028 - Where No X-Men Has Gone Before

Dave Cockrum and Dan Green, X-Men #107

© and ™  by Marvel Characters, Inc.

X-Men #105 (Jun 1977) – “ Phoenix Unleashed”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: Dave Cockrum; Inker: Bob Layton

     Arriving at the mansion, Cyclops' intuition proves correct, and the X-Men attack Eric the Red. Before Wolverine can put the finishing touches on a surprisingly pacifistic Eric the Red, Firelord (an alien capable of flight and the power of a raging sun, and former herald for the planet-eating Galactus) attacks.

Classic X-Men #13 (Sep 1987) – “ Phoenix Unleashed”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Artist: Bob Layton

     Wolverine again shows that he fears no one. He attacks Firelord with a “fastball special” and ends up, like the rest of the X-Men, unconscious.

X-Men #105 (Jun 1977) – “ Phoenix Unleashed”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: Dave Cockrum; Inker: Bob Layton

     As the X-Men come to, they find themselves alone and speed towards Jean Grey's Manhattan apartment aboard their hoverjet. When they arrive, they find Jean and Firelord battling overhead and Eric the Red building a Star-Gate on the roof. Eric fires a blast disabling the hoverjet (Wolverine takes this quick opportunity to deride Cyclops' flying skills), forcing the X-Men to bail out. Landing on the roof, the X-Men watch as Eric and an alien woman vanish through the gate. Xavier, who is prone on the roof, rapidly explains that the woman is an alien by the name of Lilandra and that she is trying to stop her brother from destroying the universe. Phoenix reactivates the Star-Gate and the X-Men enter, not knowing what lay on the other side.

Classic X-Men #14 (Oct 1987) – “Where No X-Men Has Gone Before!”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: Chuck Patton; Inker: Dan Green

     Passing through the Star-Gate, Wolverine looks forward to the chance to really cut loose, opining that if he dies, he won't die alone.

X-Men #107 (Oct 1977) – “Where No X-Men Has Gone Before!”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: Dave Cockrum; Inker: Dan Green

     As Wolverine and the X-Men emerge through the Star-Gate, our heroes find themselves on the other end of the galaxy, confronted by the Imperial Guard, a group of super-powered aliens. The Emperor D'Ken (Lilandra's brother) and Eric the Red (revealed as D'Ken's agent on Earth, Davan Shakari) hold Lilandra prisoner, while the English-speaking Imperial Guard demand that the X-Men give up their fight for the "traitor" Lilandra. Cyclops' answer is an optic blast, starting a battle between these two super groups. Wolverine (after again bickering with Cyclops) drops several of the Guard. As he pursues the telepath Oracle, Wolverine is blasted by an airborne and solar-powered Starbolt. His clothes and hair singed, Wolverine throws Oracle into Starbolt then attacks the savage warrior Fang. Minutes later, Wolverine appears wearing Fang's uniform, re-entering the fray. Meanwhile, Nightcrawler rescues Lilandra, who explains that she had traveled to Earth to recruit Charles Xavier as an ally after his success in defeating the Z'Nox invasion of Earth many years previous. She hopes to stop her brother, Emperor D'Ken, from tapping into the most dangerous power in the galaxy, the M'Kraan Crystal. Just as it appears that the tide is turning against the X-Men, a legendary group of outlaws, the Starjammers, come to the X-Men's aid, ending the fight in short order. However, before the X-Men can rejoice, Lilandra's brother, D'ken begins to absorb cosmic power into his M'kraan Cystal, causing the entire universe to momentarily blink out of existence.

     In Dave Cockrum's last issue as full-time penciler until 1981, Wolverine's unique look, courtesy of the Imperial Guardian Fang, was intended as a new permanent uniform for Wolverine. As Dave Cockrum explains, “That was going to be his new costume. You have no idea what agony we all went through over that costume. I designed fourteen million costumes for Wolverine, none of which satisfied anybody… [Wolverines] are the boringest-looking animals you've ever seen… certainly not costume material… blue and yellow, what is that for a wolverine?”[1]

John Byrne and Terry Austin, X-Men #108.

© and ™  by Marvel Characters, Inc.

X-Men #108 (Dec 1977) – “Armageddon Now”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: John Byrne; Inker: Terry Austin

     Approaching the M'Kraan Crystal, the X-Men and the Starjammers are met by Jahf, a diminutive guardian of the Crystal . Wolverine steps forward to flatten the pipsqueak only to get hit with such power that he is sent into an escape velocity orbit. The Starjammers' ship recovers him, barely alive, and nurses him back to consciousness. With the help of Banshee, the X-Men finally defeat Jahf. Before the second, more powerful Guardian can defeat them, the heroes enter the Crystal , the result of the Starjammer, Raza, throwing the Emperor against the Crystal . Phoenix notices that the energy lattice inside is dying and its death will destroy the universe.

      This issue marks John Byrne's first issue as penciler of the X-Men . Without exaggeration, his 36 issue run with Chris Claremont would lead to some of the best stories to ever grace the pages of the X-Men . Byrne commented on the beginning of his run, “I consider my greatest contribution to Wolverine as a character to be the fact that he's still around. Both Chris [Claremont] and Dave [Cockrum] wanted to get rid of him, and I said, ‘No, no, no, You're not going to write the only Canadian out of the book now that you've got a Canadian drawing it!'”[2] Cockrum does admit to disliking Wolverine during this time period. “I suppose I didn't really understand Wolverine, but I didn't like him at all.”[3] Perhaps Wolverine's entry into orbit during this issue was meant to be his swan song prior to Byrne's arrival. In any event, the Starjammers' computer system identifies Wolverine in orbit as 1.6 meters tall and 70 kilos in mass, which translates to 5' 2 1/2” and 154 pounds. This would suggest that Claremont had not yet considered the weight of an adamantium skeleton, but one can explain away such a discrepancy as a factor of a different gravity than Earth.

Classic X-Men #15 (Nov 1987) – “Armageddon Now”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: Chuck Patton; Inker: Terry Austin

     Using her Phoenix powers, Phoenix is able to repair the Crystal with the telepathic help of the rest of the X-Men. With the Crystal fixed, the threat to existence is ended.

X-Men #109 (Feb 1978) – “Home Are the Heroes”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: John Byrne; Inker: Terry Austin

     While the Emperor's traitorous deeds are sorted out, Lilandra is forced to return to the Earth with the X-Men before she can claim her title as Empress of the Shi'ar Empire. An unconscious Wolverine, still wearing Fang's uniform, is returned to the X-Men.

X-Men #108 (Dec 1977) – “Armageddon Now”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: John Byrne; Inker: Terry Austin

     With the battle over, the X-Men return to Earth via the Star-Gate, Nightcrawler carrying Wolverine. Firelord is there with Xavier, but all hostilities have been sorted out. Wolverine begins to regain consciousness.

Iron Fist #15 (Sept 1977) – “Enter, the X-Men”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: John Byrne; Inker: Dan Green

     Before heading back to Westchester , the X-Men remain in New York for a party at Jean's place. Wolverine, standing outside of Jean's apartment building, tries to sort out his feelings for her. Before long, Wolverine notices someone sneaking into Jean's apartment. Still wearing the Fang costume, Wolverine tears through the door of the apartment, challenging the intruder. The intruder turns out to be Iron Fist, an obscure martial arts super-hero and a close friend of Jean's roommate. A fairly even battle ensues until Iron Fist tosses Wolverine out the window. Below, Nightcrawler catches Wolverine, and Colossus tosses him back in the room. Iron Fist continues to hold his own against the three X-Men, but the battle soon captures the interest of Storm and Banshee, who help to turn the tables on Iron Fist (after Storm is humorously hit in the face with a bowl of potato salad). As Wolverine threatens Iron Fist with his claws, Jean and Scott arrive, straightening out the whole sorted mess. Later, at the party, Jean makes a point of needling Wolverine about the fiasco, reminding him to take care of all of the repairs.

     Wolverine's name is confirmed as Logan during a sequence where his feelings for Jean Grey are made especially apparent to the reader. Logan tears a photo of Scott and Jean, keeping the half with Jean, and informs Iron Fist that Jean Grey is his woman! Logan also notes, after being dropped by Iron Fist, that he has not been hit like that since he was a kid. Iron Fist mentally notes that Wolverine's animal ferocity is similar to Sabretooth and wonders if they are related, something that both Chris Claremont and John Bryne had intended.[4]

John Byrne and Dan Green, Iron Fist #15.

© and ™  by Marvel Characters, Inc.

X-Men Legends (Jun 2000) – “Peace Offering”

Writer: Michael Stewart

     Wolverine, as Logan, breaks into Jean Grey's apartment in Greenwich Village. As he soaks up her aroma with his hyper senses, Jean Grey's roommate, Misty Knight, returns home and quietly sticks a gun to his head. A tense moment passes until Logan explains that he was bringing Jean a peace offering, a small white dove, over the damage he caused during his fight with Iron Fist. Just then 20 ninjas from the Hand burst through the windows, attacking both Wolverine and Misty. After a savage battle featuring Wolverine's claws and Misty's .38, not to mention her bionic arm, the ninjas are defeated and sent running. As Wolverine and Misty patch each other up, Misty explains that she has been investigating the Japanese underworld, prompting a response from the Hand. Wolverine in turn admits that he has a thing for Jean but fears he is unworthy. Before long, Jean arrives, and Wolverine finally works up the nerve to tell her how he feels about her. Unfortunately, his peace offering, the dove, flutters between them, ruining the moment, and Jean is then hit in the shoulder by a poisoned shuriken as the Hand returns. Wolverine tears into them, dropping them by the dozen, and leaps from the window in pursuit. Twenty minutes later, the Hand taken care of, Wolverine watches as Jean Grey are taken to the hospital, their injuries minor. Dismayed at how the evening turned out, Wolverine silently departs.

Alpha Flight #17 (Dec 1984) – “Dreams Die Hard”

Chronicler: John Byrne

     Shortly after Wolverine's departure from the Canadian government, more specifically, Department H, James “Mac” Hudson is tasked with formulating a plan to return Wolverine, or Weapon X, to Canadian soil. After months of planning, Mac decides to capture Wolverine at Xavier's mansion.

X-Men #109 (Feb 1978) – “Home Are the Heroes”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: John Byrne; Inker: Terry Austin

     Arriving back at Xavier's mansion in Westchester , Wolverine rids himself of Fang's costume. It is obvious that John Byrne had little interest in using Wolverine's new costume, as Wolverine expresses his disdain for it in the very first panel of this issue. Dave Cockrum' memory was that, “…John Byrne didn't want to draw all those claws, he went back to his blue-and-yellow costume.”[5]

Alpha Flight #17 (Dec 1984) – “Dreams Die Hard”

Chronicler: John Byrne

     As Logan dons his spare Wolverine costume in Xavier's mansion, James Hudson enters American airspace using commandeered SHIELD equipment.

X-Men #109 (Feb 1978) – “Home Are the Heroes”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: John Byrne; Inker: Terry Austin

     Trying to get life back to normal, Sean, Moira, Peter, and Ororo prepare to go on a picnic. Wolverine decides to hitch a ride with the foursome in order to do some hunting. Ororo, aghast at the concept of hunting, blasts Wolverine for even thinking of killing innocent animals for sport. Wolverine shoots back that he is hunting, not killing. "It takes no skill t'kill. What takes skill is sneakin' up close enough to a skittish doe t'touch her..." Ororo apologizes, but Wolverine won't let it go. "I could care less 'Roro, You've all been misjudgin' me since the day I joined this turkey outfit."

Classic X-Men #16 (Dec 1987) – “Home Are the Heroes”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: Kieron Dwyer; Inker: Terry Austin

     As James McDonald prepares for his mission, he reviews his Weapon X data, noting Wolverine's berserker courage, adamantium skeleton and claws, and mutant healing factor. Wolverine's past, as part of Department H, begins to get revealed for the first time for readers within the pages added by Chris Claremont for Classic X-Men . Hudson confirms that Wolverine's skeleton is bonded with adamantium, making his bones virtually indestructible and that Wolverine was intended to be the leader of Alpha Flight, a Canadian superhero group.

Alpha Flight #17 (Dec 1984) – “Dreams Die Hard”

Chronicler: John Byrne

     James McDonald, in his first practical test of his battle suit, departs his cloaked ship and bores into the ground in preparation for his confrontation with Wolverine.

X-Men #109 (Feb 1978) – “Home Are the Heroes”

Writer: Chris Claremont; Penciler: John Byrne; Inker: Terry Austin

     Later, in the forest, while Wolverine is tracking a doe, the ground erupts, revealing James Hudson wearing a glowing power suit and calling himself Weapon Alpha. Hudson informs Wolverine that he has to return to Canada to work for Control (and Department H), but Wolverine fires back that he resigned. The two fight, Hudson determined to bring Wolverine back with him. The glowing suit gives Hudson the advantage, but when he sends Wolverine flying with a punch, he stumbles into Peter, Ororo, Sean and Moira. Colossus decks Weapon Alpha with his first punch, but when Weapon Alpha returns fire with a power blast, it bounces off Colossus's metallic skin and hits Moira. Banshee, seeing the woman he loves being hurt, goes nuts and tries to kill Weapon Alpha. Realizing that he is hopelessly outnumbered, Weapon Alpha "teleports" away to safety. Later, Wolverine admits to Colossus that he and Hudson “… were buddies… almost brothers.”

     Weapon Alpha was originally created as the Sentinel by John Byrne in his college days.[6] Later, when Weapon Alpha is revealed as the Vindicator and leader of Alpha Flight, John Byrne would gain greater creative and editorial control. It is interesting to note that Wolverine was not a fan favorite at this point, as shown by diminished sales on this issue where Wolverine has a starring role on the cover.[7]

John Byrne and Terry Austin, X-Men #109.

© and ™  by Marvel Characters, Inc.

Marvel Novel Series #9: The Marvel Superheroes (Sep 1979) - “Children of the Atom”

Writer: Mary Jo Duffy

     In a long Danger Room session, Wolverine tears into a force of tiny drone planes, as the rest of the X-Men fight their own obstacles. But a lapse in Banshee's concentration and carelessness on Nightcrawler's part nearly lead to disaster, ending the training session prematurely. As Cyclops chews out the two mutants, Wolverine vigorously defends the team's performance. As the two continue to argue, Wolverine challenges Cyclops' leadership, while Cyclops questions Wolverine's place with the X-Men. As the confrontation grows more heated, Xavier intercedes and Wolverine leaves in disgust. After changing into his civilian clothes, including a Stetson cowboy hat, Wolverine “borrows” one of Xavier's limousines and ends up at a local college bar. There, he flirts with several college girls, introducing himself as Logan . After someone mocks his affiliation with Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Logan starts a brawl. Back at the mansion, Xavier calls an urgent meeting, leading Scott and Sean to search for Wolverine. They finally track him down as the barroom brawl pores out onto the street, and Sean eagerly joins the fight. During the fracas, Scott loses the eyeglasses that control his optic blasts and begins to panic. When the brawl ends, Sean retrieves the ruby-lensed shades for Scott, while Wolverine joyfully mocks him on his panic attack. As the three mutants arrive late to Xavier's meeting, Scott takes the blame for their tardiness, much to Wolverine's surprise. After a severe reprimand, Xavier briefs the X-Men on several international missile tests that have gone awry. Based on evidence of mutant responsibility, Xavier sends the X-Men to the Arctic Circle , where Cerebro, the mutant-tracking computer, has traced the mutant.

     Nearing their destination, the X-Men's jet is seized by some unknown force. Unable to control the jet, the X-Men quickly evacuate the plane in mid-air, utilizing Banshee and Storm as transport. Landing within a crevasse, Wolverine finds a large metal dome. Colossus hammers at the dome until he creates an opening, but is flung against the crevasse wall by the inhabitant of the dome, Magneto. Behind Magneto is a nuclear missile, taken from a Chinese missile test. As Magneto announces that he plans to use the missile to start World War III , the X-Men attack. Wolverine lunges for Magneto first but quickly finds himself suspended in mid-air, courtesy of Magneto's magnetic control over his adamantium claws and skeleton. Magneto flings Wolverine at Colossus, as the battle begins in earnest. When Nightcrawler teleports inside Magneto's power shield and pummels him from behind, Magneto launches a more aggressive counterattack, sending barrages of shrapnel at the X-Men. When Cyclops easily evades the attacks, Magneto again takes magnetic control of Wolverine and flings him at Cyclops. Colossus steps in the way, protecting Cyclops, but Magneto quickly takes control of Colossus, forcing him to hammer Wolverine to the ground. Wolverine responds with a savage attack of his own, and the two crash into the snow. As Cyclops presses forward with his optic beams, Magneto counters by seizing control of Cyclops' visor and unleashes the full power of his optic beams on the rest of the X-Men. The optic blasts, however, obliterate the crevasse walls and bury Magneto's base and everyone involved under tons of ice. The X-Men miraculously survive the avalanche and slowly make their way to an arctic scientific outpost, hindered by Colossus and Wolverine, who are magnetically stuck together, a residual effect of Magneto's power. After the two are separated, Xavier arranges for transport home aboard a commercial airliner. On the flight, the X-Men read about a mysterious nuclear explosion in Boothia Peninsula , which accounts for Magneto's stolen missile. Magneto, however, is still among the missing.

     This is the first non-illustrated story to feature Wolverine and is penned by a regular X-Men scribe, Mary Jo Duffy. Even though the story has the feel of an early new X-Men story, certain story elements place the story later in the chronology. With the inclusion of a healthy Banshee, a fully involved Professor Xavier, and Magneto who remembers meeting the new X-Men, this story must take place after X-Men #109 (M'Kraan Crystal aftermath), and before X-Men #111 (the beginning of the next X-Men saga). Jean Grey's absence can easily be explained by her need to spend more time with her parents after her public Phoenix transformation. Scott's reference to Wolverine as Logan is simply a mistake, as his name is not revealed to the rest of the X-Men until much later. The following quote from the short story is undoubtedly assumed information that was input into Charles Xavier's computer system: “Wolverine, or ‘ Logan ' (only that simple name was listed in the school records)… was no longer a youngster. He was short, only an inch or two over five feet, and wiry… Nature had given Wolverine tremendous strength and stamina, a remarkable healing ability, and senses as sharp as those of this namesake. The Canadian government, in hopes of creating a national superhero, had given him a skeletal structure of adamantium, the hardest metal ever conceived, replacing his bones one by one. They'd also given him retractable claws, nine inches long, three per hand, of the same substance. But the deadliest thing about Wolverine was his nature, as fierce and savage as that of his namesake.” It is interesting to note that for the first time since Thunderbird's death, Professor Xavier is in charge of the new X-Men's training, and his style is no longer effective with this older group of mutants. There are other notable and unique comments from this short story. Logan is credited with habitually wearing a Stetson and smoking cigarettes. When discussing Wolverine's temporary disappearance, Cyclops asserts that Wolverine doesn't sneak away without a word to anyone. And, finally, Wolverine expresses a surprising dislike for northern Canada 's ice and snow.

X-Men #110 (Apr 1978) – "The X-Sanction!"

Writer: Chris Claremont; Artist: Tony DeZuniga

     To mark Moira MacTaggert's last day at Xavier's mansion, the X-Men indulge in a game of softball. As Colossus runs towards first base after a hit late in the game, Wolverine, playing first base, challenges him with his claws. Colossus turns to steel, and the two collided in a heap, with Colossus atop Wolverine. Wolverine backs off, sheathing his claws, but the tension between them is still palpable. After the game, Wolverine invites Jean, who is visiting for the day, to a round of pool and beer, but Scott orders the team to a session in the Danger Room. As the session begins, Cyclops is hit with a telepathic SOS from Jean and realizes that the Danger Room has been sabotaged. Unable to leave, the X-Men face a lethal gauntlet of the Danger Room, set at full strength, and quickly, Nightcrawler and Storm are captured in a steel net. Employing a fastball special, Colossus heaves Wolverine towards the two enmeshed X-Men. Slicing carefully with his claws, Wolverine frees the two and knocks Cyclops out of the path of low flying razors on his way down. Cyclops then orders Nightcrawler to teleport to the Danger Room control room with Wolverine, but the strain of teleportation leaves them both unconscious. Wolverine soon awakes and destroys the Danger Room controls with his claws, receiving a blow to the head from the mysterious saboteur, Warhawk. "The ultimate soldier" then opens fire with a dartgun, but Wolverine cuts the darts in half, closing the distance between the two. Slashing at Warhawk's chest, Wolverine discovers his skin to be as impervious to his claws as Colossus'. Before Wolverine can gain an upper hand in the battle, the rest of the X-Men burst through the Danger Room's door and quickly defeat Warhawk. Later, as the police take Warhawk away, Jean Grey announces her intention of returning to the X-Men, in light of her ineffectiveness against Warhawk.

     This is another fill-in issue, not reprinted in Classic X-Men , but it fits nicely here, referencing a recent battle with Magneto, and setting the stage for Jean Grey's return to the X-Men. The tension between Wolverine, Colossus and Cyclops is still quite obvious, as is Wolverine's strong feelings for Jean Grey. During the Danger Room sequence, Wolverine saves Cyclops' life, noting “…backshootin' ain't my style.” And while confronting Warhawk, Wolverine recognizes a Flechette pistol, capable of firing rocket-powered darts. Presumably, this is to highlight Wolverine's military past. It is also here that Charles Xavier and Lilandra depart for an extended vacation away from the X-Men.

Classic X-Men #18/2 (Feb 1988) -“Stalking Life”

Writer: Jo Duffy; Artist: John Bolton

     Concerned about a missing Jean Grey and her newfound Phoenix powers, Wolverine, in his now familiar Western attire complete with cowboy hat, tracks her down to an isolated spot in the forest. While Jean sets up camp, he draws a knife and leaps at her. As she bends down to pick up her coffeepot, Wolverine sails over her. Recovering quickly, Wolverine realizes his chance at ambush is over. Jean, transformed into the garb of Phoenix , questions Wolverine about his methods and motives. Wolverine explains that he wants to know what Phoenix is capable of, if Phoenix is a killer. After she spots Banshee, Wolverine's partner on this escapade, and brings him down from his hiding spot, Wolverine admonishes her for leaving the X-Men without a word. He tells her that she is scared of her powers and that the worst thing to do is to deal with those fears alone. Phoenix agrees but decides to show off the extent of her vast new powers by telekinetically lifting the entire lake. Unfortunately, from several miles away, Nightcrawler, Wolverine's final partner on the mission, teleports above Phoenix , throwing off her concentration. Phoenix loses control of the water, drowning the entire forest, and Wolverine's heavy skeleton drags him underwater. Phoenix telekinetically saves him from the torrent, but begins to despair when she realizes that all her powers will ever bring is destruction. But her three wet friends convince her to try to undo the damage. This Jean does, and in so doing, learns more about herself and her Phoenix powers.

Classic X-Men # 28/2 (Dec 1988) - “Who Am I?”

Writer: Chris Claremont, Artist: John Bolton

    Invited to a costumed Halloween party, the X-Men attend in disguise. Unfortunately, a violent ex-husband of one of the guests threatens to spoil the party. As the ex-husband waves around a knife, Jean Grey disarms him, and the X-Men subdue him. Wolverine, being anti-social, dresses with a variety of rags covering his features.

Again, Wolverine is called Logan in error. This time Nightcrawler is the culprit. We know definitely that Nightcrawler does not learn of Wolverine's real name until after Jean's death. It is interesting to note that Nightcrawler does not think of Wolverine as a loner, instead calling him a “…gregarious flirt.”

Arthur Adams and Terry Austin, Classic X-Men #16.

© and ™  by Marvel Characters, Inc.

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[1] "Interview with Dave Cockrum," The X-Men Companion, 1982.

[2] Peter Sanderson, "Wolverine: The Evolution of a Character, " The Incredible Hulk and Wolverine #1, 1986.

[3] "Interview with Dave Cockrum," The X-Men Companion, 1982.

[4] "Interview with John Byrne," The X-Men Companion II, 1982.

[5] James Busbee, “Killer Fashion Sense,” Wizard's Wolverine Special, 1999.

[6] "Interview with John Byrne," The X-Men Companion II, 1982.

[7] "Interview with Chris Claremont," X-Men Companion, 1982.