Old Man Logan

Wolverine: Old Man Logan
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Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Publication date	June 2008 – September 2009
Main character(s)	Wolverine
Creative team
Writer(s)	Mark Millar
Penciller(s)	Steve McNiven
Collected editions
Wolverine: Old Man Logan	ISBN 0-7851-3159-0

"Wolverine: Old Man Logan" is an eight-issue storyline from the Wolverine ongoing series by writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven, published by Marvel Comics. It began in June 2008, ran through Wolverine #66–72 and ended in Wolverine Giant-Size Old Man Logan in September 2009. It is set in an alternate universe designated as Earth-807128.

Set over fifty years in the future, it uses a similar premise to another Millar book, Wanted, in which the world's supervillains band together to finally destroy all superheroes. The hardcover collected edition was published January 1, 2010.

A new volume of Old Man Logan debuted during the 2015 Secret Wars storyline, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Andrea Sorrentino. This will be followed by an ongoing series beginning in January 2016, written by Jeff Lemire with Sorrentino returning as artist.

Plot

Volume One

The United States has been conquered and divided amongst supervillains, with territories belonging to The Abomination (later conquered by the Hulk), Magneto (later conquered by a new Kingpin), Dr. Doom and the Red Skull, who has named himself President. Heroes have been wiped out of existence, with the few survivors in hiding. Logan lives with his wife Maureen and young children Scotty and Jade on a barren plot of land in Sacramento, California, now part of the territory known as "Hulkland." Logan, needing money to pay rent to his landlords (the incestuous hillbilly grandchildren of the Hulk and his first cousin She-Hulk), accepts a job from a now-blind Hawkeye—to help him travel east to the capital of New Babylon, and deliver a secret package (which Logan assumes to be drugs).

Logan and Hawkeye encounter several diversions on their journey. They rescue Hawkeye's daughter (who seems to be an aspiring hero herself), from the clutches of the new Kingpin, before she murders Kingpin and reveals her intention to seize his territory.

They escape a cluster of Moloids, who are destroying cities by sinking them from beneath the surface. They then get chased by a Venom symbiote-infused dinosaur (imported from the Savage Land), before being rescued and teleported by the White Queen and Black Bolt.

Throughout the story it is reiterated that the "Wolverine" persona died the day the villains attacked, and Logan has refused to use his claws ever since. Via flashbacks it is revealed that on the night the attack happened, a group of forty supervillains apparently attacked the X-Mansion. Unable to locate his teammates, Wolverine slaughtered the attackers to ensure the safety of the mutant children. As the last "attacker" was killed, Logan realized that the entire assault was an illusion created by Mysterio, and his perceived enemies were actually his fellow X-Men. This destroyed him emotionally and mentally, and he fled the Mansion and wandered away to a train track in shock and shame. Though he made a subsequent suicide attempt by allowing a freight train to run him over, Logan could not actually kill himself, but had effectively killed "Wolverine".

File:4.25.13MarkMillarByLuigiNovi55.jpg

Writer Mark Millar signing a copy of the collected edition during an appearance at Midtown Comics in Manhattan.

When they finally reach the capital, Hawkeye delivers his package to an underground resistance group hoping to begin a new Avengers-esque team. The package is revealed to be a case of Super Soldier Serum, enough to form an army. But Hawkeye's clients expose themselves as undercover S.H.I.E.L.D agents. They shoot and kill Logan and Hawkeye. However, Logan's body heals, and he awakens in Red Skull's trophy room amongst the armaments and costumes of the world's fallen superheroes. Without using his claws, he kills Red Skull's men and engages Red Skull himself, eventually decapitating him with Captain America's shield. He grabs a briefcase of money (their intended reward for the delivery) and uses pieces of Iron Man's armor to fly back home.

Upon arriving, Logan discovers that in his absence the Hulk's grandchildren murdered his family, and left the bodies unburied. This results in Logan finally unleashing his claws. He seeks out and slaughters almost the entire Banner clan before encountering old man Banner himself, who displays monstrous strength even in his human form. Banner reveals that while the murder of Logan's family was intended as a message to others, he really just wanted to get Logan angry enough to fight him because he had gotten bored being a "super-villain landlord" like the others. In his Hulk form, Banner is enormous, bigger than the Hulk has ever been shown before, and easily defeats Logan and then consumes him. Logan recuperates within Banner's stomach and bursts out, killing the Hulk. Afterward, he discovers a baby hulk—Bruce Banner, Junior.

A month later, Logan and his neighbors hold a small memorial for Logan's family. With nothing left on his old home, Logan then says he plans to defeat all the new world villains and bring peace to the land—with him and Bruce Banner, Junior, being the first members of a new group of superheroes—before riding off into the sunset.

Collected editions

Title	Material collected	Publication date	ISBN
Wolverine: Old Man Logan	Wolverine Vol. 3 #66–72, Giant-Size Old Man Logan #1	September 22, 2010	978-0785131724
Wolverine: Old Man Logan Vol. 0: Warzones	Old Man Logan #1–5	December 8, 2015	978-0785198932

Sequels

Secret Wars (2015)

The 2015 Secret Wars storyline features an Old Man Logan miniseries. The Battleworld domain associated with this reality is the Wastelands.

Somewhere in the Wastelands, a poker game is being played. A guy in a Daredevil costume is given some face time. He has news to deliver: the Hulks seem to have vanished off world. The head honcho is named Gladiator. He sports an Iron Man helmet and has that code name tattooed all across his chest. He is doubtful of this piece of news. The wannabe Daredevil begins to tell him of "this guy." That is interrupted by the appearance of said guy. A shadowy figure who wants to take down the falsely-named straw boss for the abduction and murder of children. This mystery man is so bold that when he is threatened with the count of three, he pours cola over DD’s head and does the countdown himself. Gladiator is enraged, pulls out his guns, and orders his execution. After Logan defeats Gladiator, a bullet grazes Logan’s face. A chubby, bald boy pulled the trigger where he is upset that Logan killed his father who happened to be that town’s tyrant. Logan tells the kid that he did him an enormous service and that he’ll be grateful in the near future. The boy vows vengeance. Logan will indulge him if/when that day comes. The townsfolk gather round. Logan encourages them all to relish their freedom. His encouraging words are met with silence. Trotting along atop his alabaster equine, Logan travels at a slow, undetermined pace. After a minor dust storm, Logan spots an Ultron helmet. In a Hamlet-esque pose, he speaks to it expecting a response. He is a bit baffled by this. Logan makes a pit stop at home. Danielle Cage is waiting for him along with a baby Hulk. Danielle wonders about Logan’s well-being and asks of his mission. Both A-OK. When Dani espies the Adamantium-laced cranium, she is at a loss. Logan informs her that it comes from a malevolent AI and that her dad busted a few back in his day. He is leaving immediately where he must investigate the waylaid relic. When Logan asks her how she is getting along with little Bruce Banner Jr., she enjoys the company and mentions the infant’s voracious appetite. Logan has to abandon her once again. With a tinge of sadness, he states that she takes after both parents in terms of her looks. Danielle cuts him short since they are deceased. Logan drops enough cash for her to get food and supplies. As he walks out, a family photo shows Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Dani as an infant. Logan makes his way to Hammer Falls, Nevada. This is the reinterpretation of Sin City. As he approaches a seedy hotel, Logan encounters Emma Frost who uses her abilities to make Logan see her as Jean Grey. Logan is disappointed at the ramshackle where Emma now resides. She flat out blames him. After he took out the Kingpin, the Hulk Clan, and Banner himself, a vacuum was created. The Punishers vied for the power that granted them the open territories. Emma came to the city and witnessed the massacre. She tried to overtake them, but her elderly status has weakened her powers. Logan is seeking Ultron-8 so that he can examine the head. It belonged to an Ultron-5. Emma tells him to cease and desist and live the idyllic existence. Emma points out that Logan already has the answer to his question. Number Five’s helmet came from over the Shield. He shouldn’t bother playing the hero anymore. He retorts that King Doom is supposed to be the absolute saviour. Logan tries to convince Emma that she can still make a life for herself. Just then, the Punishers arrive and kill Emma Frost. They were so quick in their attacks that she couldn’t turn into her diamond form. Emma Frost's telepathic assaults exacerbated the situation rather than subdue the gun-crazed men. She’s bleeding out, but assures Logan she feels no pain. He commends her on her lifelong contributions. She mentions how much she misses teaching which Logan agrees with. Her last words are the fact that she was awaiting the angel of death and assumed it to be Logan. Logan then reaches the Shield and starts to climb it.

Logan finally makes it to the top of the wall and sees a cityscape in the distance. Before he can climb down the other side, he is met by a member of the Thor Corps that tells what he has done is forbidden, something Logan is oblivious to. Logan says that Thor looks like a half dead man, which earns him a lightning bolt that fries his body and falls to the other side of the wall. Thor goes down to look for Logan, but only finds wild animals. As Thor flies away, a naked Logan appears. While trying to get rehydrated at a nearby pond, Logan is attacked by a tiger. Logan quickly kills the tiger only to come face to face with Sabretooth, who has some soldiers as his back-up. Unbeknownst to him, Logan had actually reached the Domain of Apocalypse. The soldiers open fire on Logan, who can barely defend himself until a lightning bolt suddenly strikes down and takes out all of Sabretooth’s soldiers. Logan looks up to see who it is thinking at first to be Thor coming back to finish him off. It turns out to be Storm and the X-Men. Before he can say a word to them, Logan passes out from all the pain he has endured. Sometime later, Logan wakes up in a Japanese-styled house where he finds a picture of one of the first X-Men teams he was a part of hanging on the wall. A young Emma Frost walks into the house who reveals that they are actually in his mind. Emma brings up the fact that she found it difficult to find a happy memory in Logan’s mind. As soon as Emma brings up Logan’s deceased family, Logan threatens to kill her if she doesn’t return him to the real world. Emma is not intimidated by Logan’s threats. Instead, she brings up the fact that she does not know who he really is because if he was the Logan she knew than he has created the most elaborate 50 year character history she has ever seen. Logan orders Emma to get him back to reality and Emma finally decides to oblige his request. Logan wakes up to see a confused X-Men group talking amongst themselves about how they already have a Logan. Magneto believes that this Logan was made to infiltrate their ranks. Logan is confused by the entire situation but before he can get any answers a bomb destroys part of the build Logan and the X-Men are in. Sabertooth, Mister Sinister, and Abyss appear and immediately attack the X-Men. Believing him to be a traitor, Magneto throws Logan out the building. While getting up from Magneto’s attack, Logan is still trying to piece together what exactly is going on. Before he can think of his situation any further, Logan is confronted by Apocalypse.

As Apocalypse is understandably confused by Old Man Logan's presence, one of the Thor Corps members shows up and tells Apocalypse to stand down. There's a tense conversation between Apocalypse and the Thor Corps. He's understandably curious about where Old Man Logan came from and why he ended up in this apocalyptic wasteland among the many apocalyptic wastelands that make up Battleworld. Even the other X-Men are curious. When Apocalypse actually tries to be respectful, it shows just what Old Man Logan is up against. Eventually, Apocalypse gets too angry to respect God Emperor Doom’s divine authority and he opts to attack the Thor Corps rather than cooperate with the emissary of Doom. It's not a fair fight though as while Apocalypse is in his own domain, he still can’t measure up to God Emperor Doom's power. While the fight rages on, it gives Old Man Logan the chance he needs to slip away. He even manages to get some help from a familiar face in Tabitha Smith. It adds another nice personal moment as these are still versions of the friends and family that Old Man Logan slaughtered in his world so it definitely affects him. As Apocalypse falls down, Old Man Logan attacked the Thor Corps and even guides the X-Men to Tabitha so they can help her. While this isn’t the first time Old Man Logan dared to take on a Thor, this time he actually gets a shot in, which makes for a pretty satisfying moment nevertheless it doesn’t change the outcome of the fight, which is entirely expected. Once again, Old Man Logan gets knocked so hard that he gets thrown into yet another domain of Battleworld. As soon as he wakes up in Technopolis, he’s met with yet another Thor (who is this domain's version of War Machine). As Tony Stark wants to study Old Man Logan’s healing and find out how someone survives a Thor blast, War Machine reminds him that Old Man Logan’s still needs to answer to God Emperor Doom because he's outside his own domain. A tense exchange follows. There’s more insight into Old Man Logan's torment. It shows that being around the people he killed is really taking a toll out of him but War Machine doesn't care, he had broken Doom’s divine decree and that he needs to be punished. Logan is defeated by War Machine and is to be banished to the Deadlands.

Thanks to his healing factor, Logan managed to fight through the hordes of zombies of the Deadlands and take shelter inside a cave. Once inside the cave, he found an uninfected She-Hulk who had been there for a long time. Logan was trying to convince her to throw him out of the Deadlands when the zombies who were pursuing Logan found them. In a desperate attempt to save Logan's life, She-Hulk caught him and jumped as high as she could to throw him out of the Deadlands as he had suggested, ultimately sacrificing her own life to do so. Afterwards, Logan found himself in the Kingdom of Manhattan.

Believing that he had returned to his own domain, Logan wandered the city he hadn't seen in years. He eventually met Jean Grey of Earth-TRN240 and Emma Frost of Earth-616 and was taken by them to met the rest of the X-Men as well as the son of one of the Wolverines of the domain Jimmy Hudson. Later, after leading the superhero population of the Kingdom of Manhattan in a rebellion against God Emperor Doom, Logan found himself on Earth-616.

All-New All-Different Marvel

Old Man Logan appears in the All-New, All-Different Marvel event. He was first seen in Extraordinary X-Men where he decides to remain under the radar believing it was his destiny to kill the X-Men and he would try anything to avoid it ever since he ended up on Earth-616. Logan caught the attention of the X-Men when he was confronted by Cerebra. The X-Men believed Logan to be their late Wolverine. Storm wanted Logan to join their X-Men, but he declined. The time-displaced Jean Grey from Earth-TRN240 convinced Logan to change his mind and vowed to stop him before he arrives at the day where he would be tricked into killing the X-Men.

As mentioned above, there will be a solo series starring Old Man Logan.

External links

• Old Man Logan at Marvel Wiki