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| Weapon Plus Program | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | New X-Men #128 (Aug. 2002) |
| Created by | Grant Morrison Igor Kordey |
| In-story information | |
| Type of organization | Secret governmental genetics program |
| Base(s) | Various |
| Leader(s) | John Sublime,Romulus,William Stryker |
| Agent(s) | The Professor Notable test subjects and creations Weapon I -Captain America/Steve Rogers Weapon I -Captain America/Isaiah Bradley Weapon I -Protocide Weapon II - Wolverteeny Weapon III - Skinless Man Weapon IV -Man-Thing Weapon V - Project Venom Weapon VI -Power Man Weapon VII -Nuke Weapon VIII - Mindlock Weapon IX -Typhoid Mary Weapon X -Wolverine Weapon XI - Unknown Weapon XII - Huntsman Weapon XIII -Fantomex Weapon XIV -Stepford Cuckoos Weapon XV -Ultimaton Weapon XVI - Allgod Project: Troubleshooter -American Kaiju Weapon H -H-Alpha Hellfire Program -Hellverine Hellfire Program - Destroyers |
Weapon Plus is a fictional clandestine program appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. It was created byGrant Morrison during their run inNew X-Men. The program's purpose is the creation of super-soldiers intended to fight the wars of the future, especially a mutant-human war.Weapon X, the organization's most well-known program, was originally the tenth installation, but eventually it branched off and became an independent program with similar purposes. Morrison's introduction of Weapon Plus also shed new information about the origins of Weapon X, Captain America, and other Marvel Comicssupersoldiers.
During the 1940s the existence of mutants was not yet known to the general public. A few individuals were aware of the coming ofHomo superior and the fact that they had the potential to replace baseline humans as the dominant species of Earth. Thus Weapon Plus was created to address the so-called mutant problem. What was unknown by everyone involved in Weapon Plus is that its mastermind,John Sublime, was actually the host body for a sentient bacteria present in every living creature on the planet, save for mutants, who were genetically immune to the Sublime infection.[1][2]
The first nine instalments of Weapon Plus were partially successful. Weapon X produced a number of agents, though it branched off and even became opposed to Weapon Plus's interests. To prevent subsidiary programs from going rogue, Weapon Plus directly oversaw the creation of the last living weapons operating in the clandestine facilities ofThe World, employingBolivar Trask'sSentinel technology.[3]
Throughout the decades, Weapon Plus has used increasingly more extreme methods to create its super-soldiers. Captain America was enhanced to peak human levels. Weapon X employed genetic alteration, brainwashing and memory implants. The latest creations were bred specifically to become mutant-hunting weapons much deadlier than Sentinels.[3]
FollowingM-Day, most mutants are rendered powerless, and mutants as a race are on the brink of extinction. Weapon Plus appears again as Sublime attempts to use theStepford Cuckoos to wipe out the surviving mutants.
Project: Rebirth began as a collaboration between American, British and Germaneugenicists led by Josef Reinstein (later known asAbraham Erskine) and Koch. When World War II began, Koch took over the German program, and Reinstein moved to the American program.
John Steele, also known as American Soldier, was a Super-Soldier of unknown origin who fought in World War I. His body was kept in stasis by Nazi scientists, including Abraham Erskine, who sought to replicate his abilities as part of Project: Nietzche, but with little success.[4]
Project: Rebirth, headed by Abraham Erskine, managed to produceCaptain America (Steve Rogers). However, Erskine was murdered moments after Rogers was successfully enhanced. The refinements he introduced which made the process successful were lost with his death.[5] With his demise, Koch took over the American program.
Two other subjects, Clinton McIntyre, a.k.a.Protocide, a failed experiment who was placed insuspended animation and was revived in the modern era byAIM, and the first mutant experiment designated Queen seem to have occurred prior to the Super Soldier Serum being tested on Steve Rogers.
Early attempts to recreate the formula resulted inAfrican American super soldiers (most prominentlyIsaiah Bradley). Three hundred African-American soldiers were taken from Camp Cathcart and subjected to potentially fatal experiments at an undisclosed location, as seen inTruth: Red, White & Black in an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier formula. Only five men survived the original trials; hundreds of test subjects left behind at Camp Cathcart and the camp's commander were executed by US soldiers in the name of secrecy, the families of the three hundred were told that they had died in battle. Isaiah Bradley was the lone survivor.
Although there were many later attempts to recreate or reverse-engineer Project: Rebirth's Super-Soldier Serum, none are known to have been involved with Weapon Plus except for the attempt that resulted in the creation of Isaiah Bradley's sonJosiah X. Weapon Plus considers Captain America as its most successful creation, despite the fact that Rogers has been at odds with the United States government a number of times. Project: Rebirth was retroactively made a part of the Weapon Plus after WWII when Weapon Plus was formed.
Weapon II experimented on animals. It was implied byGrant Morrison that these animal weapons were the animal cyborgs in the comicWe3, not published by Marvel.[6]
Weapon II was later captured as part of a group of semi-animal characters includingHoward the Duck,Squirrel Girl,Beast, andRocket Raccoon. He appeared as a squirrel with Wolverine's "Adamantium skeleton, claws, intelligence, and healing factor". Weapon II also sports a visor and many of Wolverine's mannerisms.[7][8]
InWolverine and Captain America Weapon Plus #1 (July 2019), it is implied that the teamBrute Force, made of animal cyborg hybrids, was part of the Weapon II program.
Like Weapons II and IV, Weapon III was originally said to be experiments on animals, however, this was later retconned.
Weapon III (Harry Pizer)[9][10][11] was a mutant with elastic multi-sensory skin. Originally abarrister, he was recruited by the Weapon Plus program to help protect his nation from the approachingCold War. His skin's durability and elasticity was enhanced.[11] He originally worked inespionage, gathering intelligence from theSoviets.
He was eventually sent toOtherworld to retrieve the Orb of Necromancy. However, he was stopped byFantomex and, for the many deaths he caused, subsequently punished by theCaptain Britain Corps and flayed alive, his skin machined off and used to create sentient bullets.[10] He survived, however, and taught his muscles to function in a similar manner to his skin.[11]
He later worked withBlack Air and theBrotherhood of Mutants and was known as the Skinless Man. He developed a hatred of Fantomex, who he blamed for his current state. He later murdered Fantomex by ripping out his heart. He was later killed in retaliation byDeadpool.[12]
Weapon IV, was said to be employed on various criminals that were ethnic minorities astest subjects. However, Weapon IV is actually 'Project Sulfur' - the project spearheaded by Ted Sallis, whose research led him to become theMan-Thing.
Weapon V was originally believed to have been performed on ethnic people,[13] but then during the Vietnam War, thenS.H.I.E.L.D sponsored program under the pseudonym of Sym-soldier used pieces of the ancientsymbiote namedGrendel and bonded them to various able bodied operatives to fight in the conflict. However, the program was shut down after said enhanced specimens were driven mad by their second skins, having later been captured byNick Fury and Logan.[14][15]When the government got hold of theVenom symbiote, they decided to use it as part of Weapon V under the name of Project Rebirth 2.0 to create a new soldier with symbiote augmentation. They bonded the suit to former veteranFlash Thompson which resulted in the creation of Agent Venom.[16]
Project Rebirth 2.0 is later shut down by Captain America.[17]
The project would resume behind closed doors under the Weapon + director William Junger's supervision. Supplanting volunteers from a mercenary unit hailing out of Eaglestar International as waiting test subjects for virochemically neutered symbiote samples. The Klyntar used would purposely have their hive link severed so that the presence behind their proginator wouldn't irrevocably madden its hosts. But it was again put on ice when the demiurgically anointedDark Carnage went on a killing spree, collecting & harvesting Klyntar derived codex samples from the project, Mars Team and its supervisor Dr. Breen. Whom offered himself and what remains of the symbiote clad armorines in willing sacrifice to Knull's chosen after being corrupted by the Grendel samples he'd used on himself.[18]
Weapon VI was led by Dr.Noah Burstein and was responsible for givingLuke Cage his powers.[19]
Weapon VII, a.k.a. Project: Homegrown, experimented on human soldiers during theVietnam War. Some of the known participants who died in Project: Homegrown included Andrew Perlmutter, Michael Labash, John Walsh, James MacPherson and fourteen other unknown recruits. The only known successful subject of Project: Homegrown wasNuke, who had armored implants under his epidermis and was addicted to powerful narcotics. Logan, who would later become one of Weapon Plus' victims, kidnapped Nuke as a child, and oversaw his conditioning.
Weapon VII also experimented with adamantium bonding, which helped createCyber.
TheUnited Kingdom also had its own version of Project: Homegrown, a.k.a. the Black Budget, which managed to create the team known as theSuper Soldiers: Dauntless, Gog, Dreadnaught, Revenge, Victory, Invincible, Challenger, and some unnamed super-soldiers.
The Mercy Corporation, an offshoot ofS.H.I.E.L.D. that worked on super-soldiers and eventually broke off, also had its own unit of super-soldiers, using a serum similar to previous derivatives of the Super-Soldier Serum from Weapon I. Their agents included Jack Reno, Keel, Kyle, Agent Villarosa, Agent Davis and Agent Milo.
Weapons VIII experimented on criminals and psychopaths.
Weapon IX (according to artist Rob Liefeld) was originally supposed to be Wade Wilson, a.k.a.Deadpool.[20] Weapon IX is later revealed to be project 'Psyche', (Typhoid Mary).
The Weapon X Program experimented onmutants, most notablyWolverine. Later, however, the Weapon X Program branched off into other fields, employing or experimenting on a number of test subjects such asSabretooth. Eventually the program was shut down and became a part of the Canadian government known as Department K.Deadpool, who was a Weapon X reject, was created by Department K. The Facility, a civilian project with connections to the military Weapon X program, would eventually createX-23, a female clone of Wolverine created using genetic material salvaged from the original project.
No character under the official title of Weapon XI has been revealed. However; according to artist Rob Liefeld, Weapon XI was originally intended to beGarrison Kane, who went on to be better known as simply Kane, or confusingly Weapon X.[20]
Weapon Plus created Weapon XII (a.k.a. Huntsman, real name Zona Cluster 6) at theEngland-based facilities ofThe World. He was the first living weapon created employing artificial evolution and nanosentinel technology. Weapon XII was "accidentally" unleashed on theChannel Tunnel and foughtX-Corporation membersCannonball,M,Darkstar,Rictor,Siryn. andMultiple Man. Weapon XII was eliminated byFantomex with the aid ofJean Grey andProfessor X, but at the cost of Darkstar's life. Huntsman was created to be part of theSuper-Sentinels, a mutant-hunting team of superheroes with a base in a Weapon Plus space station. This team, a brainchild of Sublime, was intended to be a publicity stunt to make the genocide of mutants much more acceptable to the public.[21]
Weapon Plus created Weapon XIII, also known as Fantomex, at The World. While his experiment designation is Charlie Cluster-7, he usually goes by the name Jean-Phillipe. A part of Weapon Plus's Super-Sentinel program,Fantomex rebelled against his creators. As in the case of Weapon XII and VX, Fantomex's powers derive from Nanosentinel technology, such as his detachable nervous system, who becomes the techno-organic E.V.A, and his triple brain system, which can create "misdirection" illusions.Identical Brother to Weapon XV a.k.a Ultimaton.
InNew X-Men #154 (May 2004),Grant Morrison's last issue ofNew X-Men, the telepathic quintuplets called theStepford Cuckoos were identified as Weapon XIV.The Stepford Cuckoos' link to Weapon Plus is addressed in thePhoenix: Warsong miniseries, written byGreg Pak.
Weapon XV, a.k.a.Ultimaton, was designed to be the Super-Sentinels' grand powerhouse. His time developing on The World facilities made him several generations more advanced than the preceding living weapons, also granting him control over Electromagnetic Radiation.
He was killed after Wolverine destroyed the Weapon Plus space station that was designed as the Super-Sentinels HQ.Ultimaton was resurrected in The World and tasked by Fantomex with guarding a hidden chamber which held a child Apocalypse clone created from a blood sample taken from the one previously executed on the Celestial Ship. Upon the death of Fantomex in a fight between X-FORCE and Daken's Brotherhood, he self detonated and was later resurrected by a revived Fantomex to continue his role as caretaker of The World.
Weapon XVI, a.k.a. Allgod, is a "living religion", a virus that "attacks the faith reserves". People infected by Allgod worship the World, and become fanatically devoted slaves to it. Wolverine, Fantomex, andNoh-Varr team up to shut down the World (which has now become sentient), its weapons production, and Allgod along with it.[22]
Weapon Infinity, also known as Project:Deathlok, is the cyborg conversion of both ordinary citizens and then all superheroes in the future. The first steps were the reanimation of military corpses, then the wholesale conversion of dead bodies into "Deathloks", modelled after the hero of the same name. The Deathloks were then used to hunt down and convert all heroes of the future. Project: Deathlok was first seen inDark Reign, and later fleshed out in the final arc of Wolverine: Weapon X.Uncanny X-Force has since elaborated on the project, revealing it to be Weapon Infinity during the 'Deathlok Nation' arc.[23]
A number of scientists were funded by S.H.I.E.L.D to counteract the Weapon Plus program in case it went rogue. In what was explicitly labelled the Weapon Minus program, one of these scientists, when his branch of the project had his funding and materials cut, was forced to test the resultant mixture of Super-Soldier Serum andLSD on himself, the result was named Doctor Mindbubble, who had the psychic ability to create miniature mind-universes that could trap almost anyone.[24] He was intended to counter Weapon VII.
Project: Troubleshooter was run byRobert Maverick and used pre-existing substances to create a new super-soldier. They usedgamma radiation, Mutant Growth Hormone,Pym Particles, and theLizard formula to transform U.S. Army Corporal Todd Ziller intoAmerican Kaiju.[25]
An offshoot of the Weapon X program,Weapon H was created by ReverendWilliam Stryker and Aliana Alba of the Batch-H division as mutant-hunting cyborg infused with the DNA of theHulk andWolverine and subjected to the same adamantium-bonding process as Weapon X and injected with the reverse-engineered versions ofLady Deathstrike's nanites as well as the injection of the DNA samples that belonged toDomino, Lady Deathstrike,Sabretooth, andWarpath. Weapon H (then named H-Alpha) proved to be superior to H-Beta who Weapon H killed.[26]
During the "Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance" crossover event, the occultist Father Pike led Project Hellfire to bond the demon Bagra-ghul onto the recaptured Wolverine, turning him intoHellverine and controlling him into hunting down other mutants.[27][28] However, Hellverine resists his programming and kills Pike whileGhost Rider exorcises Bagra-ghul from Wolverine and seals him in stone.[29]
Project Hellfire is taken over by General Harms, who changes the Program to convert five deceased soldiers as undead cyborgs known as the Destroyers by resurrecting them with hellfire. However, the Destroyers reject their programming and rampage throughoutWashington, D.C. The Destoyers' activities catch the attention of the recently escaped and reformed Bagra-ghul, who is now possessing Wolverine's sonAkihiro as the new Hellverine, engaging in a massive conflict that kills most of the Destroyers. The Destroyers' former commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Leon Townsend, volunteers himself to turned into a similar super soldier by Project Hellfire so that he can stop his former team. After Townsend is converted, he tracks down the last surviving Destroyer, Corporal Jamie Doeden, and helps him regain his humanity. Townsend and Doeden help Hellverine and Wolverine kill the demonic empowered Harms, putting an end to Project Hellfire's plans. To prevent Project Hellfire from going rogue again, Hellverine leaves it under the care of the Destroyers and its sympathetic head researcher Dr. Spivey.[30]
The World is a secret lab owned by the Weapon Plus Project, in which the program scientists intend to create superior humans employing eugenics, nanotechnology and artificial evolution technology (time is "artificial" at the World and it can be frozen or altered in any way the Program Scientists desire). The artificial time technology employed by Weapon Plus was stolen fromA.I.M. A low level of gamma radiation is constantly present to produce mutations in the population.
The human DNA of the inhabitants' ancestors in this artificial environment was spliced with sentinel microtechnology, meaning they are no longer humans in the traditional meaning of the word, as they have evolved into a race of mutated and naturally born cyborgs refined through eugenics.
Because the scientists have absolute control over the time inside The World (according to Fantomex the time is "liquid"), both freezing it and speeding it up so that decades and centuries can pass within it while time runs normally in the real world, this opens up for new possibilities within the areas of eugenics and genetic engineering. The most promising individuals in each generation are selected while the others are terminated. Also natural selection in the form of the survival of the fittest is possible by exposing the population to different forms of selective pressure. This way, new breeds of superhumans can be evolved within a few months, instead of hundreds or thousands of years. Half a million years inside The World represents only eighteen months on the outside.
The World's facilities contain a population (with its own religion, history and culture) that is led to believe that beyond the World's limits there's nothing, other than endless rock and mutants who are coming to destroy them. Those who are selected for termination believe there is a reward awaiting them at the other side. The World is also filled with numerous experiments and prototypes of Weapon Plus, such as techno-organic human-animal car-cops.
The World was partially destroyed when agents of AIM attacked the facilities to recover the technology Weapon Plus stole from them. They are soon killed by Weapon XV.
After years of being uninhabited the World itself, still operational though abandoned, has become sentient, and is continuing to make super advanced Weapons. Wolverine and Noh-Varr head to the World to try and stopNorman Osborn from claiming it and its creations as part ofH.A.M.M.E.R. While there they are attacked by a large army of mutant zombies, soon revealed to be infected by Weapon XVI, "Allgod". Noh-Varr is rescued by Fantomex, who is there to retrieve the World's brain to help reprogram it into becoming a more benevolent and peaceful being. The two make their way to the World's brain, where they are confronted by the Allgod zombies, which now include Wolverine. Noh-Varr is disarms Allgod by kissing the World's brain, showing it some compassion. Immediately after this, Osborn's agent, a remote-controlled robot zombie, plunges its fist into the World's brain, removing part of the brain, only for Wolverine to slice the zombie's arm off. Fantomex then uses a shrink-ray he stole fromDoctor Doom to shrink the brain, and he takes the brain for his own purposes.[22]
| Title | Material Collected | Published Date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon Plus: Man-Slaughter | Absolute Carnage: Weapon Plus,Weapon Plus: World War IV, andWolverine & Captain America: Weapon Plus | October 29, 2020 | 978-1302925826 |
