Akihiro, also known as Daken, has a complex and tragic backstory. He is the son of Wolverine and Itsu, his Japanese wife. Itsu was brutally murdered by the Winter Soldier in an effort to lure Wolverine back to Madripoor. However, Akihiro miraculously survived the attack due to his inherited mutant healing factor.
Following Itsu’s death, the powerful mutant Romulus took the baby and left him on the doorstep of Akihira and Natsumi, a wealthy Japanese couple. They raised him as their own, but the townspeople referred to him as Daken, meaning “mongrel,” due to his mixed heritage. Akihiro faced constant teasing from other children, leading him to develop a cold demeanor, except towards his adoptive father.
During his childhood, Akihiro’s pheromone powers began to manifest, causing others to mimic his emotions. His mother believed him to be cursed and confessed her lack of love for him after giving birth to her biological son. Feeling threatened, Akihiro confronted his mother and claimed responsibility for his brother’s death. A confrontation ensued, resulting in Natsumi’s accidental death at the hands of Daken’s retractable claws. Unable to harm his son, Akihira tragically committed suicide.
Romulus, who had been watching over Daken, revealed himself and took him under his wing. In 1959, Romulus sent Daken to a boot camp in Canada, where Wolverine had trained years earlier. Daken also received training from Silas Burr, the same man who had trained his father. After disappearing for a brief period, Daken returned to the camp and killed everyone there, including Frederick Hudson and Silas Burr. Romulus intervened, sparing Burr’s life and subjecting him to an experiment that bonded Adamantium to his skin, transforming him into the villain Cyber.
In 1967, Daken encountered a man named Carl Valentino in Toronto, who possessed mutant dream powers. They shared a passionate night together, but Daken would not see Carl again for many years due to Carl’s unique ability.
In 1977, Romulus falsely informed Daken that Wolverine was still alive but had killed Itsu to prevent Daken’s birth, igniting a deep-seated desire for vengeance in Daken that Romulus nurtured over the following decades.
