World Do you feel Wolverine's presence has become annoying?

[Superwoman Prime]

After a huge Spider-Man comic binge, I took a break and went for X-Men. I'd been watching "Evolution" for a while, and enjoyed the hell out of it. I'm now expanding to "W&TX-M" and the older 90's series. I've learned many interesting things, and have been more than entertained by the episodes of the series I've watched, and the many biographical articles I've read on various characters.

When talking about X-Men, I keep hearing a complaint from those who have been fans for much longer than myself: that basically, Wolverine has become annoying. They feel, as one person put it, that he is stealing the spotlight from other mutants and getting more attention as a character than he even deserves.

I'm kind of neutral on this. I've come to like Wolverine, but still have no problem taking time to read/watch other mutants. For instance, Jean Grey is pretty cool, and I like the idea there's a "goddess" just under the surface. The dynamics between Rogue and Mystique grab my attention. Magneto's extremist beliefs clashing with Xavier's ideas of peace is always thought-provoking.

Wolverine is as interesting as the others. When we find out Wolverine may have met Captain America decades and decades ago? Awesome. Wolverine trying to live out a quiet life with his romantic partner in a cabin, only to have Sabretooth come and screw things up? Great drama, and it invokes a lot of sympathy for Wolverine, at least in me.

What are your thoughts on the claim that Wolverine is overrated?

 

[Mike555]

I hope wolverine is killled off.

 

[SuperFerret]

Wolverine was a great character when the emphasis was on him trying to control the "animal within", but for the most part, recently he's been written as a one-note berserker with a chip on his shoulder.

 

[sniktsnakt]

Wolverine is my favorite of the X-Men. I own most of his second independent run on comics and agree--his past and most of his stories are extremely fascinating. His constant struggle between the berserker animal and the balance of a Samurai and the eastern culture makes him one of the most intriguing characters to read about, and his ongoing fight to keep the world safe--*whatever* the cost, even killing--makes his fight for humanity and heroism all that more admirable.

But the newer comic stuff and most of the newer TV shows and movies just haven't caught the Wolverine that the comic book fans love. They're putting him front and center, and cramming his angst down everyone's throat. Wolverine is not an angsty character, despite all the crap that's happened to him. The fact that he swallows up any sorrow and bottles it into rage is what makes the small moments when he shows true grief all that more powerful. But in the last four movies, every single one of them had him reacting to a character death with sobs, tears, and everything but how Wolverine of the comics would react: rage. It's because of this knee-jerk reaction of unthinking rage that has been beat into him over his very long life that would make him a poor leader, even if he is a smart soldier.

Overall, I feel like Wolverine has been commercialized and twisted to manipulate the masses. Understandable for the wallets of the big guys, but not fun for us die-hard fans.

The comics have done even worse, if possible. They've taken away his decades of struggling with his animal side and humanity and made him a murdering, senseless pawn. Epic fail.

Take me back to the 90s.

Man, I never thought I'd say that . . . .

 

[Panthro]

I find the overemphasis on Wolverine to be most distasteful. A little bit of him goes a long way.

 

[katie_girl09]

Wolverine is an interesting character. But I don't think he's interesting enough to deserve all of the attention all the damned time. No character is.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Wolverine is better as that mysterious, brooding guy at the sidelines who sometimes goes ****ing ape ****. Not the guy who is front and centre,

 

[Mystic]

I agree. I like Wolverine but I think he's very over-exposed. I feel as if he's a bit too popular. He's got his own movie (and another in production), cartoon, comic etc. He needs to get out of the spot-light for a while; give somebody else a chance. I wouldn't mind seeing a "Cyclops" spin-off (and by spin-off, I mean comic!) or perhaps a new "Gambit" one. I think that would be pretty good.

 

[ChaoticPsylocke]

i think he is far overexposed. and its frustrating having him take over the movies and cartoons when it could/should be spread more evenly between characters. and especially the fact that bc he was in the spotlight so much in the movies it really screwed up the actual story and the movies and its characters suffered.

 

[TheVelvetOnion]

Wolverine himself isnt annoying... it's just that Marvel is playing it safe.

Ok i'm a fan of marvel just like the rest of you, only i have been a fan for about 25 years... ever since i was 1 i was told i had marvel stuff all over my bedroom. It's been a part of my life for so long.

Because of this i know the history of marvel a little better than others.

Marvel - over the years have had many charhacters... Wolverine wasnt there from the begining but he was generated during the 70's... After years of success Marvel started to go into the decline in the 80's and almost became bankcrupt... so in a bid to stop this they focused the spotlight on some of there more popular characters of the time... One being Wolverine... So when you look from 80's onwards, Wolverine was in all media, Comics, Toys, Cartoons...

The reason he is so popular is because he was the only mutant to go round branding knives as a weapon out of his hands and somehow this was execptable by the censors of that time... sure there was other more deadly mutants but think about...

Childrens cartoon.... Cyclops shoots lazers that just stuns people, beast swings about, Wolverine Big massive Metal Blades and slices open people and robots....

Hmmm.... i wonder why he's popular...*Note the sarcasium*

But this only explains why he was popular then... why is he popular now?

Well believe it or not Wolverine has such an interesting past and his ethoes on life is followed around the world... People believe in Wolverine, they relate. to an extent that is... He is the ultimate struggle... and a somewhat Male Role model for men, and sex symbol for women...and probably some men too.

Because Marvel wouldnt take risks they put Wolverine... the most popular character in everything.

Fans are only now starting to get bored of him and i wouldnt be surprised if his role starts to disappear slightly... maybe give him 10 years and you will probably look at wolverine no more than you do with Batman and Superman.

But get this because of wolverine.... more and more fans of marvel have come together.

each have a favorite character.

So although he is annoying now... this will change and he will become like batman

 

[Piz]

I actually thought he was pretty laid back in Evolution. I got to enjoy more of the other characters there than in W&TX-M

He is getting a little too over publicized though, in my opinion.

 

[insane polaris]

They should kill Wolverine off for a year.
and then we can get stories about the x-men trying to deal with not having their brawler on team. I reckon it would effect everyone.

And then bring him back in a big way.

Marvel couldnt lose.

 

[Ipodman]

I would like to see an X-men movie not about Wolverine's past/love life etc...
he can have a second solo movie, but i want the mainstream audience to enjoy other X-men chars

 

[returntovoid]

Wolverine is better as that mysterious, brooding guy at the sidelines who sometimes goes ****ing ape ****. Not the guy who is front and centre,

I couldn't agree more.

 

[kguillou]

Wolverine works best in small doses. When he's front and center in the X-books, it just doesnt work and i dont know why marvel keeps pushing this so hard. They're afraid that if wolverine isnt the main character then their books are gonna tank in sales. But look at Joss whedon's Astonishing X-Men. Whedon played wolverine on the sidelines and focused more on the rest of the x-men and that book is critically acclaimed as the best x-men book of the decade. That book proved that you didnt NEED wolverine to be front and center all the time, i dont know why marvel doesnt learn from that.

 

[usagicassidy]

Same can be said about Grant Morrison's New X-Men. Best use of Wolverine in recent years.

 

[returntovoid]

Best use of Wolverine in recent years.

Best use of Wolverine IMO, was by writer Chris Claremont from 1975-1991 and not his new X-Men Forever comic, where he kills off Wolverine because John Byrne was not their to stop him from doing so.

 

[Panthro]

Best use of Wolverine IMO, was by writer Chris Claremont from 1975-1991 and not his new X-Men Forever comic, where he kills off Wolverine because John Byrne was not their to stop him from doing so.

Heh, okay now I HAVE to get X-Men Forever. Killing off Wolverine, how can you not go wrong?

 

[RoseRed]

the character was raped to death. he's not myserious and/or interesting anymore. time to move on. i think all characters should be shown equally so we won't get tired of one just like we are now tired of wolverine. that's a shame, really. he used to be one of my favorite characters.

 

[Neptune]

Aside from the over exposure, i hate how suddenly Wolverine is connected to every one in the Marvel universe. There's a new enemy? Yeah because he seeks revenge on Wolverine. There's a new girl? Yeah, Wolverine dated her. There's a new X-man. Yeah, he wants to be like Wolverine.

 

[petey]

I dig that he was a main part of the 90's comic fandom. Like how Bats was over at DC. But marvel likes to milk this perticular cash cow for all its worth. The trilogy proved it. They could have just used his character as he was in the first one. looking at the school and team for the first time through his eyes. But like Neptune said it's bad how he's connected to everything in the marvel universe. He's become a larger Scale superman. Seems like they wanna fit him into every single nook they can. He was cooler as the loner badass but know i see him being driven in so many directions it saddens me.

 

[Doc Ock]

Wolverine is a fantastic character and was one of my favorites of the X-Men alongside Gambit in the 90s. But now I can't stand seeing him everywhere! Cyclops needs more love....

 

[Panthro]

Wolverine is a fantastic character and was one of my favorites of the X-Men alongside Gambit in the 90s. But now I can't stand seeing him everywhere! Cyclops needs more love....

Damn straight.

 

[Steve Perry]

I agree, I have always thought of wolverine as a good character, but he is way overused, I hate when they split up into the 3 teams a while ago and then put him on EVERY single team.

 

[Steve Perry]

I agree, I have always thought of wolverine as a good character, but he is way overused, I hate when they split up into the 3 teams a while ago and then put him on EVERY single team.