Finally, Marvel Has the X-Men Admit Wolverine’s Life Is a Living Hell, but It Comes a Few Decades Too Late

Wolverine has been through hell as an immortal superhero, but only now have his allies started to fully understand the gravity of how much distress the adamantium-clawed mutant has endured. Finally, one of Wolverine’s X-Men teammates has addressed the consequences of his dangerous life and how not acknowledging his pain has affected him, but it’s up for debate if Wolverine will take action after decades of living through it.

In Uncanny X-Men #6 – written by Gail Simone, with art by Javier Garrón – Wolverine tells Gambit and Rogue that he’s the last survivor of his army friends. Still having a little bit of Harvey X’s telepathic powers, Rogue is able to read Wolverine’s mind, realizing how torn up inside he truly is, and diagnosing him with PTSD in the process.

Wolverine has endured a lot of traumatic experiences, but Rogue is the first to recognize, decades too late, that he has a major problem, because he’s not addressing the long-term PTSD he suffers from.

Uncanny X-Men #6 – Written By Gail Simone; Art By David Marquez; Color By Matt Wilson; Lettering By Clayton Cowles

Many war survivors face PTSD, and Wolverine is over 200 years old, meaning he has lived a life of fighting wars, so many of the traumas he’s experienced go beyond what the average person has to endure within an average life span. Not only has Wolverine taken lives, but because he’s a superhero with highly coveted abilities, he’s also had to endure attempts on his life, like being encased in adamantium, or Magneto pulling the adamantium from his skeleton in Fatal Attractions. Immortality may seem like an incredible gift, but for heroes like Wolverine, it’s endless torture.

Because Wolverine is such a hardened and strong-willed person, he doesn’t even want to entertain the idea when Rogue tells him she can tell he’s suffering, but considering his personality, it makes complete sense for him as a character. Wolverine is known for being irritable, self-isolating, and generally has a negative outlook on the world, all traits that are often seen in people who have PTSD. This revelation about Wolverine adds depth to him and further explains why Wolverine will disappear or leave for the wilderness when he experiences massive hardships like the loss of Krakoa.

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It has long been an accepted fact of superheroism that Wolverine, as well as many heroes, suffer great tragedies in the line of protecting the world. That said, because Rogue is able to sense the turmoil within Wolverine’s mind, she can further understand the immense hurt he’s been keeping inside. Wolverine’s inner turmoil is why he struggles with forming connections and why he often butts heads with teammates like his infamous feud with Cyclops; he’s mistrusting and his long, grueling experiences drive him to distance himself from others.

Since Wolverine tends to run when encountering traumatic experiences, whether his PTSD will be addressed again, especially now that Rogue and Gambit are awareof what their friend is going through. Wolverine’s antisocial, brutish personality has been an integral part of his character for decades, and Rogue naming the reason for his demeanor adds a layer of depth to his character in a tragically humanizing way. As a member of the X-Men and an immortal mutant, it’s interesting to see Marvel finally address the heartbreaking consequences of Wolverine’s long life of hardships.

Uncanny X-Men #6 is available now from Marvel Comics.