Death of Wolverine, In Memoriam.

My friends, this week instead of reviewing Death of Wolverine #4, I would like to say a few words in honour of the fallen X-Man. Wolverine was many things to many people; he was a friend, a lover, an obstacle, an opponent, a nemesis, but above all he was always a hero. Despite his very long life, his death came all too soon. At a time when the X-Men and the Avengers are at war with the Red Onslaught, and his friends are addressing the fallout from Uatu’s murder, this critical time is when he is needed.

But he is gone and the Marvel Universe now must make do without him. There will be no more fastball specials, no curmudgeonly responses to Spider-Man’s quips, the Jean Grey School will have a surplus of beer and cigars that will go unenjoyed.

As a fan of Wolverine for the past 24 years, I am understandably wounded by Marvel’s actions. Yes his death was fitting, yes Charles Soule devised a worthy ode to the ol’ Canucklehead, but that does not dull the pain of losing the object of my fandom for the sake of sensationalism and sales. The act of killing characters has become a ploy and fans know that their beloved characters come back. Of course, we will be reunited.

Wolverine went by many names; Logan, Patch, Weapon X, James, but never Uncle Ben so his resurrection is assured. He will return to his rightful place in the pantheon of Marvel heroes and everything will return to normal. But like the Captain America, and Spider-Man fans before me, I must now face the loss of my favourite character and watch the “fallout” until he returns. Like the other great heroes that have died before him, Wolverine will be replaced. That is to say, someone, perhaps Laura or Daken, will come forward and take up his legacy. They will fumble to tell stories about his past, and struggle with the void his absence leaves, they may even call themselves Wolverine. But there can only ever be one Wolverine, Bub.