Wolverineis one of Marvel’s most well-known mutants, and now he’s becoming the Ultimate Universe version of theWinter Soldier- and the reasoning is surprisingly simple. While on the surface the two might seem like they have nothing in common, at a closer glance, the idea of making Wolverine the Winter Soldier is so simple that it’s surprising that no one has ever decided to do it before.
It was revealed at New York Comic Con 2024 that the Earth-6160 version ofWolverine would be none other than the Winter SoldierinUltimate Wolverineby Chris Condon and Alessandro Cappuccio. This is a pretty major change from the 616 universe, as the original Wolverine is usually nothing but a hero and a proud member of the X-Men. But this new Ultimate Universe has beentwisted towards evil by the machinations of the Maker.
While in this universe,Wolverinelikely would have become a hero eventually, the Maker’s manipulations have ensured that might never happen now. Still, it makes perfect sense thatWolverine would become the Ultimate Universe’s version of the Winter Solider.
Wolverine Becomes the Ultimate Winter Soldier in Marvel’s New Universe
The Two Iconic Heroes Have Shockingly Similar Backstories
Readers will get to see this terrifyingnew version of Wolverine in Marvel’s upcomingUltimate Wolverine#1by Condon and Cappuccio. Instead of the heroic X-Men member,this version of Wolverineis one of the final weapons of the Maker, created solely to kill anyone who opposes his total control over this universe. It’s a fantastic idea, and when comparing the backstories of Wolverine and the original 616 Winter Soldier, it shows that this new character is an incredibly simple idea.
Ultimate Wolverineis just the latest title in Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe. For more refreshing takes on classic Marvel heroes, check outUltimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Black Panther, andThe Ultimates, all available now from Marvel Comics, including in a few collected editions as well as digitally.
Bucky Barnes was the young sidekick of Captain America. He was one of the first sidekicks in comics, but bringing a young boy into World War II is rarely a good idea. Before the end of the war, Bucky was seemingly killed when he was dragged off by an exploding plane. Fortunately, Bucky survived, but he lost his left arm and was captured by Russia. He was then brainwashed andtransformed into the Winter Soldier,an incredibly skilled assassin who carried out many murders, including the wife of Wolverine. Winter Solider’s history is incredibly dark, and Wolverine is about to live through it, too.
The man known as Logan used to be part of several secret agent teams, most notably Team X. But Logan eventually quit Team X in 1968 - which wasn’t the best idea, as shortly after he was ambushed andcaptured by the Weapon X program. This program was an attempt to create the ultimate warrior, andWolverine was put through the most intense brainwashing and hypnosis that he’d ever been subjected to. Weapon X attempted to strip away Wolverine’s personality and humanity in the hopes of leaving him nothing but a feral animal who would obey commands - and they very nearly succeeded.
Wolverine and Winter Soldier Merged Together Is a Great Idea
Marvel’s New Ultimate Universe Continues to Impress
With these two backstories in mind, it’s incredibly easy to seewhy Marvel finally got the idea to merge the characters. It’s already been stated that Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier of Earth-616, doesn’t exist in the Ultimate Universe of 6160, having already been killed. It makes sense, as, since the Maker molded this universe to his needs, it would be far better for him to have a Winter Soldier who is a mutant capable of regeneration than a human with a robotic arm. This situation could make Wolverine the most deadly assassin on Earth-6160, and it’s unclear how the Ultimates will be able to stop him.
10 Years On, and Marvel Hasn’t Managed to Top Its Original Plan to Kill Off Wolverine
Wolverine has died dozens of times over the years, but Marvel has yet to top one fantastic death he had over a decade ago, despite its best attempts.
In Marvel’s Earth-616 universe,Wolverine is one of the greatest fighters around due to his exceptionally long life. But that fighting prowess has always been tempered by the fact that Wolverine doesn’t want to be an animal. He has fought for a long time to prove that he’s a man, not a beast. In the Ultimate Universe, unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to have that restraint. Wolverine has been successfully brainwashed by the Maker’s forces and exists only as a tool to slaughter the enemies of the Maker. This series will be an incredibly dark look at what would have happened if Wolverine had never escaped the Weapon X program.
With His New Winter Solider Identity, Wolverine Is 6160’s Ultimate Killer
The Adventure Begins in January
Wolverine has been a lot of things over the years, but he has always tried to be a hero above all else. The 6160 version of Wolverine never got a chance to be a hero. He is simply a mindless slave of the Maker, a feral animal who exists to be unleashed on the Maker’s enemies. It’s a dark idea, but it’s still surprising that readers haven’t seen it before. With Wolverine and theWinter Soldier’sbackstories being so similar, it’s a surprise that it took so long for someone to have the simple but brilliant idea of merging their histories and creating the UltimateWolverine.
Ultimate Wolverine#1is available January 15th, 2025 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.
