Weapon X
Weapon X is an organization that features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
Weapon X was one of the iterations of the Weapon Plus program that were responsible for creating living weapon. After World War II, Professor Thorton acquired the Journal of Nathan Essex that ignited his interest in Mutants. In this time, he was a scientist within Weapon Plus where he participated in numerous programs but never afforded advancement. This changed when Thorton was finally allowed to head his own program that became Weapon X where he was assisted by Dr. Abraham Cornelius and Dr. Carol Hines. After observing numerous Mutants, they decided to settle with their experiment on James Howlett. (Weapon X v2 #23)
In 1947, Weapon X contributed to a secret project to creating a new re-creation of the Super-Soldier Serum where they supplied raw data, materials, genetic coding information and specialised housing tanks. (Sentry v2 #8) Another account claimed that the Mutant known as Romulus had a part in choosing the prime test subject for Weapon X with this being a man called Logan. (Wolverine: Origins v1 #33)
During their research, Dr. John Sublime spearheaded the attempt at shutting down Weapon X over the lack of results from its experiments. This plan was opposed by Professor Thorton who decided to separate his program from the parent organization that was Weapon Plus. (Weapon X v2 #23)
Within the American government, Project X was set up twenty years ago under the cover of the United States Department of Agriculture with it hidden under the Pest Control Section that operated as a front for their activities. A dummy Crop Disease Research Group was founded for Project X with funding received from the Pest Control Section. The CIA sheltered the organization in Canada through a covert deal made with their government. (Wolverine v2 #50) A Canadian agency known as Department K was involved in the Weapon X experiments with one of their scientists finding a means of replicating Logan's healing factor and implanting it into another subject. One of those test subjects was a man named Wade Wilson who was suffering from cancer and had enlisted in the Department K program in search for a cure with the healing factor temporarily regressing the disease in his body. (Deadpool and Death Annual v1 #1998)
Sublime would later approach former Weapon X security officer Malcolm Colcord and offered him the means of resurrecting Weapon X which was an offer he accepted. (Weapon X v2 #23) In time, the reborn Weapon X program would once more go rogue and declare war against Weapon Plus with agreement being broken, double crosses being made and assassinations being attempted. Weapon X would pack up their various operations and go underground during this shadow conflict between the two organizations. (Weapon X v2 #25)
An offshoot program sought to replicate the effects of Experiment X with this leading to the Weapon X recreation facility. The Facility sought to re-create Wolverine through genetic samples from him that created a female clone assassin named X-23. (X-23 v1 #6)
Director Colcord later had with the help of Box create a secret facility to detain Mutants with this becoming Neverland. (Weapon X v2 #5)
Data from the program was later sold on the black market where it was acquired by Roxxon Energy Corporation subsidiary Blackguard who replicated the process to create an elite enhanced team of humans known as Strikeforce X. Maverick learnt of these findings and notified Wolverine who went to eliminate them. (Wolverine: Weapon X v1 #1)
Under Director William Stryker, Weapon X sought to create a new series of living weapons that intended to wipe out Mutants. These experiments culminated in the development of Weapon H that was a test subject that had been transformed into a Hulk-like creature and whose skeleton had Adamantium bonded to it. The Weapon X facility was destroyed when Weapon H went rogue and the fighting destroyed the site. (Totally Awesome Hulk v1 #22)
Overview
The purpose of the Weapon X Program was to create a pool of super-soldiers who had the awareness of their own powers selectively mind-wiped from their memories. Candidates were then housed in the general population until they were needed whereupon the were re-activated and controlled. It had operated under the cover of specific branches of the United States government with dummy groups formed and fronts used to hide its existence whilst secretly providing funding as well as facilities. Despite this support, the program had a limited budget and could not squander its resources. Furthermore, the Security Committee believed the Project to be too dangerous and that there was a need for safeguards to eliminate renegade agents as their candidates were made to be perfect killing machines. (Wolverine v2 #50)
Among their achievements was the ability to suppress aging factors. (Wolverine v2 #50) One of the secrets that the program had in their possession was the data needed to synthesize Adamantium. (Wolverine: Weapon X v1 #1) Another creation was the Mutant Power Cannon (M.P.C.) that was a machine that held a Mutant inside of it and allowed Weapon X to amplify the subjects power that could be directed to anyone on the entire planet. Such a maneuver could be used to remotely deactivate a Mutant's powers. (Wolverine v2 #173) The project had constructed neuro-synthetic implants that were implanted in the brains of their agents. When triggered, they could instil cataclysmic memory back-lashes that brought back all pain memories of the subject. (Wolverine v2 #50)
The project had also created a sophisticated computer program called Shiva. It was a learning computer that activated to eliminate threats to the program where it had a series of android bodies. Shiva was designed and programmed for survivability with back-up systems supporting other back-up systems with him being a task-specific program. Typically, it was deployed to eliminate rogue Weapon X agents and if destroyed it activated a new body with the program learning from its mistakes to prevent it falling for acts that destroyed the previous model. Shiva was also equipped with triggers that were electronic pulses that activated neuro-synthetic implants in the cerebral cortex in the minds of Weapon X super-soldiers thus torturing them with their suppressed memories. (Wolverine v2 #50)
Among their other creations included:
- Batch E : humanoid hunter-killer cyborgs that were silver skinned metallic beings coated in Adamantium that could stretch their limbs, had sharp clawed hands and expert tracking capabilities. They were capable of coating themselves in fake skin in order to infiltrate locations before the skin pulled away to reveal their skeletal figures. Due to the Adamantium, their bodies were extremely heavy making it impossible for them to swim and they had difficulty in getting into secured locations without tripping security features such as metal detectors in public locations. Their optics allowed remote footage to be beamed back to headquarters who could view the progress of the cyborgs and initiate their self-destruct if they failed or faced discovery. It was believed that they were extremely expensive to produce and that Weapon X could not mass produce them in large numbers. (Weapon X v3 #3)
- Batch F : improved models that were to be include Warpath's ability of flight into their features. (Weapon X v3 #3) Similar to the previous model, they were originally people with a brain before being converted into cybernetic machines. Instead, their brains possessed a data bank that contained a set of pre-programmed lines and had a visual feed back to headquarters. (Totally Awesome Hulk v1 #19)
- Batch H : a further development in the program designed to create a hybrid supersoldier with characteristics of both the Hulk and Wolverine. This included a gamma-transformation with the subject possessing an Adamantium skeleton along with claws. The purpose of Weapon H was to temper the sheer destructive power of a Hulk with that of a cold ruthless soldier-like discipline of Wolverine. (Weapon X v3 #9)
Within their facilities, they created elaborated set pieces for various scenarios that were used for their false memory implantation on their agents. (Wolverine v2 #50) The Program was responsible for creating a secret project code named Neverland that was a concentration camp for Mutants. From the captives, specimens were taken for experimentation with them being killed in the process. (X-Men v2 #201) Another facility was Paradise that was situated in Paradise Valley in Nevada, America. (Death of Wolverine v1 #3)
Members
- Professor Thorton :
- Abraham Cornellius :
- Carol Hines :
- Robert Windsor : Doctor Windsor was one of the researchers in the program though in reality he was actually Mister Sinister in disguise who was conducting his own experiments. (Weapon X v2 #26)
- Martin Sutter : a male scientist who survived the destruction of the Weapon X facility and attempted to restart the project in creating Wolverine. (X-23 v1 #1)
- Dale Rice : a male scientist who was present on the day of Wolverine escaping containment with Dale attempting to recover the genetic sample but was killed by Logan. (X-23 v1 #1)
- Emrys Killebrew : a male scientist from the Canadian Department K and Department H who was attached to Weapon X where he operated from the Workshop on some of the volunteers for experiments with his most notable work being on Wade Wilson. (Deadpool and Death Annual v1 1998)
- Bartol Utler : a male member, Butler was attached to the project where he learnt of the regenerative powers of Deadpool and wanted to acquire them to help cure his sister. (Deadpool v3 #15)
- Alba :
- Malcolm Colcord :
- Sharp : a male soldier who attained the rank of Major and had been programmed with fighting skills and tactical enhancements by Dr. Cornellius. (Death of Wolverine v1 #4)
- Aldo Ferro :
- James Howlett :
Notes
- Weapon X was created by Barry Windsor-Smith where it made its first appearance Marvel Comics Presents v1 #72 (March, 1991).
Alternate Versions
- In What If? v2 #62 (1994), an alternate version of the Weapon X program was shown to exist on a world designated as Earth-199406. It attempted to kidnap Logan but the operative failed leading to the project deciding to abandon acquisition as they felt the target would be weary of future attempts at capturing him. Thus, they decided to go with their back-up which was Guy Desjardins who was an ex-Mounted Police and ex-marine that was deemed an ideal subject. He was bonded with Adamantium but the process left him in constant terrible pain leading to his mind snapping and him becoming psychotic that was constantly in a berserker rage who killed anyone around him. As a result, the experiment was deemed a failure as Desjardins was either a berserker or had to be rendered unconscious. A supply of adrenalines and narcotics were added to him as Weapon X but they decided to pass him over to the Alpha Flight program to make use of him as an operative. Despite the efforts of James Hudson, Weapon X went rogue and started killing everyone around him including numerous Alpha Flight heroes. At the time, Logan was investigating the ties between Department H and the mysterious Weapon X program whereupon he battled Desjardins with him managing to kill him. Government soldiers then arrived to arrest Logan for theft of government records but he drove his vehicle into the river to escape them and was believed dead. Days later, he exposed the existence of the Weapon X Project with it being reported on the news.
- In Ultimate X-Men v1 #2 (2001), Weapon X appeared in the alternate world setting that was designated as Earth-1610. It was a joint project created by the U.S. and Canadian governments during World War II that sought to create supersoldiers to defeat the Nazis. Canadian paratrooper Corporal James Howlett was abducted by the project and taken to a remote facility where the Canadian scientists discovered a genome that if genetically altered could grant superhuman abilities to a person. Such individuals were referred to as Mutants with Howlett being the first of their kind and him being known as Mutant Zero with the genome being released and spread around the planet. Sometime later, Erik Lehnsherr who was a young Mutant that was a son of a Weapon X scientist was horrified by his treatment causing him to kill his parents and free Mutant Zero. The project was then restarted many years later by Mutant commando Colonel John Wraith.
In other media
Television
- In X-Men: Evolution, Weapon X made a brief appearance in the episode "Grim Reminder" where the ruined facility was still manned by Professor Thorton. Both Wolverine and Sabretooth were shown as being subjects of the program.
- In Iron Man: Armored Adventures, the Weapon X Project was mentioned in the episode "X-Factor". It was mentioned as one of the black ops government agencies that had been pursuing Magneto leading to him being a radical Mutant terrorist.
- In Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the organization made an appearance in the episode "Behold... The Vision". Their secret base was attacked by the Vision whereby their guards attempted to repel the android but failed with him succeeding in stealing Weapon X's adamantium supply for Ultron.
Films
- In Hulk Vs. movie, Weapon X made an appearance in the animated film as the primary antagonists. It was shown as being responsible for transforming Logan into Wolverine with the project being headed by Professor Andre Thorton. After Wolverine escaped, Thorton sought to continue his experiment in creating living weapons where he assembled Team X consisting of Omega Red, Sabretooth, Deadpool and Lady Deathstrike. Among their projects included seemingly creating clones of Wolverine. Their latest objective was capturing the rampaging Hulk with the Professor to use memory-implant to purge him of his mind to make him more controllable. Team X would succeed in capturing both the Hulk and Wolverine where Thorton intended to conduct his experiment but he was betrayed and wounded by Sabretooth who wanted to get revenge on Wolverine. Logan would manage to escape and he would free Bruce Banner where he made him angry forcing the transformation into the Hulk. Hulk would run rampant where he would defeat Team X and devastate the facility but not before Logan managed to escape it.
- In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the Weapon X Program made an appearance in the setting of the live-action film. It was headed by Colonel William Stryker who sought to create super-soldiers from Mutants that were part of Team X strike group. Wolverine became inducted into the program after Stryker claimed that his lover Silver Fox was killed by his brother Victor Creed. At the Alkali Lake facility, they proceeded with the Adamantium bonding process on Wolverine's skeleton but Logan would escape the Weapon X base after overhearing that Stryker planned to erase his mind. Weapon X would send a number of their super powered agents such as Agent Zero to recapture Logan but failed. This was because Stryker intended to create a super-soldier that combined all the elements of Team X with this being Weapon XI that was the genetically altered Wade Wilson who combined the extracted powers of Mutants that included Agent Zero, Chris Bradley, John Wraith and Cyclops along with possessing Adamantium blades on his arms.
- In Logan, Weapon X was referenced in the live-action film where Dr. Zander Rice stated that his father was on the project that infused Adamantium into Wolverine's skeleton but he ended up killing the man during his escape.
Video games
- In X-Men: Legends, the organization was mentioned by Wolverine when he explained his origin story showcasing a flashback event. Logan was shown to had been captured by the organization where he was taken for their experiment at the Weapon X Facility. Once there, he had Adamantium placed within his body when Wolverine went on a rampage and broke through containment. The Director managed to escape deeper into the base whereupon Wolverine fought against the various soldiers guarding the facility. Among the soldiers in the base included melee armed Weapon X Security, rifle equipped Weapon X Guards and energy weapon equipped Weapon X Officers. Wolverine was shown to had defeated everyone in the Facility during his rampage with the Director screaming when Logan encountered him before he managed to escape. Anti-Mutant supporter General William Kincaid was later stated to had restart the Weapon X project.
- In X-Men: The Official Game, Weapon X was briefly referenced in the video game tie-in to X2: X-Men United during events set after the movie. Weapon X Tech parts could be gathered by the player for use as upgrades.
- In Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Weapon X made a brief appearance in the ending of Nemesis. Under Director Colcord, they made some minor improvements to the B.O.W. Nemesis for Ozwell E. Spencer.
- In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Weapon X featured as part of the video game adaptation of the movie storyline where the facility was based in a secret installation by Alkali Lake. Logan became a part of the program to avenge the apparent murder of Silver Fox by Sabretooth with William Stryker heading the project to implant Adamantium onto Wolverine's skeleton. Wolverine later turned against Weapon X after learning of Stryker's deception where he goes on a rampage in the facility before escaping. Among the scientists involved was Dr. Cornelius and Dr. Carol Frost with the latter being horrified at the atrocities committed by the project leading to her helping Logan. During the experiment, a bio-enzyme was secretly injected into Wolverine as an insurance policy by Stryker with this shutting down his hypersenses and healing factor until he was cured by Dr. Frost. The facility was divided into a number of wings that included the Neuro-Chemistry and Bio-Mechanics sections. A number of personnel were present that opposed Wolverine during his escape that included armed soldiers, genetically enhanced Elite Commandos that can fight Mutants, cloaking Ghosts, explosive projectile firing Grenadiers, cyborgs carrying shields known as Goliaths and the genetically engineered W.E.N.D.I.G.O.s (Weaponised Experiment Neurodindritic Incident Gamma Zero). W.E.N.D.I.G.O.s were humans that were fitted with implants and when activated with a special gas transformed into large muscular animalistic super-strong beings that served as living bio-weapons.
Novels
- In Wolverine: Weapon X, the program featured in the novel written by Marc Cerasini, Richard Isanove and Greg Land. It was spearheaded by Dr. Benjamin Cornelius and Carol Hines who were seeking a subject to become the ultimate indestructible weapon.
Appearances
- Marvel Comics Presents v1: (1991)
- New X-Men v1:
- Weapon X v1:
- Death of Wolverine v1:
- Weapon X v2:
External Link
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