Wolverine #304 (2012) - Return of an Alpha Flight member

[Flightpath07]

'Sides, most fans I've seen online HATE Wildchild now, and not in the good 'love to hate that bastard' way that Sabertooth tends to enjoy, they think he's a lame Mini-Sabe with a bad Hot Topic makeover, and that his sudden overpowered status is uncalled for and remains unjustified and unexplained. It's embarrassing, and I doubt I'll ever see anything good done with him ever again, if Marvel is sticking with this version of him.

I wonder how much of that comes from his Age of Apocalypse appearances and whatnot, as he is 'literally' Sabretooth's lapdog in those issues. I think those appearances, more than any other, ruined his credibility forever; doesn't matter that they take place in another universe/reality/whatever, as the people see them and then associate the character of Wild Child with them (as he wasn't really being used anywhere else at the time that would get him more, and better, publicity).

[EccentricSage]

Nope. They were specifically talking about Loeb and Way's run. I think the only ones who see 616 Wildchild as the same as AoA Wildchild are jaded editors who want to capitalize on the popularity of the AoA universe. Though they committed economic suicide letting some douche kill a whole bunch of the AoA characters off all at once recently, including AoA Wildchild.

Funny enough, I've had conversations with people who liked AoA Wildchild because he was mini sabes in a lovable way, while despising 616 Wildchild because they saw Loeb's version as a lame replacement for Sabretooth. And I agree with them. This isn't Wildchild to me, but then, who IS Wildchild at this point?

[Phil]

I don't fully think Loeb/Way/Aaron's Wildchild is the greatest (or the greatest design) but it fits in with his original Byrne persona more than the Lobdell version did, and I feel it's a better use than the depowered version after M-Day.

[EccentricSage]

We hardly got to know Byrne's Wildchild, though. He was a fantastic character design, but what little we saw of him was while he was under a type of mind control. So we know he was smart, and feral, but we don't know if he was really a bad guy or just Courtney's victim like Lil. Him and Lil seemed pretty friendly at least, which makes me think he was at least sociable some of the time, and then there's that retcon later where Madison says they were best buddies before the flight program was disbanded. And you're ignoring all the character development that happened between Byrne Era and Post-M-Day. His history is convoluted, but there were some lovable parts. Now he has no depth, they treat him as filler. Just something for Wolverine to beat up again.

[Le Messor]

We hardly got to know Byrne's Wildchild, though. He was a fantastic character design,

I always found that version - the original and best - to be unique and interesting; a wild, Wolverine-style character with claws and presumably a healing factor, who looked different, but in a real-world plausible way; and most of all who, despite all this, was eloquent and verbose.
Everyone since has ignored all that and made him just another of those Wolverine clones that cropped up all over the place in the 90s. (I mean that in terms of how he was written, not a literal clone).

- Le Messor
Debbie Jellinsky: I'll be leaving the country very soon.
Ticket Agent: Will you be traveling alone?
Debbie Jellinsky: Yes, I'll be a widow.

[EccentricSage]

I always found that version - the original and best - to be unique and interesting; a wild, Wolverine-style character with claws and presumably a healing factor, who looked different, but in a real-world plausible way; and most of all who, despite all this, was eloquent and verbose.
Everyone since has ignored all that and made him just another of those Wolverine clones that cropped up all over the place in the 90s. (I mean that in terms of how he was written, not a literal clone).

I'll agree with you on that wholeheartedly. I think any writer who cares about his craft could easily bring back Byrne's Wildchild and simply amalgamate most of the different personas he's had into aspects of who he is. They could easily go sympathetic villain or redeem him into a hero. He's naturally have a lot of the type of rebelliousness, edginess, snark, and wit that people like as a result of his history, without it being forced. (unlike Marina)



I really need to do a FINISHED drawing of him. But boy is he fun to doodle.

[Le Messor]

could easily bring back Byrne's Wildchild and simply amalgamate most of the different personas he's had into aspects of who he is.

Yeah, it'd be so easy to do it right.

And, like FP: Nice art!

- Le Messor
"Ignorance transcends architecture."
~ James Gaskin