Weapon X (story arc)
Encyclopedia
"Weapon X" is a comic book
story arc
written and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith
and published by Marvel Comics
. The story arc appears in Marvel Comics Presents
#72-84 and tells the story of Wolverine
during his time in Weapon X
.
Throughout the program, Logan is constantly referred to not as a person but as a subject, and his humanity is almost completely disregarded in the course of the experiments. Logan frequently comes to odds with his mental programming, and the Professor begins to question the program's head (at one time, the being was to be X-Men villain Apocalypse, but that has been retconned out for the time being), and eventually escapes into the wilderness after killing all of the soldiers there (except for one, future Weapon X Director Malcom Colcord) as the Professor, Cornelius, and Hines lock themselves up in a secured room that Logan cannot break into.
, appeared in Wolverine's first ongoing series starting with issue 48, entitled The Shiva Scenario. The 3 part storyline referenced much of what happened in the Weapon X story. It is collected in Wolverine Visionaries: Marc Silvestri, among other Wolverine stories from the era.
Additionally, the story is one of several others in the Best of Wolverine, Volume 1 hardcover, published in 2004 (ISBN 0-7851-1370-3).
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
written and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
and published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The story arc appears in Marvel Comics Presents
Marvel Comics Presents
Marvel Comics Presents was an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics originally from 1988 to 1995; it returned for a second volume in 2007-2008.-Volume 1:The first volume was released on a biweekly basis and lasted for 175 issues...
#72-84 and tells the story of Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
during his time in Weapon X
Weapon X
Weapon X is a fictional clandestine government genetic research facility project in the Marvel Universe conducted by the Canadian Government's Department K, which turns willing and unwilling beings into living weapons. The project often captures mutants and experiments on them to enhance their...
.
Plot
Logan is captive and prepared for the adamantium bonding process. As he is being prepared, flashbacks show Logan's kidnapping. There are several mentions of his being tough, and the Professor, the director of the Weapon X program, along with his assistants Dr. Cornelius and Miss Hines, wipe his mind and bond him to adamantium, the hardest known substance on Earth, to prepare him to be a killing machine. Prior to Wolverine volume 2, #75, the plot had too much adamantium bond to his forearms, resulting in his claws, leading to the development of tubes in his flesh to keep the skin apart for claw extraction.Throughout the program, Logan is constantly referred to not as a person but as a subject, and his humanity is almost completely disregarded in the course of the experiments. Logan frequently comes to odds with his mental programming, and the Professor begins to question the program's head (at one time, the being was to be X-Men villain Apocalypse, but that has been retconned out for the time being), and eventually escapes into the wilderness after killing all of the soldiers there (except for one, future Weapon X Director Malcom Colcord) as the Professor, Cornelius, and Hines lock themselves up in a secured room that Logan cannot break into.
Sequel
A sort of sequel to Weapon X, written by Larry HamaLarry Hama
Larry Hama is an American comic book writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s....
, appeared in Wolverine's first ongoing series starting with issue 48, entitled The Shiva Scenario. The 3 part storyline referenced much of what happened in the Weapon X story. It is collected in Wolverine Visionaries: Marc Silvestri, among other Wolverine stories from the era.
Collected editions
The story has been collected numerous times, first in a 1993 hardcover (ISBN 0871359464) then a 2007 hardcover (ISBN 0-7851-2667-8) which was reprinted in 2009 as a paperback (ISBN 0-7851-3726-2).Additionally, the story is one of several others in the Best of Wolverine, Volume 1 hardcover, published in 2004 (ISBN 0-7851-1370-3).