Logan’s Final Shot Was Inspired By One Famous X-Men Comic Book

If that last shot in James Mangold’s Logan got you thinking about a certain Uncanny X-Men cover by Image Comics co-founder Marc Silvestri, that was the whole idea.

The scene is that following Logan’s burial, the group of young mutants who were saved by his final sacrifice shuffle quietly away. The last to leave, of course, is Logan’s daughter X-23, who removes the makeshift wooden cross they had placed over his grave and tilts it into an “X,” re-planting it, and walking silently away.

The image was evocative of Uncanny X-Men #251, one of the most iconic and frequently-homaged cover images of its era, and the decision to borrow a big part of its high concept — transforming the X-Men’s “X” into a cross — was a conscious one.

“There’s a fabulous piece of artwork on the cover of an old X-Men comic with Wolverine pinned almost like Christ to an X aboard a mound of green skulls. So I can’t take credit for conflating the crucifix and the cross,” Mangold told Empre Online. “I’m a filmmaker, so I want it to not be words. You’re looking for this gesture to exit, and we’ve done enough words at this point, and that’s as much as I can tell you where it came from.”

You can see the full cover to Uncanny X-Men #251 (we didn’t want to spoil it for people just seeing the thumbnail on the front page) in the gallery below. Let us know if one of your favorite X-Men covers didn’t make it into the gallery and we’ll try to get it added!

In 2029, the mutant population has shrunk significantly and the X-Men have disbanded. Logan, whose power to self-heal is dwindling, has surrendered himself to alcohol and now earns a living as a chauffeur. He takes care of the ailing old Professor X whom he keeps hidden away. One day, a female stranger asks Logan to drive a girl named Laura to the Canadian border. At first he refuses, but the Professor has been waiting for a long time for her to appear. Laura possesses an extraordinary fighting prowess and is in many ways like Wolverine. She is pursued by sinister figures working for a powerful corporation; this is because her DNA contains the secret that connects her to Logan. A relentless pursuit begins … In this third cinematic outing featuring the Marvel comic book character Wolverine we see the superheroes beset by everyday problems. They are ageing, ailing and struggling to survive financially. A decrepit Logan is forced to ask himself if he can or even wants to put his remaining powers to good use. It would appear that in the near-future, the times in which they were able put the world to rights with razor sharp claws and telepathic powers are now over.

Logan stars Hugh Jackman (Logan), Boyd Holbrook (Donald Pierce), Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier), Dafne Keen (Laura Kinney/X-23), Doris Morgado (Maria), Stephen Merchant (Caliban), Elizabeth Rodriguez (Gabriela), and Richard E. Grant (Dr. Zander Rice). James Mangold (The Wolverine) directed and helped on the screenplay along with Scott Frank and Michael Green.

MORE: Logan: Where Are All The Mutants? / Did Logan Go Too Far With X-24?