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Weapon X is a fictional clandestine
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...
genetic research facility project appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...
. They are conducted by Department K, which turns willing and unwilling beings into living weapons, carrying out covert missions like assassination or eliminating potential threats to the government. It is similar to Human enhancement experiments in the real world, but it captures mutants and does experiments on them to enhance their abilities such as superpowers, turning them into human weapons. They also mutate baseline humans. The Weapon X Project produced
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a musc ...
,
Leech Leeches are segmented parasitism, parasitic or Predation, predatory worms that comprise the Class (biology), subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the Oligochaeta, oligochaetes, which include the earthwor ...
,
Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadpo ...
, Sabretooth, and Weapon H. The fictional experiment X, or the brutal adamantium-skeletal bonding process, written by Barry Windsor-Smith in his classic story " Weapon X" (originally published in ''Marvel Comics Presents'' #72-84 in 1991), was eventually revealed as part of the "Weapon X Project." Grant Morrison's '' New X-Men'' in 2002 further revealed that Weapon X was the tenth of a series of such projects, collectively known as the Weapon Plus Program, and the X in "Weapon X" referred not to the letter X but the
Roman numeral Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, ea ...
for the number 10. The first project, Weapon I, pertained to the Super Soldier Project that created
Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
.


Publication history

The Weapon X organization first appeared in '' The Incredible Hulk'' #180 and was created by
Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ...
and John Romita Sr.


Fictional organization biography


Original installment

The code-name ''Weapon X'' was originally mentioned in the first appearance of Wolverine in ''The Incredible Hulk'' #180, in 1974, since which, it had been implied that he was connected to a shady and malevolent government program. In the 1991 ''
Marvel Comics Presents ''Marvel Comics Presents'' was an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics originally from 1988 to 1995. It returned for a second volume in 2007–2008, and a third volume that started in 2019. Volume 1 The first volume ...
'' story arc '' Weapon X,'' the project was designated Experiment X, and it was revealed that it was responsible for bonding the adamantium to Wolverine's skeleton, making him indestructible. It also subjected him to brainwashing in order to bring out his most basic murderous instincts and to transform him into the perfect assassin. The scientists christened their new killing machine "Weapon X". Wolverine's solo series issues #48-50 (1992) revealed that Project X also created fabricated memories in the minds of several of its subjects. Weapon X operated through Canada's Department K and was directed by Professor Andre Thorton. At his side were Dr.
Abraham Cornelius Abraham Cornelius is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He works as a scientist for Weapon X and was one of the people who played a part in the origin of Wolverine. Publication history He was fir ...
, Dr.
Carol Hines This article lists Marvel characters beginning with the letter "H", with a brief description introducing each one. Hala the Accuser Gabrielle Haller Gabrielle Haller was a catatonic Holocaust survivor who awoke from the disorder after Charle ...
, and Dr. Dale Rice.
John Sublime Sabra Sabreclaw Sabreclaw is a character in the MC2 universe who first appeared in '' J2'' #8 (May 1999). He is the half-brother of Wild Thing and the son of Wolverine. The character has claws (similar to Sabretooth), a healing factor, enh ...
, the director of Weapon Plus, was always behind the scenes. Some of the work of Weapon X was based on the experiments detailed on the journals of Nazi scientist Nathan Essex, which were obtained by Weapon Plus after the end of World War II. The project's original test subjects were the members of Team X, a covert ops CIA team (consisting of Wolverine/Logan, Sabretooth/Victor Creed, Maverick/Christoph Nord, Silver Fox,
Mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of the ...
, Major Arthur Barrington, Psi-Borg/Aldo Ferro, Wildcat/Noel Higgins and Kestrel/John Wraith). The telepath Psi-Borg was involved in the creation of the victims' memory implants, in exchange for being endowed with immortality. The test subjects were policed by an adaptive robot enforcer, called Shiva, should any of the agents go rogue. What Wolverine and his fellow X-Men ignored for many years is that Weapon X was part of a larger program called Weapon Plus, a United States super-soldier program created in the 1940s with the purpose of creating super-soldiers and assassins not only to be employed in conventional wars, but also to be employed for the extermination of mutants. Weapon X was the first iteration in Weapon Plus that victimized mutants. What the Weapon X scientists did not foresee is that the experimentation on Wolverine would cause him to go on a murderous rampage, which allowed the escape of the other test subjects, and caused the death of Dale Rice, among dozens of other members of Weapon X staff, both scientists and military.


The Deadpool

Weapon X was temporarily shut down, but eventually was reinstated. Subsequent attempts at recreating the success seen by Weapon X with Wolverine include
Native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...
,
Kimura Kimura (written: lit. "tree village") is the 17th most common Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese novelist *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese botanist *, Japanese idol and singer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanes ...
and
X-23 Laura Kinney (born X-23; codename Wolverine) is a fictional superhero appearing in media published by Marvel Entertainment, most commonly in association with the X-Men. The character was created by writer Craig Kyle for the '' X-Men: Evolutio ...
(the 23rd attempt to clone Wolverine who was designed to also hunt down rogue agents). The ''Weapon X Re-Creation Project'' a.k.a. ''The Facility'' was headed by Director Martin Sutter, Dr. Dale Rice's son Dr. Zander Rice, and Dr.
Sarah Kinney Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a ...
. Like Weapon X once did, the Facility has also branched off from the main Weapon X Program. Latter creations of The Facility, now under the direction of Dr. Adam Harkins, include
Predator X ''Pliosaurus'' (meaning 'more lizard') is an extinct genus of thalassophonean pliosaurid known from the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian stages (Late Jurassic) of Europe and South America. Their diet would have included fish, cephalopods, and marin ...
.


Second installment

At some point, Weapon X branched off from Weapon Plus' control and was solely headed up by Canada's Department K. A new generation of agents were created:
Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadpo ...
,
Garrison Kane Garrison Kane, also known as Weapon X and Kane, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, and debuted in ''X-Force'' #2 (1991). Fictional character bio ...
(who took on the moniker "Weapon X"), Slayback, Sluggo, Wyre, Wildchild, and Ajax, among others. Weapon X used Logan's DNA in order to endow its agents with healing powers. The batch produced many additional failures, which were sent to a facility for dissection to determine the cause of their failures. These rejects were freed by Deadpool when he escaped from the facility. A smaller experiment was later developed by Department K with a
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
(who would become the third individual to be known as Weapon X) merging him with Thetagen-24: the most dangerous lethal
symbiotic Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or para ...
bacterial Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were amon ...
colony ever created.
Typhoid Mary Mary Mallon (September 23, 1869 – November 11, 1938), commonly known as Typhoid Mary, was an Irish-born American cook believed to have infected between 51 and 122 people with typhoid fever. The infections caused three confirmed deaths, ...
was also a subject, when she was captured by an Antarctic facility continuing research for the Weapon X Project, specifically the mental faculties of the mutant mind. Their experiments helped give birth to Mary's "Bloody Mary" persona, which exhibited increased psychokinetic powers.


Third installment

In Weapon X series number 6, director Malcolm Colcord forms the third version of the Weapon X Project, designed to monitor and eliminate mutants. Colcord, once a security guard at the first Weapon X project, suffered severe facial lacerations during an escape attempt by the mutant Wolverine. Unlike the previous two installments of Weapon X, the third Project was completely U.S.-based and focused not only on the creation of living weapons, but also on the ultimate goal of Colcord, the creation of death camps. The Director initially uses Weapon X as his personal strike force to exact revenge against Wolverine. He soon begins using its resources for the capturing and imprisonment of mutants in the secret government death camp called Neverland. Mutants who are not suitable to be used as military weapons would be executed, while those that are suitable are given the choice to join Weapon X or die. A number of mutants, such as
Cecilia Reyes Dr. Cecilia Reyes is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Scott Lobdell and Carlos Pacheco, the character first appeared in ''X-Men'' (vol. 2) #65 (June 1997). She belongs to the subspeci ...
, Maggott, Ape, Tarbaby,
Leech Leeches are segmented parasitism, parasitic or Predation, predatory worms that comprise the Class (biology), subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the Oligochaeta, oligochaetes, which include the earthwor ...
and many others were arrested by Weapon X's agents and sent to Neverland. Those mutants deemed useless to the project were killed in
gas chamber A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or other animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. Poisonous agents used include hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide. History ...
s, while others were brainwashed to become Weapon X operatives. The organs of the executed prisoners were then sent to the U-Men. The agents of the third Weapon X were Agent Brent Jackson, a former
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often ...
agent; Sabretooth, who was given new adamantium implants; the shapeshifter Copycat; Deadpool; and Mauvais. Later on, Deadpool went rogue and new operatives were recruited into Weapon X, many of whom had their powers enhanced or were brainwashed into servitude. Maverick was saved from certain death and his powers were enhanced with the purpose of assassinating Wolverine, thus
Agent Zero David North (Christoph Nord) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was originally known as Maverick, and more recently as Agent Zero. The character first appeared in ''X-Men'' #5 and was created by writ ...
was created. Former member of Alpha Flight Wildchild was brainwashed and further mutated into a
Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...
-like feral humanoid. Former mutant terrorist Marrow had her powers set to a controllable level, restoring the young woman's natural beauty. Sauron's personality was merged with that of his Karl Lykos self and his energy-draining powers enhanced so he could fire energy blasts. Garrison Kane was further transformed into a cybernetic being.
Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
was kidnapped and brainwashed, like Madison Jeffries, who was extracted from the terrorist group known as the Zodiac and used to create hundreds of Boxbots loyal to Weapon X to serve as guards at Neverland. Washout had his powers enhanced, though at a heavy cost. Each usage of his powers endangered his life and eventually, he dies trying to kill Colcord. Mesmero joins willingly, while Reaper and Wildside (former members of the Mutant Liberation Front) became agents of the program in exchange for their lives. The psychic mutant Jack-in-the-Box joins after his legs and arms were amputated. He becomes a living polygraph. Unbeknownst to all except Sabretooth, Mister Sinister was disguised as the head scientist at the Neverland facility, Doctor Robert Windsor. As Windsor, Mister Sinister supposedly helped some mutants escape from Neverland, but he was only taking them to his own secret labs. After some time, Brent Jackson (the only human officially on the team) took over as Director, during a mutiny by the team in conjunction with an attack by mutants from the Underground. Cable led this group, in a mission to destroy Weapon X and expose its existence and its human rights violations. Washout and Garrison Kane died in the event, while Sabretooth was washed away into the sewers after a battle with Marrow. Marrow used the battle to escape from Weapon X, eventually taking over the
Mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
Underground, now reformed as the third incarnation of Gene Nation. Colcord fled Weapon X with the always loyal Jeffries and Aurora as well. Director Brent Jackson's team consisted of Wildchild, Sauron, Agent Zero, Mesmero, Jack-in-the-Box, and newly recruited
Chamber Chamber or the chamber may refer to: In government and organizations *Chamber of commerce, an organization of business owners to promote commercial interests *Legislative chamber, in politics *Debate chamber, the space or room that houses deliber ...
, whose face was restored by the program's scientists. Chamber was originally a double agent working for the X-Men, but was subsequently brainwashed into Jackson's service. Mister Sinister, under the alias of Dr. Windsor, remains at Weapon X. At some point, Jackson's team fought with Colcord's Boxbots. Colcord regains control of Weapon X. Following M-Day, both Chamber and Mesmero are rendered powerless. Neverland is shut down and the prisoners, either powered or depowered, are executed by hosts of Boxbots. Records of the massive executions are discovered by Beast in the
Endangered Species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
storyline, which also hints that some of the bodies of the prisoners executed prior to M-Day were sent to Ord and used in the research to develop the cure for mutation. In the aftermath of the ''
Avengers vs. X-Men ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (''AvX'' or ''AvsX'') is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Pho ...
'' storyline, Cyclops and his team of Uncanny X-Men have taken up residency in the Weapon X facility, which they have rebuilt into a school named the New Charles Xavier's School for the new mutants that began appearing.


Fourth installment

As part of the ''
RessurXion "ResurrXion" was a 2017 relaunch by the American publisher Marvel Comics of various comic book series related to the Inhumans and the X-Men franchises. This was intended to establish a new status quo for both franchises after the events in the ...
'' event, a fourth installment of the Weapon X Project debuted.''Weapon X'' Vol. 3 #2. Marvel Comics. During the '' Weapons of Mutant Destruction'' storyline, the Weapon X Project is interested in Lady Deathstrike,
Warpath Warpath may refer to: * Great Indian Warpath, a network of trails in eastern North America used by Native Americans Games * ''Warpath'' (video game), a 2006 FPS video game by Digital Extremes for the PC and Xbox *'' Warpath: Jurassic Park'', a 19 ...
, Domino, Wolverine, and Sabretooth for a new experiment. It is shown that the Weapon X Project is turning civilians into cyborgs made of Adamantium sent to hunt a specific group of mutants, forcing
Old Man Logan Old Man Logan is an alternative version of the Marvel Comics fictional character Wolverine. This character is an aged version of Wolverine set in an alternate future universe designated Earth-807128, where the supervillains overthrew the supe ...
to team up with Sabretooth to stop them. Old Man Logan and his allies alongside Amadeus Cho's
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
form discover that Weapon X has been experimenting on humans by grafting the DNA of Wolverine and Hulk into them while also applying Adamantium to their bones. In addition, it is shown that the director of the latest incarnation of the Weapon X Project is a somehow-revived William Stryker. The latest project
H-Alpha H-alpha (Hα) is a specific deep-red visible spectral line A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from emission or absorption of light in a narrow frequency range, compared wit ...
emerges where it kills the lesser experiment H-Beta. Unfortunately, Dr. Aliana Alba lost control of it even when Amadeus Cho's Hulk form joins the battle while William Stryker and Dr. Alba get away. Following the fierce battle, H-Alpha flees causing Old Man Logan's group to go after it before the Weapon X Project plans to regain control of it. When the Weapon X Project caught up to H-Alpha, Dr. Alba regained control of H-Alpha. She then stated to the controlled H-Alpha that he has a killer instinct where he is to kill anyone that the Weapon X Project wants him to kill. As Old Man Logan's group faces off against H-Alpha, X-23's Wolverine appearance was able to free Weapon H from Dr. Alba's control enabling Weapon H to leave the area so that he can remember who he was. The "Hulkverines" miniseries showed Hulk and Wolverine's reactions to the Weapon X Project creating Weapon H and their search for them as well as dealing with the collaboration of
Leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets v ...
and Dr. Alba.


Implosion and Xeno emergence

Following Professor Charles Xavier repurposed Krakoa into a sovereign nation state for mutants, he made sure all shadow agencies around the world were defunded and disbanded, Weapon X among them. However some remnants of those agencies appears to have gathered together and established Xeno a global organization with ties to anti-mutant politicians and business leaders all the while dedicated to bioengineering themselves into weapons. Aware of this, Professor X requested Domino to infiltrate this mysterious organization to gathered information. Domino was however captured and taken captive. The Xeno's operatives then grafted her skin to their genetically altered soldiers who were successful in bypass Krakoa's security protocols and assassinated Professor X.


The Weapon X codename

* In mainstream Marvel,
Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gov ...
was the first individual known as Weapon X. After Wolverine,
Garrison Kane Garrison Kane, also known as Weapon X and Kane, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, and debuted in ''X-Force'' #2 (1991). Fictional character bio ...
went by the alias of Weapon X before leaving the Canadian Government to work as a mercenary again. * A short time later, a New Zealand terrorist was captured by the Canadian Government and subjected to an experiment which bonded him to a bacteria colony, called Thetagen-24. This symbiosis proved dangerous as the union created a deadly energy field which could only be contained by an armored suit that was powered by the energy field. * In the "Age of Apocalypse" alternate universe, Logan was known as Weapon X.


Series called ''Weapon X''


1991 storyline

The chronicle of Wolverine's days with the Weapon X project, from the bonding of adamantium to his bones to his escape from the project, were revealed in the '' Weapon X'' story arc, written and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith and published in installments in the anthology series ''Marvel Comics Presents'' in 1991. An expanded version of the story has been produced by writer Marc Cerasini and published by Pocket Star Books in 2004. The story intertwines with some of Wolverine's past, and eventually ends with Wolverine's rampage being described in full, only to be revealed as the work of a Virtual reality system which actually ''predicted'' the events of Wolverine's escape which then occur in real life moments later.


Age of Apocalypse series

In 1995, ''Weapon X'' became the name of the Age of Apocalypse variation of Wolverine's
ongoing series In comics, an ongoing series is a series that runs indefinitely. This is in contrast to limited series (a series intended to end after a certain number of issues thus limited), a one shot (a comic book which is not a part of an ongoing series), ...
(during the " Age of Apocalypse" storyline, each X-Men series was renamed and renumbered for four monthly issues and then reverted to the original name and numbering after the storyline ended).


2002 ongoing series

''Weapon X'' is the name of a 28-issue
ongoing series In comics, an ongoing series is a series that runs indefinitely. This is in contrast to limited series (a series intended to end after a certain number of issues thus limited), a one shot (a comic book which is not a part of an ongoing series), ...
published by Marvel from 2002 to 2004, featuring the third installment of the Weapon X project. It was written by Frank Tieri, who previously wrote the ongoing ''
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a musc ...
'' title and had created the group's most recent incarnation in the pages of said book. The series began in 2002 and quickly gained critical praise for its use of minor characters as well as reviving characters such as Cable, who at the time wasn't featured in a monthly title. However, sales sagged following the removal of Cable from the book after the first year, on orders of Rob Liefeld, who was working on a new '' X-Force'' project. Frank Tieri was forced to drop nearly all of his subplots, including the introduction of a mutant concentration camp run by Mr. Sinister that featured many popular B-List mutant characters, and take the book into the controversial direction involving the introduction of
X-23 Laura Kinney (born X-23; codename Wolverine) is a fictional superhero appearing in media published by Marvel Entertainment, most commonly in association with the X-Men. The character was created by writer Craig Kyle for the '' X-Men: Evolutio ...
, and Wolverine and Sabretooth's quest to find the recently revived
John Sublime Sabra Sabreclaw Sabreclaw is a character in the MC2 universe who first appeared in '' J2'' #8 (May 1999). He is the half-brother of Wild Thing and the son of Wolverine. The character has claws (similar to Sabretooth), a healing factor, enh ...
. The new direction failed to catch on, mainly due to the books' over-exposure of Wolverine and the drastic change in tone of the book. It was cancelled with all of its storylines unresolved.


2005 limited series

A limited series ''Weapon X: Days of Future Now'' in 2005 was released that resolved all of the dangling storylines and revealed that Wolverine's disfigurement of Weapon X Director Malcolm Colcord was the catalyst for the creation of a future similar to the " Days of Future Past" scenario.


''Wolverine: Weapon X''

An ongoing series launched in 2009 titled '' Wolverine: Weapon X''. The series was written by Jason Aaron and illustrated by Ron Garney.


2017 ongoing series

As part of their ''
RessurXion "ResurrXion" was a 2017 relaunch by the American publisher Marvel Comics of various comic book series related to the Inhumans and the X-Men franchises. This was intended to establish a new status quo for both franchises after the events in the ...
'' event, a new ongoing series for Weapon X written by Greg Pak and illustrated by Greg Land was launched along with other new ongoing X-Men titles. This series takes place after the events seen in ''X-Men Prime'' when Lady Deathstrike gets kidnapped by the new version of Weapon X.


Membership


Other versions


Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse alternate timeline, Logan was never actually called Wolverine; he retained the "Weapon X" codename, through his entire career. Dead Man Wade, the AoA counterpart of
Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadpo ...
, did not receive his healing factor from the Weapon X program but from
Apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...
, apparently after Apocalypse dismantled the program, and became part of Apocalypse's elite assassin trio dubbed the ' Pale Riders'.


''Exiles''

In the series ''
Exiles Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
'', whose cast is a group of characters from alternate timelines who travel to other realities, Weapon X is a group of superbeings that have been torn from their respective realities to fulfill various missions for the Exiles' employer, the
Timebroker The Timebroker is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Judd Winick for the comic book ''Exiles''; a psychic construct created by the Timebreakers, a race of alien bug-peo ...
. To return home, they have been forced to jump from reality to reality, repairing the broken links in the chain of time. Unlike their more heroic counterparts, the Exiles, this ruthless assemblage will resort to any means necessary to attain their goals. They act without mercy and without conscience. The team's membership has changed through time. The first known mission given to Weapon X was to capture the
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
. At the time, the membership of Weapon X consisted of Sabretooth (Victor Creed of the Age of Apocalypse, the father figure of the Exiles' leader
Blink Blinking is a bodily function; it is a semi-autonomic rapid closing of the eyelid. A single blink is determined by the forceful closing of the eyelid or inactivation of the levator palpebrae superioris and the activation of the palpebral portio ...
),
Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadpo ...
and
Garrison Kane Garrison Kane, also known as Weapon X and Kane, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, and debuted in ''X-Force'' #2 (1991). Fictional character bio ...
. Later it was revealed that the team also included Wolverine, Maverick and Mesmero. The six chose the name 'Weapon X' due to their common ties to the Project in their native timelines, although, save for Sabretooth, the background of all the other members are a mystery. The Exiles completed the mission without realizing the existence of Weapon X, but the Weapon X trio saw the Exiles and their leader, Blink. When the two teams met face-to-face for the first time, Weapon X was already a sextet: Sabretooth, Deadpool, the Spider (Peter Parker, an alternate version of
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the Si ...
, here a psychotic murderer with the symbiotic alien costume of Carnage), Storm (Ororo Munroe, here only sixteen years old and already ruler of more than half of Africa), the Vision (a version that remained an emotionless robot), and the Hulk (Jennifer Walters, normally called the
She-Hulk She-Hulk (Jennifer "Jen" Walters) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk'' #1 ( cover-dated February ...
, here a former mob bookkeeper transformed into an eight-foot green-skinned powerhouse). It was mentioned that the Vision had replaced Kane and that the Spider had replaced Matt Murdock (
Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superhero ...
). Later,
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The cha ...
replaced Deadpool. The next time the team was seen,
Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...
(now a gun-toting assassin) replaced Iron Man and the team leader was now Gambit instead of Sabretooth. Later, the Hulk was replaced by
Colossus Colossus, Colossos, or the plural Colossi or Colossuses, may refer to: Statues * Any exceptionally large statue ** List of tallest statues ** :Colossal statues * ''Colossus of Barletta'', a bronze statue of an unidentified Roman emperor * ''Col ...
, and eventually Angel was replaced by Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers). When Storm died, she was replaced by Hyperion. Later, Colossus and the Vision were replaced by the
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
(Bruce Banner) and Firestar. These two, along with Gambit, tried to stop Hyperion, the Spider and Ms. Marvel when they decided to abandon their mission and rule a world. They failed, and the next mission given to both the Exiles and Weapon X was to kill enough members of each team so that there would be only six survivors in total. Ultimately, all members of this Weapon X team were killed in the fight.


Ultimate Marvel

In ''Ultimate X-Men,'' which takes place in the Ultimate Marvel universe, the Weapon X project has a similar intention and similar methodology as its Marvel Universe counterpart, as it was also responsible for bonding adamantium to Wolverine’s skeleton. Ultimate Weapon X was headed by Colonel
John Wraith Kestrel (John Wraith) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appeared in the 2009 film '' X-Men Origins: Wolverine'' portrayed by Will.i.am. Publication history Kestrel first appea ...
, a mutant-hating commando, and Dr. Cornelius. The program was sanctioned by
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often ...
sometime before or during the Gulf War to capture mutants and force them to carry out covert missions for the US Government. Their main facility was located in
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
(as opposed to the mainstream that was originally located in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
). The lineup included, at times,
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a musc ...
, Sabretooth,
Rogue A rogue is a person or entity that flouts accepted norms of behavior. Rogue or rogues may also refer to: Companies * Rogue Ales, a microbrewery in Newport, Oregon * Rogue Arts, a film production company * Rogue Entertainment, a software co ...
,
Juggernaut A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable. This English usage originated in the mid-nineteenth century and was adapted from the Sanskrit word Jagannath. ...
, Nightcrawler, and the rest of the original Ultimate X-Men, for a short time after the program invaded Xavier's mansion and took them captive.


What If?

In an issue of '' What If?'' entitled "What If Wolverine Battled Weapon X," an alternate reality was shown in which Logan was never apprehended by the Weapon X Project. Weapon X attempted to kidnap Logan, but he managed to subdue his attackers and escape. Weapon X then turned their attention to a former Mountie and
Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...
named Guy Desjardins, who was brainwashed and subjected to the adamantium bonding process. Instead of claws, Desjardins manifested adamantium spikes that permanently protruded from his forehands (as 616-Logan's claws were the result of his mutation) and elbows. The experiment broke Guy's mind causing him to become fierce and go on a killing spree in the Weapon X facility. This made Guy Desjardins seem to be prone to violent outbursts and highly uncontrollable. Due to this, he had cybernetic armor that pumped adrenaline and narcotics into him. Unfortunately, this was ineffective because when Weapon X was released from the drugs, he went on a killing spree until the Weapon X soldiers drugged him once more. To pass their failure onto someone else, the head of Weapon X had his men drop his body off at Department H with instruction saying "His codename is Weapon X. Make use of him." He was taken in by James Hudson for the Canadian superhero team dubbed '' The Flight'' much to the objection of Dr. Walter Langkowski. Guy Desjardins broke loose and went on another killing spree starting with Walter Langkowski. Dr. James Hudson had to use The Flight due to the lack of training. Guy Desjardins made it to Kenora where he killed Thomas who was the husband of Logan's friend Rose. When The Flight arrived, Stitch tried to use her powers on Guy Desjardins' harness only to be impaled by Guy Desjardins's adamantium spikes. When Smart Alec suggests that they call in the Avengers for help, Dr. James Hudson tells them that Department H cut off their communication when The Flight left and that it would take the Avengers too long to get to Canada. James Hudson then notified his assistant Chantilly to prep the
Groundhog The groundhog (''Marmota monax''), also known as a woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. The groundhog is a lowland creature of North America; it is found through mu ...
armor for him. Smart Alec thought of a plan and got close enough to disrupt the harness. This was partially successful where his body managed to compensate for the loss of adrenaline where Smart Alec was killed in the process. When the remaining members pursued Guy Desjardins to Calgary, Saint Elmo grabbed Guy Desjardins and carried him into the air only for Weapon X to knock him out and cause Saint Elmo to get impaled upon a church's cross. Logan set out to hunt down Weapon X and discovered their ties with Department H. When Snowbird and Dr. James Hudson (wearing the Groundhog armor) were killed, Logan confronted Desjardins. After removing Desjardin's helmet, Logan managed to kill Desjardins. Government soldiers arrived to arrest Logan for the theft of government records. After Logan dove into the river to escape the soldiers, they thought he was dead when they found some of his blood. Days later, a news report that was all over the news had exposed the existence of the Weapon X Project and their involvement in Desjardins' attack upon people as well as Department H's role in the creation of The Flight. Watching television, Logan recovered from his wounds and found inner peace after avenging Thomas.


Wolverine: The End

In a possible future, Wolverine attempts to hunt down the people involved in Weapon X, and discovers not only that they have been dead and gone for many decades, but also what may have been the very first subject of the project: his elder brother John Howlett, who he had been told died when he (Wolverine) was still just a baby. In addition to having bone claws, enhanced senses and a healing factor, the elder Howlett appeared to have some kind of ethereal form which allowed him to phase through things and somehow conduct energy blasts. John Howlett claimed that he was driven mad at first by his parents' seeming abandonment of him when his powers first manifested. Had he been in his insane state of mind when he first encountered Wolverine, he claims he would likely have attempted to kill him.


In other media


Television

* In the ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
'' animated series, the Weapon X program was responsible for Wolverine's adamantium implants and memory alterations. The program (directed by Professor Thorton and Dr. Cornelius) captured Logan, Sabretooth, Silver Fox, and Maverick and used a combination of false memory implants and brainwashing techniques in order to turn them into an elite team of mind-controlled assassins. Most of the experiments and training were administered at a secret research compound in Canada. There, Thorton and Cornelius forcibly laced Logan's skeleton with adamantium using a process developed by another scientist named Dr. Oyama. Enraged by what was done to him, Logan broke free of his restraints and rampaged his way out of the facility. During the ensuing chaos, Sabretooth, Silver Fox, and Maverick were also able to escape. * In '' X-Men: Evolution'', Wolverine and Sabretooth were both shown to be subjects of Weapon X with a scientist operating a lab in Canada. Omega Red later mentioned other members such as Wraith. * Weapon X is featured in the '' Wolverine and the X-Men'' episodes "Past Discretions" and "Stolen Lives". Like in the comics, Sabretooth, Maverick, and X-23 are agents of Weapon X while the program is led by Professor Andre Thorton and Dr. Abraham Cornelius. A proposed second season would have introduced
Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadpo ...
as part of Weapon X. A flashback also shows that
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a musc ...
and Mystique were also part of Weapon X. * Weapon X is mentioned in the '' Iron Man: Armored Adventures'' episode "The X-Factor." Pepper Potts was talking to War Machine and
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The cha ...
via com-link about the background of Magneto. Magneto also reveals to Annie Claremont that as a boy, the Weapon X scientists did experiments on him (which hinted a link with Magneto and Weapon X). * Weapon X briefly appears in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'' episode "Behold...The Vision". The Weapon X guards are briefly seen fighting Vision to no avail as Vision successfully steals Weapon X's adamantium supply.


Film


Live action

* In the ''X-Men'' film franchise, Wolverine is an
amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...
c searching for clues to his past, which definitely includes participation in a paramilitary program that bonded adamantium to his skeleton, although the program was not named, nor was the program's country of affiliation mentioned. He also encounters Lady Deathstrike, who has been put through a similar procedure. '' X2: X-Men United'' introduced Colonel William Stryker, a military scientist who is directly involved in Wolverine's past, having invented the adamantium-bonding process and has performed other experiments on mutants such as developing a mind-controlling drug that he used on Lady Deathstrike, Magneto, Nightcrawler, and Cyclops. William Stryker is the film adaptation of the former military man turned-reverend in the '' God Loves, Man Kills''
graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
upon which ''X2'' is partially based. * In the 2009 film '' X-Men Origins: Wolverine'', Wolverine is thrust into the Weapon X Program by Colonel William Stryker as a promise to kill his brother
Victor Creed Sabretooth (Victor Creed) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men, in particular as an enemy of the mutant Wolverine (character), Wolverine. Created by wri ...
, who had faked the murder of Logan's girlfriend Kayla Silverfox to manipulate him. In the Alkali Lake Weapon X facility, Wolverine's skeleton bonds with adamantium. He then escapes the facility when he overhears that his memory will be erased. Weapon XI was portrayed in the film as a genetically-altered Wade Wilson / Deadpool. Weapon XI is referred to by Stryker as a "deadpool" possessing powers extracted from several mutants. * ''
Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadpo ...
'' actor Ed Skrein revealed to MTV at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con that his character Ajax is part of Weapon X. While the program Wade enters isn't explicitly called "Weapon X" in the movie, it's still an underground facility that has scientists experiment on people to enhance their mutant powers similar to Weapon X in the comics.
Ryan Reynolds Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over  billion. He began his career starring in the Canadian teen ...
, who portrays the titular character, confirmed in the Deadpool Honest Trailer that the facility was Weapon X. * The program under the younger Stryker appears in the film '' X-Men: Apocalypse''.
Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...
appears as Weapon X, wearing headgear and costume based on Barry Windsor-Smith's designs from the ''
Marvel Comics Presents ''Marvel Comics Presents'' was an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics originally from 1988 to 1995. It returned for a second volume in 2007–2008, and a third volume that started in 2019. Volume 1 The first volume ...
'' #72-84 story arc. * The Weapon X program is mentioned in ''
Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gov ...
'', where both Logan and Zander Rice acknowledge Rice's father as one of the men responsible for Logan's adamantium bonding in the new timeline. * In the 1995 film Mallrats Brodie asks Jay Jason Mewes "Should I call you Logan, Weapon X?" to which he replies "No! Wolverine!"


Animation

* The Weapon X organization appears in the Wolverine portion of '' Hulk Vs''. Professor Andre Thorton sends Team X (consisting of Omega Red, Sabretooth,
Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadpo ...
and Lady Deathstrike) to capture both
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
and Wolverine in Professor Andre Thorton's plan to wipe their memories and use them as weapons. Short scenes of Logan past with Weapon X are shown in the movie like how he was captured and later cloned (a ref. to X-23). The Weapon X headquarters was destroyed during Team X's fight with Wolverine and Hulk.


Video games

* In Wolverine's Capcom fighting game appearances, such as '' Marvel Super Heroes'', "Weapon-X" is also the name of a super move where Wolverine starts with a swift dash followed by an automatic combo then he finishes it off by leaping into the air head-first creating an energy X over his opponent. * Weapon X is featured in '' X2: Wolverine's Revenge''. It is the first level when Wolverine recounts what he remembers to Beast. Wolverine later returns there to find a cure for the deadly Shiva Strain Virus that acts as a failsafe implanted in Weapon X test subjects. Weapon X is also shown to be associated with the Void (a maximum security mutant detention center that's similar to the Vault, but holds mutant criminals). * Weapon X is featured in ''
X-Men Legends ''X-Men Legends'' is an action role-playing video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. It was released on the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles in 2004. Barking Lizards Technologies developed the N-Gage port of ...
''. A flashback level features Wolverine escaping from the Weapon X facility. * The Weapon X facility is a hub in '' X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse'' * '' X-Men: The Official Game'' expands upon Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike's involvement with Weapon X. Wolverine fights his way through the Weapon X Testing labs at Alkali Lake. Lady Deathstrike mentions that mutants were repeatedly burned to a crisp to test their healing factors, and that she and Wolverine are the only candidates to have survived the adamantium bonding process. Along the way through the labs, there are several names of victims of Weapon X above holding pens like Wolverine, Sabertooth, Maverick, and Deadpool. * Weapon X is featured in the video game adaption to '' X-Men Origins: Wolverine''. Known members are William Stryker, Dr. Abraham Cornelius, Dr. Carol Hines-Frost, and Nathaniel Essex (who was mentioned in a work log as one of the earliest scientists of the Weapon X Program).


Collected editions


First series


Second series


Third series


References


External links


Weapon X
at Marvel.com
Knightmare6.com - Weapon Project FAQ

Mutant High - Mutant Profiles

weaponx.net.ru
Alkali Lake {{X-Comics Villains in animated television series Marvel Comics titles X-Men titles Fictional organizations in Marvel Comics Works by Len Wein X-Men supporting characters