Saturday, July 23, 2005
Is Logan a Big Mutant Baby?
I was reading this month’s National Geographic article on stem cells, and was struck by the statement that stem cells can be coaxed to grow into any other cell of the body. That ability sounds remarkably similar to Wolverine’s much vaunted healing factor, which allows him to nearly instantaneously recover from any injury by regrowing the damaged organ or part of the body. Could mutated stem cells be the source of Wolverine’s abilities?
The more I thought about it, the more plausible this theory became. Consider these thoughts:
- It has been hinted that Wolverine is older than he knows, and might have lived as a fur trapper during the 1800s. If stem cells are the source of his healing factor, it could be continuously refreshing the dying cells of his body, allowing him the extending lifespan that has been alluded to.
- As stem cells can be extracted from the body, it would explain how the scientists of Weapon X were able to give all other participants of the program healing powers similar to Wolverine. It could also explain why Deadpool’s healing factor manifests itself in a cancerous growth, which some scientists have attributed to being closely related to stem cells.
- Although stem cells could regrow destroyed brain tissue, it would not restore his memories lost in the initial injury.
- It would also explain why Wolverine was able to produce bone claws after Magneto stripped his skeleton of adamantium. He subconsciously viewed the claws as being an integral part of his body, and his stem cells responded in kind by recreate the claws from bone. That switch would explain the disparity in thickness between his metal claws and his bone claws.
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