Yeah, it was totally awesome.
That was the moment I knew I'd be a life long comic fan. If they could do amazingly unexpected things like that to their characters two summers running (remember X-cutioner's Song was the year before where Xavier was assassinated), who knew what the futures would bring.
That said, I don't think anyone anticipated Wolverine going without his adamantium for six years during the height of the X-Men's popularity. I mean really, who in their right mind would not only de-metalfy Marvel's premiere badass for more than, say, a couple of years. You know, for effect.
And that's the mind frame that set up everyone for the biggest swerve in Marvel history: Wolverine #100
First off, I gotta say something about this cover. I know it's been said before, but man that cover sucks. The GirlFriend took one look at it and thought that giant silver blob was supposed to be a mirror. "Oh, I get it," she said earnestly, "It's like I am Wolverine."
She's adorable.
Anyway, this issue picks up mid issue where our favorite Canadian (Take that Michael Myers!) has been kidnapped by the evil son of Cable, Genesis. His grand plan is to return Wolverine to his former shiny goodness and turn him into the first horseman of the Apocalypse (specifically Death, because big heroes always get turned into the cool horsemen).**
Wouldn't you know it, things start to go awry. After watching the bonding process, Cannonball (who had been hiding in the air vents) springs to action to... tell everyone he tried? Poor kid starts getting whupped on, and with his dying breath levels a world class guilt trip on the guy he was "trying" to "save".
Guilt, being the most powerful force in the Marvel Universe, fuels Wolverine to finally regain consciousness and return to his adamantium-laced berserker self in no time. Right?
Wrong.
Here we are in the big anniversary issue where Wolverine gets bonded to, but ultimately rejects his replacement metal. WTF, my wayward friends.
Oh, but the swerve didn't stop there. Maybe you thought Wolverine was going to be the same, just a little meaner, maybe have a little superficial touch up.
Wrong again.
Thankfully, this... iteration... of Wolverine only lasted a year or so before it quietly drifted off into nothingness and was never ever mentioned again.
But what about the adamantium? How'd he eventually get that back? Would you believe off panel?
That's right, for Marvel's final swerve they finally opted to give Wolvie back his metal as an afterthought buried beneath another huge crossover.
You know, the one where he was a Horsemen of the Apocalypse (he was Death, by the way).
Wolverine's adamantium, a giant six year epic resolved off panel. Way to go, Marvel.
**Hey, so, sorry about the wonky pictures. For whatever reason blogger doesn't seem to like the pictures as they are saved and has instead decided to bring them in at their scanned orientations. It's fun. So I'm going to leave them for now and come back later to fix it. Hopefully then blogger will decide to stop being an asshole.
Has anyone ever really wondered how it was that he rejects the adamantium with such brutal force as to push it out of his body as a lethal projectile?He came very close to doing the same thing the first time the adamantium was forced into his system. He is basically a class 2 mutant with class 3 tendencies(because of his popularity)but what if he is more than that?What if he actually has another mutation thus far unexplored?Control of metal on a molecular level?Think about the possibilities.So there... take that Magneto,ya bastich. howlettsbuddy
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