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Byrne said (as stated in interviews and on his website) that he drew a possible face for Wolverine - but then learned that John Romita Sr. had already drawn one for him (Wolverine's face, drawn by Cockrum, can be seen in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #98, long before Byrne started). Later, Byrne used the drawing for [[Sabretooth (comics)|Sabretooth's]] face (an enemy of [[Iron Fist]], who Claremont was also currently writing). Byrne then came up with the idea of Sabretooth being Wolverine's father (they both had similar healing abilities and raging tempers). Together, Byrne and Claremont came up with Wolverine being around 60 and having served in World War II after escaping from Sabretooth (who was around 120 years old and had been abusing him for decades - explaining his rages). The plan had been for Wolverine to have been almost crushed in an accident; at which point he would discover (when attempting to stand for the first time after recovering) that his healing factor does not work on bones - his legs immediately break. He then spends over a decade in a hospital bed, almost going mad (another reason for his berserker rages) when the Canadian Government approaches him with the idea of replacing his skeleton one bone at a time with solid Adamantium - the claws being an extra surprise. This origin too was never used.
Byrne said (as stated in interviews and on his website) that he drew a possible face for Wolverine - but then learned that John Romita Sr. had already drawn one for him (Wolverine's face, drawn by Cockrum, can be seen in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #98, long before Byrne started). Later, Byrne used the drawing for [[Sabretooth (comics)|Sabretooth's]] face (an enemy of [[Iron Fist]], who Claremont was also currently writing). Byrne then came up with the idea of Sabretooth being Wolverine's father (they both had similar healing abilities and raging tempers). Together, Byrne and Claremont came up with Wolverine being around 60 and having served in World War II after escaping from Sabretooth (who was around 120 years old and had been abusing him for decades - explaining his rages). The plan had been for Wolverine to have been almost crushed in an accident; at which point he would discover (when attempting to stand for the first time after recovering) that his healing factor does not work on bones - his legs immediately break. He then spends over a decade in a hospital bed, almost going mad (another reason for his berserker rages) when the Canadian Government approaches him with the idea of replacing his skeleton one bone at a time with solid Adamantium - the claws being an extra surprise. This origin too was never used.


==Fictional character biography==
==Fictional character biograghy==
{{main|Fictional history of Wolverine}}
{{toolong}}
Born in 19th century [[Canada]] to rich plantation owners, James Howlett grows into manhood on a mining colony in [[British Columbia]], adopting the name "Logan." <ref> Origin #1 vol.1 </ref> Wolverine leaves the colony and lives for a time in the wilderness among wolves, until returning to civilizaion, residing with the [[Blackfoot Indians]]. Following the death of his Blackfoot paramour, [[Silver Fox]], is ushered into a Canadian military unit. Logan spends sometime in [[Madipoor]], developing his "Patch" persona, before settling in Japan, where he marries and has a [[Daken|son]].
{{splitsection|Fictional history of Wolverine|Talk:Wolverine (comics)#Fictional history split|date=February 2008}}
===Origin===
After decades of complicated [[back-story|back-stories]] and retcons, the 2001 limited series ''Origin'' finally tells the story of Wolverine's early years.


During [[World War II]], Logan teams with [[Captain America]] versus [[HYDRA]], and continues a career as a [[soldier-of-fortune]]/adventurer. Wolverine works for the First Canadian Parachute Battalion.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Marvel Comics|title=''Wolverine'' vol. 2 #34}}</ref> and [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] before being recruited for Team X.
Set in 19th century [[Alberta]], Canada, James Howlett, the second son of John and Elizabeth Howlett, is born and is a sick and frail boy in contrast to the quickly healing Wolverine. His parents hire a young Irish girl named Rose to watch over James and keep his spirits up. On the rare days that James is allowed to go outside, he and Rose spend their time playing with a young boy they know as [[Dog Logan|"Dog" Logan]], the son of [[Thomas Logan]], the groundskeeper of the Howlett Mansion.


As a member of Team X, Wolverine is given memory implants. He continues on the team, until he is able to break free of the mental control and joins the Canadian Defense Ministry. Wolverine is kidnapped by the [[Weapon X]], where he remains captive and experimented on, until his escape by the [[Bucky|Winter Soldier]], after which he returns to the Canadian wilderness.
After Dog commits such heinous acts as killing James' pet dog, John Howlett fires Thomas and has him thrown off the property. This only adds to Thomas' hatred and, in a rage, he and his son, with the forced help of Rose, break into the Howlett Mansion at night armed with shotguns. Thomas attempts to get Elizabeth, with whom he had been having an affair, to go away with him, but John walks into the room. Awakened by the noise, James enters the bedroom just in time to see Thomas shoot and kill John. Enraged and horrified at seeing his father murdered, James leaps at Thomas. Thomas begins bleeding profusely from the abdomen and dies. We then see that James now has claw-like bones protruding from each hand. James then slashes Dog across the face, and becomes strongly disoriented. James and Rose then run out of the house after being scolded by Elizabeth, who states that something similar to this has happened before. Elizabeth, upon witnessing the death of her husband, her lover, and the emergence of James' claws, kills herself. Rose then takes James to the barn to try and sober him up. James tells Rose that the smell in the barn was too strong, hinting that his mutant abilities had awakened.
After being turned away by James' grandfather, Rose takes James and runs off into the night. The police are summoned to the mansion and they question Dog, who blames the killing entirely on Rose. With Rose blamed for the death of the Howletts and James exiled by his bitter grandfather, they set out for parts unknown.

They join a mining colony in [[British Columbia]]. James has lost all memory of his parents, his childhood, and his name, due to his trauma; by this point his hands are healed despite the claws emerging through his skin earlier. To explain why they are together, but to avoid scandal, Rose claims that they are cousins. When asked what James' name is, Rose knew she couldn't use his real name since the police would be looking for James Howlett. Instead, Rose gives the first name that comes to mind, "Logan."

"Logan" struggles under the harsh working conditions of the mining colony. As his mutant abilities develop, James becomes strong, acquiring the nickname "Wolverine" from his fellow miners. During his time at the mining colony, James speaks less and less of the past to Rose, often immersing himself in hunting and the physically demanding work of daily life in the colony.

On his deathbed, James' grandfather asks Dog to find his grandson, and unbeknownst to James and Rose, Dog tracks them to British Columbia. Dog is still nursing a deep grudge against James for killing his father as well as scarring his face and against Rose for spurning his advances. Following their trail, Dog finds Rose and James at the mining colony and attempts to beat James to death in front of a large crowd. Just as James prepares to extend his claws and kill Dog, Rose is accidentally knocked into the fray by the crowd and is inadvertently impaled by Logan. She dies right by Logan's side. Overcome with grief, he runs off, turns feral, and takes to living in the woods along with [[wolves]].

===Early years===

At some point in time, Logan travels to another frontier community in the Canadian Rockies. Employed by [[The Hudson's Bay Company]] as a fur trader to the Blackfoot Indians, he defeats the demonic snake-worm known as Uncegila, a feat which earns him the Blackfoot warrior name of "Skunk-Bear".<ref>''Marvel Comics Presents #93-98, 1991</ref> He meets a young Blackfoot woman named [[Silver Fox]], with whom he falls in love. The two share a cabin together and live happily for a time. On Logan's birthday, [[Sabretooth]] rapes and murders Silver Fox. Enraged, Logan battles Sabretooth only to be defeated.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol.1 #10, 1989</ref> Sabretooth and a mysterious cloaked figure then convince a feral, mindless Logan to slaughter the inhabitants of the town he had been living in at the time. A broad, largely unseen conspiracy then begins to shape Logan, now robbed of his conscience and free will, into the perfect killer. Wherever Logan goes, Sabretooth, one of his handlers, is not far behind.

===World War I===

Logan joins a unit in the Canadian military known as the Devil's Brigade. Logan's commanding officer is a superhumanly strong man known as [[Cyber (comics)|Cyber]]. A sadist, Cyber kills Logan’s girlfriend, a woman named Janet. The two men fight and during the battle, Cyber defeats Logan and gouges out his left eye. Afterwards, Cyber and Sabretooth track him down. They find a feral Logan in the woods and convince him to return. He does so and is sent overseas to [[Madripoor]] where he meets a woman named Seraph. It is here that Logan develops his “Patch” persona.

While fighting in [[Belgium]] on April 22, 1915, Logan encounters a being called Lazaer. Lazaer is armed with a large broadsword and has been using it to kill soldiers on the same battlefield. They soon begin to fight one another, with Lazaer initially gaining the upper hand. After being impaled with Lazaer's sword, Logan pulls it from his chest and stabs it through the chest of his surprised opponent.

Soon after he travels to [[China]], where he meets a Chinese businessman named Chang, an employee of [[Landau, Luckman, and Lake]]. In [[Shanghai]], Logan meets [[Ogun (Marvel Comics)|Ogun]], an immortal [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[samurai]] and sorcerer. Impressed by Logan’s skill, Ogun offers to instruct him in the martial arts, and even teaches him [[Sun Tzu]] and ideograms. Wolverine soon develops a deep and lasting love for [[Japan]].

After his training with Ogun, Logan travels to the village of Bando Saburo in order to learn how to be a man. There, he meets and falls in love with a local woman named Itsu. They are married and conceive a child together. After an explosion caused by the demon swordsmith [[Muramasa]] causes Logan to accidentally stab a villager with his claws, he is banned from the village. Before he leaves, Logan finds Itsu murdered. Unknown to Logan, the mysterious cloaked figure who accompanies Sabretooth when he murders Silver Fox takes the child from Itsu's womb and raises him as the assassin [[Daken]].

Logan gives himself to Muramasa, thinking the villagers are responsible for the murder of Itsu. Muramasa vows to build a sword capable of killing even Logan himself. Logan is later rescued by the [[Bucky|Winter Soldier]], the man who murders Itsu and the baby, and taken to Madripoor.

Logan is sent to the [[Romanov]] family in [[Russia]] where he learns espionage and befriends the young Natasha Romanova, who will later be known as the [[Black Widow (Marvel Comics)|Black Widow]].

In 1936, Wolverine works alongside time-traveling [[Kitty Pryde]] and [[Rachel Summers]] to fight Nazi villains [[Baron Strucker]] and [[Geist (Marvel comics)|Geist]], who have allied themselves with the [[Shadow King]] to dethrone King [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Edward VIII]] and replace him with a fascist heir.

===World War II===

During [[World War II]], Logan teams up with [[Captain America]] in Madripoor. They rescue Natasha Romanova from being transformed into a [[Hand (comics)|Hand]] assassin. [[Baron Wolfgang von Strucker]] becomes involved, causing Wolverine and Captain America to turn their attention towards a fledgling [[HYDRA]]. Soon afterwards, Seraph is killed by Sabretooth, presumably under the orders of the forces who have been manipulating Logan for years.

Wolverine also sees action in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930's, along with good friend [[Puck (comics)|Puck]].<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Marvel Comics|title=''Wolverine'' vol. 2 #35}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=Marvel Comics|title=''The Essential Wolverine Vol. 3'' "Weapon X: The Origin of Wolverine"}}</ref>

Eventually, Logan returns to Canada and again enlists in the [[Armed Forces]], joining the First Canadian Parachute Battalion.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Marvel Comics|title=''Wolverine'' vol. 2 #34}}</ref> It is with this battalion that Logan first encounters [[Bloodscream]], an immortal being with vampire-like qualities and powers. At some point, Logan is captured and spends time in a German concentration camp.

After WWII, Logan begins working for the American [[CIA]]. He is instrumental in the creation of the unbalanced super-soldier, [[Nuke (Marvel Comics)|Nuke]]. On one occasion, Wolverine teams up with [[Ben Grimm]] (during pre-Thing years) to participate in a [[Cold War]] era government mission. He is then recruited by Team X, a Black Ops section of the CIA.

===Team X===

Despite his many amazing feats of resilience and regeneration, Logan remains unaware of his mutant nature while with Team X. During this time, he is given false memory implants in order to better control him. His overseers create the Shiva Scenario, an armada of armored robots whose only directive is to terminate Team X agents if they go rogue. Other members of Team X include Sabretooth, Silver Fox, [[John Wraith]], [[Maverick (comics)|Maverick]] and [[Mastodon (comics)|Mastodon]]. [[Mystique (comics)|Mystique]], under the name of Leni Zauber, also assists Team X on occasion. Due to having his memories tampered with, Wolverine doesn't recall his memories of Sabretooth, Silver Fox, or many of the events that have shaped his life.

On one of Team X's final missions, Logan and Sabretooth are ordered to assassinate the Soviet super-agent [[Epsilon Red]]. The mission is called off but Sabretooth murders Epsilon Red's wife for enjoyment. In Logan's final mission with Team X, he is dispatched to [[East Germany]] with Sabretooth, Maverick, and John Wraith to sabotage a [[Soviet]] super-soldier program in [[Berlin]], steal an item called the carbonadium synthesizer and extract a double agent named Janice. Team X fights another super-agent, [[Omega Red]]. Sabretooth murders Janice after realizing that Logan has recovered his emotions and conscience, reminding Logan that whenever he strays from the narrow path his unseen masters have laid out for him, innocents, most often the women he loves, inevitably die.

Logan learns that he is a mutant and resigns from Team X. He then joins the Canadian Defense Ministry. On one occasion, Logan works with Richard and Mary Parker, government agents and parents of [[Spider-Man|Peter Parker]]. Logan also first meets [[Carol Danvers]] during this time and works with her on a number of occasions.

===Weapon X===
In the serialized story "Weapon X",<ref>''Marvel Comics Presents'' #72-84, 1991</ref> Barry Windsor-Smith created the backstory for the man who would become Wolverine.

Logan is kidnapped by agents of the Weapon X Program. The man known only as the "Professor," Dr. [[Abraham Cornelius]], and Carol Hines begin to examine Logan. After performing many tests, the Professor learns Logan is a mutant and will thus make the perfect weapon. Logan's bones and claws are bonded with the indestructible metal known as adamantium. This adamantium bonding process was stolen by the Weapon X Program from the Japanese scientist known as [[Lord Dark Wind]].

Logan proves too difficult for the Weapon X Program to control and shortly thereafter, Wolverine escapes the facility with the help of [[Bucky#Winter Soldier|Winter Soldier]], killing nearly everyone except for the Professor Cornelius, Hines, and [[Malcolm Colcord]].

Driven into a feral-like state by the experiment, Logan wanders the forests of the Canadian Rockies for months. It is during this feral period that he first encounters the Hunter in Darkness.

===Department H===


Logan is eventually discovered by [[Guardian (Marvel Comics)|James]] and [[Vindicator (comics)|Heather Hudson]], who help him recover his humanity. Following his recovery, Logan, this time under the supervision of [[Department H]], once again works for Canadian Intelligence.
Logan is eventually discovered by [[Guardian (Marvel Comics)|James]] and [[Vindicator (comics)|Heather Hudson]], who help him recover his humanity. Following his recovery, Logan, this time under the supervision of [[Department H]], once again works for Canadian Intelligence.
Logan 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 (comics)|Hulk]] and the [[Wendigo (comics)|Wendigo]].
Logan 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 (comics)|Hulk]] and the [[Wendigo (comics)|Wendigo]].


[[Professor X]] recruits Wolverine to a new team of X-Men.<ref>''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1</ref> Disillusioned with his Canadian intelligence work and intrigued by Xavier's offer, Logan resigns from Department H. Logan continues to adventure as a superhero, eventually recoving his memories.
Another documented Department H mission is Wolverine's involvement in a hostage situation in [[Iraq]]. Iraqi militants and a group of hired mercenaries seized an American embassy in Iraq and took hostages, giving various ransom demands. Because there are Canadian hostages in the embassy, Wolverine is dispatched to handle the situation, along with an American/Canadian Delta Force. The reclaiming of the embassy is successful. However, following the battle, Wolverine finds a Canadian nun dying from a bullet wound she received in the crossfire. She tells him about how the hired American mercenaries had harassed her daily and subjected her to extreme psychological torture. Wolverine promises the nun he would avenge the suffering, and years later he hunts down the mercenaries in North America and kills them.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Marvel Comics|title=''Wolverine'' vol.2 #9}}</ref>

James Hudson soon creates [[Alpha Flight]] and recruits Logan with the intention of making him team leader.

===X-Men===

[[Professor X]] recruits Wolverine to a new team of X-Men.<ref>''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1</ref> Disillusioned with his Canadian intelligence work and intrigued by Xavier's offer, Logan resigns from Department H.

Professor X gathers a new team of X-Men to free [[Cyclops (comics)|Cyclops]]' team from the mutant island known as [[Krakoa]]. Logan and the other new X-Men successfully rescue the previous team, marking the beginning of a new period in Logan's life. Logan forms an immediate friendship with [[Nightcrawler (comics)|Nightcrawler]] and a strong attraction to [[Jean Grey]], which causes frequent clashes between him and Cyclops.

James Hudson eventually finds Wolverine and tries to force him to return him to Department H, but is defeated quickly. Later, in Japan, Wolverine encounters Lady [[Mariko Yashida]], heir to an extremely powerful [[Yakuza]] family in [[Tokyo]].<ref>''Uncanny X-Men vol.1 #118 February, 1979</ref> During an intimate scene in a garden Wolverine begins to tell Mariko his name but is interrupted by [[Mandroid]]s and [[Moses Magnum]]. After the battle and before leaving Japan, he finally tells Mariko his name is "Logan" and presents her with a white chrysanthemum.<ref>''Uncanny X-Men'' vol.1 #120 April, 1978</ref> It is the first time he reveals the name he calls himself. As time passes, he falls for Mariko, as Jean Grey is attached.

[[Guardian (Marvel Comics)|Vindicator]] returns as the leader of Canada's first superhero team Alpha Flight. With his new team, he attempts to capture Wolverine. Not long after the X-Men defeat Alpha Flight, Jean Grey, possessed by [[Dark Phoenix Saga|Phoenix]], dies. Cyclops leaves the team in grief, and [[Storm (Marvel Comics)|Storm]] takes up the mantle of the X-Men's leader. Kitty Pryde joins the team and eventually becomes one of Wolverine's closest friends.

Wolverine, donning his brown and tan outfit for the first time, travels to Canada with [[Nightcrawler]] in tow to make peace with Alpha Flight by helping them take down the Wendigo once more.<ref>''Uncanny X-Men'' vol.1 #139 November, 1980</ref> During this adventure, Wolverine's teammates finally learn his name.

In his first solo limited series, written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Frank Miller, Wolverine seemingly overcomes his feral nature in order to win the love and respect of Mariko Yashida. The two are engaged, but the wedding is broken off by [[Viper (comics)|Viper]] and the [[Silver Samurai]], as well as the manipulations of the villain [[Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde)|Mastermind]].

In another story, Wolverine takes it upon himself to watch over [[Amiko Kobayashi]], daughter of a woman killed in the aftermath of a fight between the X-Men and a giant dragon over Tokyo. In subsequent stories Logan continues to visit Amiko, although she is now under the care of his close friend and sometime lover [[Yukio (comics)|Yukio]].<ref>''Uncanny X-Men'' vol.1 #186 October, 1984</ref>

Wolverine later travels with Kitty Pryde to Japan to confront his former mentor, Ogun, who was killed years earlier. Ogun possesses Kitty and makes her his assassin, but Logan helps her overcome him and force him from her body. During a savage battle with Ogun, Wolverine realizes that his feral side will always be there and that it is something that he must always fight to keep under control. Afterwards, Logan and Kitty become very close friends, and she becomes like a daughter to him.<ref>''Kitty Pryde and Wolverine'' #1-6, November 1984-May 1985</ref>

When Storm's powers are lost and she leaves the X-Men for a time, Wolverine briefly becomes leader of the X-Men. His team consists of [[Havok (X-Men)|Havok]], [[Colossus (comics)|Colossus]], [[Rogue (comics)|Rogue]], [[Psylocke]], [[Dazzler]], and [[Longshot]]. This team is mainly featured in the crossover events [[The Fall of the Mutants]] and [[Inferno (Marvel Comics)|Inferno]].

After the events of Fall of the Mutants, the X-Men, who sacrifice their lives, are reborn in the [[Australian Outback]]. There, runaway mutant [[Jubilee (comics)|Jubilee]] saves Wolverine's life from an attack by [[Lady Deathstrike]] and the [[Reavers (comics)|Reavers]].<ref>''Uncanny X-Men vol.1 #244 May, 1989</ref> She eventually becomes, as Kitty and Amiko did before her, another surrogate daughter. Wolverine also returns to Madripoor during this time and reassumes alias 'Patch.'

[[Apocalypse (comics)|Apocalypse]] tricks Wolverine into journeying to the [[Savage Land]]. While there, Wolverine sleeps with the female chieftain, Gahck, of an indigenous tribe. He discovers an insane robot duplicate of Apocalypse, which he destroys, putting an end to Apocalypse's experiments on the tribe. He unknowingly sires a son with Gahck, whom she names "Erista."<ref>''Wolverine: The Jungle Adventure''</ref>

===Return to Weapon X===

After the X-Men return to America, Wolverine returns to the Weapon X base in Canada. There, he learns many of his memories are implants and his personality becomes much darker. He also fights the robot [[Shiva (Marvel Comics)|Shiva]] for the first time.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol. 1 #50 1992</ref>

Wolverine travels back to Japan and reunites with Mariko, though she refuses to rekindle their love until her clan ceases all illegal activities. However, she is soon poisoned by a ''Yakuza'' assassin working for [[Matsu'o Tsurayaba]], who bears a grudge against Wolverine. Mariko asks Wolverine to end her life quickly, and he reluctantly complies. This changes Wolverine's character significantly, making him even more disciplined and emotionally distant. Wolverine vows to Matsu'o that on each anniversary of Mariko's death he will visit him and slice off a body part until there is nothing of him left.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol. 1 #60 1992</ref>

Shortly after Mariko's death, Wolverine is shocked to learn that Silver Fox is still alive. The two former lovers rejoin their former Team X teammates Sabretooth, Maverick, John Wraith, and Mastodon, with Jubilee and Caroline Hines of the Weapon X Program in tow, in hunting down Aldo Ferro a.k.a "Psi-Borg," a powerful psychic who brainwashed many of them for Weapon X.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol. 1 #64 December, 1992</ref> Ferro kills Hines and then forces Sabretooth to kill Silver Fox before dying himself.

Wolverine suffers a mental breakdown after the deaths of Mariko and Silver Fox. Thinking he is on a prior Team X mission to assassinate someone named "Terry Adams", Wolverine breaks into a Russian space program facility and encounters Epsilon Red, a genetically-engineered cosmonaut with powerful psychic abilities. Red, the "Terry Adams" Wolverine is after, breaks down many of the mental blocks in Wolverine's mind in return for help escaping the facility. With this greater knowledge of which memories are true and which are false, Wolverine is finally able to pick up the pieces of his shattered life.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol. 1 #68 1993</ref>

===Bone claws===
This happiness is short-lived, for at the end of the ''Fatal Attractions'' [[fictional crossover|crossover]], the adamantium is ripped from Wolverine's skeleton by Magneto.<ref>''X-Men'' (2nd series) #25 October, 1993</ref> This act injures Wolverine so severely his mutant healing factor burns itself out in order to keep him alive. In fact, most of Wolverine's other natural abilities including his heightened senses, strength, stamina, agility, and reflexes are weakened as well.

Unwilling to accept his severely weakened state, Wolverine begins training in the [[Danger Room]]. In a fit of rage and frustration, his claws, now bone, extrude. Furthermore, each time he extrudes them, they pierce the skin of his hands and cause severe tissue damage and blood loss. Feeling useless, Logan embarks on a series of solo adventures, leaving a note with Jubilee to explains his views on the matter.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol. 1 #75 November, 1993</ref>

During these adventures, he encounters some past enemies, such as the adamantium-skinned Cyber, the Reaver Cylla, and the vampiric Bloodscream. Cyber ends up being the first to break Wolverine's newly discovered bone claws. While traveling alone, Wolverine stops for a training session with [[Generation X (comics)|Generation X]] and encounters his Weapon X ally Maverick and his X-Men teammate [[Gambit (comics)|Gambit]] in Madripoor, before learning Sabretooth is staying at Xavier's. Wolverine returns and defeats Sabretooth in battle while the X-Men are away. The battle ends with Wolverine puncturing Sabretooth's brain, temporarily altering Sabretooth's vicious personality until the injury is fully healed.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol. 1 #90</ref>

Later, tests and studies jointly conducted by [[Professor Charles Xavier]], [[Beast (comics)|Beast]], and [[Vindicator (comics)|Heather Hudson]] show the mutation endowing Wolverine with his powers is an ongoing process.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol. 1 #91-100</ref> Unlike most mutants, he continues to mutate slowly over the course of his life. As a result, Wolverine's powers, particularly his heightened senses and accelerated healing, slowly increase. However, after Wolverine's skeleton was bonded with adamantium by the Weapon X Program, this mutation was completely halted. The studies also reveal, aside from suppressing his ongoing mutation, the presence of adamantium also slowed his mutant healing factor. The adamantium laced to his skeleton is treated as a foreign substance by his healing factor, which constantly devotes a great deal of effort attempting to remove the metal,<ref>''Wolverine: Inner Fury''</ref> causing him to heal slower from other injuries. After Magneto ripped the adamantium from Wolverine's skeleton, and his body completely healed from the injuries, the mutation resumed, at a greatly accelerated rate. The studies show accelerated mutation has increased his powers beyond any other point in his life. It is also revealed during this time that Wolverine's mutation process will eventually cause him to degenerate physically into a more primitive, bestial state.

Some time later, the villain known as [[Genesis (comics)|Genesis]], who is the son of Wolverine's ally [[Cable (comics)|Cable]], kidnaps Wolverine and attempts to re-bond adamantium to his skeleton in an attempt to transform Wolverine into a Horseman of Apocalypse.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol. 1 #100</ref> The attempt is unsuccessful, and the process pushes Wolverine so far to the edge that he becomes purely feral. Enraged, Wolverine stalks the [[Dark Riders (comics)|Dark Riders]] in their headquarters and eventually kills them all before fleeing. With the help of [[Elektra (comics)|Elektra]] and [[Stick (comics)|Stick]], he is able to regain his humanity and reverse the bulk of his feral regression, though his increased powers remain.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol. 1 #101-110</ref>

===Death, Horseman of Apocalypse===

Wolverine lives without adamantium for some time before being kidnapped by the villain Apocalypse. Apocalypse sets up a contest between Wolverine and an adamantium-bonded Sabretooth to determine who would become the new leader of his [[Horsemen of Apocalypse|Four Horsemen]].<ref>''Wolverine'' vol. 1 #145</ref>

Although he knows winning means being brainwashed and turned against his friends, Wolverine supposes that Sabretooth would enjoy being set loose as a killing machine, while he himself might be able to fight it. Emerging victorious he is made the Horseman Death, and Apocalypse strips the adamantium from Sabretooth and bonds it to Wolverine's skeleton once more.

While Wolverine serves Apocalypse as the Horseman Death, a [[Skrull]] impostor takes his place on the X-Men. The real Wolverine later kills the Skrull impostor.<ref>''Astonishing X-Men'' vol.2 #3</ref> Wolverine eventually overcomes Apocalypse's conditioning with the help of Jubilee.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol. 1 #147</ref>

===Weapon Plus===

Some time later, Wolverine is captured by the Weapon X program, restarted under the leadership of Director Malcolm Colcord, a soldier Wolverine disfigured when he escaped from the original Weapon X facility. It is revealed that the mental implants installed by the original program are still functional, as Colcord uses them to force Wolverine into tracking down and eliminating former members of the program. Wolverine's mental implants are finally destroyed when he assassinates the previous director.{{issue}}

Soon after, it is revealed that the "X" in "Weapon X" was a Roman numeral, making Wolverine "Weapon Ten" in a sequence of living super-weapons that began with Captain America and [[Isaiah Bradley]]. The Weapon X program that experimented on Wolverine spun out of a larger "Weapon Plus" program, leading Wolverine to join Cyclops and the mysterious [[Fantomex]], himself Weapon XIII, on a mission to bring down Weapon Plus and discover Wolverine's true identity. During the assault on Weapon Plus, Wolverine kills Weapon XV, also known as Ultimaton.<ref>''New X-Men'' vol.1 #142-145</ref>

Wolverine then gains access to the Weapon X files that describe his genesis, though this happens largely off-panel and it is not clear to the reader precisely what he learns. What is known is that he was intended to be a living [[Sentinel (comics)|Sentinel]] and that, to test the extent of his brainwashing, he was forced to exterminate the populace of a small [[Midwestern]] town called Roanoke. Wolverine becomes depressed and angry after learning he was created to hunt and exterminate his own people, though Jean Grey is able to convince him that no matter what his makers intended for him, he is still a good man.<ref>''New X-Men'' vol.1 #148</ref> Shortly thereafter Jean Grey is killed and Wolverine, in a feral rage, slices off the head of her killer, "[[Xorn (comics)|Magneto]]".<ref>''New X-Men'' vol.1 #150</ref>

===Agent of HYDRA===

Wolverine is brainwashed into becoming an agent of an alliance between HYDRA and the Hand. While under their control, he kills [[Northstar (comics)|Northstar]]. He is eventually rescued by [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]] and he uses their resources to exact his revenge. Soon after, Wolverine is recruited by the [[Avengers (comics)|New Avengers]], because he is willing to "cross the lines they refuse to cross;"<ref>New Avengers #6</ref> after the events of ''[[Avengers Disassembled]],'' [[Iron Man]] recognizes the need to have someone who is prepared to kill on the team should something like what happened to the [[Scarlet Witch]] occur again. He serves alongside such notable Marvel heroes as Captain America, Iron Man, [[Spider-Man]] and [[Luke Cage]].

===Post House of M===
At the end of ''[[House of M]]'', Wolverine's memories are completely restored. This causes a panic for some of the major powers and governments across the [[Marvel Universe]] because of their involvement in Wolverine's past. The United States and Canada purge all records of Wolverine's involvement in anticipation of his revenge.

Their fears are proved correct. Wanting to find others' knowledge of a mysterious weapon called the "Muramasa Blade", Wolverine confronts the Silver Samurai, who tells him that he did not escape the Weapon X program alone. Bucky, Captain America's World War II partner, now known as the [[Bucky#Winter Soldier|Winter Soldier]], helped him break out. Wolverine travels to Serbia to confront Bucky, who reveals that he murdered Logan's previously unrevealed Japanese pregnant wife, [[Itsu]].

Wolverine then reflects on his life with Itsu. After completing his training with Ogun, Wolverine was sent to a village where another master, Bando Saburo, taught warriors how to regain their humanity. There, Wolverine met Itsu. They soon married and conceived a child. Saburo's village was surrounded by mountains belonging to the demon swordsmith Muramasa. After Bucky murdered Itsu, Wolverine, believing it was the people of the village who killed her, allied with Muramasa, who made the Muramasa Blade, the only weapon capable of killing Wolverine. After remembering this, Wolverine returns to Muramasa's mountains and reclaims the Muramasa Blade in order to exact vengeance on those who have been manipulating him throughout nearly his entire life.<ref>''Wolverine: Origins''</ref>

As Wolverine searches for those responsible for all the horrors in his past, Nuke is dispatched to stop him. Wolverine, remembering his role in Nuke's creation, feels responsible for taking him down. In the jungles of South Vietnam, they battle. Captain America joins the fray, as do Cyclops, [[Emma Frost]], and [[Hellion (comics)|Hellion]] of the X-Men. Emma Frost tells Wolverine that earlier she had a vision of Daken, Wolverine's previously unrevealed son. Wolverine reasons that Daken is now under the control of the same men who once controlled him. Wolverine gives Cyclops the Muramasa Blade and tells him to kill him with it should he ever come under the control of another again. Wolverine then sets out on an adventure to rescue his son.

However, before Wolverine can begin searching for Daken, [[Nitro (comics)|Nitro]] murders over 600 [[Stamford, Connecticut]] residents, setting off the superhuman [[Civil War (comics)|Civil War]]. Wolverine embarks on a mission to bring Nitro to justice, coming up against [[Namor]] and a group of his double agents.

===Post-Civil War===
After the events of Civil War, Wolverine remains a member of the [[New Avengers]], now underground after the surrender of Captain America and provided with secure accommodations by [[Doctor Strange]]. Their objectives are twofold; to save people "the way [they] want to," and to investigate the reason why the world has been turned upside-down recently. After rescuing [[Echo (comics)|Echo]] from Elektra and the Hand, the team discovers that Elektra had been replaced with a Skrull some indeterminate time ago. Wolverine is the first to suspect his teammates in the New Avengers are secretly Skrulls.<ref>[http://uk.comics.ign.com/articles/796/796467p1.html Interview: Marvel's Massive Avengers Conspiracy]</ref> Doctor Strange later casts a spell revealing that no one on the team is a Skrull.<ref>''New Avengers'' #34</ref>

Between missions with the X-Men and the New Avengers, Wolverine searches for his son Daken. He battles Omega Red for possession of the carbonadium synthesizer, reasoning that since carbonadium disables his mutant healing factor, it will enable him to defeat Daken should he ever need to. He first encounters Daken in Berlin where they fight each other, as well as Wolverine's old foe Cyber. Daken manages to escape, though he is punished by his masters for going after his father without their permission. Wolverine then contacts Bucky and gives him three carbonadium bullets for future use.

Wolverine takes a brief respite from his mission and visits the Captain America memorial where he reflects on his history with the famed super-soldier.

Meanwhile, Wolverine is frequently haunted by dreams of two battling feral armies that he refers to as the Lupines. Wolverine returns to the X-Mansion and immediately renews his rivalry with Sabretooth, which leads to a number of one-on-one confrontations between them. Upon arriving in [[Wakanda]], Wolverine and Sabretooth encounter Storm and her new husband, the [[Black Panther (comics)|Black Panther]]. While being held captive, Sabretooth is questioned by Wolverine about a being called [[Romulus (Marvel Comics)|Romulus]], who is a prominent figure in Wolverine's dreams. However, he fearfully refuses to answer any questions regarding him. The Black Panther later reveals a possible connection between Wolverine's dreams and a graveyard filled with the skeletons of humanoid beings with fangs and claws. The Black Panther theorizes that some mutants that have various animal-like powers and physical features evolved from [[Canidae|canine]] ancestry rather than [[apes]].

Soon afterward they are joined by [[Wolfsbane (comics)|Wolfsbane]], [[Feral (comics)|Feral]], [[Thornn (comics)|Thornn]], and [[Sasquatch (comics)|Sasquatch]] at the request of the Black Panther and make their way to the original Weapon X compound in hopes of uncovering some answers. While separated from the group, Sasquatch is attacked and severely injured by [[Wild Child (comics)|Wild Child]]. Wild Child provides hints to Wolverine that Romulus has always been watching him and that he is responsible for a noticeable upgrade in Wild Child's mutant powers. Sabretooth escapes and, before Wolverine is able to track him down, viciously attacks and kills Feral.

Wolverine journeys back to the [[X-Mansion]] and asks Cyclops to give him the Muramasa Blade, meaning to put an end to the threat Sabretooth represents, once and for all. Cyclops reluctantly gives Wolverine the sword and he sets off to track Sabretooth down. Wolverine finds Sabretooth at the cabin that he and Silver Fox once shared, which is the place where Wolverine considers his rivalry with Sabretooth began. Wolverine then kills Sabretooth using the Muramasa Blade.

Wolverine's next adventure finds him battling a new terrorist organization known as Scimitar. After raiding one of their safehouses, he uncovers a plot to kill Tony Stark and races to [[S.H.I.E.L.D]] headquarters aboard the [[Blackbird (comics)|Blackbird]]. Upon arrival, he soon discovers the entire facility is disguised via an image inducer and is actually another Scimitar base. He is attacked by an unknown assailant wearing an [[Adamantium (comics)|adamantium]] laced uniform. After killing Amir, Logan's latest romantic interest, the assailant shoves an explosive device down Wolverine's throat and detonates it. Wolverine's body is found later by S.H.I.E.L.D agents, with Tony Stark present. Stark notes that Wolverine's body is fully healed, but he is brain dead and his consciousness didn't regenerate along with his body, as it normally does.

[[Dr. Strange]] removes Wolverine's body from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and discovers that Wolverine's soul is trapped in [[Purgatory]]. While in Purgatory, Wolverine battles Lazaer, the swordsman he first encountered during World War I. The name, Lazaer, is revealed to be an [[anagram]] for [[Azrael]], the Angel of Death. While Wolverine's body always fully heals from his injuries, the return of his consciousness to his body depends upon the outcome of these battles with Lazaer. After losing another loved one, Wolverine's will to survive fades. Azrael is able to defeat him and Wolverine's soul is sent onto some semblance of the afterlife.<ref>''Wolverine'' vol.3 #58 (Oct. 2007)</ref> With Dr. Strange's help, Wolverine discovers the reason why his will to survive has faded: when he was killed and resurrected by the Hand and HYDRA, something within him was changed. Ever since, he has slowly been losing his will to live. After making this discovery, Wolverine is returned to life. Alive, he now searches for a woman named Phaedra who was present at his transformation by the Hand and HYDRA. When he finds her, he is shocked to learn that she has been working for a resurrected [[Shingen Yashida]], whom Wolverine killed long ago.

===Messiah Complex===
Wolverine is part of the X-Men team that investigates the detection of a new mutant born in Alaska. Believing that [[Mr. Sinister]] and his allies have the child, Wolverine, Storm, [[Angel (Marvel Comics)|Angel]], Nightcrawler, and Colossus search for Sinister's base. Wolverine's team confronts Sinister and the [[Marauders (comics)|Marauders]] at Sinister's base, where a battle breaks out. During the fight Wolverine confronts Gambit and stabs him through the abdomen. He then questions his former teammate and learns that it is in fact Cable who has the mutant baby. Later in the arc, Cyclops orders Wolverine to assemble the [[X-Force]] (a team consisting of Wolverine, [[X-23]], Wolfsbane, [[Warpath (comics)|Warpath]], [[Hepzibah (comics)|Hepzibah]], and [[Caliban (comics)|Caliban]]) to hunt down Cable and retrieve the new mutant baby by any means necessary.

Tracking Cable to Canada, X-Force finds Cable already in battle with the [[Purifiers]], led by [[Lady Deathstrike]]. Wolverine leads his X-Force into the battle and leaves his personal history with Deathstrike aside and allows X-23 to battle her so he can capture Cable. As Wolverine, Caliban and Warpath chase after the fleeing Cable, Caliban throws himself before a bullet meant for Warpath. Cable uses the confusion to double-back on the team and steal their Blackbird jet and escape. Wolverine blames himself for Cable escaping. Later on, the X-Force attack the Marauders, however, the X-Men arrive, and in the ensuing battle, Wolverine destroys Predator X by letting him swallow him, and slashing his way out of the Predator's stomach.


==Wolverine: Origins==
==Wolverine: Origins==

Revision as of 02:37, 1 March 2008

Template:Otheruses2

Wolverine
File:Marvelwolverine.jpg
New Avengers #5 (March 2005).
Cover art by David Finch.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceThe Incredible Hulk #180-181 (October-November 1974)
Created byLen Wein
John Romita, Sr.
Herb Trimpe
In-story information
Alter egoJames Howlett
SpeciesHuman Mutant
Team affiliationsX-Men
New Avengers
X-Force
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Horsemen of Apocalypse
Alpha Flight
Weapon X
Weapon Plus
Department H
HYDRA
The Hand
New Fantastic Four
Notable aliasesLogan, Death, Patch, Weapon X, Agent Ten, Project X, Hand of God, Mai'Keth, Emilio Garra, Peter Richards, "Canucklehead", James Logan, Mutant #9601, Wildboy
AbilitiesRegenerative healing factor
Superhuman senses, strength, stamina, agility, and reflexes
Adamantium-laced skeletal structure with retractable claws
Resistance to telepathy
Expert martial artist

Wolverine (born James Howlett and commonly known as Logan) is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who has been a member of several teams, including the X-Men and the New Avengers. Created by writer Len Wein and artist John Romita, Sr.[citation needed] with some input by Incredible Hulk illustrator Herb Trimpe. Wolverine had a cameo appearance on the last page of Incredible Hulk #180 (October 1974) and his first "full" appearance in Incredible Hulk #181 (November 1974). X-Men writer Chris Claremont played a significant role in the character's subsequent development. Frank Miller also helped to revise the character in the early eighties with the eponymous limited series in which Wolverine's catch phrase, "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do isn't very nice" was first written.

A mutant, Wolverine possesses animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, and a healing factor that allows him to recover from virtually any wound. This healing ability enabled the supersoldier program Weapon X to bond the near indestructible metal alloy adamantium to his skeletal system. He is also a master of hand-to-hand combat and martial arts.

Wolverine joined the X-Men's "All New, All Different" roster in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975). Wolverine was symbolic of the many tough anti-authority anti-heroes that emerged in American popular culture after the Vietnam War;[1] his willingness to use deadly force and his brooding nature became standard characteristics for comic book anti-heroes by the end of the 1980s.[2] As a result, the character became the clear favorite for fans of the increasingly popular X-Men franchise.[3] He has been featured in his own solo comic since 1988 and he has been a central character in every X-Men adaptation, including animated television series, video games, and the live action 20th Century Fox X-Men film series, in which he is played by Hugh Jackman.[4]

Publication history

Wolverine made his debut in a battle against the Hulk. The Incredible Hulk #181 (Nov 1974). Art by Herb Trimpe.

Wolverine first appeared in the final "teaser" panel of The Incredible Hulk #180 (cover date October 1974) written by Len Wein and penciled by Herb Trimpe. The character then appeared in a number of advertisements in various Marvel Comics publications in early July (cover date November) before making his first major appearance in Hulk #181 (cover date November 1974) again by Wein and Trimpe. John Romita, Sr. designed Wolverine's yellow-and-blue costume. The character's introduction was ambiguous, revealing little beyond his being a superhuman agent of the Canadian government. In these appearances, he does not retract his claws, although Len Wein stated they had always been conceived of as retractable.[5] He appears briefly in the finale to this story in Hulk #182.

Wolverine's next appearance was in 1975's Giant-Size X-Men #1, written by Wein and penciled by Dave Cockrum, in which Wolverine is recruited for a new squad. Gil Kane, who drew the cover of the comic, accidentally drew Wolverine's mask wrong, with larger headpieces. Dave Cockrum liked Kane's alteration (believing it to be similar to Batman's mask) and decided to incorporate it into his own artwork for the actual story.[6] Cockrum was also the first artist to draw Wolverine without his mask, and the distinctive hairstyle became a trademark of the character.

A revival of X-Men followed, beginning with Uncanny X-Men #94 (August 1975), drawn by Cockrum and written by Chris Claremont. In Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine is initially overshadowed by the other characters, although he does create tension in the team as he has a crush on Cyclops' girlfriend, Jean Grey. As the series progressed, Claremont and Cockrum (who preferred Nightcrawler[7]) considered dropping Wolverine from the series;[8] Cockrum's successor, artist John Byrne, championed the character, later explaining, as a Canadian himself, he did not want to see a Canadian character dropped.[9] Byrne created Alpha Flight, a group of Canadian superheroes who try to recapture Wolverine due to the expense their government incurred training him. Later stories gradually establish Wolverine's murky past and unstable nature, which he battles to keep in check. Byrne also designed a new brown-and-tan costume for Wolverine, but retained the distinctive Cockrum cowl.

Following Byrne's departure, Wolverine remained in X-Men. The character's growing popularity led to a solo, four-issue limited series, Wolverine (Sept.-December 1982), by Claremont and Frank Miller, followed by the six-issue Kitty Pryde and Wolverine by Claremont and Al Milgrom (November 1984 - April 1985). Marvel launched an ongoing solo book written by Claremont with art by John Buscema in November 1988. It ran for 189 issues. Larry Hama later took over the series and had an extensive run. Other writers who wrote for the two Wolverine ongoing series include Peter David, Archie Goodwin, Erik Larsen, Frank Tieri, Greg Rucka, and Mark Millar. Many popular artists have also worked on the series, including John Byrne, Marc Silvestri, Mark Texeira, Adam Kubert, Leinil Francis Yu, Rob Liefeld, Sean Chen, Darick Robertson, John Romita, Jr., and Humberto Ramos. During the 1990s, the character was revealed to have bone claws, after his adamantium is ripped out by Magneto, which was inspired by a passing joke of Peter David's.[10]

In addition to the Wolverine series and appearances in the various X-Men series, two other storylines expand upon the character's past: "Weapon X", by writer-artist Barry Windsor-Smith, serialized in Marvel Comics Presents #72-84 (1991); and Origin, a six-issue limited series by co-writers Joe Quesada, Paul Jenkins, and Bill Jemas and artist Andy Kubert (November 2001 - July 2002). A second solo series, Wolverine: Origins, written by Daniel Way with art by Steve Dillon, spun out of and runs concurrently with the second Wolverine solo series.

Wolverine's intended origin

Co-creator Len Wein originally intended for Logan to be a mutated wolverine cub, evolved to humanoid form by the High Evolutionary.[11] In X-Men #98, a biological analysis of Wolverine suggests that he is not a full-fledged mutant, and in X-Men #103, Wolverine says he doesn't believe in leprechauns, to which the leprechaun replies, "Maybe leprechauns don't believe in talkin' wolverines, either."[12] In a reprint of Hulk #180-181, titled Incredible Hulk and Wolverine, an interview with Cockrum supports the claim Wolverine was intended to be a mutated wolverine. Cockrum said he considered having the High Evolutionary play a vital role in making Wolverine a human. He wanted Wolverine to be the age of a young adult, with superhuman strength and agility similar to Spider-Man. This changed when Cockrum saw John Romita Sr. draw a mask-less Wolverine as a hairy 40-year-old. Len Wein originally intended the claws to be retractable and part of Wolverine's gloves, and both gloves and claws would be made of adamantium.[13] This idea was later nixed by Claremont because he believed anyone could then become Wolverine by wearing the gloves. The claws are first revealed to be part of Wolverine's anatomy in X-Men #98. Shortly after this, it was revealed that Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) was a spider evolved to human form by the High Evolutionary. Publisher Stan Lee was disgusted with the interpretation of the character and insisted her origin be changed. Lee's strong reaction and subsequent demand for a retcon convinced Wein, Cockrum, and Claremont they could never get away with introducing Logan as a mutated wolverine.

Wolverine's second intended origin

Byrne said (as stated in interviews and on his website) that he drew a possible face for Wolverine - but then learned that John Romita Sr. had already drawn one for him (Wolverine's face, drawn by Cockrum, can be seen in Uncanny X-Men #98, long before Byrne started). Later, Byrne used the drawing for Sabretooth's face (an enemy of Iron Fist, who Claremont was also currently writing). Byrne then came up with the idea of Sabretooth being Wolverine's father (they both had similar healing abilities and raging tempers). Together, Byrne and Claremont came up with Wolverine being around 60 and having served in World War II after escaping from Sabretooth (who was around 120 years old and had been abusing him for decades - explaining his rages). The plan had been for Wolverine to have been almost crushed in an accident; at which point he would discover (when attempting to stand for the first time after recovering) that his healing factor does not work on bones - his legs immediately break. He then spends over a decade in a hospital bed, almost going mad (another reason for his berserker rages) when the Canadian Government approaches him with the idea of replacing his skeleton one bone at a time with solid Adamantium - the claws being an extra surprise. This origin too was never used.

Fictional character biograghy

Main article: Fictional history of Wolverine

Born in 19th century Canada to rich plantation owners, James Howlett grows into manhood on a mining colony in British Columbia, adopting the name "Logan." [13] Wolverine leaves the colony and lives for a time in the wilderness among wolves, until returning to civilizaion, residing with the Blackfoot Indians. Following the death of his Blackfoot paramour, Silver Fox, is ushered into a Canadian military unit. Logan spends sometime in Madipoor, developing his "Patch" persona, before settling in Japan, where he marries and has a son.

During World War II, Logan teams with Captain America versus HYDRA, and continues a career as a soldier-of-fortune/adventurer. Wolverine works for the First Canadian Parachute Battalion.[14] and CIA before being recruited for Team X.

As a member of Team X, Wolverine is given memory implants. He continues on the team, until he is able to break free of the mental control and joins the Canadian Defense Ministry. Wolverine is kidnapped by the Weapon X, where he remains captive and experimented on, until his escape by the Winter Soldier, after which he returns to the Canadian wilderness.

Logan is eventually discovered by James and Heather Hudson, who help him recover his humanity. Following his recovery, Logan, this time under the supervision of Department H, once again works for Canadian Intelligence. Logan 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.

Professor X recruits Wolverine to a new team of X-Men.[15] Disillusioned with his Canadian intelligence work and intrigued by Xavier's offer, Logan resigns from Department H. Logan continues to adventure as a superhero, eventually recoving his memories.

Wolverine: Origins

Cover for Wolverine: Origins #1.
Art by Michael Turner.

Wolverine: Origins is a second ongoing series, starring Wolverine in his quest as a result of the "Origins & Endings" storyline. At the beginning of the series, he encounters a Shiva robot while trying to extract information from a government foe. After defeating the robot with the Muramasa Blade, those in the government hiding from Logan send Frank Simpson a.k.a. Nuke against him. It is revealed through flashbacks that Wolverine takes Nuke from his family as a child and, during the Vietnam War, is responsible for implanting a trigger word into Nuke that causes him to massacre a Vietnamese village. All this is apparently part of an attempt to recreate Wolverine, already a living weapon prior to Weapon X. Exactly who is controlling Wolverine at this point remains unclear at this time.

After defeating Nuke in South Vietnam, he then fights Captain America who has been sent to stop Wolverine's path of vengeance once and for all. Cyclops, Emma Frost, and Hellion of the X-Men enter the fray and stop Wolverine (driven berserk by a slash from the Muramasa Blade Captain America managed to take from him) from killing the famous hero.

Emma calms the combatants telepathically and reveals to Wolverine his son is still alive and that the boy's name is Daken. Emma also warns Wolverine his boy doesn't seem to have any thoughts of his own, similar to how Wolverine has been controlled so many times before. Wolverine remembers when Sabretooth killed Silver Fox all those years ago, and how her murder was arranged by those who want to bring out the beast in him and turn him to their side. He assumes something similar has been done to his son by his enemies in order to gain control over him.

Emma advises Wolverine to end his mission of revenge as he has a son to rescue. He entrusts Cyclops with the Muramasa Blade, explaining that the captors of his son will most likely brainwash him if they are able to capture him. Wolverine makes Cyclops promise to use the sword to kill him if that time ever comes. Emma informs Wolverine that, above all else, his son hates him. Wolverine tells her that he hates himself, as well, for all the terrible things he's done under his enemies' control.

Wolverine remembers carbonadium weakened his mutant healing factor and thinking it may provide him with a way to take down his son without killing him, he travels back to America to find Maverick. Maverick was part of Team X during Wolverine's first encounter with the carbonadium synthesizer and the villainous Omega Red. He had also been entrusted with it by Wolverine a few years back. Wolverine tracks Maverick to a building in New York City where mutants, powered and depowered alike, are taking refuge and is surprised to see Jubilee there. Their reunion is shortlived, however, as Omega Red mysteriously bursts into the building, nearly killing Jubilee and demanding Maverick tell him where the carbonadium synthesizer is.

Wolverine and Omega Red fight while Maverick and Jubilee evacuate the depowered mutants. Wolverine remembers his first encounter with carbonadium, when his handlers in Team X tested it on him before they rewrote his memories like they did after every one of his missions. As they were taking him to the device that would brainwash him, he fought back, killing one of the scientists with a blow to the throat. He threatened the other scientist, popping his (bone) claws accidentally. Seeing his claws made him remember everything that Team X had taken from him. He asked the scientist who gave the orders and he said he didn't know. Wolverine, smelling that he was not lying, ordered him to tell him what he did know. The scientist is contacted via telephone every time Wolverine needs to be mindwiped. When he completes his task, he tells Wolverine that he barely made it out alive of whatever mission he was on and then gives him a dossier detailing his next mission. Wolverine asks for the dossier he would normally be given. He tells the scientist to tell whoever was in charge that the brainwashing was successful and then leaves, intending to participate in this mission. The mission is in Berlin, where he first encountered Omega Red.

In the present, Wolverine is overpowered by Omega Red. Red tackles him through a wall where they land on the rooftop of an adjacent building. Wolverine is briefly knocked unconscious, while Omega Red makes his way back to the building where Maverick last was. Wolverine, hearing Jubilee scream for him, rushes back into the building. He finds a wounded Maverick who tells him that Omega Red has Jubilee and that he told the villain to whom he gave the carbonadium synthesizer.

With Dum Dum Dugan and S.H.I.E.L.D. hot on his trail, Wolverine travels to Berlin where he reminisces about his Team X mission there. He had undertaken the mission (to steal the carbonadium synthesizer from a German laboratory), pretending he was still under the control of his handlers, to see if he could get any answers as to who was directing him. Remembering his past with Sabretooth, he intended to use the carbonadium synthesizer on his old adversary since it shorted out mutant healing factors. Before he could do so, Omega Red attacked. As Team X fled with a defecting German scientist, Sabretooth realized Wolverine had regained control and executed the scientist. The scientist was a woman, and Sabretooth was advised to kill any available female targets when Wolverine broke free of his masters' control, since it showed him that whenever he wasn't kept on a tight leash, "pretty things die."

In the present, Wolverine meets up with the Black Widow. The details as to how Wolverine first became involved with the Widow and her father are revealed, as are the details of his first mission as a covert operative in a number of flashbacks. During a brief skirmish with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Jubilee is severely injured. Wolverine surrenders to the agents after they promise to save Jubilee's life. After being taken to a S.H.I.E.L.D. base and placed into restraints, Wolverine's son, disguised as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, enters the room where Wolverine is being held, after using his bone claws to wound Dum Dum Dugan (despite the apparent seriousness of the injury, Joe Queseda recently confirmed Dugan was not killed[16]). A tear rolls down Wolverine's cheek as, he notes to himself, just how much his son seems like him. Wolverine's son announces his disgust at how "weak" Wolverine is and uses his claws to slash him across the stomach, before leaving him to bleed on the floor.[17] Wolverine quickly heals from the injuries, however, and escapes from the facility.[18]

He later finds his son, but he is soon confronted by his old foe, a reborn Cyber. Cyber fights Daken, and is about to defeat him, until Wolverine grabs Cyber from behind, letting Daken escape. An enraged Cyber attacks Wolverine, but has a heart attack in the middle of the fight. However, Cyber came for his son and Wolverine later learns that Cyber trained his son in the field of combat. Wolverine gets this information in exchange for saving Cyber's life.

After confronting Cyber, Wolverine decides to take a moment of rest and heads to the Captain America museum, where he reflects on his first meeting with the former hero during the events of World War II.

As Wolverine is leaving Washington, he makes a quick stop at a storage locker, when opened by an unknown individual, later to be revealed as Bucky, he finds 3 sniper bullets with a letter attached saying "Bucky, will let you know who and when", signed with just an L.

Powers and abilities

Wolverine is a mutant with a number of both natural and artificial improvements to his physiology. His primary mutant power is an accelerated healing process typically referred to as his mutant healing factor that regenerates damaged or destroyed areas of his body far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary human and renders him immune to nearly all toxins, radiation, and diseases.[19]

Depictions of the speed and extent of injury to which Wolverine can heal vary. Originally, this is portrayed as accelerated healing of minor wounds, but writers have increased this ability over years to the point that he can fully regenerate nearly any damaged or destroyed bodily tissue. One of the more extreme examples of Wolverine's healing factor shows the total regeneration of his soft body tissue after having it incinerated from his skeleton within a matter of minutes.[20] Wolverine survives the explosion due to the protection his adamantium-laced skull provides to his brain.[21] It has been stated in the Xavier Protocols, a series of profiles created by Xavier that lists the strengths and weaknesses of the X-Men, that Wolverine's healing factor is increased to "incredible levels" and that the only way to stop him is to decapitate him and remove his head from the vicinity of his body.[22] In addition, the regenerative qualities of his healing powers dramatically alter his natural aging process. Despite being born in the late 1800s,[23] he has the appearance and vitality of a man in his physical prime. Though he now has all of his memories, his healing abilities can provide increased recovery from psychological trauma by suppressing memories in which he experiences profound duress.[24]

Wolverine's healing factor affords him increased physical attributes such as superhuman levels of stamina, such as engaging Omega Red in a continuous fight for more than 18 hours, despite regular exposure to Omega Red's Death Pheromones,[25] as well as superhuman agility and reflexes sufficient to dodge Cyclops' optic energy beams at point blank range.[26]

Wolverine also has superhumanly acute senses of sight, smell, and hearing. 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 both hear sounds ordinary humans can't and also hear to greater distances. Wolverine is able to use his sense of smell to track targets by scent, even if the scent has been eroded somewhat over time by natural factors. This sense also allows him to identify shapeshifting mutants despite other forms they may take.

Wolverine's physical appearance displays animal-like mutations, including pronounced canines and three retractable bone claws housed within each forearm. While originally depicted as surgically placed implants of the Weapon X Program ,[27], the claws are later revealed to be part of his natural, mutant anatomy.[28] The claws are much harder than normal bone and can cut substances as durable as most metals, wood, and some varieties of stone.[29] Wolverine's hands do not have openings for the claws to move through; thus, they cut through his flesh every time he extrudes them.[30]

Wolverine's entire skeleton, including his claws, is molecularly infused with adamantium, rendering it practically indestructible. Due to the adamantium coating, the claws can cut almost any known solid material. The only known exceptions are adamantium itself and Captain America's shield, which is the only substance in the Marvel Universe known to be even more durable than adamantium. Wolverine's ability to slice completely through a substance depends upon both the amount of force he can exert and the thickness of the substance. The adamantium also weights his blows, dramatically increasing the effectiveness of his punches and kicks.

Wolverine's healing factor allows him to push his muscles beyond the limits of the human body without injury, granting him some degree of superhuman strength.[31] This is augmented by the constant demand placed on his muscles by over one hundred pounds of adamantium,[32] which also removes skeletal structural limitations. As a result, he can lift or move weight that would damage a human skeleton.[33] He is strong enough to break steel chains[34][35] and lift a dozen men above his head with one arm and throw them through a wall.[36]

Due to high level psionic shields implanted by Professor Charles Xavier, Wolverine's mind is highly resistant to telepathic assault and probing.[37]

Skills and personality

During his time in Japan and other countries, Wolverine becomes a master of virtually all forms of martial arts. He is proficient with most weaponry, including firearms, though he is partial to bladed weapons. He can defeat the likes of Shang-Chi[38] and Captain America[39] in single combat. He also has a wide knowledge of the body and pressure points.[40] He is also an accomplished pilot and highly skilled in the field of espionage and covert operations.

Wolverine sometimes lapses into a "berserker rage" while in close combat. In this state he lashes out with the intensity and aggression of a mindless animal and is even more resistant to psionic attack.[41] Though he loathes it, he acknowledges that it has saved his life many times.

In contrast to his brutish nature, Wolverine is actually extremely intelligent. Due to his increased lifespan, he has traveled the world and amassed an intimate amount of knowledge of foreign languages and cultures. He can speak English, Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Cheyenne, Spanish, and Lakota; he also has some knowledge of French, Thai, Vietnamese, German and Portuguese.[42] When Forge monitors Wolverine's vitals during a Danger Room training session, he calls Logan's physical and mental state "equivalent of an Olympic-level gymnast performing a gold medal routine while simultaneously beating four chess computers in his head."[43]

Despite his apparent ease at taking lives, he does not enjoy killing or giving into his berserker rages. Logan adheres to a firm code of personal honor and morality. He is often irreverent and rebellious, particularly towards authority, though he is a reliable ally and capable leader. He has had romantic, platonic, and even paternal relationships over the decades with numerous women.

Team membership

Wolverine has been a member of more teams than any other marvel character. In fact, he is often seen serving in multiple teams in multiple locations, and having solo adventures in his own book simultaneously.

Other versions

Main article: Alternate versions of Wolverine

As one of Marvel's flagship characters, Wolverine has seen many adaptations and reimaginings. For example, an issue of Exiles featured a planet of Wolverines. In the Marvel Mangaverse, Wolverine is even the founder of the X-Men. In Marvel Zombies, Wolverine appears zombified alongside Marvel's other major players. The Ultimate Marvel line of comics sought to ingrain Wolverine into its Ultimate X-Men title from the onset.

In other media

Main article: Wolverine in other media

Wolverine is the only X-Men character to be included in every media adaptation of the X-Men franchise, including film, television, computer and video games, and is the only one to have starred in his own video games (e.g., X2: Wolverine's Revenge).

Marvel Studios recently announced that an X-Men spin-off movie based on Wolverine, titled X-Men Origins: Wolverine, is currently in production and will have Hugh Jackman reprise his role as Wolverine. Gavin Hood will be directing the film, which will be released worldwide on May 1, 2009. Kodi Smit-McPhee will play the young Wolverine.[44]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Wright, Bradford W. Comic Book Nation. Johns Hopkins, 2001. Pg. 265
  2. ^ Wright, pg. 277
  3. ^ Wright, pg 263, 265
  4. ^ "X-Men IMDb". Retrieved 2007-05-03.
  5. ^ "CONvergence I, Len Wein". Jonathan Woodward. July 8, 2005. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Brian Cunningham, "Dressed to Kill", Wizard Tribute to Wolverine, 1996.
  7. ^ X-Men Companion
  8. ^ X-Men Companion
  9. ^ DeFalco, Tom. Comic Creators on X-Men. Titan, 2006. Pg. 110
  10. ^ Brian Cronin (2007-03-29). "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #96". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2007-04-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "CBR.cc: Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #21". Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  12. ^ X-Men #103, p.14, panel 3
  13. ^ Origin #1 vol.1
  14. ^ "Wolverine vol. 2 #34". Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ Giant-Size X-Men #1
  16. ^ [1]
  17. ^ Wolverine Origins #10
  18. ^ Wolverine Origins #11
  19. ^ Wolverine vol.1 # 1
  20. ^ Wolverine vol3. #43
  21. ^ Wolverine vol.3 #48
  22. ^ Excalibur vol.1 #100
  23. ^ Origin mini-series
  24. ^ Wolverine vol.2 #175
  25. ^ X-Men vol.2 #5
  26. ^ Wolverine:Origins #5
  27. ^ Wolverine vol.1 #2
  28. ^ Wolverine vol.2 #75
  29. ^ Wolverine vol.2 #91 and #101
  30. ^ Wolverine vol.2 # 77
  31. ^ Wolverine vol.2 #1
  32. ^ Wolverine vol.2 #57
  33. ^ Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: Wolverine 2004 vol.1 #1
  34. ^ Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #111
  35. ^ Wolverine vol.3 #51
  36. ^ Wolverine vol.2 #1
  37. ^ Wolverine vol.3 #46
  38. ^ X-Men Vol.2 #62
  39. ^ Wolverine Origins #4-5
  40. ^ X-Men vol.2 #108/Wolverine vol.3 #20
  41. ^ Wolverine vol.2 #168
  42. ^ "List of languages present on Marvel.com (excluding German, mentioned in Wolverine vol.2 #37, and Portuguese, mentioned in "Wolverine: Saudade" - Cedex: Panini, 2006.)". Marvel Comics.
  43. ^ "Wolverine vol. 1 #51". Marvel Comics.
  44. ^ [2]


References

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