Wolverine's Disappointing Movie Clone is Finally Fixed by Marvel
Warning! Spoilers ahead for X Lives of Wolverine #5
Wolverine's current villain in the comics is giving a deeper and more refined spin on his younger, deadlier clone seen in Logan. Largely seen as an underwhelming part of an otherwise acclaimed final chapter for Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine, it looks as though Marvel Comics is correcting that flaw in Logan with their new villain (seen in the new X Lives and X Deaths of Wolverine series).
While Logan is preparing to save his family from a version of himself, there's a key distinction that makes his upcoming foe far better than X-24. In previous issues of X Lives of Wolverine from Benjamin Percy and Joshua Cassara, Logan was sent back in time by Jean Grey and Professor Xavier, transporting his present mind into the bodies of his younger selves throughout time (just like in the Days of Future Past film). Given the mission to keep Xavier safe in the past from a time-traveling Omega Red, Logan has had to re-experience some of the worst parts of his life such as his time in the Weapon X program. However, the worst is yet to come.
Following Wolverine's success in the past with the final issue of X Lives of Wolverine, all Logan wants to do is rest after the onslaught of brutal battles he has had to endure. However, his return to Krakoa in the present is anything but peaceful. Alerted to the danger by Sage, Wolverine learns that a Phalanx-corrupted version of himself from the future is attacking the island with the first line of defense being Logan's own Snikt Family. As revealed in X Deaths of Wolverine, this future Logan known as the Omega Wolverine has come to the present while present-Logan was in the past, looking to change his future and the deaths of everyone he loves (including his multi-clawed family). However, the dangerous Phalanx virus has overtaken future-Logan, resulting in him becoming a far deadlier and more personal dark Wolverine than the one seen in Logan (who was simply a replication of Logan's past).
Rather than being a copy of a past version of himself as seen in Logan with X-24, Wolverine is facing the dark potential of what he could become, something he and his family will no doubt be trying to prevent in the final issue of X Deaths of Wolverine. That's far more interesting than seeing Logan fight a version of himself he'd already moved on from.
Hopefully, Wolverine and his Snikt Family will be able to find the means to prevent the dark future that's to come. A Phalanx-corrupted Logan who lost everyone he ever cared about is not the ending Logan deserves by any means, though it does make for a dynamic and truly tragic villain (especially when compared to the Logan clone). Readers will be able to pick up the final chapter of X Lives and X Deaths of Wolverine on March 23rd.