Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Everybody Loves Logan...

Except me. Ok wait let me re-phrase that, if I really thought about it I don’t really hate Wolverine the character per se. I do believe he plays an important role in the Marvel Universe. I mean who wouldn’t love a troubled hero with the mysterious past who although at times is prone to fits of animalistic rage and goes totally berzerk ultimately has a heart of gold that everyone can identify with (cue violin music).

No I really don’t have a problem with Wolverine per se, what I do have a problem with is what Wolverine has become today, which is to say the poster boy of the Marvel Universe. If I wanted to, I can probably write a whole essay on why I hate what Wolverine has become now. But that would be getting away from the point of this post, but just to summarize…(RANT MODE ON) I hate how Marvel has forcefully shoved him down our throats, if it wasn’t enough that Wolverine starred ine EVERY X-Men title out there, they went ahead and made him an Avenger and now he’s in every Avengers title as well. 

Now call me old fashioned and being nitpicky, but being a longtime Avengers fan (I’ve ALWAYS loved the Avengers over the X-Men even before they became a household name with the movie), I find it really insulting that a killer like Wolverine is an Avenger. It really doesn’t make sense since it was established from as long as I can remember that Avengers don’t kill. (Case in point, check out that excellent West Coast Avengers story arc when Hawkeye and Mockingbird practically ripped the team in half over her decision to let the Phantom Rider fall to his death).

ANYWAY I digress again…so yeah I hate Wolverine. I hate the fact that he has taken over as the head of the X-Men after Professor X’s death. I hate the fact that aside from being the killing machine that he is, Marvel is trying to portray him as the professor and teacher to all younger mutants as well. Exactly how can a person who’s solution to everything is to ultimatelykill be a good role model for any young mutant? (Go read the 2013 limited series, Age of Ultron to see how Wolvie’s “killing” solution worked out for everybody).

I hate hate hate the double standard that Marvel places on Wolverine. Take the death of Professor X for example. Cyclops gets POSSESSED by the Phoenix force and kills off Xavier (please take note that the Phoenix force was thrust upon Cyclops by one of Tony Stark’s contraptions..totally NOT his fault) And because of that, he’s branded a murderer and public enemy number one even if ultimately at that point he had no control over himself. And who is leading the charge? Wolverine of course, the guy who at countless of times has given in to his savage animalistic tendencies and murdered hundreds of innocent people and team mates as well. And well he gets off peachy keen. Ughhhh.

So yeah like I said I can keep going with this but I’ll stop here and get to the whole point of this post (RANT MODE OFF). I don’t claim to be a Wolverine expert but I do know this, before Wolverine was an X-Man, he was Canada’s first official superhero. So as much as I hate the guy, even I can’t deny his connection with my favorite superteam, Canada’s Alpha Flight.

Wolverine has been around for a long time, but it was as part of the top secret Canadian experimental Weapon X program where he got his now famous adamantium skeleton. After being held captive by the program and subjected to numerous torturous experiments, he eventually escaped and is discovered in the Canadian wild by James & Heather Hudson, who would eventually become Alpha Flight’s Guardian & Vindicator. But I’m going ahead of myself, at this point they’re just a regular newly married couple enjoying a nice vacation in the woods when they discover Logan all messed up from the experiments done on him. They take him in and over time help him heal, recover his humanity and forge a lasting friendship with him.


An interesting bit is that in the first Wolverine movie, this event is actually loosely depicted when an old kindly couple find an escaped Logan in their barn and take care of him, until they are mercilessly killed off the next day. In the movie credits, they are identified as Heather & Travis Hudson.


Anyway, when recovered, Logan is recruited through James Hudson into Department H, which is basically Canada’s version of S.H.I.E.L.D. to join the super team that they are forming which would eventually become Alpha Flight. Eventually though, getting fed up with all the secret agendas and politics within the department, he ultimately bolts for “greener pastures” and joins the X-Men when Xavier comes a calling, and the rest is history….


In fact, the comic concept of Alpha Flight was actually created for an X-Men story arc where they attempted to “take” Wolverine back to Canada by hook or by crook. Eventually though, like any comic book misunderstanding, they all work it out in the end.


So even if he remained an X-Man, Wolverine, one of my most hated superheroes will forever be linked to one of my favorite superteams. And because of that….I felt compelled to get this guy to add to my mini Alpha Flight roster. If you’re wondering why he doesn’t look QUITE like the Wolverine that everyone knows today, its because this is Wolverine’s original costume, when he made his first official comic debut as an obscure Canadian agent who was tasked with stopping a rampaging Hulk.


Now if only he remained obscure, the world would be perfect. I can appreciate Logan in little doses, but as he is now, a Marvel whore that is trying to be everything to everyone and being forced down our throats? Forget about it…..oh and call it sour grapes or beating a dead horse but whatever….