Wolverine: Origins #30

Issue Date: 
January 2009
Story Title: 
Original Sin: Conclusion (Part V)

Daniel Way (writer), Mike Deodato (artist), Rain Beredo (colorist), VC’s Cory Petit (letterer), Tom Van Cise (production), Jody LeHeup (assistant editor), John Barber (editor), Axel Alonso (group editor), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Mike Deodato & Richard Isanove (cover art)

Brief Description: 

In Panama, Wolverine refuses to fight Daken, even though he is being beaten to a pulp by his own son. During the beating, Logan went to the one place in his mind where he had peace – Jasmine Falls with Itsu. There, he meets Charles Xavier, who tells him what actually happened to Itsu and Daken when he was a baby. When Logan points out that he already knows this, Xavier states that he was showing Daken. Eventually, Daken understands and saves Xavier from being killed by Sebastian Shaw. Now together, Wolverine offers Daken the one thing he can give him – revenge. When Xavier warns him of going down that path again with his son, Wolverine tells him that they are going to stop Romulus. Leaving, Wolverine tells Xavier that he forgives him and that he hopes one day he can do the same for him.

Full Summary: 

In Panama, Wolverine stands in front of Daken and tells him that he’s in no condition to fight him and that he’s in no mood to fight him. Daken replies tough talk pops but it lacks impact, coming from someone who looks like they’ve had their ass handed to them. Wolverine replies that it ain’t his blood but he is. With that, Wolverine retracts his claws. Popping his own, Daken tells him that he’s just made a very big mistake and proceeds to rush at Wolverine.

As Daken slashes Wolverine across the chest, he thinks to himself that he needs to keep it down, keep it controlled. Daken then punches him in the chin and follows up with a kick to his gut. While he does, Daken yells at him to fight back. Holding his gut in pain, Wolverine tells him that he can’t, he won’t. Heading over to him to inflict further damage, Daken tells him that he better do something old man because if he thinks he’s going to show him mercy…

Wolverine interrupts him and tells him that he doesn’t know what to do. He’s tried everything, he can’t help him. Enraged, Daken asks “help me” and slashes Wolverine again. Grabbing his father in a reverse chokehold, he tells him that he’s not the one who needs “help,” he is. Daken then angrily tosses Wolverine into a brick wall. Picking himself up, Wolverine tells Daken not to stop. He killed his mother. She was beautiful an’ he killed her. Does he want revenge for that? If so, come an’ get it.

But he won’t be there. At that moment, Logan’s mind goes to Japan. Lying underneath a cherry blossom tree, he recalls that he comes there sometimes every time he can. This is the place an’ the time where he was happiest, where he was at peace. This is Jasmine Falls. This is where he met Itsu. He never stays very long, he can’t, because eventually, she leaves an’ she goes to the house. As she does, Logan is attacked by the trees and he slashes away at them with his claws.

In the real world, Wolverine slashes away with his claws and accidentally hits Daken in the leg. Angrily, Daken calls him a son of a… and says that he sandbagged him. Daken then slashes him in the chest again and kicks him in the gut unmercifully.

During the attack, Logan’s mind goes back to Jasmine Falls with cherry blossoms falling on a still pond. He has to stay longer, he wants to stay longer. He doesn’t want her to leave and he doesn’t want her to go to the house. Yelling out no, he rushes after Itsu as she enters the house. Once inside, Professor Charles Xavier tells him that he didn’t kill her. When Logan asks him how, he’s… Xavier says unconscious, yes. He does some of his best work that way. Sitting on the ground he tells Logan that Romulus sends his regards and that his son’s mind contained a trap for telepaths, a bomb of sorts. Fortunately, with the fragmented state his psyche was is, the desired effect was lost.

Xavier then asks Logan why he told Daken that he killed his mother when they both know… Logan informs him that he needs his revenge just like he needs his. Maybe if he lets him have it, he’ll… Xavier cuts him off and states but he didn’t. Logan says that he did kill her. She died because of him, because he loved her. Xavier states that he loved her, yes, with all of his heart. The time he spent with her is his most cherished memory, the place he goes to when all else has failed. Had he and Itsu been allowed to live out their lives together, to raise their son together, the trajectory and tone of both his life and Daken’s would’ve been altered completely. He would’ve been at peace. And that is something Romulus simply would not allow. It was Romulus who killed Itsu, not him. And though it wasn’t his hand that held the blade, it was he who issued the order to a man whose mind was not his own, a man who was incapable of refusing or even questioning such an order - the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes. And it was he, Romulus, who then stole his son from his dying mother’s womb. Logan tells him he knows all this, why is he showing it to him?

Xavier tells him that he’s not showing Logan, he’s showing Daken. Enraged, Daken lashes out and attempts to punch Xavier in the head. Xavier calmly tells him that won’t work. This is all in his heads, his and his father’s. Standing up, Xavier tells them that they’ve arrived there through a sort of telepathic triangulation. This series of events is never far from either of their thoughts but with them both together, both consciously focusing on this one event, it has come vividly to the psychic fore. This is where Logan goes to find peace and where his son, Daken, goes to fuel his rage. Daken turns towards Logan and angrily accuses him of murdering his mother. He left him alone in this pestilent world to be raised as a mongrel. Xavier pipes in and tells Daken that he knows that isn’t true. It was Romulus who killed his mother and it was Romulus who took his father away from…

Daken interrupts him and yells at him not to tell him what he knows and hangs his head. As he takes a seat on the ground, Xavier tells Daken that he was the only one of them who was actually there when Itsu was murdered. Somewhere, buried deep inside his subconscious, he knows what really happened. Quietly, Daken tells them that he wants out of there. Showing him the open door, Xavier tells him that he can’t hold him and tells him that the door is open.

In the real world, Sebastian Shaw enters the room to see the bodies of Wolverine, Xavier, and Daken lying unconscious on the floor. Rushing over to a severely injured Claudine, Shaw asks what is happening. Claudine informs him that it looks like a trance state. As a smile comes across his face, Shaw tells Claudine to get the boat ready. He’ll be down in just a few moments. With that, he picks up a large brick and stands over the prone body of Charles Xavier.

In their minds, Daken angrily looks at the door and then calms down and asks Logan to tell him about her. Logan says how about he shows him. Just then, they are all outside next to the pond and the cherry blossom trees. When Daken reaches out towards Itsu and his hand goes right through her, he pops his claws and tells Logan that it’s not enough. Logan informs him that it’s all he has to give. At that moment, Daken turns towards Xavier and angrily says “you” and asks what made him think he could fill his head with lies, that he would follow him blindly like a fool. Xavier tells him that he told him that won’t…

Daken informs Xavier that he’s not talking to him and proceeds to stab Shaw in the back with his claws and kicks him out of the window into the water below. He was talking to Romulus. Back in the real world, Wolverine puts his hand on Daken’s shoulder and tells him that maybe he does have somethin’ more to give. Somethin’ he needs, somethin’ they both need – revenge. As Xavier begins to stir, he tells Logan that path will only lead him back into darkness and asks if he really wants to take his son with him. Looking back at all the selfish acts he’s committed, what he did to him…

Wolverine asks him what he did to him? He saved his life. Hell, he gave him his life. He then tells Xavier that the memories came back. But in between losin’ ‘em an’ gettin’ ‘em back, he lived a life he can be proud of, he was a hero. Xavier asks what he is now. Standing there with his son, Wolverine tells him that he’s lookin’ at it. As long as Romulus walks the earth, what happened to them can happen again. Fact that they’re gonna kill him outta vengeance don’t matter in the long run. Just like it don’t matter why he did what he did. As he and Daken walk away, Logan tells Xavier that he forgives him. He hopes one day he can do the same for him.

Characters Involved: 


Professor Charles Xavier


Sebastian Shaw

Miss Sinister – Claudine Renko

In Wolverine & Daken’s memories:


Professor Charles Xavier



The Winter Soldier, James “Buchanan” Barnes

Story Notes: 

Daken was shot in the back of the head with a carbonadium bullet by the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, in Wolverine Origins #25 at the direction of Logan. Because of that, Daken lost his memories and became amnesiac.

Itsu was shot and killed by the Winter Soldier as depicted in Wolverine (3rd series) #40.

As shown in X-Men Legacy #217, Xavier mind-wiped Wolverine after he attacked him. Wolverine did so while under the control of Romulus.

Issue Information: 

This Issue has been reprinted in:

Written By: