Weapon X: The Draft - Kane #1

History

The Weapon X: The Draft one-shots grew directly out of Frank Tieri's prior groundwork on Wolverine (2nd series) and Deadpool (2nd series), where he had been steadily rebuilding the Weapon X program and introducing Director Malcolm Colcord. Rather than front-loading all backstory into the ongoing series itself, Marvel's editorial team — under editor Mike Marts and editor-in-chief Joe Quesada — commissioned five separate character-focused preludes, each from a different creative team, to be published in rapid succession in August 2002 ahead of the November 2002 ongoing launch. The Kane issue was assigned to writer R.A. Jones with interior art by Pablo Raimondi and a cover painted by J.H. Williams III, whose high-profile reputation added visual distinction to the slate.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Published August 14, 2002 (cover-dated October 2002) as a standalone one-shot; story title: 'Caught In The Draft.'
• Written by R.A. Jones; interior pencils by Pablo Raimondi; cover art by J.H. Williams III; colors by Hi-Fi Design; edited by Mike Marts.
• Garrison Kane was originally created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, first appearing in X-Force #2 (September 1991) as a member of Cable's mercenary team Six Pack before becoming a cyborg through the Weapon X program.
• The issue's central mission has Kane and Agent Brent Jackson attempting to recruit Rapture, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. psi-operative and leader of The Contingency — a splinter group that broke from S.H.I.E.L.D. — who ultimately escapes and refuses to join Weapon X.
• The one-shot is the third in publication order within the Draft event (following Wild Child and Sauron), and directly precedes the Marrow and Agent Zero one-shots that complete the preludes.
• Director Malcolm Colcord and Agent Brent Jackson both appear, establishing the internal power dynamic — and seeds of mistrust — that drive the ongoing Weapon X (vol. 2) series through its 28-issue run (November 2002–November 2004).
• The issue was collected in the Weapon X Vol. 1: The Draft trade paperback, alongside Weapon X (2002) #1–5, Weapon X #1/2, and the other four Draft one-shots.
• Garrison Kane's name appears in the X2 film on Lady Deathstrike's computer, and he had a non-speaking cameo in the X-Men: The Animated Series episode 'Time Fugitives'; a live-action version was considered but cut from the Deadpool (2016) film due to CGI cost concerns.

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