Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
One syllable of ink says everything about the character: a quiet man who has just decided the conversation is over. Because the sound is already a word, fans, toy lines, films and games use it as the call sign for Wolverine, a rare case of an onomatopoeia that stands in for a whole hero.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for WolverineShow the scene
"Snikt" is the lettered sound effect for Wolverine's claws sliding out of his hands, and fans treat it as his signature noise. Wiktionary cites an early example in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975), written by Len Wein and drawn by Dave Cockrum, where Wolverine remarks that it seems his meaning was missed and the sound effect marks his claws coming out. It has been used in countless later issues, and manga artist Tsutomu Nihei's 2003 miniseries was even titled Wolverine: Snikt! The word is a printed sound effect, not something Wolverine says aloud.
Sources (2)
- Wiktionary, sniktInterjection entry, 1975 quotationReference checked
- Wikipedia, Wolverine (character)Cultural influence passageReference checked
Context reviewed
