Wolverine: Origin III Explores Marvel's Controversial Prequel Arc

Before the release of 2001's Wolverine: Origin, it was unthinkable that Marvel would ever reveal the full background and origin story of the enigmatic man known as Logan. That book revealed Wolverine's true name (James Howlett) and explored the tragic series of events that led to him becoming an orphaned loner. It also directly inspired the 2009 movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Now Marvel is continuing that controversial saga with a third chapter called Wolverine: Origin III - The Dark Age.

Wolverine: Origin III - The Dark Age brings back original Origin writer Paul Jenkins. The series is illustrated by CAFU (Venom). Issue #1 features a main cover by Wes Burt and a variant cover by Josemaria Casanovas.

Origin III jumps further ahead in the Marvel timeline. Whereas the original was set in late 19th century Canada and 2013's Origin II was set in the early 20th century, Origin III takes place after World War II. After years spent waging war, Logan has finally found some semblance of peace, but will his past come back to haunt him?

Marvel's official description teases:

Enter the Dark Age! After years of trauma and back-to-back tours of duty fighting in the first two World Wars, Logan has found his new mission…peace! With his berserker rage and violent tendencies somehow behind him, Logan enjoys a new life of tranquility and service. Logan will meet new friends and allies, and with the help of an impassioned young doctor, discover what makes him tick. But what is the cause of this newfound happiness…and how long can it last?

“Wolverine: Origin was foundational. It did not simply tell us how, why, and where a young, frail Canadian named James Howlett became the super hero we know as Wolverine, it also showed his loss of innocence and his understanding of a cruel and difficult world,” said Jenkins in a statement. “Now, after 25 years, I’m privileged to present this story I have waited over a quarter of a century to tell. Where did Logan go? Which parts of his story were lost to history? What led to the events of Weapon X? The answers are not going to be what you expect.”

Look for Wolverine: Origin III - The Dark Age to hit stores on December 16. You can preorder a copy at your local comic shop.

For more, learn all about the very first Star Wars/Marvel crossover and read up on Marvel's newest symbiote hero, the Amazing Venom.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.