Jason Gardner comments on the need for men to be men

Marvel Comics have more than the lion's share of heroes that have become household names. Their rivals DC (Detective Comics) on the other hand have only a handful, Batman, Superman, Wonder woman, then we start to get into the green folk, Green Arrow, Green Lantern and you're probably already thinking, who?

Marvel though have a veritable phalanx of genetic misfits and indestructible vigilantes who everyone (well nearly everyone) knows and loves. The Hulk, Fantastic Four, Spider-man, Iron man, Captain America, Thor, Daredevil to name a few and then there's those mutant defenders of the earth X-men - a ragtag bunch comprised of a weather manipulating heroine, a teleporting imp, a lantern jawed leader with laser vision and a teenage 'phantom' who can walk through walls to name but a few.

And it was director Bryan Singer's brilliantly realised 'X-men' film back in 2000 that revived the fortunes of comic book adaptation movies after the appalling Batman and Robin 3 years earlier tanked at the box office.

So successful has the X-men series been that a spin off is landing at a cinema somewhere near you later this month. Wolverine: X-men origins is the lovely tale of a chap who has heightened animal instincts and an advanced mutant healing factor. He's also had his bones laced with an indestructible metal, is partial to calling people 'Bubb' and has metal claws that can cut through stone like a hot garrotte through cheese.

He's also the secret don of the Marvel universe. When it comes down to it Spider-man is just too nice and Mr Fantastic is just too ethical. It seems we really like our heroes grubby and Wolverine fits that bill, if you like He's Dirty Harry to Captain America's Dick Tracy. He's the guy they call when fighting by the rules just won't win the day.

When it comes to the Marvel universe Logan (apparently his real name) is definitely tougher than the rest but why is it that we love loners who are edgy and who don't mind blurring the boundaries between good and bad? Even if they do generally always err on the side of the angels?

Part of the appeal is that for many obvious reasons Wolverine embodies the call of the wild. We have an eon old obsession with humans who are part homo sapien part animal, from minotaurs to mermaids. Then there are the more recent monsters who are animalistic in their longings: like the vampires of Twilight or Benicio Del Toro in the upcoming The Wolf Man.

There's a strong part of us all that keenly feels the lure of nature, combine that with the emasculation of men in 21st century western culture and you can see why Wolverine becomes such a poster boy/man/ thing. It's becoming a popular topic but men increasingly feel that there's something missing: as blur once put it 'modern life is rubbish'.

As careers increasingly involve using technology, men's physical strength has largely become redundant apart from in sports. In the west we have no fight for survival and if we want risk then we have to turn to danger sports or gambling on the internet - is that one reason it's become so popular? Our forefathers used their hands to work and fought the elements in order to earn a living: all we have to fight is overcrowding on the tube and a paunch from eating too many takeaways.

And, unfortunately, the only time we'll ever be remotely like Wolverine is when we guide his character through the video game adaptation that'll be launched alongside the movie.

No wonder so many men are going on Ray Mears type bush survival courses or taking up cage fighting. Personally though I've always thought that sports a bit unfair, I mean it's not as if a cage can fight back is it?

OK perhaps that's a sign we need to draw this to an end. Like most things in life this is all about balance, if we give in to our 'animal' side and use appetite and feral instinct as an excuse to indulge bad behaviour we miss the point: we're supposed to walk in harmony with nature not abuse it for our own ends.

But on the other hand we need to find those healthy outlets for blokeish behaviour. That doesn't mean streaking at the next football game or wearing a Viking outfit to work, chopping your PC in half with an axe and shouting 'Thor made me do it!' but perhaps, just perhaps, when you next see a full moon you could howl a little...