Chapter Summaries

After dying as Bai Feng, the frail boy awoke in nineteenth-century Canada as James Howlett, grandson of powerful rancher Mr. Howlett. As James began adjusting to his new life, Victor Logan visited and mentioned the coming arrival of fine-bred foals.

• Mr. Howlett worried over James’s fever and learned that he had begun to recover.
• James listened to Mr. Howlett and John discuss his illness, the family, and the estate’s past.
• Mr. Howlett visited James, noticed a change in his manner, and left after hearing him say he felt better.
• James accepted that Bai Feng was gone and that he had become James Howlett.
• Victor Logan visited James, teased him about being sickly, and said James would not be allowed near the arriving foals if he remained weak.
• After Victor left, James examined one of Victor’s fallen nail clippings with interest.

James adjusted to life and aristocratic schooling in the Howlett manor while secretly practicing martial arts to strengthen his new body. After reflecting on his past life and uncertain health, he was interrupted by Elizabeth asking whether he was resting.

• James studied arithmetic, English, history, French, and Latin with Mr. Daniel, then declined Rose O'Hara's invitation to watch fireflies so he could review his lessons.
• James reassured O'Hara that he called her by her surname because it sounded cute, and she left for the servants' quarters.
• After dinner, James returned to his room and practiced martial arts for an hour, continuing the routine he had followed for nearly a month.
• James considered his new body's health, his former life as Bai Feng, and how he had died after using An Jin to avenge his master.
• Elizabeth opened James's door and asked whether he was resting.

James overheard Elizabeth and Thomas Logan reveal their past affair and suggest that Thomas was James’s father. The lovers left the garden, while James lay stunned and worried about surviving the scandal.

• Elizabeth comforted James as he recovered, recalling how his illnesses brought back painful memories of Tony’s death.
• James practiced Yijin Gong on the balcony and heard Elizabeth arguing with Thomas Logan in the garden.
• Thomas asked whether James was his son, and Elizabeth admitted that she and Thomas had been together after Tony and Victor’s mother died.
• Thomas urged Elizabeth to leave with him, but she asked for time to think and concealed her contempt.
• After Elizabeth and Thomas left, James realized their secret could endanger him and wondered how to escape the coming disaster.

James visited Victor at the Howlett Estate stables to learn about his half-brother’s life and their father, Mr. Logan. As James and Victor spoke, Mr. Howlett arrived and caught James and O'Hara there.

• Mr. Daniel gave James the afternoon off after he finished his lessons, and James agreed to visit Victor with O'Hara.
• James and O'Hara found Victor tending Black Mountain, and James was surprised by Victor’s imposing build and the stallion’s unusual gentleness around him.
• James asked Victor about his work and their father, Mr. Logan, and offered to help keep him away; Victor said he planned to leave when he was older.
• O'Hara named a white foal White Dove and asked Victor to lift her so she could ride.
• Mr. Howlett entered the stable and called James and O'Hara little truants.

James persuaded Mr. Howlett to send Thomas Logan away from the estate, but Thomas refused to accept the change and launched a violent attack during a storm. The chapter ended with John shot dead and Mr. Howlett’s armed men opening fire on Thomas.

• James told Mr. Howlett that Victor was useful to the family and suggested sending Thomas Logan away to protect Victor and secure his loyalty.
• Mr. Howlett offered Thomas a job managing supplies at the northern cattle ranch, and Thomas reluctantly agreed after being threatened with expulsion from the estate.
• Thomas failed to reach Elizabeth that night, drank heavily, and went to the estate house with a shotgun as a storm broke.
• John came downstairs unarmed to confront Thomas, who shot him in the main hall.
• Mr. Howlett arrived with four armed men and saw John lying dead before the men fired at Thomas.

After John Howlett's funeral, William Howlett led a bloody raid against neighboring estates while James watched from his arms. Victor Logan buried the corpse of his father, Thomas Logan, leaving the future of the Howlett family in the aftermath of the killings.

• Father Hans delivered John's eulogy, and James placed a chrysanthemum and earth on his coffin.
• William Howlett rode out with more than three hundred riflemen to attack neighboring estates, killing 216 people and losing 34 of his men.
• William apologized to James for failing to protect John, and James reassured his grandfather that it was not his fault.
• Victor Logan found Thomas Logan's mangled corpse, buried him with his bare hands, and refused to mark the grave with a headstone.

Ten years after the Wolf Calamity, James Howlett trained to strengthen his body while concealing a worsening illness that left him feverish and weak. At twenty-three, he feared the condition would soon overwhelm him and strip away his hard-won strength.

• After John's funeral, Lady Elizabeth converted to Christianity and devoted herself to worship and charity, while Mr. Howlett raised James and managed the family.
• Over the next decade, Mr. Howlett gained control of much of Alberta's agricultural business and became a leading obstacle to the governor's efforts to expand his authority.
• James practiced Ancient Baduanjin, Yijin Jing, and boxing fundamentals for years, building exceptional flexibility and combat strength.
• As James rode toward the woods, he told Rose O'Hara to return to the estate and then stopped to consider his increasingly frequent bouts of fever and weakness.
• James concluded that his hereditary illness was worsening and feared it would soon leave him permanently frail.

James unleashed his martial arts in the Lage Forest, achieved Anjin, and then endured a transformation that revealed he was Wolverine. He rode home with Panda, determined to face his new world despite not knowing how much of the Marvel universe it contained.

• James furiously practiced his martial arts and drove a fist deep into a boulder, achieving Anjin.
• James's recurring illness struck harder than before, and bone claws erupted from his hands as he convulsed in agony.
• James recognized the claws, recalled Logan and Victor, and realized he was Wolverine in a world based on Marvel.
• James calmed the frightened Panda and rode back toward home, laughing and remembering that he had forgotten to bring O'Hara a rabbit.

James returned to the estate after a dangerous day in the woods, then secretly tested the extraordinary abilities of his awakened mutant body in a mountain valley. He confirmed his great strength, speed, bone claws, and rapid healing while Mr. Howlett faced mounting pressure from the new governor.

• James returned to the estate, where Mr. Howlett reprimanded him for worrying the household and invited him inside to eat.
• Victor watched James from a watchtower, and James exchanged a subtle nod with him before entering the house.
• O'Hara avoided James after preparing his bath, but he apologized for worrying her and promised to replace the rabbit he had forgotten.
• Mr. Howlett read letters about Governor Kevin Smith raising taxes and seizing cattle, and worried about protecting the estate for James.
• James ran to a mountain valley and tested his speed, strength, and bone claws by leaping up a cliff and damaging trees and boulders.
• James stabbed his shoulders with his claws, watched the wounds heal within seconds, and then sat down to sharpen his senses.

James developed and learned to control his Beast Perception, then reflected on how martial arts might draw out his body's mutant potential. Meanwhile, Mr. Howlett visited Governor Kevin Smith to resolve trouble over cattle, but Smith's unusually warm welcome left him uneasy.

• James practiced sensing wildlife with Beast Perception and carefully reined in the ability so it would not interfere with everyday life.
• James wondered whether practicing martial arts with his rapidly healing body could let him reach heights beyond Anjin.
• James returned to the manor and learned from Vane that Mr. Howlett was going to visit Governor Kevin Smith.
• Mr. Howlett told James he was addressing the governor's troubles so the manor's affairs would go more smoothly in the future, then departed with gifts and an escort.
• Governor Smith warmly welcomed Mr. Howlett and apologized for the recent cattle incident, making Mr. Howlett suspect the situation was worse than he had expected.

James discovered Victor fighting and killing a brown bear in the forest, then reassured him that his abilities were natural animal atavism and warned him not to give in to his bloodlust. At a banquet, Mr. Howlett secured the release of his men and promised to pay the governor’s taxes, while Governor Smith asked about James as the family’s only heir.

• James followed Victor’s scent into the forest and found him badly wounded after fighting a brown bear.
• Victor killed the bear, then noticed James watching him and prepared to defend himself.
• James claimed Victor’s claws, strength, healing, and heightened senses were signs of atavism, and urged him not to let his desire for blood control him.
• Mr. Howlett apologized to Governor Smith, presented him with a gift, and agreed to pay the Howlett Family’s taxes and back taxes.
• Governor Smith agreed to release Mr. Howlett’s unharmed men and asked whether James was his only heir.

James learned that Governor Kevin Smith had proposed marrying his niece Sinier to him as a way to gain control of the Howlett family. After reassuring Mr. Vane that he would handle the matter, James traveled to the governor’s residence at night and found Kevin Smith with Sinier.

• Mr. Howlett returned from the governor’s residence exhausted, and the doctor warned James that his grandfather’s health and spirits were failing.
• Mr. Vane told James that Smith had asked whether James was the sole heir and proposed that he marry Sinier.
• James instructed Mr. Vane to focus on caring for Mr. Howlett and said the problem would pass.
• Kevin Smith persuaded Sinier to accept the marriage plan while they were alone together.
• James crossed the wilderness to the governor’s residence, slipped inside, and found Kevin Smith with Sinier.

James killed Governor Smith, ending the threat to the Howlett family, and then focused on overcoming the limits of his martial arts training. As Mr. Howlett left more family business to James, James began designing equipment to help intensify his training.

• James entered Governor Smith's bedroom, killed him, and returned home before dawn.
• News spread that Governor Smith and his niece had died, while officials concealed the scandal and launched an investigation.
• Mr. Howlett recovered after hearing of the governor's death and increasingly left the family's affairs to James.
• James found that his Wolverine body's rapid healing and great potential made ordinary training insufficient for advancing to Huajin.
• James sketched designs for training equipment and asked O'Hara to get Vane to list nearby blacksmiths and machine shops.

James Howlett prepared his estate and himself for future upheavals by commissioning a vast underground complex and unusual training equipment while tracking America’s political crisis. He ended the chapter studying his secret Marvel Universe notebook, focused on finding something that could determine what happened next.

• James Howlett planned to expand the cellar into a deep underground complex with hidden tunnels, while Mr. Howlett told him to manage the family as he saw fit and urged him to find women who could bear heirs.
• James instructed Herbert Vernon to build the underground structure according to his plans, emphasizing that it had to be sturdy and that cost was no concern.
• James commissioned Tom to make heavy weighted gear and massive strength-training devices for his martial arts training.
• James sent people to northern American cities to gather information as he prepared for the approaching Civil War and the future conflict between his race and ordinary humans.
• James reviewed his secret Chinese-language notebook of Marvel Universe events, circled a word, and wondered whether he could find it.

James continued his strength training while construction of the Underground Palace and its equipment progressed, and Daniel Ferrant returned from years of exploration. James arranged for Daniel to be escorted to the estate and considered seeking his advice, while planning to speak with Victor about using his abilities.

• James trained in Lage Forest with a two-hundred-kilogram boulder and saw his strength, size, and appetite increase.
• Daniel Ferrant arrived in Victoria after years of exploration and sent word that he would visit James in Edmonton.
• O'Hara brought James Daniel's telegram, and James arranged for someone to meet Daniel in Red Deer and escort him to the estate.
• James thought Daniel might help answer questions he had been considering and decided it was time to speak seriously with Victor about leaving the stables and wilderness.

James reunited with Daniel and asked him to investigate whether Wakanda existed, promising support for the dangerous journey. Elsewhere, the sorcerer sensed that an anomaly had obscured the future, while Daniel agreed to search for Wakanda without attempting to enter it.

• Daniel arrived at the Howlett manor, where O'Hara welcomed him and he reunited with Mr. Howlett and James.
• Daniel described his travels through ancient lands, and James asked him to investigate Wakanda.
• The sorcerer in the Himalayan temple used her pendant and warned that an anomaly had shrouded the future.
• Daniel admitted he had never heard of Wakanda but agreed to search for it with James's support.
• James told Daniel to gather information about Wakanda while staying safe and avoiding entry into the isolationist nation.

James prepared to establish factories in the northern United States, recruiting Herbert Vernon and Tom Weddell for construction and technical support as he planned for the coming Civil War. Meanwhile, Victor Logan found evidence of another powerful being in Lage Forest, and Christmas passed at the Howlett manor amid family decline and grief.

• James invited Herbert Vernon to help build factories in America, and Herbert agreed to provide construction services without investing.
• Victor Logan hunted a coyote and discovered fractured rocks and damaged trees that suggested another person with unusual strength had been in the forest.
• James recruited Tom Weddell as a partner for technical support and supplier access, and Tom promised to finish the machinery by the following autumn.
• James studied a map of North America and reflected that he would need allies to face the challenges ahead.
• The Howlett family celebrated Christmas with Mr. Daniel, while Mr. Howlett's health continued to fail and Elizabeth insisted on setting places for John and Tony.

James completed preparations for his industrial expansion, sent Daniel’s expedition to search for Wakanda, and spent the winter caring for his dying grandfather while training in the newly finished Underground Palace. The chapter left James testing his extraordinary strength as he worked to uncover his physical potential.

• James bought large tracts of land in several American cities and arranged for six factories to be built as he learned about the country’s industry and racial discrimination.
• Dudley Vernon accelerated construction of the Underground Palace, while equipment for its workshops was completed and prepared for shipment.
• Daniel set out for Africa with seventeen companions to search for Wakanda, including three enslaved men whom James promised to free and pay.
• James completed arrangements for the factories, hired geological surveyors to explore the Howlett Family’s Canadian land, and returned to care for his bedridden grandfather.
• James trained in the completed Underground Palace, struck the Iron Stake, and recorded a 520-kilogram squat and a 580-kilogram deadlift.

James trained in martial arts, reviewed the Howlett Family’s reports on the coming American Civil War, and spent the night with his ailing grandfather. Mr. Howlett shared his hopes for the family before he died, leaving James to carry on the Howlett Family.

• James completed intense strength conditioning and practiced his martial arts forms for nearly five hours.
• Victor continued searching the forest for the Mutant he believed was one of his kind.
• Vane delivered letters about the John Brown uprising and Abraham Lincoln, and James replied with instructions for the Howlett Family’s plans.
• Mr. Howlett told James to build a loyal pack, preserve the Howlett Family’s values, and have children.
• Mr. Howlett’s strength faded as James held his hand, and his heart stopped beating.

James Howlett traveled to Washington to meet President Abraham Lincoln, while Victor Logan continued training with him in Canada. After dinner at the White House, James sensed danger in the adjoining playroom and rushed in as a disguised maid attacked Lincoln’s youngest son.

• James Howlett fought Victor Logan in the Underground Palace, where Victor continued practicing Tiger Form Fist after James defeated him.
• James received a letter from President Lincoln and decided to travel to Washington alone.
• James met President Lincoln and Mary at the White House for dinner.
• James recognized something was wrong with the tall maid and rushed into the playroom, where she was about to bite Lincoln’s youngest son.