Weapon_X Issue 3 (Age of Apocalypse Part 26)

Age of Apocalypse  Part 26

Weapon-X  Issue #3

Written by Larry Hama   

Art by Adam Kubert

Inks by Dan Green and Mike Sellers

Lettered by Pat Brosseau

Open With:

Two people by the names of Deadeye and Mangler are talking about a lone figure walking through a snow covered mountain range. Whatever tech the two figures are using, they are able to do a bio and facial recognition to discover the identity of the lone figure; Logan aka Weapon-X.

The two characters decide that they are going to take Logan out, in hopes of gaining favor with their Lord and Master Apocalypse. Suddenly from  a snow drift a large blast of energy takes out Logan and sends him flying back twenty or thirty feet. A cybernetic figure comes running out of a snowbank where he was hiding;  his name is Deadeye and he is moving in for a kill shot.  

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His partner, Mangler hangs behind warning Deadeye that he is still reading life signs from the wanted mutant. Deadeye gets his gun ready and points it at Logans head; however, Logan pops his claws and cuts the cybernetic mercenary in half.

The other Cyborg, Mangler stands away from Logan to keep his distance. He starts to do a little bad guy monologuing. Logan inturn calls Mangler out to fight and of course Mangler answers with an attack from his telescoping arms.  Logan manages to make short work of the cyborgs arms and works his way to Manglers head and slices it off, and walks away.

Cut To:

Wundagore Mountain the former hidden base to the X-men, nestled in a valley on the mountain range looks decimated and abandoned. Logan walks up to the gap in the mountain while lost in thought.  He see’s the small city that he once called home and remembers good memories and bad; as he stops at the grave of Wanda Maximoff Lenscherr.

He continues to wander through the base, as we are given some exposition with his thoughts.  Suddenly, Logan hears the all too familiar sound of a gun being cocked. Logan pops his claws out and strikes behind him as the would be victim leaps over him and is revealed to be Carol Danvers.   The two hero’s exchange pleasantries.  

Logan asks about the person he has come to Wundagore to find.  Carol replies that “G Dubs”  is still here and in the highest tower. They will have to climb to get to him.

Meanwhile back in London:

A young man is reporting to the Human High Council about what he experienced with Apocalypse’s cullings in America.  Council member Bolivar Trask reinforces what they just witnessed is only a preview of what is about to come if a pre-emptive strike doesn’t work.

Off to one side is Brian Braddock and we learn he is just itching to take down Apocalypse. He leaves the meeting to head off to make preparations for the strike.

Cut To:

The former X-men Citadel  of Wundagore Mountain. Carol Danvers and Logan arrive at the top of the tower and we are introduced to G-DUB. More commonly known as Gateway.  Carol informs Logan that Gateway has been like this for several months just absorbing old television shows recording in his mind everything before it is lost forever.

Logan starts shouting at Gateway to get the little man to talk to him. Carol tells Logan that it’s no use. This causes Logan to cut the power to the televisions and creates an explosion of energy knocking everyone  down. This pulls Gateway out of his catatonic state.  

Logan helps the little aboriginal man up, and a backlash of memories from Logan passes to Gateway. This quick download of memories causes Gateway to say no to Logan right of the bat.  Gateway does offer to teleport Logan back to London.  He begins to twirl his didgeridoo when suddenly this another explosion, this time behind Gateway.

Carol and Logan turn around to see an amalgamation of Deadeye and Mangler bonded to each other to make one functional Cyborg. This monstrosity advances to attack the three rebels, but Carol and Logan use their wits and teamwork to knock the cyborg out a window and hopefully to it’s death.

Cut To:

Outside and above the tower another cyborg makes her entrance.  A bird like Cyborg by the name of Vultura, is using a infrared targeting system on the large tower.  She radio’s her partner in this endeavor to take out our heroes.  That partner being Donald Pierce, flying a bomber airplane heading right to his target the X-men’s tower.

The heroes see the bird lady, and the bomber. Carol starts taking pot shots at it with her two guns, and Logan tells Gateway to start is teleporting power as he has an idea.  As the plane makes the attack run, the three would be victims teleport directly onto the airplane right behind the flight deck.

Cut To:

On board the plane, Logan sees Pierce and attacks him.  The two battle in a frenzy and the plane begins to fly erratically.  Outside Vultura radio’s Pierce to find out what is going on and he tells her that they’re on the plane and he needs helps.  

Vultura in turns flies through one window and Logan manages to stab her and rolls her out the other window.  Pierce then uses this opportunity to attack Logan with his own cybernetic claws. Carol goes to save Logan and pushes Pierce out the side door. The two, Carol and Pierce freefall out of the plane; and Carol pulls the pin on a hand grenade.  After about three seconds the grenade explodes and we see it from the airplane from Logan's perspective.

On the plane, Gateway is sitting in the pilot’s seat flying the aircraft. He tells Logan that they are heading to Paris to determine if he will help in the attack on Apocalypse.

To be concluded next issue.

THOUGHTS ON THE STORY:

This is a really good third act to a 4 part story.  Larry Hama delivers a solid narrative  that moves us from point a to point b. He is very familiar with the character and how to describe the story to the reader. This has been a fun  read.

ART:  

Adam Kubert art, when I think of the X-men or Wolverine; Adam’s name comes to mind .  Kubert is one of the artists who really influenced the look of the X-titles.  There are several pages in this story that I would love to get the original art pages for.

Adam’s clean linework gives great definition to characters. Although the backgrounds art as elaborate as other issues or stories; the use still moves the story along and gives us plenty of description as to where we are in the X-men’s world.

All in all I give this book a:

Score 8.5 out of 10