How does Ultimate Wolverine #1 make Logan the new Winter Soldier? Everything to know
Ultimate Wolverine #1 finally debuted on January 14, 2025. Hitting the stores as a brand-new ongoing series within Marvel Comics' new Ultimate universe, the story puts a twist on Logan/Wolverine's history by making him the new Winter Soldier. Like every other Ultimate title, such as Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate Black Panther, the story shakes up the status quo of this iconic Marvel character.
Ultimate Wolverine #1 mixes up the classic Weapon X storyline but makes it fit within the new Ultimate universe in a fresh way. This Wolverine is still Logan, but instead of being experimented on in Northern America, he is rather experimented on in the Eurasian Republic by Colossus and his scientists.
It still has enough of the classic Wolverine DNA to make this story seem familiar, but it does put a more brutal twist on the classic character.
Breaking down Ultimate Wolverine #1 and exploring the Winter Soldier connection
Ultimate Wolverine #1 opens with Wolverine being sent out on a mission to take down some enemies. The comic keeps switching to the past, showcasing how this Wolverine came to be captured by Colossus and his men. An extremely injured Wolverine can be seen crawling in the snow as the only survivor of a plane crash in the Eurasian Republic.
There, he is met by two soldiers who want to kill him, but since Wolverine's healing factor kicks in, he is able to kill one of them before being taken in. The Eurasian Republic is controlled by Colossus, Magik, and Omega Red—who are the Rasputins as well. Wolverine is then said to be coming from the Northern American Union and it is revealed that his name used to be Logan.
The Rasputins then have their scientists experiment on him to turn him into one of their weapons. They completely erase all his memories from his past and transform him into their killing machine. However, instead of naming him Wolverine, they name him the Winter Soldier—the same title that used to be held by Bucky Barnes in the main 616 Marvel universe.
However, it remains to be seen exactly how long this Wolverine will stay in the control of the Rasputins and whether he will still have an arc resembling that of the original character.
Ultimate Wolverine #1 kills off two major X-Men characters
Ultimate Wolverine #1 also features two major deaths. During the present timeline, Wolverine is sent out on a mission to fight the resistance who are against the Rasputins. The resistance is run by none other than Nightcrawler and Mystique; however, when Wolverine finds them, he kills them both. But before Nightcrawler's death, something surprising is revealed.
Apparently, before having his memories wiped, this Wolverine used to know Nightcrawler. It's still similar to how the 616 Wolverine and Nightcrawler are the best of friends. However, during their fight, Nightcrawler pleads to Logan to remember their friendship, and after killing him, when Logan is traveling back to his base, he sniffs Nightcrawler's scent.
While its unclear whether Logan still remembers, the seeds for him getting back his memory have already been laid.
Ultimate Wolverine #1 by writer Chris Condon and artist Allessandro Cappuccio is available to buy now.