Why Is Marvel Making Wolverine the Next Winter Soldier? It’s Simple.

Wolverineis one of Marvel’s most well-known mutants, and now he’s becoming the Ultimate Universe version of the Winter Soldier – and the reasoning is surprisingly simple. While on the surface the two might seem like they have nothing in common, at a closer glance, the idea of making Wolverine the Winter Soldier is so simple that it’s surprising that no one has ever decided to do it before.

It was revealed at New York Comic Con 2024 that the Earth-6160 version of Wolverine would be none other than the Winter Soldier in Ultimate Wolverine by Chris Condon and Alessandro Cappuccio. This is a pretty major change from the 616 universe, as the original Wolverine is usually nothing but a hero and a proud member of the X-Men. But this new Ultimate Universe has been twisted towards evil by the machinations of the Maker.

While in this universe, Wolverine likely would have become a hero eventually, the Maker’s manipulations have ensured that might never happen now. Still, it makes perfect sense that Wolverine would become the Ultimate Universe’s version of the Winter Solider.

Wolverine Becomes the Ultimate Winter Soldier in Marvel’s New Universe

The Two Iconic Heroes Have Shockingly Similar Backstories

Readers will get to see this terrifying new version of Wolverine in Marvel’s upcoming Ultimate Wolverine #1 by Condon and Cappuccio. Instead of the heroic X-Men member, this version of Wolverine is one of the final weapons of the Maker, created solely to kill anyone who opposes his total control over this universe. It’s a fantastic idea, and when comparing the backstories of Wolverine and the original 616 Winter Soldier, it shows that this new character is an incredibly simple idea.

Bucky Barnes was the young sidekick of Captain America. He was one of the first sidekicks in comics, but bringing a young boy into World War II is rarely a good idea. Before the end of the war, Bucky was seemingly killed when he was dragged off by an exploding plane. Fortunately, Bucky survived, but he lost his left arm and was captured by Russia. He was then brainwashed and transformed into the Winter Soldier, an incredibly skilled assassin who carried out many murders, including the wife of Wolverine. Winter Solider’s history is incredibly dark, and Wolverine is about to live through it, too.

The man known as Logan used to be part of several secret agent teams, most notably Team X. But Logan eventually quit Team X in 1968 – which wasn’t the best idea, as shortly after he was ambushed and captured by the Weapon X program. This program was an attempt to create the ultimate warrior, and Wolverine was put through the most intense brainwashing and hypnosis that he’d ever been subjected to. Weapon X attempted to strip away Wolverine’s personality and humanity in the hopes of leaving him nothing but a feral animal who would obey commands – and they very nearly succeeded.

Wolverine and Winter Soldier Merged Together Is a Great Idea

Marvel’s New Ultimate Universe Continues to Impress

With these two backstories in mind, it’s incredibly easy to see why Marvel finally got the idea to merge the characters. It’s already been stated that Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier of Earth-616, doesn’t exist in the Ultimate Universe of 6160, having already been killed. It makes sense, as, since the Maker molded this universe to his needs, it would be far better for him to have a Winter Soldier who is a mutant capable of regeneration than a human with a robotic arm. This situation could make Wolverine the most deadly assassin on Earth-6160, and it’s unclear how the Ultimates will be able to stop him.

In Marvel’s Earth-616 universe, Wolverine is one of the greatest fighters around due to his exceptionally long life. But that fighting prowess has always been tempered by the fact that Wolverine doesn’t want to be an animal. He has fought for a long time to prove that he’s a man, not a beast. In the Ultimate Universe, unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to have that restraint. Wolverine has been successfully brainwashed by the Maker’s forces and exists only as a tool to slaughter the enemies of the Maker. This series will be an incredibly dark look at what would have happened if Wolverine had never escaped the Weapon X program.

With His New Winter Solider Identity, Wolverine Is 6160’s Ultimate Killer

The Adventure Begins in January

Wolverine has been a lot of things over the years, but he has always tried to be a hero above all else. The 6160 version of Wolverine never got a chance to be a hero. He is simply a mindless slave of the Maker, a feral animal who exists to be unleashed on the Maker’s enemies. It’s a dark idea, but it’s still surprising that readers haven’t seen it before. With Wolverine and the Winter Soldier’s backstories being so similar, it’s a surprise that it took so long for someone to have the simple but brilliant idea of merging their histories and creating the Ultimate Wolverine.

Ultimate Wolverine #1 is available January 15th, 2025 from Marvel Comics!