Marvel Comics Presents 84

Marvel Comics Presents 84

Late Aug 1991

Weapon X: Chapter Twelve

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

Logan tosses the Professor’s body into the fission reactor. Logan wanders through the facility without encountering anyone. He hears voices, and finds the Professor’s severed hand and the body of Doctor Cornelius. He doesn’t fully understand where is or what happened to him. 

Marvel Comics Presents 83

Marvel Comics Presents 83

Early Aug 1991

Weapon X: Chapter Eleven

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

Logan advances on Miss Hines but does not harm her. The Professor throws the switch but something goes wrong. Logan is not incinerated. Logan advances on the Professor and kills him.

Thoughts

I don’t fully understand what happened. The machinery didn't function exactly as the Professor thought it would or should. Logan was burned but not killed. I’m not sure if Miss Hines escaped in time. 

I’m really starting to think that reading this story one chapter at a time was a mistake. I don’t think that I would have enjoyed more if I read it 2 to 3 chapters at a time but at least I would have been done with it by now. 

Marvel Comics Presents 82

Marvel Comics Presents 82

Late Jul 1991

Weapon X: Chapter Ten

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

Doctor Cornelius shoots Logan with a high powered rifle. It knocks him down. Logan gets back up fairly quickly and guts Doctor Cornelius.

The Professor and Miss Hines take off running. They make it to the reactor room. The Professor tries to talk her into serving as bait. She refuses so he forces her to do it just as Logan catches up to them.

Thoughts

I was wondering what would become of Miss Hines. I had a hard time seeing Logan gutting her. This makes more sense.

Marvel Comics Presents 81

Marvel Comics Presents 81

Early Jul 1991

Weapon X: Chapter Nine

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

Logan kills all the guards who are sent to apprehend him. The Professor makes it out and finds Doctor Cornelius and Miss Hines. The three of them lock themselves in the adamantium vault. Doctor Cornelius bandages the stump where the Professor’s right hand used to be. Logan cuts his way through the wall.

Thoughts

The image on the cover of this issue does not occur in this chapter. It makes Doctor Cornelius look much more capable of defending himself and his colleagues than has been the case up to this point.

Marvel Comics Presents 80

Marvel Comics Presents 80

Late Jun 1991

Weapon X: Chapter Eight

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

Logan breaks free and starts to wreck havoc in the scientific facility. Doctor Cornelius tries to get word to the Professor but there are problems with communications. Logan kills or maims several guards and then bursts through the floor to attack the Professor. The guards get there just in time to pull the Professor to safety.

Logan chops off one of the Professor’s hands. The chapter ends with the Professor freaking out and telling them to kill Weapon X.

Thoughts

This was a very fast moving, fluid chapter. Logan has the upper hand. He seems to be acting on instinct. How long will that last? How many more will die? 

Marvel Comics Presents 79

Marvel Comics Presents 79

Early Jun 1991

Weapon X: Chapter Seven

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

Logan is tested against a bear. He cuts the animal to pieces. The Professor wants to test him next against a human. Doctor Cornelius objects.

Logan surprises everyone and attacks the guards while they are getting ready to put him back in his cage for the night.

Thoughts

I think something just went wrong. 

Marvel Comics Presents 78

Marvel Comics Presents 78

Late May 1991

Weapon X: Chapter Six

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

Doctor Cornelius and his team continue to work on Logan as the Professor watches and asks questions. The Professor wants to be able to control Logan from up to 10 miles away, at all times. Doctor Cornelius and his team are getting there but the Professor is very impatient.

Thoughts

I can just see that something is going to go wrong at some point. I’m not sure when but the Professor’s plans are going to come apart. Logan is going to get free. It is just a matter of time. 

Marvel Comics Presents 77

Marvel Comics Presents 77

Early May 1991

Weapon X: Chapter Five

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

The scientists run a live test on Logan. They place him outside, naked and then release a pack of hungry wolves. The Professor, Doctor Cornelius, and Miss Hines watch (from the safety of their laboratory) as Logan uses his claws to kill all the wolves.

Thoughts

Logan roars at one point but he doesn’t utter a single word during this chapter. Miss Hines is the only one of the three observers who suggests that they stop this test. The Professor and Doctor Cornelius are too engrossed by what they are seeing to look away or do anything other than watch the spectacle on the screen in front of them.

Marvel Comics Presents 76

Marvel Comics Presents 76

Late Apr 1991

Weapon X: Chapter Four

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

The Professor decides to continue with the experiments on Logan but something goes wrong. The equipment malfunctions. Logan sits up and grabs Miss Hines by the neck but doesn't harm her. The Professor tries verbal commands but Logan lunges at him after letting go of Miss Hines. Security is called in and they sedate him before the Professor decides that he’s had enough for one day. 

Marvel Comics Presents 75

Marvel Comics Presents 75

Early Apr 1991

Weapon X: Chapter Three

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

Doctor Cornelius wonders why the dead scientist went into the room. The Professor feigns ignorance and says nothing about having encouraged the dead man to check on Logan. 

The Professor and Doctor Cornelius talk about Logan while he is unconscious. They talk about what he was before the experiments and how the experiments have changed him. Doctor Cornelius is in a bit of shock over what just happened but the Professor sees things proceeding according to his plan. He does his best to encourage Doctor Cornelius to continue his work and reprogram Logan into a living weapon.

Marvel Comics Presents 74

Marvel Comics Presents 74

Late Mar 1991

Weapon X: Chapter Two

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

Logan wakes up on the floor of the lab. The Professor is aware of what’s going on as he watches from another room via a video feed. A scientist is sent in to check on Logan. Three more men head that way to check on Logan and find that Logan has killed the scientist. 

Thoughts

This story is confusing. I find the placement of word balloons makes it frequently hard to follow the direction in which they are to be read. I also find it hard to tell at times who is talking.

Marvel Comics Presents 73

Marvel Comics Presents 73

Mid Mar 1991

Weapon X: Chapter One

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

Logan is knocked out, sedated, and taken to a laboratory where a team of scientists starts to experiment on him. They notice that he seems to be recovering at an accelerated rate. 

Thoughts

Why did these scientists want Logan to be their lab rat? Did they not choose him specifically for this? They seem to be surprised by the speed and strength of his healing factor. He must have really been drunk to be overwhelmed as easily as he was. I don't fully understand everything I'm seeing on these pages. What are all those spiky things doming out of his body? Is it adamantium?

Marvel Comics Presents 72

Marvel Comics Presents 72

Early Mar 1991

Weapon X: Prologue

by Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Novak

Logan stays in a run down hotel called The Prophecy and mulls over some things. He talks about going up to the Yukon. He is haunted by nightmares. 

Thoughts

There are lots of images of a laboratory. Some of the images are horrific. The implication is that Logan spent time there. There is no dialogue, only Logan’s narration. 

This is confusing. I expect that as I read my way through this story some of the images in the prologue will start to fall into place and make more sense.