Wolverine is one of the most beloved and celebrated X-Men characters in the franchise's history, both in the comics and on film. Everyone recognizes his iconic adamantium claws, but all of his film appearances have neglected to include one key drawback to Logan's built-in weapons: they don't always come out through his hands, perfectly oriented and ready to use.

Wolverines #11 – written by Charles Soule, with art by art Ariela Kristantina – highlights the truly grisly nature of Wolverine's claws, which his cinematic adventures tend to downplay.

Fans of Logan's onscreen appearances are accustomed to seeing his claws extend through his hands, ready to slice and dice without a moment's hesitation. However, what X-Men movies fail to capture is the precision that popping his claws requires of Logan; Wolverines #11 graphically showcases to audiences a glimpse at what happens with Wolverine's claws if he loses focus.

Wolverine Popping His Claws Is A More Dangerous Process Than Most Fans Realize

Wolverines #11 – Written By Charles Soule; Art By Ariela Kristantina; Color By Sonia Oback; Lettering By Cory Petit

Wolverine's claws are easily his most recognizable character trait and are a core part of who he is - whether he wants them to be or not. He's used them to take more lives and shed more blood than anyone could reasonably for. That said despite his incredible skill with them, they're hardly the perfect weapons – even though they have developed a reputation as such, in conjunction with Logan's pedigree as a seemingly consummate killer, the self-proclaimed "best at what he does."

Wolverine's claws always extend forward in a straight line, moving directly out of his forearm, thanks primarily to some dicey comic book science. That means it requires precise deployment to get his claws through his hands.

Wolverine has been in countless fights through the years, cutting through comic pages and the silver screen alike, and practically all of his battles go the same way. Logan pops his claws and becomes a veritable force of nature with the world's most lethal knives sprouting from his hands. At a glance, it seems as if they originate there, but Wolverine's anatomy isn't quite so simple. The space between his knuckles is the usual and most effective outlet, but the claws themselves are stored within his forearm, allowing him to still bend his wrist and move freely when they're sheathed.

Consequently, this means Wolverine's claws always extend forward in a straight line, moving directly out of his forearm, thanks primarily to some dicey comic book science. That means it requires precise deployment to get his claws through his hands, as everyone is accustomed to seeing. It's the ideal way to fight, but it isn't technically his body's "natural" way of doing things – not that natural is exactly Logan's strong suit, with a skeleton coated in adamantium. Knowing where and how the claws are stored when retracted still gives some insight into just how impressive his style of combat actually is.

One Gruesome Moment Reminds Readers That Wolverine Extending His Claws Is Far From Simple

A Matter Of Extreme Precision

Wolverines #11 presents two important facts about Logan: he can get fully drunk, if constantly pumped with alcohol without stopping, and his claws will tear through the muscle and tissue of his wrist and hand if he fails to angle his body correctly during the snikt. The first fact renders the second one difficult to avoid. While inebriated, his focus and coordination are substantially affected. When he pops his claws while sitting at the bar, they graphically cut through the wrong way and appear through the palms of his hands, doubtlessly causing a lot of pain on the way.

Although Logan's state of mind in Wolverines #11 means he doesn't react properly to his chilling mistake, it would've been a considerable setback if the bar was a battlefield instead. Wolverine's extraordinary healing factor would mitigate the damage to his body but wouldn't stop the pain of the incorrect deployment, or the moments it would take him to retract the claws and try again at the right angle. It is the perfect showcase of just how easy it is for Logan's unique anatomy to work against him. He's Marvel's fiercest fighter, but that also means fighting against his own body.

X-Men Movies Always Get The Claws Wrong – Or Right, For Logan's Sake

A Clean-Cut Version Of The Character's Powers

Wolverine's on-screen counterpart doesn't appear to need quite the same level of accuracy to get his claws through his hands; between Logan's appearances in the X-Men films, Logan, and Deadpool & Wolverine, there have been plenty of occasions where he could've missed the mark on deploying his claws, yet they've always flawlessly managed to appear just where he needed them to be. It's a good thing for him, and probably for audiences who were not quite ready for the muscle-tearing body horror of how Logan's body actually works. While film fans know the claws cause him pain, they remain in place.

If the X-Men films were to abide by Wolverine's comic book anatomy, instead, those moments would be considerably less effective, or even pointless.

Some of Logan's most intense moments, like Magneto forcing his fist to point toward his chest, rely on the idea that his claws will always deploy through his hands. If the X-Men films were to abide by Wolverine's comic book anatomy, instead, those moments would be considerably less effective, or even pointless. It also grants Wolverine more flexibility onscreen, as he's able to pop his claws in positions that may not work on page, or at least not work in the same way. It is more visually appealing and less complicated for the narrative, overall, than explaining his complicated claw storage.

The Problems With Wolverine's Claws Actually Prove Why He's One of Marvel's Best Fighters

His Obstacles Start With His Powers

Wolverine has overcome a great deal to become the character he is today. He's a far cry from his more feral early self, when he was freshly free of the Weapon X program and trying to what it was like to be a living, conscious person again. His life has been little more than obstacle after obstacle stacked against him, and his body has been turned into a weapon against the world and against himself on more than one occasion. The way his claws work is further proof that the odds have been stacked against him, yet he perseveres.

Logan has gone toe-to-toe with the Marvel Universe's most powerful villains over the years and is often the last one left standing. He's a whirlwind on the battlefield and doesn't shy away from a bit of gore, even if it's directed at himself (like cutting off a limb to escape a trap). While all of that is impressive, it's his claws themselves that show just how skilled a fighter he really is. From the instant he chooses to unsheathe his claws, he has to be hyper-aware of what he's doing, and anything less than that could come at a high cost.

At The End Of The Day, Both Versions of Wolverine's Claws Get The Job Done

Marvel's Most Ferocious Fighter In Any Medium

Although Wolverine's built-in weapons work a bit differently through the films than in the comic books, both versions are equally effective. There's simply less for onscreen Logan to consider when going into a fight, as he can count on the idea that his claws will be where he needs them. It's a crutch he can't rely on in comics, and a weakness that could conceivably be exploited. Adamantium claws are less effective with an immobile wrist and ripped-up muscle. Wolverine's claws require focus and accuracy to be used correctly, but they remain some of Marvel's deadliest weapons on page and screen.

Wolverines #11 is available now from Marvel Comics.