X-Men: Ms. Marvel Joining the Team is Helping Cement Wolverine's True Heir

Ms. Marvel's relationship with a major X-Men character could lead to a powerful friendship - and cement which mutant is Wolverine's true heir.

Wolverine has a lot of enduring elements and qualities that have become refined over the years. While many of them focus on his lethal capabilities and his habit of being dangerous, one of the sweetest aspects of the character was always the way he could forge bonds with younger generations. This could carry over to the first protege he ever had, and cement her transformation into his true heir.

Ms. Marvel and Shadowkat are not initially on the best of terms in Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 (by Iman Vellani, Sabir Pirzada, Carlos Gomez, Adam Gorham, Erick Arciniega, and VC's Joe Caramagna). However, their connection already has the makings of becoming the modern version of a classic Wolverine dynamic. In the same way she's inherited Wolverine's wildcard status on the modern X-Men, Shadowkat could cement this development by continuing his trend of picking up younger heroes as "sidekicks" by becoming a mentor to Ms. Marvel.

Ms. Marvel is Working Alongside the X-Men's Shadowkat

The X-Men are currently in a very dark bind. Following the Hellfire Gala, the team is on the run and largely in hiding. With most mutants seemingly lost to the world at large, the handful that are left have resorted to increasingly harsh tactics. Even the relatively heroic members of the X-Men are broaching new ground in their efforts. This extends to Ms. Marvel, who is operating largely unseen as a spy on an Orchis-backed college campus. Now facing the kind of hatred and fear that has long haunted the X-Men, Kamala has been trying to adapt to her new team and the specific elements that fill their stories.

One unexpected element of this is Ms. Marvel's relationship with Shadowkat. While Ms. Marvel is happy to be a part of the X-Men and to do her part to help her fellow mutants, she's become increasingly intimidated by Kate Pryde. The former protege of Wolverine, Pryde took the events of the Hellfire Gala particularly hard and has returned to her Shadowkat role, while also adopting the lethal tactics of her mentor. As a result, Ms. Mavel has maintained a certain distance from Kate, and even Emma Frost has noted that Kamala is actually afraid of her new teammate. This gives Ms. Marvel and Shadowkat's relationship a surprising parallel with a major part of Kate Pryde's personal history.

Shadowkat Has Become Wolverine's Heir

When Kate Pryde first appeared in the X-Men titles, it was as an inexperienced teenager. In the aftermath of "The Dark Phoenix Saga," she endeared herself to her teammates and became a constant presence for the team. She found a surrogate sister in Storm, a first love in Colossus, and a best friend in Nightcrawler. Wolverine was something different, however. It took some time, but Pryde's soft side eventually enticed Wolverine to open up to her. Logan eventually became a mentor to the young woman, teaching her not just the kind of violence she would need to survive the world, but the importance of restraint and mercy. Now, Kate has taken a similar role within the X-Men. While Wolverine is operating away from the rest of the mutants, Kate has become the lethal wildcard of the current roster. Her teammates openly fear what she's doing, and Pryde's acceptance of murder as an appropriate tool gives her a definite edge.

Ms. Marvel is subsequently positioned to emulate Kitty Pryde's initial relationship with Wolverine. The young hero brings an innocent perspective to the situation, one that's steadily tempered by the tragedy and horror faced regularly by the X-Men. Kate being a harsh but committed mentor to Ms. Marvel could allow the new mutant to learn the full extent of what being an X-Man really means. It could cement her connection to the team, allowing her to foster those relationships even once the Fall of X era comes to a close. It also gives Kate Pryde another major element of Wolverine's character and allows her to carry on an important piece of Logan's legacy within the X-Men.

Ms. Marvel Should Become Shadowkat's Sidekick

Starting with Shadowcat, Wolverine has repeatedly found himself as the unlikely mentor to a young hero over the years. He took her under his wing and showed her everything he knew while turning over a new leaf with the X-Men. Wolverine's character arc over the years can be best described as a deadly ronin learning to become a dedicated sensei, reflecting his rogue aspects giving way to an important mentor and protector of young mutants. After Kate Pryde grew up, Wolverine went through similar arcs alongside Jubilee, Armor, and Quentin Quire. Even his relationship with his clone X-23 led to this kind of dynamic, with the veteran mutant eventually cementing a familial relationship with her. All of this helped codify the idea of Wolverine's arc including protecting and mentoring young heroes.

Shadowkat isn't the only "heir to Wolverine" currently on the X-Men, as Talon is serving as one of the team's leaders. The aged version of Laura Kinney is far more restrained however, with her wealth of experience making her a more stable leader than Wolverine has ever been, even despite his experience as an Avenger. By contrast, Kate Pryde has accepted and embraced her place within the X-Men, openly scaring her teammates and slaughtering her way through enemies as needed. But Ms. Marvel could be an ideal young hero to keep Shadowkat from going too far, and remind her the reason they're fighting so hard against Orchis. In this way, the two could form their own version of the relationship that Kate Pryde developed with Logan years ago, with the added twist that Kate's long-term experience in the Marvel Universe could allow her to empathize with the teen hero in a way few others can. It's a clever way to cement Ms. Marvel's connection to the X-Men, while reaffirming Kate's ascension as the true heir of Wolverine.