Warning: contains spoilers for Annihilation 2099 #1!While Wolverine may be famous for his lethal, adamantium-coated claws, he now has a weapon that’s orders of magnitude more powerful. The X-Men’s brawler has always been an up-close and personal fighter, but thanks to radical alien experiments, Wolverine is now capable of going up against gods, with energy blasts that can kill Venom’s symbiote brethren in a single shot.

In Annihilation 2099, readers are introduced to the Wolverine of the 2099 timeline. This is a much older Logan who has left Earth to find new purpose, submitting himself to experiments by the Nova Corps to create “the galaxy’s greatest super-soldier.” Wolverine finds his cells infused with the Nova Force, bonding cosmic power to his DNA. Logan showcases his powers in the issue, channeling them both through his Nova guns and, later, his bare hands.

While Wolverine does end up using his claws to behead the chief symbiote Murk when it gets in close, the comic showcases the power differential between his mutation and his new Nova Force powers. While the claws can cut symbiote matter, Logan uses the Nova Force to incinerate the villain in an instant. Likewise, his Nova pistols immediately kill its symbiote henchmen, killing them outright. While Logan’s claws have many advantages, he’s never been able to one-shot symbiotes before, let alone obliterate their entire bodies.

Wolverine’s New Nova Force Is a God-Tier Power

Adamantium Claws are Strong, But the Full Nova Force Has Done the Impossible

The Nova Force is the shared power used by the intergalactic peace-keeping group known as the Nova Corps. Each member of the Corps gets a portion of the power, though there have been times where the original Nova Richard Rider has commanded the entire Force. At those times, he’s been capable of godlike feats, including grievously injuring Ego the Living Planet, tearing the godlike Annihilus’ organs from his invulnerable body, and battling the Dark Phoenix one-on-one. Even on a bad day, Nova Corps members are capable of blasting through battleships, and now Wolverine commands their entire supply of power.

In Annihilation 2099 so far, readers have met the Xeno-Parasites – energy-hungry beings from outside reality which wiped out the Corps after sensing Wolverine’s immense power upgrade. That massacre left Wolverine as the Last Nova, and he now wanders the galaxy, saving the innocent and battling monstrosities like Murk’s symbiotes. Of course, godlike power has its drawbacks, and Wolverine admits that while it’s easy to unleash the Nova Force, it’s harder to keep it under control.

It’s clear that Wolverine’s Last Nova will be sticking around in 2099 canon, taking on a Thor-like role among the newly introduced roster of space-focused heroes, including Starlord 2099, Red Hulk 2099 and Silver Surfer 2099. Fans are used to seeing Wolverine as an underdog who takes immense amounts of punishment in order to score brutal, blood-soaked victories. Now, Wolverine has to adjust to a new role and a new type of power, as the Last Nova accesses a level of power that would make most earthbound heroes jealous.

Annihilation 2099 #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.