Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Part 24

The X-Men! Art by Dave Cockrum

Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Part 24

Continuing our journey to understand the Wolverine character as was revealed to the reader issue to issue, month to month through his publication history. So from a reader's point of view, here is Logan's history, who he was, and how and when we learned it!

Marvel Team -Up 118

June 1982

Writer: J. Mark DeMatteis

Penciller: Herb Trimpe

After the battle during Spider-man's and Wolverine's team up in Marvel Team-Up 117*, Wolverine invites Spider-Man back to Xavier's Mansion to relax and unwind.

*See Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Part 23 -NLogan

Wolverine's idea of relaxation after a tiring battle against an army of Roman Centurions and multiple 30 foot robots is to cheat death in the Danger Room for a little early morning training session. This is the first time the Web Head has trained in the Danger Room. Despite not being a mutant, Spider-Man was invited to be an X-Man way, way back in 1966 in X-Men 27 (yes really that far back) by the original team, which invite he politely turned down.

I think Wolverine is blowing off steam after having been put through the hoops only to have the villain disappear last issue without getting even. He is also maybe using a little misdirected aggression towards Spider-Man.

Wolverine knows they have been up since yesterday battling but still they are at it at 4:50 AM in the Danger Room. Wolverine has natural stamina as evidenced in his six hour battle with the Hulk and Wendigo in his first appearance in Incredible Hulk 180-182. His incredible stamina is likely a by-product of his healing factor but that hasn't been spelled out to us just yet. At any rate he probably knows Spider-man is pretty pooped and is pushing him to the limit. Wolverine thinks it would have been a lot more fun if the Danger Room had been fully operational referring to it being wrecked back in Uncanny X-Men 143. Professor Xavier comes to Spidey's rescue. That is probably the first and hopefully the last Fwikt and Fwak onomatopoeic claw extension and retraction sound. The weary Spider-Man joins the X-Men for breakfast.

As usual in guest appearances Wolverine is mischaracterized as the jerk he was in early X-Men stories, without the friendships and character development that has taken place in the X-Men title. Remember Wolverine was the first one to welcome Kitty Pryde into the X-Men. It took place in X-Men King-Size Annual 4*.

*See Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Part 16 -NLogan

Uncanny X-Men 158

June 1982

Writer: Chris Claremont

Penciller: Dave Cockrum

Dr. Moira McTaggart a Nobel prize winning geneticist, suggests that if Wolverine uses his Adamantium claws to disrupt the energy stream of the ultra-energy psibolts, the pure metal can break the psionic link between Xavier and Oracle and cause her to stop being under his control. Wolverine's claws are described as super-dense, unbreakable metal. We have seen his claws described as forged of Adamantium before. See Uncanny X-Men 142 (forged of adamantium the strongest metal known) and described as distinct from his adamantium laced skeleton from a scan by the Hellfire club in Uncanny X-Men 151, "His bones are laced with Adamantium, making them essentially unbreakable. He also possesses adamantium claws..." No mention of the claws being laced. See Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Parts 17 and 20 -NLogan

Wolverine, Storm, and Carol Danvers infiltrate the Pentagon in an attempt to use an open ended virus program to erase all references to the X-Men from the Federal Data Bank. Wolverine is in his Canadian Armed Forces uniform specifically his Royal Canadian Air Force military uniform with a OF-2 Captain's rank that we saw in a flashback in Uncanny X-Men 147. We learned of his rank of Captain in Uncanny X-Men 120. We also see that his skeleton was picked up by the metal detectors. We know that Adamantium is a ferro-magnetic metal alloy from Uncanny X-Men 104. Wolverine carries a medical clearance card that explains the metal as prosthetics from war wounds. Wolverine refers to Carol's Command Pilot Wings and medals and is told they are as real as his. Also Carol refers to him by Logan, they went on missions together as Air Force Intelligence and Canadian Secret Service agents, even if at this point she doesn't remember it (learned in Uncanny X-Men 154). Command Pilot Wings are a U.S. Air Force specific aeronautical officer rating as a permanent senior pilot rating with a minimum 15 years as a rated pilot and 3000 hours of flight time that would not be applicable to Wolverine's wings so it is inferred she just meant her wings and medals are just as real as Logan's not necessarily the same classification. Wolverine told Nightcrawler in Uncanny X-Men 140 that he was a wartime soldier and had received commendations and medals. Logan's medals and wings are still indistinct enough that they cannot positively be made out, for some possible explanations for the wings and all the other above references see Wolverine a Reader's Perspective parts 5,10, 16, 18 and 21 -NLogan

While in the Pentagon they run into Rogue, literally (well Carol does) and a battle begins. Wolverine states his bones are laced with Adamantium making them virtually unbreakable. He says also that he has claws made out of the same stuff honed razor sharp. This is the first time we see it specifically stated that his claws are made of Adamantium. Since his first appearance they have been called Adamantium claws. They have been referred to as forged of Adamantium and built into the housings in his forearms and the backs of his hands (i.e. artificial) previously in Uncanny X-Men 142 and 151.

As Rogue's kiss absorbs Wolverine's powers he falls unconscious, Storm believes him to be in a coma. When Rogue absorbed Carol Danver's powers when she was Ms. Marvel it nearly killed Carol and the transfer became permanent.

Rogue uses Wolverine's enhanced senses to track them down.

Wolverine was wearing his costume under his uniform. Storm took off his uniform while he was unconscious while Rogue fights Nightcrawler possibly to preserve Logan's cover as a legitimate Royal Canadian Air Force Captain. Wolverine rapidly recovers as a result of his healing factor and the fact that Rogues power was wearing off while Nightcrawler has her distracted. Feeling Wolverine's powers fade she goes to attack him again, but this time he is ready...

...and knocks her through a wall!

Wolverine hits Rogue with a right cross (sort of, a right cross is a boxing hooking punch thrown over the opponents punch, Rogue wasn't punching she was wrapped up). Wolverine is a trained boxer (he threw an uppercut and he throws "as good a punch as ever" in Uncanny X-Men 109*. When that doesn't work he decides to go with critical neural pressure points. We know Wolverine is a trained martial artist in Ninjutsu, Judo, Karate, and Jujitsu at this point see Uncanny X-men 133, 137, 141, 148, and 152*. In real life there is no such thing as pressure point touch knockouts or killing moves such as Dim Mak however since the beginning of martial arts they have targeted weak points of the human anatomy to disable mechanically (joints) or cause temporary paralysis or stunning via nerve damage (neural plexus strike) to render a limb numb or immobile via impact strike to nerves or nerve clusters that are supported by bone or muscle close to the skin (like when you hit the Ulnar nerve on the Humerus or funny bone). Or to render someone unconscious via impact knockout pressure points or blood flow restriction knock out points either by striking vulnerable spots or temporarily closing off blood flow to arteries by strikes or choking. Generally pressure points do not immediately render someone unconscious but cause extreme pain for pain compliance, a stunning effect leaving one open to follow up strikes, limited motor dysfunction, depending on the strike location balance disruption, or with sufficient force or restriction for a duration, loss of consciousness. Because Wolverine is unable to complete his technique or "hit" the critical neural pressure points and all martial arts use them, we are unable to determine the style of his proposed strike. He is in position to do a rear naked choke that would momentarily choke off blood to the brain via the carotid arteries and stun the hypoglossal nerve. He could just as easily strike the base of neck, temple, or side of the jaw since he said hit but as we saw his right cross, right hook, or earlier left jab did not knock Rogue out. A knockout or technical knock out (stunned, wind knocked out, or debilitating pain) is possible via strike to the mandibular nerve (under and along the jawline), the cervical plexus (base of neck), the vagus nerve a cranial nerve that connects the digestive tract, heart, and lungs, to the brain via medulla oblongata (can be attacked at the side of the neck, the upper chest near the heart, and side of chest under the liver), hypoglossal nerve (below the ear on the side of the jaw), or solar plexus near the end of the sternum.

*See Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Parts 6, 14, 15, 17, 19, and 20 -NLogan

The mission is a success and the records of the X-Men in the Federal Computer Network have been erased.

Incredible Hulk 272

June 1982

Writer: Bill Mantlo

Penciller: Sal Buscema

Wolverine is briefly shown in a flashback recap of events of Uncanny X-Men 139-140 and Hulk 180-182. This is only the second time in eight years Wolverine has been in the pages of the Incredible Hulk comic after his initial appearance cameo in 180, his first full appearance in 181, and his second cameo in 182. In this cameo he doesn't even get any lines.

See Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Parts 1 and 16 -NLogan

Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions 1

June 1982

Writer: Bill Mantlo

Penciller: John Romita Jr.

Two Eternal beings the Grandmaster and Death hold a contest (with the prize if Grandmaster wins, the resurrection of the Collector the Grandmaster's brother or if Death wins he stays dead) using the super heroes of Earth as pawns in the game.

Across the globe heroes are suddenly eveloped in a red glow and kidnapped! The X-Men as usual are honing their skills in the Danger Room.

All of the heroes on Earth find themselves in an arena in Earth's orbit.

Everyone is dumbfounded as to how or why they were taken. Wolverine now allies again with Alpha Flight reaches out to them. Wolverine's, "Uh-Oh! Alpha Flight!" and James MacDonald's don't jump to conclusions hand gesture to say, "Hey it wasn't us" are a reminder that Alpha Flight had tried to abduct Wolverine back in Uncanny X-Men 109 and 120-121. They made up in Uncanny X-Men 139-140.

See Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Parts 6, 10, and 16 -NLogan

Wolverine considers the floating arena confinement and because he has been held against his will before values his freedom keenly. We know he was held by Magneto, and Mesmero in Uncanny X-Men 111 and 112.

See Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Parts 7 and 8 -NLogan

The Grandmaster reveals to the heroes the cosmic contest and is holding the Earth's inhabitants hostage in a frozen stasis unless the heroes compete against one another. If they will Grandmaster will release the earth and Death with grant another 1000 years of life to the Earth's sun. Grandmaster and Death choose their teams.

Until next time troops! NLogan signing off!