Say Goodbye to an Iconic Wolverine Power, As He Trades It for New Gold Claws

Wolverine's New Adamantine Claws Negate His Telepathic Resistance

The Mythic Metal Is Out to 'Purify' Wolverine's Claws

In a preview of Wolverine #5 (from Saladin Ahmed, Martín Cóccolo, Bryan Valenza and Cory Petit), Wolverine is infested by Adamantine - a mythical, golden metal that acted as the inspiration for his adamantium. A battle between Wolverine and Cypher awoke a seam of the ancient metal in Wolverine #1, and since then it's been hunting down and possessing people whose bodies have been merged with adamantium. Adamantine sees adamantium as an impure pretender, purging and replacing it while also exerting total control over its new hosts.

Fans might expect Wolverine to be unique, given he possesses a level of telepathic immunity that even Charles Xavier has struggled to beat. Wolverine's telepathic resistance is linked to his healing factor, which has created "scar tissue" which makes his mind difficult to read and even harder to control. Logan has bolstered this natural protection with anti-telepath training and psi-shields implanted by the most skilled telepaths on the X-Men's roster. In the past, it's taken Omega-level mutant telepaths to break through Wolverine's defenses, but Adamantine sails through like they're not even there.

Sadly for Logan, the Adamantine bypasses his mind (and therefore his telepathic protection), instead exerting control over his adamantium. The consciousness behind Adamantine has yet to be explained, but given the metal is linked to the Greek Gods, it makes sense that it's more advanced than any normal material. Whatever mind dwells within the metal, it's already taken control of several of Wolverine's deadliest enemies, and it wants his claws next - something that's already happened in Martín Cóccolo and Bryan Valenza's cover for the issue.

Wolverine Isn't the Only Person Adamantine Is Trying to Claim

Wolverine's Iconic Villains Are Getting the Same Upgrade

Former Weapon X agent Cypher, mercenary Constrictor and merciless assassin Lady Deathstrike are already under the Adamantine's control, with their own implants enhanced with the unbreakable golden metal. One hit from these highly skilled villains is capable of infesting Wolverine and bringing him into the fold, which is why it's good news that Logan isn't currently traveling alone.

In recent issues, Wolverine has taken a teenager named Leonard under his wing. Leonard is the latest person to suffer from the curse of the Wendigo, turning him into a towering monster that can match the Hulk blow for blow. The preview shows the new Wendigo leaping to Wolverine's rescue, suggesting he may get a slight reprieve before the Adamantine takes him over.

Wolverine Isn't the Only Member of His Family With New Claws

His Son Got a Hellfire Upgrade as the New Hellverine

While Wolverine is dodging his Adamantine upgrade, his son Akihiro is embracing his own possession. In 2024, Akihiro was slaughtered by Wolverine's nemesis Sabretooth, who did enough damage to cancel out the hero's healing factor. Akihiro was later resurrected by a demon known as the Bagra-ghul - a fiery spirit that has a complicated history with both Wolverine and Ghost Rider, having possessed Logan in the past.

Thanks to the Bagra-ghul, Akihiro has become the Hellverine - a new take on the Ghost Rider whose claws are infused with Hellfire. The change brought Akihiro back to life and gave him new powers, including the ability to sense evil. However, it also forced him to share his mind and body with a demon. Benjamin Percy, Raffaele Ienco, Bryan Valenza and Travis Lanham's ongoing Hellverine series is following Akihiro's journey, as he reaches out to Doctor Strange for help. However, it's no coincidence that father and son are both facing possession...

There's a Reason Wolverine's New Enemy Is Targeting His Claws

And It Ties into Akihiro's Hellverine Rebirth

It's no coincidence that both Wolverine and his son are dealing with possession, or even that their suffering is linked to their claws. Wolverine's adamantium was first implanted by the Weapon X program, which strove to turn him into a living weapon. It's something he never asked for, and which he underwent immense amounts of torture and trauma to receive. Weapon X attempted to strip away Wolverine's humanity, going so far as to wipe all memory of his previous life. Villains taking away Wolverine's free will has been a major theme for the hero ever since.

The Adamantine targeting Wolverine because of his adamantium shows how Logan is unable to escape what was done to him, just as the Bagra-ghul embodies Akihiro's own struggle to deal with the suffering that came from being Logan's son. Since before he was born, Akihiro has been targeted by Wolverine's enemies, with the Bagra-ghul seeking him out and transforming him because of its own history with Logan. In different ways, both Wolverine and Akihiro are facing echoes of their greatest trauma, as well as their experiences being controlled by others.

Wolverine's claws have caused him a lot of suffering in the past, but the power of Adamantine presents a whole new type of threat - one that's capable of bypassing his telepathic immunity and taking total control of his body and powers.