Listen Up: Old Man Logan Is Back In a Way Wolverine Fans Never Expected
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Wolverine: Revenge #4!Old Man Logan is more than just an epic limited series, but an iconic alternate version of the fan-favorite X-Men hero, Wolverine. An aged Logan with a cowboy aesthetic is a truly awesome depiction of the character, who is often portrayed as a ‘lone rider’ even in Marvel Comics’ main continuity. And now, Wolverine’s ‘Old Man Logan’ is back, though it’s not the one from the aforementioned limited series, but from an entirely different story with an all-too-familiar setting.
In a preview for Wolverine: Revenge #4 by Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo, Wolverine is riding a horse through the dry, dusty desert of the wasteland brought about by Magneto’s death upon the crash-landing of Asteroid M into the Earth. When Magneto died, his body released an EMP so powerful that the entire world went dark. There were small pockets of power sources created by the most brilliant minds that survived the initial asteroid strike, but most of the world was a wasteland.
Not only does this issue take place twenty years after Magneto inadvertently threw the world into a new dark age, but also twenty years after Wolverine got his titular revenge. The previous issues showed Wolverine hunting down and murdering Mastermind, Deadpool, Omega Red, and Colossus for killing Captain America and the Winter Soldier in the first issue. But now, Wolverine and the vengeance that drove him have become separated by decades, leaving readers to wonder what drives him now as an old man, riding a horse through the desert all alone.
Marvel Comics Officially Adds a New ‘Old Man Logan’ to X-Men Continuity
‘Old Man Logan’ Returns in a Totally New Form, Which is Definitely Unexpected
It’s unclear exactly what this new version of ‘Old Man Logan’ will do now, especially in a series titled Wolverine: Revenge, since Wolverine already had his revenge in the first three issues. Only time will tell what will be in store for Wolverine as this limited series comes to a close, but one thing that is clear is that Wolverine has fully adopted the same aesthetic as his Old Man Logan counterpart - and that’s honestly kind of surprising.
Marvel already has an Old Man Logan, so if it wanted to further explore Wolverine in this way, why not just bring back the version of the character fans already know and love? Indeed, it’s an unexpected move, and definitely isn’t how fans thought they’d be getting another ‘Old Man Logan’-style story. However, unexpected or not, this limited series has been an absolute treat for Wolverine fans, and the fact that he’s donning his ‘Old Man Logan’ aesthetic is just the icing on the cake.
Will Marvel’s New Old Man Logan Be as Iconic as the Original?
Wolverine’s New ‘Old Man Logan’ has Some Pretty Big Shoes to Fill
The only question that remains now is: will Marvel Comics’ new ‘Old Man Logan’ become as iconic as the original? Again, Wolverine has already gotten his revenge in this series, meaning the rest of the issues can fully focus on his life as a new ‘Old Man Logan’ in this post-apocalyptic wasteland. That’s plenty of time to establish a lasting version of an already beloved character, and only time will tell if this ‘Old Man Logan’ will be as lasting as the original.
Even if Marvel Comics’ new ‘Old Man Logan’ doesn’t usurp the original as the most iconic version of the character (an almost impossibly tall order, to be sure), it’s still unbelievably cool that fans are even getting a new take on the iconic Wolverine variant to begin with - even if it is truly unexpected.
Wolverine: Revenge #4 by Marvel Comics is available January 22, 2025.
- NAME
- James "Logan" Howlett
- Alias
- James "Logan" Howlett
- Created By
- Roy Thomas, Len Wein, John Romita Sr.
- POWERS
- Retractible claws and Adamantium skeleton. Superhuman senses, stamina, and strength. Healing factor and longevity.
- Franchise
- X-Men, Marvel
- Age
- 197 (in the MCU)
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.
