Spider-Man / Wolverine #3

Issue Date: 
October 2003
Story Title: 
untitled
Staff: 

Brett Matthews (writer), Vatche Mavlian (pencils), Paul Mounts (colors), VC’s Cory Petit (letters), Nick Lowe (assistant editor), Joe Quesada (editor), Nanci Dakesian (managing editor), Kelly Lamy (associate managing editor), Joe Quesada (editor-in-chief), Bill Jemas (president)

Brief Description: 

Wolverine and Spider-Man continue to explain to their mysterious interrogator what happened to them in Paris, and how that adventure caused them to travel to Switzerland. In Paris, Logan and Peter find a lab. While Logan checks it out, Peter stays outside to watch for danger. When his spider-sense suddenly detects danger, Spidey quickly web-slings inside, where he rescues Logan from an exploding bomb. Once outside, a speeding car chases after the two. Though Peter is injured, Logan recovers and eventually destroys the vehicle with his claws. He questions the frightened driver and learns that his boss is in Switzerland. After helping Spider-Man with his injured shoulder, they decide to call in some help. Peter contacts his school and Kelly Cox agrees to fill in for him, but only if he takes her to dinner later. Peter agrees, and Wolverine contacts the X-Men to borrow their plane. Cyclops sends it to Logan and asks if he needs any further help, but Logan thinks he and Peter can handle it. Inside the jet, Wolverine dons his uniform and loans Peter the old uniform of Beast, which is of course too big for him. A couple of hours later, the two are in Switzerland where they explore the area in question. However, they are caught by surprised when soldiers show up out of nowhere, their guns at the ready. The leader of the soldiers reveals himself, and is revealed to be… Nick Fury?! Fury informs them that he has little time to make his point so, instead, he just shoots Logan! He asks Spider-Man if he’s got any questions.

Full Summary: 

Now…

Peter asks his interrogator if he really needs to tell him about Paris. Because he’ll tell everything a person needs to know about France. One: they don’t like Americans. Two: they really don’t like Americans. Three: they love Jerry Lewis. Everyone can draw their own conclusions on that. The interrogator asks Mr. Parker if he needs to be reminded about what’s at stake here. “No,” Peter answers, but Logan would sure like to know. “Well then,” the interrogator jokes, the faster they talk, the faster they’ll know. And they were somewhere in Paris. “Right,” Wolverine sighs. Paris. But it wasn’t half as bad as Peter makes it out to be. Then again, Logan is Canadian…

Earlier, Paris…

Wearing civilian clothes, Logan and Peter stand in front of an old house in the middle of the street. Logan asks Peter if this is it, which he confirms. But the building isn’t much to look at. “Hello pot? It’s the kettle calling… you’re black,” Peter jokes. Logan gets the idea but isn’t amused. Peter wants to know what the plan is. Logan wants to knock on the door, see who answers it and then hit him, he guesses. And repeat step three as necessary. Peter asks Logan to wait, as he can’t go in there looking like this. He means, not with what’s inside his backpack. Logan doesn’t care and smirks he wishes Peter good luck finding a phone booth. He walks towards the house, leaving Peter behind.

Logan snikts his claws open and rips through the fence in front of the house. He goes inside the house, which is completely dark. Logan walks up some stairs, and finds a small light coming out of a room, its door slightly ajar. Logan decides to check it out and goes inside, where he finds an abandoned lab. Logan wonders what it is with him and secret labs.

Meanwhile outside, Peter has jumped on a balcony and tries to get his costume on. But the balcony is full of cigarettes, and Peter constantly has to push them away.

Inside the lab, Logan has begun checking it out, not yet noticing that there is a time bomb inside, that is about seven seconds away from going off.

Outside, Peter’s spider sense is tingling! (And he quips to himself that he hardly gets to say that anymore)

Inside the building, Wolverine, standing in front of a giant tube, finds some food nearby. He smells that it’s still fresh – the guy eating it was just there. It’s coffee and chocolate and cigarettes. And he also smells something else on the guy’s fingertips. Something chemical. Thermite. Military grade. Stuff they use to make… bombs. Wolverine checks the device out and, at the end, indeed finds a bomb! Right on that moment, Spider-Man web-slings inside. Logan wonders what’s going on, but Peter says there is no time for that now, and quickly grabs Logan.

The force of the explosion, along with Spider-Man’s swift action, throws Wolverine and Spider-Man out of the building. Luckily, both are still alive. Logan tells Spidey he could have managed to get out without him, but Peter doesn’t believe it. And now their only clue has blown up with the rest of the building. Logan is certain he’ll think of something, but Peter just makes more jokes about it. Suddenly, Logan smells something… gas.

A red, speeding car comes out of nowhere and drives straight to the heroes! Wolverine pushes Spider-Man away, albeit violently against a wall. Logan keeps standing where he is, and defiantly unsheathes his claws. Peter’s spider-sense goes off and he panics. A loud noise is heard, and Spider-Man jumps on a wall to safety. Below, the car drives off, with Wolverine nowhere to be seen. Spidey quickly jumps down, tending to Wolverine because, if he doesn’t act soon, there won’t be anything left of him. And the guy driving that car is so dead.

Now…

The surprised interrogator asks if Wolverine was really run over, which Logan confirms. The questioner can’t believe it. Logan was run over. By a car. Logan doesn’t get the point. Peter interrupts that “run over” doesn’t do their situation justice. Logan got pancaked. Bosworth’d. Pressed flatter than Rosie O’Donnell. The interrogator wants to know, if this is true, how Logan can be still alive. Logan explains he’s got this thing. Some people call it a healing factor. It basically knits him back together as fast as anyone or anything can unravel him. Peter reminds Logan not to forget about his metal skeleton. Logan knows. He further explains his skeletal system’s laced with adamantium, the strongest metal in the known world. But that’s kind of a long story. The interrogator is certain that must be the case. They can continue with their story.

Earlier…

Wolverine has used his claws to stick underneath the still speeding car. He slices the breaks and the gas tank apart, causing the car spin out of control. Unfortunately, Wolverine realizes his mistake when he notices a truck containing flammable tanks. Fearing he’s going to die now, Logan is suddenly and spectacularly rescued by Spider-Man, who picks up the car with his webs and swings the vehicle, himself and Wolverine into the air, causing lots of people to come out of their houses and watch in awe. Even Wolverine himself is amazed and quietly admits, “Wow.”

Now…

The interrogator wants to know what happened next. A bit ashamed, Peter admits he passed out right after that. Wolverine smiles that led to a real graceful sort of landing. He jokes to Peter he should have seen that; it was real impressive. Peter mentions to Logan he heard him saying “wow” when he rescued him, but Logan just wants to get on with the interrogation.

Earlier…

Wolverine has pushed the driver of the car against a wall and points two of his claws towards the guy’s head. Nearby, Spider-Man wakes up and complains about the heavy landing. He thinks that, besides killing the guy, they should perhaps better ask him some questions so they get a little information on who he works for. Wolverine smiles that the guy already told him everything while Peter was asleep. What he’s doing now is just for grins.

Wolverine slaps his “prisoner” on his head, believing they better run away before the cops show up. He notices Peter’s shoulder seems dislocated, and deftly places it back in place, more than surprising Peter by the maneuver. Changing subjects, Logan asks Peter if he knows anything about Switzerland, causing the web-head to ask why…

Later…

Standing in a phonebooth, Peter calls Kelly Cox at his school, asking her if she can fill in for him until Monday. Though she’s furious at the request at first, Peter agrees to make it up to her by taking Kelly to dinner when he gets back. He hangs up and meets up with Logan who’s waiting for him outside a restaurant. Logan mentions that he thinks their boy in Switzerland is an American soldier, meaning he won’t give up so easily and probably knows they’re coming. Peter hates that idea.

On that moment, a bright light appears and Logan mentions their ride has just arrived. Peter looks up and is surprised to see the X-Men’s Blackbird plane, and Logan jokes to Peter he isn’t the only guy with favors to call in.

Three continents later…

Logan is in his X-Men costume and asks Peter if he’s ready. Peter, wearing an original X-Men uniform, thinks his suit is a little large. Wolverine explains that the suit belonged to the Beast, to which Peter jokes that that explains the fur in it. He then snipes about Logan’s costume and he punches him in the stomach.

Cyclops contacts Wolverine over the radio, explaining to him he’s over his LZ and green for jump. Scott asks Logan if he’s sure he can’t help him with this, but Logan thanks Scott for the offer, but some things a guy just has to handle on his own.

Now…

Peter wants to know why people keep throwing him out of planes, to which Logan jokes that Peter just has one of those faces. The interrogator remarks that the two sure have been in a lot of countries, and now Switzerland follows. And for the record, for a guy with a healing factor, the interrogator doesn’t think Logan looks like one, noticing the many scars on his face. Logan mentions he was just getting to that.

Earlier, Switzerland…

Lurking over a hill in the snow, Wolverine uses his binoculars and checks the landscape. He explains to Peter everything he sees below: the mountains, the lake… it’s all a fake. Peter doesn’t understand. Logan says it all looks real, but… before he can finish his explanation, he hears something.

Soldiers wearing ski uniforms and masks appear out of nowhere, their guns already aimed at Peter and Wolverine. The leader of the soldiers, also wearing a mask, shows up, and Logan demands to know what’s going on. “The thorn in my side,” the leader claims. The leader takes off his mask and is revealed to be… Nick Fury?!

Fury explains that time is short, so he’s going to make his point as quickly as he can. He takes out a gun, and… shoots Wolverine! He asks Peter if he’s got any questions.

Characters Involved: 

Spider-Man

Wolverine

Nick Fury

Hunters in Switzerland (all unnamed)

Kelly Cox

shadowed interrogator of both Spider-Man & Wolverine

Paris civilians (all unnamed)

over intercom:

Cyclops (face unseen)

Story Notes: 
Issue Information: 
Written By: