Wolverine is one member of the X-Men with a very checkered past. Although he usually fights with the good guys, Logan’s been known to engage in some questionable activities – including black-ops missions and straight-up murder. So, it seems strange that of all the X-Men, Wolverine is consistently popular with children.
Even weirder, the gruff mutant seems to slip into the role of a father figure and mentor almost on a regular basis. While the two sides of his personality seem at odds, a look into Logan’s past reveals just why kids seem to gravitate toward him – and vice versa.
Wolverine originally displayed a soft spot for the X-Men’s (then) youngest member Kitty Pryde. Only thirteen-and-a-half when she first ed the team, Kitty often felt out of place among the older, more experienced mutants. Wolverine, in particular, seemed Kitty’s polar opposite – so both were shocked when Professor Xavier paired the two of them in a teacher-student mentorship in the series Wolverine: First Class (a comic that filled in the blanks of Kitty and Wolverine’s relationship from earlier comics).
Despite his initial annoyance, Wolverine soon enjoyed the role – teaching Kitty wilderness survival skills and taking her on missions. Kitty herself warmed up to “Ol’ Canucklehead” – especially when she learned her new teacher would not only train her how to survive the Danger Room but also teach her how to perform motorcycle stunts. Kitty eventually grew up, but her daughter-like relationship with Logan persisted.
Wolverine would go on to play a father-type role to many other characters – particularly Rogue (in the X-Men films). He even formed a bond with five-year-old Katie Power of the superhero team Power Pack, who was initially scared of the scary-looking mutant but who eventually fought side-by-side with him against adversaries like Sabretooth. All of this shows Wolverine has an undeniable appeal for children, but while kids might be drawn to “Wolvie’s” lackadaisical approach to danger and risk-taking, the question remains – why does Logan enjoy being a mentor and protector to kids?
While the answer to this question might lie in a comic book retcon, the origin of Wolverine’s soft spot is significant. In Origin, readers learn that before his mutant powers emerged, self-sufficient Logan was originally a scared child named James Howlett who was frequently sick to the point where he needed a governess to look after him. Even after James’ powers emerged, the trauma of seeing his claws come out (and watching his father die at the same time) caused him to lapse into a state of shock that took months for him to snap out of.
Wolverine’s teenage years were even more difficult as he was regularly bullied by a sadistic cook at the camp where he was hiding. Moreover, he was forced to engage in back-breaking work that eventually toughened his body – albeit in a very difficult and painful way. And while Wolverine’s amnesia kept him from fully recalling these events, it’s very possible some part of him understands how terrible this experience was for a child.
This is why, despite his gruff nature, Wolverine always goes out of his way to look after and mentor children. More than anyone, Logan knows just how dangerous and unforgiving the world can be – so while he might not always want to babysit kids, he won’t up an opportunity to protect them and teach them to protect themselves… ideally in a kinder way than he was taught.
