50 years since he was first introduced to the Marvel Universe, Wolverine just got his best quote of all time. With his razor-sharp claws and incredible healing factor, Wolverine’s life has been defined more by action than words, however five decades have given Logan plenty of opportunities to deliver compelling soundbites. Now, as his incredibly vicious ‘Sabretooth War’ saga draws to a close, Wolverine has delivered his greatest proclamation of all time.

In a preview of Wolverine #50, Logan faces off against Graydon Creed, the villainous son of his nemesis Sabretooth. While Graydon may hate his father, that doesn’t win Wolverine any favors, as the villain is on a mission to kill Logan in an attempt to prove himself Sabretooth’s better. Sick of the bloodshed that has characterized his recent war against Sabretooth, Logan makes one last attempt to talk Graydon down from a battle to the death.

Wolverine tries to talk Graydon down by appealing to his hatred of his father, telling him he doesn’t have to go down the same path. However, Graydon spits back that Logan has no place playing the good father, given he’s been absent for the vast majority of his children’s lives. Wolverine admits he’s missed way too much, but then argues, “As long as you’re alive, you can change.”

Wolverine Has a New Greatest Quote

“As Long as You’re Alive, You Can Change”

The Sabretooth War has been building since 2019, when the new mutant nation of Krakoa sentenced Wolverine’s lifelong enemy to exile in the Pit – a hallucinatory underground prison meant as a kinder alternate to traditional imprisonment. Sabretooth broke out in his solo miniseries Sabretooth (from Victor LaValle and Leonard Kirk), and in 2022’s Sabretooth and the Exiles (also from LaValle and Kirk), he reconnected with his son.

Sadly, it turned out Graydon Creed had spent the time since he last saw his father hunting alternate versions of Sabretooth across the multiverse. Graydon had created an army of decapitated ‘Sabreteeth,’ and was opposed by a group of vicious Sabretooth variants who were trying to turn the tables. Graydon’s father quickly defeated him and took control of both the drone army and his own variants, forming them into an army to slaughter Wolverine’s family.

Over the last few months, he’s been wildly successful. Sabretooth tore Logan’s son Akihiro to pieces, decapitated his mentee Quentin Quire, and captured his daughter Laura Kinney. Sabretooth even managed to depower Wolverine, suppressing his healing factor. Now, the final chapter of the Sabretooth War sees Wolverine facing off against a returned Graydon in new adamantium armor, as Sabretooth struggles to rejoin the battle.

Wolverine has a chance to kill Sabretooth’s son just as the villain butchered his, and yet Logan instead offers Graydon an out, making it clear that whatever he’s done, he can spend the rest of his life trying to atone – an option that won’t be on the table once Wolverine cuts him down for good. The moment draws a sharp line between Wolverine and Sabretooth, which is particularly meaningful given Sabretooth’s recent admission that he hates Wolverine because he believes they’re both the same, with Logan denying his monstrosity and leaving Sabretooth alone in the world. However, the quote ranks so high in Wolverine moments because of how it taps into the core of his character.

Wolverine’s Life Is an Endless Quest to Become Better

Over More Than a Century, Logan Has Fought to Overcome His Past

Wolverine is one of Marvel’s most storied characters, both because of his popularity and his immense age in official continuity. Born into a wealthy family in the 19th century as James Howlett, the emergence of Wolverine’s mutant powers coincided with the murder of his father, beginning a series of tragic events that have haunted him ever since. Logan has been a secret agent, a samurai, a living weapon subjected to horrifying experimentation, a superhero, a teacher, a father, an Avenger, a gangster and more, constantly reinventing himself to try and do some good in a world which constantly rips away any semblance of comfort or family he’s able to find.

Logan is defined by the dichotomy of his deep, abiding sense of honor and his animalistic rage, made worse by the intense trauma he suffered at the hands of the Weapon X program. At many times in his life, Wolverine has seen himself as no better than an animal or weapon, and he’s been treated as such by some of the most powerful people on the planet. That side to him certainly exists – the right provocation can send him into a lethal rage, even against his most stalwart enemies – but every time Logan is given the choice, he opts to rise above his worst instincts and embody sacrifice, mercy and resolve.

Marvel’s comic universe is designed never to end, with a shifting timeline that means characters never get old or (permanently) die. That poses a unique issue for characters like Wolverine, who will be pulled back to their worst moments no matter how much they grow. Superheroes are totemic, embodying a specific set of ideas and themes that are expressed in endless variations. As a character, Wolverine embodies the idea of fighting as hard as possible to change, even when it seems impossible. This new quote not only perfectly plays on that fact, but also makes it meaningful despite the likelihood that Logan will never be ‘done’ seeking redemption and transformation.

Wolverine’s New Best Quote Deviates from His Other Most Iconic Moments

Logan’s Best Quotes Are Threats, Making This New Moment Even Cooler

Wolverine #50‘s quote is also noteworthy because it flies in the face of Logan’s other most famous moments. From X-Men #132‘s “Now it’s my turn” (from Chris Claremont and John Byrne) to the ubiquitous “I’m the best there is at what I do, but what I do best isn’t very nice” (first appearing in 1982’s Wolverine miniseries, from Claremont and Frank Miller.) Wolverine is one of Marvel’s most violent characters, skilled at dealing death and soaking up punishment. It therefore makes sense that so many of his best and most famous quotes are threats.

However, “as long as you’re alive, you can change” flips the script, not just embodying the guiding principle of Wolverine’s life (and most of his stories), but also marking his attempt to defuse yet another violent confrontation before it ends in bloodshed. Logan’s attempt to spare Graydon is proof of the exact claim he’s making, while also proving that even after 50 years, Wolverine still has some of his best moments as a character ahead of him.

Wolverine #50 is available from Marvel Comics May 29.