Killing Wolverine

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robjvargas

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Came across a news story today that has me fuming. But in a good way, I guess.

Marvel is going to kill Wolverine.

Marvel has been teasing a radical new development in Wolverine’s history with this summer’s story arc, “3 Months to Die,” which robs Wolverine of his healing factor, the mutant power that has kept him alive and kicking through decades of fatal injuries. Now, EW is excited to announce exclusively that “3 Months to Die” will culminate in a 4-part miniseries in September called, simply, Death of Wolverine.

Wow. I mean dang. I mean DANG! I mean :rant:

Doesn't look like it's going to be one of "those" deaths, either.

The concept of “death” in comic books can seem a bit tenuous — unless your name is Uncle Ben — but Marts says that Marvel approached this event “from a standpoint of finality, of closure.” The hero’s death will have ramifications throughout Marvel’s line. “You’re gonna be entering into a world without Wolverine. That affects not only his teammates, but also the Marvel Universe at large. We’ve got a lot of things in the works already.”
 

Maggie Maxwell

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I'll believe it's not one of "those" deaths when I see it for an extended period of time. Everyone thought Captain America had one of "those" deaths and he still came back. Very daring if they do give him a permanent offing, though.
 

robjvargas

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The language seems pretty certain that they'll go there.

Whether they'll stay there...
 

Maggie Maxwell

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A thing to consider: Wolverine's had a long, long life. It's plausible that even if they honest-to-God-not-coming-back killed him off, they could still use him with solo adventures taking place before the X-men or other team-ups. They may kill him, but I sincerely doubt we'll have seen the last of him, one way or another.
 

ShaunHorton

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I predict a "Death of Superman" type of scenario. Where there'll be others that step up claiming to be Logan, each getting their own comic for a year or so, before some Godly being brings back the original. I mean, really, we've known for years that Wolverine can be killed, even with his healing factor.
 

Taylor Harbin

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This is the one thing that's me kinda scratch my head about comic books: the stories never end. Most of the characters are immortal in one way or another. I'm not an expert on the industry or the format, but as a novelist it doesn't make sense. Reminds me of the criticism that people give The Simpsons.

There are some notable exceptions. The Robin persona has been adopted by four men. Peter Parker died in battle. Shadowcat bit the dust.
 

frimble3

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You don't see it in books as often, because they're usually single-author works, and one person's career isn't usually long enough to get the 'immortal' effect. Maybe something put out by a syndicate? Tarzan, maybe? Sherlock Holmes, and all the updatings and variations might come close.

The major comic books are seldom the work of one person, they're owned by companies that assign the work to new people as old ones leave, with the intent that the series continue uninterrupted.
It's just one of those things, 'the unchanging hero'.

It's like the kind of mystery series when some unlikely person keeps finding dead bodies, wherever they go. Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, John Putnam Thatcher. It's a genre convention.
(Sorry to drift off-topic.)
 
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nighttimer

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Death is SO played out...

Wolverine? Dead?

Say it ain't so!

Wolverine is gonna take a dirt nap? Okay. Plant him out back right next to the graves of Superman, Batman, Captain America, The Human Torch and every other superhero Marvel and DC have killed off only to bring back 12 months later.

Killing a comic book character has become one of the most transparent and tiresome tropes of the industry. Hey, I heard Archie is getting knocked off too! Sob-sob. He was only in high school for 70 years! He died so young.

Oh well, dig an extra hole for Archie and drop him in it too. :e2yawn:

There's only one thing that can kill a superhero. Low sales. It not only kills 'em dead it keeps 'em dead.

As far as controversies go croaking Wolverine is a pretty lightweight one. Why not go balls out and have him come out as gay? Just the reaction of the fanboys alone would be priceless.

Now THAT would be worth plunking down $3.99 for. :ROFL:
 

Cyia

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Wolverine's died before.

He came back three frames later, regenerated from a single drop of his own blood.
 

Ron Maiden

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do people still fall for hype like this, especially from publishers like marvel?
he'll be "dead" for x amount of months, then he'll return, presumably hyped just as much to guarantee sales. probably they'll include a "because the fans demanded it" line, to show how caring and considerate they are and did have the long-term money-grubbing planned out all along.
 

Lissibith

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I also find myself skeptical. Though honestly, if they do kill him off just temporarily, I'll give them points if it's a significant stretch and not... how long was The Human Torch dead? Like a month?

Leave him out for 3, 4 years and I'll be impressed.

Frankly, dude needs a break. He's lucky that canon is a little more fast and loose in Marvel than it (used to be) in DC. there were times it felt like he was in so many books they'd need a time paradox to even pretend they were all in continuity.
 

Raventongue

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I despise Wolverine. I probably wouldn't if he weren't the first Canadian superhero most people think of besides Captain Canuck, but he is, so I do. Possibly the only fictional character I wish they'd kill off, or otherwise arrange it so we'd never see his face again.

But I'm not gonna get my hopes up.
 

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I wonder if it would set a precedent. Sorry to see him go though, was one of my favorites as a kid before I got into Manga.
 
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regdog

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Not Wolverine!!!Why do these fools keep killing off beloved characters???


You think they'd learn from Hasbro's debacle of killing Optimus Prime in Transformers The Animated Movie. Killing Optimus shattered the fans and led the the series being canceled. After realizing how angry the fans were they revived Optimus in the series but the damage was done.

It also led to them changing the end of GI Joe Arise Serpentor, so Duke lived, even though he actually died in the movie. They were too afraid of killing off another beloved, main character.

They had to reboot the entire Transformer series.
 

Axl Prose

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I'd be shocked if he stayed dead. This is one character that has truly elevated himself from not super known to the public, to Batman and Spider Man status. He was the man back in the day when he wasn't in costume. Jeans and boots and flannel shirts with a cigar stub between his teeth.
 

Jacob_Wallace

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I predict a "Death of Superman" type of scenario. Where there'll be others that step up claiming to be Logan, each getting their own comic for a year or so, before some Godly being brings back the original. I mean, really, we've known for years that Wolverine can be killed, even with his healing factor.

How can Wolverine be killed without deactivating his healing factor?
 

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I don't know if the cannon has changed, but it was established that serious enough injuries could temporarily "burn out" a character's healing factor. That was the case I believe when Magneto ripped the adamantium out of him. I also recall a story where Sabretooth had his back broken and while it healed, it slowed down to human healing rates for a month. I believe it's also been established that he could be killed by the Legacy virus the same as any other mutant and certain powerful energy attacks could theoretically kill him before his healing factor could repair the damage. Also, it should be established that his ability is healing, not true regeneration. So lop off an arm or a leg and he doesn't grow a new one.
 

Nikweikel

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How can Wolverine be killed without deactivating his healing factor?

He can be blasted down to bare metal, flushed out an airlock, drowned, starved or dehydrated, frozen solid, roasted, dropped from ten miles up, dropped into a volcano, etc...

Pretty much the only harm he's impervious to are aging, diseases, parasites, and physical injuries that don't kill him in an instant.
 

bySD

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You could probably keep Wolverine dead for a long time IF you filled his gap with Laura/X-23.

Push her as Wolverine's legacy, and the death'll be stickier. (Worked for Captain Marvel, the Blue Beetles, and Ultimate Spider-Man --- and Barry Allen for decades. Didn't work w/ Bucky, and that's why Cap came back.)
 
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