Wolverine: Origins #44

Issue Date: 
February 2010
Story Title: 
7 the Hard Way: Part Four
Staff: 

Daniel Way (writer), Doug Braithwaite (pencils), Bill Reinhold with Gary Erskine (inks and washes), Andy Troy (colors), VC’s Cory Petit (letters & production), Jody LeHeup (assistant editor), Jeanine Schaefer (editor), Axel Alonso (group editor), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Alan Fine (executive producer), Doug Braithwaite (cover art)

Brief Description: 

After convincing Ruby Thursday to join him on his quest, Wolverine, Cloak and Ruby begin to make their way out of the Raft. Unfortunately for them, the power dampers are maxed out. In the control room, the warden of the Raft is contacted by Romulus, who tells him that he will help him if he tells him who Logan was there to see. Eventually, Logan and his crew are able to take the uniforms of some guards. The Raft proceeds to contact H.A.M.M.E.R. for assistance but the transmission is intercepted by Bruce Banner, who sends Skaar to “assist.” Once Skaar meets up with Logan, Ares shows up and he and Skaar begin to do battle. With the dampers removed, Cloak teleports Ruby to the mainland. Logan is then able to convince Skaar to stop fighting and they too make their way to the mainland. There, they meet up with Cloak but not Ruby, as Romulus has taken her captive.

Full Summary: 

At the super-prison known as the Raft, Logan slices open Ruby Thursday’s cell door and enters. Once inside, Logan tells her what he needs from her. He lays it all out. He tells her more than he’s told anybody. He has to. ‘Cause without her this plan goes nowhere fast. She’s the key.

Mulling it over for a moment, Ruby remarks that he needs her. Logan tells her an’ she needs his unless, o’ course, she wants to stay there with her friend, the female guard. Ruby responds what can she say, his charm and roguish good looks have won him over, she’ll do it. When Ruby asks him how they got in there, Logan tells her that part was easy. Ruby then asks about getting out, to which Logan replies less so.

The female guard informs Logan that if they’re thinking of holding her as a hostage… Logan tells her he’s not, she can go. Rising to her feet, the female guard tells them that they do realize the alarm sounded the second he cut the lock on her door and that this place will be flooded with armed response officers in about… Logan looks at her and states “twenty seconds.” The female guard tells them all right then and makes her way down the corridor. As she does, she tells them that she’ll see them again soon. Turning to Ruby, Logan mentions to her that he can see why she likes ‘er. Ruby replies that she’s a little firecracker and then inquires about their escape.

In the control room, the warden of the Raft is informed that the dampers are up and running full-force. All super-powers within a one-mile radius are negated. They may have been able to teleport in, but they won’t be able to teleport out. The warden then tells them to pull up the video feed for that wing. He wants to see their faces when they realized they’ve been trapped. Seeing the video feed, the warden states that it’s Wolverine. They’ve trapped Wolverine inside the prison. When one of the guards asks if there is a problem, the warden responds yes. They’ve trapped Wolverine inside this prison.

Rubbing his temple, the warden gives the order to lock that wing down and to tell the response team to fall back. Have them spread out to cover all exit points. As he says this, his cell phone starts to ring. Looking at who it is, the warden sees that it says unknown and cancels the call. The warden remarks that they need to be able to talk to him and asks if there is a phone extension in that corridor. When his cell phone rings again, the warden answers it and starts to tell the person on the other end of the phone that he doesn’t know who he is but… The person on the other end tells the warden that the warden has a problem, which he can help.

The warden proceeds to ask who this is and how he got this number. The person on the other end of the line, Romulus, explains that he has everyone’s number. He then says to the warden that he’s unintentionally cornered Wolverine inside his facility. He’s smart enough to know that a direct course will result in massive destruction and death. He can, as he’s said before, help him but first, tell him who he’s there for.

Ruby asks Logan that he does have a plan, right. Logan tells her he’s workin’ on it and asks Cloak if the dampers are maxed. Cloak confirms that they are. He is unable to teleport even a few feet. Ruby exclaims that they should blow the dampers then. Logan asks her an’ let everybody out to play? No dice, honey. He came there for her an’ her alone. Clasping her hands together, Ruby sarcastically replies how sweet.

Looking up at a camera, Logan points out that odds are, what they’ll do is try to contain them, keep them bottled up until they can get somebody else on-site, somebody bigger, somebody super-powered. And when that somebody shows up… Ruby says they’ll lock down the cells, and then dial the dampers down so their heavy-hitter can operate freely, she gets it. So, they wait? Logan asks for what, to get their asses kicked? Hell, no. He has a more proactive approach in mind.

Inside the control room, the warden tells Romulus that he’s answered his questions, now he answers his. How is he gonna help him? Romulus replies that he’s already helping him. On the other side of a door that Logan and his crew are on, a guard receives a phone call from an “unknown” number. After Logan slashes through the door and takes out two of the guards, the other begins to take off his guard uniform and tells Logan that he’ll give him his clothes, just m-make it look like he put up a fight, okay. Grabbing the guard by the collar, Logan asks why he is doing this. When the guard tells him he has kids, Romulus listens in and smiles as to what is occurring.

At that moment, inside the control room, all of the cameras go out simultaneously. Once they come back up and the warden is unable to find Wolverine, he requests a sector check. One by one, each sector reports in negative, including sector B, where Logan and his allies are wearing guards uniforms. One of his assistants asks the warden if he wants them to spread out for a sweep search. The warden asks him and have him cut them down one by one? Not a chance. He then orders all units to hold their positions.

The warden then asks his communications guy if there’s been any word from H.A.M.M.E.R. yet. When the communications guy replies that he’s still waiting, the warden tells him to try again. This time, the communications guy calls out to H.A.M.M.E.R. and informs them that they are awaiting assistance. Unbeknownst to him, the transmission is intercepted by Bruce Banner who tells him that the counter-measure has been approved and the solution is in-bound. Upon hearing that, the warden tells all units to fall back to the…

Just then, a report comes in from sector B that they have made contact. Immediately, the troops in sector C exclaim that they are going to move in to reinforce but the warden tells them negative and orders all units to fall back to the block house. At that moment, the building rocks and an explosion is heard. One of the agents asks what that was and the warden replies that judging by the size of him, he’d say he’s their solution. Walking up to Skaar, the warden asks him if he’s been briefed. After Skaar responds that he has, the warden tells him that when he’s made direct contact, give the signal and they’ll lower the damper field so that he can operate – direct contact. He was last spotted in sector B which is in the southeast quadrant.

Over in sector B, Ruby asks Logan why exactly did he give away their position. Logan tells her ‘cause they don’t have much time. Reportin’ contact’ll make it easier for him to find them. When Ruby asks “him,” Logan tells her yeah, “him” and points over towards Skaar. Logan remarks that they’ll do introductions later, no tellin’ when H.A.M.M.E.R.’s real heavy-hitter will show. He then tells Skaar to call it in. Just as soon as Skaar begins to call it in, the wall behind them is destroyed and Ares bursts through, calling in direct contact.

As Skaar and Ares begin to do battle, Logan asks Cloak if he can… Cloak tells him he’ll try. Calling over to Skaar, Logan yells at him to fall back. Skaar asks “fall back?” Not his style. Turning his attention back to Cloak, Logan tells him to get Ruby to the mainland while Ares is distracted. Tell ‘er to lay low until she hears from him. Cloak asks what about him and Logan tells him this is his fight, not his. He started it, he has ta end it.

After Cloak transports himself and Ruby to the mainland, Ruby remarks that was gross-feeling. When Cloak winces in pain, Ruby states that she’d think he’d be used to it though. Cloak weakly informs her that it’s not the teleportation that’s bothering him. Ruby then notices he’s bleeding. Cloak says they have to back. Ruby asks go back there? What is he, nuts? Cloak answers that he has to get them out. Ruby tells him good luck with that. She’s out and she plans on staying out. Cloak reminds her that Wolverine said to lay low. When Ruby asks Cloak if he wants to lay low with her, Cloak tells her no. As they are watched, unbeknownst to them, by Romulus, Ruby tells her to suit himself. She’s gonna go find some action.

Inside the Raft, Ares punches out Wolverine. Once he does, he tells him that he’ll finish with him later. In the meantime, how ‘bout he lets the big boys have some fun. Rushing towards each other at full steam, Skaar tells Ares that sounds good to him. Picking himself up off the ground, Logan thinks to himself dammit Skaar. He was only supposed to stick around long enough to cover their escape, not get into a slugfest with a damn Olympian. This fight’ll take forever. Just then, Logan calls out to Skaar that aircraft, Ares’ reinforcements, are coming. Skaar tells him to let them come. Logan tells him no, that’s exactly what the Hulk would have done.

Shortly, Skaar, holding Logan, leaps out of the raft and lands on the mainland. In the process, he takes down one of H.A.M.M.E.R.’s aircrafts. Once they land on the ground, Logan mentions to Skaar that he could’ve avoided hittin’ ‘em. Skaar replies there are a lot of things he could’ve done. Logan reminds him that they had a plan. He needs him to stick to that plan. Skaar tells Logan that what he needs is to back up. Just then, Cloak weakly makes his way over to them. As Skaar starts to head off, Logan tells him they’re not done to which Skaar agrees. After Cloak tells Logan he’s sorry, Logan tells him not to worry about it, he’ll get him patched up. He then asks where Ruby is.

Standing over the prone body of Ruby Thursday, Romulus exclaims that now they have that out of the way, he would like to ask her a few questions.

Characters Involved: 

Wolverine

Cloak

Ruby Thursday

Romulus

Ares

Skaar

Bruce Banner

Unnamed warden and various unnamed guards at the Raft

Unnamed H.A.M.M.E.R. agents

Story Notes: 
Issue Information: 
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