Wolverine is the best there is at what he does, and what he does is heal incredibly fast. In fact, Logan can heal so quickly and efficiently that he is just about impossible to kill – even if all that remains of him is a single drop of blood.
Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 Annual #11, published back in 1978, opens with Wolverine out on a bender. When he drunkenly returns home to X-Mansion, he reveals that the reason for his intense drinking is that it’s the anniversary of what would have been his wedding to Mariko, a woman Logan loved who sent him away. He laments, “I should be strong. But I love you Mi’Ko. How can any warrior survive when he’s cut out his heart?” – a clever foreshadowing of what’s to come.
Soon after, the X-Mansion is attached by a demonic-looking villain who calls himself Horde. He easily bests the X-Men and teleports them away from the mansion, where he explains that he is an alien, but also a mutant of his race – and an immensely powerful one at that. None of the X-Men’s powers have any effect on Horde, leaving them with no choice but to do his bidding, or else he will destroy Earth. Their task? Acquire a powerful crystal from inside an alien citadel. Seems easy enough – that is, until the citadel begins playing tricks on X-Men’s minds.
The heroes all see visions of better versions of their lives. Only Wolverine and Storm manage to break free from the illusions and find the crystal, but when they do, Horde appears and tries to claim it for himself. Wolverine throws himself between Horde’s spear and Storm, saving her life, but impaling himself in the process. Horde then tells him, “You have a noble and courageous heart, Wolverine. I’ll keep it as a trophy!” and proceeds to tear Wolverine’s heart from his chest. Big mistake.
While removing Wolverine’s heart essentially kills him, a drop of Logan’s blood lands on the crystal in the process. The power of the crystal gives Wolverine’s healing factor a boost that allows him to regenerate an entirely new body from that single drop. The crystal also imbues Logan’s new body with enough cosmic power to kill Horde. Rather than keep the power for himself, however, Wolverine gives it up as soon as Horde is defeated and destroys the crystal. Good call, Logan.
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