It will certainly be painful news for any fan of X-Men’s most iconic combo attacks, but it’s impossible to deny: Wolverine: Revenge Brings an official end to the decade-long friendship between Wolverine and Colossus.
In the first issue of the series by Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo, Colossus goes beyond the pale and betrayed Wolverine, siding with the brotherhood of evil mutants. And not for a trivial mission or dispute, but in assisting and allowing them to plant explosives in the chests of Wolverine, Captain America and the Winter Soldier
When Deadpool triggers the bombs in all three, only Logan survives (due to his famous healing factor), but Colossus’ actions and his choice of allegations now set him and his former friend Wolverine on a collision course.
Wolverine & Colossus have a legendary history in Marvel Comics
The duo of Wolverine and Colossus have been close allies since they joined the X-Men together in 1975 Giant X-Men #1Along with other iconic early X-members like Storm and Nightcrawler, to save the original X-Men from the mutant island Krakoa. Since then, the pair have remained extraordinarily close friends, even pioneering the X-Men’s iconic “Fastball Special” attack together. Their shared friendships with Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde only served to bring the pair closer. In particular, Logan has supported Kitty and Piotr’s relationship over the years, even privately expressing good wishes for the couple on their wedding day.
While Wolverine was close friends with many members of the X-Men, his kinship with Colossus remains a notable element in the history of both characters due to how they contrast one another. Piotr Rasputin’s kind-hearted nature is as far as one can get from Logan’s cruel and jaded temperament. While their differences in personality initially caused conflict between them, they were quickly able to overcome these differences, becoming the best of friends on the X-Men, creating one of the group’s most durable bonds.
This betrayal by Colossus is shocking… but not surprising
Colossus’ turn to villainy and his betrayal of Wolverine may be shocking, but it remains consistent with the previous directions his character has taken, revealing a darker side to the character. During the Fatal attractions In 1993, Colossus left X-Men for Magneto’s acolytes after his little sister, Illyana Rasputin, died due to the legacy virus. He remained a member of the Acolytes throughout the duration of the event, only rejoining the X-Men in 1998. But his betrayal of the team was something long remembered by his former friends on the X-Men.
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Most recently, Colossus found himself manipulated into villainy during the Krakoan era, as his tenure with X-Force resulted in his murder by his brother Mikhail and the Russian Mutant Chronicler manipulating Colossus without his knowledge. The pair turned him into a sleeper agent for XENO and leaked sensitive information to the organization. Colossus would eventually break free of their control over him, but not without leading his X-Force teammates into captivity during their most difficult hour first, causing X-Force to lose trust in Colossus once again.
What does Colossus’ betrayal mean for Wolverine’s future?
Colossus’ betrayal of Wolverine serves not only as the final straw for this storied friendship, but also as one of Logan’s most devastating betrayals. Standing with the Brotherhood while they plant a bomb in Wolverine, but also watching them kill Captain America and the Winter Soldier demonstrates the depths of this betrayal. But the betrayal is made worse by Colossus lamenting that the outcome was unavoidable, while Deadpool detonates the bomb in Logan’s chest.
While Wolverine is no stranger to having friends betray him, most notably Beast during the Krakoan era, Colossus’ betrayal stings the most due to the circumstances surrounding their friendship and the people Piotr has allied himself with. Their friendship was once a cornerstone of the X-Men, but now all that’s left between them is deep enmity. When Wolverine tracks Colossus down to exact his revenge, their final encounter will undoubtedly be brutal and bittersweet.
Wolverine: Revenge #2 is now available.