Over the course of his extremely long life, Wolverine has taken on several different roles. Some of these identities are more heroic, while others fall under a morally gray area. However, the island of Madripoor,which just made its live-action debut in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, gave Logan one of his most notorious identities of all. Wolverine first came to the lawless nation of Madripoor in 1988’s Marvel Comics Presents #1, by Chris Claremont and John Buscema. Shortly after his arrival, Logan established his identity of Patch.
As Patch, Wolverine typically changed his appearance by donning a white suit, slicking his hair back and sporting his signature eyepatch. Patch came off as a mysterious stranger who dealt with Madripoor’s ample criminal underworld.
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This identity was mainly a cover for Logan, so he could get information on criminal activity. During this time, the X-Men were presumed dead, and Wolverine didn’t want to expose his existence to the outside world. In this sense, Patch became a sort of secret identity for Wolverine. As Patch, Logan could also be more subtle during his investigations, without getting into as much trouble as he would in his Wolverine identity.
While Logan could be tamer in his Patch identity, he was also pretty well-known for starting trouble. Hanging around the Princess Bar, an establishment he briefly co-owned, Patch became a notorious figure in Madripoor. Logan also acted as Wolverine while on Madripoor, although in a more covert capacity. On these occasions, Logan wore an all-black outfit in place of his brown and tan Wolverine costume. Whenever he went into action, Wolverine ditched his eyepatch and went for this stealth-based outfit.
Over the years, Logan has had many memorable adventures on Madripoor. In Marvel Comics Presents #1-10, by Chris Claremont and John Buscema, Wolverine saved his friend, Tyger Tiger, before helping her take control of Madripoor’s criminal underworld. During 1990’s Uncanny X-Men #261, by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri, when the X-Men briefly disbanded, Wolverine, Psylocke and Jubilee spent some time in Madripoor as well. Later that year, Uncanny X-Men #268, by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee revealed that Wolverine first met Captain America and the Black Widow in Madripoor during World War II in a story that still stands as one of Logan’s defining team-ups. In the same issue, Wolverine, Psylocke and Jubilee helped Black Widow against the Hand in the present day in a story that still stands as one
Most recently in 2021’s Wolverine #8-10, by Benjamin Percy, Viktor Bogdanovic and Adam Kubert, Wolverine returned to his Patch identity in Madripoor. Once there, Logan saved his old Team X teammate, Maverick, from a supervillain auction.
Overall, Madripoor is a place that has opened new doors for Wolverine. As Patch, Logan has gone places where he would never be able to go as an X-Man. Patch is involved with some of the lowest, most despicable elements of the criminal underworld, mingling with criminals in Madripoor’s Lowtown to acquire information. As an X-Man, Wolverine would be seriously questioned for dealing with these criminals.
Moreover, crime bosses like Tyger Tiger are even considered Logan’s friends, a friendship that X-Men like Cyclops would probably look down upon. Ultimately, the Patch identity doesn’t exist as some heroic alter ego who is there to save Madripoor. Rather, Logan uses this identity to hunt down Madripoor’s most vicious killers and thieves. Patch navigates his way across the moral spectrum, dealing with anyone he can in order to root out the worst of Madripoor’s criminal elite.
In this way, Patch uses the seedy underbelly of Madripoor to his advantage, so he can eliminate larger threats. Madripoor also allows Logan to unleash a more violent side than he would with the X-Men. As both Patch and Wolverine, Logan truly lets loose with some of his darker impulses against Madripoor’s criminal underworld. Only a handful of the foes Logan fights in Madripoor usually escape with their lives, and this level of violence would not be acceptable with the X-Men. While the mutant team may have given Logan’s life meaning, Madripoor lets Wolverine cut loose in a way that serves as a chilly reminder of why he’s one of Marvel’s most dangerous heroes.
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