Wolverine #1
"I'm Wolverine"

We begin our story with our hero, Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine, pulling himself up and over the edge of a cliff in the Canadian Rockies, in pusuit of a deadly grizzly bear that has just finished an unexplained killing spree on the natives. Making his way to the entrance of the bear's cave, Wolverine awaits for the bear's inevitable attack. As the bear strikes, Wolverine unleashes his 3 adamantium claws with a trademark 'Snikt!' and a battle ensues. After Wolverine finishes off the bear, it is revealed that an illegal poison-tipped arrow lodged in the bear's back is the cause of the bear's insanity and therefore the cause of the killing spree. Wolverine becomes determined to find the hunter responsible, who is in turn responsible for the deaths of the natives. Following the hunter's scent from the bear's cave, Wolverine makes his way to Josie's Bar 'N' Grill in the town of Coalspur. It's not long before Wolverine finds the hunter and tries to apprehend him. The hunter resists, starting a fight with Wolverine, which ends up being a grave mistake. The hunter is soon taken into custody.

     On a flight from Canada to Japan, we find ourselves with Wolverine in hopes to see the love of his life, Mariko Yashida. After several of his letters to her were returned unopened, Wolverine becomes suspicious and starts his quest to track her down. His reputation preceding him, Wolverine is taken to the head of Japanese customs, his old friend Asano Kimura.

While conversing with Asano, it is revealed that Mariko's father, the evil Lord Shingen, long thought to be dead, is actually alive and has taken his rightful place as the head of the Yashida clan. During his absence, Lord Shingen had incurred some great obligation, the return payment being his daughter Mariko's hand in marriage. Enraged, Wolverine makes his way towards the Yashida stronghold.

     Wolverine's search leads him to the compound's garden, where he finds Mariko beaten and bruised. Mariko resists Wolverine's efforts to have her leave with him, bound by her duty to her father and is interrupted by her husband, Noburu Hideki, Lord Shingen's assistant. Wolverine's instinct is to kill him, but succombs to Mariko's pleas not to hurt him. Upset at the situation, Wolverine storms out, only to be ambushed by poisoned shuriken and knocked unconsciousness.

Upon returning to consciousness, Wolverine finds himself in Lord Shingen's dojo and is immediately challenged to a duel with Lord Shingen himself. Still feeling the effects from the poisoned shuriken, Wolverine gets in a few hits in before he is severely beaten and defeated. The last thing Wolverine hears before he fades to black is Mariko's profession that he is not worthy of her.

     We awake with Wolverine passed out in a dark alley at night. Still tattered and torn, some street thugs happen upon Wolverine and ready themselves for a beatdown. As the street thugs are about to begin, they are swiftly taken out by a mysterious female figure. Crisis averted, the woman holds up Wolverine before he's about to pass out again and whispers "You're mine, Wolverine. Now and forever."

Wolverine #2
"Debts And Obligations"

     After a few slaps to the face, Wolverine awakes to find himself and Yukio, the mysterious female who saved him from some street thugs the night before, surrounded by a group of assassin ninjas known as The Hand. A battle commences and Wolverine defeats the massive horde, thanks to his mutant abilities. During the battle, Yukio's left arm is injured and Wolverine takes her back to his hotel room to look after her.

     
At the hotel, Wolverine and Yukio converse and Yukio explains that the attack from The Hand must've been sent by Katsuyori, Yukio's former boss and crimelord. Wolverine tells her she's safe with him and Yukio attempts to seduce him. Not being able to think of anyone but Mariko, the love of his life, Wolverine resists Yukio and leaves the room for some sleep. Yukio, jealous and upset, silently claims Wolverine for herself.

     That night while Wolverine is asleep, Yukio secretly visits his enemy, the evil Lord Shingen, Mariko's father, at his office in Tokyo's Meguro district. While in Shingen's office, it is revealed that the attack from The Hand was a setup by Shingen and Yukio in order for Yukio to win Wolverine's trust. Shingen and Yukio plot an attack on Katsuyori, Shingen's arch rival. Once Katsuyori is taken care of, Yukio is then to kill Wolverine.

  The next night, Wolverine and Yukio head off to a Kabuki theater to take care of Katsuyori. After infiltrating the heavily guarded theater, Wolverine finds that Katsuyori is having a meeting with none other than Shingen's assistant Noburu Hideki and his wife, Mariko! As the play begins, Wolverine tries to figure out Katsuyori's 'ace in the hole', a trap that no one can see coming. During the climax of the play, the lead actor takes out his katana and lunges for Noburu and Mariko. Wolverine, revealing himself from the shadows, counters the attack and chaos ensues. Wolverine begins to take on the entire Kabuki troupe, defending Mariko.
     Katsuyori and his wife make their way to their car in hopes to make it to their estate. Instead, the car blows up thanks to a bomb planted by Yukio. In the presence of Mariko, Wolverine reverts into a beserker rage, killing the rest of the troupe with ease.

    
     Mariko, shocked at seeing Wolverine unable to control himself, storms off and Wolverine stands alone, ashamed of his actions. Off in the shadows, Yukio thinks to herself, "Gotcha!"

Wolverine #3
"Loss"

 Some time has passed since Wolverine's embarassment at the Kabuki theater. Drunk with Yukio at an underground bar, Wolverine is engaged in a fight with Takahashi, a blacklisted sumo wrestler whom Wolverine defeats easily. Unable to take deafeat lightly, Takahashi blindsides Wolverine with a punch to the face. Now upset, Wolverine throws Takahashi out the window onto the street, revealing Wolverine's friend Asano Kimura waiting outside.

Upon leaving the bar, Asano pleads with the drunken Wolverine to help him and the Japanese Secret Service find out who is plotting to take over the Japanese underworld and then take over the country itself. Wolverine dismisses Asano and stumbles along with Yukio to her favorite hideout, an abandoned train station. In the shadows, the ninja assassins known as The Hand follow in pursuit.

While at the station, the sober Yukio pins down Wolverine and begins a game of chicken with an oncoming train. Barely escaping with their lives, Wolverine chastises Yukio before passing out on the ground. While unconscious, Wolverine dreams of feudal Japan, and a gaijin warrior (Wolverine) who rides up to a heavily guarded castle, defeats an army while enduring a thousand arrows, and makes his way to the central courtyard to win the hand of the woman he loves (Mariko).

     Meanwhile, with Wolverine still passed out, The Hand reveal themselves from the shadows and capture Yukio. Technically working for the same boss, the evil Lord Shingen, The Hand assassins offer Yukio one more chance to redeem herself by killing Wolverine right then and there. Yukio agrees, but with a surprise attack turns around and defeats the assassins. Shaking Wolverine to wake him up, Wolverine mumbles "M-Mariko...," which ignites a jealous fury from Yukio, who kicks him in the face, knocking him out again. Yukio storms off.

     Back at Wolverine's hotel room, Yukio, who is madly in love with Wolverine, wrestles with her thoughts regarding Wolverine's love for Mariko when she is interupted by someone breaking into the room. A man with a gun enters the room and is quickly taken care of by one of Yukio's poisoned blades.

     Wolverine, now awake and arriving at Yukio's apartment, wonders why he awoke next to some dead Hand assassins and what they would still want with Yukio. Upon entering the apartment, he immediately notices a dead man on the ground with one of Yukio's blades sticking out of his neck--his old friend Asano Kimura! Inspecting the blade, he recognizes the scent from the poisoned shuriken and suddenly realizes that Yukio is working for his nemesis, Lord Shingen. Yukio makes a run for it and Wolverine follows in pursuit.

     Traveling across rooftops, Wolverine chases Yukio and finally brings her down with one of her own blades. Crashing into a private garden and cornering Yukio, Wolverine is about to take her out when he is attacked by The Hand. A battle ensues. Sidetracked by his fight with The Hand, Yukio discreetly escapes. Once the fighting is over, The Hand beaten, Wolverine takes a few moments to think his life over.

Pondering over his life's purpose, he realizes that he cannot win back Mariko's love unless he tries, and that he is not a beast, but a man. Filled with a new sense of purpose and determination, Wolverine sets out to defeat Lord Shingen.

Wolverine #4
"Honor"

Wolverine, revived with a new sense of purpose, is determined to take down the evil Lord Shingen's empire and ultimately, Lord Shingen himself. Finding and dismantling every base in Shingen's criminal network, Wolverine sends the message back to Shingen: "I'm coming for you."

     Up in the Miyago mountains, where the Yashida clan stronghold sits, Lord Shingen and his associates are gathered discussing the situation when a box arrives, containing ninja hoods from dead Hand members and a note that reads "Tonight." Shingen crumbles the paper and summons The Hand. Shingen, having faced Wolverine in battle before, worries not and proclaims he will defeat him again, only this time permanently.

     Meanwhile, Wolverine, strapped with weapons from head to toe, readies himself for his attack on the Yashida clan fortress. Mariko, Shingen's daughter, is privately meditating to herself, pondering over whether she should listen to her heart or her head. She is in love with Wolverine but is honor bound to serve her father's wishes. In addition, she is already married to Noburu Hideaki, one of Shingen's associates who mistreats her.

     Also secretly attempting to assassinate Lord Shingen is Yukio, Wolverine's two-faced friend, who takes out a few guards and begins to penetrate the fortress. The Hand capture her and bring her to Shingen alive. Mariko unsuspectingly enters the room where Shingen has Yukio tied up. Yukio pleads for her life, but Shingen is not having it. However, seeing that Yukio knows something of honor after all, he lets her live, but not until after a pummeling. During the beating, The Hand guards radio in to Lord Shingen but are cut off. After Shingen tries to reconnect a signal, it is revealed that Wolverine has already penetrated the fortress and has taken out all the guards along the way. Yukio escapes when Shingen is not looking.

Not wanting to stick around, Noburu pulls out a gun, takes Mariko hostage and storms off. Wolverine stops him along the way and demands she be released. Noburu puts the gun to her head and demands that Wolverine stay out of his way.

     From the shadows, Yukio throws a few of her poisoned blades into the back of Noburu, thereby freeing Mariko and killing Noburu. Yukio cuts off the sash that Mariko is using for her robe, places it over Wolverine, then kisses him goodbye. Wolverine, upset she killed his friend Asano, but thankful she saved Mariko from Noburu, lets her go.

     Lord Shingen, now in his dojo, pulls out the family sword and readies himself for his battle with Wolverine. Wolverine and Shingen commence swordfighting, both slashing and cutting and drawing blood. The battle goes back and forth until Shingen makes a fatal mistake while taking a swing at Wolverine's shoulder.

      Wolverine grabs the blade with his left hand and with his right hand unsheathes his claws into Shingen's face, killing him.

    
Mariko enters the room and gasps, her father dead on the floor. Traditionally, since Wolverine killed her father, Mariko is honor bound to be Wolverine's enemy and kill him, but alas, she decides that her father was a disgrace to the family name and brought dishonor to the family sword. Wolverine fought for what was right until the bitter end, regardless of cost, and therefore is worthy of the sword. All obstacles now out of the way, Wolverine and Mariko finally embrace each other.

     In the following Spring, Wolverine sends out a wedding invitation to his friends, the X-Men, back in New York, which includes a personal message to Nightcrawler:

'Hey Elf - Don't forget the beer!' - W