Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Ultimate Wolverine #5!
In a shocking turn, Marvel is re-imagining one of their most heinous Sabretooth. Considering Wolverine is now the Winter Soldier, Sabretooth is following suit in subverting expectations by taking on a more heroic disposition in contrast to his Earth-616 counterpart, but are his current good deeds enough to scrub away his villainous past?
The transformation from a bloodthirsty killer to a gentle giant who helps children is an intriguing new direction for Creed.
In the preview pages of Ultimate Wolverine #5, written by Chris Condon, with art by Alex Lins, it’s revealed that Sabretooth is helping hide mutants from the Eurasian Government, which has been kidnapping mutants to experiment on them and turn them into weapons.
In stark contrast to his villain counterpart, Sabretooth is shown being kind to young mutant children as he feeds them after retrieving them from under the floorboards. With Sabretooth taking on such a massive shift to his character, it begs the question of how much of his original origin is still intact and what brought about this change.
Sabretooth Is the Worst of the Worst, Making His Heroic Shift Almost Unbelievable
Ultimate Wolverine #5: Written By Chris Condon; Art By Alex Lins; Color By Bryan Valenza; Letters By Cory Petit; Cover Art By Alessandro Cappuccio & Frank Martin
It’s truly bizarre to see Wolverine’s most vicious and bloodthirsty enemy turn into a comionate and caring individual willing to stick his neck out on the line for mutant-kind, whereas Earth-616 Sabretooth couldn’t be further from a good person. Victor Creed is known for his lust for the ultraviolence, especially when inflicting it upon women and Wovlerine, the latter of which he had been tormenting for over a century. It’s hard to believe that his demented nature is completely gone, considering various parts of other heroes' origins, such as Kitty Pryde and Logan, remain intact.
Meet the Ultimate Sabretooth, As Wolverine's Nemesis Gets a Bloodsoaked Reboot
The Ultimate Universe is about to introduce Wolverine's arch enemy: Sabretooth! But, one question still lingers: will Sabretooth be a villain or hero?
Even before the shaping of the X-Men and the creation of the Weapon X program, Sabretooth shared a long antagonistic history where he killed his family and later would sexually assault and brutalize Wolverine’s girlfriend, Silver Fox, simply because he detested their love. Throughout his history, Sabretooth would side with some of the most despicable villains the Marvel Universe has to offer, such as Mister Sinister. Creed would also go on to take part in horrendous crimes against humans and mutant-kind, such as the slaughter of the Morlocks in the infamous event known as the Mutant Massacre.
The New Ultimate Universe Overhauls Sabretooth, Breaking From Marvel's Status Quo
Ultimate Victor Creed Overcomes His Tragic Origins
Though later events, such as Weapon X and the “Mutant Massacre,” did not take place in the Maker’s Ultimate Universe, it is still questionable whether earlier events in Sabretooth's life did take place. It remains ambiguous how much of each character the Maker altered to ensure no one could stop him from taking absolute control of Earth-6160; however, both Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde recognized Wolverine as a friend before he attacked them as the Winter Soldier. From this, it can be inferred that some aspects of each character remain somewhat the same, including that of Victor Creed.
The enigma surrounding Sabretooth's new origin builds anticipation for his inevitable encounter with Wolverine as the Winter Soldier. After Wolverine’s encounter with Kitty Pryde, where she phased her fingers through his head and affected his brainwashing, there's a strong possibility that seeing Sabretooth again will further jog Wolverine’s memory. For Sabretooth to undergo such a drastic change of heart, a deeply cataclysmic inciting incident must have occurred. However, just because Sabretooth is acting selflessly now doesn’t negate the possibility that he still carries his dark past or an insatiable bloodlust.
Marvel Shocks Fans by Turning Wolverine’s Worst Nemesis into a Mutant Ally
The Ultimate Universe Turns Wolverine Into an Antagonist, Making Sabretooth a Surprising Hero
Of all the villains Wolverine and the X-Men have faced, Sabretooth is among the least likely to be seen as a hero in any universe. Yet his transformation from a bloodthirsty killer to a gentle giant who helps children marks a fascinating new direction for Creed. As a seemingly virtuous rebel against an oppressive regime, Sabretooth breathes new life into a character long defined by ruthless villainy. While he has begrudgingly allied with heroes in the past, the Ultimate Universe’s Sabretooth appears to have genuinely turned over a new leaf, making his inevitable encounter with Wolverine all the more potentially heartbreaking.
Ultimate Wolverine #5 will be available on May 7, 2025, from Marvel Comics!
- Movie(s)
- X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- First Film
- X-Men (2000)
- TV Show(s)
- X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men '97 (2024)
- Character(s)
- Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
- Video Game(s)
- X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine's Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- Comic Release Date
- 213035,212968
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
