Wolverine: Violent Tendencies

Marvel Pocket Books Novels

by Marc Cerasini

Once he was a valued key operative in Canada's special forces. Now the man known only as Logan has been forever transformed into "Weapon X" -- an unstoppable, indestructible killing machine, a bringer of mayhem with retractable harder-than-diamond-steel claws and the ability to recover from any wound.

It has been months since Logan escaped the secret research complex in the Canadian Rockies where he was held captive, breaking through punishing psychological conditioning, slaughtering all those who stood in his way, and fleeing into the wilderness. Now, at the clandestine agency known as Department K, the director of the Weapon X program decides it's time to reclaim the most successful experiment for his group. But before Weapon X is to be brought in, the director opts to present Logan with a few more challenges to see how this modern-day Frankenstein's monster has adapted to its new abilities...and magnifies the intensity of external threat in order to gauge Logan's full potential....

Genres: Superheroes, Marvel, Science Fiction, Comics, Comic Book

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 30, 2007

About the author

Best-selling author, Marc Cerasini has spent time on the New York Times and USA Today best-seller's lists. His writing spans from children's picture books and young adult novels to adult mystery and military nonfiction. Along the way, he's managed to ghostwrite for Tom Clancy.

Reviews

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is part of a series wlth each book being a stand alone. This book is based on the Marvel character. This takes place right after Logan has escaped from the lab that performed the procedure of adding adamantium to his body. He has taken refuge in the wild and just wants to be left alone. Obviously that does not happen.

I thought this was the weakest offering of this series but still an enjoyable read. I think the author does a terrific job with the portrayal of the main character. You get a real good sense of Wolverine's animal side while not giving completely to it. You also get a good sense of why he wants to be alone and not bother with the world. The setting just adds to the imagery as we are in the Canadian woods. The action scenes were more than fine as we deal with several people with powers. These scenes really show how much a badass Wolverine is and they are a good display of Wolverine's healing power. This was a good book to get a look into his character. Where this book didn't totally grab me was the antagonists. I never really felt them. They were serviceable but nothing special. A hero needs a good villain and this book didn't really provide that.

I do enjoy these books from this series. While this was not my favorite it did provide good character exploration that sometimes a comic collection cannot provide. These are nice reads for any fan of Marvel comics or the movies.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

My opinion of this audiobook spun up and down like a yo-yo.

On the one hand there were some intriguing characters like Dr. Meghan Vigil and Tom Swimminghorse with well-crafted backstories, but on the other there was just a touch too much fetishization of military hardware, as well as callous dispatching of sympathetic minor characters.

Lastly, as a Canuck I cringed at the malapropisms like "Canadian Royal Navy", editorial should have caught them.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good. It was far and away one of my favorite Marvel novelizations I've read so far. The writing was stellar and the character development was really well done. I really liked Thomas and thought we got just enough of his plot and backstory to make him at least somewhat likable without feeling like it was bogging down the story. I also greatly appreiciated with the direction Logan's character was taken as well. It felt very likely to be true based on what avid comic readers know of him.

[PMoslice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolverine stories tend to be good and this one did not disappoint. Violent Tendencies is placed at a time when Wolverine does not exist, but instead Weapon X. In a fog and unable to remember anything Logan finds himself living off the land when a chance encounter with a hunter from a small of the grid community gives him pause. Later he is faced with another, less friendly entity and the flood gates open releasing the rage, strength and healing ability we all know and love. This is an excellent tail of survival, humility, humanity and the tough ruggedness you would expect from Wolverine

[Dovile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less gory than 'Wolverine: Weapon X' by the same author, and this time we actually get to see more of the Logan we know, not just a mindless killer. The writing is very good and easily brings the scenes' sights, smells, and sounds into the mind's eye. Definitely an interesting read, even if you're not much of a Wolverine fan.

[Keith B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marc Cerasini is a good writer. I am enjoying his books. Wolverine is amazing. Movie is campy compared to the books.

[Jeanique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read...you really see the struggle Logan goes through to be more man than Beast; and that he still can't always win. He is forced prove his humanity here.

[Gene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story takes place a couple months after Logan makes his escape from the weapon X program. It's pretty good, decent little side story with everyone's favorite mutant.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guilty pleasure reading/Crack.

[Numa Parrott · Rating 3 out of 5]

About what I expected to get when I picked up a Wolverine novel from a decade or two ago. Kind of poorly written and not very well read (audiobook). Deeply disturbing use of an autistic character and some uncomfortably token Native American representation. Wolverine doesn’t really do much and the plot revolves around a collection of vaguely interesting local characters and some unbelievably corny evil scientists.

[Derrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I appreciate that these Logan stories are not a collection of short stories, but seriously, they all are the same. He can't remember who he is ever and then the story is around that. This one was super simple story and not engaging at all. Maybe this happens right after he becomes Logan, but I'm getting tired of these stories.

[Allie Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Interesting matchups and fights, but overall in the plot not much changes or happens in terms of character development that doesn’t amount to more than “Wolverine discovering himself in the woods.” Better character concepts than executions. Some spice but not planned out very well or interesting really. Decent story but could be done better.

[Randy · Rating 2 out of 5]

An early novel about Logan pre X-men days. That being said it is overall forgettable. You could easily swap out Wolverine with any other creature/character and have this be its own story not marvel related.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun fast exciting surprisingly-gory-superhero-military-mutant-craziness

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t stomach it.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. It moved faster than I thought it would after I started reading it. This is a direct sequel to 'Weapon X' and we find out what happened to Logan after he escaped from the laboratory that made him who he is.

We find out the 'Special K' group [I don't remember what they're called; maybe it was 'Department K'] is still tracking Logan and interested in their 'Weapon X.' Logan has settled on a mountainside near a small village of squatters and within fifty miles of the lab from which he escaped. He has moments of blackouts where rage takes over and he does not remember anything, but he is valiantly trying to fight these 'rage-outs' to find and keep his humanity. Logan encounters some squatters who attempt to help him; in the end, he is forced to leave due to some traumatic injuries that reduce him back to his 'animal state' .

An 'older' unit considered expendable by 'The Voice' is sent in to find Logan and either capture or kill him. This unit is composed of soldiers who were horrifically wounded yet survived; their bodies were altered to make them living weapons in order to give them a reason to live [as it were]. The first Null Unit soldier is severely injured battling Logan; the second Null Unit soldier is killed by one of the squatters who is trying to help Logan. I do not remember what happens to the third, but another soldier kills a little girl and makes it look like Logan killed the child. After the Null Unit's failures, The Director decides to mix things up.

Another team 'called START' is sent in to capture or kill Logan with the help of a modified AC-130 gunship; this is a 'newer' team and composed of five individuals who have special gifts and have also been enhanced to serve as specialized soldiers/weapons. In fact, one of them is also a mutant, and he confronts Logan with physical combat due to his special gifts/talents. Logan kills this team, but after being tagged by one of the team members Logan barely escapes from the retaliatory gunship fire. It is a vicious battle that Logan barely survives.

Finally, Logan saves a woman who has 'green eyes and red hair' from being murdered and he falls in love with her. She was a scientist and an observer of The Matron's Unit and their methods, but she believed her life to be in danger and a Canadian military corporal who cared for her attempted to save her by taking her away from the facility. Logan comes upon the failed escape attempt and saves her by killing the security guards attempting to kill her. The Matron is delighted with the escape attempt and subsequent rescue; The Director not so much. This is because Logan's actions indicate he is rediscovering more of the humanity he once thought lost to him, which means the initial attempts at long-term, permanent behavioral modification failed. Through her touch and their lovemaking, he continues to regain his lost humanity, but her death during his final battle throws him over the edge and he nearly kills Thomas, a local townsperson who had befriended him.

The woman turns out to be another one of the Null Unit's soldiers specially modified to deceive a person's perception[s]. Between the death of the woman he thought he loved and wounds suffered during his final battle, Logan is decimated and leaves Thomas [a Native American soldier whom Logan had 'befriended' from the town] alive and confused. Meanwhile, the Matron [in charge of the Null Unit] confronts The Director after deleting as many files about the Weapon X program that she can and triggers a small nuke in her chest, killing The Director and everyone else in the compound associated with Department K. The book ends with Meghan [the woman Logan thought he had fallen in love with] hitchhiking to Second Chance for a new lease on life [the Matron having spared her life after Logan survived his final battle and escaping].

I thought it was a well-written sequel and tied in nicely with 'Weapon X.' It also filled in gaps about what happened to Logan directly after he escaped from the facility. It also let us know that Department K had not quite given up on their prized possession yet, and that they were actively seeking him in order to capture him. We also learn that various organizations are interested in Weapon X [including SHIELD, the Russians, and AIM, et al].

It had good pacing. It kept my interest. I enjoyed reading it.

[Sethrichardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really excellent book that immediately sparked my interest. In this book it gives you all of the lost details that some of the wolverine comics and movies never could. Along with these details the story line was such an intricate and interwoven one that I'd imagine that if the reader had no prior history of wolverine they would be completely lost. One of the reasons that made this book so good was all of the imagery involved throughout. The author perfectly captures the two battling halves of his internal beast taking control of him and making him black out and his logical mind trying to keep control of his power. Overall it was a very interesting book to read and I would suggest it to super hero story fans or just anyone looking for a great story.

[Hilmi Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolverine: Violent Tendencies merupakan novel kesinambungan atau sekuel kepada Wolverine: Weapon X. Malahan,kedua-dua novel ditulis oleh penulis yang sama,iaitu Marc Cerasini. Jika di dalam Weapon X,mengisahkan mengenai sejarah bagaimana Wolverine atau Logan mendapat salutan adamantium ke atas tulang badannya,Violent Tendencies pula menceritakan apa yang berlaku selepas Logan berjaya melarikan diri daripada makmal ujian yang cuba menjadikannya sebagai Weapon X.

Di dalam novel kali ini,Logan hidup umpama orang asli yang hidupnya bergantung kepada sumber hidupan liar. Dia menjadikan sebuah gua di kawasan pergunungan berhutan di Kanada sebagai tempat perlindungannya. Dia juga menemui dan berkomunikasi dengan seorang penduduk di sebuah kawasan penempatan yang dipanggil Second Chance. Individu itu bernama Thomas Swimming Horse,seorang bekas anggota tentera berketurunan Red Indian atau orang asli Amerika yang mempunyai sejarah hidupnya yang tersendiri.

Pada masa yang sama,Department K,sebuah agensi kerajaan yang membiayai eksperimen Weapon X,cuba untuk mendapatkan kembali hasil kajiannya itu. Oleh itu,Weapon Null Program (WNP) diaturgerakkan. WNP merupakan sebuah program yang mirip seperti program Weapon X. Menjadikan manusia sebagai senjata yang boleh dimanupilasikan. Di bawah seliaan seorang wanita yang bernama Matron,terdapat lima subjek di dalam WNP yang akan digunakan untuk menghadapi Logan. Mereka adalah Slammer,Blowtorch,Thorne,Cypher,dan Bipolar. Setiap seorang masing-masing mempunyai keupayaan luar biasa yang menakjubkan. Namun demikian,harga untuk mencapainya menyaksikan anggota fizikal mereka diubahsuai. Amat berbeza sekali rupa paras mereka berbanding manusia normal!

[4fabfelines Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolverine is being hunted by the lab he escaped from. They send weapon after weapon after him. The town in the valley knows something is going on, but they are too frightened to find out what except for a former Army Sergeant. Thomas Swimming Horse meets up with the Wild Man on the mountain. He is intrigued by him. Logan could have killed him but didn't.
Thomas hears more fighting on the mountain and shoots a soldier with a flamethrower trying to cook Logan, Thomas get hurt in the process and Logan takes him in and nurses him back to health.
Thomas and Logan become friends of a sort and Thomas finds out more about the lonely Weapon X on the mountain.
The army sergeat and logan rid the mountain of the labs' men and Logan has a chance to go free.. but Logan pays a price.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice follow up to Weapon X! It gives us more background on what could have happened to Logan after his escape from the Weapn X facility and what he had to do to survive. Again Cerasini has a really good handle on Logan and the depth of charcter that he has. The action is exciting and fast paced, the quiet moments are well paced and ballance the action nicely. A really good read and a must read for any fan of Wolverine and/or the Weapon X novel.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoy the character of Wolverine and would like to see him loosly reinvented against a cast of more stock characters this is the book for you! Truthfully, I have read nearly all of these Wolverine serial books. Each of them are kind of fun brain drain type of fiction. Fast paced and fun to read through quickly, no redeeming literary qualities.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

well, I have to say I liked it alot,and it really did open up the character of Wolverine alot more for me. really,really graphic and an ending that's somewhat confusing (at least for me, I was probably just slow when I read it) but yeah,it's all good

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!

[bluetyson]

Wolverine: Violent Tendencies by Marc Cerasini (2007)

[Cami]

Too 'manly' for me.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice set paced book about the events post Logan's Adamantium bonding and escape from Dept K labs. The recovery from animal ferocity with little thought to a man that has a conscience and is trying to understand the events that happened to him. I like the idea of the second chance commune in how it shows many of us have to truly get away from the world we know to get a second chance and that even goes in many ways for Logan.