Madripoor

Daken lunged for his foe, swinging the bo-staff. His opponent easily ducked the swing and used his own staff to knock Daken’s legs out from under him. The son of Logan hit the ground, growled, and popped back to his feet.

Before Daken could go for another attack, he was struck by a kick in the face. Then another in the chest, and finally struck on the back with the bo-staff, hitting the ground. As Daken lay there for a few seconds, he heard laughter. He looked up and saw his adopted sister leaning against the wall and laughing at him.

“Having a good time, Amiko?” he asked.

Amiko Kobayashi nodded. “Damn straight. It’s funny watching you get your ass kicked by an old blind man.”

Daken’s opponent stood over him and knelt down, offering his hand. Daken accepted it and Master Izo helped Daken stand. Izo turned his head in Amiko’s direction. “Watch your mouth, kiddo. Shosei Clan or not, I will kick your ass, too.”

“Okay, so I humored you, Izo,” said Daken. “You wanted to see how I could fight. Now you gonna tell me why my father sent me to you? Who was he to you?”

“During the war, I was a political prisoner. Didn’t agree with the military elites who were playing the Emperor like a puppet. But once Japan surrendered, the Allies began the occupation. I was released and SCAP was really interested in my help. They’d heard rumblings about the Hand and the Chaste and they knew I was connected to them. I was assigned a bodyguard. He was Canadian, but working with the Americans because he had some special skills. Name on his uniform was James Howlett, but he told me his name was Logan.

“Unlike many in SCAP, Logan treated me like a real person. It was refreshing to have a friend again after being betrayed by my own government and then looked at as nothing more than a tool by the new one. In exchange for his friendship, I trained him in the arts of the Chaste, taught him Japanese, and we became close friends.”

“I don’t get it,” said Amiko. “Sounds like you did help him. So why did Logan’s message make it sound like he’d rejected your help?”

“I’m getting to that,” said Izo. “Logan was full of rage. He didn’t even know why. It was just in his nature. I convinced him that this life would only lead to his eventual doom. He eventually listened to me.

“There was a woman in town, named Itsu. They fell in love and meant to marry. Itsu’s family of course disapproved—they’d lost sons to the Allies and they didn’t want to lose a daughter to them, too. But that’s exactly what happened. I helped Logan and Itsu leave, travel to a remote area called Matsuritaki. Logan chose to call it by the English translation—Jasmine Falls.

“Everything was peaceful. But you see, Itsu had been engaged. An arranged marriage, but her fiancé was believed killed during the war. What she didn’t know is he was a POW. And once he returned to Japan, he became involved with the adapting yakuza. Once he learned that his wife-to-be ran off with a gaijin, he wanted vengeance.

“One day when Logan was away from the house, Itsu’s former fiancé found her and killed her. By the time Logan came home, he found his wife dead on the floor of their house and he swore vengeance. I tried to convince Logan not to go, to find a new life. But he refused. He said this was who he was and who he would always be.”

Izo shook his head. “I never heard from him again after that. Of course, stories of the Wolverine reached my ears. I followed his exploits from afar—his defeat of Shingen Yashida, engagement to Mariko, his time with the X-Men. I first came to Madripoor in hopes of meeting him once again, but of course by then he was long gone. And then, I heard of his death.

“There was one more thing. When she was killed, Itsu was pregnant. The child was cut out of her womb, but no body was ever recovered. I never knew for certain what happened to that child.” Izo fixed his blank stare on Daken. “Until now.”

AFTER DEATH

Part VI

By Dino Pollard

A few moments ago, the Wolverine and the Hulk were trying their hardest to kill each other. But that was before an army of crimson-garbed ninja had descended upon their battlefield. Now the two enemies were standing back to back.

“Just what the fuck did you get me mixed up with, half-pint?” growled the Hulk.

The Wolverine just snarled in response. It was really the only manner in which he could respond. Much like the Hulk had been in the past, the Wolverine was driven by pure rage at that point. And perhaps in that moment, the Hulk saw a reflection of what he once was. Or perhaps he simply wanted to smash ninja more than the Wolverine.

“Okay, so how ’bout this?” asked the Hulk. “Temporary truce. We kill these bastards, then I pull those pig-stickers out of your hand and shove ’em up your ass.”

The Wolverine responded by launching into a berserker rage, plowing straight into the midst of a small group of about three ninja. Adamantium claws easily tore through their steel swords, staves, and sai. And then through crimson uniforms and flesh, spilling blood over the forested area before the ninja vanished in puffs of smoke.

The Hulk watched the Wolverine’s savagery with a smile. “Careful, runt, I’m startin’ to like you.”

Shuriken struck the Hulk from behind in his massive shoulders. He glanced at the small stars and one by one, flicked them off his body. He turned, towering over the ninja who had thrown them.

“You seriously wanna mess with me?” asked the Hulk. “Fine, I’m game!”

The Hulk’s speed was uncanny for his size. He moved like a rocket, his arm striking the ninja and slamming him into the ground, reducing him to little more than a stain. The ninja evaporated into smoke around his fist.

The Hulk looked at a group of the Hand, smiled, and beckoned with his finger. “Step right up for your one-way ticket to Hell.”

The Wolverine used his claws to scurry up a tree, climbing into the branches. He jumped from tree to tree, using the cover of the leaves to keep him hidden. But the Hand were well-trained and a few moved into the trees to go after him, while others remained on the ground.

In the distance, the sounds of the Hulk’s roars could be heard, combined with some occasional tremors. But for this group going after the Wolverine, all was silent. Their footsteps didn’t make a sound and up in the trees, they could hear and see nothing.

A rustle came from above. The Hand stopped, readying their weapons. They kept their eyes trained on the trees, moving into fighting stances. And then, it came.

One of their brethren fell from the tree, still barely alive and bleeding out of a gaping wound in his neck. Then another fell, this one bleeding from his abdomen. A third dropped, hanging fron his own intestines. And then a fourth and a fifth.

All the ninja who had gone up into the trees now lay before the Hand. And as the life left their bodies, they turned to smoke, completely blanketing the area and obscuring their view.

That’s when the Wolverine struck.

The Hand were some of the most skilled fighters on the planet. They were empowered by dark, ancient magic. But despite all that training, they still faced an enormous disadvantage when going up against the gamma-powered might of The Incredible Hulk.

It didn’t take long for the Hulk to take out the Hand ninja who attacked him. Their blades couldn’t penetrate his skin and their strength was nowhere near enough to compete with him. For the Hulk, the Hand were nothing more than bugs to be swatted.

When the Hand died, their remains turned to smoke, leaving a thick fog around the area. The Hulk closed his eyes and smiled, relishing in the afterglow of a successful battle. He sniffed the air, and the smile faded. The Hulk turned, waving his hands to disperse the smoke, and he saw the last man standing.

The Wolverine.

“Not bad, shorty,” said the Hulk. “To be honest, I’m tempted to just call it a draw. I’m likin’ this new you.”

The Wolverine growled and raised his adamantium claws. The Hulk responded to the threat, moving into a fighting stance himself.

“Y’know, I tried to be nice. But if you’d rather end up a stain, I’m happy to oblige!”

The Wolverine pounced, but instead of striking the Hulk, he simply landed on the Hulk’s shoulder, using him as a springboard. The Hulk turned and saw what the Wolverine was after.

There was a new arrival, a man in a white robe with red markings and a crimson mask covering his eyes. But as the Wolverine came within range, this new fighter struck fast and hard, delivering a powerful kick.

The Wolverine’s course was suddenly reversed and he dropped back down, falling at the Hulk’s feet. The Hulk’s eyebrows raised in surprise and before the gamma-irradiated behemoth knew what had happened, the mysterious fighter was just a few feet away from him.

“So,” said the Hulk. “Who the hell are you?”

“I am the Gorgon,” he said. “My quarrel is not with you, Dr. Banner. You may leave without incident.”

“‘Banner?’” asked the Hulk with a growl. “Did you just call me…Banner?”

“Consider this your last warning.”

“How’s this for a warning?” asked the Hulk as he charged. “HULK SMASH!”

The Gorgon stood his ground, not the least-bit phased by the sight of a massive, gamma-irradiated behemoth angrily charging towards him. Instead, the Gorgon removed his mask, his eyes glowing brightly.

A flash of light filled the forest and then silence filled the air. The Gorgon donned his mask again and stepped around the Hulk—who had now been turned into a stone statue. Once he laid eyes on the clawed mutant in his defensive stance, the Gorgon smiled.

“Kuzuri,” he said, using the Japanese word for wolverine. “So it’s true. Not even death could defeat you.”

The Wolverine didn’t waste another second. He leapt into action, claws bared. The Gorgon was quick on the draw, so fast that his blade moved like a blur. When the Wolverine’s claws should have struck the Gorgon’s flesh, instead he was surprised to see the Gorgon’s sword had stopped them.

Adamantium was the strongest metal on Earth. The Wolverine’s claws should have easily sliced through any mere sword. Though the Gorgon’s blade was far more than that.

“The Godkiller,” he said. “Capable of destroying deities. So it’s more than enough to handle you!”

The Gorgon pulled away and swung the sword, holding it in a defensive stance. The Wolverine charged at him again, but the Gorgon leapt over him and landed silently. The Wolverine instantly turned and went for another strike. The Gorgon deflected each blow, as if he could predict the Wolverine’s every movement.

For the most part, he was just playing with the beast. But when the time came to end it, the Gorgon plunged his sword right into the Wolverine’s chest, sliding the blade past the adamantium-coated ribs, though skillfull enough to intentionally avoid striking his heart.

<“You died an honorable death. Those who resurrected you desecrated the warrior you once were. Now, be at peace and know your vessel shall be used for a worthy cause,”> said the Gorgon in Japanese.

“You sure this is the place?” asked John Wraith.

Kitty Pryde nodded, looking over the cliffs on the Canadian border. “I called in a favor from Nick Fury, asked him to keep an eye out for anything weird. SHIELD satellites picked up some commotion here. Figured it was our best bet.”

Wraith took off his sunglasses, examining a set of three claw marks on a tree trunk. “Seems like it paid off. Logan was here. Question is, where is he now?”

Something in the valley below caught Kitty’s eye. She put her hand over her eyes and squinted to get a better look. “Wraith, down here!” Kitty jumped from the cliff and turned intangible, granting her the ability to easily and safely float down into the valley. By the time she solidified and her feet touched the ground, Wraith materialized by her side.

“Is that…what I think it is?” asked Wraith.

Kitty nodded as she examined the massive stone statue. “It looks like the Hulk.”

“Why would someone build a statue of the Hulk, and why out here?”

Wraith’s question was quickly answered as cracks appeared along the statue’s surface. The stone broke away, falling in pieces and revealing green flesh beneath. The Hulk broke free of his stone prison and roared. And the first thing he saw was John Wraith. Without thinking, the Hulk swung his fist forward and Wraith teleported out of the way. He rematerialized behind the Hulk and drew his guns, firing on the former Defender.

The Hulk turned, the bullets only making him angrier. He barreled at Wraith and once more, Wraith vanished just as the Hulk’s fist struck the tree his target had been standing in front of. But then, the Hulk paused, feeling an odd sensation in his head.

“What the hell…?” he asked.

“So you feel that,” said Kitty. “That’s my hand, partially phased into your head. Now, I know you’re all ‘Hulk smash’ and ‘Hulk is the strongest one there is,’ but how long do you think you could survive if I phased your brain through your skull?”

“You wouldn’t,” he said. “I remember you. One’a the X-Men. Killing’s not really your style.”

“Yeah, well, two men I admire are bickering like children. My best friend left to rule a demon dimension. And my mentor is now a mindless rage-machine who tried to eviscerate me. So to say I’ve had a bad month is something of an understatement,” said Kitty. “Also, there’s that crap you pulled in Seattle, so it’s not like you don’t have it coming. So what do you say? Ready to calm down?”

The Hulk growled. “Fine.”

“Wolverine was here, wasn’t he?” she asked.

“Yeah, he came across me. We threw down, but then we got attacked by freaking ninjas.”

Kitty and Wraith exchanged looks of concern.

“The Hand,” said Wraith.

“Why are they mixed up in this?” asked Kitty.

“I dunno, but if they’re after Logan, it can’t be anything good,” said Wraith.

“So the Hand attacked. What then?” asked Kitty, returning her attention to the Hulk.

“We killed the ninjas, then some other guy turned up. Wearin’ a robe and a funky mask. Called himself the Gorgon,” said the Hulk. “He took his mask off, there was this flash, an’ the next thing I know, I got Django over there standing in front of me.”

“The Gorgon?” asked Wraith, the color draining from his face. “You did say the Gorgon, didn’t you?”

“What is it?” asked Kitty. “What’s wrong?”

“Shit just got real, Kitty-cat,” said Wraith.

Japan

In the northern regions of Japan sat an ancient temple not found on any map, its location known only to those who have been inducted into the ranks of the Hand. Here, Matsu’o Tsurayaba stood in a crimson robe, his hands clasped behind his back, watching as his underlings set up torches around a circle with Japanese characters painted on the ground.

A cloaked man stood by Matsu’o’s side, his eyes emitting a faint glow in the darkness of his hood. <“They’ve arrived, I can sense them.”>

<“The last time the Hand attempted something like this, it didn’t end so well,”> said Matsu’o.

<“Shogun was a fool. He could never hope to contain my power. No, it had to be this way.”>

The doors to the temple opened and the Gorgon walked purposefully into the massive room, the Godkiller held at his waist. When he came before Matsu’o, the Gorgon knelt down on both knees and bowed his head to the ground, crossing his hands and placing them flat on the ground.

<“Lord Tsurayaba, if it pleases you, I would like to present you with the results of my mission.”>

<“Rise, Gorgon. Bring him forward.”> Matsu’o looked at the cloaked man by his side. <“It’s time.”>

<“Good.”> The man held up his hand for all to see. It grew wrinkled and emaciated. <“Time is short. This body will not hold me for long.”>

<“Bring him!”> the Gorgon barked.

Hand ninjas entered, holding poles that were connected to a collar worn by the Wolverine. The mutant was bound by chains, with heavy shackles bonding his hands together and holding them to his chest. Matsu’o stepped forward and stared at his old enemy in the eye.

“You’re harder to kill than a cockroach, Logan. But this time is different,” said Matsu’o. “There’s truly nothing left of you in there.”

Matsu’o held up his cybernetic arm and extended his claws. He plunged them into the Wolverine’s neck and the beast howled and thrashed harder against his bonds. Matsu’o grinned as he retracted his claws.

<“Was that necessary?”> asked the cloaked man.

<“Relax, old man. He’ll heal from those wounds before the procedure is complete.”> Matsu’o nodded to the ninjas and they pulled the Wolverine towards the center of the circle.

The Gorgon swept the Wolverine’s legs and he fell on his back. The Gorgon drew the Godkiller and stabbed the Wolverine through the chest, pinning him to the ground as the ninjas fastened the chains to moorings in the floor.

<“Begin!”>

The cloaked clerics began chanting in an ancient Japanese tongue. The flames in the torches flared and the old man dropped to his knees. Matsu’o ignored the man and watched as the Wolverine strained against his chains, trying futilely to escape.

The old man’s eyes began to glow even brighter. The flames shot up, reaching the high ceiling of the chamber. The clerics’ chanting became louder than ever. And the old man started laughing—loud at first, but it quickly subsided until he collapsed with a death rattle.

The flames were suddenly extinguished. The chanting was silenced and the only sound left was the howl of the Wolverine.

And then…nothing but silence and darkness.

Slowly, the torches flared up again, but this time with just a small flame. Matsu’o stepped into the circle and looked down at the Wolverine, who now lay still. Matsu’o looked to the ninjas. <“Release the chains.”>

<“But my lord—”>

<“Do as your daimyo commands!”>

The ninjas offered no further protest and they unfastened the chains from the moorings. The Wolverine slowly rose to his feet, the chains clattering to the ground. He took a few steps towards Matsu’o, staring ahead blankly. Matsu’o raised his cybernetic arm, but instead of extending his claws again, he rested his hand on the shackles. A wireless command was sent to them and they unlocked, freeing the Wolverine’s hands.

The Wolverine opened his eyes. This time, though, there was no longer that emptiness Matsu’o had seen before. And when the Wolverine spoke, there was something very different in his tone.

<“It appears you were successful, Matsu’o. Well done,”> said the Wolverine.

Matsu’o bowed deeply to his sworn enemy and then said, <“It is an honor to serve you…Lord Ogun.”>

NEXT: Father and Son

CUTTING EDGE

 How’s that for an ending?

This series is the most fun I’ve had in fanfic in a long time, maybe ever. I’m getting a real rush bringing Wolverine back to the Omegaverse. But as you can see, it’s not something I’m just trying to rush through. The story of Wolverine’s resurrection isn’t just a means to an end, it’s the entire reason why I wanted to write this book in the first place.

So far, this series has gone to some interesting places. I’m particularly proud of the fight between Cyclops and Wolverine in issue #3. And getting an opportunity to write the Hulk after the dark place Derrick Ferguson left the character in The Incredible Hulk #19 was a lot of fun, too.

But as you can see, the story’s not over yet. Ogun’s back and he’s got the body of Wolverine, complete with healing factor and adamantium skeleton and claws. And now the question is, where do we go from here?

Just wait. Because this is where things get really interesting.

Dino Pollard

March 2018