Wolverine’s Next Appearance Will Shatter His Adamantium Claws, Marvel Officially Confirms

After decades wielding unbreakable adamantium against the most despicable villains Marvel lore has to offer, X-Men‘s Wolverine is about to shatter and lose his iconic claws. Here’s everything we know so far…

Wolverine Will Lose His Claws Fighting a God

In recently released solicit information for Wolverine #22 – coming from Saladin Ahmed and Julius Ohta – Marvel confirms the hero will lose his claws. Wolverine will not just be stripped of adamantium, but see the bones themselves “shattered down to nubs.” Meanwhile, cover art from Dan Panosian, Leinil Francis Yu and Martín Cóccolo shows the injury in action.

Following his confrontation with the godlike Adamantine in Wolverine #20, Logan will lose his claws. It seems that the villainous god will somehow destabilize Wolverine’s adamantium, leading to a new arc entitled ‘Break.’

That situation won’t be helped by “a gauntlet of enemies” who will test Wolverine’s ability to survive and take away even his biological bone claws. And if the bad guys get their way, that’s only the beginning of what this new arc will cost the X-Men’s resident brawler.

Is Logan About to Lose His Mutant Powers?

In the summary for Wolverine #22, Marvel threatens that this latest threat may not just rob Wolverine of his claws, but all his mutant powers, reading:

SNAPT! WOLVERINE has been beaten down to the bone – literally! His adamantium claws SHATTERED, their bones SNAPPED down to nubs, this is Wolverine at his most brutalized, most beat-up… but when an animal is backed into a corner, they can be at their most dangerous! Wolverine must fight his way through a gauntlet of enemies for his very survival! Villainous plots turn, and you don’t want to miss the ultimate trial…for even if Wolverine can reach his enemies, will he remain a MUTANT?

Logan has been robbed of his powers before, and it ended very badly. 2014’s ‘Death of Wolverine’ saw Logan lose his healing and eventually his life, disappearing from Marvel Comics for three years. While Logan will have best friend Nightcrawler by his side for the coming gauntlet, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

‘Break’ seems like a perfect way to follow up Wolverine’s clash with the godlike Adamantine. The mythical metal was reawakened at the start of the series, and has been an approaching threat ever since.

If Marvel is finally ready to conclude the storyline of Logan going up against this incredibly powerful foe, it should introduce a major cost for Wolverine taking on such a powerful enemy. Losing his claws, and potentially also his healing powers, is a fitting escalation, promising some creative stories to come.

Adamantine is an embodiment of the mythical metal of the same name, used by the Greek gods. Awakening in the present day, it has declared vengeance on the human-made adamantium as a lesser pretender, and can possess those bonded to it.

Will Wolverine Really Lose His Mutant Powers?

While the stakes are high for Wolverine’s new arc, it’s unlikely Marvel will follow through on its threats. In comic terms, it’s not that long since Wolverine had to make do without his powers, and X-Men isn’t in a place where Wolverine losing his mutant status would have significant consequences.

This volume has also demonstrated a problem with ducking major consequences. An earlier storyline teased the resurrection of both Wolverine’s mother and his old nemesis Sabretooth, only to pull a fake out and explain away their return with Mastermind’s illusions.

It’s also worth noting that if Wolverine retains his healing, his bone claws should quickly regrow, though they wouldn’t regenerate their adamantium. Logan going a few months or years with breakable bone claws feels like an extreme enough outcome to justify this new arc without also taking away his healing.

As Wolverine’s new arc approaches, questions abound – will Marvel really take his powers, and what does this latest twist mean for the rest of the adamantium in the Marvel Universe? Fans will only find out the answers as Wolverine‘s latest saga continues.

Wolverine #22 is coming June 24 from Marvel Comics.