Wolverine is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in the comic book The Incredible Hulk #180 (1974) and is best known as a member of the superhero team the X-Men. Wolverine is the alias of James Howlett (also known as Logan), a mutant born in Canada in the late 19th century. He possesses a range of superpowers including highly advanced self-healing abilities, a significantly prolonged lifespan, animal-keen senses, and retractable claws. His skeleton is reinforced with the unbreakable fictional metal adamantium, which he acquired after becoming an unwilling test subject in the Weapon X super soldier program. Wolverine is commonly depicted as a gruff loner susceptible to animalistic "berserker rages" who struggles to reconcile his humanity with his wild nature.
The character was co-created by writer Len Wein and Marvel art director John Romita Sr., with his first published appearance written by Wein and drawn by artist Herb Trimpe. After joining the X-Men in 1975, the character was significantly developed by writer Chris Claremont, artist Dave Cockrum, and artist-writer John Byrne. He gained greater prominence as a standalone character when artist Frank Miller collaborated with Claremont on a four-isue eponymous limited series in 1982, which debuted the character's catchphrase: "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do best isn't very nice."
Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Roy Thomas wanted to create a Canadian superhero and decided that wolverines were a typical Canadian animal that could inspire such a hero. He asked artist John Romita Sr. and writer Len Wein to devise a character of Canadian origin named Wolverine.[1] Romita designed Wolverine's costume.[1] Wolverine first appeared in the final "teaser" panel of The Incredible Hulk #180 (cover-dated October 1974), written by Wein and penciled by Herb Trimpe.[1] The character then appeared in a number of advertisements in various Marvel Comics publications before making his first major appearance in The Incredible Hulk #181 (November 1974), again by the Wein–Trimpe team.[1] In 2009, Trimpe said he "distinctly remembers" Romita's sketch and that, according to him, Romita and Wein "sewed the monster together [while he] shocked it to life". According to him, Wolverine was initially conceived as a minor character and there were no plans for his continuing popularity.[2] Though sometimes credited as co-creator, Trimpe denied having had any role in Wolverine's creation.[3] The character's introduction was ambiguous, revealing little beyond his being a superhuman agent of the Canadian government. He appears briefly in the following issue's conclusion to the story.[4]
Wolverine's next appearance was in Giant-Size X-Men (May 1975), written by Wein and penciled by Dave Cockrum, in which he is recruited for a new team of X-Men to rescue the original group.[5][6]Gil Kane illustrated the cover artwork but drew Wolverine's mask with larger headpieces. Cockrum incorporated Kane's alteration into his artwork for the story.[6]
At the time of his initial appearances, basic ideas about Wolverine's abilities and origins remained in development. While some sources indicate that Wein originally intended for Logan to be a mutated wolverine cub, evolved to humanoid form by the High Evolutionary, an established geneticist in the Marvel Universe,[7] Wein has denied this, and suggested that this may have been Cockrum's idea.[8] In an article about the evolution of Wolverine included in Incredible Hulk and Wolverine (1986), a reprint of The Incredible Hulk #180–181, Cockrum confirmed that he considered having the High Evolutionary play a vital role in making Wolverine a human.[9]
In Wein's original conception, Wolverine was a young adult,[6] and his claws were retractable and part of his gloves, with both made of adamantium. Romita said that he always envisioned the claws as retractable, explaining: "When I make a design, I want it to be practical and functional. I thought, 'If a man has claws like that, how does he scratch his nose or tie his shoelaces?'"[10] Wein recollects that Cockrum first suggested that the claws were installed in Wolverine's forearms.[8]
1970s
Following Giant-Size X-Men, the X-Men comic was revived with issue #94 (August 1975), drawn by Cockrum and written by Chris Claremont. Wolverine is initially overshadowed by the other characters, although he creates tension in the team as he is attracted to Cyclops' girlfriend, Jean Grey.[11] As the series progressed, Claremont considered dropping Wolverine from the comic; Cockrum's successor, artist John Byrne, championed the character, later explaining that as a Canadian himself he did not want to see the only Canadian character dropped.[12] Byrne modeled his rendition of Wolverine on actor Paul D'Amato, who played Dr. Hook in the sports film Slap Shot (1977).[13] Cockrum introduced another costume for Wolverine in the final issue of his run, but it was dropped at the start of Byrne's run because he found it difficult to draw.[14]
Wolverine was first drawn without his mask, in X-Men #98 (April 1976);[6] his distinctive hairstyle became a trademark of the character.[8] The same issue also established that Wolverine's claws are an integrated part of his anatomy.[15]X-Men #100 introduces the "fastball special", a combat maneuver in which the super-strong Colossus throws Wolverine at a distance as if he were a projectile weapon; this tactic recurs in many future battles.[7] Stories of the late 1970s establish Wolverine's murky past and unstable nature, which he battles to keep in check.[16] Wolverine's name was revealed as "Logan" in X-Men #103 (February 1977);[17] Claremont drew inspiration from Canada's Mount Logan, liking "the idea [of] the tallest mountain being the name of the shortest character".[18]X-Men #116 (December 1978) first introduces Wolverine's healing factor, and issue #124 (August 1979) first suggests that he has a reinforced skeleton.[19]
In the same year, Wolverine appeared in Marvel Comic UK #335 (March 1979) in a story titled "At the Sign of the Lion", written by Mary Jo Duffy with art by Ken Landgraf and George Pérez. This marked Wolverine’s first solo story and introduced one of the character’s most enduring tropes: the "barroom confrontation" setting. In the story, Wolverine, sitting alone at a bar, is provoked into a brawl with Hercules, establishing a scene type that would later recur throughout Wolverine's comic appearances, as well as in animated adaptations, video games and films.[20][21][22]
1980s
In the last years of Byrne's collaboration with Claremont, Wolverine played in a pivotal role in the "The Dark Phoenix Saga" (January-October 1980) and "Days of Future Past" (January-February 1981) story arcs.[23] In these years, Byrne designed a new brown-and-tan costume for the character.[24] Following Byrne's departure in 1981,[25] Wolverine remained a prominent character in Uncanny X-Men (as X-Men was retitled at this time) throughout the decade.[26] Wolverine's appearance and characterization were influenced by the film roles of Clint Eastwood, particularly the Revisionist Western antihero films featuring the Man with No Name and the 1971 neo-noir detective film Dirty Harry.[27][28]
The character's growing popularity led to a four-issue solo series, Wolverine (September–December 1982), by Claremont and Frank Miller.[29] Elliott Serrano, a comic writer and commentator, argues that this series was particularly significant in establishing the character's popularity, asserting that "before Claremont and Miller created the Wolverine series, Logan wasn't a key figure, but the creation of this series is when Wolverine became Marvel's Batman."[30] The Claremont and Miller miniseries introduced Wolverine's connection to traditional Japanese culture and his identity as a masterless samurai. The first issue begins with a statement that became Wolverine's catchphrase: "I'm the best there is at what I do but what I do isn't very nice."[31] The mini-series was followed by the six-issue Kitty Pryde and Wolverine by Claremont and Al Milgrom (Nov. 1984– April 1985).[32]
Barry Windsor-Smith, who had come to prominence illustrating Marvel's Conan the Barbarian series, collaborated with Claremont for the "Wounded Wolf" story that was published as Uncanny X-Men #205 (May 1986), focusing entirely on Wolverine. The story introduced a new adversary for Wolverine, Lady Deathstrike.[33] The "Mutant Massacre" story arc of 1986 brought Sabretooth into conflict with the X-Men and particularly Wolverine. Byrne had previously designed Sabretooth as an enemy of the martial artist superhero Iron Fist in Iron Fist #14 (August 1977), written by Claremont. Sabretooth's face was based on a preliminary and unused drawing Byrne had proposed for Wolverine; he became Wolverine's archenemy.[34] Marvel launched an ongoing Wolverine title written by Claremont with art by John Buscema in November 1988.[35] In the late 1980s, Wolverine featured in self-contained crossover stories with two other characters: Spider-Man, in Spider-Man versus Wolverine (1987), by Christopher Priest and M.D. Bright, and Nick Fury, in Wolverine/Nick Fury: The Scorpio Connection (1989), written by Archie Goodwin with art by Howard Chaykin.[36]
1990s
In the early 1990s, Wolverine featured as a prominent character in X-Men vol. 2, initially written by Claremont and illustrated by Jim Lee. The first issue of this series is the highest selling comic book issue in history.[37] During this period, Wolverine regularly appeared in cover stories for the anthology series Marvel Comics Presents.[38] Among these stories was "Weapon X", written and drawn by Windsor-Smith, serialized in issues #72–84 (1991). The story depicts Wolverine's past, how adamantium was grafted to his skeleton, and his experience of extreme psychological and physical trauma.[39] Subsequent Wolverine stories in Marvel Comics Presents were often illustrated by Sam Kieth and had a more psychedelic aesthetic and storytelling style.[40]
Larry Hama took over Wolverine's solo series in 1990. From 1990 to 1992, the series was usually illustrated by Marc Silvestri, who contributed to the character's rising popularity; his work on Wolverine also established him as a star artist in the industry.[41][42] In issues #48-50 (November 1991-January 1992), Hama delved into Wolverine's mysterious past in the Weapon X program, which was often highly convoluted and unreliable due to the false memories implanted by the program's designers.[43] In 1992, he revisited the Japanese setting and characters of Claremont's and Miller's earlier limited series, ending the story with the poisoning of Mariko Yashida, Logan's lover, and her mercy killing at the hands of Wolverine.[43]
During the Fatal Attractions storyline, in X-Men #25 (October 1993), the adamantium in Wolverine's body is ripped out by Magneto, using his magnetic abilities. Writers Fabian Nicieza and Scott Lobdell were inspired by a suggestion of another Marvel writer, Peter David. The story arc reveals that Wolverine has natural bone claws, in contrast to previously established narrative continuity that his claws were entirely bionic. Wolverine himself is confused by this realization, and his healing factor is also greatly weakened by recovery from this extraordinary injury. At the conclusion of the arc, Wolverine takes a leave of absence from the X-Men.[44]
By the mid-1990s, Wolverine was one of Marvel's most popular characters, rivaling Spider-Man.[38] In 1995, all of the X-Men related comic books were temporarily replaced by a storyline in an alternate reality, named Age of Apocalypse; the Wolverine series was re-named Weapon X.[45] Following the return to the original timeline, a follower of Apocalypse captures Wolverine and attempts to bond adamantium to his skeleton a second time, with the goal of making him one of Apocalypse's warriors. Wolverine's healing factor and willpower reject the process, but the ensuing stress leads him to regress into a bestial state. Stick, the former mentor of Daredevil, sends Elektra to re-train Wolverine, and heal his psyche.[46] For a few issues of his title, Wolverine remains in a bestial state in which he is less articulate and shrewd.[44] Hama left the Wolverine series with issue #118 (November 1997),[47] and Logan's adamantium was restored at the end of the decade in issue #145 (December 1999).[44]
2000s
When the Ultimate Marvel imprint was created with reimagined versions of Marvel's characters, an alternate Wolverine appeared in 2001 with the Ultimate X-Men.[48] The series was initially written by Mark Millar, who went on to write a number of other influential stories about Wolverine, in both mainstream continuity and alternate versions.[49]
Sales for X-Men comics declined somewhat at the turn of the 21st century, and Grant Morrison was hired to revive interest in the characters, including Wolverine. This was achieved with the more experimental New X-Men; the re-titling of the ongoing X-Men series for issues #114-156 (May 2001 to March 2004).[50]Frank Quitely and Chris Bachalo drew many of these issues, as well as a returning Silvestri.[51]Origin, a six-issue limited series by co-writers Joe Quesada, Paul Jenkins, and Bill Jemas and artist Andy Kubert (Nov. 2001– July 2002), expanded on Wolverine's past. This story provided Wolverine's birth name as James Howlett and recounted his previously mysterious childhood and adolescence.[52]Tom DeSanto, a writer and producer for the X-Men film franchise, indicates that Marvel felt the necessity to provide a definitive origin for Wolverine because of his success as a film character and concern that the films would begin to answer these questions if the comic books failed to do so first.[53]
The ongoing Wolverine title ended with issue #189 (2003), and was replaced with a new volume.[54] The following year, after the conclusion of New X-Men, Wolverine featured as a main character in the Astonishing X-Men (2004-2008) series, initially written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by John Cassaday.[55] Millar wrote the "Enemy of the State" storyline, published in Wolverine #20-25 (October 2004–February 2005), in which Wolverine is brainwashed by the ninja secret society the Hand and kills numerous innocent people before returning to consciousness. As in his previous bestial state, Elektra helps him recover his humanity.[56]
In 2005, at the conclusion of the "House of M" storyline, Wolverine regained the memories he had lost or repressed.[57] In the "Decimation" (2006) storyline, 90% of mutants lose their powers; Wolverine is among the 198 mutants who retain them.[57] The same year, a second solo series, Wolverine: Origins, written by Daniel Way with art by Steve Dillon, ran concurrently with the Wolverine title. Wolverine: Origins delved into the ramifications of his newly remembered past and introduced Daken, his son, in issue #11 (April 2007).[58]
In 2007, Jason Aaron became the main writer for the ongoing Wolverine series.[59] The following year, Millar and artist Steve McNiven explored a possible future for Wolverine in an eight-issue story arc entitled "Old Man Logan" that debuted with Wolverine #66 (June 2008).[60] In Uncanny X-Men #493 (February 2008), part of the Messiah Complex storyline, Cyclops asks Wolverine to re-form and lead X-Force. This militaristic sub-team of the X-Men, which initially also included X-23 (Wolverine's daughter), featured in its own ongoing series, written by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost, from 2008 to 2010.[61]
2010s and 2020s
Wolverine joined the Avengers and appeared as a regular character throughout the Avengers (2010–2013) and New Avengers (2010–2013) series, both written by Brian Michael Bendis.[62] In addition to the ongoing Wolverine title, Aaron wrote a new X-Men storyline, X-Men: Schism (2011), in which Wolverine and Cyclops come into conflict, dividing the team. The same year, he began writing Wolverine and the X-Men, in which Wolverine becomes the headmaster of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning and must mentor a younger generation of mutants as well as leading one of the X-Men teams.[59] In the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline of 2012, Wolverine sides with the Avengers against his previous team.[63] In 2014, Charles Soule wrote the "Death of Wolverine" storyline, in which Wolverine contracts a virus that disables his healing factor, allowing his enemies to finally kill him. He is resurrected in 2018, in the Return of Wolverine miniseries.[64]
2019 saw the beginning of a new era for the X-Men, spearheaded by Jonathan Hickman, starting with the House of X and Powers of X series. This launched the "Krakoan Age", with mutants founding a new nation on the living island of Krakoa, where they are capable of regularly resurrecting mutants after their death.[65] Wolverine continued to appear in a number of series in the 2020s, both as a solo character and as part of multiple teams. During this period, he featured as part of the Savage Avengers (2019-2023), along with Punisher, Elektra, Venom, Brother Voodoo, and Conan the Barbarian.[66] As the "Krakoan Age" continued, Benjamin Percy wrote a new Wolverine ongoing series beginning in 2020, as well as new X-Force series with Wolverine as leader.[67]
Characterization
Fictional character biography
James Howlett was born near Cold Lake in Alberta, Canada, during the late 19th century to rich farm owners John and Elizabeth Howlett. However, James was actually the result of an extramarital affair between Elizabeth and the family's groundskeeper Thomas Logan. Thomas was also the father of Dog Logan, James' half-brother.[68] Thomas became increasingly unstable because of his drinking, lost his job, and was expelled from the Howlett manor. He returned to the manor and killed John Howlett. In retaliation, James killed Thomas with bone claws that emerged from the back of his hands, as his mutation manifested.[69] He fled with his childhood companion, Rose, and grew into manhood on a mining colony in Yukon, adopting the name "Logan". When Logan accidentally killed Rose with his claws, he fled the colony and lived in the wilderness among wolves.[70] Logan then resided with the Blackfoot people.[71]
Sabretooth apparently killed Logan's Blackfoot lover, Silver Fox.[72] Logan joined the Canadian military during World War I,[71] and then became a career soldier. During World War II, Logan teamed up with Captain America.[73][74] He spent time in Madripoor before settling in Japan, where he married a civilian, Itsu.[75] While Logan was away from home, Romulus sent the Winter Soldier to kill the pregnant Itsu and had her baby taken from her womb.[76] While Logan believed his son to be dead, the child was taken and given the name Daken.[77]
Wolverine later worked for the Central Intelligence Agency before being recruited by Team X, a black ops unit.[76] As a member of Team X, Logan was given false memory implants. Eventually breaking free of this mental control, he joined the Canadian Defense Ministry. Logan was subsequently kidnapped by the Weapon X program, where he was held captive and made a subject of experiments; the program fused adamantium onto his bones,[78] before he escaped.[76]James and Heather Hudson helped him recover his humanity following his escape, and Logan began work as an intelligence operative for the Canadian government's Department H.[76]
He becomes Wolverine, one of Canada's first superheroes. In his first mission, he is dispatched to stop the destruction caused by a brawl between the Hulk and the Wendigo.[79]Professor Charles Xavier recruits Wolverine to a new iteration of his superhero-mutant team, the X-Men.[78] He competes with Cyclops for the affection of Jean Grey.[80] While his teammates often distrust him, Wolverine is invaluable in rescuing the others and defeating their enemies, particularly in their conflict with the Hellfire Club;[81] due to their influence, Jean transforms into the Dark Phoenix and apparently sacrifices herself, temporarily ending the love triangle involving her, Wolverine, and Cyclops.[79]
Wolverine becomes engaged to Mariko Yashida, a wealthy businesswoman whose father is head of the Clan Yashida criminal organization,[82][83] and battles the Hand, a secret society of ninjas. However, she breaks off the engagement, under the influence of a member of the Hellfire Club.[84] He battles Sabretooth,[79] and discovers that he had multiple encounters with him that his traumatic amnesia concealed.[85] During his tenure with the X-Men, Wolverine becomes a mentor for Kitty Pryde and later on Jubilee.[86] Logan again encounters Jean, who has been resurrected and re-joins the X-Men, leading to resumption of Logan's rivalry with Cyclops.[87] He is able to recall some of the trauma he received from the Weapon X program and tries to investigate his past, although his memories remain unreliable because of brainwashing and false memory implants. He meets Maverick, another former participant in the Weapon X project, and discovers that he had previously worked together with Sabretooth in Team X.[88]
During a conflict, the supervillain Magneto forcibly removes the adamantium from Wolverine's skeleton. This massive trauma causes his healing factor to burn out and leads to the discovery that his claws are actually bone.[79] Wolverine leaves the X-Men for a time, embarking on a series of adventures during which his healing factor returns. After his return to the X-Men, Cable's son Genesis kidnaps Wolverine and attempts to re-bond adamantium to his skeleton. This is unsuccessful and causes Wolverine's mutation to accelerate out of control. He degenerates physically and mentally into a more primitive, bestial state. Elektra helps him to recover his humanity. Eventually, the villain Apocalypse captures Wolverine, brainwashes him into becoming the Horseman of Death, and successfully re-bonds adamantium to his skeleton. Wolverine overcomes Apocalypse's programming and returns to the X-Men. Jean becomes possessed by the Phoenix Force once more and Wolverine has no other choice but to kill her with his claws.[89]
Wolverine learns about the existence of X-23. He initially believes her to be a clone, raised to be a perfect assassin. X-23 later goes by the name Laura. She is eventually enrolled at the Xavier Institute. She quickly accepts Wolverine as a father figure, and eventually they learn that he is actually her biological father.[90] Wolverine is brainwashed by the Hand and battles S.H.I.E.L.D., but eventually turns against them with the help of Elektra.[91] After Scarlet Witch drastically transforms reality, Wolverine is able to recall memories of his previous life, overcoming his traumatic amnesia; he discovers that he has a son named Daken, who has been brainwashed and made a living weapon. Cyclops orders Wolverine to reform X-Force.[89]
Wolverine splits from Cyclops and opens a new school in Westchester, New York, the "Jean Grey School for Higher Learning".[92] The Phoenix Force returns to Earth, causing conflict between the X-Men and the Avengers. Wolverine takes the side of the Avengers. Cyclops becomes possessed by the Phoenix Force and kills Professor X.[93] A virus turns off Wolverine's healing factor. He discovers that Doctor Abraham Cornelius, the founder of the Weapon X program, has placed a bounty on his head. Wolverine gets covered in adamantium after confronting him, and dies from suffocation.[93] Laura begins wearing a variation of Wolverine's costume and adopts his codename.[94] Wolverine is eventually resurrected by Persephone, a mutant who can raise the dead.[95] Wolverine is killed again, along with Nightcrawler and others.[95] However, he, along with the other X-Men who have been recently killed, are then resurrected in the Arbor Magus' hatchery on the Pacific island of Krakoa using a new 48 hour cloning process. In this new era, the X-Men have learned how to resurrect any mutant who has died.[95] Wolverine enters into a violent conflict with Beast, who has become aggressive and paranoid in his defense of Krakoa.[96]
Personality and mental health
Wolverine is a natural-born fighter and one of his key characteristics, according to Claremont, is his struggle to maintain his humanity and reconcile it with his wild, animalistic nature. This theme recurs through various Wolverine stories, such as the period in which he temporarily regresses into a bestial state.[97] He has a tendency to lapse into a "berserker rage" while in close combat,[98] lashing out with the intensity and aggression of an enraged animal.[99]
Despite his apparent ease at taking lives, Wolverine mournfully regrets this and does not enjoy killing.[100] He adheres to a firm code of personal honor and morality, and he generally only responds in a violent or deadly manner to enemies attacking him with deadly force, trying to restrict killing to a "last resort".[100] Claremont has stated that he drew some of Wolverine's characterization from Conan the Barbarian, declaring that "Wolverine in his essence is a lot closer to Conan than any other Marvel hero we have".[98]
Wolverine emulates samurai ethics and practices to control and humanize his violent impulses and abilities;[101] he practices zazen sitting meditation to maintain self-control and restore mental health.[102] J. Andrew Deman argues out that while Wolverine is commonly associated with hypermasculinity, at least in Claremont's characterization, he also "consistently demonstrates an emotional intelligence and sense of empathy" to an extremely high degree.[103] Deman acknowledges that Wolverine is a gruff loner who often takes leave from the X-Men to deal with personal issues or problems, irreverent and rebellious towards authority figures, and displays a wry, sarcastic sense of humor. Despite this, Deman also notes that Wolverine is a reliable ally and competent leader, as well as capable of warmth, compassion, and empathy.[103]
Clinical psychologist and Navy veteran Larry Yarbrough recognizes that while "Logan has an extremely reactive temper" he is "also a kind person", pointing out that the "violent/kind demeanor" he displays is typical of combat veterans. According to him, Wolverine's "violent mood swings are a symptom of trauma, not a reflection of his character". He also observes Wolverine's habitual smoking and drinking, which are coping mechanisms for his traumatic experiences.[104] Psychologist Suzana E. Flores writes that Wolverine demonstrates clinical psychological symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, antisocial personality disorder, dissociative disorder, and even sociopathy, but does so in a way that can be understood and empathized.[105] She interprets his origin story as a depiction of complex childhood trauma, and its effects of dissociative amnesia and hypervigilance.[106] She argues that his first formative trauma was his poor relationship with his mother, who was unable to properly attach to him because she lost her first son.[107] In adulthood, he also suffered the trauma of torture by the Weapon X program.[108]
Themes and motifs
Canadian identity
Wolverine is the best known Canadian superhero,[109] and one of his nicknames is the "ol' Canucklehead," drawing from a slang term for Canadians.[110] Wolverine's primary connection to Canada is his affinity for the wild outdoors.[111] In civilian clothes, he usually dresses in Western wear characteristic of Saskatchewan and Alberta; Byrne, one of Wolverine's earliest artists, was raised in Alberta.[112] Canadian journalist Paul Jay compared Wolverine to the Canadian rock musician Neil Young.[113] Among Canadians, there is some debate about whether Wolverine really exemplifies Canadian values.[114]
There are numerous stories in which he expresses Canadian patriotism.[115] Vivian Zenari argues that "Wolverine must have national pride, almost out of structural necessity, in order to justify the Canadianness that coalesces around him".[114] Anna F. Peppard notes that Logan's desertion from the Canadian armed forces to join the X-Men in New York reflects a frustration with conformity and bureaucratism in Canadian society.[116]
Japanese and samurai culture
The essence of [Logan's] character [is] a "failed samurai". To Samurai, duty is all, selfless service the path to their ultimate ambition, death with grace. - Chris Claremont[117]
Claremont and Miller's Wolverine (1982) introduces the motif that Wolverine emulates samurai ethics and practices to control and humanize his violent impulses and abilities. While he is able to master samurai fighting styles and some norms of behavior, he is not able to fully integrate himself into Japanese society.[101] Comics scholar Jim Davis points out that Claremont took his knowledge of samurai culture from James Clavell's novel Shogun (1975), which takes place in the 16th century;[118] Claremont has confirmed he was inspired by the 1980 TV adaptation.[119]
Davis believes that Claremont's depiction of Japanese society seems fixed in the feudal era, which he indicates is problematic.[118] Academic Eric Sobel argues that Wolverine's samurai proficiency is an example of cultural appropriation and that his Japanese supporting characters are highly stereotyped. However, Andrew Deman, another academic, points out Sobel's omission of the character of Yukio, who is a complex Japanese counterpart to Wolverine.[120] Larry Hama, whose stories returned Wolverine to Japan and created a sequel to the Claremont and Miller miniseries, credited the influence of Yakuza films and Ridley Scott's Black Rain (1989) as inspiration. Being a Japanese American, he argued that his depiction of Japan was more authentic than previous American superhero stories set in the country.[121]Tsutomu Nihei, a Japanese manga artist, created his own interpretation of Wolverine in the miniseries Wolverine: Snikt! (2003).[122]
Masculinity and social bonds
Comics scholar Jeffrey K. Johnson argues that Wolverine incarnates cultural values of the Reagan era, emphasizing individualism and retributive justice.[123] Similarly, Neil Shyminsky claims that "Wolverine's appeal is grounded in nostalgia for a morally absolute brand of dangerous masculinity."[124] Gerri Mahn, however, draws attention to the theme of vulnerability in Wolverine's stories, particularly the Fatal Attractions story in which Wolverine is gravely injured by Magneto and loses his adamantium bone lacing.[125] Mahn claims that this experience of recuperation from injury presented an opportunity for Wolverine to redefine his gender identity, establishing more caring bonds with others.[126]
Christopher Michael Roman connects this moment to the continual theme of Wolverine stories in which he cares for a younger person, usually a young woman. While it might seem that Wolverine is learning to be a surrogate father, Roman claims that the kinship bonds are more complicated than a father-child relationship.[127] In his relationship with Kitty Pryde, Roman argues that Wolverine actually teaches her to redefine herself without relying on a father figure, and that their bond is grounded in shared vulnerability.[128] He also draws attention to Wolverine's role as a mentor to other characters like Colossus, Jubilee, Armor, and Quentin Quire.[129]
Powers and abilities
Cover art for Wolverine: Weapon X #1 (June 2009). Art by Ron Garney.
Wolverine's primary mutant power is an accelerated healing process, typically referred to as his mutant "healing factor", that regenerates damaged or destroyed tissues of his body far beyond that of normal humans. In addition to accelerated healing of physical traumas, Wolverine's healing factor makes him extraordinarily resistant to diseases, drugs and toxins. As a result of this ability, Wolverine has the appearance of a man in his early forties, although he is more than 100 years old.[130]
Wolverine's healing factor also affects a number of his physical attributes by increasing them to superhuman levels. His stamina is sufficiently heightened to the point that he can exert himself for hours. Wolverine's agility and reflexes are also enhanced to levels that are beyond the physical limits of the finest human athlete. Due to his healing factor's constant regenerative qualities, he can push his muscles beyond the limits of the human body without injury. Wolverine also has superhuman strength.[130] The Muramasa blade, a katana of mystic origins that can inflict wounds that nullify superhuman healing factors, can suppress Wolverine's powers.[131]
Wolverine's senses of sight, smell, and hearing are all superhumanly acute. He can see with perfect clarity at greater distances than an ordinary human, even in near-total darkness. His hearing is enhanced in a similar manner, allowing him to hear sounds ordinary humans cannot and also hear across greater distances; he can hear the heartbeats of hostile living beings before conflict begins.[130]
He has three retractable claws made of bone housed within each forearm. Wolverine's hands do not have openings for the claws to move through: they cut through his flesh every time he extrudes them.[130] Due to being subjected through the Weapon X program, Wolverine's entire skeleton, including his claws, has been molecularly infused with the virtually indestructible metal adamantium.[132] While the adamantium in his body prevents or reduces many injuries, such as broken bones and decapitation, his healing factor must work constantly to prevent metal poisoning from killing him.[132] Owning to their adamantium coating, his claws can cut through almost all known solid materials, including most metals, wood, and some varieties of stone.[133] During and after the Return of Wolverine, he showcased a mysterious new ability where the adamantium in his claws can turn red-hot.[134]
During his time in Japan and other countries, Wolverine became proficient in many forms of martial arts, with experience in many different fighting styles.[135] He has trained in jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, escrima, and muay thai. He is proficient in many weapons, although he prefers bladed weapons to firearms.[136]
In contrast to his brutish nature, Wolverine is extremely knowledgeable. In part to his longer lifespan, he has traveled around the world and amassed extensive knowledge of foreign languages and cultures, being fluent or near fluent in Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Cheyenne, and Lakota, among other languages.[137] He fluency in Japanese, in particular, is in large part due to the significant time he spent in Japan and his relationship with Mariko Yashida.[75]
Supporting characters
Allies
Most early stories about Wolverine present him as part of an ensemble, a member of the X-Men. He has had extensive interactions with all of them and their associates. In particular, he has a complex and ambivalent relationship with Cyclops, with whom he was initially a rival for the affections of Jean Grey.[138] He is also a member of the Avengers and at times has joined the Fantastic Four.[139]
Romantic interests
His first love was Rose O'Hara, a close friend who did not reciprocate his affection. She died accidentally at his hands when she intervened in Wolverine's adolescent fight with an adversary, Dog.[140] Subsequently, he had a long relationship with Silver Fox.[140] He had an intimate relationship with Mariko Yashida and had a failed engagement to her.[141] Mariko was eventually poisoned by The Hand and Wolverine had no choice but to kill her to spare her a long agony.[142] He also had a mutual, but unfulfilled attraction to Jean Grey, leading to arguments with her boyfriend (and later husband), Scott Summers.[80] He was briefly married to Viper, against his will.[143] Wolverine has had an on-again, off-again romantic relationship with longtime teammate and friend, Storm.[144] He also had romantic relationships with Yukio, Domino, and Mystique, all of whom are morally ambiguous warriors like himself.[145]
Children and mentees
Wolverine has a number of children, most notably his daughter, Laura Kinney (X-23), and his son, Akihiro (Daken).[146] A group of his other children, the Mongrels, were used in a plot to torture him by the Red Right Hand.[147] Besides his biological children, Wolverine has also been a mentor and father figure to several younger women, especially Kitty Pryde and Jubilee.[148]
A number of alternate universes and alternate timelines in Marvel Comics publications allow writers to introduce variations on Wolverine, in which the character's origins, behavior, and morality differ from the mainstream setting. For example, the Wolverine of the alternate future of Days of Future Past is a resistance fighter in a future where Sentinels rule North America.[151] In the Age of Apocalypse story arc, Apocalypse dominates the earth, and Wolverine is missing a hand.[152] In the Age of Apocalypse, Logan has the name Weapon X rather than Wolverine. In this reality, Logan still has his adamantium, but is missing a hand; he and Jean Grey are lovers.[45] In the alternate reality of Ultimate Marvel, Wolverine is initially an agent of Magneto, and is significantly more aggressive and amoral.[153] In the future of Old Man Logan, Wolverine has been tricked into killing the other X-Men and has subsequently renounced violence.[154] Old Man Logan, created by Millar in 2008, later featured in a miniseries written by Bendis that began in July 2015.[155]
Reception and legacy
Woverine is one of the most popular Marvel superheroes. In 1995, he tied with Spider-Man as Marvel's most licensed character.[156] In 2008, Wizard magazine ranked Wolverine 1st in their "200 Greatest Comic Book Characters of All Time" list.[157] The same year, Empire ranked Wolverine 4th in their "50 Greatest Comic Book Characters" list.[158] In 2014, Entertainment Weekly ranked Wolverine 1st in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[159]
Wolverine is typical of the many tough antiheroes that emerged in American popular culture after the Vietnam War;[160] his willingness to use deadly force and his brooding loner nature became standard characteristics for comic book antiheroes by the end of the 1980s.[161] Wolverine was considered groundbreaking among comic book superheroes in demonstrating the traits of an antihero. As psychologist Suzana E. Flores describes it, an antihero is "often psychologically damaged, simultaneously depicted as superior due to his superhuman abilities and inferior due to his impetuousness, irrationality, or lack of thoughtful evaluation." Subsequent to Wolverine's appearance, many more such antiheroes became popular in comic books (especially in the 1990s), such as Punisher, Marv, Spawn, and Deadpool.[162]
J. Andrew Deman praises "The Wounded Wolf" story illustrated by Windsor-Smith that appeared in Uncanny X-Men, comparing it to the Iliad.[163] Comic book critics have particularly commended Windsor-Smith's Weapon X story, which describes Wolverine's mistreatment at the hands of the Weapon X program and his experience of trauma. Hagai Palevsky describes it as "quite possibly the best comic Marvel ever published."[164]Rolling Stone journalist Sean T. Collins calls it "Arguably the most important and the most visually impressive Wolverine storyline of all time."[165] In contrast, Paul Young criticizes the trends of the mid-1990s in which Wolverine and other anti-heroes became ubiquitous (he describes this as "Wolverine-mania") and often marketed with gimmick covers.[166] Some X-Men comics that include Wolverine as a featured character have been critically acclaimed, such as the 2006 Astonishing X-Men that won an Eisner Award.[167]
Identification with trauma
Flores identified that Wolverine's extraordinary popularity partly stems from his illustration of various mental health challenges, particularly recovery from major trauma or psychological trauma. While the character is usually physically invincible, he demonstrates emotional and psychological vulnerability. He exemplifies values and aspirations of resilience for his audience.[168] His fan base is primarily men, and generally he exemplifies a masculine perspective on recovery from trauma. However, Flores says that she also found the character therapeutic in her own recovery from rape.[169]Nnedi Okorafor, a Nigerian American science-fiction author, also writes that Wolverine was a therapeutic role model for her during her experience of paralysis following surgical treatment of scoliosis.[170]
Queer appeal and fandom
Wolverine is straight in the main continuity of the comics. One of the comics series, X-Treme X-Men (2012–2013), featured an alternate version of Wolverine who was in a relationship with Hercules,[171] and the two characters shared an on-panel kiss in issue #10.[172][173]
Writing for Bleeding Cool, comics writer and columnist Rich Johnston described Wolverine as a "gay icon amongst many".[174] In a 2012, ComicsAlliance assembled a panel consisting of various LGBT comic book creatives, with many singling out Wolverine; some members found him "inspirational", while others described him as their "first crush".[175]
Hugh Jackman (pictured 2013) has portrayed Logan in eleven films since 2000.
Wolverine is one of the few X-Men characters appearing in nearly every media adaptation of the X-Men franchise, including the 20th Century FoxX-Men films, television, computer and video games. Australian actor Hugh Jackman portrayed Wolverine in the X-Men films and until December 2021 shared the Guinness World Record of the "longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero" with Patrick Stewart.[176][177] Jackman would have regained that record in the 2024 film, Deadpool & Wolverine, but for the fact that Wesley Snipes reprised his even earlier role as the half-vampire Blade in the same film.[178][179]
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