WARNING! Spoilers for Wolverine: Revenge #5Marvel just revealed a possible ending forWolverine, and the popular X-Man’s final fate is pretty grim. Wolverine has survived countless foes during his long life, and the dark future presented in the recently-concludedWolverine: Revengeshows that Logan will survive far longer than anyone anticipated, but that’s not exactly a good thing.
Coming from the creative team of Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo,Wolverine: Revenge#5finally concludes the miniseries after several delays. The dark future story saw Wolverine on a mission of revenge after Magneto crashed Asteroid M into Earth, plunging most of the world into darkness after an EMP discharge.
The final issue flashes forward several years after that, featuring Sabretooth and Colossus’ son Nikolai plotting their own revenge against an older Logan. After Wolverine kills Sabretooth,Nikolai uses Magik’s Soulswordto send Wolverine to Hell.
Wolverine Is the New King of Hell
Wolverine: Revenge#5 by Jonathan Hickman, Greg Capullo, Tim Townsend, Alex Sinclair and Cory Petit
It’s a pretty brutal twist, but the story doesn’t stop there. Before Wolverine began his fight with Nikolai, he used a device invented by the X-Man Forge to rob himself of his healing factor as a way to give Nikolai a fighting chance. After opening the portal to Hell, Nikolai proceeds to pummel Wolverine, beforedelivering the killing blow and leaving him in the pit with hundreds of demons. However, it’s eventually revealed that the device Wolverine used didn’t actually take away his healing factor – Wolverine simply used it as a way to make Nikolai think he had succeeded in killing him.
10 Times Marvel Put Wolverine Through the Absolute Wringer
Wolverine may be near-immortal, but he is nowhere close to being immune to pain. This iconic X-Man has truly suffered in his centuries-old life.
In that way, Wolverine hopes to prevent Nikolai from falling into the same trap he did after killing his father Colossus all those years ago.Colossus had betrayed Wolverineand began working with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants after the world went dark, ultimately killing Captain America and the Winter Soldier. This betrayal led Logan to hunt down and brutally kill all those responsible, including his old friend Colossus. With the story flashing forward several years later to show Colossus’ son on his own mission of revenge, the story comes full circle.
Wolverine’s Revenge Leaves Him Trapped in Hell
“Revenge Led Me Here”: Logan’s Path to Hell
It’s a dark ending for what may be the most popular X-Man of them all, but it is a fitting fate to Wolverine’s violent life. “Revenge led me here,” Wolverine muses, “and my nature made sure of it.” Of course, being who he is,Logan isn’t willing to just lie back and let the demons of Hell do what they will to him. Instead, Wolverine goes after the throne of Hell itself, which is occupied by Belasco, thedemon lord who kidnapped Colossus’ sister Magikwhen she was still a toddler.
Wolverine seems to accept who he is, and his violent revenge ultimately leads him to take the throne of Hell for himself. The overall theme ofWolverine: Revengeconcerns the never-ending cycles of violence and vengeance, with a story that spans generations to show how even one single act of violence winds up having devastating consequences in the future. By sacrificing himself to the pit of Hell, Logan gives Nikolai the chance to heal in a way he was never able to, closing the cycle of revenge that nearly consumed Nikolai’s life.
Wolverine’s Been to Hell Before in Marvel Lore
Logan Is Very Familiar with Fire and Brimstone
While Logan taking the throne of Hell proves to be a fitting conclusion toWolverine: Revenge, it’shardly the first time that the character has visited the pit of fire and brimstone. Most recently, Wolverine went to Hell in search of the famed swordsmith Muramasa, hoping to get him to forge a blade Logan would use in theTournament of Swords on Krakoa’s behalf. Wolverine’s soul had been previously trapped in Hell after his body was possessed by a demon. While there, Logan was confronted with the sins of his past by the Devil himself.
Wolverine taking the throne of Hell for himself is the only way his story could have ended, showing the cost of a life spent mired in violence and death.
It may have taken a little longer than usual to reach its conclusion, butWolverine: Revengemanaged to complete the dark vision of the Marvel Universe that began with Magneto’s attack on the entire Earth. It ended in a way that perhaps no one saw coming, but it’s definitely fitting for the dark journey Wolverine found himself on after his quest for revenge.Wolverinetaking the throne of Hell for himself is the only way his story could have ended, showing the cost of a life spent mired in violence and death.
Wolverine: Revenge#5is 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.
