It's been quite a ride, watching Marvel Comics deconstruct Wolverine in recent years, even though the character hasn't been around. What we thought was the end for the X-Man in the Death of Wolverine, however, turned out to be a new beginning, with the Hunt for Wolverine setting up (gasp... another event) the Return of Wolverine.

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Though he's been alive again for a nearly a year, how he returned to life remains a huge mystery, and everyone who joined the hunt for the resurrected mutant ended up empty-handed. But with Hunt For Wolverine: Dead Ends #1 on the immediate horizon and promising to bring more details to light, let's look at what we do know so far about his revival.

Yes, He's The Real Wolverine

Many fans speculated if the Wolverine who returned in last year's Marvel Legacy one-shot was a clone or someone from an alternate reality like Old Man Logan. He's the real deal though, as seen in the Hunt for Wolverine one-shot, which showed Kitty phasing into the adamantium casing he died in, and removing his body.

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Logan was buried in the Canadian wilderness, so he could find peace at long last. That why, after Donald Pierce came to dig him up, everyone was shocked to find the adamantium shell empty. At that point, the truth about Kitty's burial came out. Upon visiting his grave after the villains were defeated, Kitty then realized her former mentor's body was indeed missing, which kickstarted the Hunt event.

The Hunt... Failed Miserably

Subsequently, in Weapon Lost, Kitty had Daredevil, Misty Knight, Frank McGee (an Inhuman detective) and Cypher scouring the globe for Logan. Kitty herself investigated his disappearance in Mystery in Madripoor (aka Wolverine's old stomping grounds) with a squad including Psylocke and Domino. Sadly, both parties found zero sign of the Wolverine, although it became obvious several villains were looking for him too.

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The Avengers, also hired by Kitty in Adamantium Agenda, failed to find Logan as well. Last but not least, Logan's own son, Daken, as well as Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth, came up blank too in their hunt outside Arizona in Claws of a Killer. Clearly, Wolverine wants to stay hidden, and he's really great at playing hide-and-seek.

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Wolverine Doesn't Have The Space Stone Anymore

No one expected Wolverine of all people to be wielding the Space Stone on his return, although he did hand it off to someone he deemed more responsible and trustworthy: Black Widow. It was a curious choice, especially after he had to fend off Loki to keep it, which leaves us wondering what his end-game truly is.

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Black Widow then met up Doctor Strange in Infinity Countdown, where oddly enough, Logan's activities were kept very secret by Natasha. Thus, we're still in the dark as to why he went after the Infinity Stone in the first place, how he came to find out about it, and why he really decided to give it up.

Logan Is Now A Silent Guardian

We do know Logan's been keeping tabs on his friends. When Kitty was about to marry Colossus in X-Men #30, we saw him on a rooftop, spying on the wedding party. Logan wished them the best of luck, like a father watching his kids prepare to wed (which sadly didn't play off).

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It evoked an air of nostalgia, but more so, this endearing moment reminded us he hasn't lost his affection for the X-Men. You can tell he wants to still protect all of Charles Xavier's students, and no matter what, he'll be a guardian, even if from the shadows.

He Still Has His Stone-Cold Killer Instinct

We know he won't be staying off the grid for too long, but what's interesting is that he's still a killer. In the Hunt one-shot, we witnessed him killing a man in a business suit, only to be called off by what appears to be a woman. He then sat down, seemingly traumatized from his actions.

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It's another mystery as to when and where this murder took place, and who's his handler. We don't know if this occurred when Wolverine had the Power Stone, or if his victim was a villain. He was wearing a black covert-ops suit a la his Uncanny X-Force days, and while we're unsure how all this syncs up with his bigger plans, it's obvious Logan's still the best at what he does: being a weapon.

It's An All-New World

Logan's world is going to be very different upon officially returning. He's going to be rocking a brand-new costume, going all-black in what seems to be a Japan-inspired design, and with a whole new power: claws that generate massive levels of heat!

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These #HotClaws should definitely come in handy when he faces his new enemy, Persephone. She's also someone we know nothing about, other than she's a brown-skinned woman who loves white clothing. But given her name in Greek mythology means 'queen of the underworld,' speculation is that she may have had a hand in bringing him back to life. Only time will tell, because this is one return Marvel has managed to keep very mysterious.