Jack and Troy from ZiaComics.com geek out over “Wolverine: Old Man Logan”. Old Man Logan is an eight-issue story line from the Wolverine ongoing Marvel series by writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven.
It began in June 2008 and ran through Wolverine #66–72. It ended in Wolverine Giant-Size Old Man Logan in September 2009. It is set in an alternate universe designated as Earth-80128.
A new volume of Old Man Logan debuted during the 2015 Secret Wars storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Andrea Sorrentino. This story is continued in an ongoing series with the same name written by Jeff Lemire with Sorrentino returning as artist.
Set over fifty years in the future the world’s super villains band together to finally destroy all superheroes. The United States has been conquered and divided among super villains. Territories belonging to The Abomination (later conquered by the Hulk), Magneto (later conquered by a new Kingpin), Dr. Doom, and the Red Skull (who has named himself President).
Heroes have been wiped out of existence. The few survivors are in hiding. Logan lives with his wife Maureen and young children Scotty and Jade on a barren plot of land in Sacramento, California. This area is now part of the territory known as “Hulkland.” Logan needs to pay rent to his landlords (the incestuous hillbilly grandchildren of the Hulk and his first cousin She Hulk) so he accepts a job from a now blind Hawkeye. The job is to help Hawkeye travel east to the capital of New Babylon and deliver a secret package.
Logan and Hawkeye encounter several diversions on their journey. They rescue Hawkeye’s daughter from the clutches of the new Kingpin. Before she murders Kingpin and reveals her intention to seize his territory.
They escape a cluster of Moloids who are destroying cities by sinking them from beneath the surface. They then get chased by a Venom symbiote-infused dinosaur (imported from the Savage Land) before being rescued and teleported by the White Queen and Black Bolt.
Throughout the story it is reiterated that the “Wolverine” persona died the day the villains attacked. Logan has refused to use his claws ever since. Via flashbacks it is revealed that on the night the attack happened a group of forty super villains apparently attacked the X-Mansion. Unable to locate his teammates Wolverine slaughtered the attackers to ensure the safety of the mutant children. As the last “attacker” was killed, Logan realized that the entire assault was an illusion created by Mysterio.
His perceived enemies were actually his fellow X-Men. This destroyed him emotionally and mentally. He fled the Mansion and wandered away to a train track in shock and shame.
When they finally reach the capital Hawkeye delivers his package to an underground resistance group hoping to begin a new Avengers-esque team. The package is revealed to be a case of Super Soldier Serum. It is enough to form an army. But Hawkeye’s clients expose themselves as undercover S.H.I.E.L.D agents. They shoot and kill Logan and Hawkeye.
However, Logan’s body heals and he awakens in Red Skull’s trophy room among the armaments and costumes of the world’s fallen superheroes. Without using his claws he kills Red Skull’s men and engages Red Skull himself. Logan eventually decapitates him with Captain America’s shield. He grabs a briefcase of money (their intended reward for the delivery) and uses pieces of Iron Man’s armor to fly back home.
Upon arriving, Logan discovers that in his absence the Hulk’s grandchildren murdered his family, and left the bodies unburied. This results in Logan finally unleashing his claws. He seeks out and slaughters almost the entire Banner clan before encountering old man Banner himself.
Banner displays monstrous strength even in his human form. Banner reveals that while the murder of Logan’s family was intended as a message to others he really just wanted to get Logan angry enough to fight him because he had gotten bored being a “super-villain landlord” like the others.
In his Hulk form Banner is enormous. He is bigger than the Hulk has ever been shown before and easily defeats Logan. Hulk then consumes him. Logan recuperates within Banner’s stomach and bursts out, killing the Hulk. Afterward he discovers a baby hulk, Bruce Banner Junior.
A month later, Logan and his neighbors hold a small memorial for Logan’s family. With nothing left on his old home Logan plans to defeat all the new world villains and bring peace to the land. He and Bruce Banner Junior being the first members of a new group of superheroes.
Talk Nerdy to Me
Talk Nerdy to Me Facebook
Talk Nerdy to Me YouTube
El Paso Herald-Post El Paso News & Opinion
