Spider-Tracer: The “Old Man Logan” Connection

Welcome back, Spider-Man fans! I hope you’re all doing well. I recently celebrated a birthday, and, in addition to getting a little older (Ughhh…), I received the “Old Man Logan” trade paperback as a gift. I’d read it years before, but I always wanted the tpb for the collection, and this was a great present. Anywho, skimming back through this book, I got to realizing just how integral Spider-Man and his world was to this story. In addition to this, it’s been five years since the release of the movie “Logan” (which based a lot of its plot on the “Old Man Logan” story), so I thought looking back at the Spider-Man elements of this story would be a fitting topic for this month’s Spider-Tracer article. For those of you interested in reading this Mark Millar and Steve McNiven story for yourselves, you can either pick up the trade paperback, or you can round up issue #s 66-72 of Wolverine’s second ongoing title and “Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant-Size” #1. Now, hop in your arachnid-themed vehicles and let’s go!

 

Speaking of arachnid-themed vehicles, let’s talk about…

 

The Spider-Mobile

 

 

A blind Hawkeye approaches the former Wolverine, now only calling himself Logan, for help with transporting a mysterious package across the country. Clint promises Logan that there’s money in it for him, and with the rent coming due (his landlords are the Hulk’s inbred children, so you can probably guess how much they like Logan), Logan agrees to help him. But, for a mission like this, you need to travel in style, and what could be better than a vehicle built by the Human Torch (with some modifications courtesy of Clint and one of his ex-wives)? That’s right, I’m talking about the Spider-Mobile! The Spider-Mobile makes it the entire length of their intended journey, though it’s not known what became of it afterwards. Knowing this timeline? It’s probably been stripped of its parts by now, unfortunately.

 

Ex-Wife #3

 

 

At some point in his past, Clint married Peter Parker’s youngest daughter, Tonya. She owns a garage and has since remarried Ultron-8; don’t worry, he’s not evil in this alternate future. It’s during Logan and Clint’s journey that they run into them and discover that Clint and Tonya’s daughter, Ashley, has travelled from Hammer Falls, Nevada (the sight where Thor’s hammer fell) to Salt Lake City in order to take down the villain running the place.

 

Ashley Barton/ Spider-B!+(#

 

 

In order to combat the villain running Salt Lake City (more on them in a moment), Ashley dons a spin on her grandfather’s Spider-Man costume and calls herself Spider-B!+(#! (she’s since changed her name to Spider-Girl and, finally, Spider-Woman). Ashley has since shown up in a few Spider-Verse-related stories and even received her own action figure in Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line. Unfortunately for Ashley, she’s captured by…

 

The Kingpin

 

 

I probably should have mentioned that Salt Lake City has had its named changed to Fisk Lake City. And while the Kingpin is running the place (he killed Magneto to take it over!), it’s not Fisk actually using the Kingpin name. This new Kingpin’s name is never revealed before Spider-B!+(# decapitates him and takes over his territory for herself. Before she can kill her father (he and Logan naturally went to rescue her), Logan arrives in the Spider-Mobile just in the nick of time to save Clint and drive away through the desert and on to their destination.

 

Daredevil and Punisher

 

 

Ashley Barton hadn’t attacked the Kingpin alone. Two people decided to help her and assume the Punisher and Daredevil’s identities (both of the originals having been major allies to Spider-Man in the past, of course), though this was short-lived: Kingpin had fed them to some dinosaurs imported from the Savage Land. Ouch.

 

Mysterio

 

 

It’s soon revealed that in the past, the villains rose up together to fight the heroes and won (this sort of reminded me of “Act of Vengeance”, and you’ll see why in a moment). So how did the villains take down the X-Men? Mysterio, able to confuse even Wolverine’s senses, made him think that all of their villains were attacking the X-Mansion en masse. Mysterio eventually revealed himself to Wolverine, but only after he’d slaughtered every member of the X-Men; the villains that Wolverine thought he was fighting were actually his friends! Distraught, Wolverine immediately hung up his costume, and refused to pop his claws for fifty years after what he had done. It’s worth noting that Old Man Logan eventually makes his way to the main Marvel Universe (Earth-616), and one of his goals before departing is to kill Mysterio. But that is, perhaps, a story for another time.

 

Venomsaurus Rex

 

 

After escaping Spider-B!+(#, Logan and Clint continue making their way through the desert as the Venom symbiote watches them from afar. Out here, the Savage Land-imported dinosaurs I mentioned are dumped here. Much like the irresponsible people who buy baby alligators and then release them into the wild, the overgrown lizards eventually wind up here. Soon, the Venom symbiote from earlier catches up to the Spider-Mobile, and it’s hitched a ride on a T-Rex to do so! Black Bolt is fortunately able to save our heroes’ bacon with his sonic voice by merely whispering the word “Stop.”

 

Spider-Man’s Mask

 

 

In the wake of the villains’ victory, the United States was divided up into different territories, including the aforementioned Fisk Lake City, Osborn City, and something called “The Lizard King” in Florida. Along the course of Logan and Clint’s journey, we discover that the United States still has a president; he’s even added his face to Mount Rushmore. The new President? Why, it’s none other than the Red Skull! Within his New Babylon headquarters (our heroes’ destination), we discover that the Red Skull, now clad in Bucky’s Captain America uniform, has amassed quite a collection of hero trophies, including Spider-Man’s torn mask!

 

And that’s just part of the story, gang; specifically, the Spider-Man-related parts. If you want to know more (and there’s so, so much more), I can’t recommend checking out this story enough! Millar keeps the twists and turns coming, and McNiven’s art is simply terrific! Have you guys read this story and/or any of its spin-offs? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments section below!