Marvel Comics Presents #26

Marvel Comics Presents was launched in 1988 as a bi-weekly anthology series designed to showcase short, serialized stories featuring a rotating cast of Marvel characters. Issue number 26, released in August 1989, is best known for continuing the long-running Wolverine serial 'Weapon X' written and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith. This arc is widely considered a landmark work in comic history, as it provided the first definitive origin story for Wolverine, detailing the brutal experimentation performed by the Weapon X program.

Barry Windsor-Smith’s work on this issue was marked by a shift in his artistic style toward a more atmospheric, gritty aesthetic that perfectly captured the claustrophobic horror of Logan’s transformation. The serial was received with immense critical acclaim, praised for its innovative page layouts and psychological depth. Beyond the Wolverine story, the issue featured secondary tales that were typical of the era's anthology format, though the lasting cultural footprint of this specific installment remains anchored to Windsor-Smith’s definitive interpretation of the character’s history.