Post 2 of 7 Vindicator: James Hudson

Post 2 of 7 Vindicator: James Hudson James Hudson stands between a government order and somebody he knows. In X-Men #120–121, he uses the name Vindicator, wears the maple leaf across his battle suit and leads the effort to recover Wolverine. Flight and energy blasts give him the means to pursue the X-Men. His connection to Wolverine gives the pursuit its personal pressure. Their exchange during the Stampede fight in #121 tells us how Hudson understands that connection. He brings up the home he and Heather gave Wolverine and their help when he was living in a near-feral state. Hudson presents that history as a debt. Wolverine answers by insisting on his freedom. It is a revealing argument because Hudson has already acknowledged the resignation to his superior. He knows Wolverine left. He also knows that their relationship once involved care. During the fight, those two facts become tangled together: the government wants its investment returned, and Hudson wants his past kindness recognized. The suit makes his official position immediately visible, while the conversation makes the arrest uncomfortable. We can understand why Hudson feels personally involved without accepting his conclusion. By the end, getting Wolverine into custody depends on Wolverine agreeing to stop the fighting. Hudson can command the operation; he cannot make his old friend regard it as a legitimate claim on him.