The Wolverine!

Art by Dave Cockrum



Chronological Wolverine facts as revealed to the reader part 18

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!

April 1981
ROM 17
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciller: Sal Buscema





As is usual for guest appearances of the X-Men in other books, they are reduced to stereotypes of nationalities and personalities. Wolverine is always shown as a gruff, rude, tough guy ready to slice anything up. Completely ignoring any character growth as we have seen in the pages of the Uncanny X-Men where the team has grown into a family and each has unique personalities and are not just defined by their accents or nationalities.



Another commonality in guest appearances starring one or all of the X-Men is that they frequently find themselves in battle because of a misunderstanding against the title hero of the book they are appearing in. In this case the mutant Cerebro detected was a mutant boy who is half Dire-Wraith who has concealed his true nature and murders from the X-Men and is playing the role of the helpless child needing protection against the armored ROM Space Knight.



May 1981
ROM 18
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciller: Sal Buscema







No longer is Wolverine a team player, he is reduced once again to a name calling bully, brash, and quick to attack. Possibly some of the worst writing I have encountered is when Wolverine calls his claws, "my adamantium fingernails". They have been called claws or talons, but never fingernails ugh. They don't extend from his fingertips they protrude from the backs of his hands.



We find out that Wolverine's senses are so acute he can smell evil but is unable to pinpoint it. Somehow he is able to smell morality and intentions...who writes this stuff?! Yeesh! Oh yeah, thanks Bill. The artwork is also not the best, example Wolverine's cowl blowing in the wind like puppy dog ears.





Not only can Wolverine smell morality but when that evil force intensifies to the point of being even more lethal he still can't locate it. Also we have the onomatopoeic word, "SNIK' which usually means a partial claw extension instead of the more familiar "SNIKT" with that "T" signifying the claws fully locking into the housings for full claw extension.



You may have noticed that Colossus' name is misspelled as Pieter some weird amalgamation of the anglicized version of Peter from the Russian Piotr. Even though Wolverine can smell evil he attacks ROM anyways even though he knows he is not the deadly evil he scented before.



He didn't smell the good in ROM or Kitty Pryde who he backs into.



We learn that Wolverine has received extensive firearms training as an intelligence operative in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. The U.S. Secret Service traditionally has protected the President of the United States and other important national leaders as well as preventing and investigating financial crimes such as counterfeiting. The Canadian counterpart tasked with protecting the Prime Minister would be the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Protective Policing Service. Neither of which are agencies of secret agents or spies. Because of the context of this insight into Wolverine's past, I believe the writer meant the CSIS which is analogous to the UK's MI5 or the US' CIA and we know that Wolverine was an intelligence officer as he has stated clearly he was a Secret Agent and was licensed to kill. Wolverine said he had been doing his, "James Bond number" comparing himself to the world's most famous fictional spy.*

*See Uncanny X-Men 139 and 140 in Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Part 16 - NLogan



Again we see Wolverine's unbreakable adamantium skeleton withstand a bone-shattering force. I don't want to imagine a berserker barcalounger. Thanks again Bill for the mental image of a berserk chair filled with uncontrollable violent rage and bloodlust mangling Wolverine in a frenzy.



Never fear though Kitty's unique energy signature allows her to use the space knight's weapon and blasts the Dire Wraith and ROM into an inter-dimensional limbo and saves the day, sort of.

May 1981
The Uncanny X-Men 145
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: David Emmit "Dave" Cockrum





When those dearest to some of the X-Men are kidnapped (Jean Grey's parents, Moira MacTaggert, Angel and Nightcrawler's girlfriends, and Colossus' little sister) Wolverine takes a hard stand against giving into the hostage taker's demands although Logan lounging around in that unbuttoned shirt is a crime against humanity and could also be considered an act of terrorism.



After reviewing the Avenger's dossier on Victor Von Doom, Wolverine briefs his action team and has some knowledge of the legalities of diplomatic immunity or lack thereof of foreign dignitaries temporarily residing in America. We learned Wolverine researches his enemies back in Uncanny X-Men 140.*

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



The fireproof unstable molecules of Wolverine's new brown and tan costume didn't stand a chance against whatever that blast was.* But his healing factor has him quickly recovering.

*We learned what his new costume was made of in Uncanny X-Men 142. See Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Part 17 - NLogan



Since Wolverine's costume was just roasted off of him he has to fight au naturale. Using teamwork they trash the battle suits.


 
June 1981
ROM 19
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciller: Sal Buscema





Wolverine is briefly visible in a flashback of ROM's "epic encounter with the Uncanny X-Men" in the last two ROM issues.

June 1981
The Uncanny X-Men 146
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: David Emmit "Dave" Cockrum



The X-Men having fallen into Dr. Doom's trap awaken to find themselves in various situations meant to test their abilities so that Doom can learn about them.



Without gravity Wolverine has a hard time orienting himself because of the patterns on the walls and the lights that are overwhelming his senses.



The rest of the issue deals with the second team assaulting Murderworld in an attempt to free the hostages.

July 1981
The Uncanny X-Men 147
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: David Emmit "Dave" Cockrum





Wolverine flashes back to a time with Department H when he nearly killed his friends James and Heather Hudson who were family to him, the only he had ever known. Wolverine is seen in a Royal Canadian Air Force military uniform with a OF-2 Captain's rank.* He has full wing insignia on his right chest but unfortunately not in enough detail to see what specialty. It could be pilot, flight engineer, navigator, search and rescue technician, loadmaster, or sensor operator that all have full wings. All other specialties have half wings. It could also be paratrooper wings. He also has some indiscernible commendations.* We learn that Logan's senses are so acute that he responds to subliminal cues. He also regrets some of the things he has done. He was certified by the Canadian government as being psychotic or suffering from a psychosis as of yet undetermined to the reader and he is a killer. He received some mental treatment but was not cured. He is in a constant battle to control himself.

*See Incredible Hulk 181 that Wolverine was ordered from a Royal Canadian Air Force Tracking Station, Giant Sized X-Men 1 with Wolverine's base being a secluded military instillation in Quebec Canada and Uncanny X-Men 94 that it was called Alpha Base in Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Parts 1,2,and 3. See Uncanny X-Men 120 where Sasquatch affirms Logan's rank as Captain in Wolverine a Reader's Perspective Part 10, and Uncanny X-Men 140 where Logan tells Nightcrawler that he has military medals and commendations in Part 16. - NLogan



He has lost his humanity in a berserker rage and become completely animalistic in his past he would rather not do so again. He has the ability to feel a berserker rage coming on and can choose to loose himself in battle lust or control it. He methodically takes action to defeat the trap he is in withstanding the discomfort of the light displays that blind his superhuman senses and controlling his rage until he is free.



Wolverine is able to pick up the X-Men's scent even in a flooded corridor but he also smells ozone and can tell a natural electrical storm from one generated with Storm's mutant powers and knows she needs his help immediately. He also recognizes that the Storm attacking him isn't the real Storm.



Wolverine recognizes people by their appearance, stance, smell, and feel.



Wolverine never bluffs.

July 1981
Bizarre Adventures 27
Writers: Mary Jo Duffy and Bob Layton Sr.
Penciller: David Emmit "Dave" Cockrum





Wolverine and Colossus are hanging out in the exact same outfits as in Uncanny X-Men 145 so this is probably a minor continuity insert.





Wolverine is shown twice more in his old costume which either puts this story way earlier or is an error as Wolverine's new costume was still fairly new. The rest of the story deals with Nightcrawler on a solo adventure being transported to another dimension with the Vanisher.

July 1981
What if #27
Writer: Mary Jo Duffy
Penciller: Jerry Bingham



Since all of the What If series deal with alternate universes any history of any Wolverine of those universes would not pertain to Wolverine's cannon but it is still fun to see the artwork. As the Character of Wolverine becomes more popular he is involved in many different cross overs and alternate realities and it won't be feasible to cover them all because we as readers are not learning anything new about the character.



























In this alternate reality Dark Phoenix destroys all of the X-Men.

Until next time true believers!