Issue(s): Wolverine #66, Wolverine #67, Wolverine #68
Cover Date: Feb-Apr 93
Title: "Prophecy" / "Valley o' death!" / "Epsilon Red"
Credits:
Larry Hama - Writer
Mark Texeira - Penciler
Mark Texeira & Steve Biasi / Mark Texeira & Jimmy Palmiotti - Inker
Lisa Patrick - Assistant Editor
Bob Harras - Editor

Review/plot:
Steve Biasi is credited with "art assist" on issue #66 and "backgrounds" on issue #68. For issue #67, Mark Texeira & Jimmy Palmiotti are listed as co-inkers. Issue #68 is Texeira's last.

At the end of the last arc, John Wraith mentioned "Terry Adams" to Wolverine, but Wolverine didn't know what he was talking about. Due to Wolverine's appearances in other books, this story takes place much later, but it follows up on that, with Wolverine investigating that and then having his memory regress to the first time he was on the "Terry Adams" mission in "1967" (later said to be 1968).

Wolverine's regression is said in part to be due to the deaths of Mariko and Silver Fox, which came in quick succession. But the regression was really triggered when Wolverine asked Professor X to unlock all his blocked memories. Xavier reluctantly tried, at which point Wolverine freaked out and ran off. Most of issue #67 shows Wolverine following the trail of his original mission while hallucinating, allowing Texeira to draw various things from circa 1967, like the Beatles, Star Trek, Archie Bunker, Castro, the Kennedys, etc.

One interesting thing while Wolverine is hallucinating is that it's said that Wolverine needs protein for his mutant healing factor to work. Which makes sense, but it's never been mentioned before.

Wolverine eats some vultures to get the protein he needs.

We also learn that the Hand has put a million yen bounty on Wolverine, which isn't related to anything in this plot.

Searching for Wolverine, the X-Men learn from Wraith that Maverick was Wolverine's case officer on the original mission, so they go to him to get more information regarding "Terry Adams". Maverick is in the middle of investigating a serial killer that is targeting mutants.

But Maverick stops to help with the Wolverine problem. He informs the X-Men that "Terry Adams" isn't a person; it's slang for "Tyuratam", a former Soviet Space Center. That's where Wolverine is heading, and the X-Men head there as well.

It turns out that Wolverine had been sent to kill a "Soviet Super Astronaut" named Epsilon Red back in 1968 to prevent the Soviets from getting to the moon before the US. Wolverine ultimately opted not to do so. Returning now, he meets Epsilon Red's daughter, Elena Ivanova. The assumption is that he's back to kill Red again, which is sort-of true due to Wolverine's regression.

The reason Wolverine opted to not kill Epsilon Red the first time was because he found out that Red was bred to survive in space, which means that he's tragically stuck in a containment suit while on Earth. Red also had a pregnant wife. Red was actually depressed about his situation, and begged Wolverine to complete his mission, but Wolverine hesitated, especially after Red's wife told him that Red's condition might be reversed.

We learn that after Wolverine hesitated the first time, Sabretooth showed up with new orders telling Wolverine to abort the mission.

Epsilon Red is a psi-talent with mental abilities, and he (seemingly) helps Wolverine further unlock his memories of the previous incident, supposedly releasing what had been blocked but not necessarily restoring anything that had been erased.

Epsilon Red's mission was prioritized when the US beat the Soviets to the moon, and it seems Red and his daughter have been living at the Tyuratam base ever since, and Red's condition has never been reversed. So Wolverine helps Red hijack a Russian spaceship, allowing him to go into space where his body can survive without the suit.

In the end it turns out that it was Red's daughter Elena that was really using her abilities to unlock Wolverine's memories, and she didn't let him see the whole thing. After aborting the mission, Sabretooth returns to kill Elena's mother.

While unlocking Wolverine's memories, she also took information about Sabretooth so that she can seek vengeance.

This story demonstrates an interesting but possibly annoying way in which Wolverine's lost memories can serve as a storytelling engine. At any time, Wolverine might suddenly remember some old event from his past that causes him to go on a new mission (or, as in this case, re-live an old one). The memories don't even have to be anything important, as is pretty much the case this time (let's face it, nothing that we learn here is really core to Wolverine's backstory, although Elena Ivanova will figure into Maverick's solo series). So these lost memories can trigger any random adventure. Which isn't much different than "Peter Parker learns about a crime ring while working at the Daily Bugle" or "Matt Murdock gets a client with a problem", but since Wolverine's past has been a mystery for so long, bringing up lost memories raises expectations that may not be met.

Statement of Ownership Total Paid Circulation: Average of Past 12 months = 424,700. Single issue closest to filing date = 377,300.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - first Elena Ivanova

Chronological Placement Considerations: A week is said to pass in issue #66, after Wolverine ran off when Xavier unlocked his memory. This arc starts off a domino chain of unrelated but dependent events. On the way home from this adventure, Wolverine and the X-Men stop in Colossus' portion of Russia for X-Men #17-19 (so that should follow pretty much directly). In a subplot in that story, X-Force learn about the death of the Hellions, which leads to New Warriors #31. And (some of) X-Force return from that adventure in X-Force #19. So all of those stories can't take place until after this. And since the story starting in New Warriors #32 features Dr. Strange before his power loss, Doctor Strange #48-50 has to take place after this (which in turn affects the placement of other books featuring Strange, including Fantastic Four and Secret Defenders).

References:

• Mariko died in Wolverine #57 and Silver Fox died last arc.
  
• While he's hallucinating, Wolverine sees the corpse of Janice, from X-Men #7. There's also mention of a wino that was said to have died at the beginning of the Weapon X story in Marvel Comics Presents #72.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

What the H-E- double hockey sticks was going on in Marvel editorial, the story was ok, but that art was just atrocious. Look at how small Cyclops' head is compared to his body.

Reading this summary gave me a headache. I'm like this with Wolverine's memory like I am wish Song Of Fire and Ice/Game of Thrones "I DON'T CAAAAARE ANYMORE!" Wolverine's memory stuff looks to be done to death and the 90s have only begun.

At this point, is it canon that Wolverine's memories are supressed by trauma due to his healing powers, or is it just unexplained?

No, the explanation at this point is that the Weapon X program tampered with his memories at the same time they put his adamantium skeleton and claws in him.

I love Tex's work, even if his figures sometimes defy anatomy.

A penciler like Javier Saltares, who partnered with him on Ghost Rider, kept the proportions correct.

Reading the X-Men events chronologically, I found this arc very confusing. I didn't remember who or what Terry Adams was supposed to be (the previous arc happened way back, as fnord stated) and the way the first issue plot develops, along with Texeira's messy art, contributed a lot for the confusing impression I got.