The Boys' Wolverine Parody Was Way More Tragic Than Most Fans Realize

When it comes to popular Marvel superheroes, few are as well-known and beloved as Wolverine. Even before Hugh Jackman took on the mantle of the character, who he has gone on to play nine times, Wolverine has long been a fan favorite in the "X-Men" cartoons and comics.

Naturally, with a character this big, you'd have to expect that Garth Ennis had a parody version of him in "The Boys." After all, heroes like Homelander (Antony Starr), Queen Maeve (Dominque McElligot), and Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) are already based on heavy hitters like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Captain America.

Still, Groundhawk, the Wolverine stand-in of "The Boys" universe, is especially tragic, despite his hilarious send-up of the character. As played by John DiMaggio in "The Boys Presents: Diabolical" Season 1, Episode 6 –"Nubian vs. Nubian," Groundhawk is notable for having hammers for hands instead of Wolverine's trademark retractable claws. Unfortunately, the Compound V side effects Groundhawk experiences have all kinds of devastating effects on his ability to function as a regular member of society. Furthermore, while "Diabolical" might contain a lot of silliness, some of its episodes (including "Nubian vs. Nubian") are actually canon in the mainline "The Boys" universe.

As shown in the episode he appears in of "The Boys Presents: Diabolical," Groundhawk is actually kind of a sad sack. Even though society views him as a villain, he reveals that he was just a PR pawn for Vought, and he was created as a villain to help establish and fuel the love story of Nubian Prince (Don Cheadle) and Nubia (Aisha Tyler).

This is just the tip of the iceberg for Groundhawk, however. Like many of the first heroes created by Vought, he is thought to have been kidnapped as a child and forced to undergo traumatic experiments that eventually robbed him of the ability to speak anything but his catchphrase, "Gonna."

Groundhawk is also briefly mentioned in "The Boys," where it's said on a newscast he is being treated for his alcoholism after engaging in a fight with local police officers. Still, the fact that he's being sent to the Vought Wellness Center, of all places, doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

As for Garth Ennis' sendup of Wolverine, fans ought not to be too surprised. After all, Ennis was the writer behind a Marvel storyline that had The Punisher shoot Logan in the face and run him over with a steamroller. With this in mind, creating a wacky but tragic take on the famed X-Men member makes a lot of sense for the writer of "The Boys" source material.