7 Times Wolverine Used His Powers for Evil

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Wolverine has evolved significantly as a hero, but his animalistic side always remains. Logan’s brutal fighting style stems from both his mutant abilities and a difficult past. Having spent much of his long life as a soldier, he’s done things he regrets. While he’s now a dedicated hero willing to sacrifice everything for others, that hasn’t always been the case. Throughout his history, including across different realities, he’s sometimes used his powers for malicious purposes, and the results were often as frightening as you’d expect.

For a long time, Wolverine has tried to stay on the right path, but he constantly faces threats like mind control, duplicates, and people switching bodies. There have been moments where he lost control and used his abilities for harm. Here are seven times Wolverine turned to the dark side, demonstrating just how dangerous he can be when he’s not fighting for good.

7) Beast’s Assassin

Wolverine, always a formidable member of X-Force, became a pawn in a dangerous game during the Krakoa Era. While Beast managed the team, he secretly plotted against Logan, arranging for an attempt on his life at a supervillain auction. After Wolverine was killed, Beast resurrected him, turning him into a brutal, mind-controlled assassin. Essentially, Beast used Logan as a weapon, sending him to eliminate targets – specifically high-ranking officials in the US military. Although Logan carried out the orders, he was caught on camera during one mission, lacking the stealth to avoid detection. This led to his imprisonment in the Pit, and he emerged deeply angered by the betrayal.

6) The Horseman of Death

The X-Men were unexpectedly transported back in time to when Galactus destroyed the Skrull homeworld. While in stasis, a Skrull secretly replaced Wolverine. This Skrull Wolverine was taken to Apocalypse, who was allied with the Skrulls, and forced to battle Sabretooth to become one of Apocalypse’s Horsemen. Logan won the fight, regained his adamantium skeleton, and became the Horseman known as Death. As Death, he hunted other mutants and clashed with the X-Men, even killing his Skrull duplicate. He also fought the Hulk before Archangel was able to free him from Apocalypse’s control.

5) Sins of Sinister Wolverine

The “Sins of Sinister” storyline often gets lost in the larger history of the X-Men, especially with all the attention on the end of the Krakoa era and the complaints surrounding “Fall of X.” Essentially, Mister Sinister secretly manipulated the mutant resurrection process to create copies of himself, effectively turning everyone into his allies. Wolverine was among the first transformed and became a key enforcer for Sinister’s plans. He quickly eliminated Doug Ramsey, preventing him from raising an alarm, and then fought alongside the X-Men as they attempted to take over the world. Eventually, Wolverine was killed and, surprisingly, not brought back to life – instead, his genetic material was used to create mutant chimeras, but he himself remained deceased.

4) Wolverine, Lord of Vampires

Wolverine’s interactions with vampires have always been inconsistent. Sometimes he’s unaffected by their bites, and other times he isn’t. His healing factor has also had varying effects on vampires, occasionally allowing them to withstand sunlight. It’s a confusing history! Years ago, Marvel explored what would happen if Wolverine became the leader of all vampires in two alternate reality stories. In these tales, Logan created his own vampire army and attacked New York City, proving to be an incredibly powerful and deadly threat, even killing several heroes with his newfound vampiric powers.

3) Team X

During the Cold War, Wolverine operated as a spy with a team called Team X, alongside Maverick and Sabretooth. They completed dangerous missions in Eastern Europe, Asia, and South America, fighting against communist regimes. Often, they were ordered to destroy entire villages, and Logan consistently followed those orders, even when Sabretooth acted excessively. These years were a dark period for Logan, filled with morally questionable acts carried out in the name of Cold War politics.

2) “Enemy of the State”

The “Enemy of the State” storyline is a great starting point for new Wolverine readers, exploring what happens when he gives in to his darker side. Wolverine is tricked into traveling to Japan, where he’s killed by the Gorgon, leader of the Hand. They bring him back to life and turn him into a brainwashed assassin, sending him to attack heroes like Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, SHIELD, Daredevil, and even his own X-Men team. Though he fights to maintain control, he tragically kills Northstar before finally breaking free from their control and getting his revenge.

1) Age of Apocalypse Weapon X

The “Age of Apocalypse” storyline is a classic, and Weapon X was a standout part of it. This version of Logan (Wolverine) left the X-Men to protect Jean Grey. They worked together until she discovered the truth about their assignments and left him, which ultimately contributed to the nuclear attack on Apocalypse. Logan then went into hiding before eventually rejoining the X-Men and being reunited with Jean, who was believed to be dead. Together, they fought to save their world, but Logan discovered the Death Seed. To protect everything he cared about, he absorbed its power, transforming into the new Apocalypse and leading a war against his former teammates – a conflict that ultimately led to his demise.

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2026-04-27 01:43