Wolverine’s Most Memorable Deaths: Who Did the Deed?: Wolverine, also known as Logan, is a beloved character in the X-Men universe known for his regenerative abilities and adamantium claws. He has been a staple in Marvel comics for decades and has become a cultural icon. But despite his regenerative abilities, Wolverine has met his demise multiple times in the comics. In this article, we will take a look at some of the most memorable deaths of the character, and examine who was responsible for each one. From tragic ends at the hands of his enemies to heroic sacrifices, we will explore the many ways in which Wolverine has met his end. So grab your adamantium claws and join us as we journey through the comic book history of one of Marvel’s most iconic characters.
Wolverine’s Most Memorable Deaths: Who Did the Deed?
Killed By Magneto – Stabbed By His Own Claws
The story titled “What if Wolverine Had Killed The Hulk?” poses the question of how the Marvel Universe would be affected if a famous encounter went differently. In this case, if Wolverine had killed the Hulk. The story shows that the outcome would not have been positive, with Wolverine being inducted into the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and working against his former X-Men friends. However, as Wolverine grows fond of the heroes, he leaves Magneto and ultimately, Magneto delivers poetic justice by using his powers of magnetism to extend Wolverine’s claws and strike him in the head or throat, leading to his death. It is unclear if the strike was effective due to Wolverine’s healing factor or if the writer did not invest much importance in it.
Killed By Deadpool – Decapitated
In “Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe #3” (2012), Deadpool sets out to kill every character in the Marvel Universe, with a special plan for Wolverine. When Wolverine discovers Deadpool’s plan to kill him, he finds Daken and X-23 shackled and being burned. The fight between the two begins, but Deadpool is prepared with a Carbonadium blade designed to slow down Wolverine’s healing factor. After slicing into him, Deadpool separates Wolverine’s head from his body, effectively killing him for good. This comic is similar to “The Punisher” in its use of violence but takes it to a new level of insanity, as Deadpool is aware that he is a fictional character in a fictional universe.
Killed By Zombies – Zombie Infection
In the comic book Marvel Zombies: Dead Days, the Marvel Zombies universe is introduced. This universe features the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and other supervillains as zombies, who arrived in the Marvel Universe through the Ultimate Fantastic Four series. In this story, the zombie plague is first introduced when Reed Richards is deceived into teleporting into their reality, Earth-2149, a version of the universe that has been conquered by a zombie plague. The story follows the X-Men, including Wolverine, as they attempt to hold off the growing zombie horde until Wolverine is overwhelmed and infected by bites from Hawkeye and Captain America. The story does not fully explain why the zombies infection is one of the few that Wolverine’s immune system can’t tackle but the image of it is worth the ambiguity.
Killed By Stryfe – Asphyxiation
One of the installments of Marvel’s What If? explores an alternate outcome of the X-Men story “X-Cutioner’s Song,” where Stryfe, Cable’s clone and rival from the future, carries out his plan for revenge against the X-Men and Apocalypse. In this version, Apocalypse fails to save Charles Xavier, leading to a rift between the X-Men and Apocalypse. Charles’s death also causes a psychic shockwave that weakens the oxygen-filled mental bubble around Jean and Scott, ultimately killing them. With no backup, Wolverine is easily defeated by Stryfe who uses a telekinetic blast to smash him out onto the surface of the Moon, where he suffocates due to lack of oxygen. This death is more straightforward than most of Wolverine’s, as his healing ability is useless without oxygen to keep his cells alive.
Killed By Beast – De-Powered & Disemboweled
In Grant Morrison’s run on New X-Men, he explores the consequences of Cyclops closing the Xavier School after Jean Grey’s death. The story takes place 150 years in the future, where most humans are dead, Beast’s mind and body are controlled by a sentient bacteria called Sublime, and Wolverine leads a group of remaining mutant heroes against him. Despite Wolverine’s sharp claws, he is unable to defeat Sublime as Sublime has the ability to absorb the Phoenix Force. Eventually, Sublime kills Wolverine by slicing him almost in half with blue energy. The story ends with Cyclops reopening the school to prevent this future from happening. But the readers also get to see Wolverine accepting death as a long-awaited rest, which is a different perspective compared to his other depictions.
Killed By Kitty Pryde – Hand Phased Into Brain
This comic story is a combination of two storylines that involve the death of Wolverine. In “Enemy of the State,” Wolverine is targeted by the combined powers of Hydra and The Hand, with the leader of The Hand, Gorgon, succeeding in killing Wolverine through surgical precision, making it impossible for his healing factor to revive him. He is then brought back to life as a Hand-controlled assassin. In this “What If?” story, the question of which X-Men would be forced to bring the mind-controlled Wolverine back to normal is asked. The task is given to Kitty Pryde, who, in a last ditch effort, phases her arm directly into Wolverine’s brain at the exact moment he slices it from her body, permanently fusing it with his brain matter. This results in a death that is both gruesome and horrifying, leaving a lasting impression on readers.
Killed By Dust – Sand Blasted
In the story of Sooraya Qadir aka Dust, Wolverine plays a significant role in saving her from slavery and helping her join the mutant heroes under Charles Xavier in Young X-Men. However, in the final issues of the book, Dust is portrayed as the villain. Set in the future, Dust has become a powerful enemy of mutantkind due to her soul being killed after being resurrected by her ally Ink. She seeks revenge on the mutants she holds responsible and Wolverine, being the one who pulled her into her new life, is at the top of her list. When Dust finds him waiting for her at the Mansion, he tries to reason with her, telling her that killing former friends makes no sense. But Dust, using her Dust form, removes every piece of organic tissue from his adamantium skeleton leaving only the red-hot glowing claws as the only signs of life remaining. His last words were “Get Bent, Sweetheart”.
Killed By Self – Encased in Adamantium
The death of a superhero is often met with cynicism or skepticism, given how frequently they die and return to life. However, the death of Wolverine was different. He set out on a mission to discover the origin of his powers, which led him to the creator of the Weapon X program. Having lost his healing abilities due to a virus, Wolverine knew that using his claws could be fatal. When he finally reached his destination, he came face to face with Dr. Abraham Cornelius, the man behind the program. Cornelius had created test subjects to replicate Wolverine’s abilities, but without his healing power, they were incomplete. Wolverine, seeing the fate that awaited these subjects, sliced open all the containers of liquid adamantium before they could be used on the test subjects. In doing so, he covered himself in the metal and successfully killed Cornelius. As the metal cooled, it suffocated Wolverine, and he died watching the sunset.
Killed By Punisher – Stabbed, Electrocuted
In “Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe #1” (1995), Frank Castle, also known as the Punisher, sets out to kill every superhero and villain in the Marvel universe. The story, written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Doug Braithwaite, presents an alternate origin story for the Punisher, where his family is killed in a battle between superheroes and supervillains, causing him to harbor a deep hatred for all characters in the Marvel universe. He is aided by a group of benefactors who provide him with the means to execute his plan. In the end, after a series of violent murders, Frank defeats and kills Wolverine by overpowering him, thrusting his adamantium claws through his own chest and electrocuting him. Despite being a standalone story, it remains a memorable and graphic exit for the character.
