In this feature we examine comic book stories and ideas that were not only abandoned, but also had the stories/plots specifically "overturned" by a later writer (as if they were a legal precedent). Click here for an archive of all the previous editions of The Abandoned An' Forsaked. Feel free to e-mail me at bcronin@comicbookresources.com if you have any suggestions for future editions of this feature.

Today we take a look at the odd history of Wolverine's claws...

X-Men #98 (by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum and Sam Grainger) was the first time that we learned that Wolverine's claws were not part of his gloves but rather part of his body...

But for years it was left vague as to whether the claws were part of his mutant ability of if they were just later additions given to him.

By the time of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, though, it was clear that the claws were added to Wolverine...

In Uncanny X-Men #222 (by Chris Claremont, Marc Silvestri and Dan Green), the answer seemed to be clear, when the Marauder known as Scrambler attacks Wolverine. Scrambler can knock out mutant's mutant abilities. He does so to Wolverine but the claws remain...

Later, in Uncanny X-Men #236 (also by Claremont, Silvestri and Green), once again Wolverine finds his mutant powers eliminated...

His body can't handle being without a healing power so well...

But the claws remain...

>

And of course, during Barry Windsor-Smith's Weapon X storyline, we see the claws added and they are described as pure adamantium...

And since they're the ones who put the stuff on him, I imagine that they knew what they were talking about.

Then Magneto pulled the adamantium out of Wolverine's body in X-Men #25 (by Fabian Nicieza, Andy Kubert and Matt Ryan)...

So that would be it for the claws, right?

Wrong!

In Wolverine #75 (by Larry Hama, Adam Kubert and a bunch of inkers), Wolverine is trying to push himself after he has basically healed from the loss of his adamantium skeleton. While in the Danger Room...

And of course, years later we saw Wolverine's origin in Wolverine: Origin and we saw his bone claws show up when he was a child in Wolverine: Origin #2 (by Paul Jenkins and Andy Kubert)...

There ya go, a nice, simple retcon.

If YOU have a suggestion for this column, drop me a line at bcronin@comicbookesources.com!