions why he hasn’t formed another meaningful relationship since Mariko died – all of which is actually perfectly reasonable. She also confirms that his healing factor erases painful memories, just in case we didn’t take Sabretooth’s word for it. Despite her advice to move on, Logan winds up fighting the spirits of assorted dead enemies; “Jean” tells him that by getting suckered into this fight, he’s lost his chance at peace, and will now return to life. It’s very much a state-of-the character speech, and since Tieri disappears for a few issues after this, before returning with some unrelated stories, you have to wonder if this was meant to be the capstone for his run.<\/p>\n

As she departs, the woman tells Logan that she isn’t Jean. She’s presumably meant to be Rose from\u00a0Origin<\/em>, but if so, the relationship is botched; she calls Logan “my love”, but the plot of\u00a0Origin<\/em> turns on the fact that his love for Rose was unrequited. I guess you can argue that she loves him as a little brother. Also, none of this fits very well with the Lazaer arc that Marc Guggenheim will do in a few years time, but that’s hardly Frank Tieri’s fault. The basic idea of this issue is perfectly sound, and surprisingly sentimental for this particular run.<\/p>\n

Anyway, Logan wakes up and fights his way out of the Weapon X Project. Later, Amiko shows up at the Mansion with a letter from the Director, who claims that her return is a show of good faith. The Director (truthfully) blames Sabretooth for acting without authority and offers apologies “from one father to another”; Logan rightly dismisses the olive branch as complete nonsense.<\/p>\n

WOLVERINE vol 2 #175 (third story)<\/strong><\/a>
\n“A Good Man”<\/strong>
\nby Jason Aaron & Udon Studios<\/strong>
\nApril 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alabama. Logan is on the run from unspecified pursuers when he comes across a woman with a flat tyre. She asks him if he’s ever prayed, and he remembers times of pain and despair when (by implication) he has done so. When his pursuers catch up, she gets killed in the crossfire, and tells him not to die without knowing God. Logan kills the bad guys, then reflects that the woman only died because she crossed paths with him, and that he’s going to hell.<\/p>\n

This 8-pager was Jason Aaron’s first published work; it was his prize for winning a talent search contest. Religion is a bold angle for a talent search story, to put it mildly, though it reads very much like atheism from the perspective of a believer who doesn’t really understand the mindset.<\/p>\n

Time to double back now and pick up on some other stories. First, a\u00a0flashback in\u00a0Avengers<\/em> vol 3 #51<\/strong>. This is just a one-panel cameo showing Wolverine as one of the heroes on the run, while Kang is briefly ruling the world. There’s also passing mention in issue #52 that the X-Men join the fight against Kang.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>NEW X-MEN vol 1 #114-116<\/a><\/strong>
\n“E for Extinction”<\/strong>
\nby Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Tim Townsend & Brian Haberlin<\/strong>
\nMay to July 2001<\/strong><\/p>\n

We’ve finally got to the Grant Morrison run. Wolverine and Cyclops rescue low-powered mutant\u00a0Ugly John<\/strong> from a Sentinel, then bring him along as they investigate an energy spike in Ecuador. It turns out to be a new Master Mold, making Sentinels for the debuting\u00a0Cassandra Nova<\/strong>. John gets killed. Wolverine and Cyclops capture Cassandra, but she’s already despatched her Sentinels, who destroy Genosha. Once back at the Mansion, Cassandra escapes, but the X-Men and Emma Frost defeat her again. (Emma then joins the team.) Later on, however, we\u2019ll learn that Cassandra actually wins here, by swapping bodies with Professor X and taking his place, while the real Professor X is the one who gets stuck in suspended animation. As Professor X, Cassandra swiftly takes the X-Men public, launching the era where the X-Men are openly running a school for mutant teens.<\/p>\n

Morrison’s first use of Wolverine is an emblematic break from the past – Wolverine tearing into an already defeated Sentinel, while Cyclops says “Wolverine. You can probably stop doing that now.” It’s basically a classic Wolverine portrayal, done somewhat tongue in cheek. His healing factor has him recovering rapidly from ridiculous injuries; he’s drinking beer while he waits for burns to heal. He likes the new costumes, because “Suddenly I don’t have to look like an idiot in broad daylight.” And as in Joe Casey’s first issue, he’s needling Scott about signs of trouble in his marriage. Even so, they’re paired together in the first issue and played with a mixture of rivalry and respect. (“You know what I admire most about you, Summers? Your icy calm lunacy under pressure.”)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>UNCANNY X-MEN vol 1 #395-398<\/a><\/strong>
\n“Poptopia”<\/strong>
\n#395-396 by Joe Casey, Ian Churchill, Art Thibert, Norm Rapmund & Avalon Studios<\/strong>
\n#397 by Joe Casey, Sean Phillips, Mel Rubi, Danny Miki & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\n#398 by Joe Casey, Sean Phillips, Ashley Wood & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\nJune to September 2001<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wolverine comes to England partly to help Nightcrawler, Iceman and Angel investigate the slaughter of a colony of mutants by\u00a0Mr Clean<\/strong>, and partly to knock some sense into Chamber, who is attracting tabloid attention as the paramour of mercenary careerist teen-pop star\u00a0Sugar Kane<\/strong>. Wolverine defeats Clean by setting him on fire, and Chamber returns home with the other X-Men upon realising how Sugar Kane and the press are exploiting him.\u00a0Not a very good story, but at least the Chamber plotline was about something. Casey keeps Wolverine very much on the margins of his book; he only has cameos in the first two chapters, and seems to be here mainly for star power and an air of familiarity. This run also has some very odd artistic style shifts – Ian Churchill and Ashley Wood on the same arc?<\/p>\n

Wolverine appears in one panel of a\u00a0flashback in\u00a0X-Men Unlimited<\/em> vol 2 #6<\/strong>, which is the point where sparks first fly between Scott and Emma. It’s a non-speaking background cameo.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>NEW X-MEN ANNUAL 2001<\/a><\/strong>
\n“The Man From Room X”<\/strong>
\nby Grant Morrison, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\n2001<\/strong><\/p>\n

Presented in Marvelscope! Remember Marvelscope? Probably not, unless you were around for that very short window of time. They were comics published in landscape format, with the staples on the short end.<\/p>\n

In Hong Kong, the X-Men help Domino to investigate the murder of\u00a0Risque\u00a0<\/strong>(Gloria Mu\u00f1oz), who had been working with\u00a0the new\u00a0X-Corporation<\/strong> to investigate an illegal trade in mutant organs from mainland China. The clues lead to pharmaceutical CEO\u00a0John Sublime<\/strong>, founder of\u00a0the U-Men<\/strong> – a cult who want to graft mutant organs onto their human tissue in order to become a “third species”. Sublime has bought the mutant Kuan-Yin Xorn<\/strong> from his Chinese prison warder. Xorn\u2019s power is a black hole in his head, which he is about to release to destroy the world, rather than fall into the hands of Sublime. But Cyclops talks him down and offers him a job with the X-Men.<\/p>\n

Logan and Domino sleeps together during this story, which we don’t see, but Emma confirms it in issue #139.\u00a0In a fairly remarkable piece of quality control, “Mu\u00f1oz” is written as \u00a0as “Mu~Oz” throughout the issue. Morrison intended Xorn to be a disguised Magneto (we\u2019ll come to that), but Marvel eventually incoherently retconned him into a separate character. The present state of continuity is that the character in Morrison\u2019s run is the real Xorn, who eventually impersonates Magneto. No remotely coherent or satisfying explanation as to\u00a0why<\/em> has ever been presented, and writers seem to have long since decided to give it up as a lost cause and stop digging.<\/p>\n

NEW X-MEN vol 1 #117<\/strong><\/a>
\n“Danger Rooms”<\/strong>
\nby Grant Morrison, Ethan van Sciver, Prentiss Rollins & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\nSeptember 2001<\/strong><\/p>\n

By now, the Mansion has become a full-scale school. So, somewhere around here, Wolverine must meet everyone in the first wave of mutant students, such as\u00a0Glob Herman<\/strong> and all five\u00a0Stepford Cuckoos<\/strong>.\u00a0In issue #117 itself, Logan only appears in a subplot. Jean comes to talk to him; she feels that she’s lost her connection with Scott. Logan kisses her, but tells her that it would never work between them, and that she and Scott have always belonged together.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>NEW X-MEN vol 1 #118-120<\/a><\/strong>
\n“Germ Free Generation”<\/strong>
\n#118 by Grant Morrison, Ethan van Sciver, Prentiss Rollins & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\n#119-120 by Grant Morrison, Igor Kordey & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\nSeptember to December 2001<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everyone in the Mansion has flu. (In issue #123, this turns out to be due to Cassandra’s nano-Sentinels, and Xorn cures everyone by zapping them.) In Wyoming, Wolverine rescues Angel Salvadore<\/strong> from the U-Men. She hates her new insectoid powers and wants to be turned back to normal by plastic surgery, but he encourages her to stick it out and learn from others. Eventually he feigns walking out on her due to her endless whining. Finally, he takes her back to the Mansion just in time to see the tail end of Jean and the students defeating the U-Men. Wolverine is disturbed to see Jean with the Phoenix effect, but she feels great. The Beast then reveals that Professor X is trapped in Cassandra’s body.<\/p>\n

NEW X-MEN vol 1 #121<\/strong><\/a>
\n“Silence: Psychic Rescue in Progress”<\/strong>
\nby Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\nJanuary 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the issue from “Nuff Said” month, where the whole Marvel line had no dialogue. Jean and Emma enter Professor X’s mind and report back to Cyclops and Wolverine that he tried to kill Cassandra when they were both in the womb. Wolverine’s role is basically to sit around and wait.<\/p>\n

NEW X-MEN vol 1 #122<\/strong><\/a>
\n“Imperial”<\/strong>
\nby Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Tim Townsend & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\nFebruary 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wolverine cameos as Emma addresses the pupils. Later, he joins the X-Men in discussing Cassandra, but doesn’t contribute much.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>PUNISHER vol 6 #16-17<\/a><\/strong>
\n“Vertical Challenge” \/ “Aim Low”<\/strong>
\nby Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson & Matt Milla<\/strong>
\nOctober 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Logan and the Punisher team up – kind of – to fight a group of midgets led by\u00a0Tony Casino<\/strong>. The group are helping Tony to avenge himself on his gangster family by cutting off their legs. Naturally, Wolverine’s legs cannot be cut off, but the Punisher traps him under a steamroller in order to make his escape.<\/p>\n

This is a notorious parody story, where Wolverine is written insanely over the top, keeps up a near-constant monologue throughout (“Come get yer kicks on Route Snikty-Snikt!”), and spends most of the story with his skull exposed after the Punisher shoots him in the face. It’s interesting that Ennis seems to have such a low opinion of Wolverine as a character, considering that you’d think he was one of the Marvel Universe characters who lent himself best to some of Ennis’s favourite themes. He obviously sees the character as missing the mark in some crucial ways.<\/p>\n

We’ll get to\u00a0Wolverine<\/em>‘s answer issue in due course, more’s the pity.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>NEW X-MEN vol 1 #123-126<\/a><\/strong>
\n“Testament” \/ “Superdestroyer” \/ “Losers” \/ “All Hell”<\/strong>
\n#123 by Grant Morrison, Ethan van Sciver, Tom Derenick, Tim Townsend, Danny Miki, Scott Hanna, Sandu Florea & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\n#124-125 by Grant Morrison, Igor Kordey & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\n#126 by Grant Morrion, Frank Quitely, Tim Townsend & Brian Haberlin<\/strong>
\nFebruary to July 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

This kicks off with a bit more mentoring for Angel. Morrison seems to be setting her up as the new Kitty or Jubilee here, but nothing really comes of that.<\/p>\n

Then the Imperial Guard attack, convinced that the X-Men are under Cassandra’s control. Wolverine gets to fight a few D-list Guard members here –\u00a0Neosaurus, Monstra, Blimp<\/strong> and\u00a0Schism<\/strong> – before\u00a0Plutonia<\/strong> and Smasher convince Gladiator that Cassandra hs tricked them. Wolverine fights Cassandra, and is unfazed by her attempts to psyche him out, claiming that he can outwit telepaths by fighting on pure instinct. As is tradition, Morrison writes him as smarter than he looks, when it really matters. Cassandra sets some of the students on Wolverine – including Beak\u00a0<\/strong>(Barnell Bohusk) –\u00a0but the Stepford Cuckoos free them. Cassandra is tricked into returning to what seems to be her original body, but is actually the body of Shi’ar scout\u00a0Stuff,<\/strong> serving as a prison; Xavier gets his real body back, and he can walk again.<\/p>\n

Wolverine’s role in the middle chapters is marginal, but there’s some interesting stuff here. He sees Emma’s persona as ironic (and recognises that the kids don’t always get it). Cassandra calls him a “man broken down by torture into a screaming, mindless, unfeeling killing machine”, whose healing factor “made you a perfect, reusable experiment in vivisection” – all of which is fair enough. Less convincingly, Cassandra also claims that he “torture[s]” himself “over and over again just to feel that same intensity of sensation you once experienced on the racks of the scientific inquisition.”<\/p>\n

WOLVERINE: SAUDADE #1<\/strong><\/a>
\nby Jean-David Morvan & Philippe Bouchet<\/strong>
\nSeptember 2008<\/strong><\/p>\n

A framing sequence, in which (despite the publication date) Morrison-era Wolverine tells some of the students how the damaged Mexer wound up as school caretaker. We covered that flashback back in 1991.<\/p>\n

THE ORDER vol 1 #5-6<\/strong><\/a>
\n“Blinded by Science”<\/strong>
\n#5 by Jo Duffy, Kurt Busiek, Ivan Reis, Jose Pimentel, Gregory Wright & Color Arts<\/strong>
\n#6 by Jo Duffy, Kurt Busiek, Matt Haley, Dan Panosian & Color Arts<\/strong>
\nJune & July 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wolverine is among the superheroes who gather to fight\u00a0the Order\u00a0<\/strong>– the original Defenders, being manipulated by\u00a0Yandroth<\/strong> to generate conflict that he can exploit for his own purposes. Naturally, the Order break free and Yandroth is defeated. (Professor X is still in his wheelchair here, but let’s assume that, like the last time around, he takes a little time to adjust to walking.)\u00a0Also showing up for the big finale are\u00a0the Masters of the Mental Arts<\/strong>, a group led by a blatant Adam Strange pastiche called\u00a0Christopher Ganyrog<\/strong> and his partner,\u00a0Romantic Objective Pamela<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>BLACK PANTHER vol 3 #41-44<\/strong>
\n“Enemy of the State II, parts 1 to 4”<\/strong>
\n#41-43 by Christopher Priest, Sal Velluto, Bob Almond & Jennifer Schellinger<\/strong>
\n#44 by Christopher Priest, Sal Velluto, Steve Seiger, “Justin Thyme” & Jennifer Schellinger<\/strong>
\nFebruary to May 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

This has nothing to do with the better known\u00a0Wolverine<\/em> arc “Enemy of the State”, which we won’t reach for another few years. It’s a sequel to an earlier\u00a0Black Panther<\/em> arc.<\/p>\n

The Black Panther enlists Wolverine’s help against\u00a0XCon<\/strong>, an alliance of rogue intelligence agents whom he claims have secretly seized control of the Canadian government. The duo seize a floating casino which serves as XCon’s North American headquarters, infiltrate their computer systems, and get into a fight with Iron Man. Wolverine then recedes into the background of the story; it eventually turns out that XCon has actually subverted the USA, and has itself fallen under the influence of the White Wolf, but Wolverine doesn’t get involved in that bit. Really, Wolverine doesn’t need to be in this arc at all, but over-complicated plotting is a signature feature of the book, and throwing him in works better than you might think. The plot also involves such things as an insane Black Panther from the future searching for a magic frog, the Panther laying claim to a Canadian island on the basis of a supposed treaty with a French nobleman, and the people of Paolo Santera having a record harvest of gravelberries. Part of the point is that the Panther is the only one who can follow what the hell is going on.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>UNCANNY X-MEN vol 1 #400<\/a><\/strong>
\n“Supreme Confessions”<\/strong>
\nby Joe Casey, Cully Hamner, Ashley Wood, Eddie Campbell, Javier Pulido, Sean Phillips, Matt Smith & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\nDecember 2001<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s an anniversary issue – let’s bring in some perversely uncommercial guest artists for a jam! The Jemas\/Quesada era could be really odd at times.<\/p>\n

The X-Men and\u00a0Stacy X<\/strong> (Miranda Leevald) fight\u00a0the Church of Humanity<\/strong>. Wolverine gets to interrogate a captive, in parodically brutal fashion, and is rewarded with a highly questionable account of the origin of the Church’s\u00a0Supreme Pontiff<\/strong>. Later, he helps rescue Stacy from the Church, and discusses the plot with Nightcrawler. Not an especially notable issue for our purposes.<\/p>\n

DEADPOOL vol 3 #69<\/strong><\/a>
\n“Healing Factor, part 3”<\/strong>
\nby Gail Simone & UDON<\/strong>
\nSeptember 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just a one-panel cameo as one of a string of characters getting phone calls from Deadpool.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>WOLVERINE vol 2 #177-178<\/a><\/strong>
\n“The Shadow Pulpit”<\/strong>
\nby Matt Nixon, Dan Fraga, Lary Stucker & Raymund Lee<\/strong>
\nJune 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back to fill-ins, with four issues by Matt Nixon. We start off with this inexplicable misfire. Wolverine’s priest friend\u00a0Father Braun<\/strong> alerts him to a scheme by a corrupt faction of the Vatican, led by\u00a0the Shadow Pope<\/strong> (Cardinal Panzer), to usurp the papacy and use mind-control waves called ELVES to take control of New York. Wolverine fights\u00a0Dogma<\/strong>, a strange energy creature billed as “Bishop of Assassins, the Enlightened Soul”, who brings him to the Vatican. Braun is killed, but Wolverine escapes, and threatens Panzer a bit before leaving. Truly awful – one of those rare stories so bad that you genuinely wonder how on earth it made print.<\/p>\n

WOLVERINE vol 2 #179<\/strong><\/a>
\n“Of Lesser Demons”<\/strong>
\nby Matt Nixon, Ethan van Sciver, Lary Stucker & Avalon<\/strong>
\nJuly 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

To be fair to Nixon, his other two issues are better. In this one, Wolverine and Shaman free Alpha Flight from demonic possession. The plot is routine, but the art is much improved, and Nixon has some unusual ideas about how Shaman’s magic might work – lizards with mouths sewed shut, ordinary insects being used to break possession. There are at least memorable images in this one.\u00a0Shaman’s new prot\u00e9g\u00e9\u00a0Chuck Moss<\/strong>\u00a0debuts at the end of the issue – a big guy in T-shirt and jeans who doesn’t resemble any genre-conventional magic character.<\/p>\n

WOLVERINE vol 2 #180<\/strong><\/a>
\n“Everything’s Zen”<\/strong>
\nby Matt Nixon, Jorge Lucas & Avalon Studios<\/strong>
\nAugust 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is Moss’s proper introduction issue – really quite an odd thing to do in a fill-in. Logan takes him out into the wilderness to teach him to be a warrior and help him to find his totem; after initial panic and inexperience, Moss learns that his totem is a worm, and develops his powers. He’ll show up in later Alpha Flight stories as Earthmover<\/strong> before being quietly dropped.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>VENOM vol 1 #6-10<\/a><\/strong>
\n“Run”<\/strong>
\nby Daniel Way, Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco & Guru eFX<\/strong>
\nOctober 2003 to January 2004<\/strong><\/p>\n

Voici, Northwest Territory – I think the story is placed wildly out of sequence because of events later in the series, and this happens to be a point where Logan is in Canada.<\/p>\n

Logan happens to be passing when\u00a0Ararat Corporation<\/strong> agents\u00a0Frankie<\/strong> and\u00a0Vic<\/strong> arrive in town, looking for a\u00a0clone of the Venom symbiote\u00a0<\/strong>which has escaped from their employers. Logan winds up fighting everyone: the symbiote attacks him, Frankie and Vic have to be stopped from killing the townsfolk, and a mysterious G-Man guy called\u00a0the Suit<\/strong> is also hunting for the symbiote. And the book’s protagonist\u00a0Patricia Robertson<\/strong> is running around as well. The symbiote kills Frankie and Vic, who are promptly replaced by clones of Frankie and Vic,\u00a0<\/strong>who don’t realise that they aren’t the originals. Until they find their predecessor’s bodies. Robertson uses a device provided by the Suit to capture the symbiote, and leaves with it.<\/p>\n

It’s a very weird comic, a mixture of the painfully slow and the insanely OTT, such as Logan surviving a tactical nuke. There’s no good reason for Logan to be in this story, except to lend it some star power. And yes, correct, the real Venom isn’t even in this series.<\/p>\n

UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL 2001<\/strong><\/a>
\n“Absolute Progeny”<\/strong>
\nby Joe Casey & Ashley Wood<\/strong>
\n2001<\/strong><\/p>\n

Havana. Wolverine and Iceman investigate designer drugs based on mutant DNA that give people temporary mutant powers. It’s basically the same idea that will resurface as MGH in a few years’ time. The Vanisher turns out to be behind the scheme, and for some reason he’s now a self-proclaimed entrepreneur seeking new markets for mutant-ness. It’s all very moody and beautiful but it’s pretty much visually impenetrable.<\/p>\n

UNCANNY X-MEN vol 1 #401<\/strong><\/a>
\n“Golden”<\/strong>
\nby Joe Casey, Ron Garney, Mark Morales & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\nJanuary 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is another silent issue from “Nuff Said” month. Wolverine argues with Stacy X after she (apparently) breaks into Bill Clinton’s home to have sex with him. But later, Wolverine covers for her when Nightcrawler shows up to yell at her. Just plain stupid.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>WOLVERINE vol 2 #181-182<\/a><\/strong>
\n“Chasers” \/ “Three Funerals and a Wedding”<\/strong>
\nby Frank Tieri, Sean Chen, Tom Palmer & Edgar Tadeo<\/strong>
\nOctober & November 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

In issue #181, Logan tracks down three mobsters from\u00a0the Pazzo family<\/strong> who have abducted a girl after her father defaulted on a debt. Logan kills them all, and rescues her. It’s\u00a0a framing sequence for the three mobsters to tell each other war stories. It feels like a repurposed\u00a0Punisher<\/em> story, but that aside, it’s actually quite good. It’s also a prologue to the Pazzo family arc, which certainly wouldn’t work with the Punisher. In issue #182, Logan confronts Pazzo boss\u00a0Freddo Pazzo<\/strong> (who is out of his depth but too dumb to realise it) and his underboss\u00a0Johnny Delacavva<\/strong> (who plainly ought to be running the place, but is respecting the previous boss’s dying wish that his son should take over). Logan offers to take out their rival,\u00a0the Roman<\/strong>, if they agree to wipe out the father’s debt. Despite Johnny’s reservations, Freddo accepts.<\/p>\n

The main drawbacks in the Tieri run are an overreliance on sadist villains and a tendency towards misfiring comedy; neither of those applies to this standalone crime arc, which is the best thing in his run. It’s a better fit for Sean Chen, too. Logan will spend some time dealing with the mobsters before the next issue, and we’ll pick up on that next time. But first, he fits in some other appearances.<\/p>\n

BROTHERHOOD #8<\/strong><\/a>
\n“Loyalties”<\/strong>
\nby “X” [Howard Mackie], Sean Phillips, Kent Williams & Dan Kemp<\/strong>
\nJanuary 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

The X-Men have a single panel appearance, in a montage of heroes attacking\u00a0Brotherhood<\/strong> cells.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>WOLVERINE \/ HULK #1-4<\/strong>
\n4-issue miniseries<\/strong>
\nby Sam Kieth & Richard Isanove<\/strong>
\nFebruary to May 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Logan’s plane crashes in a mountain snowstorm. He meets\u00a0Po<\/strong>, a little girl who insists that she and her dad have crashed their plane and are trapped underwater, and that her uncle Bruce Banner can free them. Po leads Logan first to the Hulk, then to the plane, which has actually been underwater from 20 years. Logan and the Hulk retrieve the bodies from the plane, and Po, still believing that she’s being rescued, moves happily on to the afterlife. It’s a sweet little ghost story, if you can live with the fact that the presence of Wolverine and Hulk seems to be sheer coincidence, and the landscape seems to change from snowstorm to desert during the story.<\/p>\n

X-TREME X-MEN vol 1 #18<\/strong><\/a>
\n“Day of the Dead”<\/strong>
\nby Chris Claremont, Salvador Larroca & Liquid!<\/strong>
\nOctober 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wolverine shows up with some of the core X-Men to help with the relief effort in Madripoor after the X-Treme X-Men’s battle with Khan in the previous issue. He meets\u00a0Lifeguard<\/strong> (Heather Cameron) and\u00a0her younger brother\u00a0Davis Cameron<\/strong>\u00a0(later Slipstream) here.<\/p>\n

X-MEN UNLIMITED vol 1 #35 (third story)<\/strong><\/a>
\n“X-Men: The Untold Story!”<\/strong>
\nby Gail Simone, Kevin Maguire, Wade von Grawbadger, Andy Troy & Avalon Studios<\/strong>
\nApril 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

A comedy story about the making of an unlicensed X-Men film. The real X-Men appear on the final page, watching the end result with bemusement.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>UNCANNY X-MEN vol 1 #408<\/a><\/strong>
\n“Identity Crisis”<\/strong>
\nby Joe Casey, Sean Phillips & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\nJuly 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wolverine encourages Stacy X to stop falling back on her hooker persona – he says that when he first joined the X-Men he played the “loose cannon” because he was afraid to step out of the role everyone was used to seeing him in, and suggests that Stacy is falling into the same trap. Later, Wolverine, Iceman and Chamber watch Stacy use her ecstasy powers to ease the pain of dying mutant billionaire Jason Treemont.<\/p>\n

UNCANNY X-MEN vol 1 #409<\/a> (part 1)<\/strong>
\n“Rocktopia, part 5 of 8”<\/strong>
\nby Joe Casey, Sean Phillips & Hi-Fi Design<\/strong>
\nAugust 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the final Joe Casey issue, complete with quirksome title – there are no other parts of “Rocktopia.”\u00a0This story is actually split in half on the timeline, and we’ll get to the other half next time. In the first bit, the X-Men discuss plans to deal with the Vanisher’s drug cartel; Logan doesn’t care for corporate Warren’s plan, but accepts being outvoted with relatively good grace.<\/p>\n

WEAPON X: THE DRAFT – AGENT ZERO #1<\/strong><\/a>
\nOne-shot<\/strong>
\nby Frank Tieri, Killian Plunkett, Terry Austin & Avalon<\/strong>
\nAugust 2002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wolverine has a brief cameo when\u00a0Agent Zero<\/strong> (the former Maverick) shoots at him with a sniper rifle, but deliberately misses. Wolverine realises he’s been shot at, but can’t see anyone to go after.<\/p>\n

Next time, the end of the Tieri run and the relaunch under Marvel Knights.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 1: Origin to Origin II | Part 2: 1907 to 1914 Part 3: 1914 to 1939 | Part 4: World War II Part 5: The postwar era | Part 6: Team X Part 7: Post Team X | Part 8: Weapon X Part 9: Department H | Part 10: The Silver Age 1974-1975\u00a0|\u00a01976 | […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wolverine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7864"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8163,"href":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7864\/revisions\/8163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}