Weapon X is one of the most important parts of Wolverine‘s history. The program was a joint effort between the CIA, Canada’s Department H, and the Weapon Plus program. Logan, who had been working with the various militaries and spy agencies of NATO for years, was brought into the program and was transformed forever. Thanks to his healing factor, they were able to vivisect him and put him back together into something terrifying. He was only the beginning, though. While he ripped through the facility that tortured him when he escaped, they were able to rebuild and recruit more mutants and humans, using what they learned from Logan to create ever more dangerous super soldiers.
The various alumni of Weapon X have become some of the most important heroes and villains in the Marvel Universe. They’ve had exploits that are some of the most wild you can imagine, going on adventures across time and space. Some of them have even saved the universe and all of that is before you get to the pains that define them. They’ve experienced things that will shake readers to their core, their lives changed forever by the Weapon X program. These five Weapon X alumni have had the wildest lives, and you’re never going to guess who is at number one (it’s seriously not who you think).
5) Maverick
The ’90s were all about the X-Men, with numerous mutants being introduced, including Maverick. Christopher Nord was a German soldier who was recruited into the program. Unlike Logan and Sabretooth, North didn’t have a healing factor, so he wasn’t going to get an adamantium skeleton. However, he did have the power to absorb kinetic energy, allowing him to survive attacks that no one else can. He ended up getting enhancements to his strength, speed, and agility and became the heavy ordinance of Team X, with Logan and ‘Tooth. After the group disbanded, he became a mercenary, working in the shadows for years. He’d eventually rejoin Logan when Omega Red first came a-calling and became an ally of Wolverine on numerous missions. However, he’s a mercenary; there’s just as much chance that he’ll betray Logan as help him. His stories are action masterpieces with a certain amount of intrigue to them, making it rather exciting when you get an issue with him on the cover.
4) Laura Kinney
Laura Kinney wasn’t part of the original Weapon X program. She was created by one of the later iterations, using DNA taken from Logan. Dr. Sarah Kinney was put in charge of making clones of Wolverine in order to create a new generation of soldiers, this one genetically modified to be the perfect killing machines. Sarah used her own DNA for her creations, creating her “daughter” Laura. Laura was crafted into the finest super soldier she could be. She was strong, fast, and skilled, with her instincts honed to an edge that few could match. In a lot of ways, she was basically a modern version of Wolverine for a new generation; her early stories were all about her coming to terms with her birth and the death she spread across the world while she was under the control of the program. She’s since become Wolverine, growing and changing into one of the greatest heroes around. Her adventures are some of the coolest out there, and any fan of Wolverine will love them.
3) Sabretooth
Sabretooth is a surprisingly popular villain. Victor Creed is a monster; he was locked away when his mutant powers manifested, leading to him escaping and killing his family. Since then, he’s done whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He joined Weapon X with Logan, but was never given an adamantium skeleton (well, by them; he would get one in the ’90s). He was the berserker of Team X and cut his way through everyone in front of him before going back to being a mercenary. Victor has had numerous solo adventures and the best way to describe them is they’re Wolverine stories with way more violence. His Krakoa Era miniseries are especially good, digging into the dark core of the character and showing just how evil he can be. He’s a great character and his bloody adventures will definitely leave anyone shook. Monsters like him getting his own comic are rare, and they’ve given readers some of the bloodiest good times ever.
2) Wolverine
Wolverine is the best there is at what he does, but it wasn’t enough to get him to the top of this list. Logan has had some of the most harrowing adventures ever; his life has been tragedy after disaster after catastrophe. When he joined Weapon X, he had already spent decades at war, traveling from battlefield to battlefield, drinking away the pain of a life of death. Weapon X would take someone who was already basically immortal and make him indestructible. The torment made him into a beast for a time, but the help of James and Heather Hudson allowed him to become the hero we know today. Wolverine’s adventures give readers a little bit of everything; there’s violence, there’s tragedy, there’s pathos of all kinds. Sometimes, he’s in space, sometimes he’s an Avenger, sometimes he’s hunting dinosaurs. Logan is a broken old ronin, traveling the world and protecting everyone weaker than him. Some of his stories are completely heart-rending and they will touch in ways you never thought possible.
1) Deadpool
Deadpool is one of Marvel’s most tragic characters. Deadpool stories are going to tickle your funny bone, but there are definitely more to them than just jokes. Wade Wilson is a man whose desperation saw him allow himself to be made into an unkillable psychopath. His healing factor kept him alive, but it made him into a walking tumor whose mind was in a constant state of flux. He is in constant pain and has lost everything good in his life. Even his funniest stories give readers a glimpse of the pathos that define Wade’s life and it can be heartbreaking. Sure, his stories will have astounding acts of violence that will shake you, but when you see him stop joking and killing, see him start to talk about the pain at the center of his being, and you’ll be devastated. While his humor and ultra-violent ways have helped him make him popular, it’s the broken heart of the character that has made him into the superstar he is.
What’s your favorite Weapon X alumnus? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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