Warning! Spoilers ahead for Wolverine #9 from Benjamin Percy and Adam Kubert
In the latest issue of Marvel Comics’ Wolverine, Logan has gone undercover, investigating a black market auction specializing in superhero items and antiquities, with a special focus on mutant memorabilia. As such, Krakoa has sent in Wolverine to prevent an international incident, as their reports have indicated that the auction got their hands on assets from the old Weapon X program. As such, this mission is very personal to Wolverine, and he’s determined to make sure that none of it falls into the wrong hands. Additionally, a key element is revealed into Logan’s past back when he was a part of the program, revealing a pivotal moment when his path forward as a hero started to become clear.
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Many Marvel and X-Men fans know that Wolverine’s past with Weapon X is very dark and muddled, as much of Logan’s time with the program saw his body being experimented on, while his mind was constantly brainwashed and wiped. As such, there were massive parts of his life that Wolverine was unable to remember for quite a long time. Even so, it’s been revealed that Logan made a conscious choice one day along with his friend and teammate Maverick to remember that they were men, not merely living weapons for someone else to simply use and put away when they weren’t needed. As such, Wolverine’s path to one day breaking free and becoming a hero began when he found a book he recognized on one of their operations: The Book of Five Rings.
The Book of Five Rings is an actual book written by Miyamoto Musashi, a Japanese swordsman from the 17th century. As such, it stands to reason that Wolverine recognized it from his time before Weapon X when he had a family in Japan. Logan kept the book and hid it under his mattress. In between missions but before the next brainwashing session, Logan would read the book and write down what happened, not wanting to forget those he had killed. Together with Maverick, they created a mnemonic device using one of the lines from the book: “Today is a victory over yourself of yesterday.” Using that phrase, Wolverine and Maverick was able to fight the brainwashing and reprogramming, resisting and seeking to retain who they were and what they had done.
Eventually, this would lead to Wolverine breaking free from the program, heading towards his life as an X-Man and where he is today, using that same device to free Maverick who’s revealed to be the auction’s premier “item” for sale, having been brainwashed to be the highest paying criminal’s mutant weapon at their leisure.
While Maverick might not remember who Logan is, the mnemonic phrase worked and he was able to break free of the brainwashing, just as Wolverine did thanks to Maverick all those years ago. Now, side by side once more, the former Weapon X members now have to find a way to get out of the auction room packed with criminals of all kinds.
This is a deep and important moment from Logan’s past that’s extremely cool for Wolverine fans to finally witness, seeing a key element that was instrumental in his escape from the awful and cruel program that Weapon X truly was. The existence of this book and the notes he wrote down also indicate that his escape was for moral reasons. Logan wanted to take ownership of his sins, rather than not remembering them at all. Not only that, but it looks as though this same moment is going to help define his next steps into the future, as he’s now returned the favor by finally breaking Maverick free from the control Weapon X had over him as well. No doubt Maverick is probably going to need some help adjusting to his new life as a free man, as well as trying to remember all the gaps in his past just like Logan struggled with. In light of this, it will be interesting to see how Wolverine goes forward in the coming issues from Marvel Comics.
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