6. Self-Impaling
When the X-Men are trapped in the statue of liberty, bound in some of the most devious ways possible, it looks as if all hope is nearly lost. An innocent, young Rogue is going to be forced to mutate the world, killing herself in the process, and there’s nothing Jean, Cyclops, Storm, or Wolverine can do about it. Or so it seems. Wolverine, in a desperate act, decides the only way he can free himself from the metal strips that are holding him in place is to slice through his own body with his claws. Just thinking about the pain of cutting through yourself is incredibly wince-inducing, but Wolverine selflessly does it, showing again how much he cares for Rogue, and for the first time that he really can put the team ahead of himself.
This scene also includes his fierce battle with Sabretooth, and the moment when he destroys Magneto’s plans, essential saving the world’s leaders from transforming into unstable mutants. Not a bad way for Wolverine to prove that he is indeed the most awesome of the X-Men.
5. Generations Of War
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is, at best, an uneven movie. At its worst, it’s a messy, nonsensical story that treats its characters more as chess pieces than individual characters. But at its best, it highlights the many things that make Wolverine such a compelling, enduring character. Origins’ near-dialogue-free sequence of Wolverine and Sabretooth fighting their way through history is the best example of this. It shows off Wolverine’s loyalty, in his endless defense of Sabretooth. It shows off his courage, as he braves increasingly relentless battlefields. It shows off his inherent nobility, as he grows increasingly disenchanted with Sabretooth’s growing brutality and finally stands against him. That it does all of this without dialogue is a testament to Gavin Hood’s skill as a director and Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber’s skill as actors. Origins does not do all that much right, but the war sequence is a fine piece of filmmaking built on a fantastic character.
