Wolverine's Best Marvel Love Affair Isn't With Morph - It Was With Hercules

Exclusives Opinion

wolverine's best marvel love affair isn't with morph - it was with hercules
Marvel Comics/Joe Jusko

One of the most shipped romances in the "X-Men '97" animated series is between two iconic team members, Wolverine and Morph. But while the shapeshifting mutant shares an unrequited love for their fellow hero, Wolverine doesn't appear interested in igniting a romance with his friend.

The epic Season 1 finale of "X-Men '97" features Morph transforming into Jean Grey to comfort Logan as he recovers from grave injuries suffered at the hands of Magneto, and it's clear the younger mutant clearly has a romantic interest in Wolverine. This was confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) where former showrunner Beau DeMayo was quick to admit that Morph confessed their own feelings for their teammate while in disguise. But as surprising as this moment is, a Morph/Logan romance wouldn't be the long-lived hero's most unexpected pairing as the best love affair involving a Wolverine was with the mighty Hercules.

In "X-Treme X-Men" (by Greg Pak, Stephen Segovia, Dennis Crisostomo, Jessica Kholinne, and VC's Joe Sabino), a team of multiversal mutants assemble to take on several mega-powered versions of Charles Xavier from across space and time. The oddball roster includes Dazzler from Earth-616 (Marvel's primary reality), Emmeline Frost-Summers (a variant of Emma Frost who has god-like powers), a teenaged version of Nightcrawler named Kurt Waggoner, a variant of Charles Xavier who is a floating head, and General James Howlett of Earth-12025, one of the many versions of Wolverine, only this time with deity-crafted Adamantine-coated bones. Later in the series, the team meets the bashful son of Zeus, the Hercules from Wolverine's reality. Soon after, the demi-god and General James Howlett reveal they share more than just the battlefield — they are actually lovers.

Wolverine and Hercules' epic love story, explained

wolverine's best marvel love affair isn't with morph - it was with hercules
Marvel Comics/Stephen Segovia

In "X-Treme X-Men" #10, the team of alternate heroes takes turns sharing information about their pasts. Despite Wolverine's initial objections, the heroes learn Logan and Hercules are romantically involved in their timeline, where they are considered the greatest heroes of Earth-12025. After saving the Dominion of Canada from a vicious monster, the pair reveal their love to the public, causing major outrage among the gods. Zeus himself banishes Hercules and Wolverine into the Pits of Tartarus, punishing his son for consorting with a mortal — something only the ruler of Mount Olympus is allowed to do. The couple spend over three years fighting against damned souls before breaking free.

The duo's romance continues on the X-Treme X-Men, but along with Kurt Waggoner and Charles Xavier, Hercules ultimately dies at the hands of Celestial-created Exterminators in the Age of Apocalypse timeline. General James Howlett is last seen heading to Greece along with Corporal Scott Summers of Earth-70213, where he plans to free Hercules from the grip of Hades, showing he's always willing to fight even the gods for a chance to be with his love again.

Hopefully, Marvel will follow up on Wolverine and Hercules' adventures down the line. It would be exciting to see the pair together at least one more time, as their relationship made for one of the best (and most unexpected) romantic pairings across the Marvel multiverse. It's a big deal to see such masculine and straight-coded characters paired together, even if they aren't the main universe versions. If "X-Men '97" hops timelines and introduces more variants of heroes and villains, the show could (and should) introduce both heroes, as Wolverine and Hercules' relationship is more than worth exploring on the small screen.

OTHER NEWS

14 minutes ago

Julian Assange’s eye-watering bill to fly free

15 minutes ago

Deschamps admits ‘we deserve to be second’ but expects France to click

15 minutes ago

‘Wholly unsuitable’ outdoor dining area removed following shock closure of Wexford pub

15 minutes ago

How do you spot an innovation stock?

15 minutes ago

Maguire lauds Latrell impact on Blues' Origin focus

15 minutes ago

Championship revenue exceeds wages - Deloitte report

15 minutes ago

Heartache for Dutch golfers denied Olympics by their own country: 'We don't think you're worthy'

15 minutes ago

MCG specialist addresses Maroons

15 minutes ago

4,000 missiles, 72-hour outages: Northern Israeli mayor warns of 'blackout scenario'

15 minutes ago

Patriots Reveal Full Training Camp Schedule, Joint Practice With NFC Contender

15 minutes ago

Senator Payman crossing floor a ‘big test’ for PM’s leadership: Sussan Ley

15 minutes ago

Gareth Southgate claims England fans are creating ‘unusual environment’

15 minutes ago

Crowded wildlife rehab center in Plano seeks community help

15 minutes ago

Assange’s eye-watering bill for freedom

15 minutes ago

Nuclear energy is the 'fastest way' to reduce emissions

15 minutes ago

Texans Helping Texans | Houston chef helps others break into the food industry

15 minutes ago

Assistant referee faints in Peru v Canada Copa America clash

15 minutes ago

Economists raise China growth forecasts as exports improve

17 minutes ago

How Origin coaches are feeling on game day

17 minutes ago

That’s a Wrap! The Best of Sydney Whisky Month Revealed

17 minutes ago

Australia miss out when it matters at T20 World Cup as David Warner bids farewell

21 minutes ago

Top of the FLOPS! L'Equipe hand one England star a 3/10 in their brutal ratings after drab 0-0 draw with Slovenia... but which player was deemed 'essential' to Euro 2024 hopes?

21 minutes ago

Cricket's integrity has been TRASHED as India receive helping hand for their T20 World Cup semi-final showdown with England, writes LAWRENCE BOOTH

21 minutes ago

From Centre Court to Euro 2024! Novak Djokovic jets into Munich to cheer on Serbia just hours after the tennis superstar practiced at Wimbledon as he continues recovery from knee surgery

21 minutes ago

Video: Gavin Newsom blasts 'delusional California bashers' as he boasts about 'weird, wild, free-spirited' state that produced Metallica, Kendrick Lamar, blue jeans and Barbie - but there's on big problem with his speech

21 minutes ago

Flood watch issued for parts of Chicago area as strong-to-severe storms possible

24 minutes ago

Tom Selleck and ‘Blue Bloods’ crew to celebrate after filming series finale

24 minutes ago

Australia's Warner bows out of international cricket

24 minutes ago

Soccer-6,101 pieces of history: Brazilian owns world's largest shirt collection

25 minutes ago

A Quiet Place writers' new horror movie starring Hugh Grant unveils its first trailer

25 minutes ago

Comfy and stylish maternity midi dresses from £33 as Jenna Coleman stuns in £995 Tove satin dress

25 minutes ago

49ers' Brandon Aiyuk has sarcastic response to trade report

25 minutes ago

England vs Slovenia LIVE! Euro 2024 result, match stream, latest reaction and updates as Three Lions top group

25 minutes ago

Angler breaks state record with 127-pound catch: 'We got really lucky'

25 minutes ago

2024 Yamaha MT-09: Everything You Need To Know

26 minutes ago

AI is replacing human tasks faster than you think

26 minutes ago

Singapore port congestion shows global ripple impact of Red Sea attacks

26 minutes ago

NATO member Romania to send a Patriot missile system to neighboring Ukraine

26 minutes ago

Tennessee turns over probe into failed Graceland sale to federal authorities, report says

26 minutes ago

Asia-Pacific markets set for mixed open ahead of Australia's May inflation figures