Wolverine: Origins #12

Issue Date: 
May 2007
Story Title: 
Swift and Terrible – Part 2
Staff: 

Daniel Way (writer), Steve Dillon (artist), Matt Milla (colorist), VC’s Cory Petit (letterer), Michael O’Connor (assistant editor), Axel Alonso (editor), Joe Quesada (chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Cover by Joe Quesada, Danny Miki, and Richard Isanove

Brief Description: 

In a remote farmhouse, the body of Milo – a youth of strong body but simple mind – has been taken over by the soul of Cyber. Before he leaves, “Milo” snaps his father’s neck but leaves his mother alone. When his mother asks him why he is doing this, Cyber informs her that it is for revenge. Eventually, Cyber makes his way to the Tinkerer and tells him his story. Of what he did to Wolverine when he was his drill instructor, how he was jailed by S.H.I.E.L.D., how he was broken out by those he thought were helping him. How he was wrong when his flesh was eaten away by mutant death beetles. How he was able to use his psionic powers to expel his consciousness. How it took him a long time to get himself back together but when he did, he was able to take over the body of Milo. He then provides the Tinkerer with a paper of what he needs him to do. The Tinkerer informs him that he can, but that he will need the supplies. Cyber informs him that he will get them and tells the Tinkerer to meet him in Brussels in twenty-four hours. Elsewhere, in a motel room in Germany, Wolverine is trying to fathom why his son, Daken, is torturing him. He finally decides that it must be for revenge. Eventually, he realizes that he needs to get to Brussels to obtain the carbonadium synthesizer. To expedite his trip, he carjacks a random motorist and instructs him to drive… faster. In another location in Germany, Daken is informed by an informant that his master is displeased. Daken answers in the only way he knows how, by killing the messenger. Soon thereafter, Daken boards a train heading to Brussels thanks to the information provided to him by an unknown party. When Daken asks the stranger his name, the man replies only that he is a friend. Once he hangs up the phone, Cyber too boards a plane for Brussels.

Full Summary: 

As Milo stands in his room, his dad comes to the door and tells him that bedtime is at eight and that he knows the rules. Milo holds up his hand, makes a fist, and replies that the rules have changed… dad. Upon hearing that, Milo’s dad enters his room and asks him if he feels okay. Milo informs him that he feels great. With that, he turns around, snaps his dad’s neck and tosses him through the wall to the horror of his mother. As Milo exits his room, his mother asks him what he has done. Milo replies that “Milo” didn’t do anything, he did. He then extends his hand in a handshake and introduces himself as Silas Burr.

Still in shock, Milo’s mother refuses to shake his hand. As Silas walks away, he comments that she’s the shy type and that it is adorable. He then informs her that she should know that he will be “borrowing” her son’s body forever, as well as their vehicle. Before Silas leaves the house, he asks Milo’s mother if she has a question that she would like to ask him because she seems a bit confused. Milo’s mother slinks down on the stairs and begins to cry. Her question to Silas is why has he done this? Silas replies that it is because of revenge.

In Magdeburg, Germany, Wolverine is sitting in his room when the thought that pops into his mind is revenge. That’s the only way any of this makes sense. He’s behind it all. He sprung him from the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility. He paved the way for him outta Berlin. All so that he could get his revenge on his own terms. As he looks at his reflection in the mirror, he knows that his son is just like him and yet he doesn’t know a thing about him. Not even his name.

On the streets of Potsdam, Germany, Wolverine’s son receives a call on his cell. The man on the other end calls him Daken. Wolverine’s son stops in his tracks and asks the person on the other end of the line how he knew that name. Further up the street, an older man tells him to look ahead of him for the man in the red scarf. He then adds that they need to talk. Shortly, both men are sitting on a park bench together. The older man informs Daken that his master is displeased and that he is concerned that he has lost sight of the ultimate goal. Daken angrily replies that it was promised to him that he would confront his father on open ground and that can’t happen if he’s locked away in a S.H.I.E.L.D…

He is cut off by the man who apologizes for interrupting him but this is not a two-way conversation. He informs Daken that he was told to deliver a message in exchange for the continued lives of his children and his grandchildren. Daken looks around and then tells the man that he’s going to deliver another message. With that, he pops one of his claws through the man’s chest from his back. He then gets up, buttons the man’s coat, pulls his hat over his eyes, so as to make it looks like he is asleep. The illusion created, Daken walks away, visibly angry.

In another, secret location, Silas informs the Tinkerer that, on his way there, he was thinking about all of the horrible, disfiguring acts that he could threaten him with, but it looks like he’s too late for that. The Tinkerer looks up from his machines and asks the stranger who he is. Silas replies that that will take a bit of explanation. The Tinkerer tells him that he has his full attention for he’s not going anywhere. Silas chuckles and tells him to make a long story short, his name is Cyber.

(flashback)

Back in the day, he used to train bad guys to be worse guys. Not many people liked him back then, especially the ones he trained. One in particular took it very personally – a young Logan. He didn’t seem to understand that he was just doing his job. That isn’t to say that he didn’t enjoy his work. As a matter of fact, he loved it. One such time was after Logan found Silas standing over the body of a woman named Janet. Seeing that enraged Logan, who challenged him, a much larger man, to a fight. During the fight, Silas, pulled Logan’s left eye out of his socket. Because he loved his job so much, he was disheartened when he was… relieved of his duties and subsequently imprisoned by S.H.I.E.L.D. years later.

By that time, he had taken the identity of Cyber. Sitting in prison, he felt like he had been betrayed… so he returned the favor. From his cell, he called out to Nick Fury and asked him what if he told him something that even he didn’t know about? Fury replied that would be impressive. Over time, with every bit of information that he supplied to S.H.I.E.L.D., he came that much closer to gaining back his freedom. It was an excruciatingly slow process. He didn’t want to give away too much and Nick Fury isn’t really known for taking anyone at their word. But then, an alternate and more immediate means of escape presented itself in the form of his rescuers, Lifeforce, Spyne and Hurricane from Genesis’ Dark Riders. When they arrived, he thought to himself lucky him. That didn’t last long when he was shut in a room by himself.

Evidently, someone really didn’t like him talking out of school. It bugged them, so they bugged him, unleashing mutant death-watch beetles that ate away his flesh. They thought he was dead. However, following an unfortunate incident with one of his former students – specifically being submerged with an open wound in a tank full of hallucinogenic drugs – the psionic powers that he had possessed since childhood, powers that allowed him to track a specific target from anywhere on the planet, grew exponentially, to the point that he could project his entire consciousness outside of his body. It took him quite a while to get himself together but, once he did, all he needed was a suitably vacant host. He eventually found that host in the form of Milo. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

(present)

After hearing his story, the Tinkerer asks him that now he needs something… from him? Silas tells him that he does and hands him a piece of paper of what he needs and what he will pay him. The Tinkerer looks at the paper and informs him that he can do it, however finding the required liquid adamantium will be next to im… Silas cuts him off and tells him that there is a brain trust in the Hague that has been granted a sample of liquid adamantium for research purposes. Obtaining it shouldn’t present much of a problem and he’ll have everything he needs within twenty-four hours. He tells the Tinkerer to meet him in Brussels.

As Wolverine walks down the street in plain clothes, he thinks to himself that Brussels is where the Black Widow stashed the carbonadium synthesizer. He just hopes that he can get there before his son catches up to him. He then realizes that isn’t going to happen with him traveling via shoe leather express. Along with his son, he has every law enforcement agency in the world looking for him, so any conventional means of travel is out of the question. That means he has to use unconventional means. With that, he leaps off a bridge onto the hood of an oncoming car.

Shocked, the driver slams on the brakes and calls out Mein Gott! Wolverine hangs on and punches through the windshield. When he pulls his fist back, the windshield comes completely off. Wolverine then takes the opportunity to climb into the car and pops his claws. He then orders the man to drive faster. The man does as told and pushes the accelerator to the floor.

On the train, Daken receives a phone call from somebody who tells him that he told him so. Before the conversation can continue, the lady that checks tickets comes around and looks at Daken’s. She notices that he’s heading to Brussels. Daken confirms that is true and tells her that he is going to visit family. Returning to his phone call, he asks the man on the other end who he is. The man, Silas, smiles and informs him that he is a friend. As he hangs up the phone, he goes to board his plane heading to Brussels.

Characters Involved: 

Wolverine

Daken (Wolverine’s son)

Silas Burr/Cyber (in the body of Milo)

Milo’s parents (mother is named – Margie, father is not)

The Tinkerer

Various civilians (all unnamed)

In flashbacks:

Silas Burr (as Logan’s commanding officer)

A young Logan

Janet

Nick Fury

Lifeforce, Spyne, and Hurricane (all Dark Riders)

Milo

Story Notes: 

Cyber, Silas Burr, murdered a woman by the name of Janet, whom Logan was involved with romantically. After learning of her death, Logan attacked him but was humiliated after Cyber beating left him for dead. This was Logan's most severe beating up to this point in his life and resulted in a deep psychological fear of Cyber. [Marvel Comics Presents #90]

Cyber was dumped into a truck-full of hallucinogenic drugs following a battle with Wolverine back in Marvel Comics Presents (1st series) #92.

Cyber was jailed off-panel. Presumably, sometime after following his confrontation with Strong Guy in X-Factor (1st series) #81.

The Dark Riders broke Cyber out of jail back in Wolverine (2nd series) #93-95.

Cyber was killed by mutant death watch beetles back in Wolverine (2nd series) #96, when they ate all of his flesh and left his adamantium behind. The beetles were unleashed by Genesis.

The Tinkerer is also known by the name of Phineas Mason. He is an engineering genius.

Mein Gott in German translates to “My God.”

Issue Information: 
Written By: