Origin to impact: Wolverine
Every Thursday, I throw on a superhero shirt and carry a bit of comic book energy into the day—and now, I’m starting something new. Origin to Impact is my weekly space to reflect on the heroes that shaped us—not just for their powers or costumes, but for the stories they tell about pain, purpose, and finding our place in the world.
This week, I’m starting with Wolverine.
When I was a kid, it was easy to be drawn to Wolverine. He had the claws. The attitude. The unbreakable skeleton. He didn’t take orders. He didn’t flinch in a fight. He looked like the toughest guy in the room, and most of the time, he was. But as I got older, I realized there was more to Logan than just the cool factor. Beneath all the bravado, he was deeply broken. Haunted. Guarded. He wasn’t just fighting enemies—he was fighting himself.
Wolverine made his first full appearance in Incredible Hulk #181 in 1974, but his true identity—James Howlett, later known as Logan—has been revealed slowly, piece by painful piece. From his traumatic childhood and the Weapon X experiments to decades of lost memory and violence, Wolverine’s past is a shattered mosaic. He’s the embodiment of trauma and survival. And yet, despite all that pain—or maybe because of it—he chooses to protect others. That, to me, is the most heroic thing about him.
What really speaks to me is how Wolverine never truly believes he belongs. He’s been a loner for most of his life, and even when he's standing side-by-side with the X-Men, there's this lingering sense that he sees himself as an outsider. Someone who doesn’t quite fit. Someone too dangerous, too different, too broken to be part of a team—let alone a family.
I get that.
For a long time, I felt like I didn’t quite belong either. I didn’t always know how to fit in, how to open up, or how to believe I deserved connection. Even when people reached out, I worried they didn’t really know me—or that if they did, they wouldn’t stick around. It’s exhausting carrying that weight. But like Logan, I’ve been learning—slowly, messily—that redemption isn’t about erasing the past. It’s about showing up anyway. Fighting for the people around you, even when you feel like you’re not enough.
That’s what I see in Wolverine. Not a flawless hero, but a redeemed one. He loses his way constantly. He lashes out. He makes mistakes. But time and time again, he comes back. He chooses to care. He chooses to fight for the people who’ve come to matter to him. People like Xavier, Jean, Jubilee, Rogue, and Laura. He becomes a mentor, a protector, even a father figure—despite believing he was never cut out for that kind of role. That’s the real impact of Wolverine. He shows us that it’s not about being perfect—it’s about being present. Being willing to try.
I’m grateful now for the people who’ve stuck with me while I’ve tried to figure that out. My wife and kids give me a place where I feel like I belong. My close friends—my found family—remind me that being seen and loved isn’t about being flawless. It’s about being real. That’s a lesson Logan had to learn the hard way. And honestly, so did I.
Wolverine’s story may be full of violence and loss, but it’s also about redemption, resilience, and connection. It’s about learning that no matter how broken you feel, you still have something to offer. You still matter. And if you’re willing to fight—not with claws, but with kindness, loyalty, and heart—you can help build something worth belonging to.
That’s why Wolverine is my starting point. Because behind the grit and the growl is a reminder we all need: you are not beyond redemption. You are not too far gone. You are worthy of love, of family, of healing.
And that’s something I’ll carry with me—not just on Thursdays, but every day.
