Wolverine vs. Phantom Bone Theory

We all know the score here.

And for those of you who don't. It's been argued in many a thread that one tactic for beating Wolverine in a forum battle is by breaking his neck, ripping him apart, or otherwise comprimising his bone structure for the win.

For years Wolverine supporters have argued that Wolverine can't be ripped apart, that his bones have been bonded on the molecular level but somehow still allow for movement.

Because of this argumentation, we are lead to the second part of this story where Wolverine has had his brain penetrated by bullets, and arrows, but each time having been by a method impossible to replicate on a human skull were it covered with Adamantium.

Some camps believe that if Wolverine's skeletal structure is different enough to be impossible to pull apart, then it's different enough to argue that he's missing bones allowing for these instances to take place.

Some camps argue that these instances are nothing more than PIS based on general misconceptions of the human anatomy and that if Wolverine were missing pieces of his skull and/or other body parts it would have been mentioned by now.

Whatever the case may be, it's a hard case to call with evidence on both sides of the fence... Let's see which side is more convincing.

Maybe the bone in the eye socket is flexible and bends so the bullets/arrows enter. Wolverine flex many of his bones, would be consistent.

Wolverine being shot in the eye isn't proof that his bones are missing anymore than it is proof that bullets can pierce Adamantium, or that he has (lol) flexible bones. You can come up with all sorts of theroies for why it happened but at the end of the day they are still theories. We don't know how it happened because it was never clarified on panel. What we do know however is that Adamantium is unbreakable, and that we've seen all the bones Wolverine would need to be missing in order for these feats to be valid. Thats what we know. If a feat can't be explained, and runs in direct contrast to what is established than they are instances of PIS. Thats just how it is, no matter how hard someone wants to Theorycraft in order to make some sense of it.

Srank could you bring forth scans at some point to support your position?

Arguing that Wolverine should get Koed via a bullet to the eye due to comic physics is faulty logic.

We know that:

1.- Wolverine's bones have some unexplainable flexibility.
2.- He has been koed not once but several times by being hit in the eye.

Should we say 1 is false because we know human anatomy doesn't allow it? Should we accept 1 makes 2 possible and thus is explainable? Or should we pick facts how we see fit in order to dismiss whatever forum arguments we want instead of sticking to comic facts?

Just put scans of bullets bouncing from Logan's eyes and then we start to talk about facts instead of theorycrafting.

Originally posted by Bentley
We know that:

1.- Wolverine's bones have some unexplainable flexibility.

We do? Does that explain how a bullet can go through a tiny adamantuim hole though?

Originally posted by Bentley

2.- He has been koed not once but several times by being hit in the eye.

Should we say 1 is false because we know human anatomy doesn't allow it? Should we accept 1 makes 2 possible and thus is explainable? Or should we pick facts how we see fit in order to dismiss whatever forum arguments we want instead of sticking to comic facts?

Just put scans of bullets bouncing from Logan's eyes and then we start to talk about facts instead of theorycrafting.

The reason why I say its false is because the reason why Wolverine gets Koed by bullets via brain is because the writers don't know human physiology not because its comicbook physics. If they knew there was bone behind the eye they wouldnt allow it. Thats why when he doesn't get hurt when he gets hit in the head. As far as I know the only thing different about Wolverines skeleton is the fact it has adamantuim and claws nothing else.

Originally posted by Bentley
We know that:

1.- Wolverine's bones have some unexplainable flexibility.
2.- He has been koed not once but several times by being hit in the eye.

Should we say 1 is false because we know human anatomy doesn't allow it? Should we accept 1 makes 2 possible and thus is explainable? Or should we pick facts how we see fit in order to dismiss whatever forum arguments we want instead of sticking to comic facts?

Just put scans of bullets bouncing from Logan's eyes and then we start to talk about facts instead of theorycrafting.

Wolverine's bones don't have an unexplainable flexibility, his skeleton as an unexplained level of cohesive unity. That isn't the same time.

He hasn't been koed by being "hit in the eye" more than once actually. Scalphunter shot him in the eye, and he went down but he wasn't knocked out, he was still conscious and his healing factor was even shot off briefly after he was shot.

Logan took a large caliber bullet from an anti-material sniper rifle to directly to the eye in Rampaging Wolverine without slowing down.

Originally posted by srankmissingnin

Logan took a large caliber bullet from an anti-material sniper rifle to directly to the eye in Rampaging Wolverine without slowing down.

I suspect thats because the bullet was too big to go into the brain.

Originally posted by jinzin
Srank could you bring forth scans at some point to support your position?

Honestly... I don't anticipate me scouring through every Wolverine appearance to find all the pictures of his exposed skull. The few times for the Wolverine respect thread was more than enough for me for the foreseeable future. lol

Off the top of my head you can see Wolverine's skull and entire skeleton when Gaea, incinerates him and turns off his powers in Fantastic Force. You get a clear view of his eye socket in one of the panels as well that shows it as being completely solid, as well as the sphenoid bone visible through the nasal cavity. That is an extension of the Old Man Logan divergent timeline though, although he did cross over back into 616 Marvel U in the Fantastic Four.

Originally posted by Deadline
I suspect thats because the bullet was too big to go into the brain.

Like all bullets should be. ✅

Although... I think it was a smaller (or at the very least equal) caliber bullet than the ones Scalphunter was shown using in Messiah Complex. Those things were beasts.

Still that is an armor piercing anti-tank round. The force would still **** some shit up inside the ol' noggin. Which coincidently is the most logical explanation for every and all examples of Wolverine's skull being "penetrated." A low healing factor showing and the force of the bullet connecting with his skull briefly koing him, no actual penetration of the brain. But thats still just theorycrafting a few PIS examples that don't need to be explained.

Originally posted by srankmissingnin

Still that is an armor piercing anti-tank round. The force would still **** some shit up inside the ol' noggin. Which coincidently is the most logical explanation for every and all examples of Wolverine's skull being "penetrated." A low healing factor showing and the force of the bullet connecting with his skull briefly koing him, no actual penetration of the brain. But thats still just theorycrafting a few PIS examples that don't need to be explained.

You know I kinda thought about that. Even if the bullets weren't big enough to go through the hole some gun powder is sure to get into his brain. I would have thought it would at least burn some of his brain and make him a little woozy. I think buckshot could possibly get through the holes.

As someone doing a biology degree, there are lots of holes in the skull:

In the eye socket, at the back to let the optic nerve out and underneath at the back where many blood vessels that supply the eye and its muscles join the heads blood supply: http://www.aurorahealthcare.org/healthgate/images/eye_bone_socket.jpg

Nasal cavity to connect the nasal passages to the trachea:http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/2909353019_1694f5f1fe_b.jpg
(The bone across the nose only covers the top part of the nose bridge, futher down is cartilage)

Through the mouth/side of mouth too. But I think through the hole for the optic nerve is the only way to get to the brain

Edit: Also thought about it, normal people get concussion from a bump to the head. The force behind a bullet would probably give msasive concussion even if it didn't damage the brain. Boxers get KO all the time without the brain being penetrated

I'm not getting a biology degree, but I am getting my BA in Illustration so I have studied anatomy pretty extensively. The superior orbital fissure is about the size of dime and the inferior even smaller, not nearly big enough for a bullet to pass through. Especially not a 20mm round bullet.

Sorry dunno how big a bullet is lol. I actually have no idea, as I only ever seen them in films. Wouldn't an adamantium bullet penetrate? Or is that always pointed out when that happens?

Originally posted by Omgu8mynewt
Sorry dunno how big a bullet is lol. I actually have no idea, as I only ever seen them in films. Wouldn't an adamantium bullet penetrate? Or is that always pointed out when that happens?

Adamantium bullet will have the same effect on Adamantium as a normal bullet, it will just be significantly more expensive. Adamantium is unbreakable even to Adamantium.

??? From physics A level, materials of the same chemical structure, when a force occurs between them, the weaker (eg. thinner or whatever) one will break?

Diamonds break diamonds?

Once the Adamantium cools into its form it is completely unbreakable, it can only be altered further by mater-manipulation.

So if he has a skull covered with adamantium that can't be broken, the skull's holes are too small for a bullet and there are no other holes, a bullet can't have entered his skull and hit his brain.

Well it is possible in some of the cases that the bullets broke apart and one or more pieces entered the brain I guess....

Anyway many writers know even less abnout guns than about anatomy. I remember Punisher taking several 12,7 mm bullets (one of those can penetrate 25mm of solid steel armor!) to his torso at close range and not even flinch. Wow kevlar ftw!