| Logan |  I wish this could be forever, darlin'... You an' me, an' the sunset, the wildflowers, an' the breeze carryin' the tang o' mountain laurel --  |
| Silver Fox | Don't be silly, Logan! Nothing's forever. Everything has its time... And our time is now! |
Appearing in "State of Grace!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- X-Men
- ⏴ Silver Fox ⏵ (Only in flashback)
- S.H.I.E.L.D.
- ⏴ John Wraith ⏵
Antagonists:
- Sabretooth (Creed) (Illusion or holographic simulation)
Other Characters:
- Sean (a barkeeper) (First appearance)
- Mariko Yashida (Mentioned)
- Hydra (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- North America
- United States of America
- New York State
- Westchester County
- North Salem
- Salem Center
- Graymalkin Lane
- An unnamed bar (First appearance)
- Salem Center
- North Salem
- Westchester County
- New York State
- Canada (Main story and flashback)
- Yukon (Main story and flashback)
- Canadian Rockies (Main story and flashback)
- Logan and Silver Fox's Cabin (Main story and flashback)
- Canadian Rockies (Main story and flashback)
- Yukon (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America
- North America
Items:
- Wolverine's Suit
- Adamantium (on Wolverine's claws and body)
- Cyclops' Visor
- X-Uniforms
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "State of Grace!"
In order to deal with the grief over the death of Silver Fox, Wolverine has insisted that Professor Xavier allow him to use the Danger Room's VR Simulator to recreate the false memory where Sabertooth raped and murdered Silver Fox so that he can live out a revenge fantasy on Creed for murdering his love. While Professor X doesn't understand why Logan would put himself through such personal grief, the other X-Men understand, all be it they are uneasy as how the specified programming goes to further torture Wolverine with his insecurities. When things get out of control, something triggers a brief glimmer of a memory for Wolverine as Sabertooth mocks him for not being innocent due to a wetwork mission where he had to deal with Terry Adams. Before Logan can get anymore out of the simulation, the Professor has it terminated right away.
Wolverine stands in the Danger Room, vaguely remembering the mission and the fact that it was called off and wonders how he could have caused harm to a mystery person named Terry Adams.
That night Wolverine goes to a bar in Salem Center and begins hustings a man at pool. When the man decides gather his friends to beat on Logan, Logan offers him a new bet: They go punch-for-punch, whoever goes down first loses and the winner gets to keep the money. To sweeten the deal, Logan allows the man to take first swing, even with a pair of brass-knuckles if he's so inclined. The man is and takes a shot and hits Logan square in the face, cutting up his face and knocking one of his eyes out of the socket. Logan doesn't go down however, and after popping his eye back in place asks the man if he's read for his turn. Before Logan can throw a punch, Jean Grey arrives and stop him, sending the men away who are more than happy to leave Logan alone and let him keep the money.
Jean sits Logan back and tries to get him to stop being so miserable. Logan explains that he can't just let go so easily since he recently buried both Mariko and Silver Fox in so many days. He laments about his lot because while when most people go through physical harm they get scars, or limps, or parts of their body that don't work properly anymore, while he simply heals completely up with no physical memories of his past clashes. Finding the fact that his body can heal up in the time it takes to have one beer incredibly distressing. When Jean asks if he wants company at Silver Fox's funeral, Logan declines telling her that it is a private matter.
The next day at the Salem Center Church, Logan is furious to learn that a S.H.I.E.L.D. order has had Silver Fox's body removed. Before he can figure out what Nick Fury would want with his former lovers body, he gets his answer when a S.H.I.E.L.D. shuttle lands in the parking lot. Both Fury and Wraith pop out, and explain that they are going to give Silver Fox a full S.H.I.E.L.D. burial at the site of the cabin that she and Logan once lived at. Wanting to see this cabin for himself, Logan agree to go with them.
Sure enough, they take him there, while the brush has over-grown, the cabin is still in the woods where it has remained untouched for decades. Logan tells Fury, Wraith and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that are there to leave, as he wishes to attend to Silver Fox's burial alone. When they are gone, Logan goes up to the door and sees the both his and Silver Fox's name carved into the door encircled by a heart and spends a moment to embrace the fact that their love truly did happen. He then goes to digging Silver Fox's grave and recalls how the soil is hard to dig in. This triggers a memory of so many years ago when Logan was digging the well for their hope, Silver Fox came with a pail of water from the nearby stream. Logan remembers how beautiful she looked in the setting sun. How that day he told her that he wished that their love could last forever. She tells him that it won't, but this moment is theirs.
With the grave finished, Logan takes the piece of wood off the door that has their names engraved in it and uses as a tomb marker for Silver Fox's grave. He says his final goodbye's to her, but promises to come back every spring to pay his respects, and then walks off into the wilderness.
Notes
Continuity Notes[]
- This story takes place prior to Uncanny X-Men #294.
Chronology Notes[]
A flashback in this story affects the chronology of the following characters: