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Demon Days: Rising Storm #1 hints that Peach Momoko’s version of the X-Men’s Wolverine may host Japan’s most powerful demon.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Demon Days: Rising Storm #1, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Set in a fantastical alternate version of Japan, Peach Momoko’s Demon Days saga has reimagined many of the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe as deadly samurai, monstrous demons, and powerful gods. Given his extensive history with the country, Wolverine of the X-Men was practically destined to make an appearance in this series, and his redesign is easily the most radical of them all. While the Demon Days variants of other heroes have stayed relatively close to the originals (at least when it comes to appearance), the Wolverine of the “Momoko-verse” is a literal wolf.
When compared to the variants of other X-Men who have appeared in Demon Days so far, Wolverine’s new form may seem like a massive downgrade. However, since his first appearance in Demon Days: X-Men #1 (by Momoko, Zach Davisson, and VC’s Ariana Maher), there have been many subtle (and some not-so-subtle) hints that this Wolverine may be just as ferocious as his Earth-616 counterpart. While he may not be as visually impressive as some of his competition, Demon Days‘ Wolverine might be the most powerful demon in all of Japan.
Introduced as the traveling companion of the wandering swordswoman Sai, (the Demon Days counterpart of Psylocke), Wolverine (referred to exclusively as Logan) initially doesn’t appear to be anything more than a common wolf. Although Logan’s shown to possess the impressive speed and stamina that one would expect from a wolf, his claws aren’t coated in adamantium, meaning that they can’t do nearly as much damage as the original’s could. Logan also loses an eye during a battle against a giant snake Yokai that bonded with the Venom symbiote, showing that this version also lacks his legendary healing factor. Adding to all of these disadvantages is the fact that this Logan doesn’t speak, leaving him unable to demonstrate the original’s leadership skills or trademark sarcasm.
However, Logan’s return in Demon Days: Cursed Web (by Momoko, Davisson, and Maher) marks the first of many hints that the wolf isn’t an ordinary animal. While Demon Days: X-Men is set in the feudal era of Japan, Demon Days: Cursed Web takes place in the modern-day, and Logan is revealed to still be alive when he leaps in to protect the young Yokai Mariko Yashida from Toraji and Ocho, the Momoko-verse counterparts of Sabretooth and Mystique. This means that Logan is several centuries old, even older than his Earth-616 counterpart, who’s already one of the oldest living beings on Earth. This encounter also suggests that Logan is much more powerful than he initially appeared, as he rips off Ocho’s arm with relative ease. Mariko’s villainous sister Ogin seems to view Ocho as one of her strongest followers, and the ease with which Logan dispatches her speaks volumes about his power.
The mystery of Logan’s true nature grows even deeper in the most recent addition to the saga, Demon Days: Rising Storm #1, in which he and Mariko are confronted by the Shinto sibling gods of thunder and wind Raijin and Fujin, the Momoko-verse counterparts of Thor and Storm. During the battle that follows Rajin and Fujin are notably surprised by Logan’s presence, referring to him by name and asking if he recognizes them when he attacks them. The comments made by the gods indicate that they see him as something more than a common wolf. The sibling gods are shown to be knowledgeable about many secrets, including the true nature of the relationship between Mariko, her deceased mother Miyuki, and Ogin, so their interest in Logan indicates that there is probably more to him than meets the eye.
Demon Days’ strong ties to Japanese mythology make it even more likely that there’s something special about Logan. Although they were driven to extinction in Japan over a hundred years ago by a combination of disease and over-hunting, wolves were treated with great reverence in Japanese culture and were believed to have strong ties to the spirit world. In contrast to their perception in many Western cultures, Japanese wolves were considered the favorite animals of the gods, serving as their messengers and acting as guardians over sacred places. Considering the ease with which Logan dispatches Yokai, the chances that he’s some sort of divine guardian spirit or even a Yokai himself are reasonably high.
Regardless of whether or not he’s an agent of the gods or a demon pursuing his agenda, Logan has already proven that he’s more powerful than many of the strongest Yokai in Japan. With the soon-to-be-released Demon Days: Blood Feud set to bring the “Yashida Saga” to a close, Logan still has time to prove if he’s the most powerful demon of them all.
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