History
Origin[]
Weapon X was a code name for a secret U.S. Government project intended to deliberately induce superpowers for military purposes. It was the tenth installment of the Weapon Plus Program. In the case of Weapon X, the mechanism was genetic engineering, specifically creating mutations in normal humans and enhancing preexisting mutations.[6] The successive projects had Roman numerals, so Weapon X was the tenth such project.[5] Some confusion has arisen because this same name has applied to several different projects as well as several of the project's "graduates."
Before Weapon X: Weapon Plus[]
Weapon X was the tenth installment of the Weapon Plus Program a military project started by the U.S. Government in 1945 after Professor Thorton, a civilian advisor to the U.S. Army, discovered the secret laboratory of Dr. Nathaniel Essex in a Nazi concentration camp.[6] The program was designed to produce super-soldiers employable by the military, replicating the success provided by Project: Rebirth, retroactively rebranded Weapon I, which gave birth to Captain America.[5]
Following many unsuccessful attempts to create the perfect super-soldier, the criminal mastermind known as Romulus used his connections within the C.I.A. to have the agency sponsor the tenth incarnation of the program,[7] named Weapon X, whose control was fully given to Professor Thorton.[6]
First incarnation of the Weapon X Program with Dr. Cornelius and the Professor
Experiment X[]
Thorton recruited former F.B.I. scientist Abraham Cornelius and former NASA operative Carol Hines to be part of the program's staff.[1][6] Under Romulus' orders, Thorton dispatched Weapon X agents to capture the mutant Logan, a former member of both the C.I.A.'s Team X[8] under the codename Wolverine and the Canadian government's Department K,[9] who Romulus chose as the first subject of the Adamantium bonding process, codenamed Experiment X.[1]
After the initial phases of the experiment,[10] Thorton and his collaborators found a way to project Logan's thoughts into a screen, observing the clash between Logan and Sabretooth which happened after Logan's former love, Silver Fox, was killed by Sabretooth on Logan's birthday.[11] In order to control Logan's behaviour and actions by using the several layers of false memories implanted by the C.I.A., Thorton and the Weapon X staff prepared a warehouse in Ontario where they built elaborated scenarios and cinematographic sets to record additional false memories to be implanted into Logan's mind.[2] Having access to the C.I.A. files, Thorton recruited into Weapon X the other members of Team X, including Victor Creed a.k.a. Sabretooth, Sgt. David North known as Maverick and Wildcat, John Wraith, operating as Kestrel, Halcon, or Carlisle, Silver Fox (or a duplicate of her produced by either the C.I.A. or Romulus),[12] and Mastodon a.k.a. Elefante.[2] These operatives became program subjects, receiving implanted memories through the Windsor scenarios,[2] until Thorton contacted the psi-talent mutant mastermind named Aldo Ferro, who could provide implanted memories through his psychic powers, avoiding spending resources and money to build elaborate stages. Ferro then joined Weapon X under the codename Vole.[13]
However, Logan escaped the Department K Facility where Weapon X scientists were experimenting on him,[14] slaughtering several staff members including Dr. Dale Rice,[15] and nearly killing the head of security, Malcolm Colcord,[16] causing the program to be temporarily put under the coverage of U.S. Department of Agriculture's "Pest Control Section", of which Thorton was appointed director.[2] When John Sublime, the former assistant of Dr. Cornelius who, in the meantime, had been promoted to Weapon Plus, notified Thorton that his superiors wanted to terminate the tenth incarnation, the Professor in turn decided to break Weapon X off from the Plus Program,[6] being now funded only by the U.S. Agriculture Department.[2]
Department K[]
After Logan escaped from the Experiment X compound, Canadian Department K found a way to replicate his healing factor and implement it into other subjects, giving birth to a new iteration of the Weapon X Program. One of such subjects was Wade Wilson, a man who suffered from cancer who had enlisted in Department K searching for a cure. Weapon X implemented healing factor in Wilson's body, temporarily regressing his cancer.[17] Department K then formed an early installment of Weapon P.R.I.M.E. squad composed by Wilson, Sluggo, Kane, and Slayback; they were later joined by Wade's girlfriend Vanessa Carlysle, codenamed Copycat. Under unknown circumstances, Wilson killed Slayback during a mission;[18] his health then got worse and worse, so he was taken to the Hospice, a Weapon X Facility directed by Dr. Emrys Killebrew and his assistant Francis Fanny, codenamed Ajax. There, Killebrew and Ajax made terrible experiments on Wilson, who was also tortured by Ajax. Adopting the name Deadpool, Wade led a massive breakout from the Hospice, and the Canadian branch of Weapon X was shut down afterwards.[17]
The Shiva Scenario[]
Many years later, Logan, now the X-Man known as Wolverine, started remembering events from his past, eventually leading him to the Weapon X Facility in Alberta.[19] At the same time, Silver Fox, now a powerful leader of Hydra, had started secretly following U.S. Agriculture Department's activities, searching for the Professor in order to kill him for the treatment she received during her time at Weapon X.[2] Meanwhile, former Dr. Cornelius' assistant Hines contacted the Professor at Agriculture Department, informing him that Logan had discovered something about his past at Weapon X.[20] After having read N.S.A. files provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury, Logan searched for the Professor in Washington, D.C.'s Agriculture Department's Building; after Logan's visit, he decided to reach former Weapon X memory implants' set in Windsor, Ontario, since he knew which could have been Logan's next place to visit. He then activated the S.H.I.V.A. Protocol, a security program composed by several robot units used by Weapon X to capture agents which had escaped their control; Logan destroyed the first S.H.I.V.A. units and reached the Control Room, where he found Hines and the corpse of the Professor, who had been successfully killed by Silver Fox minutes before.[2]
Sabretooth was successfully found by a survivor S.H.I.V.A. unit in a Wrestling Club in New York City; he was helped by his former Team X teammate John Wraith,[21] who also gathered Logan, Mastodon,[22] Silver Fox and Carol Hines to reform the old Team X for the last mission: found the man who was behind their implanted memories: Aldo Ferro. They arrived in Ferro's private island in Seattle, Washington, where they met their former teammate Maverick, who was employed by Weapon X Program to be Ferro's bodyguard.[3] After Ferro revealed that, during his time at Weapon X, had implanted false memories in all of their minds, Maverick rejoined Team X and, together, they fought Ferro, who killed Hines when she revealed he was an alien called the Psi-Borg; then, he vanished bringing Silver Fox with him.[13] He then appeared, revealing his true form as the Psi-Borg and creating an illusory replica of Logan and Silver Fox's cabin in Yukon; then, he mentally controlled Sabretooth into killing Silver Fox for the second time, finally disappearing with Creed.[23] He will be later helped by Sabretooth escaping the United States.[24]
A new Weapon X
The Director[]
After this Program's incarnation's failures, Weapon Plus' Director John Sublime, contacted former Weapon X's head of security Malcolm Colcord, who had been nearly killed by Logan when he escaped after the Experiment X, offering him the position of Director at the new incarnation of Weapon X Program.[6]
He gave the project two additional goals: to monitor mutants in the general population and to set up concentration camps where they would be recruited, held for study, or executed. Colcord brought in Brent Jackson , a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as Sabretooth, Deadpool, Copycat, and Mauvais.[4]
The new Weapon X team's first success was to psionically gain control of Wolverine and direct him to track down the "alumni" of previous Weapon X projects. They were forced to detain him, though, when he regained his volition. The Shiver Man freed Wolverine, upon which Colcord and the others fled.[25]
Colcord next brought in Box to build a concentration camp called Neverland. The Weapon X project had reached the height of its power. They recruited Aurora, Sauron, Mesmero, Marrow, Wildchild, Washout, Garrison Kane, and many more mutants. Some joined willingly. Most did not.
Cable organized the Underground, a mutant movement to counter the atrocities going on at Neverland. With assistance from Agent Jackson, they led an assault on Neverland, in which Kane was killed. Jackson's help, however, was a ploy to help him take over the Weapon X project.[26] Learning of the camp, the X-Men sent Chamber there undercover. Jackson ordered him to assassinate Sublime, at which point Chamber disappeared[27] -- as did everyone else at Neverland. The Weapon X project moved to another facility they named the Program.
Jackson scored another success when he subverted Maverick, who arrived at the Program in critical condition after a battle. In exchange for his life, Maverick agreed to another treatment and became Agent Zero. Now working for Jackson, he neutralized Marrow's team. Apparently considering the debt satisfied, he teamed with Wolverine and Fantomex (a product of the Weapon XIII project) to uncover the truth about Weapon Plus. They found Neverland and the Program abandoned[28] but managed to track down Sublime. Only then did Wolverine learn what had happened at Roanoke.
A new Weapon X project, whose staff included Dr. Martin Sutter, Dr. Sarah Kinney, and Dr. Zander Rice (son of Dale Rice), followed. They produced Native, who was rescued by Wolverine and Sabretooth, and a female clone of Wolverine, X-23, who escaped after killing Rice and Kinney.
Later, Colcord and Jackson appeared to be running separate, competing Weapon X projects. Also, Nathaniel Essex (Mister Sinister) was still working with the project, using the name Dr. Robert Windsor. Sinister's journal, chronicling his experiments in a Nazi death camp, inspired Thorton to work on one of the original projects; the full extent of Sinister's influence on the Weapon X programs is still unknown.
Weapons of Mutant Destruction[]
Under the direction of Reverend William Stryker, a new Weapon X program emerged, which focused on the creation of undetectable killer cyborgs that could eventually eradicate mutantkind. These cyborgs were created from regular humans Stryker lured into his cause.[29] As part of the process to refine their cyborgs, Weapon X targeted several mutants with special abilities of their interest, namely Logan, Sabretooth, Warpath, Domino, and Lady Deathstrike.[30]
Once Weapon X captured Lady Deathstrike and harvested genetic material for their cyborgs, they sent their robots after the remaining four targets. While they failed to capture Logan and Sabretooth, they acquired tissue samples.[31] Meanwhile, Warpath was successfully apprehended.[32] By the time Weapon X's cyborgs attacked Domino, Logan, and Sabretooth had joined forced to investigate their attackers, and managed to rescue her. In order to improve the resistance and strength of the cyborgs, Weapon X set their sights on the Hulk.[33]
Even though the cyborgs that attacked the Hulk managed to have a blood sample sent to their command center before being defeated and forced to self-destruct, their attack prompted Cho to investigate the situation and join forces with Weapon X's other targets. Data retrieved from a partially preserved cyborg allowed Hulk and his new allies to determine the location of one of the cyborgs' production centers.[34] When said facility was raided by Hulk and the mutants, Stryker had it self-destruct, killing its employees in the process. The mutants and Hulk survived, and even managed to rescue Warpath and Lady Deathstrike from containment.[35] With the Hulk's blood sample still in their possession, Weapon X moved to the creation of mutant-Hulk hybrids.[29]
After further investigating Weapon X, Hulk and the mutants located and raided their central command, forcing most of the facility to be evacuated. Weapon X's leading scientist, Dr. Alba had already finished experimenting on her best and last two subjects, H-Alpha and H-Beta,[36] who were eventually released to confront the intruders. H-Alpha proved to be much less docile, to the point of killing H-Beta and attempting to turn on his creators. Hulk held him back, giving Stryker, Dr. Alba, and the remaining staffers the chance to flee in a helicopter. During the ensuing fight between Hulk and H-Alpha, Weapon X's central command collapsed.[37]Notes
- "Weapon #" is normally used to denote specific known agents.[Citation Needed] Weapon X is unique in that it has had entire teams, not to mention multiple agents (Wolverine, Garrison Kane, and the bacteria colony) with the name.
See Also
- 130 appearance(s) of Weapon X (Earth-616)
- 7 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Weapon X (Earth-616)
- 24 minor appearance(s) of Weapon X (Earth-616)
- 125 mention(s) of Weapon X (Earth-616)
- 8 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Weapon X (Earth-616)
- 18 image(s) of Weapon X (Earth-616)
- 6 victim(s) killed by Weapon X (Earth-616)
- 54 member(s) of Weapon X (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Marvel Comics Presents #72
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Wolverine (Vol. 2) #50
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wolverine (Vol. 2) #62
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wolverine (Vol. 2) #160
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 New X-Men #145
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Weapon X (Vol. 2) #23
- ↑ Wolverine: Origins #33
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #5–7
- ↑ Logan: Shadow Society #1
- ↑ Marvel Comics Presents #73–78
- ↑ Wolverine: Exit Wounds #1
- ↑ Wolverine: Weapon X Files #1
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Wolverine (Vol. 2) #63
- ↑ Marvel Comics Presents #79–84
- ↑ X-23 #1
- ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #166
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Deadpool and Death Annual #1998
- ↑ Deadpool #1
- ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #48
- ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #49
- ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #60
- ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #61
- ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #64
- ↑ Sabretooth #1–2
- ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #162–166
- ↑ Weapon X (Vol. 2) #7–13
- ↑ Weapon X (Vol. 2) #16–18
- ↑ Weapon X (Vol. 2) #21
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Weapons of Mutant Destruction: Alpha #1
- ↑ X-Men Prime (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ Weapon X (Vol. 3) #1
- ↑ Weapon X (Vol. 3) #2
- ↑ Weapon X (Vol. 3) #3
- ↑ Totally Awesome Hulk #19
- ↑ Weapon X (Vol. 3) #4
- ↑ Weapon X (Vol. 3) #6
- ↑ Totally Awesome Hulk #22