I've never been afraid o' dyin'. Not in th' least. Mostly 'cause I never thought I could. Name's Logan; I'm th' X-Man known as Wolverine. I got me six adamantium claws an' an adamantium skeleton, both unbreakable. But what keeps me really alive is my mutant ability ta heal virtually any wound in no time. Call it my healin' factor. S'what keeps me goin', also keeps me from agin'.
I've lived a long an' violent life…be damned if I c'n remember alla it. Apparently, my healin' factor also repairs traumatic events to my mind; like bad memories an' such. So, 'cause o' all th' fightin', all th' rage, all th' hate, I have no clue who I am or where I came from. I guess ya could say I had a catharsis. Mostly 'cause I died...fer 23 minutes, anyway. A mutant death spore retarded my healin' factor long enough fer me to take some savage beatin'. In "death", I had a dream where I learned more 'bout myself an' yet nuttin' at all. Got me to thinkin' maybe it was time I took a rest from th' life I been leadin'. Spend more time with my adopted daughter Amiko, whose kidnappin' was th' reason fer alla this. But, 'fore I could tone it down, there's some loose ends that need tyin'.
"Loose Ends"
By Chris Buchner
CANADA
Deep in the heart of Wood Buffalo National Park sits an abandoned nuclear power plant. The outside shows signs of neglected aging with rusting chain-link fences all around the perimeter with signs warding off people on the chance of radiation poisoning. But, the fact is, this structure was once a military compound that housed the black ops organization known as Weapon X. Their goal was to create the ultimate Canadian secret weapon; their own super soldier ala Captain America. To do this, they usually took "volunteers" and reprogrammed their brains to respond to triggers and code words, and to only be loyal to the heads of the program while in the process erasing everything about them to ensure total subjugation.
This is where Wolverine and various others were subjected to inhumane treatments to turn them into the perfect weapons. However, Wolverine revived earlier than anticipated and escaped…with bloody results. He has not been back to this place since the time James and Heather Hudson had found him roaming the woods a feral savage. That is, until a couple of years ago, when upon following a lead that brought him back to this place and learned all about the adamantium bonding process, the memory implants, and those behind it.
On the grounds sits the modified SR-71 Blackbird jet known as the X-Jet. It's primary use is to transport the X-Men around the world on their quest to bridging the gap between human and mutant relations. At the present, it's serving as a tow truck as the inside winch pulls a dirty, dusty, and slightly rusted green sports car towards the open hatch in the rear from a garage area in the facility. Wolverine walks along beside it, a bag flung over his shoulder.
"Oh my stars and garters…I have never seen quite a car like that before," Wolverine's teammate Hank McCoy, aka The Beast, says as he emerges from inside the jet as the car is pulled up the ramp.
"My old Lotus-7. I left it behind last time, figgered was high time we had a reunion." Wolverine hands Beast the bag. "Got whatever looked salvageable. Pretty sure th' spooks took all th' good stuff with 'em when they cleared out, but doesn't hurt ta check." Beast opens the bag and peers inside at the various computer parts and data disks inside.
"I'll see what I can do. It may take some time."
"Got plenty o' that, Hank." He and Beast head into the jet and the hatch closes behind them. Minutes later, Beast turns on the vertical thrusters and the jet hovers up off of the ground. Wolverine looks outside the cockpit window at the facility before them and holds up a triggering device. He presses the button, and a series of explosions begins to rocket through the buildings. As the jet speeds off into the distance, the building begins to crumble and collapse in on itself, never threatening anyone else again.
JAPAN
The high rise mansion of Matsuo Tsurayaba, former member of the ninja clan known as The Hand, sits dark against the stormy Tokyo sky. Thunder and lighting cracks outside as the rain pours down heavily. But, Matsuo sleeps soundly through it all, feeling relieved as he hasn't for many years.
Matsuo was responsible for organizing the poisoning and the death of Lady Mariko Yashida, head of the rival Clan Yashida, who was also Wolverine's beloved. Having the event traced back to him, Wolverine promised Matsuo that every year on the anniversary of her death he would return to Japan and take a piece of Matsuo. Every year, he has done just that…except for this year. Matsuo had finally given in to his fate and was prepared to receive Wolverine's punishment, but he never showed.
At first, Matsuo was wary, thinking it was merely Wolverine toying with him. But, as the days turned to weeks, he finally settled on the conclusion that Wolverine had either forgotten about him or had better things to do. So, tonight, Matsuo sleeps the sleep of the just.
Lightning strikes, casting a shadow on the wall over his bed. Matsuo's eyes fly open and he stares at the wall, feeling someone's presence there. He turns back towards the window but finds nothing. Attributing it to nerves, he starts to close his eyes and settle back down on his pillow when another lightning strike illuminates a silhouette standing on his window sill.
"Matsuo…" Wolverine growls.
"Gaijin!" Matsuo exclaims, shooting up and scrambling back against his wall in terror.
"Thought I forgot, didn't ya?"
"Y-You were just toying with me! I knew it! You are a sick and twisted demented fiend!"
"Actually, I've been dead. But I'm back, an' I c'n promise you this is th' last time we're gonna meet."
"No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
SNIKT!
ELSEWHERE...
Yukio sits in a hospital room, securely fastened to an elaborate contraption that keeps her elevated above the floor and her back towards the ceiling. While taking care of Wolverine's ward, Amiko, Lady Deathstrike had attacked them both and tore into her back with her large talons during one moment of distraction. The prospects of her walking again are slim, and that's a fate worse than anything Deathstrike could do to her.
"Hey, darlin'." She perks up at the familiar voice and slowly turns her head towards the door.
"Logan…" she says with a weak smile. Logan walks into the room and crouches down by her.
"How ya holdin' up?"
"About two feet off the floor," she quips. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I don't think I ever properly thanked ya fer what ya did fer Amiko."
"Thanked me for what? I failed miserably, and they got her. Worst of all, I wound up here."
"Well, nobody's perfect. An' yer not gonna be here fer much longer." Logan looks towards the door as Beast and Jean Grey Summers, aka Phoenix, enter the room. Beast pushes along a cart of monitoring equipment and moves towards the devices hooked up to Yukio. Yukio looks around, confused.
"What is this?"
"Well, I talked to some o' my X-Pals. Y'see, Angel's got this new healin' ability we c'n try out on ya, an' Xavier said ya could recoup over at th' mansion till yer back on yer nimble li'l feet again. Hank here'll watch over an' take good care o' ya." Beast stands up from transferring Yukio from the hospital's machines to theirs.
"Just hang time, miss, we're going to move you now." He nods to Jean and she projects a telekinetic field around Yukio and the device she's in. They levitate off the ground and begin to head for the door, Beast pushing the cart along with them.
CANADA
Heather Hudson looks at the package on the doorstep to the Hudson's home. She picks it up and looks at it; nothing is on it save for an "X" in a circle. She takes it inside and shuts the door.
"James!" she calls. Her husband walks into the room.
"What's up?"
"I found this on the doorstep, no return address. Does the symbol look familiar to you?" James takes the package and takes a look at it, realizing it does. He places it on the table and proceeds to open it. Inside, he finds the tattered remains of his Guardian uniform with a note. He picks it up and reads it aloud:
"To James and Heather Hudson: Thanks for everything, love Logan." The Hudsons exchange smiles with the knowledge that their old friend is alive and well.
NEW YORK CITY
Helen Bach stands on top of the construction site, watching as the volunteers are hard at work building their new home. Helen was someone Wolverine met during another period of his life when he was trying to figure things out. He had been mutated into a man-beast after rejecting the adamantium the Dark Riders tried to bond to his then-bone skeleton in order to make him the new Horseman Death and needed to regain his humanity bit by bit. His past had caught up to him, and one of his oldest foes, Ogun, had possessed Helen in an attempt at him.
"Be careful with that beam over there!" Helen instructs. She turns to head down the ladder only to find Logan climbing up. She stops, stunned. "L-Logan…"
"Hey, darlin'. Got a second?"
Down on the ground, Logan and Helen walk away from the site to have some quiet time to talk.
"I didn't think I'd see you again. You've been away for a while," Helen says.
"I know. Thing's gotten pretty hectic since I was stayin' here."
"I've seen the news. Operation No Tolerance or something like that."
"Just thought I'd see how yer holdin' up. Bein' possessed c'n take a toll on a body." Helen stops and takes a deep breath, looking around.
"I won't lie to you, Logan; being made a victim again brought back a lot of painful memories I'd just as soon forget. But, I'm dealing. Day by day. The advantages of military training."
"'Cept that kinda trainin' don't prepare ya fer bodily possession." Logan reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. He hands it over to Helen and she looks at it. "This is a friend o' mine in th' Village, he's a doctor who specializes in th' occult. If ya ever feel yerself not dealin', ya go see him. He'll be expectin' ya." Helen nods and puts the paper into her jeans pocket.
"Thanks, Logan. I—I appreciate it. But like I said, I'm fine. Really."
"You helped me along my way to reclaimin' my humanity. Just somethin' I hadda do fer ya." Logan heads off away from the site as Helen watches him leave. She looks back down at her pocket.
SALEM CENTER, NEW YORK
A few minutes along the back roads of Salem Center would take one to the grounds of Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning. Charles Xavier founded this school to teach young mutants how to use their abilities properly and to hopefully work towards his dream of peaceful co-existence between humans and mutants. This is also home of the X-Men, the mutant task-force assembled by Xavier to deal with the threats that ordinary humans are ill prepared for.
Outside the main entrance, Logan's Lotus-7 sits with suitcases and duffle bags strapped to the back. Logan checks the straps to make sure they're firmly secure as Professor Charles Xavier stands watching nearby.
"I truly wish you would reconsider, Logan."
"I know, Chuck, but this whole thing's made me realize I been neglectin' a lotta things," Logan says, slapping dirt off his hands on his jeans as he walks over to Xavier. "Got some things ta do in Madripoor an' some lost time ta make up fer with Amiko."
"I understand. Although, I can't understand why you won't let us take you over in the jet."
"Gotta cut th' cord sometime, Chuck." Logan looks past him as Jean walks outside with Amiko. "Ready ta go, kiddo?"
"I guess so," Amiko says, shrugging as she heads over to the car.
"They get indignant at that age," Jean says with a smile. She and Logan hug. "Take care of yourself."
"Gonna try, Jeannie." Logan stands up and turns to Xavier, extending his hand. Xavier takes it. "Chuck, 'preciate everythin'."
"You'll always have a place here, Logan." Logan nods and heads over to the car. He climbs in and starts it up.
"This car looks like crap," Amiko mutters.
"It'll get us to where we gotta be." Logan puts the car in gear and it takes off down the road towards the gate as the sun begins to set in the distance.
I got a second chance at life, an' I aim ta use it. I've been lettin' things slip fer too long, an' I got some steps to retrace from my life. Not always ya get a second chance to tie up all th' loose ends in yer life. Sometimes, those ends can be left danglin' an' never change th' course o' yer life one way or th' next. But, other times, by tyin' up those ends ya get to move forward much easier. All it takes is bein' honest with yerself…
GREENWICH VILLAGE
Helen stands outside the old building on Bleeker Street, looking at the paper and the address on the door. She looks up at the strange window on the sloped roof before taking a deep breath and walking towards the door. She steps up onto the stoop and knocks. The door opens and a short, bald Asian man opens the door.
"Um, hi…I'm, uh…"
"Helen Bach?" the man asks.
"Uh, yeah…"
"Greetings, I am Wong. Doctor Strange has been expecting you," Wong says as he steps aside, allowing her room to come in.
…an' knowin' when to ask fer help along th' way.
NEXT: Back to Basics!
AFTERWORD
Wolverine #177! What! Have we all gone mad! There's already been one of those! Well, you're right.
One thing I've taken to doing recently is to take things from points I've felt they've skewed and try to do them better. I've come to call this method "point fiving it" with the exceptional response I received for my story Ghostbusters 2.5; where I redid the movie Ghostbusters 2 fixing everything everyone ever hated about the movie. Of course, I'll have to admit, my inspiration was the X-Men 1.5 DVD where they re-released the movie with more features.
At the time this issue of Wolverine came out, I was pitching ideas to Marvel that were all subsequently rejected. I decided to take advantage of the internet and bring those stories back to light. Now, I know this edition was a little light on action, but that's because the writers like to leave little plots hanging out there with no definitive conclusion. I choose not to ignore what others have started. This edition was designed to tie all those dangling little lines from Wolverine's run in a nice, neat little bow and thus allow me to continue on undeterred by heavy continuity.
Wolverine has had a huge life-changing event happen to him with issue #176, and now he's finally going to get to explore it and see if it leads to more revelations of his past…or yet another dead end. So, keep in mind everything you may know from Wolverine's first appearance in 1974 till Wolverine #176, because all that's the same. But whatever you know after that point, forget about it when you read my stories; 'cause this is a whole new Wolverine in a whole new direction. Hope you enjoy the ride!
-C
REFERENCE:
Marvel Comics Presents #72-84
Origin #1-6
Uncanny X-Men #1, 109, 139, 181, 346
Wolverine #48-50, 57, 60, 100, 112-114, 173-177
Wolverine Limited Series #2
X-Force #69
X-Men #65-69
WOLVERINE #177.5 © 2003, 2005 ATOMIC COMICS GROUP. WOLVERINE AND ALL RELATED CHARACTERS TM © MARVEL COMICS GROUP.