Wolverine Names the Official Leader of X-Men's New Mutant Generation: "I Choose You"

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Uncanny X-Men #9!

Wolverinehas officially declared his pick for the next generation of the X-Men'sleader, naming new recruit Ransom as his top choice.Out of all the newest mutants on Rogue’s Louisiana team, Ransom has shown compelling leadership skills, setting him up to be on par with leaders like Cyclops, and to align with heroes akin to Wolverine.

In Uncanny X-Men #9 – written by Gail Simone, with art by Andrei Bressan – Ransom overhears Rogue’s X-Men discussing the new recruits, prompting him to leave after realizing the X-Men don’t fully trust him or his teammates. Before Ransom leaves, Wolverine stops him, admitting the new recruits need Ransom because he is the Outliers’ leader and is always the first one to look out for them in battle.

Most importantly, during their talk, Wolverine tells Ransom “I choose you. You’re my first draft pick,” solidifying Ransom as a new X-Men leader.

Wolverine Selects Ransom As A Future X-Men Leader, Solidifying A Possible Successor For Cyclops In Marvel Lore

Uncanny X-Men #9 – Written By Gail Simone; Art By Andrei Bressan; Color By Matthew Wilson; Lettering By Clayton Cowles

Ransom was born to a wealthy family in Buenos Aires, Argentina but was kidnapped, and when his parents refused to pay the ransom to get him back, he escaped and decided to make it on the streets. Despite his upbringing, Ransom is selfless, and constantly defends his teammates, such as when Jitter and Deathdream were being bullied at school, or during the fight at Greymalkin, when Rogue and Cyclops' teams clashed. His selflessness demonstrates a leadership mentality, though his temper is comparable to Wolverine's, which sets him up to be Wolverine’s protégé as he transitions into a leader.

Wolverine and Ransom share similar upbringings that resulted in both X-Men becoming hardened fighters with an underlying rage and, during their fight in Greymalkin prison, Rogue notes the battle greatly depended on whether Wolverine and Ransom could keep their cool. The parallels between Wolverine and Ransom foreshadow Wolverine mentoring Ransom, helping him channel his rage and become a better leader. This was also foreshadowed when Ransom asks for Wolverine’s advice during the raid on Graymalkin and in Uncanny X-Men #9 Ransom even admits he looks up to Wolverine.

Wolverine & New Recruit Ransom Share Striking Similarities, Making Them A Perfect Mentor-Mentee Pairing

But Their Differences Make Ransom The Better Potential Leader

Ransom shares striking similarities to Wolverine, but it’s in their differences that Ransom really shines as a leader, rising above Wolverine in certain ways. Ransom has a rage to him, however, unlike Wolverine, he doesn’t let his emotions overshadow his priority to his teammates. While Wolverine is undoubtedly the more seasoned X-Man, Ransom is surprisingly more level-headed. This is apparent when Ransom tries to leave, but Wolverine reminds him his teammates depend on him, causing him to stay; on the other hand, when Rogue previously asked for Wolverine’s help to train the new recruits, Wolverine left anyway.

Wolverine is known for his apprehensions of recruiting young mutants into the X-Men, but Logan choosing Ransom as leader of the new generation of X-Men shows he truly acknowledges Ransom’s natural leadership abilities. Ransom’s upbringing made him a skilled fighter and attuned to others in need, such as his teammates, further enhancing his leadership qualities. Despite being one of the X-Men’s newest members, Ransom has already demonstrated he holds great potential to become a leader of the new team of X-Men, possibly rising through the ranks to become a leader equal to Cyclops or Wolverine.

Uncanny X-Men #9 is available now from Marvel Comics!

X-Men

Movie(s)

X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

First Film

X-Men (2000)

TV Show(s)

X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men '97 (2024)

Character(s)

Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23

Video Game(s)

X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine's Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)

Comic Release Date

213035,212968

The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.

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