Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Ultimate Wolverine #1! The Wolverine are two Marvel Comics characters that have more similarities than differences. Both were soldiers who fought for their countries, both were subsequently kidnapped by villainous entities, and both were transformed into mindless killing machines. Department X turned the Winter Soldier into a living weapon, while Weapon X did the same to Wolverine. Indeed, these two characters are very much alike. And now, their stories have been rolled into one - but it’s not that simple.

In Ultimate Wolverine #1 by writer Chris Condon and artist Alessandro Cappuccio, readers are introduced to the version of Wolverine from the newly-introduced universe of Earth-6160. This universe is the new Ultimate Universe, which is being shaped by the Maker, who traveled to Earth-6160 to reshape it to his liking. And one of the things the Maker ‘reshaped’ was Wolverine himself, as he effectively merged Wolverine’s story with that of the Winter Soldier.

In an interview with Comics Beat journalist Christian Angeles, Chris Condon was asked about the new Ultimate Wolverine series, specifically as it relates to the legacies of the original Wolverine and the Winter Soldier.

Angeles: It seems like this is a Weapon X meets Winter Soldier storyline. Can you break down juggling that balancing act?

Condon: I don’t really think about it so much. It’s the way in but we’re creating our own path.

Ultimate Wolverine #1 by Marvel Comics is available now.

How the Ultimate Universe Merged Wolverine & the Winter Soldier’s Stories

Wolverine IS the Winter Soldier in the Ultimate Universe

To understand the story of Ultimate Wolverine, one must first understand the structure of the Ultimate Universe. As previously mentioned, the Maker traveled to Earth-6160 to reshape it to his liking, and that included the corruption and elimination of certain heroes and villains. In one such instance, the Maker corrupted Colossus (along with his sister, Magik), and turned the Rasputins into the rulers of the Eurasian Republic. The entire world is broken into such factions, each with its own corrupt ruler, all of whom report to the Maker.

Within the Rasputins’ territory, the Maker permitted a certain degree of mutant experimentation. So, the Rasputins created “Directorate X” (Department X and Weapon X rolled into one) and they began their experimentation on one mutant in particular: James “Logan” Howlett. Directorate X gave Logan his adamantium skeleton and claws, just like Weapon X did in Earth-616. And, just like Department X of Earth-616, Directorate X turned its subject into a mindless killing machine with the name: the Winter Soldier.

What’s Next for Wolverine/Winter Soldier in the Ultimate Universe?

Ultimate Wolverine Writer Promises Complete Originality

The first issue of Ultimate Wolverine paints him as a brutal villain being controlled by some of the greatest agents of evil in the new Ultimate Universe, meaning Directorate X’s process of turning Logan into the Winter Soldier is - at this moment - a resounding success. However, as Chris Condon mentioned in the interview, Ultimate Wolverine’s story will not try to adapt the stories of Earth-616’s Wolverine or the Winter Soldier - or even try to merge them. Ultimate Wolverine is an original story, and there’s no telling what’s next for this all-new character.

Ultimate Wolverine might technically be a mix between Earth-616’s Weapon X and Winter Soldier, but writer Chris Condon has already promised that this new story will be totally original. Will Ultimate Wolverine break free from his captors and take back control over his mind? Or is Ultimate Wolverine doomed to be a living weapon wielded by villains forever? Only time will tell what’s next for the Ultimate Universe’s new Wolverine/Winter Soldier, and fans should be very excited every step of the way.

Source: Comics Beat