Sabretooth Never Made It Into X2, But the X-Men Villain's Story Didn't End Like You Think
Did you know that Wolverine never actually killed Sabretooth at the end of Fox's first X-Men movie? While the two feral mutants have been at odds with each other in the comics for generations, a comic book prequel to X2 reveals that the movie versions of the characters unknowingly share an empathetic bond with each other. Shockingly, this isn't out of line for Earth-616's comics either.
X-Men 2 Prequel: Wolverine #1 (2003) - by Brian K Vaughan and Tom Mandrake - is a one-shot comic that covers the proceeding events of 20th Century Fox’s X2film before the film’s release later that year.
After Professor X receives a clue to Wolverine’s past, he sends Logan on a mission to investigate an Adamantium facility. Soon after departing, Logan is hunted down and attacked by Sabretooth, who survived the events of the first film and has sought revenge against Wolverine. However, Logan discovers that Sabretooth possesses a dog tag similar to his own, sparking an unexpected partnership between the mutants.
Sabretooth And Wolverine Became Temporary Allies After The X-Men Film
X-Men 2 Prequel: Wolverine #1 (2003) - Written By Brian K Vaughan; Art By Tom Mandrake; Color By Dan Brown; Lettering By Paul Tutrone
When Wolverine and Sabretooth first clash, the fight is as brutal and horrific as one could expect between these two near-immortal mutants. Sabretooth mauls at Wolverine as the newly conscripted X-Man claws his enemy open. As Sabretooth boasts his superhuman strength by brutalizing Wolverine with a log, Logan turns the tide by immolating both himself and Sabretooth to see who can last longer. However, as the ferocity of the conflict fades, Wolverine discovers that Sabretooth possesses a dog tag that startlingly resembles his own. Realizing that Sabretooth may be his next best clue, Wolverine offers the foe a cold beer.
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As the two mutants begrudgingly throw back numerous drinks, Sabretooth describes that he feels many of the same misplaced fears and gaps in memories that Logan has. Victor explains that he has been plagued with dreams of the horrors he may have committed in a previous life and that the only reason he worked with Magneto in the first film was because Magneto offered Sabretooth answers about Victor's past. In the wake of Wolverine's first mission with the X-Men, he realizes that he and Sabretooth aren’t any different from each other. In a way, it’s kind of sweet.
The Prequel Comic Explores What X-Men Forgot To Cover
Their Relationship Is Too Intertwined To Ignore
While the mutants begin to find some common ground with each other, agents from the Weapon X program lurk in the shadows to capture and bring Sabretooth in. We learn later that Weapon X didn’t realize Logan had survived his escape from the Adamantium-bonding procedure and was planning on imbuing Sabretooth’s skeleton with Adamantium as well. Wolverine and Sabretooth put up a decent fight but are quickly pacified by a sonic cannon. Soon, the mutants awake on a plane headed toward Weapon X’s new base before Sabretooth helps liberate Wolverine from their captivity and is later executed.
While neither mutant is willing to completely acknowledge their shared terror and confusion as equals, there is an underlined yet unspoken layer of empathy to their conversations.
This comic not only serves to fill the gaps between X-Men and X2 but helps explore a version of Wolverine and Sabretooth's relationship that exists in Marvel’s mainstream comics, but that was inexplicably left out of the first film. However, unlike in Earth-616, these versions of Logan and Victor are far more sympathetic to each other. While neither mutant is willing to completely acknowledge their shared terror and confusion as equals, there is an underlined yet unspoken layer of empathy to their conversations. And, the thing is, this isn’t just a subtle form of storytelling; it’s the comic’s emphasized point.
This Empathetic Relationship Is Already A Precedent
Wolverine And Sabretooth Were Once Tepid Friends
While this characterization of their relationship seems to misalign with Earth-616’s variant of the characters, it’s not too far off from Wolverine and Sabretooth’s relationship in the comics, at least sort of. Yes, Earth-616’s version of Logan and Victor despise each other with a passion. Since Sabretooth’s introduction, he has been a traumatizing pain in Wolverine’s side for close to two centuries. That said, Wolverine and Sabretooth were once tepid allies on the covert Weapon Plus team named “Team X.” Even after the team disbanded, the two kept in touch.
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Logan later left Team X, but he did return to meet Sabretooth as close allies in The First X-Men #1 (2012) by Neal Adams and Christos Gage. In this one-shot, Wolverine and Sabretooth team up for one last mission as free agents to uncover the recent disappearance of an old ally’s son. While the duo bicker throughout the one-shot, they are depicted as being somewhat comfortable and friendly with each other. While this softer characterization between the two feral mutants seems foreign to both the film series and the comics, there is precedent for this type of relationship.
Wolverine and Sabretooth share a great deal of empathetic experiences that unite the two more than they acknowledge, even if it is shrouded by centuries' worth of visceral rivalry.
- 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.
