Wolverine: Origins #32

Issue Date: 
March 2009
Story Title: 
Family Business: Part II – Conclusion
Staff: 

Daniel Way (writer), Yanick Paquette (pencils), Michel Lacombe (inks), Nathan Fairbairn (colors), VC’s Cory Petit (letterer), Paul Acerios (production), Jody LeHeup (assistant editor), John Barber (editor), Axel Alonso (group editor), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Yanique Paquette with Serge LaPointe & Romain Gaschet (cover art)

Brief Description: 

In the North African town of Rujuka in Halwan, Wolverine eventually frees himself from his shackles while Cyber and Daken make their way to Saskatchewan. There, Cyber reminds Daken how Silas Burr became Cyber. How Romulus was behind the whole thing and that it was done quite primitively. How Daken, Romulus, and Victor Creed (at first at least) were all present when it occurred. After some time, Daken infuriates Cyber enough that he has a heart attack and destroys his medication. While Cyber dies, Daken tells him that he and Wolverine planned this together but that he, Daken, has bigger plans. Making his way to Saskatchewan, Logan finds Cyber dead and Daken nowhere to be found. Later, at a local bar, Logan is joined by Nick Fury who tells him that they have to talk about that kid of his.

Full Summary: 

Waking up after getting his throat slashed, Logan finds himself chained to a post with a bunch of guns being pointed at him. Logan notices that they are just kids and asks them why they are doing this, they should be out playin’ and havin’ fun. One of the kids tells him this is fun and that the big man said he, Logan, needs to stay there until he comes back.

Logan asks if the big man told him when he’s comin’ back. The kid replies no but he said if he tries to leave, if he tries anything, they blow him away. He also told them if they do a good job, he will make them all generals in his army. Logan tells them that he hates to break it to him, but he ain’t comin’ back. He used him for what he could get an’ now he’s done with them, with all of them, there ain’t nothin’ keepin’ them there. He then tells them to just go and leave and to get out while they can.

In his mind, Logan thinks to himself that they are ignoring him, which he guesses he expected but it’s disappointing just the same. You’d think that he, a fella who’s committed more violent acts than anybody, would have some kinda insight on how to steer a child away from violence, but he don’t. He can’t save these kids any more than he could save his own.

Eight hours ago, Daken and Cyber wait on an approaching plane. As it nears, Cyber tells Daken that it’s time to roll. When Daken asks Cyber where they’re going, Cyber tells him to tell him. He’s Romulus’ weapon of choice; he’s been around him more than anyone so where do they find him? Daken replies that he has no idea. Charles Xavier got into his head and in doing so, triggered some kind of psi-bomb. When it went off, it scrambled his memories. He remembers things but they’re disjointed, scrambled. He’s been trying to sort them out but it’s been difficult.

When he first saw Cyber, he remembered the facility and he remembered that he was there. Cyber says to him that’s it, that all he can remember, what @#$%in’ good is he to him then? Cracking a smile, Daken asks him if they’re gonna fight now. He then tells Cyber that the memories are there, he can feel them. All he needs is something to bring them into focus. So be it ever so puerile – ‘show me yours and I’ll show you mine.’

Boarding the plane Cyber tells him that after the facility, he was taken to a lab where he had some work done. Romulus was there. He asks Daken that he doesn’t remember any of that. Daken asks him why should he. Cyber replies because he was there too. He was in an’ out of it for awhile thanks to the bullets he put in his back but he remembers getting tossed into a rail car. He, Daken, was there and so was Romulus though he could barely see him. And there was someone else there too. Daken remarks Victor.

Once they land at Glasgow International Airport, Cyber hears a buzz and asks Daken what the hell that is. Daken informs him that it’s Wolverine’s X-Men communicator. Cyber asks him why he would have that; is he plannin’ on sellin’ him out? When Daken tells him “not currently,” Cyber tells him to smash it. Daken remarks and bring the X-Men down on their heads, no thank you. If this thing goes off-line a distress signal is logged, along with the last recorded location of the device. As long as it’s in one piece and receiving, the X-Men will assume that Wolverine is…

Cyber cuts him off and asks what if he doesn’t answer it. Daken tells him that from what he’s gathered, he thinks they’d be more surprised if he did answer it. He isn’t exactly the communicative type. He took it from him because he doesn’t want him to be able to call in his teammates to help him once he gets clear of his predicament. Because let’s face it, Wolverine can only preach so long before he gets tired of sitting on his hands. With that, the two of them board another plane.

Back in Africa, Logan stands up next to the pole he is chained to. As he does, one of the kids yells at him to sit down or… Logan asks or what? The kid tells him that they’ll shoot. Logan replies yeah, so what. The kid then yells at him to shut his mouth and s-sit. Logan asks him what’s wrong, is he s-scared or something? The kid informs him that he’s not scared of anything. Logan points out that he and his friends already shot him once, filled him full o’ bullets but there he is, alive an’ well, good as new. Bullets don’t work on him. Scared, one of the kids whispers that he is a demon. The leader says no, he is just a man, he is nothing to be afraid of. Popping his claws and breaking his chains, Logan tells him that he’s everything he should be afraid of.

Just then, the kids all open fire and fill Logan with bullets. Once they do, Logan falls to the ground. One of the kids asks what they should do now. Another kid states that they should leave before he comes back. When asked if he is referring to the big man, the kid says “uhh yeah.”

Near a shed in Saskatchewan, Canada, Cyber tells Daken that, unlike his father, he doesn’t have a healing factor so his adamantium had to go on the outside. The nearby shed is where it happened. Daken remarks that he remembers this place; he remembers the smell of burning metal and of burning flesh. Cyber states yeah, his flesh. As far as he knows, that was the first time anyone had attempted bonding adamantium to a human. The process was primitive and brutal. He wished Phineas Mason had been around then, it would’ve made it a whole lot…

When Daken asks, “Who?”, Cyber tells him Phineas Mason goes by the name Tinkerer. He’s the one who outfitted him the second time around. When Cyber turns around in a panic, Daken asks him if something is wrong. Cyber says that he doesn’t know but he suddenly got the feeling that someone was… Daken tells him to relax, no one is coming for him.

Dressed in civilian clothes, Logan drives a jeep to a nearby outpost and calls Henry McCoy, Beast, at Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning and asks him to tell him where he is.

In Canada, Daken notices the communicator he has is beginning to transmit coordinates. After he puts it in his pocket, Cyber asks Daken if any of this is jogging his memory. When Daken tells him no, Cyber slams him up against one of the wooden beams and states that he’s lying. Daken replies that he’s paranoid. Cyber says maybe but that doesn’t mean someone isn’t out to get him.

Aboard a plane, a young man by the name of Aref asks his father in his dialect of Farsi why they are being so accommodating to the American. The old man tells him that, suffice to say, he’s repaying an old debt. Aref apologizes but could they not “repay” him by say, cutting his throat and disposing of the body over the ocean? His father says he doesn’t know, why doesn’t he ask him? Speaking in Farsi, Logan tells Ebi that he prefers his way and then tells Aref that he’s Canadian, not American. Realizing that their passenger understands Farsi, the son remarks that would explain why he needs to go to Canada then.

In the shed, Daken tells Cyber that he was quite a disappointment to Romulus, does he know that? Years later when he betrayed him, obviously, but even from the beginning he was less than what he’d hoped for. Cyber states that so he does remember. Daken tells him that when he was finished, the Watchmaker asked Romulus if he could go. Romulus told him in time but first, he wants to see what has become of their patient. The Watchmaker told him that he thinks the Ironworkers who did the majority of the work would be more capable of…

Romulus informs him that the Ironworkers are gone – dead. Romulus then tells him that he wants to see the claws. Looking at his hand, Cyber remarks that he always wondered why he had them. Daken informs him that they’re a symbol. When Cyber asks a symbol of what, Daken tells him that the meaning would be lost upon him. He’s a prototype, a prototype for a weapon that is no longer viable. As the world changes, so must the weapons that they will use to destroy it.

Cyber asks “we”, what is he talking about, who is he talking about? Daken says “him.” He said it himself, it’s always him. Enraged, Cyber tells Daken to tell him where Romulus is. Daken simply states that he’s right in front of him. Cyber asks him, he thinks he’s gonna be the one to take the throne? Daken tells him to be careful of what he says next, they may just be his last words. With that, Cyber grabs his chest and falls to the ground.

Pulling out a pill bottle, Daken asks him if he’s looking for them. He adds that he’s made many comparisons between himself and his father but what he should’ve noted are the differences. Unlike him, he can manipulate the feelings of others. He can lull them into a false state of calm, he can elevate their feelings of joy, or he can feed their sense of panic and paranoia. Crushing the pill bottle underneath his boot, he tells Cyber those who are weak, break.

As he dies, Cyber says that he set him up, to which Daken tells him not just him. Daken then informs Cyber that Wolverine came up with a plan. If he, Daken, betrayed him, Cyber won’t question it. After that, it should be ease for him to gain his confidence. He then gave him his communicator, it’ll let him keep track o’ his location. Once he, Cyber, has told him everything he knows, they’ll put him down. Standing over a dying Cyber, Daken tells him that Wolverine’s plan was good, but he now has a better one. He doesn’t remember everything but he remembers enough. He remembers what he is and what he’s destined to become. This world is his for taking and he does not plan to share it.

Once he reaches Saskatchewan, Logan finds Cyber dead, his communicator lying on his chest, and Daken gone. In a bar, Logan is drinking bourbon whiskey. He figures, sometimes, the only cure is to get drunk. It doesn’t last but nothin’ ever does. He doesn’t know what Daken’s plannin’ on doin’, or where or how he’s gonna find him again but there’s an old sayin’ that he’s found is more true than most. Bad pennies always turn up. Just then, Nicholas Fury sits down next to him at the bar and says ‘let’s talk about that kid of yours.’

Characters Involved: 

Wolverine

Daken

Cyber

Cyber’s brigade of child troops (all unnamed)

Nicholas Fury

Various residents of Rujuka, Halwan in Northern Africa (all unnamed)

Ebi and Aref (Ebi was an old acquaintance of Logan’s)

Various patrons of a bar (all unnamed)

In flashbacks:

Daken

Charles Xavier

Cyber

Victor Creed

Romulus (in shadows)

The Watchmaker and Ironworkers

Story Notes: 

Halwan is a fictional North African country that borders Algeria, Libya, Murkatesh, Niger, and Chad.

Professor Charles Xavier tried to clear Daken’s mind back in X-Men Legacy #218 and in Wolverine Origins #30.

Daken shot Silas Burr in the back and destroyed the training camp run by Frederick Hudson. Before he could kill Silas, Romulus stopped him. (Wolverine Origins #27)

Phineas Mason, the Tinkerer, gave Cyber his new adamantium armor in Wolverine Origins #13. The body used was that of Milo Gunderson as Cyber’s original body, Silas Burr was eaten by mutant deathwatch beetles back in Wolverine (2nd series) #96.

Issue Information: 
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