Warning: contains spoilers for Uncanny X-Men #2Casual fans ofWolverinemay think that the iconicX-Menhero is best known forhis adamantium clawsand berserker rages, butreal fans know that Logan’s true legacy is the paternal rolehe takes on for new, young mutants. Sadly, the tragic collapse of the Krakoan “utopia” has led Wolverine to reassess his place in the world, causing him to tell Rogue that he is completely done being a mentor for mutant youth.
Underneath Logan’s gruff, harsh demeanor, there isa genuinely kind, caring, and protective manwho wants the best for all his friends and chosen family, making it so tough to see how jaded andbroken the fall of Krakoa has made Wolverine.
Uncanny X-Men#2, from writer Gail Simone and artist David Marquez, sees Wolverine telling Rogue that there will be “No more Daddy Logan,” before referencing the trauma he has experienced followingthe violent murder of his son Daken, before the four members of the Outliers -the latest group of young New Mutants- appear, desperately asking the X-Men for help.
Wolverine Is Abandoning His Calling As THE Mutant Mentor
Logan has been a father figure to many iconic mutants
Logan is no stranger to trauma, in fact, he may be the poster child for it, so he often gravitates toward young mutants who are struggling with their place in the world, and hoping to join the X-Men.This trend seemingly started with the beloved Kitty Pryde, who Logan mentored and protected after she joined the X-Men as a young teenager. From helping her fight off Ogun inKitty Pryde and Wolverine, to Kitty using a broken-off bone claw of Logan’s as a weapon inX-Treme X-Men, and even opening up the Jean Grey School together, Wolverine has always been there for Kitty.
After Kitty came Jubilee, who is perhaps the most well-known protégé of Logan’s, in terms of their partnership and parental relationship. For years Jubilee acted as a “sidekick” to Wolverine, something he at first resented and later appreciated, withLogan quickly becoming a replacement father figure to the powerful young mutant. After saving Wolverine from the Reavers, he officially introduced Jubilation to the X-Men, and since then has helped her become a mutant leader, far surpassing her original role as a simple sidekick.
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Wolverine has also been a mentor to Armor, Hisako, becoming another sidekick to Logan, meaningfully wearing Kitty Pryde’s old X-Men suit. Logan taught Armor how to fight and use her powers properly, and the two became a formidable team,even using Wolverine’s famous “fastball special” in combat. Of course, Wolverine also became something of a mentor to his biological daughter Laura Kinney, but she was much more independent and well-trained when compared with Logan’s other young proteges, so she rarely has acted as Wolverine’s “sidekick.”
Clearly, Logan cares a lot about potentially vulnerable young women and wants to protect them not just with his claws, but also by training them to use their own powers. After Wolverine tells Rogue that he will mentor young mutants no more, she reflects that, “He’s changed,” which is only confirmed whenLogan officially tells Cyclops he is quitting the X-Men inX-Men#1. Logan’s newWolverinesolo series sees the hero alone in the woods, living among wolves, but thankfully Nightcrawler knocked him out of that funk, somehow leading Wolverine to join Rogue in her new X-Men team.
Wolverine Officially Quits the X-Men, Admitting Xavier’s Dream Is Dead
Xavier’s dream has never been more dead than in Wolverine’s admittance that he no longer wants to be a part of the X-Men. Can the team move forward?
Could Logan become a father figure to Jitter?
Jubilee may help convince Wolverine to be a mentor once again
Unsurprisingly, it appears that Wolverine’s declaration that there is now more “Uncle Wolvie” will be short-lived, seeing as he cannot resist helping a young new mutant, especially if she reminds him of his past proteges. The new mutant Jitter, or Sofia Young of the Outliers, pleads with Logan to help them, and it seems likeshe is the exact type of inexperienced but skilled young woman that Wolverine would take under his wing. Plus, Jubilee is now a part of Rogue’s X-Men, and if anyone can convince Logan to be a mentor once again, it is the passionate Jubilation Lee.
No matter how hard he tries, it seems obvious thatWolverinewill always end up as a mentor to a newX-Menrecruit, after his long history of spontaneously gaining powerful new sidekicks.Logan is going to have to grapple with his feelings of failureif he is going to be able to help Jitter and the Outliers, but fans have faith he will step up to the plate.
Uncanny X-Men#2from Marvel Comics is available now in stores.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
