Spoilers ahead for Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #19!When it comes to Marvel's deadliest villains, few are as vicious as the Werewolf by Night's new sparring partner, the Wendigo - a beast so dangerous, it's frequently given Wolverine trouble. The newest version of the iconic horror hero Werewolf by Night, Jake Gomez just took on Logan's original sparring partner, setting up an epic rivalry that deserves to be revisited.
While the Werewolf is the latest Marvel hero to cross paths with a Wendigo, Wolverine first encountered one in Len Wein and Herb Trimpe's Incredible Hulk #180 from 1974. The issue debuted both the pint-sized mutant and the accursed Wendigo, and Logan has been periodically battling the creatures ever since. Not all Wendigo are alike, however, and Gomez's brush with one adds a far more sinister tone than what Wolverine has experienced in the past.
Marvel's Wendigo is heavily based on the creature of the same name from the myths of the Algonquin peoples of the American Great Plains and Canada. In indigenous myths, wendigo are typically portrayed as malevolent, insatiably hungry beings associated with cold and winter. While the creation of a wendigo can vary from one people to another, one common story is that they're originally humans who were cursed for resorting to cannibalism. Marvel's Wendigo draws from this: the Elder Gods laid a curse in ancient times that cause anyone engaging in cannibalism to be susceptible to inhabitation by the spirit of the Wendigo. Only passing the curse on to another, or death, frees the victim from the Wendigo Curse. While traditionally it was believed there were only one or two Wendigo active at a time (with the same spirit passing from one victim to the next), it has since been revealed that Wendigo can pass their affliction on to others through bites or scratches, creating entire hordes of the monsters.
Werewolf by Night vs Wendigo Gets Dark
While previous Wendigo were animalistic predators with only glimmers of memory from their past lives, the one Jake encounters in the Canadian wilderness more resembles the monsters of Algonquin myth. It retains its mind and capability for speech, can disguise itself in human form, and most chillingly can mimic the sound of an infant in distress. It uses these abilities to lure in unsuspecting victims to cannibalize, with the new Werewolf by Night viewed as little more than its next meal. Jake's Wendigo is a far older being than those encountered previously, an individual once named Swift Runner whose curse dates back to the times when the Elder Gods first unleashed the Wendigo on the earth. So ancient is Swift Runner that his heart has turned to ice, and removing and melting it is the only means to kill him.
While the Wendigo fought by Wolverine in the past were tragic figures cursed by misfortune or desperation, this recent iteration is a creature of unadulterated evil. It's a malignant, cunning entity that revels in the horror it has sown into its victims. In short, it's both a brilliant villain and the perfect foil to the horror-themed Were by Night. While the Werewolf by Night slays the monster by the end of the issue, few supervillains stay dead, and fans will be hoping that this twisted take on Wolverine's iconic first villain returns to trouble the lycanthrope hero again and again.
Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #19 is available now from Marvel Comics.