Wolverine Just Returned to One of His Most Controversial Forms Thanks to a Bottle of Wine

Wolverine has been through a lot in his recent solo series, losing part of his adamantium and healing factor and having to fight to regain them. Just as he finally got both back, he ended up in a new predicament, and it strangely ties into the most famous time he lost his adamantium before. In recent comics, Wolverine’s healing factor stopped working, and he was vulnerable again, something that worried his allies. He also lost the adamantium claws on his right hand. Just as soon as he was able to recoat the bone claws of his own volition and return to full strength, he ended up in a fight that finished with him reverting to his most controversial form.

Wolverine #29 (2026) by Saladin Ahmed and Julius Ohta saw Wolverine facing off with a mutant from Arakko who demanded that the X-Men hero work for him. Solem, an Arakkii mutant with adamantium skin and hundreds of years of fighting experience, took an entire upper floor hostage, and he said he would kill them all if Wolverine didn’t act as his sommelier at an auction for a bottle of wine. By the end, Wolverine went feral again.

What Caused Wolverine to Go Feral This Time?

This entire incident makes little sense, as Solem’s only goal was to bid on the world’s most coveted bottle of wine, the last existing bottle of a centuries-old vintage. While this seems almost silly to bring in Wolverine for, there was an endgame. Hilariously, Solem was bidding on the bottle of wine against two mafia heads, with the Rose and Madame Masque both there, along with their Maggia security. Wolverine smelled the wine and confirmed that it was authentic based on the time period, realizing that it was even older than he was. That then led to the bidding.

When the Rose and Madame Masque began bidding against each other, they decided to stop the auction and start fighting. These two villains wanted the bottle of wine and would do anything to get it, and Wolverine was there to make sure no innocents were injured and that he could save the hostages Solem had on the top floor. He succeeded, and then he broke the bottle of wine so no one could have it. Solem was angry because he wanted to drink it, and Rose and Madame Masque felt their time was wasted, but everyone left.

That is when the other shoe dropped. When Wolverine saved the auctioneer from Rose and Madame Masque, he began to feel dizzy. There was something in the wine that he sniffed, and it was infecting him with something. While it wasn’t explained in this issue, Wolverine realized the wine was changing him, and that is when it happened. He began to morph, and then, on the last page, Wolverine had changed into some sort of beast. Wolverine had gone feral.

Wolverine’s History of Going Feral

This brings back memories of the last time that Wolverine went feral, which was after Magneto ripped out his adamantium and his healing factor glitched out when it went into overdrive to keep him alive. Wolverine then ended up changing into a less human-looking character later when Genesis tried to rebond the adamantium, and he began to lose his ability to maintain control. Wolverine already left the X-Men when he lost his adamantium, and after he went feral, he went into seclusion until he was able to finally get things under control again. This was even hinted at in the most recent season of X-Men ’97, where his feral form was referenced.

However, this time seems worse. Instead of becoming the more feral-looking Wolverine, he actually went into what the issue teased as “Beast Mode.” He looked almost like a giant wolf creature on the final panel, with giant fanged teeth, long claws, and fur coming out everywhere on his body. In fact, the solicitations for the next issue tease that this is the moment when Wolverine’s feral side fully emerges. It makes sense that Solem might be responsible, based on his reaction when Wolverine destroyed the bottle. The contents of that bottle might have been the only clue left to figure out what transformed him, since all evidence is now destroyed.

Whether he can keep control of his rage or not is the big question. The last time that Wolverine went feral, he worried he would hurt his own allies and friends. He just changed in a hotel, and this puts innocent people in danger. With the series already touted as having a Parental Advisory rating, it seems like this is the Wolverine feral transformation that many fans have been waiting to see.

What are your thoughts about Wolverine going feral again in comics? Let us know what you think will happen in this storyline in the comments below.

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