Wolverine has showed remarkable staying power since his first appearance in The Incredible Hulk #180 in October 1974. Back then, he was a quasi-villain hunting down Bruce Banner’s cranky alter-ego. Once he was added to the international cast of the “All-New X-Men,” however, his trajectory changed. But it wasn’t until Chris Claremont teamed with John Byrne (like Logan, a native from up North) in The X-Men #108 that the character’s full potential was unlocked.
During their legendary four-year run on the book, Logan evolved from team malcontent to a fiery and unpredictable hero—and just about everyone’s favorite mutant. As his popularity grew, various creators added new elements to the Wolverine mythos. His connection to Japan and its culture, first explored in depth in Claremont and Frank Miller’s 1982 “Wolverine” limited series, illuminated a central element of the character: He was a ronin, only this adrift samurai had adamantium claws instead of a sword.
Wolverine was as responsible as any character for the rise of the anti-hero in comics. His bloodthirsty ways terrified his X-Men teammates and Marvel Comics’ editors, who worked overtime to minimize his body count until they realized killing was a necessary part of who the character was. But as he once said, “It takes no skill to kill.” For Logan, it was simply a necessary step to deal with a threat. His willingness to do what other heroes wouldn’t made him unpredictable and incredibly popular with readers.
One of the most irresistible aspects of Wolverine that fueled his rise to comics’ A-list is his murky backstory. For years, details about his past were revealed only in tantalizingly small bits. We didn’t know Wolverine’s actual name was Logan until a leprechaun mentioned it, and then it wasn’t mentioned again for years. Two seminal moments in his history—Barry Windsor-Smith’s “Weapon X” serial in “Marvel Comics Presents” and Paul Jenkins and Andy Kubert’s “Origin”—sparked controversy because some fans thought revealing the mystery of Wolverine’s beginnings would kill the mystery surrounding him.
But when you have a character who is virtually immortal (a benefit of his mutant healing power), peeling back one layer only reveals another. Wolverine may not be the enigma he once was, but the allure about him remains as strong as ever. Soldier, spy, killer, friend, husband, father, Avenger, X-Man; Wolverine has been all of these.
Most of all, he has been a hero. And he remains the best there is at what he does. These rare photos, taken from my new book Wolverine: Creating Marvel’s Legendary Mutant, only offer further proof.
“The very first time the world laid eyes on Wolverine, he was a squat, muscular special agent sent by the Canadian government to capture the Hulk. His look, as well as his costume, would evolve many times over the years. His fierce scrappiness, however, would remain fairly consistent.”
“Artist John Byrne made Wolverine more muscular, hairier, more savage and more popular than ever. Ask any longtime X-fan and they’ll point to this issue, where Logan single handedly takes on the Hellfire Club in ruthless fashion, as the moment he became the X-Men’s biggest star.”
“Barry Windsor-Smith’s hyper-detailed artwork presented Logan in his most untamed state yet. He was ripped with the hair of a lion, and the ferocity to match.”
“Wolverine’s hair and mutton chops are ridiculous..but Logan makes it work. After all, are you going to make fun of the hair stylings belonging to a guy with adamantium claws?”
“Under the paralleled pencils of comics legend Jim Lee, Logan was an engine of perpetual motion. Images like this made Lee, currently DC Comics’ Chief Creative Officer and Publisher, one of comics’ most popular artists.
“The very first meeting between Wolverine, Captain America and the Black Widow was the centerpiece of this issue. This is arguably the most memorable cover of the 1990s X-Men era, and the original artwork for it recently sold for $300,000!”
“You didn’t know Logan’s claws were actually made of bone? Don’t worry, neither did he, until this classic moment from 1993’s Wolverine #75″
“The 90s were rough for a lot of us, but especially for Logan. He not only lost his adamantium skeleton, but also much of his humanity. Beast mode, indeed! He became more like an actual wolverine, and for a time, even lost most of his nose. Thankfully, this was only temporary.”
“Wolverine’s mysterious origin story was finally revealed in the 2002 miniseries ORIGIN. By the end of that story, he had embraced his bestial nature, becoming leaner and more comfortable running with a pack of wolves than being around humans.”
“Wolverine’s future as Old Man Logan is impossibly depressing and full of bloodshed, but it offered a slew of stories offering a vastly different perspective on the pint-sized mutant.”
“Laura Kinney, aka X-23, is Logan’s daughter by way of cloning experimentation (it’s comics, so of course it’s complicated). After establishing a relationship with her dad, Laura would assume the mantle of Wolverine for a time.”
“Wolverine’s “hot claws” were a recent and controversial addition to his power set after he returned from the dead in 2018.”
More on the evolution and creation of Wolverine is available now in Insight Edition’s Wolverine: Creating Marvel’s Legendary Mutant. Explore over forty-five years of Wolverine, featuring iconic covers, and exclusive content and interviews from the creators who have brought the character to life.
Source: Read Full Article
