Marvel’s Wolverine Will Officially Feature a Character Comic Readers May Never See Again

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Spoilers ahead for Ultimate Wolverine.

Marvel’s Wolverine will include several characters players will recognize from the comic books. We’ve heard rumors about some of these figures appearing only in Marvel’s Wolverine, but others were officially revealed in the game’s State of Play trailer. Mystique has understandably received a lot of attention, as she’s a popular character both in the movies and in comics like Jason Aaron’s “Get Mystique” storyline. However, Omega Red is also worth discussing. While a major villain like Sabretooth is likely to appear, Omega Red seems more comparable to Marvel’s Spider-Man’s Mr. Negative-not as powerful as a Doc Ock-but he’s still expected to give Logan a tough battle in the game. Interestingly, this won’t be possible in the Ultimate comics universe anymore, as Wolverine permanently defeated and killed him in Ultimate Wolverine #10.

Omega Red debuted in 1992. Originally a serial killer, he was subjected to experiments by the KGB who were trying to create their own version of Captain America. Unfortunately, these experiments resulted in coils forming within his arms, which constantly poison him. As a result, he’s forced to absorb the life force of others simply to survive. It’s a grim existence, and he must constantly feed to avoid death. This makes him a dangerous foe.

Why Omega Red Dying is Actually a Big Deal For Once

If you’re unfamiliar with the recent changes in Marvel’s Ultimate universe comics, here’s a quick explanation: it’s a world built by The Maker, who is a dark, alternate version of Reed Richards. After being beaten several times by heroes like Tony Stark, The Maker decided he wanted a universe without superheroes. He even went so far as to stop Peter Parker from being bitten by a radioactive spider as a child. The Maker stays in control with the help of a council made up of corrupted heroes and villains from around the globe, and one of the most powerful members of this council is Omega Red.

As you might anticipate, the natural order of things resists a world without heroes, and characters ultimately fall into the roles they’re meant to play (sometimes younger, like Tony Stark, and sometimes older, like Peter Parker). This alternate version of Wolverine also functions as The Winter Soldier, and while initially created to serve Omega Red and the other leaders of the Russian section of the Maker’s council, he eventually breaks free and turns against them. In the most recent issue, Logan and Omega Red clash as they often did on Earth-616 (the primary Marvel timeline). However, Logan has a secret weapon: the Muramasa Blade, which negates all healing abilities. So, when he uses it to behead Omega Red, it’s safe to say readers likely won’t see him again in the Ultimate universe, except perhaps in a flashback. Naturally.

Just to be clear, Omega Red has died and been brought back to life many times in Marvel comics – much like characters such as Elektra and even Logan himself. This cycle of death and resurrection has been particularly frequent for Omega Red in the main Marvel comic books, which makes his most recent death stand out. While he’ll probably continue to be killed and revived repeatedly in the 616 X-Men series – as popular characters rarely stay dead for long in a universe with “endless” stories – the Ultimate Marvel universe is different. It’s designed to be finite, meaning major deaths are meant to be permanent. Jonathan Hickman has had a specific plan for the universe’s key events. Even if the Ultimate storyline continues for years with new creative teams due to its popularity, it really seems like Omega Red is finally gone for good in the Ultimate books.

Though Omega Red is famous as a foe who frequently clashes with heroes like Wolverine, he’s also capable of playing an anti-hero. His time as a member of the X-Force team during the Krakoa era demonstrates this perfectly.

Omega Red’s Big Comic Sendoff Makes His Marvel’s Wolverine Role More Important

It’s understandable that keeping up with everything happening in Earth 616 can be tough, given the huge number of characters and comics. That’s why the Ultimate universe has been so helpful for many fans. With just a few titles that all connect to tell one continuous story, some readers are exclusively following Ultimate Marvel. However, those readers might start to miss Omega Red over time. This mutant has always been popular because of his striking look and fierce fighting style. Considering Ultimate readers likely won’t see him again, and the 616 version often ends up temporarily defeated, Omega Red’s role in Marvel’s Wolverine feels even more important now.

As a fan, I’m really excited about what Insomniac could do with Omega Red! Right now, we only know he’ll be fighting Logan, thanks to that intense Marvel’s Wolverine trailer. I think it would be awesome if they made him a recurring boss throughout the game. Imagine him learning new attacks each time you fight him! They could even have him unexpectedly reappear after you *think* you’ve defeated him, just like a boss in Resident Evil – that would be so much fun. But here’s a thought: what if they took a different approach and made Omega Red more sympathetic? They could downplay his history as a serial killer and focus on his remorse for draining people’s life force. That would be a really bold move. And even cooler, maybe he could eventually join X-Force in their future X-Men game, and we could get some funny lines from him, similar to how he is in the Krakoa-era comics. I’m hoping Insomniac really explores all these interesting possibilities!

Even with whatever Insomniac Games has planned for him, Omega Red finally receiving a definitive death in the comics after years of misleading fans makes his role in Marvel’s Wolverine all the more significant. Those who enjoy the character will likely hope he survives his video game fight with Logan, allowing him to reappear in future projects from the studio. Otherwise, fans might only see him in later seasons of X-Men 97 or, potentially, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If he dies in the game so soon after his death in the Ultimate comics, it could be a long wait for Omega Red fans. However, unless Logan uses a magical weapon to truly defeat him, Insomniac has already shown they can bring Omega Red back whenever they choose.

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2025-10-02 23:49