Origin
Itsu, Wolverine’s Japanese wife, was in her last stages of pregnancy, but was murdered by the Winter Soldier while he was trying to get Wolverine back to Madripoor. Logan thinks that his son is dead along with his mother, but in fact, after Itsu’s death, a strange man wearing a trench coat, who hides his identity, cuts the baby (Daken) from his mother’s womb and leaves her lying on the floor. Daken survives this event because he got a healing factor from his father.
After being ripped from his mother’s womb, sometime around the year 1946, he is placed on the door step of a wealthy young Japanese couple named Akihira and Natsumi. The couple thought of this as a great gift because Natsumi could not get pregnant and raise him as their own. Although Akihira named him Akihiro, the house servants and other families secretly call him Daken, a slur on his mixed heritage. Growing up Akihiro was teased by the other boys of the village, his bad treatment over the years caused Akihiro to grow cold and hateful toward everyone except to Akihira whom he loved dearly. One night Natsumi confessed to Akihira that she didn’t love their adopted son, although she tried to, and after years of trying she was finally pregnant. Akihiro heard this and began plotting.
A year passed, and after the baby was born Akihiro confronted Natsumi and tells her that he has killed the baby. Natsumi was furious and disowned Akihiro, who responded by saying “Akihiro is not my real name;” Natsumi attacked Akihiro which triggered Akihiro’s mutant ability, and he “popped” his claws for the first time, killing Natsumi; also in the room was Akihira who could not bring himself to harm his adopted son so he killed himself.
Creation
Daken was created by writer Daniel Way and penciler Steve Dillon. He first appeared in the astral plane in Wolverine Origins #4, then a flashback as a baby in Wolverine Origins #5, then finally appearing as a grown man in Wolverine Origins issue 10 (2007).
Character Evolution
With little-to-no emotion, Daken consistently wavers between doing things that would counter his father or be in line with his father. After appearing as an antagonist for most of Wolverine: Origins, Daken appeared in Dark Avengers as a member of the eponymous team and began using his father’s codename and his old costume. As Wolverine, Daken appeared in countless books which crossed over with the Dark Reign event and received his first solo series with Dark Wolverine. Daken eventually abandoned the Wolverine identity not long after Siege, and adopted a new costume in Daken #1, the first issue of his second solo series. Daken was cancelled at #23 and the titular character was apparently killed off in the final issue, although he returned a few months later in the pages of Uncanny X-Force where he was killed off again. Daken returned again in Uncanny Avengers, resurrected as a Horseman of Death.
Unlike his father (wolverine), Daken has no moral code about killing innocent lives. He will use people for ‘certain’ things, and will eventually kill them. He has been depicted displaying a bisexual nature. It is unknown at this time whether this is orientation, or simply Daken using these situations to his advantage. It could just be his natural drive to be in control at all times. Daken has been heavily and irreversibly brainwashed. In Dark Wolverine issue 80, it is suggested that Daken is extremely lacking in any true feeling whatsoever. This includes taking lives. Emmy Doolin asks him if he ever gets tired of killing, to which he responds “No”. To get tired of something…You have to be invested first. You have to care, just a little. And I don’t.” This suggests he is solely driven by the necessary need to survive. Through his harsh upbringing, Daken has developed a need for control. The lengths he will go to achieve even a sliver of it is remarkable. It has been shown he has a sheer hatred for being used in a similar manner to the way he uses everyone else around him. He accepts that Wolverine is his biological father, but still has hatred toward him for unknown reasons. He has some loyalty to another paternal figure known as Romulus. He may not enjoy being a part of Osborn’s Avengers, but he even decided once to invite Skaar, the Son of the Hulk, to be on the team, with whom he has a lot in common. Daken has often displayed a degree of homosexuality, using his pheromones to even entice and arose or confuse men. In Dark Wolverine #84, he is seen using his pheromones on Bullseye to demonstrate his dominance over him.
Major Story Arcs
Born in Blood
The mysterious being know as Romulus then came to take Akihiro away, Akihiro took the name Daken as his real name. Years later, disguised as a SHIELD officer, Daken sneaked into SHIELD headquarters and brutally stabbed Dum Dum Dugan, who has recently been confirmed to have survived. He then proceeded to cut Wolverine, who was imprisoned in the agency, across the stomach, and left him to bleed.
Wolverine survived, and escaped from the agency (revealed to be helped by Daken). Daken next is found in Berlin at the home of some woman, whose emotions he has been viciously playing with. He leads her to believe that he was having an affair with a man that, in reality, he was actually going to kill him in order to steal a passport (there was no real affair what-so-ever). Knowing that she would drink a whole bottle of burgundy to ease her pain, he poisons it, which kills her. He ends the relationship and her life so that no loose ends could be left to tie him to his crimes.
As he walks through the streets, he is contacted by an innocent messenger about his master’s ultimate goal. Daken kills the messenger, then shows up on a train going to Brussels, observing his father in a nearby stolen car. He receives a phone call from a friend (the recently resurrected Cyber) who informs him of his father’s destination. He meets his father in a bank vault, where they begin a bloody battle, with Daken gaining the upper hand. Cyber then breaks into the vault and challenges Daken to a fight. Daken refuses to show him to his master, and flees the scene.
Daken is then seen with Wild Child. He is being whipped by his Master, who tells him to stay away from his father.
The Deep End
Daken had recently re-appeared and confronted Deadpool and his father. He interrupts the two, as Wolverine is restrained by chains and ropes while dangling over a pool of water. Daken pops his claws and cuts off Deadpool’s left hand before he can pull the lever to drop Wolverine into the water, with the intention of drowning him. Daken engages Deadpool and quickly gains the upper hand. During the fight Daken kicks two of Deadpool’s grenades into the pool, which explode seconds later and freed Wolverine from the pool.
Daken cuts off Deadpool’s other hand and stabs him in the chest and stomach repeatedly, taking him out of the confrontation. Daken confronts Wolverine only to be shot in the back of the head through a window sniper style by Bucky. Wolverine reveals that Daken was shot with one of three Carbonadium bullets made by the Tinkerer. The bullets were made from the leftovers from the Carbonadium synthesizer which was used to make a new pacemaker for Cyber.
Wolverine tells Daken about the effects of Carbonadium on their healing factors and that he will remove the bullet soon which will return Daken’s healing factor back to normal. Wolverine picks Daken up and cradles him in his arm’s and carries him out of the warehouse but not before telling Deadpool [who was a bloody mess and hand-less] that Wolverine let Deadpool capture him to draw out Daken and that if Deadpool comes near him or his son again he will kill him.
Original Sin
Wolverine eventually removes the bullet from Daken’s head allowing him to heal, though an unexpected side-effect is found; the carbonadium caused Daken to lose his memory. Logan decides to take advantage of the situation, and have a telepath put Daken’s memories back in place, undoing the conditioning done by Romulus.
Logan brings Daken to San Fransisco and leaves him with his friend Tso Wen Ru and tells Ru to take Daken to a safe-house if he does not return within an hour. He then goes to Emma Frost and Charles Xavier to help with Daken’s condition. When Logan fails to return in an hour Ru does as ordered, he takes Daken to an apartment belonging to Tso Ren Wu’s granddaughter. Daken requests to be left alone and someone contacts him telepathically. A woman named Claudine tells him to meet her on the roof. Daken goes up and sees Miss Sinister meditating. She offers Daken a chance to regain his memories, but he refuses. Sinister then tells him Logan is not a friend and it’s his fault Daken lost his memories; Daken doesn’t believe her. Seeing her plan failed, Sinister calls Sebastian Shaw to continue on with his plan.
In Chinatown, Shaw’s choppers drop napalm on the building where Daken is staying. Ru’s granddaughter realizing the danger, warns him but it’s too late. Daken survives the attack and kills two of Shaw’s men searching for survivors. Realizing that he recognizes the feelings, he begins to mourn the death of Ru and his granddaughter. Sinister then turns to him, telling him he can stay and mope or come to her if what just happened remind him of the past. Sinister takes him to a mansion where Shaw is waiting.
In Panama, Sebastian Shaw welcomes Daken. Shaw tries to impress his power upon Daken, offering to allow him to keep the mansion when Daken shows interest.To answer Daken’s question, Shaw says he wants to help him regain his memories in exchange for a favor. Miss Sinister gets into Daken’s mind, trying to find what blocks his memories. It begins well, but then she hits a wall and despite several tries she fails to break it down. She tells Daken she can’t at the moment because she needs more preparation, and sends him away.
Unknown to Daken a weakened Claudine tells Shaw there is a natural telepathic block and another oneâa trap. Shaw assumes it was created by Romulus. He wants to think about the situation for himself and sends Claudine to entertain Daken. Claudine follows him, joining Daken on a balcony, watching the sunset. It seems like a romantic moment, but Daken is not in the mood. Claudine is impressed by his brutal nature and they kiss.
Daken is anxious and asks Claudine when he’ll get his memories. She tries to relax him and says it will take a while, since his mind is wired and needs the sacrifice of someone else. She sends a wave to his head and Daken falls asleep and is taken away to the lab. Shaw and Claudine leave him there for Xavier to find. Charles gets into Daken’s mind and faces an area scar tissue bigger than his father’s. He easily breaks the wall, but then finds the trap. Daken awakens and Xavier collapses. Claudine comes in and tries to plant new memories in Daken, “telling” him about their longtime relationship and his love for Shaw. To her surprise, Daken is not affected and stabs her. Daken says he has his real memories back and is sick of being messed with. He turns to the comatose Xavier and is about to pop his claws into his head, when Wolverine shows up to stop him.
Wolverine and Daken stand over Xavier’s unconscious body. Wolverine tries to talk his son out of a fight, but fails and the troubled young man attacks. Taking advantage of the fight he’s always wanted, Daken attacks his father viciously, yet the fight is one-sided. Logan doesn’t fight back, refusing to even pop his claws, and lets the kid work on him, even going so far as to mention the “belief” he had a son. Daken strikes as hard as he can and gets angrier and angrier. Wolverine blames himself for the death of Daken’s mother and tells the kid to get his revenge on him. When Logan finally does react, Daken slips even further into rage and begins attacking more fervently.
Suddenly Daken finds himself in his home town, watching a conversation between Xavier and his father. He says Logan shouldn’t have told Daken he killed his mother, but Logan answers he did that so Daken would have his revenge. Charles makes him understand that it was Romulus’ entire fault because he didn’t want Wolverine and Daken to have a good life, a family. He shows Logan the Winter Soldier, the brainwashed assassin who was sent to kill Itsu and Romulus taking the infant Daken; but since Logan knows all that, Charles actually shows that to Daken, who stands shocked behind Wolverine.
Daken gets angry and attacks Xavier, only to realize he can’t hurt him. Charles says that this place is where Wolverine and Daken’s psyches meetâthough for Logan it’s a calming place and for Daken where he can fuel his rage. Daken blames Logan for the death of his mother and the bad life he had. Xavier corrects him that Romulus is to blame and that he’s the only one who has been there when Itsu died. Daken wants to leave and Charles shows him the open door.
After thinking for a few moments, Daken asks his father to tell him about his mother. Wolverine shows him their first meeting. Daken tries to touch Itsu and gets angry when he fails. Logan apologizes that he has nothing else to offer. Daken then turns to Xavier with his claws drawn out, blaming him for trying to plant false memories in his head and take control. Charles reminds Daken that he can’t hurt him, but the kid’s accusations are actually toward Shaw in the real world. Daken stabs Shaw and kicks him out of a window and down to the rocks, sending a message to Romulus.
Wolverine gets back to reality and tells Daken he may have something else to offer him: revenge. After a few moments consideration, Daken accepts his father’s offer. Charles wakes up and tries to prevent them from going down that dark path. Logan thanks him for saving him from being a killer, for giving him an opportunity to be a hero. Logan says that as long as Romulus is alive he’ll do again what he did to them. He leaves with Daken and tells Charles he forgives him and hopes one day he’ll do the same to him.
Dark Reign
When Norman Osborn came into power after the end of the Skrull Invasion, he began to put together a team of his own Avengers. He sought out Daken, knowing that his powers were similar to Wolverine and that he was an accomplished fighter. He was surprised to find that Daken wasn’t just similar but was actually his father. He then, realizing that the job he had come for was a sham, was surprised when Osborn offered him a job that would also help him tick off his father. He accepted the invitation to join this new Avengers squad, donning his father’s old outfit and taking on the moniker of Wolverine. Daken is seen alongside the other Dark Avengers fighting Morgana le Fay’s demons.
Cyclops then sees him as a liability and plans to kill him with the Muramasa blade to protect the image of the X-Men. It is revealed, however, that he agreed to join the Dark Avengers as a way to draw out Cyclops to take the Muramasa blade from his possession. He eventually attracts the X-men and Wolverine who are holding the blade. After a brief battle, he takes a piece of the blade and brings it to the Tinkerer, who then bonds the “metal” to the claws on his wrists. After that, Daken went back to working for Osborn, and posing in his father’s old costume. He rudely walked right in on the Fantastic Four as Daken, which resulted in him being punched out of the building by the Thing who warned him never to return. A video tape with Daken killing goons, and using obscene language that was originally under Osborn’s and H.A.M.M.E.R.’s possession was leaked onto the internet. This resulted in him getting into a grudge match with low-rate villains, who beat him to near death. He has occasionally made sexual advances towards Moonstone. Once he left a sex book, and flowers in her bedroom, and watched her read the book. She is sent to find him when he is absent from Avengers meetings, she finds out he killed an old woman, and cannot work around his lies. While she is a doctor, Daken used his powers of pheromones to get out of the scenario. Moonstone also finds out that Daken could kill her and could care less.
Utopia
Daken (in his Dark Wolverine persona) later joined the roster of Emma Frost‘s Dark X-Men during the X-Men/Dark Avengers six-part crossover ‘Utopia’. Daken’s exposure as an X-Man and an Avenger has left him at odds with the Avengers, especially Bullseye. After the gigantic battle on Utopia with the real X-Men (where he fought not only his father but his father’s clone X-23), Daken decided to remain with the Dark Avengers.
Siege
While preparing to battle against the Asgardians, Daken amuses himself by flirting with and brutally assaulting a guard that threw up on his boot. He then proceeds to manipulate his fellow Dark Avengers with more flirtation and insults. The Fates watch him, exclaiming he is the bringer of Ragnarok. Daken eventually stabs Norman Osborn in the back with one of his Murumasa claws, easily piercing through the Patriot armor, claiming “this was what he was born to do.”
Daken’s is then confronted y the Fates who explain to him how being cut off from Asgard has disrupted the natural flow of things. The Fates show him a vision of the end of the world, brought on because of him. Daken muses that they want complete destruction, while the Fates retort so does he. Daken agrees, but violently rebuffs them, claiming he will do things his way, free of any manipulation. Things shift to Daken’s injury at the hands of Thor, who incinerated his body with a massive lightning bolt. Daken lacerates the throat of a H.A.M.M.E.R agent out of frustration and says to Osborn that “good things come to those who wait.” Meanwhile, the Fates plot to show him his greatest fear, now that they have shown him his greatest desire.
Destruction is all around as Daken and Bullseye lead platoons of H.A.M.M.E.R agents against the forces of Asgard. They are overwhelmed in numbers, Bullseye remarking that they need to retreat. Daken is against it and kisses him to keep him quiet, as well as to ensure that he has someone by his side to make the fight easier for him. He considered slipping away by himself, but decides against it. He couldn’t take being called a coward, he decides to try being a hero by continuing the fight and leading the men to safety. He muses how he is the only “God” that people will look to and how he has become a “Godslayer.” Bullseye continues to rebuff his claims that they keep fighting, causing Daken to snap and attack the wounded agents. After Osborn arrives and tells his troops to keep fighting, they leave. Bullseye tells Daken he is a joke and no one respects him or will ever follow him.
The Fates appear once more, with him telling them that he saved the troops, like a hero. The Fates respond by claiming that being a hero was never in his nature and that is the reason no one will follow him. Daken asks them to tell him what to do, to let them burn and die. The Fates tell him that he already knows the answer and has chosen his own fate. The scene shifts to Daken and Bullseye being in the thick of battle, the former with a confident grin on his face. He knows what is going to happen. He knows he will survive and changes his decision to let everyone else around him burn, rather than to save them. It’s revealed that Daken escaped the ruins of Asgard by killing a soldier and taking his place. He hijacks an army vehicle, but not before tossing a grenade as he drives off into the sunset to leave a lasting impression.
Reckoning
Later on, Daken is seen by his father’s side, saying that his “schedule just opened up.” Hinting that Daken no longer holds any allegiance to Norman Osborn, and that he and Logan are going to take down Romulus together. Logan outlines his plan to his son, who believes that his plan will be quite effective, even if he doesn’t admit it. Daken makes it clear to his father that they have a common goal and nothing more. Once Romulus is out of the way, they will finish what they started. Daken appears next in Ankara, sipping coffee as Logan catches up to him to ask why he’s there when he shouldn’t be yet.
Daken admits that Romulus knows Logan is here because he told him. The scene shifts to a week ago in Paris, with Romulus paying the noticeably shaken Daken a visit. He tells Wolverine that he told Romulus that he told him everything because he hated him, Logan responding that he didn’t hate his father, it was because he loved Romulus. Before Daken can respond, Logan cuts him off and tells him he knew all along that his son would betray him and was counting on it. Daken simmers, irritated that he had been taken advantage of and is then abruptly stabbed through the chest with what appears to be the Muramasa blade by his own father.
As Daken’s body is being loaded up into an ambulance, Romulus comes out into the open, eager to see the damage that has been done. As he looks into the ambulance, Skaar bursts out ready to fight him. Wolverine watches from above. Later on, Daken appears behind Romulus, fully recovered. He tells his former mentor that the sword Wolverine stabbed him with was a fake in order to draw Romulus out so his empire can be exposed. Daken can’t have that and agrees to help him just as Wolverine and Skaar show up to battle. Daken tries to kill Romulus but before he can Romulus is trapped in the Darkforce Dimension by Wolverine. Later Daken and Wolverine fight and he is bested by Wolverine. When he wakes up his Muramasa claws have been remove and buried with the Muramasa Blade in an unknown location. After spending weeks in a alcholic depression, Daken is seen walking the streets of Rome when a young female pick pocket attempts to take his wallet. Daken notices and grabs her wrist and tells her to watch where she touches a man and to be careful of the men she touches because some men bite. Daken slowly popping his claws in front of her, as she screams, put his other hand on her mouth. Daken decides to teach her a lesson, he tells to never show weakness or she is asking to get manipulated then he tells her if that happens nobody will pity her especially the person who told her to pick pocket. The girl ask if she can stay with him but Daken tells her to go away. Still roaming his way through Rome in a dark alley, he runs into a man who was trying to lure him to his apartment so his partner could rob him. Unfortunately for him, Daken knew all along and was trying to test him by kissing him, but the man refused. The man changed his mind and wanted to drink wine with him. While walking through a dark alley, the man tries to confess his disposition to Daken. Daken pops his claws and tells the man he knows what’s going on and knows every bit of his plan. The man’s partner soon comes from behind with a switchblade, the man was screaming at his partner to stop. Once seeing Daken’s claws the man’s partner drops his blade and runs. Daken tells the man that nothing last and no amount of money will ever stop that. The man begs for Daken to forgive him but Daken says no for there is nothing the man did wrong.
Empire
Shortly after his battle with Frankencastle, Daken is in San Francisco looking at two opposing groups protesting Mutant Rights. Thinking to himself what a waste of time it is and thinks everybody is better off using the boards the placards were nailed on to beat each other to death with. A guy walks up to him and ask him what side he is on. Daken calmly states his own, the guy then gives him a smirk and screams out anti-mutant remarks at the opposing group. Soon after, he ends up going to a fortune teller to see his future. The fortune teller reveals three cards to him The Emperor, The Tower, and Death. Daken then is shown stalking Melita his father’s current love interest. He follows her all the way to a bar and caresses the back of her neck. She quickly looks behind her only to find no one. Then Logan asks her if something is wrong as she looking around nervously, she answers him by saying no that it is nothing just nerves. Walking outside of the bar, Daken was thinking to himself how small his father’s world was and how it had no vision, no scope saying he wants something else, something more.
Collision
He finds Malcolm Colcord and discusses the work he’s been doing over recreating a healing factor. Test subjects were meant to be shipped for more study, but X-23 and Gambit arrive instead, much to Daken’s chagrin. Madripoor is in chaos and Laura is adamant on tracking Daken down because she knows he can lead her to Colcord. She and Gambit rely on Tyger to trick Daken into listening to a heated conversation that leaves him interested in Laura’s origins. The two finally come face to face with him being skeptical about her claim as a clone of his father. She pops her claws and that’s enough convincing. The two engage in a brutal battle that sees both fall a great height from a roof top. The second round then begins. Daken then tells Laura she needs him and proposes an alliance, which she rejects. He later meets up with Colcord again to discuss their arrangement, and it is revealed that he has employed Colcord to find a way to enhance his mutant powers. Colcord then tells him to capture X-23 because her genetics and healing factor make her the perfect test subject. Before the two of them can part ways, they are attacked by X-23 and Gambit. Daken then tells them they can have Colcord and Laura proceeds to torture him for information. Daken uses this as an opportunity to try and recruit Gambit to be part of his criminal empire. Gambit angrily rejects his offer and a fight ensues between the two, with Gambit gaining the upper hand. Daken distracts him by pointing out that during their skirmish, Colcord has incapacitated Laura with a tranquilizer. Daken then attacks him from behind and knocks him out. With Gambit out of the way, Daken and Colcord put Laura in the trunk of a car and take her away to be experimented on. Laura is locked up and held down in a hidden facility by Colcord. He and Daken discuss the implications of the trigger scent that was installed in her as a fail safe in the past. Daken again shows his suspicions towards Colcord about the birth of a new Weapon X program. He visits Laura who is about to be opened up by surgeons and purposely aids her escape by having the room filled with her trigger scent. The two discuss their mutual suspicions and Daken admits that he needed to put her in that position to find out if what he thought was true. They move through the facility, only for Colcord to activate his security in the form of deranged monsters that attack the both of them.
Daken and Laura engage the monsters together and are successful in killing them all, though Daken becomes distracted by failing to take into account Colcord’s treachery. He ponders on how alike he and his father’s clone are, even going so far as to ask her why she chooses to care for others when she could use her powers to take whatever she wants. The two find Colcord and allow the bomb he rigged to destroy the facility, the two of them getting caught in the destruction. They crawl out of the flames healing rapidly and Laura asks Daken why he chooses not to care when power comes easy to him. She suggests he’s afraid to because he thinks its dangerous, something he doesn’t deny. The two part ways and its revealed Colcord didn’t die in the explosion but injected himself with the healing factor he’d experimented with. Daken knew about this all along and locked him away, telling him he won’t kill him quickly. After killing the only remaining crime boss in Madripoor to oppose him, Daken travels to Manhattan to confront his father, Wolverine. He tells Logan that he won’t see him for a while, and that he’s stepping out of his shadow and living his own life. He then travels to Los Angeles and prepares to expand his empire.
Heat
In Los Angeles, Daken takes part in a raid on an armored car carrying a lot of money along with several others, all wearing Captain America masks. During the raid he begins hallucinating from a drug called Heat. A week prior he is seen at a party in the Hollywood Hills among people in the movie business. At the party he learns that there are people already controlling the underground crime scene of LA. He takes Heat which overrides his healing factor and passes out after a scuffle with bodyguards at the party. He wakes up and meets a director named Marcus Roston. Daken kills Marcus’ guards, kisses Marcus and sleeps with him to get information on the underground LA scene. At the same time, F.B.I. agent Donna Kiel has Daken as her prime suspect in the case of the “Claws Killer” murders. Daken continues seeing Marcus and uses him for his Heat connection. While tripping on the drug, Daken tears through the streets to find the location of a meeting of all the L.A. crime bosses. He storms the meeting and offers his services to them suggesting the raid as a huge score. Jumping back to the raid, Taskmaster is revealed to be riding with the convoy. Daken planned on this hoping he would kill the rest of his soldiers, which were the remaining members of the L.A. gangs. Daken takes on Taskmaster, careful not to pop his claws and reveal his identity. He is run through the chest by Taskmaster’s sword which allows him to fake his death and get away with the money. While making his escape he collapses from his wounds and is approached by Agent Kiel. He knocks her out and escapes. Daken seeks out Agent Kiel later and proposes they work together to find the “Claws Killer”. Frustrated after not finding any leads Daken leaves Kiel and turns his attention on some gang members trafficking people. He kills all of the gang and frees the girls. Daken meets with Agent Kiel at a high end Hollywood party to continue their search when Daken disappears to the bathroom to take more Heat. When he returns Donna is gone and he frantically takes off to find her. He turns a corner only to be knocked on his feet by Moon Knight.
Moon Knight takes on Daken, temporarily believing himself to be Wolverine. After Daken begins to physically overpower him, Moon Knight verbally taunts him as Wolverine, drawing the animal out of Daken. While fighting, Daken experiences hallucinations from the Heat drug. During this time, Agent Kiel pursues the “Claws Killer” who appears to be Daken as well. Daken falls of a heart attack while still fighting Moon Knight as Donna turns the corner and finds them, she shoots Daken in the head believing him to be the killer she was chasing. Moon Knight explains he had been fighting Daken the whole time as they rush Daken to a hospital. He continues to experience the hallucinations but is able to figure out that the “Claws Killer” is actually the shape shifting Marcus Roston. The combined effects of going cold turkey from Heat and surviving the bullet to the head has left Daken’s healing factor temporarily burnt out. Roston has drugged Agent Kiel and forced her to call in Daken’s location to the F.B.I. and they in turn drop a bomb on him. Daken survives and takes off in a rage to find Roston, who has again taken Daken’s form and tricked and slaughtered all of Daken’s crime empire in L.A. Roston reveals his true self and intentions to Daken and exposes himself to the public.
Daken takes on Roston on an L.A. rooftop only to have his arm broken. As Roston toys with Daken, Donna arrives with the L.A.P.D. & several helicopters who open fire on them both. Daken is chased off a cliff and into the ocean but resurfaces the next day on a yacht. He hits the street to obtain a sample of Heat and has it tested. Daken discovers that the drug is made up of part of Roston’s blood and that Roston is in fact part of the Pride. He seeks out the Runaways to help take down Roston. They initially do not trust him and freeze him before allowing him to explain. Daken explains Roston’s origin from the Pride and one of the Runaways recognizes Roston as “Creepy Uncle Eli” from his dreams. They agree to help as Daken asks them to stay put for now, he finds Donna on a rooftop about to jump off. Daken admits to being a psychopath and that he believes her to be one too and that she can beat this drug. At this time Marcus takes flight and begins to destroy the city, Daken jumps after him and is almost killed when the Runaways show up at his aid. The Runaways take part in a huge battle on the streets of L.A. and are finally able to defeat Roston with Daken’s aide. Daken leaves Roston alive and in the hands of the Runaways and leaves with Agent Kiel.
Donna, who is left an emotional wreck after her experiences with Daken, Roston and Heat, meets Daken at a diner to discuss their future. Donna believes she is in love with him but is convinced he is a monster. Daken suggests she is the same and provides her with an opportunity to kill three men involved in human trafficking. She refuses and turns her gun on Daken who reacts since his healing factor is not working, and slices her hand off. The two part ways.
Dead
In Deadpool’s current plot to finally kill himself, he seeks out Daken’s help in finding the serum that negates mutant powers. He also asks that once Daken finds it to use it on him. Daken believes this to be too good to be true and turns him down, wishing him luck. Daken is later seen speaking with whomever originally ordered the hit on Deadpool as he tries to find out about the serum which negates mutant powers. Tombstone, it is revealed, refuses to speak about it.
Lost Weekend
Daken returns to the east coast and arrives in New York City. He visits Reed Richards at the Baxter Building looking for a status on his healing factor. Reed tells him his healing factor has returned but is confused and is attacking his healthy cells, if it continues he will be dead in weeks. Richards suggests contacting Wolverine for help to which Daken laughs. Johnny enters the room and Daken meets him with harsh words, taking his standing there as an insult. Daken heads to the Jean Grey School and poisons Wolverine in his sleep with Heat. The two fight outside the school as Wolverine begins to hallucinate and see Daken’s mother Itsu. Daken attacks Wolverine with a helicopter and flies him to New York City, to watch his ‘show’.
Daken then bombs the headquarters of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, and installed several other bombs around the city. The heroes of the city began to fight him. Without his healing factor, Daken slowly begins to succumb to his injuries and Heat. Daken, as he lies dying, asks for his father, Wolverine. Daken asks forgiveness and hugs Wolverine. Daken finally apologizes for planting a bomb at the Jean Grey School, as he says this he detonates a bomb to destroy his body. Wolverine gets up and leaves for the school, upon getting to the school, Wolverine finds a little doll of Daken and realizes Daken’s final plan; to leave him with nothing to remember of his son.
Final Execution
Daken seemingly survived his last ordeal and has returned as the new leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Their goal is to target his father’s Uncanny X-Force team. They succeed in killing Fantomex and kidnapping Genesis, whom they intend to turn to their cause. Daken, Sabretooth and Shadow King take Genesis on an RV trip to Kansas where they attempt to bring his dark side out by killing innocents and attacking him. Daken and the Brotherhood continue to try and bring the evil side of Genesis out with the X-Force finally coming to attempt a rescue. This doesn’t however help as after beating up Genesis when he wouldn’t turn evil watching Daken try and kill Wolverine. This however made Genesis put the Apocalypse armour on and seek revenge. Wolverine also escapes and the fights with Daken eventually drowning him in a puddle whilst Genesis watched.
Horseman of Death
Daken, along with the Sentry, Banshee, and the Grim Reaper, is resurrected via the Death Seed, to become a servant of the Apocalypse Twins. Having been stopped by the Avengers Unity Squad, Daken – still infected with the seed – is free to roam the Earth once again. After his father was killed, Daken infiltrated an auction that was selling pieces of his father’s remains. He ended up slaughtering most of them and declared that if anyone goes after his father’s remains, he will kill them. Daken was then recruited by the survivors of Weapon X experiments, but he was encountered by a creature called Siphon that stole his healing factor.
Wolverines
Now on a team with Mystique, Sabretooth, X-23, Lady Deathstrike, and the Weapon X experiments on a mission to find the adamantium statue that is his father in attempts to acquire his healing factor to save the Weapon X team, Daken and X-23 are attacked by Mr. Sinister. Sinister then rips off Daken’s arm and steals his eyeball. Daken is found by the rest of the team and is bleeding out, but his saved by one of the experimented on soldiers named Shogun, who uses a created healing serum to stabilize Daken.
Powers & Abilities
Like his father, Daken’s primary mutant power is an accelerated healing factor that allows him to rapidly heal damaged or destroyed parts of his body faster and more extensively than a normal human, the full extent of Daken’s powers are unknown. However, good examples of the speed of his healing factor are shown in the pages of Dark Wolverine issue 76 when he recovers from being beaten down from the Thing within a couple of minutes. Another example is in Dark Reign: Punisher the List. Daken is blown up by an explosive device attached to his arm by Punisher, only to completely recover within minutes of Castle climbing out of the sewer. His healing factor can be weakened by items made of pure Carbonadium (e.g. the three bullets Wolverine had made by Tinkerer). Carbonadium has to enter the body to have any effect [NOTE: pure Carbonadium is extremely rare and the two remaining Carbonadium bullets are the only known pure Carbonadium items left]. Daken’s healing factor can also be overtaxed making it harder for him to heal and due to the lack of adamantium on his skeleton makes Daken vulnerable to decapitation which should kill him. Daken’s healing factor grants him a greatly extended lifespan, He is over 60 years old but looks in his early twenties.
Daken’s senses are enhanced to superhuman levels like his father’s, Daken is in peak human condition, his stamina and reflexes are also enhanced. Daken’s super-human senses enable him to see much further and with greater clarity than a normal human, even retaining much of this clarity even in near total darkness, to detect sounds normal human’s can’t and sounds they ordinarily could but at much greater distances, and to track a target by scent.
Daken possesses three retractable bone claws in each forearm, though their configuration and appearance are somewhat different to Wolverine’s. Two claws extend from between his knuckles while the third extends from the underside of his wrists. The texture appears to be porous and dark unlike Wolverine’s smooth and bone colored claws Wolverine possesses when his claws are in their natural state. Daken’s claws are razor sharp and are very durable, they can cut through most materials. His claws are naturally ferrous, able to penetrate metals as durable as Iron Man’s armor. Since Daken doesn’t have adamantium inside of him, he is more light weight, and can do more “acrobatics” in the air, which also gives him a advantage against his opponents.
Daken recently revealed that he has a level of empathic ability during his battle with Cyber, using his powers to drive him to brink. Daken has demonstrated the ability to manipulate his pheromones (in a similar manner to Wallflower) for the purpose of suppressing his own scent to such a degree that even Wolverine’s senses are unable to detect him. He can also use his pheromones to manipulate the emotional state and sensory perceptions of other beings. He has been known to use this power to instill intense fear, happiness, depression, sexual arousal and a false sense of security to other beings. His pheromone powers appear to be physical in nature, not psionic. This was evident when he used to battle Spider-Man when he broke into Avengers tower posing as Venom. He also appears to have great knowledge as to the capabilities of pheromones in general as well as their taste and smell. In conjunction with his enhanced senses and knowledge of pheromones, he can expertly judge the emotional/physical state of those around him, both animal and human. Daken’s pheromone abilities have been shown to be successful against a wide variety of people, from those ranging to his father to the God of War, Ares. However, this ability has also been shown to have its limits as the Young Avengers’ Hulking is shown to be immune to the effects and was able to recognize it straight away. This is possibly due to his hybrid nature of Kree and Skrull.
What is commonly thought to be an extension of his pheromones, Daken can appear to teleport or move at superhuman speeds to where his enemies aren’t looking. It is actually a technique that was taught to him by Romulus. Daken does not move at superhuman speeds but due to his skill and stealth he is able to perform it on characters that have heightened reflexes such as Deadpool, Wolverine and Spider-Man.
Daken has also demonstrated a high resistance to telepathy. His mind contains an undescribed “trap” awaiting anyone foolishly attempting to delve to deep into his head. Presumably this was put into place by Romulus. This trap potentially gives him the ability to control the telepath who has entered his mind. It also may be able to restore lost memories, as seen in the X-Men; Original Sin storyline. Miss Sinister tried to implant false memories into him, but he abruptly regained his true memories, proceeding to make Claudine suffer for her betrayal.
Recently, Reed Richards gave Daken a glove that emits an electrical charge which can stun anyone, according to Mister Fantastic. Daken tries it on the Thing, but it proves ineffective. Reed states he modified it, so presumably it can now work on those who are as durable as the Thing. It has since proven effective in stunning Tyger Tyger.
Daken is an excellent hand to hand fighter although his full training is unrevealed (some known trainers include top notch fighters like Cyber and Romulus), he has beaten the likes of Deadpool and Cyber, but probably his biggest victory is against his father, Wolverine [who is one of the best fighters in the world if not the best in the world]. Daken has shown himself to be a clever fighter and a good example of this is when he uses Deadpool’s own arsenal against him. Daken has shown himself to be a good strategist an good example of this is when he frees his father from the S.H.I.E.L.D. base he is being held at. He is also an excellent tracker, and is fluent in German. Daken has shown on multiple occasions to not only be highly intelligent, but incredibly talented in manipulation as well, though part of it may contribute to his emotion altering ability. Regardless, he has been shown in the past to outsmart men such as Norman Osborn and Reed Richards with ease.
Former Powers
For a time, Daken had part of the Muramasa blade stuck to his claws that extend from his wrists. The Muramasa blade knocks out superhuman healing factors long enough for Daken to get the kill. In order to protect the soft tissues of his skin, the tinkerer placed Adamantium sheaths within the flexor digitorum profundus underneath the forearm. As introduction of a healing factor nullifying element to his exposed physiology would prove disastrous to his health. As well as dangerous if the blade where ever to break or splinter while still unsheathed in battle, due to his healing factor making surgical procedure next to impossible. Romulus had his protege undergo a similar augmentative function not unlike the Weapon X adamantium bonding process. Daken would eventually lose this ace in the hole when Logan physically had the claws removed, as his son’s under claws regrew. No new Muramasa enhanced nails grew in to replace the ones he lost.
Skills & Equipment
Taser Claw:
Adamantium Katana:
Alternate Earths
What If…? Wolverine: Father
In an alternate reality that details the events of what would have happened if Wolverine had been there to raise Daken from birth, it is revealed that upon finding Itsu’s body, Wolverine violently murdered the Winter Soldier. It was to late to save his wife, but he cut his child from her womb and the baby survived in a similar way to his 616 counterpart. From that day on, Wolverine vowed he would never allow his son to turn out like him and set him on a path of humility and honor. Daken was called John in this reality. Father and son spent time in Tibet, working the fields and spending time with the monks in the temples. John began to show sociopathic tendencies early on even when in the dark about his mutant heritage. It took a visit from Professor Xavier and a battle with Sabretooth to show John who he really was. He struck out against his father, leaving and becoming a member of the Yakuza which he eventually became the head of. Wolverine came for him eventually, stabbing him with the Muramasa blade and then himself so the two could die together and pay for their crimes.
In Other Media
Video Games
- Daken appears in Marvel Avengers Alliance as part of Dell Rusk‘s Dark Avengers.
- Daken appears in Marvel Puzzle Quest.
Merchandise
- Hasbro released a figure of Daken as Dark Wolverine as part of the Marvel Legends Arnim Zola Build-a-Figure wave. An alternate unmasked variant was also released.
- Daken was featured in the HeroClix figure game.