mymompickedthisurl:

“they broke me, bub”

This is from Old Man Logan, one of my favorite Marvel AU/fractured future stories.  It’s of a possible outcome of the Marvel universe, so not canon.  And it is fucking brutal.  One day all the villains unite.  No more ego, no more hubris, just an army of supervillains, and they take out almost eeeveryone.
Heroes are being slaughtered.  No one saw it coming.  But what do you do to take out an entire mansion full of mutants?  A veritable farm of power and ability, made even more dangerous by they familial ties.  They wouldn’t ever stop fighting to defend those that they love.  And worst of all, you’d know that you need to take out the Wolverine.  One of the most feared killers drawing breath on earth.
Turns out all it took was one villain.  Mysterio, the illusionist.  It’s clever, really.  Don’t kill the X-Men yourself.  Let Wolverine do it.  Make him believe he’s fighting to secure the safety of the younglings in the Academy.  Make him believe the only thing standing between the children and their death would be him.  Turn the animal on the house itself, and watch as people who love and respect Logan fight their own inhibitions about harming a family member.  Watch as they hesitate, and it kills them.
And when it’s all over? 

All you need to do is rip away the illusion, and you’ve done it.  You’ve beaten the Wolverine.