The Daily Procrastinator

You know, back when he was just a mutant, Wolverine kicked all kinds of ass. Here was a guy with heightened senses and a healing factor that allowed him to wade into a horde of Hand ninjas and start doling out as much punishment as he was taking with those awesome adamantium claws.

And the thing was, those wounds he was taking took a toll on him – it actually took him time to heal, to mend, and, if you were to inflict enough punishment on the runt, the fight could be won. At least for a time. Then Wolverine would go berserker on your ass and woe be to anyone who got in his path.

I liked the fact that his past was a mystery. I liked the fact that the adamantium was grafted onto his bones by a mysterious government entity, and that those claws were not natural. They just made him more deadly. That’s all I really needed to know. (Now, I should note that I don’t mind the relatively recent developments with House of M, giving Wolverine total recall of his past. It opens up so many more story possibilities that could enrich the character even further. Whether this bombshell is being pulled off effectively is another opinion).

But back in 1993, the inevitable happened. Because when a major X-Men villain has the capability to control the forces of magnetism, thus being able to manipulate all forms of metal, it really should have been no surprise when Magneto ripped the adamantium from Wolverine’s body.

The character of Wolverine has never been quite the same since then.

One, the loss of the adamantium led to the “discovery” that Wolverine’s claws were actually bone structures, and thus a part of his original mutation. So not only did Wolverine have heightened senses and a healing factor, but he also had claws, to boot. Quick, name another mutant with so many beneficial mutations. The idea of bone claws popping out of his wrists is, as far as intuitive mutations, pretty much a stretch (yes, we’re talking about a realm in which some mutants teleport, others shoot concussive blasts out of their eyes, and others control the weather, but at least those mutations are suggested by design characteristics or Darwinistic necessity. Name an animal that ejects its claws from sheaths in its legs).

Two, Wolverine has become something of a samurai. Historically he’s been characterized as a brawler, someone who overpowers opponents through ferocity and will. Now, he’s portrayed as a skilled fighter, knowledgeable in various forms of combat, martial arts, and swordplay. I guess this is a bit of a nitpick since he’s lived for over 100 years, and it makes sense that he might have picked up some skills in that time, but, again, these depictions run counter to who he was, originally.

Yeah, Wolverine carrying a sword doesn’t make much sense to me, either (yes, I know the story behind the blade).

Third, and this is the biggest issue I have, the dude seems damn near immortal now. Wolverine’s healing ability has been increasing steadily since the mid-90s, and it’s culminated in the idea that nothing short of cutting off his head will kill him. And even that is up to debate. I read an issue of Wolverine a while back where he was chasing the villain Nitro after Nitro blew up the town of Stamford, Connecticut. He caught up with him in a remote wooded area, but Nitro exploded himself again:

Note that the explosion reduces Wolverine to his adamantium laced skeleton (reacquired sometime during the 90s). But on the next page, Wolverine’s body has already regenerated itself (appparently, some brain matter survived the flames) and he proceeds to take on Nitro again, who is spent from that explosion.

Really? This is the same Wolverine who barely survived ninjas and samurai in Chris Claremont’s seminal limited series, which gave fans their first real glimpse into the mysterious Logan. Here’s a nice site that gives an overview of the work. Otherwise, buy it. But now, 25 or so years later, this story wouldn’t play out as none of the heavies in Claremont’s story would be able to overcome Wolverine’s healing abilities, which are now godlike.

I understand characters evolve (particularly mutants), but these evolutions in Logan have made him, in my opinion, less entertaining, particularly the accelerated healing factor. It now takes a god-like opponent to threaten Wolverine, and that’s the real problem with his portrayal today: Wolverine’s claws suggest he should be taking on mortals – the adamantium blades are a very real threat to anyone who can bleed. His healing factor, though, allows him to take on anything else with very little risk.

And that rarely makes for interesting story-telling.