Warning: Contains spoilers for Laura Kinney: Wolverine #9!
The Marvel Universe is filled with characters who cloak themselves in the idea of working alone, andWolverineis one of the prime examples of someone who doesn’t play well with others. Whether the mantle rests with Logan, Laura, or elsewhere, that isn’t actually the case. Gabby’s return upends the idea that Wolverines are loners; they’re just grumpy team players.
InLaura Kinney: Wolverine #9, Laura’s little sister, Gabby, joins the fray again after the two spent some time apart. Laura has been off handling things her own way in New York, while Gabby got up to antics with Dracula’s son, Xarus, following the vampire-infested Blood Hunt event. When Xarus showed up on Laura’s doorstep, however, she quickly rejected him.
Instead of welcoming Gabby’s comrade-in-arms, Laura stuck to the old idea that “Wolverines work alone.” Considering Logan, Laura, and even Daken have histories of working withteams like the X-Men, Avengers, and many other team-ups, Gabby is right to reject the idea. The Snikt Family might feel like loners, but the youngest Wolverine is setting the record straight.
Gabby Kinney Proves Wolverines Don’t Work Alone
Gabby’s current partnership with Xarus is unique, and Laura isn’t inherently wrong to question whether she should welcome Dracula’s child into her home. Still, her genuine attachment tothe idea that Wolverines work alone is out of touch with reality. Whether Laura, Logan, or anyone else likes it, they do better as part of a pack.
The original notion that Wolverine doesn’t work well with others originated with Logan, of course. After everything he endured at thehands of Weapon X, he was out of touch with his humanity, let alone in a position to work well with others. The X-Men changed that for him, and since then, he’s joined the ranks of many teams.
That’s equally true for Laura and, to perhaps a lesser extent, Daken. Laura has admitted that she learned how to be a person alongside her fellow Academy X students,especially with Hellion, and she’s been part of several official and unofficial teams, along with an assortment of team-ups Honey Badger is eager to remind her of.
Wolverines Have a History of Amazing Team-Ups
The Snikt Family may cling to the idea of being rugged loners, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’ve all participated in some seriously cool team-ups over the years. Gabby hasn’t been around nearly as long as the others, yet even in her comparatively short time with Marvel, she has a sizable list to rattle off for Laura.
Squirrel Girl, Deadpool, and Proudstar all earn a mention before Gabby is cut off, but they’re just the beginning. In herLaura Kinney: Wolverinetitle alone, Laura has paired up with Elektra and the Winter Soldier, and she’s fresh off working with Ms. Marvel, Anole, Prodigy, and others in NYX. Those are just her most recent team-ups.
The notion that every Wolverine works on their own is further dispelled by Logan’s whole tenure with Marvel. He became an integral member of the X-Men, repeatedly worked with the Avengers, and has become a mentor for several young mutants who look up to him. Kitty Pryde, Jubilee, and Quentin Quire are just a few he’s taken under his wing.
Even Akihiro, who is arguably the least suited for teamwork among all the Wolverines, has nevertheless given up the lonely path more than once. He has ties to the Fantastic Four and, during the Krakoan Era, he became a valuable member of X-Factor alongside Northstar, Polaris, Aurora, and Prodigy. Those days are over, but it still proves Gabby’s point.
If anything, the Wolverines' ability to work with others has resulted in some of the greatest pairs in comic history. Whether it’s Loganpairing up with Spider-Man, Nightcrawler, or Captain America, or Laura Kinney throwing in her lot with Black Widow, having a Wolverine around makes any team better. Gabby is just the first to claim it.
The Wolverines Should Follow Gabby’s Lead
Since her earliest appearances, Honey Badger has shaken things up in the Snikt Family. She doesn’t share the same broody nature as her siblings and Logan, and instead brings a bit of much-needed whimsy when she’s around. Gabby’s presence tends to ramp up the protective instincts of her family, too. In short, she guides them toward being better people.
In this case, not only is she correct, but all the Wolverines would do well to follow her lead. Even Laura begrudgingly admits that Gabby is right as she pokes holes in the image they all hold onto. It’s time for everyWolverineto accept that they’re not loners, and their work with the X-Men and other heroes proves it.
