A Definitive Ranking of Wolverine's Many Deaths 

Logan is not just Hugh Jackman’s final turn as Wolverine because he wants to hang up his adamantium claws after 17 years. It’s also his last because — spoiler alert — the character is six feet under at the end. Logan is a gorgeous Cormac McCarthy-esque road movie that seamlessly blends Western tropes into the superhero genre. It’s mature yet fun, understated yet adrenaline-fueled, and it reminds the world that superhero movies can be just as smart and experimental as any other genre without the need to climax with a giant hole in the sky (See: Thor: The Dark World, Suicide Squad, The Avengers, X-Men: Apocalypse, etc.). Comics, fortunately, have known about the benefit of experimenting and pushing boundaries for years.

And while this is the character’s first death in Hugh Jackman’s incarnation, he’s died many times on the page. Here’s a definitive ranking.

Spoilers, by the way, for Logan follow.

8. He’s killed by the Hulk in What if? Vol. 2 #50 (1993)

In this story, Wolverine stabs the Hulk and walks away from their fight assuming that he’s dead. Unfortunately for him, Hulk recovers and punches Wolverine in the head until his spinal cord breaks. As far as deaths go, it’s nasty and unpleasant and exacerbated a rivalry between Logan and the Hulk.

7. He’s encased in Adamantium in Death of Wolverine #4 (2014)

Here, Wolverine goes to track down his own origins. When he meets Doctor Abraham Cornelius, he realizes that he’s still continuing his work. Before any other pour souls can be loaded up with Adamantium, Wolverine opens the containers with his claws, bringing the doctor down with him.

6. He’s killed by Zombies in Marvel Zombies: Dead Days (2007)

Here, there’s a gloriously fun team-up of the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four in a zombie-infested world. Wolverine’s legendary immune system isn’t strong enough to combat zombie bites — particularly when they come from Captain America and Hawkeye.

5. He’s melted by Magneto in Ultimatum #5 (2009)

In this comic, Magneto is trying to take over the world, as is his modus operandi. Wolverine gets his claws in Magneto’s chest, but unfortunately, Magneto then tears the Adamantium off his skeleton, effectively melting him. Ouch.

4. He’s stabbed by the Punisher in Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe #1 (1995)

This comic reimagines an origin story for the Punisher in which his family dies in a battle between superheroes and supervillains. As a result, he has quite the vendetta against heroes. Frank overpowers a drunk Woverine in an alley, angles his claws into his chest, and pushes him into an electrical panel. Sizzle.

2. He’s disemboweled by Beast New X-Men #154 (2004)

In this story, the sentient bacteria Sublime has control of the Beast. Unfortunately, Sublime is so powerful that it’s able to counteract Wolverine’s mutant healing. This death is memorable not so much in method but because Wolverine has time to meditate on his death and come to terms with it.

1. He’s killed by adamantium poisoning and his angry clone in Logan

In the climax of Logan, Jackman’s version of the character dies while saving a group of mutant children who were experimented on just as he once was. After fighting a soul-less lab made clone version of himself, he’s impaled on a tree. In his last words, he tells his traveling companion and pseudo daughter “not to be what they made you.” It’s a powerful and moving end for an iconic character.

Logan is currently in theaters.