The 1990s cartoon X-Men: The Animated Series became my first exposure to superheroes. That show ignited the start to a life-long love of comics and super-powered figures. As a child I only loved the characters for their cool costumes and unique abilities. However, as time passed, I started to enjoy the superheroes because of their backstories and personal struggles. Despite the change in my focus on deciding which comics I read or watch now, what has not changed is my interest in Wolverine. Arguably no other comic book hero or villain depicts the rawness of humanity, the struggle between our beastly inclinations towards humanity as Wolverine.
While his most famous and outward powers consist of his adamantium claws, Wolverine’s natural- born mutant abilities also include an accelerated healing factor, enhanced senses, and strength. Along with his superpowers, the storyline and events surrounding the clawed Avenger mark a quintessential search for meaning in life. Born in Canada as James Howlett, Wolverine flees his home after killing the murderer of his birth father in a fit of rage. Eventually, he gets adopted and dons the moniker Logan. Because of his regenerative powers, Wolverine is largely immune from the effects of diseases and the aging process. As an adult, Logan served and fought in a multitude of wars and developed an excellent set of combat skills.
A clandestine government genetic research program known as Weapon X captured Wolverine infusing his entire body with adamantium to create an indestructible skeleton and creating false memories to control Logan as a super soldier. The circumstances that led up to the development of Wolverine as popular culture now recognizes him as involved a vast series of hardships and wanderings. Wolverine represents the seemingly lonely journey mankind experiences in this life, the trials, and the struggle to choose the good in the face of temptation. During this Lent, Marvel’s Wolverine provides us an example to follow and regenerate our faith.
Wandering Leads to Wondering
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert” (CCC 540). The notion of wandering tends to invoke a negative connotation. A person who wanders normally lacks a sense of purpose. Wolverine spent large periods of time where he aimlessly ambled. In the 1988 run of Wolverine (47-49), Logan reacquires his lost memories and learned of his violent involvement with the Weapon X program. His reaction naturally leans towards anger and rage, but Wolverine always strove toward maintaining his humanity.
Professor Xavier and the rest of the X-men constantly seek to help out Logan, his because pitfall is that he tries to figure things out on his own. However, often we feel as if we must have it all figured out. Sojourning with others assists in the journey of life. It is not a coincidence that the source and summit of the Christian life involves communal worship in the sacrament of the Eucharist within the Mass. The Church reminds us, “The whole Church is united with the offering and intercession of Christ” (CCC 1369). Fellowship in the face of adversity is a theme in X-men comics. Eventually Wolverine, albeit reluctantly, accepts help from Nighcrawler in the Season 3 Episode 18 from the X-Men: The Animated Series titled Nightcrawler. [Here is a link to a montage from that episode] By the end of the episode, Wolverine is sitting in prayer and wonder—only his deep convictions and previous wanderings could have sunk him so low to be finally open for the need of God!
All Things Work for the Good
In that same episode Nightcrawler tells Wolverine, “We are alike, you and I, angry at the world and ourselves. My pain told me to seek God. Yours (pain) drove you away.” Suffering is quite problematic. It is natural to desire to avoid suffering and to be angry from suffering, especially meaningless suffering. Logan suffered more than the average superhero and in turn he had more rage than the average character. St. Ignatius of Loyola once wrote, “If God sends you many sufferings, it is a sign that He has great plans for you and certainly wants to make you a saint.” St. Paul phrases the same truth in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God,* who are called according to his purpose”. All that pain, struggle, and wanderings Wolverine encountered ultimately served a greater purpose in shaping him into being a great leader and hero.
New Life after time of Spiritual Dryness
Wandering in the barren and desolate desert does not seem enjoyable. Going without water for mere hours gets to become uncomfortable, let alone dealing with dehydration and the heat of the sun bearing on you too! Similar to a physical desert, Christians experience dryness in their spiritual life. The great Spanish mystic John of the Cross coined the term Dark Night of the Soul in referring to periods of intense dryness and lack of consolation in prayer. The saint declared, “Never give up prayer, and should you find dryness and difficulty, persevere in it for this very reason. God often desires to see what love your soul has, and love is not tried by ease and satisfaction.” Analogously, Wolverine experienced what one would argue a sort of Dark Night as well. During those dark and clandestine years under control of the Weapons X program the clawed hero endured tons of suffering and lacked the consolation of knowing the reason for him undergoing such treatment.
Because of the reality that prayer involves difficulties, the Catechism recognizes such objections to prayer, and even refers to the prayer life as a battle. The Catholic Church discusses the remedy to beat spiritual lows in this way, “To overcome these obstacles, we must battle to gain humility, trust, and perseverance” (CCC 2728). Throughout most of his history, Wolverine is portrayed as being humble enough to cede control of the X-men to either Professor Xavier or Cyclops—a frequent rival! So, too are we called during the season of Lent to humble ourselves and be led in the spiritual desert by Jesus.
While Wolverine may not be as polished as other characters such as Cyclops, Professor Xavier, or Captain America, the rawness of his humanity makes him a more relatable superhero especially for Lent. Fending off the temptations of pure power, Wolverine reminds readers that the battle to remain human in a fallen world is real. Uniting the X-men as a team, he teaches us that being part of a community does not diminish your strengths, but rather enhances them and channels your abilities for the greater good. May we trust in the Holy Spirit to guide us closer to God this Lenten season.
Matt Chicoine
Matthew Chicoine is a free-lance writer, a life-long Catholic, and an avid truth seeker. He earned an M.A. in theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2014 and enjoys binge reading Tolkien, Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, Fulton Sheen and comic books. Visit his blog at https://thesimplecatholic.