Warning: SPOILERS for Return of Wolverine #5

The death of Wolverine wasn't easy for Marvel Comic fans to watch, but they can officially celebrate his return from the grave, now that Return of Wolverine has confirmed this living Logan to be the one fans lost... and just who brought him back to life.

The casual fan might assume that after years without the clawed X-Man, fans would have rejoiced when Wolverine returned, no matter the circumstances. But from the very beginning, it was clear that the question wasn't how best to celebrate Wolverine's resurrection, but how it's even possible, who is behind it, and whether his return was truly as permanent as it seems. More than a year of comics teased out (delayed?) those questions without any sign of a simple yes or no answer. But in the final issue of Return of Wolverine, the answers are finally here.

Now that Marvel has explained every step of his return from the dead, we'll let fans decide if it lived up to the suspense. Needless to say, SPOILERS ahead.

Yes, Wolverine Really Did Die

Wolverine Death Comic Adamantium

Since every superhero death is taken with a grain of salt these days, the first question worth answering is: Yes, Wolverine really did die in his Death of Wolverine series (no fake-outs, retcons, or tricks here). As fans witnessed in that series, Wolverine ended a lifetime of villainous attempts to recreate his powers, covering himself in liquid-hot adamantium. The unbreakable liquid metal cooled, encasing him in a solid coffin, presumably smothering his cells to the point of death (a death not even his healing factor could resist).

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When the adamantium 'Wolverine statue' was torn open as part of the Hunt For Wolverine mystery, the truth of Logan's burial was revealed. The X-Men let the world (and their enemies) think that Logan's statue was also his corpse... but Kitty Pryde used her powers of intangibility to remove Wolverine's body to be privately buried it. It truly was that body that was restored to life, and that earthly grave that Logan crawled out of to begin his return. But what he woke up to is the real twist of the Return of Wolverine story.

Wolverine's Return From The Dead

That confirmation that it was Wolverine's original body and mind returning has now been confirmed, but fans were meant to be at a total loss at what was taking place when Return of Wolverine #1 begins. To be fair, so is Logan himself: regaining consciousness in a laboratory filled with dead soldiers, blood covering his hands, and his adamantium claws glowing white hot. Oh, and without any memories of his life as Logan or the Wolverine whatsoever. Slowly but surely, the details began to trickle in.

Whether or not it was all part of a trap to lure Wolverine off the planet Earth and into space (don't worry, we'll get there), the facts were more right than misleading. Logan was part of an experiment led by the mysterious Persephone, leader of a sinister, slippery, and seemingly cult-like group living off the grid. Persephone would turn out to be the one leading Wolverine to her doorstep for revenge, but her powers are far greater than just deception.

As a mutant with power over the dead, it was Persephone who brought Wolverine back to life... although that's not at all what she intended. From here on out, it's SPOILERS aplenty.

Page 2 of 2: How Wolverine Returned From The Dead

Wolverine Was Resurrected by The 'Queen of The Dead'

In the second-to-last issue of the Return of Wolverine series, Logan was finally met by Persephone, the apparent mastermind behind his entire story since he rose from the dead. Her mutant gift? To reanimate the dead, as either mindless bodies for her to pilot telepathically, or semi-automated drones she could restore to convincing recreations of the people they were before they died. A terrifying gift to most people, but since Persephone is the twisted, maniacal villain of this story, a gift she planned to use to kill the entire Earth... so that she could rebuild it.

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Persephone had gathered the most brilliant (and compliant) minds humanity had to offer on an orbiting space station, where she brings Logan to finally reveal the secret of his return. Also, to have him at her side when her plan to wipe out almost all of humanity was executed. The attraction seemed simple enough: a woman who believes herself to be "Queen of The Dead" and the man who deals death, but can never claim it. But when Wolverine finally demands to know the truth, Persephone explains their connection.

Yes, to Wolverine's horror, Persephone reveals that her mission to raise and manipulate dead mutants like Omega Red, and even Logan's son Daken eventually spread to include Wolverine, as well. The panels show without a shadow of a doubt the resurrection of Logan, bursting out of his secret, unmarked grave, and his mindless submission to Persephone. It was her plan to use him as a weapon or tool like all the other undead mutants, and made it as far as having Wolverine serve on a special strike team of Persephone-piloted soldiers.

That is, until she learned the one truth known by every other person who thought they could control the Wolverine: if something can't be killed, definitely don't bring it BACK to life. Apparently, Persephone's power worked to reanimate Logan's corpse and consciousness to use him as a tool. Sooner or later - even Persephone doesn't quite know how he managed it - Wolverine's mind was shaken out of its haze to being his path back towards his old self. And by issue's end, Wolverine finally reaches his destination.

The Original Wolverine is Finally Back

It might seem too good to be true to say that Return of Wolverine ends by restoring Logan completely, but... it sure seems that way. Logan explicitly tells his opponent that he has finally remembered all of his past battles, identities, and trauma. And despite Persephone's offer of a fresh start in a new world, Logan makes it clear for those in the back row: "I'm back and I'm Wolverine and that's the way it's gonna be."

So fans can finally celebrate Wolverine's return to the center of the Marvel Universe, because the publisher is wasting no time. It's assumed that Logan will leap directly from this return into claiming the famous Infinity Gauntlet for himself, with a larger team-up coming as part of Marvel's Savage Avengers, starring Venom and Punisher. The future is filled with opportunity for Wolverine, so at least fans now know that it's their favorite Logan playing the part.

Return of Wolverine #5 is available now at your local comic ship or directly from Marvel Comics.

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