In this review of Ultimate Wolverine #9 sees Logan and his merry band of rebels continue their efforts to liberate mutants captured and encamped by Directorate X.
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE #9
Writer: Chris Condon
Art and Main Cover: ALESSANDRO CAPPUCCIO
Variant Covers: MARIA WOLF, FRANCESCO MOBILI
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: September 10, 2025
Ultimate Wolverine #9 sees Logan and his merry band of rebels continue their efforts to liberate mutants captured and encamped by Directorate X. Key part of this plan is a new addition to the team: a captured and reprogrammed Sentinel. Thanks to this Ultimate universe’s Forge, this Carrier Sentinel has been uploaded with “The One” (David Haller)’s consciousness.
The plan is simple: use the Sentinel as a trojan horse to enter the main Eurasian Sentinel production facility, destroying everything inside including the Master Mold unit being housed there and rescue any mutants being experimented on.
Mickail reveals that Directorate X has been tampering with mutant DNA in order to create Sentinel/Mutant hybrids, synthesizing their powers, size and armor. At the heart of the Master Mold is a gamma reactor, which when tampered with, will act as a bomb. The team has five minutes to complete their mission before the facility self-destructs.
The crew makes their way through the initial defenses swimmingly, and as the alarms trigger, make quick work of the normal guards. Dr. Alonya Prostovich, currently visiting the facility, is frightened by the alarm, and while evacuating catches the eyes of her former subject: Wolverine.
Logan lunges at the Doctor, but is intercepted by a pair of Sentinel X hybrids (likely composed of this universe’s Scott and Alex Summers). Before he can plummet to his doom, Logan is saved by their Sentinel. Logan continues to pursue the mad-doctors, but is again confronted by the Sentinel-Xs. Dr. Prostovich makes a hasty retreat, and while Logan manages to defeat one Sentinel-X, he too is forced to leave with his squad. The issue ends as the gamma explosion triggers, with the resistance’s Sentinel flying back to headquarters.
It appears with Ultimate Wolverine #9 and last issue, Chris Condon and Alassandro Cappuccio are in a trend of episodic “mission of the month” style storytelling. That’s not necessarily to say a bad thing, as the action depicted is still as fast-paced as in the book’s opening issues. I am nervous how long they can keep up the “all-most got’em” endings these issues have had. While mostly bloodless, there is some intensity of the Sentinel-X designs, especially the haunting body horror of the “Cyclops-stomach” hybrid.
Condon is really playing the long-game with the inevitable Logan and Prostovich confrontation. The tension is palpable, but like a good thriller writer, Condon pulls it away from us at the last possible second, edging us and Wolverine from bloody satisfaction. It’s frustrating, but it will keep me engaged, at least for now. The concept of One piloting the Sentinel is a pretty high concept and something we’ve never really gotten in the mainline books. I’m curious how long they plan to maintain this addition to the team going into the book’s climax and Ultimate Endgame.
All-and-all another fine piece of covert-super-mutant-action. Condon and Cappuccio have rarely slipped on this title, and Ultimate Wolverine #9 is no different. Clear and concise action, though less brutal and visceral as the first arc still makes this a highlight in my month-to-month reading pile. Curious to see what the team has planned to shake things up next issue.
