Wolverine: Old Man Logan

Graphic Novel: By Mark Millar & Steve McNiven

Inciting Event: To get money to pay rent to the Hulk gang, Logan agrees to escort the blind archer Hawkeye and a mystery package across the country. The Inciting Character, Hawkeye appears as beaten down and cynical as Logan, but he has a dream.

First Plot Point: Hawkeye tricks Logan into rescuing his daughter, Ashley, who is a prisoner of the Kingpin, one of many supervillains ruling cities after the war that killed all the heroes.

First Pinch Point: Ashley uses them to help her kill the Kingpin and take over. Logan breaks his vow against violence in order to save Hawkeye from his daughter, but still refuses to use his claws.

Midpoint: Logan reveals the reason he won’t use his claws. In the war, Logan was deceived by illusions and killed all his X-Men comrades, his only family. The guilt drove him to try to kill himself under a train, but his healing factor brought him back.

Second Pinch Point: Logan finds that the last surviving mutants are dying out. They weren’t the next stage of evolution after all and there is no going back to his mutant family. Logan admits he found peace with his human family. Hawkeye blames the mutants for not siding with the heroes in the war.

Third Plot Point: They deliver the package to a rebel faction. It’s revealed to super-soldier serum, enough to create new heroes and realize Hawkeye’s dream of crushing the supervillains. But it’s a trap, and the “rebels” shoot Logan and kill Hawkeye. Logan recovers and kills the “rebels” and their master, the Red Skull, using trophies taken from the dead heroes. He uses Iron Man tech to fly home with the money he needs.

Climax: Logan finds his family murdered and finally unleashes his claws and surrenders to the monster he believes he is. He wipes out the Hulk’s gang and learns that all the Hulk wants is one last great battle. Logan fights but is beaten then eaten. Not a great idea when your dinner has a healing factor. Logan bursts out of the Hulk, killing him.

Climactic Moment: Logan chooses not to kill the Hulk’s baby son. He is not a monster and finally forgives himself.

Resolution: Logan leaves Sacramento with the Hulk’s baby son, the first of the team he will assemble to put things right. Hawkeye’s dream lives on in him.

(Submitted by Bill Ryan.)

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