Issue 29 – Wolverine

SHOW NOTES:

• Introduction

• Background (8:18)

  • Created by Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and John Romita Sr. (drawn by Herb Trimpe) in The Incredible Hulk #180/181 (Oct./Nov. 1974)

  • Originally simply an agent of the Canadian government known as Weapon X tasked with taking down the Hulk (originally, “moving is the thing I do best”)

  • Then introduced as member of new X-Men team in 1975’s Giant-Size X-Men #1 – becomes attracted to Jean Grey, Cyclops’ girlfriend

  • Later meets Lady Mariko Yashida in Japan, and falls in love with her – shortly thereafter has to evade Alpha Flight, division of Canadian government Department H who have to bring him in

  • Becomes engaged to Mariko, but has to break it off because Mariko’s family is connected to yakuza

  • Takes Kitty Pryde under his wing, and he becomes a foster father of sorts to her

  • Has his adamantium claws forcibly removed by Magneto in the “Fatal Attractions” storyline – reveals his claws are originally bone, and this severely damages his healing factor

  • Gets kidnapped and driven insane by Genesis’ attempt to re-bond adamantium to his skeleton – successfully re-bonded by Apocalypse, although turned into Horseman Death for a time

  • Origin told in 2002 – born James Howlett, son of a plantation owner in the late 1800s in Canada – after seeing his father killed by the groundskeeper Thomas Logan, James’ claws appear for the first time and he kills Logan (later implied to be Wolverine’s father) – goes on the run with an orphan girl named Rose, who gives him the name Logan – accidentally kills Rose too while fighting his half-brother Dog

  • Later discover that he fought alongside Captain America in WWII

  • X-23 is revealed as a female clone/”daughter”

  • Joins New Avengers in 2005

  • House of M – Logan is one of the few mutants who remembers the way the world was before Wanda changed things, and is instrumental in using Layla Miller to turn things back

  • Discovers he has a son Daken, who he has a difficult relationship with

  • Schism – Deals with fight between Cyclops and Logan over the path of the X-Men, Logan leaves and starts a new school – Jean Grey School – as headmaster

  • Sides with Avengers during the AvX storyline – wants to take Hope Summers into custody to protect her from Phoenix Force

  • Later joins Avengers Unity Squad

  • Death of Wolverine – dies as a result of his healing factor being shut off from a virus – dies by suffocating in adamantium

  • Resurrected in comics – still unsure how

• Issues (25:17)

  • Sense of honor vs his pragmatism

  • Uncertainty over history for so long left him lonely & alone (35:14)

  • Unable to find lasting relationship – Jean & Mariko (41:40)

  • Relationship with children is difficult – Daken & Laura vs. Kitty (53:55)

  • Battles with Cyclops over Jean & direction of team (59:40)

• Treatment (66:24)

  • In-universe

  • Out of universe

• Skit (77:18)

• Ending

References:

• “I Go to Extremes” by Billy Joel – Anthony – 14:35
• How Stella Got Her Groove Back – Anthony – 24:29
• “Family Matters” – Doc – 44:30
• Wedding Crashers – Anthony – 48:06
• “Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera – Doc – 48:52
• Sean Corvelle – Anthony – 56:45

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