An elite squad of X-Men — and one Avenger — embark on a dangerous mission in Ultimate Wolverine. The newest addition to Marvel’s growing Ultimate Universe has already presented twists and turns for fans. Ultimate Wolverine began with Logan serving as the Winter Soldier, a weapon for the evil Eurasian Republic led by Magik, Colossus, and Omega Red. Brainwashed, Wolverine was forced to hunt down and kill his longtime friends on the Opposition. But Wolverine’s friends have finally broken through the brainwashing and have Logan back on their side. That means it’s time to take the fight to the bad guys, so Marvel calls in Strike Team X.
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Marvel released a preview of Ultimate Wolverine #8 by Chris Condon, Alessandro Cappuccio, Bryan Valenza, and VC’s Cory Petit. It begins at Zmiinyi “Snake” Island in the Black Sea, in the southwestern Eurasian Republic. Abigail Brand is piloting a boat containing Sabretooth, Black Widow, Beast, Gambit, Kitty Pryde, and Wolverine. She warns them that they’re heading into enemy territory, which is where this elite group tends to thrive. Abigail calls them Strike Team X in a nod to Task Force X, the name that Amanda Waller dubs the Suicide Squad in the DC Universe. They’re all characters you’d associate with the X-Men, minus Black Widow.
Marvel’s Task Force X Is an X-Men Hit Squad
The Opposition might as well be thought of as the X-Men, even if they aren’t using the name. There is currently an Ultimate X-Men comic that focuses on the younger generation of mutants. Meanwhile, Ultimate Wolverine is the title where you can find your favorite X-characters. Along with Logan, Kitty, Gambit, and Beast, we’ve also seen Nightcrawler and Mystique (killed by Wolverine while he was the Winter Soldier), along with Jean Grey, who is a prisoner of the Eurasian Republic. This evil faction is also responsible for the deaths of Charles Xavier and Magneto. Black Widow was also one of their weapons, but the Opposition was able to free her, and she now works on their side.
It makes sense to have Black Widow aligned with the Opposition. Magik, Colossus, and Omega Red are working out of what was formerly the Soviet Union, and Black Widow is also Russian. A version of the Red Room still existed in the Ultimate Universe, except the Maker’s council members were probably behind it. Like Wolverine, Black Widow was used as an accessory to evil acts, and now finds herself liberated and looking for payback.
The Eurasian Republic’s Directorate X is using mutants as weapons, with Wolverine as a prime example of their efforts. Xavier’s brain is all that is left of the former mentor and founder of the X-Men, and it’s being used to keep Jean Grey in a comatose-like state. But tonight, the Opposition is out to strike at their oppressors by freeing imprisoned mutants.
Strike Team X strikes quick and fast, with Gambit destroying a fence with his kinetically-charged playing cards. He then uses his mutant powers to take out a set of landmines. This team should be stacked enough to take on anything Directorate X can throw at them. However, the description of Ultimate Wolverine #8 teases a showdown against Ultimate Angel. Is Angel another brainwashed pawn? We’ll find out later this week.
Ultimate Wolverine #8 goes on sale Wednesday, August 6th. Let us know your thoughts on the preview in the comments below!
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