7 Reasons Wolverine Is the Best X-Man

The X-Men went from the bottom of the pecking order of the Marvel Universe, to the most important concept in the company’s history. There are multiple reasons for that, but a very important factor is the character themselves. As great as the original five X-Men — Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Beast, and Angel — were, the team really hit the next level when Giant-Size X-Men #1 introduced the All-New, All-Different X-Men. This all-new team grabbed readers, and over the years even more amazing X-Men characters were introduced. Fans have argued about who is the best X-Man for decades; there are so many great X-Men to choose from that this argument can get pretty heated. X-Men fans are known for being contentious when it comes to which member of the team is the best, but a lot of fans believe that Wolverine is the best member of the X-Men.

Wolverine is definitely a very important member of the team. An argument can be made that the popularity of Wolverine was a huge factor in the success of the X-Men; some would say that the team never would have got as popular without Wolverine on the group. Looking at Wolverine’s history with the team, there is definitely an argument to made that Wolverine is the best member of the team. These seven reasons are why Wolverine is the ultimate X-Man.

7) He Can Survive Anything

Wolverine is one of Marvel’s toughest characters. His adamantium skeleton has given him unbreakable bones, allowing him to fight characters as strong as the Hulk, and his healing factor has allowed him to come back from injuries that would have killed anyone else in seconds. Wolverine can basically survive anything, which is definitely a factor in why he’s the X-Men’s greatest member. The X-Men face off against the most dangerous villains in comics, and being able to survive those fights is very important. Wolverine’s unbreakable skeleton and healing factor have allowed him to stand on the frontline of every battle, jumping claws first at any and everyone who have tried to destroy the team. Readers have seen Wolverine survive some brutal injuries, including having his adamantium skeleton torn out through his pores, proving just how tough that he can be. Wolverine’s even been known to take hits for his fellow X-Men, his constantly regenerating body with its unbreakable skeleton helping other members survive shots they shouldn’t have been able to. Wolverine takes a licking and keeps on ticking, and the X-Men need a member who can take that kind of damage and keep coming.

6) His Ties to Other Marvel Heroes

The X-Men aren’t exactly the most popular team in the Marvel superhero community. The Avengers and the Fantastic Four are the elder statesmen that everyone looks up to, while the X-Men are the grungy loners on the outskirts. The X-Men have something of a bad attitude, and it helps to have members of the team who every other hero doesn’t hate. Wolverine is exactly that character. Now, it wasn’t always this way; back in the day, everyone thought that Wolverine was a violent loudmouth who made enemies like grandmas make cookies. However, as Wolverine grew as a person, he started to be much more agreeable, to the point where he’s one of the most well-connected heroes in the Marvel Universe. Wolverine has been a member of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, and is best friends with Spider-Man, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, the Thing, Spider-Woman, and many, many more. Wolverine can do what most other X-Men can’t — get help from the other heroes any time he needs it. The X-Men need someone like that on the team.

5) Wolverine Will Do What Other Members Won’t

Superheroes don’t kill, and the X-Men are no different. However, there’s a big difference between the people that the X-Men fight and the people that other heroes fight. The X-Men are constantly dealing with enemies who want to exterminate their entire race. This has led them to situations where the only way to ensure the safety of mutantkind is to kill. That’s where Wolverine comes in. Wolverine is the guy you go to when you need an enemy taken care of permanently. Now, there were years when the X-Men refused to let Wolverine kill on missions with the team, but all of that ended after Scarlet Witch de-powered the mutant race. Cyclops and Wolverine reformed one of the most legendary X-teams — X-Force — in order to stop threats to the mutant race before they could strike and kill mutants. Wolverine will do whatever is necessary to win, and do whatever it takes to keep mutants safe. This has led to some members of the team to be scared of him, but it also allows them to keep their consciences clean. Wolverine will go to lengths that other members of the team won’t, and that’s make him integral to the X-Men in a way that other members aren’t.

4) His Relationships With the Other X-Men

When Wolverine first joined the X-Men, he wasn’t exactly the most well-liked member of the team. Wolverine was gruff and insulting, constantly back-talking everyone and generally being a gigantic pain in the butt. However, like many people who have watched their loved one die because of them, Wolverine pushed people away to keep them safe. As Wolverine learned to trust the team, and learned that they could take of themselves, he grew closer and closer to members of the team, until he became everyone’s uncle/older brother. Wolverine forged nearly unbreakable relationships with Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Rogue, Jubilee, Kitty Pryde, Jean Grey, and many more. Wolverine will die before letting anyone on the team get hurt. His relationships with the X-Men make him very important to the team; everyone trusts him now and he trusts them. Wolverine’s connection with the X-Men changed his life, and his friendship made the lives of many of the team better. Wolverine has been through the wars, and he’s always there to lend his wisdom and a shoulder to cry on to his friends. The X-Men are a team that lives and dies by their relationships, and there are few members of the team that bring as much to the table as Wolverine.

3) Wolverine’s Combat Skills

Wolverine is the best there is at what he does, and what he does isn’t very pretty. Wolverine started life as the sickly James Howlett, but all of that changed as the years went by. Wolverine became tougher and tougher and his mutant powers made him into the perfect combatant. Wolverine started fighting, for money and for fun, and has trained all over the world in multiple martial arts. Wolverine is one of the most skilled fighters in the Marvel Universe; while most people think of him as a berserker who slashes first, then slashes again just to make sure, and finishes the whole thing off by stabbing, that’s not the case. Wolverine is extremely well-trained. He’s mastered several martial arts, is proficient with more weapons than you can shake a stick at, and is amazing with his foot-long claws. Wolverine is dangerous with anything he can get his hands on, and this makes him an amazing X-Man. One of the biggest differences between the X-Men and other teams is the amount of training the X-Men do, and Wolverine is uniquely suited for that. He’s taught multiple X-Men how to fight, allowing them to become even more formidable heroes. Wolverine’s a better fighter than any other member of the team, and that’s all there is to it.

2) Decades of Experience

Wolverine was born in the 19th century, and has been fighting for the vast majority of his life. Wolverine’s healing factor made him an excellent soldier, and he fought in every major war of the 20th century. Wolverine was in the trenches of World War I, fought alongside Captain America, Bucky, and Nick Fury in World War II, was a spy in the Cold War along with Sabretooth and Maverick, and was active in Vietnam and many South American conflicts. Wolverine has experience in combat that no other member of the X-Men has. He’s been dealing with people trying to kill him for decades, and he brings all of that experience to the X-Men. There’s really no other member of the team that can match his experience. Wolverine has been fighting longer than most members of the team have been alive, and he’ll be fighting long after most of them retire, if alternate futures are anything to go by. As a member of the Avengers, he’s also dealt with threats on another level than most of the X-Men and is one of the world’s premiere black ops agents. He’s worked for SHIELD, and has seen more combat than just about any other member of the X-Men. Wolverine’s experience makes him an excellent member of the team, bringing a level head into battles against the most dangerous threat to mutantkind.

1) Wolverine Is Loyal

Wolverine has had some amazing adventures over the years, but one thing that shines through all of Wolverine’s stories is his loyalty. Wolverine has been losing people for as long as he can remember, which means that he holds on to the people that he hasn’t lost. Wolverine will do anything for his friends, and is insanely loyal to the X-Men. The X-Men gave Wolverine a family and a home when he didn’t have one. Xavier helped him push down the beast inside and let the man take over. Wolverine will do anything for the X-Men, risking his life and his sanity in order to keep the team alive. Wolverine’s loyalty to the X-Men and their cause is greater than nearly anyone else on the team, and it makes him the perfect X-Man.

Do you think that Wolverine is the best X-Man? Sound off in the comments below.

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