Warning: Spoilers for Wolverine: Revenge #3wolverine the path of revenge has finally reached Dead Pooland the end result is incredibly dark. Their final encounter is equal parts heartbreaking and brutal, concluding with Wolverine killing Deadpool in a way that’s undeniably dark but also incredibly clever; their final meeting also provides new insight into their relationship.
Wolverine: Revenge #3 by Jonathan Hickman, Greg Capullo, Tim Townsend, FCO Plascencia, and Cory Petit features Wolverine crossing the rest of their names off his kill list, with Deadpool among them. After killing Sabretooth, Wolverine cuts through the rest of the Brotherhood by sailing to Russia. Once he arrives, he seeks out Omega Red and strangles him with his carbonadium tentacles before hanging him from a tree with them. Logan then reaches the top of a melting nuclear reactor, where he finds Deadpool sitting and waiting.
The two exchange last words, with Wade expressing remorse for his actions with the Brotherhood. As Deadpool plans to jump into the reactor, Logan stops Wade, telling him that this is not the answer, before personally pushing Wade into the nuclear reactor, killing Deadpool for good.
Deadpool’s death at the hands of Wolverine is undeniably brutal
But also incredibly smart
This method of execution is unquestionably brutal, even for Logan’s already violent nature, but it makes perfect sense when considering how powerful Deadpool’s healing factor is. Because Deadpool’s healing factor is derived from Logan’s, he has one of the strongest healing factors in the Marvel Universe, and his cancer cells leave his healing factor in a permanent state of overload. As brutal as it is to push Deadpool into a melting nuclear reactor, it is possibly the only surefire way Wolverine has to kill Deadpoolas his bike with Forge’s nullifier was destroyed during his previous fight with Sabretooth.
Both men have an incredible amount of blood on their hands and deal with guilt differently.
This ending to Wolverine and Deadpool’s relationship is a tragic turn of events, especially given their history in the main Marvel Universe. Logan and Wade started out as bitter enemies, with many of their first encounters putting them at each other’s throats. Over time and many teams, they came to enjoy a mutual respect, bonding over shared traumas in the Weapon X program and its bloody stories. Both men have an incredible amount of blood on their hands and deal with guilt differently.
Wolverine and Deadpool have always had a complicated relationship
Making this death even more bittersweet
This aspect of your connection makes its way to Wolverine: Revengeas Wade comments that he chose wrong in joining the Brotherhood, as well as admitting that this mistake was too far beyond the pale for anyone to ignore. The last words they exchange are Logan asking if people like them can be forgiven for their sins, with Wade saying yes before Logan disagrees and pushes him into the reactor. That the last conversation highlights the fundamental difference between these two men: Logan makes mistakes but tries to improve, while Wade keeps making bad choices.
This final encounter between Wolverine and Deadpool is brutal and heartbreaking. Wade’s death is incredibly brutal, but it makes more sense given how powerful his healing factor is. Additionally, their latest meeting highlights one of the strongest aspects of their relationship in the main Marvel Universe, leveraging this to explore what makes these characters different. While Wolverine moves away from this meeting, this last meeting between him and Dead Pool it’s like the Merc With a Mouth itself: violent but bittersweet.
Wolverine: Revenge #3 is now available from Marvel Comics.