The Hunted: Conclusion

• Writer - Frank Tieri
• Penciler - Sean Chen
• Penciler - Barry Windsor-smith
• Lettering - Richard Starkings
• Lettering - Comicraft
• Lettering - Saida
• Colorist - Raymund Lee
• Editor - Mike Marts
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Summary

  Wolverine awakens seeing red ... literally. Strapped to a table with a programming helmet on, Wolverine finds himself having been rescued by Sabretooth in the previous issue to be back where his origins were: the Weapon X program. Wolverine asks who they were since he had done away with the original Weapon X castmembers many years back when he had escaped from the Weapon X compound (and after his revisitation of the compound in Wolverine #47 through #50). The new guy in charge, calling himself "The Director", said that he had brought back a new and improved lot to run the newly revitalized Weapon X program for the new millenium. The helmet is removed ... as it was a vintage item from back in the early Weapon X days. Logan is introduced to the director, still in the shadows.

  The Director never mentions his name, but does tell Wolverine about his history: how he was a no-named young soldier given the assignment to guard the gates of a US/Canadian top-secret project; how on the day that Wolverine bursts out, he watched in horror as his fellow soldiers were savagely murdered by a deranged, animalistic Logan; how when Logan came up to him, the lowly soldier who guards the gate shivering in fear, and began to systematically slash his face beyond recognition and left him to die in the snow; how his fellow soldiers came to rescue him after Logan had disappeared when he refused to let Logan's act be his justification to die. He steps out of the shadow to reveal his face to Logan, who looked at him in shock.In New York City, at the Millenium Hotel, Maverick pays a visit to one of his old Weapon X colleagues, John Wraith, who had called him to let Maverick know that the old Weapon X team was being rounded up and Wolverine was the first, which meant they would be next. Only after he sees Sabretooth there does he realize that John Wraith had already been rounded up, and so was himself.

  Back to the Director, who continues his revelation to Wolverine about his history: the Director reveals to Logan his refusal to get reconstructive surgery done because he figured that the damage that Logan had cause to his face, even reconstructive surgery wouldn't be able to heal it, and furthermore, he would use his face as a reminder to himself of what Logan had done to him. He was placed into an office duty upon his recovery, where he gradually worked his way up as a result of his obsession to reach his ultimate goal: to resurrect the Weapon X program, utilizing their potential enemies, mutants, as government weapons. Wolverine figures that because the government was going to sponsor shady mutant activities that Sabretooth would be the first one to sign up, only to have him be told by the Director that Logan was actually the first one that they had recruited. The Director reveals to Logan that he had been killing for them all along, and that some of his dreams that he was having wasn't dreams at all but, instead, were real.Back to the New York highrise, where Maverick accuses Wraith of selling him out. Maverick threatens to kill Wraith for betraying him. Wraith and Sabretooth tries to convince Maverick to join them, as they believed that what the government had up their sleeves, they'd be better off joining their ranks than to be against it. Maverick opens fire, shooting a bullet wound through Wraith's midsection. Sabretooth attacks Maverick, throwing him out the window.

  Wolverine demands to know what the Director had done to him. The Director continues with his story: how during their search through the original Weapon X facility to find anything they could possibly retrieve, they discovered and retrieved Wolverine's original mental implants, which was what the original Weapon X program had used to control Logan. They had reactivated the implants located in Logan's mind, using him as a "sleeper agent" to conduct their shady operations by scouting out potential targets before their men would assassinate them, and Logan's dreams were an aftereffect of these events. They eventually did use Wolverine to kill Senator Walsh, who was planning to reveal to the world about the original Weapon X program. Logan was sent in to kill him, but as a result, the shock of him committing a murder resulted in the deactivation of the implants, resulting in him failing on the assignment to kill Senator Walsh. He went on the run, resulting in the program losing control and contact of Logan. This is where Special Agent Jackson stepped in: to locate Logan and return him to the Weapon X compound. Jackson is revealed to be a "mole" inside S.H.I.E.L.D. for the Weapon X program. Logan is given the choice of having them reinsert memory implants into Wolverine's mind, or be cooperative with them. If Logan agreed to it, they would clear him of any wrongdoing under the eyes of the law. Furthermore, the Director reveals to Logan that they recovered his original memory imprints, and had the ability to restore to Logan his real memory, which would give him the ability not only to know who he really is, where he came from, his own real name, and the ability to control his own inner rages and thereby living his entire life as a normal man. Logan was intrigued, but remained resilient in agreeing to their proposal. Disappointed, the Director instructs the doctors to prepare Logan for re-implantation of the memory implants, thus restoring control of Logan to them.

  Back to the highrise, as Maverick had not fallen off, but rather attacks Sabretooth from behind. The two fight it out, Sabretooth savagely attacking Maverick while Maverick, using his mutant powers of converting kinetic energy into concussive blasts, unleashes a blast towards Sabretooth, knocking him out. As he approaches Sabretooth, Sabretooth promptly rams his nails into Maverick's midsection. With Maverick, hurt badly, dangling at arm's length fron Sabretooth, gives Maverick one last chance to join them. Maverick, defiant to the end, refuses, and Sabretooth lets Maverick fall over the edge of the building and into the streets below.

  As the new implants into Logan continues to be integrated, the machines in front of the doctor operating it suddenly explodes. The Shiver Man appears, and sets Logan free. The Shiver Man, who had been in the shadows all along, had been following Agent Jackson for Nick Fury, and learned of Logan's innocense of the murders. The Shiver Man phases Logan out of his restraints, and Logan promptly tries to attack the Director. However, the Director is teleported out of there before Logan had a chance to gut him. Logan slices through a door to locate the Director, only to find himself face-to-face with many waiting soldiers outside, ready to stop Logan. Logan sends the Shiver Man (whom, I have to note, is unphased by the gunshots passing through his body from the awaiting soldiers) to locate and rescue Beast as he heads out to handle the soldiers personally.

  Back to the highrise, as Sabretooth finds Wraith still barely alive. Sabretooth chooses to finish off Wraith instead, agreeing with Maverick that Wraith was too much of a mystery and what his own ambitions were. Sabretooth was just about to break Wraith's neck before Sabretooth is called in from the Weapon X personnels, saying that they had a situation there with Logan loose and systematically destroying the soldiers there. The Director now makes his escape while setting their current facility on self-destruct. Logan makes a run for the exit, only to have Sabretooth suddenly appear before him. Logan and Sabretooth battles it out, only to have Logan realize that Sabretooth fought with a "cockiness" about himself: he felt as if Sabretooth was now faster, stronger, and just better than himself now, and Sabretooth knew it. Sabretooth was just about to launch the final blow to Logan, until from behind, the Shiver Man fires a blast into his back. Logan makes a breakaway with Beast, whom the Shiver Man had just rescued, while the Shiver Man faces off against Sabretooth, whom the Shiver Man sensed much evil within Sabretooth ... evil which he had to purge as he tells Sabretooth that "...your day of judgment is at hand". Logan and Beast escapes from the compound just as the compound explodes. From the ashes and flame, Logan sees the Shiver Man emerge, unscathed. Logan was just about to ask the Shiver Man what had happened to Sabretooth, only to have the Shiver Man ignore him and disappear.

  Many days later, as Fury and Wolverine (now with a patch in one eye, just like Nick Fury), are discussing the recent ordeal over a round of beer and smokes. Nick Fury, in covering up the entire murder for Logan, tells Logan that in doing so, the entire Weapon X operation and involvement was also being covered up as well. Nick would have loved to see the downfall of the Weapon X program, but the only problem is what that the program had even the president's approval. From afar, Jackson and the Director watches Fury and Logan, wondering whether the implants they had been putting into Logan had taken a hold yet or not. The Director tells Jackson that they had only suffered a minor setback, but what they had already started was taking motion and their encounter with Logan was only the beginning.