Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Part 6

THE WOLVERINE!

Art by Dave Cockrum


Chronological Wolverine facts as revealed to the reader part VI

Continuing our journey to understand the Wolverine character as was revealed 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!

Oct 1977
THE ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT X-MEN 107
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Dave Cockrum





Traveling to the far side of the galaxy via a stargate, the X-Men find themselves in a battle with the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. Oracle's mind control abilities have no effect on Wolverine.



The guard who is in love with Oracle, Star-Bolt, blasts Wolverine with his, "unfettered fury of the solar fire-storm" and burns Wolverine severely leaving his costume in tatters.



Wolverine still gets upset when someone laughs at him.



Wolverine still on his feet and in the fight (one tough dude) after the solar blast he received, needs a new costume and targets the Imperial Guard Fang.



Well now we know where he got the new outfit he showed up in Iron Fist 15 with.* He quickly uses the guise to his advantage to off-balance other Guard members in a surprise attack.

*Iron Fist 15 was the first published view of Wolverine's borrowed Fang costume as established last time in Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Part 5 - NLogan





After the battle with 31 super powered beings, aliens, and heroes (X-MEN, Shi'ar Imperial Guard, Starjammers, and the Empress) Wolverine, impressed, surveys the field. We learn he has seen, "some heavy stompin' in my time" and is a battle veteran.

Dec 1977
THE ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT X-MEN 108
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: John Byrne





Jahf a guardian of the Gate into Eternity warns the X-Men that his charge is to permit no one to approach the Great M'Krann Crystal and live. Wolverine, ever up for a challenge, approaches the tiny alien, only to be socked into outer space! Consider this: escape velocity on Earth is around 25,020 miles per hour leaving the Earth's surface. I don't know what the escape velocity is for the Planet with No Name but Wolverine was rocketing at insane speeds and then was enveloped in the cold vacuum of space and survived it! Not to mention absorbing all the power and damage of the kinetic energy from a punch that can send you into orbit and friction heat from the atmosphere. That alone shows how seemingly indestructible he is!

Unfortunately here we are introduced to our first retcon. Waldo on the Starjammer's Skimmer sensors indicate Wolverine leaving the planet's surface and he states that Wolverine is about 1.6 meters long which translates to 62.9921 inches or just a hair under 5 foot 3 inches. Granted he said very clearly "approximately" but from here on out Wolverine's official height is listed as 5'3" in contrast to the previously known five feet five inches that was stated in his first full appearance in the Incredible Hulk 181*. That blast into orbit must have burned two inches off of him. Don't mess with diminutive aliens kids, it will stunt your growth! Incidentally Waldo states that Wolverine has approximately 70 kilos mass which is about 154 lbs.

*See Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Part 1 to see where we first learned Wolverine's height- NLogan

Feb 1978
THE ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT X-MEN 109
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: John Byrne



The X-Men are finally home after saving the universe.



Wolverine is ready to ditch Fang's costume for good.



We see in a flashback Phoenix is having about the X-Men's recent adventures that Wolverine was incapacitated by his recent unplanned launch into orbit*.

*See above in X-Men 108- NLogan



Meanwhile, as the X-Men are recovering from their recent battles and interstellar jet-lag or whatever a stargate gives you, the reader is aware that someone is tracking Wolverine. The inference is that they have some means of tracking him.



This is the first time Wolverine's cowl is shown off while wearing his costume. We learn it is separate and not attached like a hoodie or anything. Wolverine has always been portrayed as a dangerous killer, here we see a different side of him as he explains to Ororo that his version of hunting doesn't necessarily involve killing. We also see he has an affinity for the woods and wild spaces.

The reader becomes aware that Canadian forces are tracking Wolverine from above.



Wolverine has the stealth to sneak up on a doe unawares and stalk it without being detected.
Wolverine immediately recognizes James Hudson with a startled "you" even though he has likely never seen him as Weapon Alpha before (this is confirmed a few pages later that this is the first time Logan has seen the battle suit James is wearing). This is probably an indicator of his heightened senses as we know he can recognize a person by their scent*.

* Established in X-Men 100 see Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Part 3. -NLogan



We find out that whoever Wolverine took orders from in his special unit in the Canadian military/intelligence are called Control. And that Weapon Alpha was present when Wolverine resigned. Oh and that military brass that got his tie cut by Wolverine in Giant-Size X-Men 1 was named Chasin. Wolverine has obviously trained with/and or against James Hudson as he knows what kind of punch Wolverine can throw.

James MacDonald Hudson knows Wolverine's real name and calls him Logan twice which are the third and fourth time the reader sees it*.

*The first was in X-Men 103 when a leprechaun calls him by name, and the second was in Iron Fist 15 in a narration box. See Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Parts 4 and 5. - NLogan



Logan references the old days with Jimmie and that he should know that he can absorb a lot of punishment. He also mentally notes that he was better than James at everything. It appears that James was a part of the same special agency within the Canadian military/intelligence that Logan was. Logan calls himself by name in a thought bubble the fifth time seeing it for the reader.

Sean, Moira, Peter, and Ororo are relaxing a short distance from the battle unawares until...



Wolverine is knocked unconscious.



Colossus joins the fight. It becomes apparent that however the Canadians were tracking Wolverine they could only "see" him as Weapon Alpha was unawares that he was traveling in the company of three other X-Men and a lady.



Wolverine is already awake and alert after only a few seconds time and one punch to Weapon Alpha by Colossus. Storm now joins the fight. In the meantime Weapon Alpha accidentally ricochets a energy beam off Colossus and hits Moira in the head rendering her unconscious and royally pissing off Banshee who now joins the fray. Outnumbered James realizes that discretion is the better part of valor and chooses to retreat until he knows more about these super-beings, and next time he will bring Alpha Flight to even the odds.



Wolverine is enigmatic in his response to Peter's question. He still is not comfortable divulging his past. But he does tell us that James MacDonald Hudson was his friend, close enough to be considered almost brothers.

Until next time true believer!