Colossus Just Became Wolverine's Nemesis, as Their Friendship Is Destroyed Forever
In a twist no-one saw coming, Wolverine has found his most personal villain of all time in his former X-Men ally Colossus. This isn't the usual hero vs hero misunderstanding, but an unbreakable vendetta that will only end when one or the other is dead, shaping the rest of Wolverine's lifetime. But what could Colossus possibly have done to turn his longtime ally into his would-be killer?
The split happens in Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo's Wolverine: Revenge. The story takes place in a world where Magneto's old Asteroid M base has crashed to Earth, killing a hundred million people and releasing an EMP that has fried the world's technology. Nick Fury leads Wolverine, Captain America and the Winter Soldier on a mission to steal a vital S.E.E.D. generator from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, with the aim of bringing power back to the Western world.
Unfortunately, when the heroes arrive, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants aren't willing to give up their generator. Deadpool, Omega Red and Sabretooth hunt down Fury's agents, planting bombs in their chests and holding them prisoner. To Wolverine's dismay, it's revealed that Colossus has allied himself with the group, hoping to instead use the generator to "relight our half of the world." Deadpool unexpectedly sets off the bombs, murdering Captain America and Bucky, and putting Wolverine on a path of brutal vengeance.
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Colossus Betrayed Wolverine by Killing Captain America
Wolverine's Quest for Revenge Puts His Former Friend in the Crosshairs
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Wolverine and Colossus both joined the X-Men in 1975's Giant Size X-Men #1, and they've been friends and allies ever since. The two have spent so much time fighting side by side, they even invented the 'Fastball Special' move, where Colossus hurls Wolverine at a distant enemy. Logan has helped Colossus through some of his toughest moments, always knowing that when he's up against impossible odds, his steel-skinned friend will be there to back him up. Sadly, that relationship is now broken beyond repair, as the heroes' differing priorities put them at odds.
What's interesting about Wolverine: Revenge is that the comic takes time to spell out Colossus' perspective. As he points out, he didn't cause Asteroid M's explosion and the S.E.E.D. generator legitimately belongs to his group, who were only protected from the EMP due to the sacrifice of one of their members. Colossus points out that it's Fury's troops who are attempting to steal the generator and it's also made clear that planting the bombs and killing Steve Rogers' was Deadpool's move (though Colossus could have fought to stop him.) Ultimately, Colossus simply prioritizes the survival of the East over the resurgence of the West, and he'll fight his friend to make sure that, "when the sun rises it will be to shine on our flourishing lands."
Now, Wolverine has committed to hunting down the Brotherhood members one by one, and he's already made a major start. In issue 2, Wolverine uses Magneto's helmet to resist Mastermind's power, butchering the group's former leader. He then takes on Sabretooth, using a gadget devised by Forge to remove his enemy's healing factor and finally put him down for good. The summary for the next issue states that Logan's next targets are Deadpool and Omega Red, saving his old friend for last.
Fans already know that Wolverine: Revenge will follow Wolverine into old age, stretching out his vengeance against his former friend.
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X-Men's Colossus Is Undergoing a Villain Era Without Peer
Colossus Is the Bad Guy Across 3 Separate Realities
It's tragic to see Wolverine and Colossus ready to kill each other in Wolverine: Revenge, but the story only emphasizes how dark Colossus stories have become in the last few years. In Marvel's main timeline, Colossus just spent months under the control of his evil brother Mikhail, who forced him to kill his partner and betray the X-Men. Meanwhile, over in Marvel's newly-launched Ultimate Universe, Colossus is a member of the Maker's Council - a group who secretly control the world, plunging it into a state of constant warfare in order to ensure their influence is never challenged.
Interestingly, Marvel's Ultimate comics have begun to suggest that Colossus may have heroic motives here too, with hints that his territory is home to the world's mutants, who live peacefully outside the public eye. If so, it's fascinating that in three separate continuities, Colossus has become a villain essentially against his will. There's seemingly something about X-Men's towering hero that makes creative teams want to drag him kicking and screaming into the dark. Of course, being hunted by Wolverine is as dark as it gets.
Fans already know that Wolverine: Revenge will follow Wolverine into old age, as his quest for vengeance becomes a hellish "eye for an eye" battle. This implies that - despite Wolverine's adamantium claws and Forge's gadgets - Colossus has his own plans to come out ahead as friends become bitter enemies.
Wolverine: Revenge #2 is available now from Marvel Comics, with issue 3 coming October 30.

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