Wolverine #20
Wolverine #20 (Vol. 3, 2004) opens 'Enemy of the State,' one of the most widely discussed Wolverine storylines of the modern era: writer Mark Millar and penciler John Romita Jr. recast Logan not as a hero under pressure but as a fully weaponized assassin turned against every corner of the Marvel Universe, a premise that forced readers to confront just how catastrophic his powerset becomes without moral autonomy. The issue is also the debut of Gorgon (Tomi Shishido), a mutant villain whose petrifying gaze, cult-leader psychology, and Hand/Hydra allegiance made him compelling enough to survive, return, and eventually join the Krakoan era's security force — a testament to the character's staying power. Millar's run is consistently cited alongside 'Old Man Logan' as one of the definitive takes on what Wolverine represents as a force of nature, and 'Enemy of the State' is named among the major Wolverine storylines in his publishing history alongside 'Weapon X' and 'Wounded Wolf.' The arc's central moral engine — that Wolverine's greatest threat to the world is Wolverine himself — gave subsequent writers a template for exploring the same tension.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Wolverine Vol. 3 launched in July 2003 as a Marvel Knights title, replacing the long-running Vol. 2 series; it began under writer Greg Rucka and artist Darick Robertson before Mark Millar took over with issue #20. Millar, who had already shaped the character's Ultimate Marvel incarnation, brought John Romita Jr. — inked by Klaus Janson and colored by Paul Mounts — aboard for what became a 13-issue run starting with 'Enemy of the State.' Millar has stated he designed Gorgon as a dedicated arch-nemesis for Logan, someone who could comprehensively defeat Wolverine physically and psychologically — an answer to what he saw as the character's long drift away from genuine menace. The issue was edited by Jennifer Lee and Axel Alonso, and the original release carried a distinctive wraparound cover by Romita Jr., with a Wizard World Texas Sketch Variant and a Romita Variant also produced.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Gorgon (Tomi Shishido), created by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., a mutant villain with a petrifying gaze who leads the Dawn of the White Light death cult and orchestrates the Hand/Hydra brainwashing of Wolverine.
- Part 1 of 6 of 'Enemy of the State,' published October 6, 2004 (cover-dated December 2004); the full arc ran through Wolverine Vol. 3 #20–25, with a follow-up 'Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.' arc continuing through #32.
- Creative team: writer Mark Millar, penciler John Romita Jr., inker Klaus Janson, colorist Paul Mounts, letterer Rus Wooton, editors Jennifer Lee and Axel Alonso.
- The issue features Wolverine's death and resurrection at the hands of the Gorgon and the Hand; Nick Fury, Elektra, and Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde) also appear as key supporting characters.
- Gorgon subsequently appeared across Secret Warriors, Dark Avengers (posing as Wolverine), and the Krakoan-era X-titles; he was killed within the arc in Wolverine #31, resurrected in Secret Warriors #2, and went on to accumulate dozens of appearances across Marvel's publishing line.
- The issue shipped with multiple cover versions: a standard edition, a wraparound cover edition, a Romita Variant, and a Wizard World Texas Exclusive Sketch Variant.
- The storyline has been collected in: a two-volume hardcover/softcover split (Vol. 1 collecting #20–25, Vol. 2 collecting #26–32, both 2005); the 'Enemy of the State – The Complete Edition' oversized hardcover (October 2006, ISBN 0785122060, collecting #20–32); an 'Ultimate Collection' trade paperback (2008); a 2020 reprint paperback; and a 2022 Spanish-language 'Marvel Must-Have' edition.
- Wikipedia lists 'Enemy of the State' as one of the major Wolverine storylines alongside 'Weapon X' (1991) and 'Old Man Logan' (2008–2009).
Reprints
Reprinted in Wolverine: Enemy of the State Ultimate Collection #[nn] (2008)
Key issues in Wolverine
Other variants of Wolverine #20 (2)
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