Marvel's X-Men #12 teases what would happen if Laura Kinney's Wolverine and Jean Grey fought to the death - and it really isn't pretty.
This article contains spoilers for X-Men #12.
New X-Men comics have teased a duel to the death between Jean Grey and Laura Kinney's Wolverine. By now, it's something of a tradition for X-Men to go up against one another. Sometimes it's because of brainwashing, sometimes it's because of a basic misunderstanding, and often it's just because Wolverine loses his temper. The trope of X-Man versus X-Man has inspired many of the most enjoyable versus matches.
The latest round was teased at the end of X-Men #11, when a group of X-Men infiltrated Gameworld, a galactic casino encouraging punters to bet on which attempt to destroy the Earth would succeed. Gameworld has strong defenses, including psychic ones, and it's ruled by a being somehow more disgusting than Mojo, Cordyceps Jones. The alien is a gangster made of fungus, able to control anyone who breathes in his spores, and he chose Laura Kinney's Wolverine as his pawn against the X-Man.
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X-Men #12, by Gerry Duggan and Pepe Larraz, opens with a brief glimpse of Wolverine versus Jean Grey - to the death. It's a thrilling moment, evocative of the classic New X-Men issue in which the original Wolverine killed Jean Grey at her request, with Laura cutting Jean down before moving on to Rogue. In an ironic twist, though, it turns out this particular death match isn't real at all; it's a psychic construct created by Jean while she uses her telekinesis to neutralize all Cordyceps Jones' spores. It seems this particular round of X-Man versus X-Man was just an illusion all along - as Cordyceps Jones learns to his cost.
Since Laura Kinney is technically Wolverine's daughter (not just his clone), she has a history of mind control that frankly means it's a good job Cordyceps Jones didn't really take control of her - because she'd view such an action as grounds for a vendetta he would not outlive. And yet, for all that's the case, it's interesting to speculate what would have happened if this illusion were real - particularly given Cordyceps Jones clearly believed it to be realistic. Jean Grey is an Omega level telepath and telekinetic, and yet he genuinely thought Wolverine could kill her.
He may well have been right, if only because Jean would have held back, and Wolverine - a trained killer - would have seized the opportunity. She may well have been able to triumph even if Jean had used all her power against her, simply because Wolverine's mental programming is so strong a telepathic attack would likely have triggered a berserker rage. These berserker rages are key to all Wolverines' most brutal battles, and this would be no exception. Thankfully, it was all an illusion, and the X-Men's Jean Grey and Wolverine will never find out who would win a no-holds-barred brawl.
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X-Men #12 is available now from Marvel Comics!
Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant's staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back - and this time it's cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon. A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he's into British politics too.