Aside from Spider-Man, no character in Marvel’s history has connected with audiences and left quite as big of an impression on readers as Wolverine. Unlike other popular heroes, Wolverine is gruff, relatable, and has little interest in basking in the glory of his victories.
But it’s rare to see a superhero that reaches those heights, without first having an unforgettable cast of villains to square off against. Logan has gotten up close and personal with some of the most fearsome villains in comic book history, some of which may even feature in the Marvel’s Wolverine by Insomniac Games.
Viper
As seen with Black Cat in Marvel’s Spider-Man, Insomniac Games clearly loves their sneaky femme fatales, a role which Viper would fit into seamlessly. Viper is a classic character from the comics that battled with the likes of Wolverine, Captain America, and the Avengers countless times.
Also known for her title as Madame Hydra, Viper could easily supply mobs of henchmen for Wolverine to fight with and destroy. Viper even marries Logan at one point in the comics to conquer the city of Madripoor, proving it wouldn’t be too difficult for the temptress to snare Logan into her plots.
Magneto
While his outward appearance may not be too frightening, what Magneto is capable of is certainly terrifying. He will forever be entwined with the fates of the X-Men, at times being a reluctant ally in one of Magneto's rare sympathetic moments, while other times presenting a greater threat to humanity than the rest of the mutants combined.
Magneto is too great of a threat and has too much history with Wolverine to be anything less than the primary antagonist, so it remains unclear if he will appear or if they will save him for a later game. That being said, he would be a great mirror to Doc Ock from Marvel’s Spider-Man as Magneto builds up his own team of villains, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
Ogun
Both of Insomniac’s earlier projects put players in control of established superheroes that already understood their skill sets and had been fighting evil for years. It’s unclear if Marvel’s Wolverine will take the same route, but including the fearsome Ogun would be a great way to show Wolverine’s origins.
Ogun is a father figure to young Logan and helps train him in the art of the samurai. More importantly, he teaches Wolverine how to control his internal rage. This could be a perfect way to present an emotional connection to the game’s villain and give players access to a wide array of abilities before Ogun is corrupted by dark sorcery.
Mystique
The fear of the unknown is perhaps the greatest form of all terrors, and that’s exactly what Mystique brings to the table. While Wolverine is usually one to brashly run into confrontations and solve them with his fists, he could not do so against this iconic character who relies on strategy rather than brawn to win any fight she's in.
As a master of shapeshifting and deception, Mystique could use Logan’s traumas against him and serve as a great complementary antagonist. In addition, her status as the mother of Nightcrawler, and foster parent to Rogue, could be used as a way to introduce even more future X-Men into the game and potentially set up a separate X-Men game for the future. Most importantly, the shapeshifting villainess shares Logan's ability to heal, a power only comic book fans know about Mystique.
Toad
As his name implies, Toad is the repulsive mutant best known for his incredible leaping ability and massive tongue that can stretch out to about 25 feet in length. He is a devoted servant to Magneto in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and would not hesitate to get in Wolverine’s way.
While previous games featured characters with a lot of mobility at their disposal, Toad would run circles around Logan. His superior agility, in combination with his long tongue and projectile venom, makes him a surprisingly dangerous foe for a hero who relies on hand-to-hand combat to gain an advantage. This could make for some very interesting gameplay as players are forced to outsmart the amphibious villain rather than just attack him.
Omega Red
As the result of the Soviet Union’s testing in the Weapon X program, Arkady Rossovich — also known as Omega Red — is in many ways a counterpart to Wolverine. Also possessing the power to rapidly regenerate from injuries, Arkady received cybernetic implants in hopes of creating the perfect super-soldier.
Overcoming Omega Red’s healing factor, retractable carbonadium whips, and secretion of radioactive chemicals would be quite a difficult challenge. Few villains could wreck as much carnage in a fight against Wolverine as Omega Red, which would make quite the spectacle if he makes it into the game.
Juggernaut
Some villains are renowned for concocting genius plans and intricate deceptions. Juggernaut is not one of those villains. Few villains in Marvel history make as immediate of an impact upon appearance as the Juggernaut himself, which is why many fans are hoping he is featured in the game.
As one of the few heroes to stop the unstoppable Juggernaut, Wolverine has the potential to take him down in an explosive battle in the game. Juggernaut’s immense strength and durability would make a great match for Logan and could pose a big moral dilemma if the battle takes place in a crowded area. He is also one of few villains with invulnerability to Wolverine’s adamantium claws, further complicating a potential clash.
Lady Deathstrike
Lady Deathstrike is what happens when Nightmare on Elm Street meets The Terminator. Her vicious claws and adamantium cyborg implants are more than a match for Logan’s own implants from the Weapon X experiment.
Deathstrike is one of the longest recurring villains of Logan’s past and is truly terrifying in her own right. The two share a bloody history as Lady Deathstriike blames Logan for the death of her father. This could add some weight to their fight and make it more essential to the game's narrative, which hopefully explores Logan's troubled past. A clash between the two lethal fighters would certainly end in much bloodshed, but it’s nothing either of them can’t handle.
Apocalypse
Often seen as the best and most powerful X-Men villains, Apocalypse is an ancient threat who intends to bring down on the world just what his name implies. Apocalypse has one of the biggest range of superpowers of all Marvel villains, primarily super strength, shapeshifting, energy manipulation, telepathy, telekinesis, and much more.
Apocalypse believes in the Darwinistic belief that only the strong should survive, mutant or not, and is willing to impose that belief on any who are not strong enough to oppose him. While it’s very doubtful Wolverine could handle this threat on his own, hinting at the arrival of Apocalypse could be a great way to get other X-Men involved in the future.
Mr. Sinister
Already responsible for the deaths of the mutant group known as the Morlocks in the comics, Mr. Sinister would love to add Wolverine to the mutant death toll. Much like Logan, Sinister comes from a time long before the 21st century and has relied on decelerated aging to put his plans into motion.
Sinister is also a proponent of the idea of survival of the fittest and was outfitted with enhancements from Apocalypse because of this. His interest in genetic modification and cloning could also play a big role, considering Wolverine’s past in the Weapon X program. As his name implies, Sinister is capable of some truly awful things and would indeed make Wolverine’s life a living nightmare.
