Wolverine just discovered he has much bigger problems than his broken claws. The X-Men mainstay recently discovered something that could break his previously unbreakable Adamantium claws. However, that was just the start of Logan’s troubles.
The current storyline in the Wolverine monthly comic has centered around the awakening of the Adamantine. Also known as the Metal of the Gods, Adamantine is a sentient and magical substance — the idealized essence of metal itself. However, this spirit was displeased to discover humanity had dared to replicate it with the artificial metal Adamantium.
Beyond targeting every superhuman infused with “the pretender,” Adamantine also sought out Logan. This was due to a prophecy spanning the multiverse, which said Adamantine would be destroyed by a “savage champion” that was a perfect combination of man, beast and metal. This resulted in a battle, in which Wolverine broke the claws on his right hand and Adamantine removed the Adamantium from those claws.
As Wolverine #21 opens, Logan is recovering, physically and mentally. He agrees to a brief vacation in Hawaii with Nightcrawler, who is one of the few among the X-Men he trusts more than himself. The vacation works wonders until the two encounter the Absorbing Man and Titania, who are also on vacation.
Naturally there is a misunderstanding and a fight breaks out in the grand Marvel tradition. Even with only one claw working, Wolverine is more than capable of handling himself in a fight with Nightcrawler watching his back. However, a disturbing problem comes to light after the fight is over.
Why Wolverine can no longer count on his powers to recover
As the two X-Men lick their wounds and enjoy a few drinks, both heroes realize something is wrong. Nightcrawler says that Logan looks far worse than he usually does after a fight. What’s more, he notices that Wolverine seems to be having trouble hiding the pain of his injuries.
Wolverine starts to insist that he’s fine, but then notices that he’s honestly drunk. This is a rare state for him, given his Mutant healing factor negates the effects of most poisons and sedatives, including alcohol. This leads both heroes to the horrifying conclusion that something has removed Logan’s healing factor.
This is a major issue for Logan, which raises the stakes for his battle with the Adamantine considerably. While the loss of his claws in one hand is a hinderance, the battle in Wolverine #21 proves his warrior instincts and skills are still intact. Even the loss of his Adamantium skeleton (which occurred once before thanks to Magneto) is not enough to stop Logan. However, taking away his ability to almost instantly recover from injuries offers a far more challenging obstacle for him to overcome.
Wolverine #21 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
Originally reported by Matt Morrison for SuperHeroHype.
