Marvel Just Ended The X-Men’s Oldest Rivalry (By Killing The Most Important Mutant… Twice)

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Since its return in 2023, the Ultimate Marvel imprint has been a highlight for the publisher. Fans enjoy seeing fresh takes on classic characters, and the line has already produced popular titles like Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, and The Ultimates. What’s exciting about these books is how they reimagine familiar heroes, placing them in a world ruled by the villainous Maker. One particularly talked-about series is Ultimate Wolverine, which presents a smaller version of the character as the Winter Soldier, working for the Eurasian Republic, a nation led by the mutant heroes Magik and Colossus. Many readers expected this book to feel like a typical X-Men story, given its focus on so many beloved mutants.

The Ultimate Wolverine series has become incredibly brutal for its characters. After regaining his free will, Logan joins the fight against overwhelming forces who control everything. Issue #12 is a major turning point, leading directly into the Ultimate Endgame storyline. It also features a shocking and somewhat disrespectful death – Logan faces off against a mutant who had been manipulated by the Eurasian Republic. While deaths of popular characters aren’t unusual in this series, this one is particularly strange because the character killed, Cyclops, was a major focus for Marvel at the time.

Ultimate Wolverine Just Disrespected Cyclops Worse Than Ever

Fans of Wolverine generally enjoy the Ultimate Wolverine comic series, but it hasn’t been as well-received by X-Men fans. A major reason is the way the series has handled some popular X-Men characters. Cyclops, for example, was recently depicted as a defeated version of himself, transformed into an “X-S Sentinel” – a mutant-robot hybrid created by the Eurasian Republic. This happened several issues back in Ultimate Wolverine. The latest issue, #12, shows Logan seeking revenge against the Eurasian Republic for killing the Opposition, while also trying to discover the identity of a mysterious woman who communicates with him telepathically, leading him into the heart of the Republic.

During a fight with Dr. Alongya Prostovich, who leads the Republic’s mutant program, Logan (Wolverine) battles Cyclops, who is operating a powerful X-S Sentinel. Though Cyclops manages to fire a few shots, the Sentinel is quickly destroyed. This isn’t the first time Wolverine and Cyclops have fought to the death in a different reality, but the timing feels strange. Cyclops has been prominently featured in recent X-Men comics, starring in the main X-Men series and with a solo miniseries planned. Having Wolverine kill Cyclops in this alternate universe story – especially one that’s more popular than the regular X-Men books – feels like a dismissive treatment of the character.

Rumors suggest Marvel Studios may center future X-Men films around Cyclops. He’s been a key figure in X-Men comics for nearly two decades, often seen as the mutant equivalent of Captain America. While always important to the X-Men story, he’s recently seemed poised for even greater prominence. It’s odd to sideline such a character as the Ultimate Universe concludes, particularly when Marvel is actively promoting him in other, more successful titles. Many X-Men fans disliked Ultimate Wolverine due to similar decisions, and it appears Marvel is repeating that mistake.

Ultimate Wolverine #12 is on sale now.

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2025-12-10 19:41