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Origin (comics)
Encyclopedia
Origin is a six-issue comic book
limited series
published by Marvel Comics
from November 2001 to March 2002, written by Bill Jemas
, Joe Quesada
and Paul Jenkins
, and illustrated by Andy Kubert
(pencils) and Richard Isanove (color).
Origin tells the story of the superhero
Wolverine
, best known as a member of the X-Men
. Since the character first appeared in the early 1970s his history had often been shrouded in mystery, with bits of information revealed piecemeal over time (notably in Weapon X
), but this series was the first to reveal Wolverine's early days and his original background. In their introductions, some of those who worked on the series express their reluctance to reveal the actual origins of one of the comic world's most popular and mysterious characters. Even Wolverine himself has few recollections of where he came from and this was an essential part of his appeal.
, and has long suffered from various allergies. He is a sickly child so his loving father, John Howlett, Jr., brings an orphaned girl named Rose up from the town to be his companion (Rose is red-haired which some take as a reference to Jean Grey
, with whom Wolverine sometimes showed something of an obsession). The two children also often play with Dog Logan
, son of the Howletts' cruel groundskeeper, Thomas Logan
(who looks a lot like the fully-grown Wolverine). Readers are led to believe that Dog was the young Wolverine, but this is later revealed to be not the case. The children's friendship is spoiled by the tension between the boys' fathers centering on James' mother, Elizabeth, who went mad after her first son, John, died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. It is hinted throughout the series that Wolverine's elder brother John Howlett III was a mutant himself with powers similar to his own (both his mother and grandfather allude to this).
As a result of beatings and alcohol, Dog, over the next few years, becomes increasingly like his father, and his misdeeds, including an attempted assault on Rose or the killing of James' dog, become so violent that he and his father are expelled from the manor. Thomas returns for the purpose of robbing the Howlett estate and to convince Elizabeth to leave with him (it is implied that they had an affair and that Thomas may be the biological father of Elizabeth's sons).
John Howlett enters the bedroom after hearing noises. Thomas kills John Howlett with a shotgun blast in front of all three children and Elizabeth. The horror of his father's death causes James' powers to manifest for the first time, and he uses his claws to kill Thomas and injure Dog, before lapsing into shock. Rose gets James away. Elizabeth, surprisingly, cradles the body of Thomas Logan rather than that of her husband. After a few moments, Elizabeth, with her shallow grip on reality shattered, picks up Thomas' shotgun and kills herself.
Questioned by the police, Dog accuses Rose of the killings and the fact that she fled the scene with James appears to confirm this. James is in shock and appears to have no recollection of what happened. This loss of memory is due to Wolverine's/James' healing factor which, in effect, "healed" (by putting up a mental block) the mentally devastating traumas of witnessing his father's death, the confusion of mother's anger towards him and the pain and surprise caused by the sudden manifestation of his claws. Rose seeks help from her relatives, who reject her, and even James' grandfather drives them both from the house due to the manifestation of James' powers. They are given some money and take the train from Alberta
to British Columbia
, where they get work in a stone quarry.
Rose claims that her male companion is her cousin and, since they are on the run, calls him Logan to conceal his identity; though why she should choose the name of their enemy remains unexplained.
Gradually James/Logan strengthens physically, though his memory is still shattered. He often goes into the woods to hunt game, typically among a pack of wolves, with only his claws. He turns down Rose's offers to tell him about his past. She therefore keeps detailed notes in her diary.
James becomes close to the foreman, Smitty, who, in turn, develops romantic feelings toward Rose, which she returns. He courts her with books, including poetry by William Blake
and a history of the samurai
(warriors whom Wolverine of the X-Men would later model himself after). Logan's public identity as her cousin makes it impossible for him to declare his own feelings for her, so he works out his violence in a series of cage fights. He also seems to get angst out by working intensively at the quarry, and is given the nickname Wolverine by the local population who compare his intense digging to a wolverine going after a root. He also develops an intense rivalry with the camp's obese cook, Malone, who goes out of his way to cause trouble for Logan.
Smitty eventually asks Rose to marry him, which she accepts, and Smitty informs her that the cage fights are a fast and easy way to earn some extra money. He asks her to leave with him, which she is reluctant to do because of Logan. Logan sees Rose kissing Smitty and, feeling betrayed, later confronts her and confesses his feelings to her, though she rejects him for Smitty after he turns down her offer to go with them. Logan confronts Smitty at the next cage fight after venting his fury on Malone, and quickly has him at his mercy. Despite mixed feelings, wishes for Rose to be happy, Logan allows Smitty to defeat him purposely.
Just before the couple leaves to be wed, Dog comes to the quarry, originally sent by Old Man Howlett, on his deathbed, to find his heir. However, Dog blames Logan for the events that led to his father's death and is actually there for revenge. In the ensuing fight, Rose is accidentally impaled on Logan's claws. Logan goes mad with grief (his healing factor throwing up another mental block due to accidentally killing his first love) and runs into the woods, where he stays for an as yet unknown amount of time, living like a wild animal.
Logan would not let Rose tell him about his past, which he had forgotten anyway. Malone, who has long hated Logan, steals Rose's few belongings, but contemptuously burns her diary which contains the truth of Logan's past.
's origins had been a mystery. After the success of the first X-Men
film, it was decided if the character's origin wasn't told in the comic, it would be told on the film.
Paul Jenkins wanted certain characters, artwise and relationship-wise, to resonate with those knowledgeable about Wolverine's character history. Smitty was supposed to look somewhat like Cyclops, and his relationship with Jean Grey
lookalike Rose to be what sparks Wolverine's jealousy in his fictional future. Similarly, Dog was to be a representation of Sabretooth
, Wolverine's greatest nemesis.
When an interviewer asked Paul Jenkins
if the character Dog Logan
was Sabretooth
, Jenkins replied that he had not intended it to be him, but said he wouldn't have a problem with another writer doing it later. No writer has yet written a story confirming a connection between Dog Logan and Sabretooth as canon in the Marvel Universe.
In the video game X-Men Origins: Wolverine
, a trivia caption on the loading screens says Sabretooth's nickname as a boy was "Dog".
, the fourth film in the X-Men film series
(which, in the beginning of the film, is based strongly on the Origin comics), along with his and Victor Creed/Sabretooth
's role on the two world wars, Weapon X
, Team X
and turning on each other. The film adds Creed in the Origin storyline, as Howlett's brother and fellow soldier. It also directly links Thomas Logan
and Wolverine when Thomas states with his dying breath that he is Wolverine's real father.
The cast of the characters from the Origins comics are:
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
from November 2001 to March 2002, written by Bill Jemas
Bill Jemas
Bill Jemas is an American media entrepreneur, writer and editor. He is a former vice president of Marvel Comics, and a founding partner at 360ep, a media management firm.-Early life:...
, Joe Quesada
Joe Quesada
Joseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
and Paul Jenkins
Paul Jenkins (writer)
Paul Jenkins is a British comic book writer and Gary Gygax's stepson. He has had much success crossing over into the American comic book market. Primarily working for Marvel Comics, he has had a big part shaping the characters of the company over the past decade.-Life and career:Paul Jenkins...
, and illustrated by Andy Kubert
Andy Kubert
Andrew "Andy" Kubert is an American comic book artist, son of Joe Kubert, and brother of Adam Kubert, both of whom are also artists...
(pencils) and Richard Isanove (color).
Origin tells the story of the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, best known as a member of the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
. Since the character first appeared in the early 1970s his history had often been shrouded in mystery, with bits of information revealed piecemeal over time (notably in Weapon X
Weapon Plus
Weapon Plus is a fictional clandestine program that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. It was created by Grant Morrison during his run in New X-Men. The program's purpose is the creation of supersoldiers intended to fight the wars of the future, especially a Mutant-Human war...
), but this series was the first to reveal Wolverine's early days and his original background. In their introductions, some of those who worked on the series express their reluctance to reveal the actual origins of one of the comic world's most popular and mysterious characters. Even Wolverine himself has few recollections of where he came from and this was an essential part of his appeal.
Plot
The series reveals that Wolverine was born James Howlett, the son of rich plantation owners in late 19th Century CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and has long suffered from various allergies. He is a sickly child so his loving father, John Howlett, Jr., brings an orphaned girl named Rose up from the town to be his companion (Rose is red-haired which some take as a reference to Jean Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
, with whom Wolverine sometimes showed something of an obsession). The two children also often play with Dog Logan
Dog Logan
Dog Logan is a fictional character from Marvel Comics that appeared in the limited series Origin...
, son of the Howletts' cruel groundskeeper, Thomas Logan
Thomas Logan
Thomas Logan is a fictional character of Marvel Comics. He was created by Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada, and Paul Jenkins. He was featured in the limited series Origin, which detailed the formative years of Wolverine of the X-Men and was published from November, 2001 to July, 2002.-Character...
(who looks a lot like the fully-grown Wolverine). Readers are led to believe that Dog was the young Wolverine, but this is later revealed to be not the case. The children's friendship is spoiled by the tension between the boys' fathers centering on James' mother, Elizabeth, who went mad after her first son, John, died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. It is hinted throughout the series that Wolverine's elder brother John Howlett III was a mutant himself with powers similar to his own (both his mother and grandfather allude to this).
John Howlett enters the bedroom after hearing noises. Thomas kills John Howlett with a shotgun blast in front of all three children and Elizabeth. The horror of his father's death causes James' powers to manifest for the first time, and he uses his claws to kill Thomas and injure Dog, before lapsing into shock. Rose gets James away. Elizabeth, surprisingly, cradles the body of Thomas Logan rather than that of her husband. After a few moments, Elizabeth, with her shallow grip on reality shattered, picks up Thomas' shotgun and kills herself.
Questioned by the police, Dog accuses Rose of the killings and the fact that she fled the scene with James appears to confirm this. James is in shock and appears to have no recollection of what happened. This loss of memory is due to Wolverine's/James' healing factor which, in effect, "healed" (by putting up a mental block) the mentally devastating traumas of witnessing his father's death, the confusion of mother's anger towards him and the pain and surprise caused by the sudden manifestation of his claws. Rose seeks help from her relatives, who reject her, and even James' grandfather drives them both from the house due to the manifestation of James' powers. They are given some money and take the train from Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, where they get work in a stone quarry.
Rose claims that her male companion is her cousin and, since they are on the run, calls him Logan to conceal his identity; though why she should choose the name of their enemy remains unexplained.
Gradually James/Logan strengthens physically, though his memory is still shattered. He often goes into the woods to hunt game, typically among a pack of wolves, with only his claws. He turns down Rose's offers to tell him about his past. She therefore keeps detailed notes in her diary.
James becomes close to the foreman, Smitty, who, in turn, develops romantic feelings toward Rose, which she returns. He courts her with books, including poetry by William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
and a history of the samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
(warriors whom Wolverine of the X-Men would later model himself after). Logan's public identity as her cousin makes it impossible for him to declare his own feelings for her, so he works out his violence in a series of cage fights. He also seems to get angst out by working intensively at the quarry, and is given the nickname Wolverine by the local population who compare his intense digging to a wolverine going after a root. He also develops an intense rivalry with the camp's obese cook, Malone, who goes out of his way to cause trouble for Logan.
Smitty eventually asks Rose to marry him, which she accepts, and Smitty informs her that the cage fights are a fast and easy way to earn some extra money. He asks her to leave with him, which she is reluctant to do because of Logan. Logan sees Rose kissing Smitty and, feeling betrayed, later confronts her and confesses his feelings to her, though she rejects him for Smitty after he turns down her offer to go with them. Logan confronts Smitty at the next cage fight after venting his fury on Malone, and quickly has him at his mercy. Despite mixed feelings, wishes for Rose to be happy, Logan allows Smitty to defeat him purposely.
Just before the couple leaves to be wed, Dog comes to the quarry, originally sent by Old Man Howlett, on his deathbed, to find his heir. However, Dog blames Logan for the events that led to his father's death and is actually there for revenge. In the ensuing fight, Rose is accidentally impaled on Logan's claws. Logan goes mad with grief (his healing factor throwing up another mental block due to accidentally killing his first love) and runs into the woods, where he stays for an as yet unknown amount of time, living like a wild animal.
Logan would not let Rose tell him about his past, which he had forgotten anyway. Malone, who has long hated Logan, steals Rose's few belongings, but contemptuously burns her diary which contains the truth of Logan's past.
Production
For decades, WolverineWolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
's origins had been a mystery. After the success of the first X-Men
X-Men (film)
X-Men is a 2000 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics characters of the same name. Directed by Bryan Singer, the film stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, Bruce Davison, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Ray Park and Tyler Mane...
film, it was decided if the character's origin wasn't told in the comic, it would be told on the film.
Paul Jenkins wanted certain characters, artwise and relationship-wise, to resonate with those knowledgeable about Wolverine's character history. Smitty was supposed to look somewhat like Cyclops, and his relationship with Jean Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
lookalike Rose to be what sparks Wolverine's jealousy in his fictional future. Similarly, Dog was to be a representation of Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
, Wolverine's greatest nemesis.
When an interviewer asked Paul Jenkins
Paul Jenkins (writer)
Paul Jenkins is a British comic book writer and Gary Gygax's stepson. He has had much success crossing over into the American comic book market. Primarily working for Marvel Comics, he has had a big part shaping the characters of the company over the past decade.-Life and career:Paul Jenkins...
if the character Dog Logan
Dog Logan
Dog Logan is a fictional character from Marvel Comics that appeared in the limited series Origin...
was Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
, Jenkins replied that he had not intended it to be him, but said he wouldn't have a problem with another writer doing it later. No writer has yet written a story confirming a connection between Dog Logan and Sabretooth as canon in the Marvel Universe.
In the video game X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (video game)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a 2009 action-adventure game loosely based on the film of the same name. The game release coincided with the release of the film on May 1, 2009 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. The game was developed...
, a trivia caption on the loading screens says Sabretooth's nickname as a boy was "Dog".
Sales
The final issue #6 of Origin was ranked second in sales for the January 2002 period with pre-order sales of 166,997.Film
Wolverine's origin is shown in X-Men Origins: WolverineX-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a 2009 American action film based on the Marvel Comics' fictional character Wolverine. The fourth installment in the X-Men film series, it was released worldwide on May 1, 2009...
, the fourth film in the X-Men film series
X-Men (film series)
The X-Men film series consists of superhero films based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The films star an ensemble cast, focusing on Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who is drawn into the conflict between Professor Xavier and Magneto , who have opposing views on humanity's...
(which, in the beginning of the film, is based strongly on the Origin comics), along with his and Victor Creed/Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
's role on the two world wars, Weapon X
Weapon X
Weapon X is a fictional clandestine government genetic research facility project in the Marvel Universe conducted by the Canadian Government's Department K, which turns willing and unwilling beings into living weapons. The project often captures mutants and experiments on them to enhance their...
, Team X
Team X (comics)
-Comics:In the Marvel Universe, Team X was a CIA black ops team that operated during the 1960s and was linked to Weapon Plus. It was made up of Logan , Victor Creed , Mastodon, David North/Christoph Nord , the Major Arthur Barrington, Silver Fox, Noel Higgins , Aldo Ferro and John Wraith...
and turning on each other. The film adds Creed in the Origin storyline, as Howlett's brother and fellow soldier. It also directly links Thomas Logan
Thomas Logan
Thomas Logan is a fictional character of Marvel Comics. He was created by Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada, and Paul Jenkins. He was featured in the limited series Origin, which detailed the formative years of Wolverine of the X-Men and was published from November, 2001 to July, 2002.-Character...
and Wolverine when Thomas states with his dying breath that he is Wolverine's real father.
The cast of the characters from the Origins comics are:
- Peter O'Brien as John Howlett
- Alice Parkinson as Elizabeth Howlett
- Aaron JefferyAaron JefferyAaron C. Jeffery is a Logie Award winning New Zealand – Australian actor.-Early life:Born in Howick, Auckland, Jeffery moved to Australia at the age of 17 and studied acting at NIDA.-Career:...
as Thomas Logan - Troye SivanTroye SivanTroye Sivan, born Troye Sivan Mellet , is an Australian child actor and singer. He played Young James Howlett in the X-Men film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and most recently starred in the film Spud-Personal life:...
as Young James Howlett / Wolverine - Michael James-Olsen as Young Victor Creed (Sabretooth)
- Hugh JackmanHugh JackmanHugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
as Logan/Wolverine/James HowlettWolverine (comics)Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing... - Liev SchreiberLiev SchreiberIsaac Liev Schreiber , commonly known as Liev Schreiber, is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s, having initially appeared in several independent films, and later mainstream Hollywood films, including the Scream trilogy of...
as Victor Creed/SabretoothSabretooth (comics)Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...