Warning: Contains spoilers forWolverine #2!!Wolverineis the best there is at what he does, as the iconic line goes, but what Logan views as his defining attributes aren’t truly at the core of who he is. A Wendigo encounter proves what centers Logan in so many lives. Adamantium claws, a healing factor, and a surly attitude are mere adornments - Wolverine is a mentor for the world’s young and frightened “monsters”.
InWolverine #2, by Saladin Ahmed, Martin Cóccolo, Bryan Valenza, and Cory Petit,Wolverine crosses pathswith a hungry Wendigo, only to discover that the creature isn’t exactly what it seems. Rather than a bloodthirsty beast, it’s a recently cursed teenager reaching out for help, and the encounter hits a few familiar, important notes for the adamantium-laced mutant.
Logan knows the value of getting help with fighting animalistic, violent instincts, and he’s also uniquely suited to being that helping hand for others.Wolverine’s most defining quality isn’t ruthless violence, it’s his ability to change the lives of the kids and teenagers who need someone stubborn enough to stick by them.
Wolverine is Defined by His Unique Ability to Act as a Mentor, Not by Violence or Attitude
A Penchant for Violence, Adamantium Claws, and Attitude Aren’t His Most Important Traits Anymore
Logan defines himself by the violence that surrounds him. He’s been responsible for incredible bloodshed over the years, and he’s indisputably one of Marvel’s most skilled combatants. His primal rage has been centered for too long, causing the mutant and many fans to believe it’s the core of who he is. He’s a fighter, but he’s an even better mentor.After years of reluctantly yet successfully guiding the X-Men’s most stubborn, dangerous youth, and even starting up the Jean Grey School to give mutants a safe space, no one has a way with them like him. That’s the heart of Wolverine.
From Kitty Pryde to Kid Omega,Wolverine had a handin training many young mutants who became heroes. He’s deeply familiar with the feeling of being an outsider and knows how important it is to have help that doesn’t give up. His history and blunt nature enable him to reach kids and teenagers unwilling to heed anyone else. Logan takes the hits and keeps going, but inherently knows when to soften his notoriously rough exterior, too. Both aspects shine in his encounter with the Wendigo, showcasing that his ability to make a difference for rough, superpowered youth is his most important quality.
Wolverine is Running From His Greatest Attribute
But Even He Can’t Outrun Who He Really Is
The encounter with the Wendigo doesn’t just shine a light on who Logan is, it offers proof thatWolverine can’t hidein the wilderness and escape who he is at his core. Sure, violence continues to find him, but that isn’t the only thing waiting in the snow.There will always be young, scared mutants and monsters who need someone like him - and there is something that draws them in no matter how far he goes to escape it.His choice to leave Rogue and her new Uncanny X-Men behind didn’t change that. He’s still answering the call for help elsewhere.
It’s a mistake to boil Wolverine down to the metal that coats his bones or the healing factor that keeps him alive. His greatest contribution isn’t how many lives he can take or what helps him survive; it’s how he’s always known how to guide the members of the next generation who struggle the most. It’s been painful, at times, and it’s hard to blame Logan for running, but distance won’t change what he’s meant to do.Wolverineis one of the X-Men’s greatest mentors, and that leadership defines him more than violence or adamantium ever can.
Wolverine #2is available now from Marvel Comics.
Wolverine
The human mutant Wolverine (a.k.a. Logan) was born James Howlett, blessed with a superhuman healing factor, senses, and physiology. Subjecting himself to experimentation to augment his skeleton and claws with adamantium, Logan is as deadly as he is reckless, impulsive, and short-tempered. Making him the X-Men’s wildest and deadliest member, and one of Marvel Comics' biggest stars. He’s played in Fox and Marvel’s movie franchises by Hugh Jackman.
