When it comes to Marvel’s invincible heroes, Wolverine is at the top of the list, thanks mainly to its powerful healing factor. Logan can take on blades, bullets and laser blasts, healing in seconds to return to fighting with his deadly adamantium-coated claws. However, even Logan would admit that his healing factor is not magical, and there are 10 definitive ways to kill him, of which Logan himself identifies as beyond his ability to recover.
Most of these methods are described in the 2008 paper Wolverine: Killing made simple by Christopher Yost, Koi Turnbull, Sal Regla, Beth Sotelo and Cory Petit. The issue smartly consolidated Wolverine’s past lore, acknowledging past stories in which he faced lethal threats. Other stories have been added to this list since then, with Wolverine acknowledging that there are plenty of ways to take him down if you’re truly committed.
10
The Muramasa Blade
The weapon debuted on Daniel Way and Javier Saltares Wolverine #40
Perhaps the most famous way to kill Wolverine is the legendary Muramasa Blade. A mystical weapon forged by master swordsman Muramasa, the blade is made from Wolverine’s rage, focused into a blade that cuts at a molecular level. The Muramasa Blade inflicts wounds that heal at a much, much slower rate, allowing it to inflict fatal injuries even on individuals with healing factors. Wolverine has long considered the Muramasa Blade the only true weapon that can kill himand briefly left it in Cyclops’ hands, knowing that his former ally and rival would only use it if truly necessary.
Wolverine proved that the Muramasa Blade is capable of killing him recently Wolverine #50where he finally killed his old enemy Sabretooth. Sabretooth has long had a healing factor equal to or greater than Wolverine’s, but has yet to survive being cut to pieces by the sword. In Killing simplyWolverine states:
Get a magic sword, made of the right metal, and take my head. That will be enough.
9
Sentinel Technology
As seen in Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s iconic ‘Days of Future Past’ arc
The most iconic image of Wolverine’s death is when an older Logan was killed by a Sentinel in the iconic ‘Days of Future Past’, however, that’s not the only time the giant mutant-killing robots have killed him. The recent Hell #1 by Jonathan Hickman, Valerio Schiti, David Curiel and Joe Sabino sees Wolverine killed repeatedly by Nimrod, the ultimate form of Sentinel technology (at the time, the X-Men had the ability to resurrect their fallen heroes, allowing him to attempt to assassinate the villain multiple times). times.)
In fact, 2020 Conductor comic book by Peter David, Germán Peralta, Jesus Aburtov​​​​​​​ and Ariana Maher​​​​​​​ suggests that throughout the multiverse, Being killed by a Sentinel is the most likely death for all versions of Wolverine. In Killing simplyWolverine explains that the Sentinels have:
Energy and technology you wouldn’t believe can burn you to the bone. Then burn the bone. There is no coming back from this.
This reveals a crucial detail of the kind of attack that can kill Wolverine – the kind that harms his bone marrow. In 2020 Wolverine volume 7 (cast by Benjamin Percy and Adam Kubert), it was revealed that Wolverine’s healing factor is housed in his bone marrow, allowing him to heal from almost any injury that would leave him intact.
8
Drowning
As proven in Rick Remender and Phil Noto Strange X-Force
Wolverine doesn’t have many weaknesses, but water is definitely one of them. Wolverine’s adamantium makes him heavier and more susceptible to extreme cold than normal humans, making him much more likely to drown and suffer irreversible brain death. In fact, this is how Wolverine killed his son Daken (who has the same healing factor). In Paul Cornell, Mirco Pierfederici, Karl Kesel, Andres Mossa and Cory Petit’s Wolverine #13Wolverine’s enemies attempt to drown him, and the voiceover echoes Wolverine’s thoughts, stating:
It could kill you! That’s how he killed his son! It’s destiny! It’s karma! This is what he deserves!
Watch it happen in Strange X-Men #380 by Alan Davis, Terry Kavanagh and Tom Raney
Wolverine’s adamantium skeleton makes him a truly formidable fighter, but it also has its drawbacks. The first of these is adamantium poisoning, with his metal-coated skeleton destroying his body. Logan can survive this because of his healing factor, but whenever it is removed or just dampened, adamantium poisoning becomes a huge threat. Fans saw this in Strange X-Men #380when Apocalypse removed the powers of all mutants on Earth, leaving Wolverine with little time to live.
Fortunately, Beast was later able to develop a medicine that could prevent the collapse caused by adamantium poisoning, meaning that if he can get through to his X-Men teammates, Logan will have a solution to this weakness.
6
Zombie Infection
As confirmed in Christos N. Gage and Yıldıray Çınar X-Men Weapon
Wolverine’s healing factor quickly eliminates viruses, including those that cause vampirism and zombification. However, this varies by strain and how overloaded Wolverine’s healing factor is at the moment. It’s possible that several supernatural viruses could permanently turn Wolverine undeadeven causing his body to decompose like a zombie. This was seen in Robert Kirkman, Sean Phillips, June Chung and Randy Gentile. Marvel Zombies​​​​​​​, with zombie Logan later confirming in X-Men Weapon that his healing factor simply couldn’t stop the virus. Another version of Wolverine’s answers, “It’s a healing factor, not a magical factor.”
5
Losing your powers
As seen in Charles Soule and Steve McNiven Death of Wolverine
Wolverine’s healing factor protects him from harm, but there is a very of ways in which it can be stolen. Marvel lore includes power-dampening technology, power-stealing individuals (like Leech, who took on Logan’s powers in the past), and even alien species that can steal Wolverine’s cure (as happened before Death of Wolverine.)
When this happens, Wolverine will be vulnerable to the same things as a normal person, as well as extra threats like adamantium poisoning and infection from using his claws (since the wounds remain open and the claws can release bacteria directly into his bloodstream). ). Death of Wolverine, Wolverine is suffocated after a barrel of adamantium is poured on him, but several gunshots would have done the trick as well.
4
Incineration
Confirmed in Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz House of X #4
In the same vein as being killed by a Sentinel, Enough intense heat can incinerate Wolverinedestroying his body, blood and bone marrow in a way that leaves nothing for him to heal of. In Killing simplyhe remembers Xorn (disguised as Magneto) trying to do this to him and Jean Grey, saying: “There’s no way to survive this.”
This became reality in House of Xwhen a team of X-Men attacks Orchis’ Mother Mold facility, causing it to fall into the Sun. Wolverine gave his life to make the mission a success, although this came about when the X-Men discovered how to resurrect their heroes, which meaning he was back alive and strong in no time.
3
Distortion of reality
Scarlet Witch kills Logan in Jim Valentino and Rik Levins’ ‘What If…Set Had Come to Earth?’ And if…? #25
Wolverine’s healing factor is powerful, but it still works according to natural laws. Reality warpers can change the rules entirely, giving them infinite ways to kill those with healing factors – for example, the memorable occasion when Molecule Man turned Wolverine’s son Daken into a tree. However, the most extreme example is probably that, from And if…? #25when Scarlet Witch turned Wolverine’s entire body into antimatter, causing an explosion that erased him from existence.
Wolverine died an equally disturbing death in Infinity Gauntletwhen Thanos instantly turned his bones to rubber. Logan is well aware that he has no defense against this type of attack, stating in Killing simply that ‘reality benders’ can:
Turn me inside out and scatter me across the landscape in the blink of an eye.
2
Time travel
As seen in ‘Forgotten Marvels’ by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri Free Comic Day: Spider-Man/Ultimate Universe #1
As with reality warping, Wolverine has no protection against being erased by time travel. He has come close to this several times, such as when his ancestor Folkbern Logan was saved from the Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Thor in Rick Remender, Daniel Acuña, and Chris Eliopoulos in Strange Avengers #6. This was fully achieved in Marvel’s Ultimate New Universe, with the ‘Forgotten Marvels’ story showing Wolverine’s skeleton in a trophy case held by the time-traveling Creator.
In Kill simply, Wolverine imagines Stryfe attacking his mother, reflecting that:
Some idiot can go back in time and be sure I never existed.
1
Development
Christopher Yost and Koi Turnbull Wolverine: Killing made simple Confirms the darkest way Logan could die
Put distant the most horrible death Wolverine could suffer, Killing simply sees him attacked by the X-Men villain Nanny, who can rejuvenate him to his childhood body. Wolverine notes that this process would do nothing to change his adamantium, which would remain at its “adult” size, causing ruinous damage. Logan explains in excruciating detail how:
It will burst through my skin, dislodge my organs, and even if I survive it, I will begin to heal. My skin will grow beyond my bones, perhaps through them. My brain will be very small, it will roll around my skull…
This corresponds with other stories that show that Wolverine’s healing factor is distributed throughout his body in his blood – if he loses enough of it or severe damage to his heart stops pumping, it will again be possible to kill him with catastrophic damage. In fact, this is how Wolverine killed himself in Age of Ultron #9where he finds his past and has to replace it. This is also how Wolverine killed his clones, created by the X-Men’s Beast, suggesting it is the most effective way to overcome his healing factor.
These are the 10 ultimate ways to kill Wolverine in his own words. Although many fans think that Wolverine is effectively immortal, Logan himself is aware that this is definitely no the case – not only is he vulnerable to many of the individuals he comes into conflict with in Marvel Comics, but his life as a hero means he is constantly discovering new ways to die.