Wolverine: Origins #20

Issue Date: 
February 2008
Story Title: 
Our War – Conclusion
Staff: 

Daniel Way (writer), Steve Dillon (artist), Avalon’s Matt Milla (colorist), VC’s Cory Petit (letterer), Aubrey Sitterson (assistant editor), Axel Alonso (editor), Joe Quesada (chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Cover by Marko Djurdjevic

Brief Description: 

In the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, Logan continues his tale to a statue of Captain America. He recounts how he turned Baron von Strucker over to the custody of Cap along with Bucky. Once on the plane, Bucky tries to tell Cap about Logan but is unsuccessful. In short time, they are attacked by planes, which ultimately end up crashing. Once on the ground, Cap discovers that Logan set them up and comes face to face with Baron Zemo. Cap sees Zemo is flanked by both Strucker and Logan. When Logan is ordered to take Cap into custody, Cap snaps and beats Logan viciously. Eventually, Bucky shoots Logan and many of the German soldiers in attendance. In the carnage, both Strucker and Zemo make their way to safety. Logan recalls Cap and Bucky leaving him for dead. Back at the Smithsonian, Logan decides that what’s been done to him and his has to be paid for in blood. He then carves the word “friend” on his statue, says goodbye and walks away. In an unknown location, Deadpool is offered twenty million dollars to take out Wolverine, to which he readily accepts.

Full Summary: 

In the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, Logan recalls that the fact o’ the matter was that he really didn’t wanna kill Captain America. Bucky, he didn’t care about one way or the other, but Cap… there was just somethin’ about him. Killin’ him, that seemed… disrespectful. Hell, he can’t explain it. Short an’ sweet, he didn’t wanna do it. But he had to do something.

In Baron von Strucker’s office, Logan tells him first things first – he needs to get him outta there. They’re surrounded by American troops and Cap could show up at any time an’ his army is gone. He then tells him that he thinks he knows a way o’ killin’ two birds with one stone but he needs Strucker to get ahold o’ one o’ his “associates.”

Out in the hallway, Logan goes over to the body of Bucky and tells him to get up, he knows he’s awake. Once Bucky gets up, Logan tells him that he ain’t gonna tell Cap he tried to take him out – he figures he’ll keep that in his back pocket, ‘case he needs it later. He then tells him that he expects him to do the same. Particularly the part about him askin’ all those questions about ‘im. Bucky inquires as to why he was asking the questions. Logan tells him outta curiosity and then for them to go finish the mission.

Near the airplanes, Captain America tells the soldiers good work and to proceed with the evac when a voice from behind him asks if he has room for one more. Cap turns to find a bleeding Strucker being escorted by Logan and Bucky. Strucker tells Cap that he surrenders but to please keep the two of them away from him. Logan tells him to not listen to ‘im – he’s just a sore loser. Logan then recommends that they get the hell outta Africa.

Logan proceeds to point to Cap’s plane and asks him about his pilot. Cap informs him that he was K.I.A. (killed in action). Logan says that he can copilot the thing but… Cap tells him that he has the training; he’ll do it. He then orders everyone on board and tells Bucky that he’s in charge of Strucker. Cap then tells him that he knew he wouldn’t let him down.

As they board the plane, Bucky tries to tell Steve something but Cap tells him to tell him later, they really need to move. On the plane Bucky shoots Logan a dirty look before Logan goes to copilot the plane with Cap. In the cockpit, Logan states that they’re clear for take-off. Cap tells him good and that he’s about ready for a hot slice of mom’s apple pie and asks Logan how about him. Logan half smiles and says that he @%&$in’ hates apple pie.

Once they are in the air, Cap thanks Logan again. Logan says that he didn’t do nothin’ he couldn’t have done himself. Cap says that he’s not so sure. He often feels that he’s not yet ready to lead the men, let alone be “Captain American.” Logan tells him that he’s a natural and to not be so hard on… Cap cuts him off and informs him that he was originally classified as “4-F” – unfit for duty. Logan is surprised and Cap proceeds to tell him that he underwent a treatment. There were others who were probably more qualified but… he just wanted it so much. To fight for the dream. To fight for freedom. And to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Logan recalls that he already felt like $%@& for what he was about to do, but that really kicked him in the guts. He was born for war, Steve wasn’t. He made a choice. He changed his destiny. An’ that was somethin’ he’d never thought possible.

After Cap finishes telling his tale to Logan he asks what their location is. Logan tells him that it looks like somewhere just east of Algiers. Cap asks him what does he think, can they make it to London with the amount of fuel they’re carrying? Logan tells him, “Nah, southern France at best.” Bucky then interrupts and tells Cap that he has to talk to him. Cap says sure and tells Logan to take over the stick and fly the plane. It was at that point Logan started thinkin’ maybe Bucky’d been conscious a bit longer than he’d thought – maybe he’d heard somethin’. But it didn’t matter, it was too late to do anything anyway. Just then, three fighter planes appear before them.

Logan calls out that they have bandits. Cap recognizes them as messer-schmitts and says that maybe they can… Before he can finish his thought, the planes open up fire on them and shoot at the cockpit. Cap sits down to take control of the plane and tells Bucky to get in the back and strap in. Before he does, Bucky tells Steve that he, Logan, set them… Cap yells at him to go now and struggles mightily to keep the plane in the air. Logan points out that there are more bandits up top. Those open up fire and hit many of the troops in the back of the plane. Even Bucky was hit in the shoulder protecting Strucker. When Cap observes the carnage in the back of the plane, Logan tells him they have a dead stick and that they’re done. Before long, the plane crashes in a heap.

Once on the ground, Cap looks for Bucky. He finds him but he is severely wounded. Bucky weakly tells Cap that he’s sorry he let him down, Strucker’s gone. Cap calls out for the medic who answers and is in the process of fixing himself. Cap tells him that they need to tend to the wounded and begins to call out for Logan.

From outside the plane, Logan tells Cap he is out there. Outside, Cap sees Baron Zemo, Baron von Strucker, and Logan flanked by a bunch of German soldiers. Upon seeing Cap, Zemo says so that is “ze American super-soldier. Ze one whose adventures he has been following in ze wonderful publication/comic book.” Cap begins to ask Logan what… Zemo cuts him off and asks the super-soldier to tell him if zere is any truth behind ze glorious fictions. He adds that it is very impressive zat he survived ze crash, but he would like to find out more, for himself. Zemo then gives Herr “Logan” to take ze prisoner into custody.

Approaching Cap, Logan recalls that it was the only way he could get it all done. He had to protect Strucker for Seraph an’ that meant gettin’ him back to his Nazi cronies. An’ the way he saw it, Cap had a way better chance o’ slippin’ away from that kook Zemo that he had from “his” people, who were no doubt waitin’ in the wings in Djerba in case he failed. It was the only way which is never, o’ course, the easy way.

As soon as Logan got close to Cap, Cap delivers a vicious upper-cut to Logan’s jaw and calls him a traitor. From the side, one of the German soldiers raises his gun to take out Cap but is stopped by Zemo, who tells him that he vants to see vat he can do. Logan recalls that it’s kinda hard fer him to keep track o’ these kinda things but when it comes to the all-time greatest beatin’s he’s ever taken over the years, the one Cap laid on him that day is damn-sure near the top, especially after the shield came out. Time and time again, Cap continued to lay into Logan with punches and kicks. Yeah, Logan got some licks in but unlike Cap, his heart just wasn’t in it. Logan remembers that Steve always did have a lotta heart. Cap’s final blow occurred when he backhanded Logan across the face with his shield.

With Logan half out of it, Cap picked him up with one arm by the throat and said to him that he trusted him and he betrayed him. He betrayed them, he told them about him. Logan utters yeah but is shot before he can say anything further. In short time, many of the German soldiers are killed by the shooter. In the chaos, Zemo and Strucker are able to escape. On the ground Logan says that he didn’t tell ‘em about Bucky though.

With the carnage complete, Cap makes his way over to Bucky. Bucky hangs his head and tells Cap that he’s sorry, he had to reload. Cap tells him not to worry about it, he’s sure they’ll catch up with Baron Zemo again, before the war is over. Overlooking the body of Logan, Bucky asks about him. Cap tells him that he’s not sure. After what he saw in Madripoor, they may just see him again too.

(present)

Logan recalls layin’ there, dyin’, lookin’ up at those two an’ all he could think of was that he couldn’t wait for the blackness to just take over so he could stop feelin’ this feelin’ he had in his gut. It worked. When he woke up, he didn’t remember a damn thing. He does now. In his mind, Cap is telling him that he has to let it go. Logan says he can’t, he ain’t like him. What’s been done to him an’ his has got to be paid for in blood. He knows Cap wouldn’t have wanted him to the same for him, so he’s gonna respect that. It’s the least he could do. After carving the word friend underneath the words soldier, symbol and saviour, Logan walks away and says goodbye Steve.

Epilogue:

In an unknown location, a man in the shadows asks the other one if he knows who he is. The man replies no, but he knows the uniform. The man in the shadows tells him “good,” then they can cut right to the chase. They want him to take out Wolverine. They have forensic evidence that indicates he was in Washington, D.C. less than 10 hours ago. The man asks what he was doing. The man in the shadows says that he was drinking and vandalizing a statue. The man exclaims yikes, no wonder they want him liquidated.

After a long period of silence, the man in the shadows tells him that he will receive no, repeat no, support from them. They will maintain absolute maximum deniability. Officially, this meeting is not happening. They ask if he wants the job. The man says it depends on how they ask. They inform him that they’re prepared to ask with twenty million dollars. A quarter of which will be released to him upon acceptance. The man tells them in that case, he’s prepared… to say “hell, yeah!” The man in question – Deadpool.

Characters Involved: 

Wolverine/Logan

Unknown man

Deadpool

In Wolverine’s memories:

Logan

Captain America/Steve Rogers

Bucky/James Buchanan Barnes

Various American soldiers

Baron Von Strucker

Baron Zemo

Various German soldiers

Story Notes: 

Steve Rogers was injected with the super-soldier serum as part of Operation: Rebirth.

Captain America and Bucky would indeed come in contact with Baron Zemo before the war was over. It would ultimately lead to their “deaths” as seen for the first time in Avengers 1st series #4.

Issue Information: 
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