Nearly every part about Weapon X is shrouded in secrecy, even to readers, as a result of Wolverine couldn’t keep in mind his previous till the 2005 storyline Home of M. That secrecy meant that details about Wolverine’s previous was doled out in small, and sometimes contradictory, chunks. For instance, Wolverine has no actual identify for his first a number of appearances in Unimaginable Hulk and Uncanny X-Males, and even after a leprechaun calls him “Logan” in 1977’s Uncanny X-Males #103 (sure, you learn that proper), it takes some time for his teammates to search out out this data and begin utilizing the identify repeatedly. Likewise, Wolverine initially mentioned that his claws have been a part of his costume, after which later says they got to him together with his adamantium skeleton, solely to disclose that he has had bone claws he was a toddler.
All of that may be a good distance of claiming that despite the fact that the unique X-Males sequence did typically delve into the historical past of Weapon X, that historical past has modified so much within the thirty years for the reason that present ended.
Probably the most vital adjustments happens in Assault on Weapon Plus, a four-part storyline by Grant Morrison and Chris Bachalo that appeared in New X-Males #142–145 (2003). The story begins with Cyclops in a bar, making an attempt to shed his boy-scout persona and drown his sorrows after Jean Gray realized about his psychic affair with Emma Frost. He finds Wolverine sitting throughout the bar, who has include a masked man referred to as Fantomex to search for Cyclops. Wolverine wants Cyclops’ assist to return with him and Fantomex and discover Weapon Plus. The developed model of Weapon X, Weapon Plus holds the recordsdata of its predecessor, and Wolverine desires to search out what’s in them.
The hunt takes the trio into the World, a sophisticated metauniverse (it’s a Grant Morrison comedian, in spite of everything) operated by Marvel superscientists. Throughout the World, Wolverine and we readers be taught vital details about Weapon X. First, it’s not “Weapon X,” it’s “Weapon 10,” as in “the tenth model of the Weapon Plus program.” Fantomex comes from Weapon XIII, the storyline builds to a battle in opposition to the super-sentinal Ultimaton from Weapon XV, and several other different characters have been retconned as tasks of earlier Weapon Plus Applications. For instance, 2019’s Wolverine & Captain America: Weapon Plus reveals that Ted Sallis was changed into Man-Factor via Weapon IV and the process that gave Luke Cage his powers stems from Weapon VI.
However the greatest revelation factors to the supply of the entire debacle. Weapon I, the primary of the Weapon Plus applications, was led by Dr. Abraham Erskine in World Struggle II, and led to the transformation of Steve Rogers into Captain America. In that second, we understand that each one the lies, struggling, and destruction brought on by the Weapon Plus program occurred as a result of Captain America exists.
After all, that is one more retcon to the 2 characters’ pasts. However it’s one which deepens them each, in reverse instructions. For Captain America, it reminds him that each one the great he does carries the taint of governments prepared to destroy folks in pursuit of energy. They made him to be a weapon, and he should proceed to beat that intention. Conversely, that very same truth supplies hope for Wolverine, who has all the time nervous that he’s an irredeemable beast. If Captain America can transcend from a weapon into one thing good, perhaps he can as properly.
