Wolverine (3rd series) #73

Issue Date: 
July 2009
Story Title: 
<BR><em>1st story:</em> A Mile in my Moccasins: Part 1<BR><em>2nd story:</em> One-Percenter: Part 1
Staff: 


1st story:Jason Aaron (writer), Adam Kubert (pencils), Mark Farmer (inker), Justin Ponsor (colorist), VC’s Cory Petit (letterer), Jody Leheup (assistant editor), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Alan Fine (executive producer), Adam Kubert (cover)
2nd story: Daniel Way (writing), Tommy Lee Edwards (art), John Workman (letters), Jody Leheup (assistant editor), John Barber (editor), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Alan Fine (executive producer)

Brief Description: 

1st Story:

Logan is a very busy man. Every day, he is fighting the good fight with his compatriots in the X-Men, New Avengers and X-Force. He typically decompresses on Sundays, but it doesn’t always work out that way. After spending a night with Yukio and leaving very early in the morning, Yukio mentions that at one time she wanted to walk in his shoes for a day. Now, she has no desire to do so at all.

2nd Story:

In a small-town, Logan meets up his old friend Horror-Show, the leader of a biker gang, the Burnin’ Sons. Horror-Show proceeds to tell Logan that he has gone clean, isn’t married, and that his youngest son Junior is hooked on dope. Just then, Ram, another member of the Burnin’ Sons, enters and informs Horror-Show that two of their members have been killed by Junior. When Horror-Show states that they won’t be doing anything until morning when cooler heads will prevail, Ram becomes belligerent and is then punched out. Later, Logan offers to Horror-Show to go check on the situation for him and takes off. After he meets up with one of the dead biker’s widow, she refuses to talk to Logan since he was sent by Horror-Show. Logan determines that if he was sent by Ram, the story might be different. Just then, one of the members of the New Saints arrives and kills the lady and takes off. Logan then contacts Horror-Show and asks where he can find his son, Junior.

Full Summary: 

First Story:

Sunday morning, Logan is woken from his slumber on a park bench by a local cop. When the cop tells him that he’s got to get up and move, Logan asks him if he knows where he can get some eggs. Four eggs and three cups of coffee later, Logan is battling the Juggernaut. On Monday, he joins the rest of his New Avengers teammates to take on the Serpent Society in an unnamed tropical location. On Tuesday, he teams up with the Punisher and Ghost Rider to take on Black Talon and his zombie followers. Wednesday – he and X-Force battle Purifiers. Thursday, he’s with Cyclops against Mystique. When Cyclops asks him that he thought he killed that woman, Logan remarks that he thought he did. On Friday, he teams up with Spider-Man to face a horde of Hydra agents. Saturday is a day of relaxation and Logan spends it with some young ladies outside the Golden Grasshopper, a bar in Bangkok.

The next Sunday, Logan helps Ice-Man in stopping a couple of thugs from robbing a bank. Before Ice-Man can say much more, Logan is gone. On Tuesday, he’s fighting Cyber, trying to figure out where Romulus is. Thursday, another team-up, this time it’s with Deadpool against a bunch of M.O.D.O.K. On Saturday, he’s in the Golden Grizzly bar in Northern Siberia.

Sunday, he helps Thor take down a monster. Monday, he’s fighting the Red Hulk. Wednesday, Logan is tired but takes in a poker game with the Thing and his other fellow heroes. On Saturday, Logan is in another bar and learns of the formation of Norman Osborn’s team of Avengers. Later that Saturday, Logan kills a Hellfire guard. On Sunday, he meditates in peace. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are much of the same – full of battles where he is shot, stabbed and blown up.

On Sunday, Logan is in Japan. After another bloody battle, Logan wipes the blood off his claws when Yukio comes up to him and asks him if he’s all right, he seems distracted. Logan tells her it’s nothing, he’s just tired. Snuggling up next to him, Yukio seductively replies that the best thing for being tired is bed rest.

3 a.m. on Monday morning, Yukio finds Logan leaving her bed and heading off. When she asks that he’s off so soon, Logan replies that he has lots to do. Yukio tells him judging by what she sees on TV and reads in the paper, he always has lots to do these days. Logan says he reckons he does. Yukio then asks him why he is doing this, running himself ragged all the time like this. What is he running from, what is he trying to prove? There are easier ways to kill yourself.

Bowing her head, Yukio states that she’s no expert or anything but she thinks this might be what a nervous breakdown looks like. When she receives no response Yukio looks up and finds Logan gone. She states that she used to think it’d be thrilling to be him for a day but now she wouldn’t do it if you paid her.

Out on the streets, Logan is driving a motorcycle, heading off for another adventure.

Second Story:

In a small-town, Logan is riding his motorcycle when he is pulled over by a policeman. Looking at his ID, he asks Mr. Claremont if this is his current address. Logan admits that it is. The cop mentions that San Francisco is a long way from here and asks him what brings him to these parts. Logan tells him that he’s just passin’ through on his way home. He had to go to New York to take care o’ some personal business. The cop asks him if that’s so and then before he can say anything else, a biker gang arrives.

Stopping, the leader of the gang says to the cop, Dennis, that he sincerely hopes he doesn’t think he’s gonna write this man a citation. ‘Cause that abomination o’ engineerin’ he’s ridin’ on aside, he’s with them. An’ as he knows, they police their own around there so how ‘bout he just goes an’ makes sure the donut store ain’t bein’ robbed. As the cop turns to leave, Logan asks the leader, Horror-Show, how it’s goin’. Horror-Show replies down-hill, same as always.

In Horror-Show’s bar, Logan and he have a few drinks and proceed to talk. Logan says to him that he’s kiddin’, right? Horror-Show tells him nope. He kicked the booze, the dope, an’ his skanky ol’ wife to the curb almost eleven years ago now. He says to him not to tell him that he ain’t slowed down some, he doesn’t look a day older or no more worse off than the last time he saw him. What, twenty years ago, thirty? Logan replies somethin’ like that and asks how his boy is doin’.

Horror-Show answers that Shelly an’ him had two boys together. Eric, the oldest, the one he’s askin’ about, he died when he was sixteen. Their second boy, Henry Junior, is still around but he doesn’t know for how much longer. When Logan asks if he’s sick, Horror-Show tells him that’s one way o’ puttin’ it. The bible says in Ezekial that a son will not be punished for the sins of his father, nor the father for the sins of his son. Now, that may be true in the next life, but in this one. $#@%, that’s just a damn lie. He used to blame Junior’s mama for the way he turned out, but since she died…

Logan asks that Shelly’s dead? Horror-Show replies yeah, she died a couple years ago. But they were done long ‘fore then. She didn’t exactly agree with his change in lifestyle. Logan asks that he didn’t exactly “kick her to the curb” then. Horror-Show says nah, he got him there. When the supply ran out, so did she an’ Junior went with her. She shacked up with a fella down south o’ there, from another club – the New Saints. He was their cooker, so she held tight to him right up ‘til the end. When Logan asks if she over-dosed, Horror-Show tells him ‘course she did. An’ when her old man found her, he goes an’ puts the sawed-off into his mouth and paints the ceilin’ of their trailer with what little brains he had left. He told Junior he could come home and stay with him but… Logan finishes his sentence for him – ‘but he’d have to give up the habit.’ Horror-Show says yup, his house, his rules.

Just then, Ram comes in and yells out Horror-Show’s name. Getting up, Horror-Show says to him that he know he told him ‘bout usin’ his inside voice when it comes to addressin’ him in his club. Ram states that the New Saints just declared war on his club. Hotbox an’ Level are dead an’ it was Junior who done it. He then yells out the name of their biker gang – ‘Burnin’ Sons!’ Put one in the chamber an’ grab yer axe-handles, they’re ridin’ south.

Horror-Show exclaims no, they aint’. Declaration has to be unanimous among the three lords an’ he, Ram, ain’t but one o’ them. Ram points out that War-Horse is with him on this. War-Horse remarks that they killed their brothers. Blood for blood, that’s their code. Horror-Show asks if anybody saw this happen. War-Horse tells him yeah, Level’s ol’ lady. Horror-Show asks where she’s at. War-Horse informs him that she’s at her mama’s house, prob’ly drunker’n hell an’ cryin’ her eyes out. Horror-Show agrees an’ says that she’s prob’ly hotter to spill New Saint’s blood right now than he, Ram, is which is why he ain’t gonna talk to her ‘til tomorrow when she’s cooled off some. That’s his say, so if anybody cares to challenge it, make it known here an’ now.

Logan recalls that the first time he met Horror-Show, he was locked up for beatin’ the livin’ $%@# outta four state troopers at the same time. Looks to him like he ain’t the only one remembers what Henry “Horror-Show” McLaury is capable o’ doin’, once he gets good an’ riled. Evidently though, Ram ain’t one of ‘em.

Ram speaks up and says that he reckons they all know the real reason he’s draggin’ his feet on this, Junior may be his son, but he ain’t a Burnin’ Son, not no more. He’s a New Saint. He’s asked a lot of them these past few years, givin’ up the cookin’ an’ all, but they’ve gone along with it, outta respect. If he wants to keep that respect, he better start livin’ up to the code – blood for blood. Horror-Show responds by punching Ram in the jaw. Picking himself up off the ground, Ram goes to grab for his gun. As he does, Logan tells him that he wouldn’t an’ he shouldn’t. Ram didn’t.

Outside the bar, Henry mentions “blood for blood,” and says that he figures there’s more’n one way to interpret that, doesn’t he? When Logan says he reckons, Henry tells him that there ain’t a single doubt in his mind that Junior done what they say he done, he’s meaner’n a snake and twice as dangerous. But that’s ‘cause the boy’s been addicted to dope since the day he was born. It ain’t his fault, the way he’s turned out; it’s his. Standing up, Logan tells Henry to let him look into this for him, maybe he can straighten it out without him losin’ face in front of his club. Shocked, Henry asks him why he would wanna go an’ get himself involved in this damn mess. Logan tells him to just let him do this, he’ll let him know what he finds out. As he walks off, Logan thinks that maybe, just maybe, he can do for Henry’s son what he couldn’t do for his own.

Later, Logan approaches a young lady drinking outside and asks her if she’s Level’s ol’ lady. Seeing the strange man, she asks him who the hell he is. Logan introduces himself and tells her that he came to talk to her about what happened tonight. The lady asks him if Ram sent him. Logan tells her no, Horror-Show did. Holding out his hand he tells her that he’ll take a drink o’ that drink she has. The lady tells her no he won’t and for him to get his sorry ass off o’ her mama’s property too. She ain’t got nothin’ to say to him or Horror-Show.

Scratching his chin, Logan asks that she would have somethin’ to say if Ram had sent him? Just then, gun shots ring out and Level’s widow is shot dead by a man on a bike. Contacting Horror-Show, he tells him that he needs to know where he can find Junior.

Characters Involved: 

First Story:

Wolverine

Ronin, Spider-Woman, Luke cage, Captain America (Bucky Barnes), Spider-Man (all New Avengers)

Punisher

Ghost Rider

Archangel, Domino, Thunderbird (all X-Force)

Cyclops, Ice-Man (all X-Men)

Deadpool

Thor

Red Hulk

Thing

She-Hulk

Yukio

Juggernaut

Anaconda, Black Mamba, Bushmaster, Cottonmouth (members of the Serpent Society)

Black Talon and his zombie followers

Various Purifiers (all unnamed)

Mystique

Various Hydra agents (all unnamed)

Cyber

M.O.D.O.K.
Absorbing Man

Various unnamed female companions in Bangkok

Various unnamed civilians in various locations around the world

Unnamed Hellfire Club agent

2nd Story:

Wolverine

Henry “Horror-Show” McLaury, Sr. (leader of the Burnin’ Sons biker gang)

Unnamed bikers in Horror-Show’s biker gang, the Burnin’ Sons (all unnamed except for Ram, War-Horse, Hotbox, and Level)

Level’s wife (unnamed)

Member of the New Saints (unnamed)

Cop in a local town (Dennis)

Various patrons of Horror-Show’s bar (all unnamed)

Story Notes: 

Logan stabbed Mystique and left her for dead in Wolverine (3rd series) #65.

In the second story, Logan’s ID says that his name is Claremont, no doubt a reference to long-time X-Men writer Chris Claremont.

Logan’s inability to save his son, Daken, has been depicted in the Wolverine Origins series.

Due to severe delays, this issue was released May 13, 2009 while Wolverine (3rd series) #72 was released on May 28th.

Issue Information: 
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