Wolverine Just Reignited a Lifelong Feud With a Major MCU Avenger

Warning: Spoilers for Wolverine #37!

As if he didn’t have any more enemies at the moment, Wolverine just reignited a lifelong feud with a classic Avenger: the Hulk. Wolverine didn’t endear himself to the rest of the X-Men by leaving Krakoa recently – and with the tragedy of the Hellfire Gala occurring not long after, Wolverine has found himself in a familiar position, hunted by dangerous foes and coming into conflict with potential friends.

Wolverine #37 – by Benjamin Percy, Juan Jose Ryp, Frank D’Armata, VC’s Cory Petit, Tom Muller, and Jay Bowen – moves Hulk’s name back to the top of the list of people coming for Logan.

While Bruce Banner starts the issue as Wolverine’s ally, by the end, the Hulk is threatening Wolverine with horrific violence.

Wolverine Makes An Enemy Out Of The Hulk Again

Since leaving Krakoa, Wolverine has prioritized capturing the three feral clones of himself, created by Beast and released upon the world. In Wolverine #37, Bruce Banner has agreed to help Wolverine – but critically, the Hulk is doing so against his will. The action as they dispatch their targets is intense, with the violent confrontation, and the clones’ horrifying fate, highlighting what Wolverine and Hulk can and will do to each other. The death of Wendigo Wolverine is particularly gruesome, as he is impaled by the Hulk; the image of his remains clearly sticks in the Hulk’s mind as much as it does the reader’s.

Wolverine Picked the Worst Time to Make Another Enemy

After the chaotic elimination of a second clone in Japan, the duo track the third to the Lucky Tiger Casino in Madripoor. This clone has adopted Wolverine’s old Patches codename, gaining a reputation as a local crime boss. Banner, concerned that each transformation brings him closer to never returning from Hulk form, is adamant that he not be involved in this final kill. Things do not go his way, however, as he ends up in an underground fight club-scenario against the Patches-clone, triggering a change. The original Wolverine is able to use this opportunity to decapitate the clone – but at the cost of a friendship.

Expressing rage and regret to have reluctantly taken a part in a plot he wanted no part of, Hulk tells Wolverine that the next time they see each other, “you’ll envy that Wendigo’s fate.” Wolverine and Hulk have a long and storied rivalry, going back to the origins of the Wolverine character. A renewed conflict between the two – at a time when both are vulnerable – could result in their most brutal, uncompromising face-off yet. Following Hulk’s harsh warning, it appears as though the rivalry has been rekindled. It won’t benefit Wolverine to be watching over his shoulder for Hulk as he turns his attention to Orchis.

As the end of Wolverine #37 suggests, Logan will be turning his attentions to the anti-mutant hate organization moving forward. The conflict between him and Hulk may not come to fruition immediately – rather, it might simmer, with Wolverine #37 being the first seed planted for a bloody fight sometime in the future, the latest contest between the two behemoths, who have already traded wins on and off. However, when the time does come, it seems hard to imagine both heroes will walk away. Rekindling the feud between Wolverine and the Hulk could culminate in a final showdown for the ages.

Wolverine #37 is available now from Marvel Comics.