Old Friends Reunite in ‘Wolverine’ #9

Wolverine’s past is awash in sins, but not all of them are of his own choosing. He was a literal weapon long before he was a member of the X-Men. But Wolverine wasn’t the only victim of the Weapon X program. In this week’s WOLVERINE #9, Benjamin Percy and artist Adam Kubert gave Logan a chance to save one of his closest friends from his time in Team X: Christopher Nord AKA Maverick. But getting Maverick back was easier said than done.

The issue opened with a flashback to a particularly dark day in Team X’s history, when Maverick and Wolverine were taken aback by Sabretooth’s bloodlust. X-MEN (1991) #5-7 established this trio as a black ops team. But according to Logan’s narration in this issue, watching Sabretooth wantonly killing his victims awakened Wolverine and Maverick’s desire to be more than just weapons.

As related in last month’s WOLVERINE #8, Maverick resurfaced after several years as a brainwashed operative who hit a site that had intel about Team X’s missions. To find his old friend, Wolverine went back to his old stomping grounds from WOLVERINE (1988): Madripoor. He also readopted his “Patch” persona, by putting on his signature eye patch. It was never a very convincing disguise, even back in the day. But at least this time, Logan went through the trouble of styling his hair differently. He also scored an invitation to the Legacy House, an underground auction company that specializes in “rare items.”

There was also quite an eclectic mixture of clients at the Legacy House, including Mayor Wilson Fisk, the mutant-worshipping zealots from the Order of X, and the former Hellfire Club children turned Homines Verendi. Marvel readers should be intimately familiar with some of the items up for auction, including Spider-Man’s grave from KRAVEN’S LAST HUNT, as well as Captain America’s mask that he wore while he was in suspended animation for decades. However, Wolverine was stunned to discover that one of the top items was his own severed hand, complete with adamantium claws.

It’s unclear when and where that happened, especially since Wolverine still has both hands in his current body. But he was so incensed by the violation that he shattered a glass and cut himself. Fisk offered Logan a handkerchief to clean the blood, which was subsequently grabbed by someone at the auction. Wolverine was also so focused on his own anger that he didn’t realize that his cover had been blown.

The auction’s biggest draw was Maverick himself, and he was paraded on stage like a prop. According to the auctioneer, Maverick’s mind has been completely wiped, and he’s extremely lethal. More importantly, his status as a mutant can get him into Krakoa. Predictably, the bids for Maverick’s services went through the roof. Even with access to Krakoa’s nearly unlimited funds, Logan had trouble keeping up with the other bidders. Regardless, Logan was the highest bidder when the Legacy House auctioneer put the spotlight on him and declared to the crowd that Wolverine was in their midst. And thanks to the gloves of the Magnetic Man, Logan was quickly captured and put up for auction himself.

During the next flashback, we got a sense of just how much Wolverine and Maverick meant to each other. Even after repeated mindwipes, they were there for each other as friends. They also came up with a trigger expression that they could use to remind themselves who they really were: “Today is a victory over yourself of yesterday.”

Back in the present, Logan repeats the expression twice and reminds Maverick that no one owns him. And for the first time in a long time, Maverick is himself again. He doesn’t recognize Wolverine, but he sides with his old partner as they take the auctioneer hostage and try to make their escape.

What’s next for the former Team X? Find out on Wednesday, February 24 when WOLVERINE #10 hits comic book stores!

You can buy WOLVERINE #9, written by Benjamin Percy and with art by Adam Kubert, today online or at your local comic shop!