Wolverine (4th series) #12

Issue Date: 
September 2011
Story Title: 
Wolverine’s Revenge!: Part 3
Staff: 

Jason Aaron (writer), Renato Guedes (pencils), Jose Wilson Magahlaes (inks), Matthew Wilson (colors), VC’s Cory Petit (letterer), Jared K. Fletcher (designer), Jody LeHeup (assistant editor), Jeanine Schaefer (editor), Nick Lowe (group editor), Axel Alonso (editor in chief), Joe Quesada (chief creative officer), Dan Buckley (publisher), Alan Fine (executive producer), Jae Lee with June Chung (cover art)

Brief Description: 

Inside the complex of the Red Right Hand, Logan fights Fire Knives and Saw Fist. Eventually, he manages to defeat them but his foes kill themselves before Logan can do so. As the other members of the RRH watch on, one of them, Roger, remembers when his pregnant wife died during labor, thanks to Wolverine and his battle with the Incredible Hulk. Afterward, Roger embarked on a life-long quest to inform Wolverine what he did. The old man leader of the RRH approached him but, at first, Roger wanted nothing to do with him. After brutally killing a homeless person he made dress up as Wolverine, Roger was approached by a shadowy figure. After their discussion, Roger returned to the old man and said he’s in and that he knows what they need to do. When the RRH committed a human sacrifice, a talking snake appeared and told them that he will give them what they want, for a price. In the present, after seeing Fire Knives and Saw Fist dead, Roger snaps. Before he can leave the control room, he is killed by Gun Hawk. At the same time, Logan is watched by the snake as he tells the RRH that he’s still coming for them.

Full Summary: 

Sometime in the past, Roger drives his tow truck with his pregnant wife in an attempt to get her to the hospital. As his wife, Carol, screams in pain due to the contractions, Roger tries to comfort her. He then begins to wonder what the hell is going on with all of the traffic.

Carol exclaims oh my god. I don’t think… I don’t think it’s supposed to hurt this much. Something’s wrong. Roger again tries to comfort his wife and then veers his truck off the road and onto the side. Up ahead, Roger discovers why the traffic is so bad – the Incredible Hulk is perched on top of a bunch of mangled vehicles. Swerving to miss the monster, Roger speeds ahead. Turning to his wife, he tells her that it’s okay. They… Before he can finish his sentence, Roger hits something that destroys the front of his truck. When Roger asks Carol if she’s all right, Carol tells him that they can’t stop, they have to keep going. Roger asks what the hell they hit. Just then, Wolverine, in his brown and tan costume, picks himself out of the wreckage and snarls to Roger to get off the road.

Exiting the vehicle, Carol exclaims that they have to keep going but Roger informs her that the car is dead. When Carol drops to her knees and screams in pain, Roger rushes over to her and tells her it’s all right. They’ll get her to a doctor. Maybe somebody on the road, or… With tears streaming down her face, Carol tells him they’re not gonna make it. Picking up his pregnant wife, Roger starts making his way down the highway. As he does, Roger comforts her and tells her that it’s all right. They’re almost there. He tells her she’ll be laying in a comfy hospital bed in no time. Nurses all over the place. And a beautiful little baby girl lying right there next to her.

Further up ahead, two paramedics comb the street, looking for anybody who needs medical assistance. Just then, Roger passes them, his now dead wife in his arms, continuing to tell her they’re almost there. On the radio, the 98.6 newsroom reports that it appears the situation on Highway 18 has finally been cleared. Authorities are crediting the X-Man known as Wolverine with saving the day. No casualties have been reported.

Present day – Roger watches Logan fight the Mongrels and repeats that it’s not enough. Turning around, the old man leader of the Red Right Hand (RRH) tells him to control himself. Roger answers no, he has to suffer. He has to suffer more!

Elsewhere in the complex, Logan enters a room that appears to have been where human sacrifices were made. Inside, Fire Knives asks Logan if he thinks dead people smell worse depending on how bad their sins were when they were alive. She does. Kneeling next to two dead people lying on the ground in the middle of a pentagram, Fire Knives remarks that they must have been a couple of serial killers or something. Or maybe they both just really hated dogs.

Logan tells her and Saw Fist to walk away. They don’t have to do this. Saw Fist says “Te cortare la cara y se la dare de comer a tu mama.” Fire Knives then asks Logan if he knew that everyone he’s ever met in her entire life hates him and wants him dead. He must be, like, the worst person who ever lived. As she and Saw Fist brandish their weapons, she asks how he thinks he’ll smell when he’s dead. Fire Knives proceeds to introduce herself. They call her that because her knives burn like fire, obviously. She introduces her partner as Saw Fist ‘cause… well, actually she never asked why they call him that. Anyway, it’s their turn to kill him now. Can he, like, try and fight back and stuff so they don’t get bored.

Just then, Saw Fist and Fire Knives brutally attack Logan. As Saw Fist continues his attack, Fire Knives looks up into the camera and asks if this is good. Are they doing this right? Should there be more screaming?

Watching on the monitors, Roger mutters it’s not enough. He has to know. He has to know why. Roger then recalls years ago when he went to the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. Standing outside the gate, Roger holds up a picture of his dead wife and their unborn baby girl. He yells out Wolverine’s name and calls him a gutless little coward. Come out here and see what he did! The radio said he saved the day. But he wants him to know the truth. He wants him to see their faces. Does he, Wolverine, hear him? He didn’t save the day!

Later that day, at a bar, Roger informs the bartender that he’s empty. The bartender tells him yeah and he probably oughtta stay that way. Roger remarks go have his wife and baby die in his arms and then he’ll let him tell him how to drink. ‘Til then, just shut up and pour. At that moment, the old man leader of the RRH tells him that he knows his pain, friend. Peering over at him, Roger tells the old man that he ain’t his friend, %&*$#. And he don’t know nothin’ ‘bout him. The old man tells him that he knows a good bit more than he thinks. And what’s better, he can help. Roger tells him he can’t help. Talkin’ don’t help. Prayin’ don’t help. Even drinkin’ himself to death don’t help. Only one thing in the whole wide world helps. Just for a little. Pulling a bag out from underneath the table, Roger shows the man a metal bat. Only this helps.

Upon leaving the bar, Roger walks up to a homeless man, hands him a bag and tells him to put it on. Looking into the bag, the homeless man asks Roger what the hell this is. He doesn’t want to… Raising the bat high over his head, Roger orders the man to put it on. Eventually, the homeless man puts the outfit on that was in the bag. When he does, it is that of Wolverine. The homeless man asks what he does now. With a wild look in his eyes, Roger mercilessly beats the homeless man with his bat, killing him.

Walking down the street with his bloody bat, a voice tells Roger that he knows his pain, friend. Looking in the bushes, Roger asks what? Not him again, he… Just then, Roger sees a new person, in the bushes with red eyes, scaly skin, and a drooling Doberman pinscher. The person tells Roger that he knows all pain. He knows the intricacies of each aroma. Like some know fine wine. He, Roger, lost someone close to him. When Roger asks how the hell he knew that, the person tells him that he reeks of it; that, and other things as well. He could even see it on him, the moment he looked at him. It’s written all over his face.

Beginning to sweat, Roger tells him that he ain’t got time for… The person tells Roger that if he was a clergyman, he would probably tell him to get himself home and pray. To beg God with all his heart to ease his burden. But if God ever answered him at all, it would only be to say, “do nothing, may son. Forget your pain. Simply be patient and hope that someday you will die and make it into heaven.” “Put all your faith in me. I, the God who works in ways too mysterious for you to ever understand. I, who allowed your wife and daughter to perish in the first place.” Roger asks how he knew… The person says to him to tell him what words such as those ever extinguish the fire that rages inside him. The one he struggles to quench each night with that bat and that thing inside his bag. No, he thinks not. Lucky for him, he’s not a clergyman. But he does know a god who can help him.

Reentering the bar, Roger walks up to the old man. When he does, the old man remarks that he thought he might be back. Roger then tells the old man that he’s in. When the old man asks in what, Roger tells him whatever it is he calls it, his Red Right Hand. The old man asks how he knew about… Roger states that he knows how to do it. He knows how to make him suffer.

Inside the complex of the RRH, Roger and the other members surround a human sacrifice and begin to chant. As they do, a snake appears and kills the human sacrifices. The old man states that they come before him, bearing gifts of meat and blood, cursing the rod and the staff, singing praises of the fallen and unholy. They come to suckle the milk of the infernal, to bathe in the fire that never dies. They come before him, great lord, thirsting for vengeance. Just then, the snake tells them yessss. They came to the right place.

In present time, Logan continues to battle against Fire Knives and Saw Fist. Using his claws, Logan destroys one of Saw Fist’s weapons, flings both of his adversaries to the ground and grabs hold of one of Fire Knives’ swords. After destroying the sword, Logan says to them again to walk away. Saw Fist says “perro sucio, espero que una cabra se coma las tripas de tus hijos.” Fire Knives adds that there’s some sort of phrase people say all the time about “over my dead body” or something like that, right? Insert that phrase here. With that, Fire Knives and Saw Fist kill themselves as Logan looks on. As he exits the room, the snake emerges from the shadows and intently watches him leave.

Inside the control room, Roger yells out that it’s still not enough. He has to suffer like they suffered. He has to know why. He has to know their names. Pulling out his bat, he pushes through the crowd and makes his way to the old man. Roger exclaims that he’s right outside that door, and he’s waited long enough to make him suffer. Get outta his way. The old man reminds Roger that he knows the rules. Roger tells him to hell with his rules. To hell with all his… Just then, Roger is shot in the head by Gun Hawk. The old man takes that time to remind everyone that they stick to the plan. All of them, let’s remember that.

After the human sacrifice, the snake told them that he will show them the way. He will open the gates of hell and grant them dominion over the thingsss of his flock. He will share with him the ssecretsss of misssery and rage, learned over the course of a million lifetimesss. But know one thing; he expects to be paid for his ssservice. The person in the bushes that Roger met had told him that his god can show him how to make his enemy suffer. Beyond anything he can imagine. But let there be no illusion about what he expects in return.

As the snake and the flies buzzing around the dead bodies of Saw Fist and Fire Knives begin to laugh, Logan looks up at the cameras and angrily exclaims that he’s still coming, you bastards. Who dies next?!

Characters Involved: 

Wolverine

Fire Knives, Saw Fist, and Gun Hawk (members of the Mongrels and agent of the Red Right Hand)

Roger, member of the Red Right Hand

Old man leader and various unnamed members of the Red Right Hand

Unnamed talking snake

In flashbacks:

Roger, a member of the RRH and as he progressed through his life

Carol, Roger’s now deceased pregnant wife

Incredible Hulk

Wolverine

Unnamed medical personnel

The old man leader of the RRH years ago

Unnamed homeless man

Unnamed individual in the shadows who tempts Roger, also appears in the form of a talking snake

Various unnamed members of the Red Right Hand

Story Notes: 

The rough translations of what Saw Fist said in this issue are:

1. “Te cortare la cara y se la dare de comer a tu mama.” – “I will cut your face and will feed it to your mother.”

2. “Perro sucio, espero que una cabra se coma las tripas de tus hijos.” – “Dirty dog, I hope that a goat eats the intestines of your children.”

Wolverine has battled the Incredible Hulk many times throughout his career. When this particular battle occurred, does seem to have yet been depicted.

Issue Information: 

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