Contains Possible Spoilers for Uncanny X-Men (2024) #3!Wolverine and Rogue have had their ups and downs in the past, but their conflicting views on the role of their new X-Men team might just tear them apart. With dire portents of the future weighing heavily on them, the two will have to reconcile their differences sooner rather than later if they want to stand any chance of protecting a new group of young mutants.
Uncanny X-Men #3 – written by Gail Simone, with art by David Marquez – emphasizes the growing differences between Rogue and Wolverine. In the prior issue the team took in the Outliers, a group of mutants on the run, despite Wolverine’s unease.
In Uncanny X-Men #1, it was predicted that one of these wards was the ‘Endling’, a being that would bring ruin. The preview ends with Rogue preparing for Logan to drop a “hard truth” on her. He clearly doesn’t want to look after these kids, if one of them could be dangerous to mutantkind.
Wolverine & Rogue’s Differences Could Fracture The New “Uncanny X-Men” Roster Already
Uncanny X-Men #3 – Written By Gail Simone; Art By David Marquez; Color By Matthew Wilson; Lettering By Clayton Cowles
This dark perspective ties into Logan’s current emotional arc. In the aftermath of the X-Men’s Krakoan era, he’s suffering a crisis of faith and seems convinced that the X-Men are doomed to failure. He straight up refused to be part of Cyclops’ other X-Men team – in Ryan Stegman’s X-Men #1 – and only joined the Uncanny team for his friends’ sakes. Now, with the threat of one of these kids going evil, who knows what Logan’s about to argue for or against. At best, he’s probably going to advocate for letting these kids fend for themselves.
This character beat for Logan only works because readers are so familiar with him being a paternal figure for younger mutants. From Kitty Pryde to Jubilee to Armor, Logan has softened over the decades. He’s built his own X-Men identity around the protection of the younger generation, and now he’s lost that faith. In contrast, the death of the terminally ill Harvey in Uncanny X-Men #1 has prompted Rogue to start thinking more seriously about the importance of the X-Men, and the appearance of the Outliers is only more proof for her that the team are needed more than ever.
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What is important is that this clearly isn’t the end state of Wolverine’s current emotional journey. His reluctance to teach this new generation wouldn’t even come up if he wasn’t going to struggle with it, and eventually realize that he has to be there for the Outliers. The threat of the ‘Endling’ is only a vague one, and the perfect catalyst to force Logan to confront his current state and move past it. It’s also a trial by fire for Rogue, giving her immediate challenges that will both test her leadership and her ideological resolve.
Hopefully, Wolverine’s pessimism doesn’t weigh heavily on Rogue, and she can be the better person as the X-Men look to protect the newest generation of mutants.
It’s interesting to see Logan working with Rogue, considering how rocky their relationship has been in the past. When they were first together on the X-Men, Logan was distrustful of Rogue, who, as a former villain, had attacked Carol Danvers, who Logan was close with. They’ve had decades of comics to sort out their differences since, but this is the first major time Logan’s been working under her. Hopefully, Wolverine’s pessimism doesn’t weigh heavily on Rogue, and she can be the better person as the X-Men look to protect the newest generation of mutants.
Uncanny X-Men (2024) #3 will be available September 25, 2024 from Marvel Comics.
Wolverine
The human mutant Wolverine (a.k.a. Logan) was born James Howlett, blessed with a superhuman healing factor, senses, and physiology. Subjecting himself to experimentation to augment his skeleton and claws with adamantium, Logan is as deadly as he is reckless, impulsive, and short-tempered. Making him the X-Men’s wildest and deadliest member, and one of Marvel Comics’ biggest stars. He’s played in Fox and Marvel’s movie franchises by Hugh Jackman.
