The Sentinel attack on Genosha is one of the most infamous events in X-Men history, and now the Wild Sentinels responsible have gotten a terrifying upgrade thanks to Iron Man‘s technology. Tony Stark’s company and tech were recently acquired by the anti-mutant industrialist Feilong, who combined the mutant-hunting Sentinels with Iron Man armor to create the formidable Stark Sentinels. Now the X-Men are going to have to face a new evolution of these death machines, and they may not survive the experience.
Marvel has released a sneak peek at the upcoming Wolverine #50, which will mark a major milestone for Logan. The issue will conclude the ongoing Sabretooth War storyline, and mark the end of writer Benjamin Percy’s four-year run on the series. In the preview, Wolverine has donned his adamantium armor for an epic battle against Graydon Creed, the son of his longtime enemy Sabretooth. While Logan begins the fight of his life, his fellow X-Force members encounter an enormous Stark Sentinel that bears a strong resemblance to the Wild Sentinels that destroyed Genosha.
The two massive Sentinels they’ll have to face off in this issue resemble a giant scorpion and a sea creature. The X-Men are already battling to prevent the extinction of mutantkind at the hands of the anti-mutant organization Orchis. With these upgraded Sentinels added to its armory, Orchis has all but guaranteed that the fight for mutant survival will be a vicious one.
This is not the first time that giant Sentinels have been spotted on the shores of a mutant nation. In 2001, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely kicked off their legendary New X-Men run with “E for Extinction.” This story introduced Charles Xavier’s evil twin sister, Cassandra Nova, who unleashed a cadre of Wild Sentinels on Genosha in an attack that killed millions of mutants. It’s a seminal moment in the history of the X-Men, as a once-peaceful haven for mutantkind was instantly wiped out. This tragedy played a major role in subsequent storylines. In the immediate aftermath, Charles Xavier publicly came out as a mutant to the rest of the world, raising the profile of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. The murder of innocent mutants at the hands of humanity would move Cyclops closer to his eventual role as a mutant revolutionary.
The Genosha attack was also influential in the more recent founding of the mutant nation of Krakoa. When Professor X, Magneto and Moira MacTaggert began building their newest safe haven for mutants, one of their rallying cries was the simple phrase, “No More.” When this was first used in 2019’s House of X #4 by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz, it was accompanied by images of the genocide and headlines that recalled the 16.5 million who died on Genosha.
The founding of Krakoa was accompanied by the discovery of the mutant Resurrection Protocols, which allow the mutants to bring back any mutant who has been killed. But at the time, the X-Men could only resurrect mutants who had died after the Protocols were set up, meaning the 16.5 million murdered Genoshans could not be brought back. Luckily, the Scarlet Witch was able to use her magic to create a new magical Limbo for mutants called the Waiting Room, meaning the Genoshan mutants could now be resurrected. But recent events have only added more names to the list of dead mutants who would need to be resurrected.
The ongoing Fall of X event kicked off last July with another mutant massacre, this time at the 2023 Hellfire Gala. Right after the mutants of Krakoa elect a new team of X-Men, Orchis strikes the Gala, killing the new X-Men team along with a number of other mutants and humans in attendance. At the time, it appears as if nearly all the mutants of Krakoa are killed, as Professor X is tricked into thinking he’s inadvertently sent them to their deaths while trying to evacuate the island. It turns out that they’ve only been sent to another dimension known as the White Hot Room. The mutants left on Earth have had to contend with an army of Stark Sentinels hunting mutants all over the planet with impunity.
Meanwhile, Wolverine has been fighting his own private battle that’s seen one of the most graphic mutant massacres in history. The 10-part Sabretooth War storyline kicked off in Wolverine #41 by Benjamin Percy, Victor Lavalle, Geoff Shaw and Cory Smith, when Sabretooth and his army of “Sabreteeth” from across the multiverse attack a mutant refuge at the North Pole. They quickly kill Wolverine’s son Akihiro and his protégé Quentin Quire. In the following issue, the Sabreteeth rip through the base, slaughtering innocent mutants in their wake. Wolverine has been out for revenge ever since. After being temporarily brainwashed by Sabretooth, Logan is hit with a depowering gun that removes his mutant healing factor, rendering him more vulnerable than ever.
SInce the mutants were banished from Krakoa, the island has been guarded by a patrol of Stark Sentinels. So far, they’ve all looked like giant versions of Iron Man, but the two seen in this preview are something completely new. Their animal hybrid appearance makes them resemble the enormous cockroach-esque Wild Sentinel that led the attack on Genosha. The rapidly approaching conclusion to the Sabretooth War will bring Wolverine and his allies back to the shores of Krakoa for a final confrontation. While his fellow X-Force members face off against the new Stark Sentinels, Logan is seen in the preview facing off against Sabretooth’s son, Graydon Creed aka Bad Seed. Originating on another Earth, Bad Seed has been brought to this universe by the army of Sabreteeth, who have grown dissatisfied with their leader’s fixation on attacking Wolverine.
It’s unclear whether Bad Seed is a “Final Boss” whom Wolverine will have to face after defeating Sabretooth, or if he’s just a warm-up before Logan’s ultimate showdown with Victor. To compensate for the loss of his healing factor, Logan has adorned himself with a suit of adamantium armor and a Muramasa Blade capable of cutting through adamantium and counteracting healing factors. But even if this new armor allows Wolverine to get past Sabretooth, it still might not be enough to help his fellow X-Men take down these new Wild Sentinels reinforced with Iron Man technology.
Wolverine #50 will be available May 29 from Marvel Comics.
Source: Marvel