The razor-clawed hero Wolverine just revealed a secret power fans never knew he had, confirming that his superhuman biology is far more complex than most people realize. Wolverine is an unusual hero in that he has two sets of powers - the natural abilities caused by his mutant X-gene and later additions made by Weapon X and their terrifying experiments on his body. Now, fans are learning that the hero is far more than just claws and a healing factor.

In a preview for Wolverine #8/#400, Logan reveals that he has a bizarre power: he always wakes up instantly alert. While this may seem minor, it's the latest confirmation that Logan's true mutation isn't just claws, it's a unique animal/human biology. It also turns out to be useful, because waking up slowly tells Wolverine that he's been drugged.

According to Marvel, Wolverine #8 is the character's 400th total solo comic, and the publisher has been promising a major twist to mark the occasion. The comic starts with Wolverine fighting his ages-old enemy (and probable ancestor) Romulus, while also including hints at a lost chapter in Logan's life.

Wolverine Has Animal Biology - Claws, Enhanced Senses and Instant Waking

Logan's Seemingly Minor Ability Confirms His Biology Isn't Human

Wolverine's claws and healing factor are his most iconic powers, but they're far from all he has. Logan also has enhanced senses which make him the world's greatest tracker, as well as an enhanced physiology that gives him greater strength and stamina. There have even been times he's shown a seemingly supernatural ability to communicate with animals on an empathetic level, and actually spent a significant period of his childhood being raised by a wolf pack.

When Magneto stripped Wolverine of his adamantium, Logan's powers kicked into overdrive. Rather than just healing his wounds, his healing factor transformed him into a new animalistic, feral form. This was presented as Wolverine's powers finally running free after being suppressed by the metal added to his body by Weapon X. While that logic has been questioned since, it's one of many moments that showed fans Logan really is part-animal, despite how much of his life he's spent fighting for his humanity.

Wolverine's Powers Aren't As Simple As They Look

Is This the Return of Lupine Mutants?

It's jarring to see Wolverine refer to himself as an animal, but his 'instant waking' power shows that at least in part, the claim is true. In the 2000s, Marvel hinted that Logan might be part of a mutant offshoot species with wolf-like attributes - a strain running through other characters like Sabretooth, Maximus Lobo and Romulus himself. It would be interesting for Wolverine #400 to bring that idea back, especially because of the implications for Logan's personality. X-Men's Beast recently argued that animalistic physiology tends to come with animal instincts in mutants, suggesting that Wolverine's rage and violence may not be wholly due to trauma, but also linked to his X-gene.

Wolverine's ability to wake instantly is a valuable quality for a mutant, especially given the amount of times the X-Men have been attacked in their own home by surprise. Hopefully, the knowledge that he's been drugged will give him a headstart on outsmarting his mysterious captor, as a new era of Wolverine's life begins in issue 400.