Winter Soldier Wolverine Should Have Been a Defining Marvel Twist, So Why Isn’t It Working?

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The new Ultimate Universe has re-invented a number of iconic Marvel characters, and there are few whose Earth-6160 debuts have been as highly anticipated as Wolverine‘s. With that being said, Wolverine’s Ultimate counterpart hasn’t lived up to the hype as much as many may have hoped. Wolverine has undergone a shocking makeover as the new Winter Soldier, but for various reasons, the shift has failed to hit as hard as it should.

For the uninitiated, Earth-6160 is also known as Marvel’s latest Ultimate Universe, a world created by the villainous Maker in an effort to eliminate superheroes. As such, this new continuity offers bold revamps of classic heroes, from Iron Man to Spider-Man. Wolverine also appears within this universe – albeit as the Winter Soldier, not an X-Man.

In Ultimate Wolverine by Chris Condon and Alessandro Cappuccio, Logan inherits the dark alter ego that’s usually attributed to Bucky Barnes, and this should mark a groundbreaking change that gets readers excited. Unfortunately, the new Wolverine’s potential has yet to be fully explored.

Wolverine Is The Ultimate Universe’s Winter Solder, But No One Cares

Winter Soldier Wolverine Isn’t Hitting as Hard as It Should

The Winter Soldier in the main Marvel Universe is Bucky Barnes, but the Ultimate Universe switches things up with a new take on the brainwashed assassin. Instead of Bucky, it’s Wolverine who dons the mantle, and he’s been stripped of his former memories and identity the same way Bucky was. Colossus and Magik, who are members of the Maker’s Council rather than X-Men in this warped reality, control him to operate on the Council’s behalf and carry out dark deeds. As riveting as this status quo is on paper, however, the execution of Wolverine’s Winter Soldier era has left much to be desired for many readers.

Ultimate Wolverine is far from a bad comic, of course. The issue lies within the fact that it doesn’t set itself apart from other Wolverine comics. Under the Council’s control, Logan wears a mask that shields his mouth, so he doesn’t speak much and communicates mostly in violence as he slaughters classic X-Men characters – including Nightcrawler. The absence of a strong personality turns a strong character choice into a wasted opportunity, as Wolverine’s brutal kills blend together with his usual action fare. Wolverine as the Winter Soldier doesn’t feel distinct from Weapon X’s original Wolverine, thus diminishing the twist’s potential.

Winter Soldier Wolverine Doesn’t Feel Too Different From His Usual Self

Wolverine’s Earth-6160 Variant Isn’t Far Off From the Original Wolverine

The sad truth about Winter Soldier Wolverine is that the execution of his story isn’t that distinct from a run-of-the-mill Wolverine comic. In fact, his arc feels like a retread of his Weapon X storyline. The Weapon X program has taken away his personality and turned him into a killing machine, and though the brainwashing is more extreme in the Ultimate Universe, the result has been seen before. He may be killing X-Men, but his stories are typically full of violence and murder, so that twist isn’t enough to turn heads when Marvel is currently full of bloody Wolverine ventures.

Right now, beyond this Ultimate book, there are plenty of other Wolverine stories being put out by Marvel Comics that depict a similarly gory Wolverine. The Red Band Edition of Wolverine: Revenge by Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo, for example, features a vengeful Wolverine who slashes his way through enemies like he does in Condon and Cappuccio’s take. Moreover, there’s also Wolverine and Deadpool / Wolverine, two more comics that send Logan down a blood-soaked path. It’s sad to admit, but this new Wolverine just comes off as more of the same, weakening the impact of his Winter Soldier subversion.

The Ultimate Universe Makes Bigger Swings With Other Marvel Heroes

Wolverine Doesn’t Differ as Much From His Classic Counterpart

One of the core selling points of the new Ultimate Universe is its re-inventions of Marvel’s beloved cast, many of whom undergo groundbreaking changes that redefine them in notable ways. For instance, the Ultimates replace the Avengers, and each member is a Marvel hero with a twist. Iron Man is the younger Iron Lad, Reed Richards has been turned into Doctor Doom by the Maker, a new Hawkeye is fighting in Clint Barton’s place, and so on. Each hero is still recognizable, yet they all possess key differences that allow them to stand apart from their original versions.

Spider-Man also undergoes major updates, including being married with children, though the most monumental overhaul belongs to the X-Men. Peach Momoko’s Ultimate X-Men series does away with the traditional characters and setting, instead drawing its inspiration from Japanese storytelling as opposed to X-Men stories from Earth-616. Wolverine being so similar to the main continuity’s Logan thus stands out even more, as he’s not nearly as different as the core X-Men team in this universe. Despite now being the Winter Soldier, Wolverine’s story doesn’t deviate enough from his usual fare compared to the rest of the Ultimate Universe’s heroes.

Can Marvel Fix Winter Soldier Wolverine? There’s Still a Chance

Winter Soldier Wolverine Is Cool Enough to Work, If The Story Ramps Up

Ultimate Wolverine may not be the most compelling figure within his continuity as of right now, but that doesn’t mean Marvel Comics can’t fix him. His story has only just begun, after all, so there’s plenty of time to make more ambitious moves with his characterization. The series seems to be setting up Wolverine eventually breaking free from Directorate X and turning against those who are controlling him. This plot point may be a long way off at the moment, but the seeds have been planted, so it’s only a matter of time before Wolverine shatters his status quo and truly justifies his Winter Soldier transformation.

Ultimate Wolverine #1-3 are available now from Marvel Comics!

“}]] The new Ultimate Wolverine has hit a few setbacks.  Read More