Summary

• Wolverine emerges victorious against Venom in a brutal showdown, using the same move he used to defeat the Hulk in Old Man Logan.
• Wolverine regains control during Venom's possession by channeling Charles Xavier's mental techniques, demonstrating his resilience and determination.
• Wolverine then tears his way free from the inside, showing that villains who try to 'eat' Logan will always lose.

Warning: contains spoilers for What If...? Venom #2 ahead! As two of Marvel's most violent figures, it's never pretty when Venom throw down. However, their latest brawl takes things further than ever. Wolverine emerges as the definitive victor, employing a brutal signature move that he used to destroy the Hulk in the iconic Old Man Logan.

Jeremy Holt, Tadam Gyadu, Ceci de la Cruz, and Ariana Maher's What If...? Venom #2 sees the Venom symbiote bond to Wolverine after a brawl with Sabretooth goes south. Venom is quick to exert control, locking Wolverine in a mental cage of his past traumas - an act which leaves Wolverine furious. However, Venom doesn't count on just how inadvisable it is for anyone to trap a furious Wolverine inside them.

Reinforcing his psyche with the help of Charles Xavier's mental techniques, Wolverine regains control of his body, claws his way out of Venom's chest and sloughs off the invading symbiote like a discarded cocoon.

Wolverine Destroys Venom from the Inside Out

Even Hulk Knows You Never Eat a Wolverine

Ripping his way through a foe from the inside out is a brutal and disgusting finisher, but it's not without precedent. The finale of the first Old Man Logan storyline sees a battered and bruised post-apocalyptic Wolverine going on a vengeful rampage against the Hulk Gang after Banner's kids kill his family. When Banner transforms into the Hulk and eats Wolverine, Wolverine regenerates from within the Hulk and rips his way out.

Readers can check out the brutal fight for themselves in Mark Millar, Steve McNiven, Dexter Vines, Mark Morales, Morry Hollowell, and Cory Petit's Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant-Size #1 (2009).

Wolverine and Venom have a surprisingly long history together, with their violent attitudes and regenerative abilities naturally causing many to speculate which of them would win in a fight. While the two have thrown down several times before, the encounter in What If...? Venom #2 suggests that Wolverine ultimately has the edge. With the symbiote incapable of subduing both Wolverine's mind and healing factor, it becomes only a matter of time before Wolverine taps into that same level of Hulk-slaying berserker rage to take Venom down.

Wolverine Beats Venom Thanks to Xavier's Training (& His Claws)

Logan Is Immune to Venom's Possession

Both Old Man Logan and What If...? Venom use alternate universe fights to show off Wolverine's prowess, facing the indestructible man with seemingly insurmountable odds. While Wolverine is clearly able to handle a symbiote, this story notably takes place before Venom has any of his current King in Black powers, suggesting elevated stakes come their next rematch. They may not be a classic Marvel rivalry like some, but Wolverine definitively closes this chapter of his feud with Venom in his favor - courtesy of his post-apocalyptic tactics.

What If...? Venom (2024) #2 is available now from Marvel.