Fox’s new series, The Gifted, is set in the X-Men universe, but it’s not immune to the weird continuity issues the franchise always deals with. The show follows everyday Mutants rather than heroes, focusing specifically on a suburban family on the run with their two mutant kids, with only a few big name Mutants like Blink and Polaris making appearances. But, X-Men fans can’t help but wonder: Will the most popular Mutant of all, the Best at What He Does, make an appearance in The Gifted?
Was Wolverine in the Eighth Episode of The Gifted?
No.
Was Wolverine Mentioned in the Eighth Episode of The Gifted?
No.
Were the X-Men Mentioned in the Eighth Episode of The Gifted?
No. Well, not by name, they weren’t. But Monday’s episode did delve into some serious X-Men comics lore, because we learned that the Struckers aren’t just any old family. Turns out, they’re an especially powerful and notorious mutant genetic line, as Reed’s dad explains.
See, Reed’s grandfather and great-aunt, Andreas and Andrea von Strucker, were an incredibly destructive pair of mutants with the same abilities as Reed’s kids, Andy and Lauren. But, when they hold hands, their powers combine into something great and terrible. Reed’s father, who we learn suppressed his son’s mutant abilities out of fear of their family’s power, was strong enough on his own to withstand Pulse’s mutant-blocking abilities and royally mess everyone up. So, Andy and Lauren are much, much more powerful than anybody thought.
Really, X-Men fans should have expected that the Strucker siblings would have some connection to the von Strucker twins, who go by the name Fenris when they’re together. Originally introduced in a 1985 Uncanny X-Men storyline, the twins were the children of Hydra leader Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, who you may remember from Age of Ultron (The TV version of the characters have no such apparent connection, so don’t go expecting an X-Men/MCU crossover. We barely understand how and if The Gifted syncs up with X-Men continuity).
The comic version of the von Struckers were kind of Nazis, and had a ton of notable stories involving Avengers villains and Hydra — stories which Fox probably doesn’t have the rights to, given its X-Men licensing. So, it seems unlikely that comic canon is going to be hugely revealing.
For what it’s worth, since we at Inverse will never lose sight of the true purpose of this column (watching out for Wolverine appearances in The Gifted), the von Strucker twins have not had any notable encounters with Wolverine. The pair’s appearance in Uncanny X-Men #268 was little more than a cameo.
The wait continues.
Previously on Inverse’s The Gifted Wolverine Watch:
Tune in next week for Inverse’s The Gifted Wolverine Watch.
Check out this video that asks the question: Is Wolverine circumcised?
