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Wolverine
Variant cover for Wolverine: Origins #1. Art by Michael Turner.
Publisher Marvel Comics First appearance The Incredible Hulk #180-181 (October-November 1974) Created by Len Wein John Romita, Sr. Herb Trimpe
Characteristics Alter ego James Howlett Species Human Mutant Team affiliations X-Men New Avengers S.H.I.E.L.D. Horsemen of Apocalypse Alpha Flight Weapon X Weapon Plus Department H HYDRA The Hand "New Fantastic Four" Notable aliases Logan, Death, Patch, Weapon X, Agent Ten, Hand of God, Mai'Keth, Emilio Garra, Peter Richards, "Canucklehead", James Logan, Mutant #9601, Wildboy Abilities Regenerative healing factor Superhuman senses, strength, stamina, agility, and reflexes Adamantium-laced skeletal structure with retractable claws Resistance to telepathy Expert martial artist

Wolverine, James Howlett or commonly known as Logan, is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero and a member of several teams, including the X-Men and the New Avengers. Created by writer Len Wein and artist John Romita, Sr. with some input by Incredible Hulk illustrator Herb Trimpe, Wolverine first appeared in Incredible Hulk #180-181 (October 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 that includes razor-sharp retractable claws. 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]

Contents 1 Publication history 1.1 Wolverine's intended origin 1.2 Wolverine's second intended origin 2 Fictional character biography 2.1 Origin 2.2 Early years 2.2.1 World War I 2.2.2 World War II 2.2.3 Team X 2.3 Weapon X 2.3.1 Department H 2.4 X-Men 2.5 Bone Claws 2.6 Death: Horsemen of Apocalypse 2.7 Skrull Wolverine 2.8 Weapon X II 2.9 Agent of HYDRA 2.10 Post House of M 2.11 New Avengers 2.12 Post Civil War 2.13 World War Hulk 3 Wolverine: Origins 4 Powers and abilities 4.1 Skills and personality 5 Other versions 6 In other media 7 Footnotes 8 References

[edit] Publication history

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.

[edit] 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 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 Cockrum and Claremont they could never get away with introducing Logan as a mutated wolverine.^[14]

[edit] 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.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Fictional character biography

[edit] Origin

After decades of complicated, confounding back-stories and retcons, the 2001 limited series Origin finally tells the story of Wolverine's early years.

Set in 19th century Alberta, Canada, James Howlett, the second son of John and Elizabeth Howlett, is sick and frail 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, the son of Thomas Logan, groundskeeper of the Howlett Mansion.

After Dog commits such heinous acts as trying to force himself on Rose and killing James' pet dog, John Howlett fires Thomas and has him thrown off the property. This only adds to Thomas' hatred and, in a drunken rage, he and his son, with the forced help of Rose, break into the Howlett Mansion at night armed with shotguns. 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 extends his claws for the first time. He kills Thomas, slashes Dog across the face, and passes out. Elizabeth, upon witnessing the death of her husband, her lover, and the emergence of James' claws, promptly commits suicide.

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. To explain why they are together, but to avoid scandal, Rose claims that they are cousins and gives James a false name in order to further cover their tracks. For some unexplained reason she claims that his name is "Logan", the name of their enemies, the cause of all their problems.

"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.

Unbeknownst to James and Rose, Dog tracks them to British Columbia. On his deathbed, James' grandfather asks Dog to find his grandson. 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 him 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. Impaling herself, she dies in James' arms. Overcome with grief, James becomes feral and takes to living in the woods with wolves.

[edit] Early years

At some point in time, Logan lives in another frontier community in the Canadian Rockies. He meets a young First Nations woman named Silver Fox, with whom Logan soon falls in love. The two build a cabin together and live happily for several months. On Logan's birthday, Victor Creedbrutally attacks and rapes Silver Fox, killing her as Logan returns home. Enraged, Logan battles Sabretooth only to be defeated.^[15]

[edit] World War I

Logan eventually 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. Soon afterward, Logan and Cyber fight over a woman named Janet who Cyber kills. During the battle, Cyber brutally beats Logan and gouges out one of his eyes. Afterwards Cyber and Sabretooth track him down. They find a feral Logan in the woods and convince him that his only salvation is to work for them. He does so, traveling overseas where he meets Seraph in Madripoor for the first time, going by the alias "Patch", as his eye still hasn't regenerated. 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 battling one another with Lazaer initially gaining the advantage. After being impaled with Lazaer's sword, Logan pulls it from his chest and impales Lazaer with it.

Soon after he travels to China, where he meets a man named Chang, a Chinese businessman and an employee of Landau, Luckman, and Lake. In Shanghai, Logan meets Ogun, a Japanese samurai, sorcerer, and an immortal. Impressed by Logan, 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 a number of years, Logan travels back to Madripoor, the fictional island nation in Asia.

At some point, Logan develops a close attachment to the Romanov family in Russia and to young Natasha Romanova, who will later be known as the Black Widow.

In 1936, Wolverine works alongside time-traveling Kitty Pryde and Rachel Summers to fight Nazi villains Baron Strucker and Geist, who have allied themselves with the Shadow King to dethrone King Edward VIII and replace him with a fascist heir.

[edit] World War II

Due to the outbreak of World War II, Logan is no longer welcome in Japan. He returns to Madripoor, and meets a now much older Seraph, a woman with whom he once shared a romantic relationship. She is involved in espionage and aids Logan when he teams up with Captain America to battle rescue Natasha Romanova from being transformed into a Hand assassin. Nick Fury and Bucky each get involved in an ongoing war against the Hand and Baron Strucker. During the war, Strucker will also work with HYDRA, a worldwide terrorist organization. At some point Seraph is killed by Sabretooth in order to control Logan once again.

Eventually, Logan returns to Canada and again enlists in the Armed Forces, joining the First Canadian Parachute Battalion. Among the Nazi soldiers, Logan encounters Bloodscream, an immortal being with many vampire-like qualities and powers.

At some point Logan is captured and spends time in a German concentration camp. Here he doesn't speak but is killed repeatedly at the orders of the camp's commander. He does not remain dead and constantly returns to haunt the commander; after a short fight the commander can take no more and kills himself. A replacement commander is sent and it is suggested that Wolverine has been playing this trick for some time, meaning a number of Nazi commanders had killed themselves after having been driven mad.

After World War II, Logan again travels to Japan and resumes his training with Ogun for an undisclosed period of time. After he concludes his training, Wolverine begins working for the American CIA, where he is eventually recruited to be part of Team X, a Black Ops section of the American CIA, for the purpose of using him as a sleeper agent.

[edit] Team X

Though the evidence is before him, and has been demonstrated on numerous occassions, Logan is unaware that he is a mutant. During this time, he is given false memory implants created by Psi-Borg. The Weapon X Program created the Shiva Scenario, which consists of armored robots whose only mission is to terminate Team X agents if necessary. This scenario was created by Dr. Alexander Ryking, Dr. Kurt Marko, and Dr. Brian Xavier; fathers of Hazard, Juggernaut, and Professor X. Other members of Team X include Sabretooth, Silver Fox, John Wraith, a.k.a. Kestrel, Maverick, Mastodon, Vole, and Wildcat. 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've shaped his life.

On one of Team X's final missions, Logan and Sabretooth are to assassinate the Soviet super-agent Epsilon Red. The mission is called off but Sabretooth murders Epsilon Red's wife for kicks. In Logan's final mission with Team X, he, Sabretooth, Maverick, and John Wraith are again dispatched to East Germany to sabotage a Soviet super-soldier program in Berlin and steal the carbonadium synthesizer, along with a double agent named Janice. Team X is confronted by another super-agent, Omega Red. During their efforts to escape, Sabretooth murders Janice.

During this time, Logan learns he is a mutant and resigns from Team X. Logan then works for the Canadian Defense Ministry. This may be Department K, a branch of the Canadian government linked to the Weapon X Program. On one occasion, Logan works with Richard and Mary Parker, government agents who will give birth to Peter, who will eventually become Spider-Man. Logan also first meets Carol Danvers during this time.

[edit] Weapon X

In the serialized story "Weapon X",^[16] 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 run the experiment on Logan. After doing many tests, the Professor learns Logan is a mutant and will make the perfect weapon. Then 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 Winter Soldier, killing nearly everyone except for the Professor, Cornelius, Hines, and Malcolm Colcord, a soldier, whom Logan disfigures. Driven into a feral-like state by the experiment, Logan wanders the forests of the Canadian Rockies for months. During this period, Logan saves the life of a humanoid wolf creature known as the Hunter in Darkness.

[edit] Department H

Wandering the woods, Logan is eventually discovered by James and Heather Hudson, who help him with recovery. Following his recovery, Logan, this time under the supervision of Department H, again goes to work for Canadian Intelligence. Logan is dispatched to stop the destruction caused by the powerhouses Hulk and the Wendigo, who are locked in a savage fight.

James Hudson creates Alpha Flight and Logan joins and is groomed to become the team leader.

Early during this period, Logan meets Ben Grimm. At this time, Logan is targeted by Sabretooth and HYDRA under the command of Silver Fox. Again, he is aided by Nick Fury, Carol Danvers, and the Black Widow.

[edit] X-Men

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

Professor X gathered a new team of X-Men to free Cyclops' team from the mutant island known as Krakoa. Logan and the other new X-Men successfully rescue the previous team with no loss of life, marking the beginning of a new period in Logan's life. Logan forms an immediate friendship with Nightcrawler and a strong attraction to Jean Grey, Marvel Girl which causes frequent clashes with Cyclops.

James Hudson eventually finds Wolverine and tries to force him to return him to Department H, but is defeated quickly. Wolverine encounters Lady Mariko Yashida, heir to an extremely powerful Yakuza family in Tokyo.^[17]During an intimate scene in a garden Wolverine begins to tell Mariko his name but is interrupted by Mandroids and Moses Magnum. After the battle and before leaving Japan, he finally tells Mariko his name is "Logan" presenting her with a white chrysanthemum.^[18] It is the first time he reveals the name he calls himself. As time passes, he falls for Mariko, as Jean Grey is attached. Vindicator returns as the leader of Canada's first superhero team Alpha Flight, on their first mission: to capture Wolverine. After the X-Men win a victory over Alpha Flight, the team leaves and some time later, new member Kitty Pryde joins the team, right after Jean Grey, seemingly possessed by Phoenix, dies. Cyclops leaves the team in grief, and Storm takes up the mantle as X-Men leader. Wolverine, donning his yellow and brown outfit for the first time, travels to Canada to make peace with Alpha Flight by taking down the Wendigo once more, this time with Nightcrawler.^[19] During this adventure, Heather Hudson reveals Wolverine's name as "Logan", revealing that others know of his name and past as well as more of his secret nature: when Nightcrawler asks why he never told them his name, he simply replies, "You never asked". After the Wendigo is defeated, the two head back, and quickly become friends, although the two are extremely different in nature.

In his first solo limited series, written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Frank Miller, Wolverine, in love with a now married Lady Mariko, is manipulated into using his claws to attack her crime lord father, Shingen. Mariko decides not to speak to Logan, who is without honor for unsheathing his claws. When her husband is killed and Logan's honor reclaimed by besting Shingen in combat again, the two are engaged, but the wedding is broken off by Viper and the Silver Samurai, and manipulation by the villain 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 under the care of his close friend and sometime lover Yukio.^[20]

Wolverine later travels with Kitty Pryde to Japan to confront his former mentor, Ogun, who was killed years earlier, and his malicious spirit has since required hosts to inhabit. Ogun possesses Kitty, making her his assassin, but Logan helps her overcome him and force him from her body. Afterwards, Logan and Kitty become very close friends, and she becomes like a daughter to him.^[21]

When Storm's powers are lost and she leaves the X-Men for a time, Wolverine takes the mantle of leadership of the diminished team of X-Men, featuring members Havok, Psylocke, Longshot, Rogue, and sometimes Colossus. This team is mainly featured in the crossover events The Fall of the Mutants and 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 saves Wolverine's life from an attack by Lady Deathstrike and the Reavers.^[22] She eventually becomes, as Kitty and Amiko before her, another surrogate daughter. Wolverine also spends a significant amount of time in the seedy areas of Madripoor, under the alias 'Patch.'

Still in Australia, Apocalypse tricks Wolverine into journeying to the Savage Land. While there, Wolverine starts a relationship with the female chieftain, Gahck, of an indigenous tribe. There, he discovers an insane robot version of Apocalypse, which he destroys, as Apocalypse wanted him to do. He puts an end to Apocalypse's experiments on the tribe and unknowingly sires a son with Gahck, who she names "Erista."^[23]

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 darker, and fights the robot Shiva.^[24]

Wolverine travels back to Japan and reunites with Mariko, who refuses to rekindle her love with him 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 rather than let her die slowly and painfully from the toxin, 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.^[25]

Shortly after Mariko's death, Wolverine rejoins his former Team X members Sabretooth, Maverick, John Wraith, Mastodon, and Silver Fox, with Jubilee and Hines of the Weapon X Program, in hunting down Aldo Ferro a.k.a "Psi-Borg", a powerful psychic who brainwashed many of them for Weapon X.^[26] Ferro and Hines die soon after he makes Sabretooth kill Silver Fox.

Wolverine suffers a mental breakdown due to Weapon X's mental tampering and the deaths of Mariko and Silver Fox. Thinking he is on a prior Team X mission to assassinate "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 were true and which were false, Wolverine is finally able to pick up the pieces of his shattered life.^[27]

[edit] Bone Claws

This happiness is short-lived, for at the end of the Fatal Attractions crossover, the adamantium in Wolverine's skeleton is forcibly extracted by Magneto.^[28] 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 extrude, now bone, revealing them to be a natural part of him, rather than adamantium implants. Furthermore, each time he extrudes them, they forcibly 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.^[29]

During these adventures, he encounters some past enemies, such as the adamantium-skinned Cyber, the Reaver Cylla, and the vampiric Bloodscream. While travelling alone, Wolverine stops for a training session with Generation X and encounters his Weapon X ally Maverick and his X-Men teammate 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.^[30]

Over the course of the next several issues^[31] tests and studies jointly conducted by Professor Charles Xavier, Beast, and Heather Hudson show the mutation endowing Wolverine with his powers is an ongoing process. 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,^[32] causing him to heal slower from other injuries. After Magneto ripped it 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.

A prime example of just how much they have increased is seen when Wolverine is run over by a car and suffers numerous internal organs ruptured and half the bones in his body broken, from which he completely heals in a matter of seconds.^[33]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, who is the biological son of Wolverine's ally, and sometime enemy, Cable, kidnaps Wolverine and attempts to re-bond adamantium to his skeleton in an attempt to transform Wolverine into a Horseman of Apocalypse.^[34] The attempt is unsuccessful, and the process pushes Wolverine's system to the point that he degenerates into a feral state that is dominated by wild, animalistic instincts. In a rage, Wolverine stalks the Dark Riders in their headquarters and eventually kills them all before fleeing. With the help of Elektra and Stick, he is able to regain his humanity and reverse the bulk of his regression though his increased powers remain.^[35]

[edit] Death: Horsemen 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 Four Horsemen.^[36]

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. Made to battle the X-Men, Wolverine overcomes Apocalypse's conditioning with the help of Jubilee.^[37]

[edit] Skrull Wolverine

During his time as Death, Wolverine is replaced on the X-Men by a Skrull impostor, with the switch having being made during a recent X-Men mission on a moon, which served as a base for Skrull agents training to act as long-term impostors for Earth's heroes.^[38] The real Wolverine, in the form of Death, goes on to kill the Skrull impostor.^[39]

[edit] Weapon X II

Wolverine is then captured by a restarted Weapon X program 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. However, it seems that during his assassination of the previous director, Wolverine's mental implants are finally destroyed.^{[issue # needed]}

Grant Morrison's run as writer of the X-Men (temporarily renamed New X-Men during Morrison's tenure) reveals that the "X" in "Weapon X" was a Roman numeral, making Wolverine "Weapon Ten" in a sequence of living super-weapons that begins with Isaiah Bradley and Captain America (Weapon I). 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 killed Ultimaton, AKA Weapon XV.^[40]

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 and that he was forced to exterminate the populace of the small Midwestern town of Roanoke as a test of his abilities. This revelation leads Wolverine to believe he is a monster once more and that his only purpose is to kill, but Jean Grey is able to persuade him out of this mentality.^[41]

[edit] Agent of HYDRA

When Wolverine is brainwashed into becoming an agent for HYDRA, he is able to overcome their conditioning with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D. In return, Wolverine becomes a temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in order to help put a stop to HYDRA's plans.

[edit] Post House of M

At the conclusion 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 life and the knowledge he has recovered. The United States and Canada purge all records of Wolverine's involvement in anticipation of his revenge.

The governments' fears prove correct in the "Origins & Endings" arc of his solo series. Wanting to find others' knowledge of a mysterious weapon called the "Muramasa Blade", he confronts the Silver Samurai, who tells Wolverine that he did not escape the Weapon X program alone. Bucky, Captain America's World War II partner, now known as the Winter Soldier, helped him break out. Wolverine travels to Serbia to confront him, and Bucky reveals that he murdered Logan's previously unrevealed Japanese pregnant wife, Itsu, but was not in control of his actions at the time.

Wolverine reflects on how he met Itsu. After World War II, Ogun had been Wolverine's master. After completing his training, Ogun sent Wolverine to a village where another master, Bando Saburo, teaches warriors how to regain their humanity. There, Wolverine met Itsu and they married and conceived a child. Saburo's village is 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 a sword in honor of Wolverine, the Muramasa Blade. Through unknown means, Muramasa began the process that made Wolverine into a weapon and countering Saburo's training.

After remembering this, Wolverine goes back to Muramasa's mountains and reclaims the Muramasa Blade, given to him willingly by Muramasa, who tells Logan to "wield [the sword] like an angry god." Wolverine wants revenge, and he now remembers who deserves his vengeance.

[edit] New Avengers

Wolverine is recruited by the New Avengers, because he is willing to "cross the lines they refuse to cross;" ^[42] 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.

After Nitro's murder of over 600 Stamford, Connecticut residents, Wolverine embarks on a mission to take vengeance on Nitro, to Tony Stark's disapproval. Despite the end of the Civil War, as well as the X-Men having assumed an officially neutral stance for the 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 a confrontation with Elektra and the Hand to rescue Echo, the team discovers that Elektra had been replaced with a Skrull some indeterminate time ago. An interview conducted with Brian Michael Bendis names Wolverine as the first to suspect his teammates in the New Avengers are secretly Skrulls.^[43] However, Doctor Strange casts a spell revealing that no one on the team is a Skrull.^[44]

[edit] Post Civil War

Frequently dreaming 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 over the next several issues.^[45] Upon arriving in Wakanda, Wolverine and Sabretooth encounter Storm and her new husband, the Black Panther. While being held captive, Sabretooth is questioned by Wolverine about a being called Romulus, who is a prominent figure in some of 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 possess various animal-like powers and physical features evolved from canine ancestry rather than apes.

Soon afterward they are joined by Wolfsbane, Feral, Thornn, and 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. 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. During this time, Sabretooth escapes from his bondage and behaves like a wild animal. Before Wolverine is able to track him down, Sabretooth viciously attacks and kills Feral.

Wolverine journeys back to the X-Mansion and asks Cyclops to give him the Muramasa Blade for the intention of putting an end to Sabretooth's threat. 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 uses the sword to slice off Sabretooth's right arm at the shoulder and decapitates him moments later.

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. 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 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 that his consciousness didn't regenerate along with his body, as it normally does.

In an attempt to help, Dr. Strange removes Wolverine's body from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Strange discovers that Wolverine's soul is trapped in Purgatory. Strange discovers that Wolverine's soul is separated from his body journeys to Purgatory each time his body suffers fatal injuries. While in Purgatory, Wolverine battles Lazaer, the same mysterious figure he encounters for the first time in 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, the return of his consciousness to his body depends upon the outcome of these battles with Lazaer and are determined through Wolverine's will to survive. After losing another loved one, Wolverine's will to win and survive fades resulting in Azrael defeating him and sending his soul onto some semblance of the afterlife.^[46]

[edit] World War Hulk

Due to Professor X's involvement over the Hulk's exile, Wolverine is among the X-Men defending him from the Hulk. They soon engage in battle and this incarnation of the Hulk has knowledge of Wolverine's healing abilities and acknowledges that he can't kill him. To cope, he repeatedly strikes Wolverine in the head, rendering him unconscious.^[47]

[edit] Wolverine: Origins

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 carbodanium synthesizer and the villainous Omega Red. He had also been entrusted with 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 carbodanium, 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 who he gave the carbonadium synthesizer to.

With Dum Dum Dugan and SHIELD 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 him 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 [1]). 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.^[48] Wolverine quickly heals from the injuries, however, and escapes from the facility.^[49]

He later on 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.

[edit] 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 widely known as a "healing factor" that regenerates damaged or destroyed areas of his body far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary human and renders him immune to most toxins and diseases.

Depictions of the speed and extent of injury to which Wolverine can heal vary, depending on the story and writer. Originally, this is portrayed as just accelerated healing, but writers have increased this ability over years to the point that he can regenerate organs such as eyes and large portions of his body. For example, he can regenerate all of his soft body tissue after having it incinerated from his skeleton within a matter of minutes.^[50] Wolverine survives the explosion due to the protection his adamantium-laced skull provides to his brain.^[51] 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.^[52] In addition, the regenerative qualities of his healing powers dramatically alter his natural aging process. Despite being born in the late 1800s,^[53] he has the appearance and vitality of a man in his physical prime.

Though he now has all of his memories, his healing abilities provide increased recovery from psychological trauma by supressing memories in which he experiences profound duress.^[54]

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,^[55] as well as superhuman agility and reflexes sufficient to dodge Cyclops' optic energy beams at point blank range.^[56].

Wolverine also possesses 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.

Wolverine's physical appearance displays animal-like mutations, including pronounced canines and three retractable bone claws housed within each forearm. The claws are much harder than normal bone and can cut substances as durable as most metals, wood, and some varieties of stone.^[57]. Wolverine's hands do not have openings for the claws to move through; thus, they cut through his flesh every time he extrudes them.^[58]

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.^[59] This is augmented by the constant demand placed on his muscles by over one hundred pounds of adamantium,^[60] which also removes skeletal structural limitations. As a result, he can lift or move weight that would damage a human skeleton.^[61] He is strong enough to break steel chains^[62][63] and lift a dozen men above his head with one arm and throw them through a wall.^[64]

Due to high level psionic shields implanted by Professor Charles Xavier, Wolverine's mind is highly resistant to telepathic assault and probing.^[65]

[edit] 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^[66] and Captain America^[67] in single combat. He also has a wide knowledge of the body and pressure points.^[68] 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.^[69] Though he loathes it, he acknowledges that it has saved his life many times.

Though seemingly brutish, Wolverine is actually highly intelligent. Due to his increased lifespan, he has traveled the world and amassed an intimate 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.^[70] 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."^[71]

Wolverine is private and often gruff but, 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.

[edit] 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 a collaboration with DC Comics, the Amalgam Comics version of Wolverine has been amalgamated with one of their flagship characters, Batman, creating "Dark Claw".

[edit] 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.

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• Marvel Directory: Wolverine
• XMenFilms.net Popular Fan-Site with News, Photos, and More!
• Wolverine Files: a detailed chronology
• Wolverine Limited : scanned images of Wolverine comic books and related titles

v • d • e X-Men
Comics (Full list)	Uncanny X-Men • X-Factor • New X-Men • X-Men • Astonishing X-Men • Ultimate X-Men • Excalibur • Exiles • Generation X • New Mutants • X-Force • X-Men: The Hidden Years • X-Men Unlimited • X-Treme X-Men • X-Men: First Class • Mythos: X-Men
Major storylines	"Dark Phoenix Saga" • "Days of Future Past" • "Mutant Massacre" • "Fall of the Mutants" • "Inferno" • "The X-Tinction Agenda" • "Muir Island Saga" • "X-Cutioner's Song" • "Fatal Attractions" • "Phalanx Covenant" • "Age of Apocalypse" • "Onslaught" • "Operation: Zero Tolerance" • "Eve of Destruction" • "E is for Extinction" • "Planet X" • "Here Comes Tomorrow" • "House of M" • "Decimation" • "World War Hulk: X-Men" • "Endangered Species" • "Messiah Complex"
In media	Film: X-Men • X2 • X-Men: The Last Stand • X-Men Origins: Wolverine • Magneto TV: Pryde of the X-Men • X-Men: The Animated Series • Generation X • X-Men: Evolution • Wolverine and the X-Men
Universe	Avalon • Asteroid M • Cerebro • Crimson Dawn • Danger Room • Enemies • Fastball Special • Genosha • Legacy Virus • M'Kraan Crystal • Madripoor • Muir Island • Savage Land • Teams • Xavier Protocols • X-Jet • X-Mansion
Other	History • Video games

v • d • e Marvel Universe Mainstream reality: Earth-616
Main heroes	Captain America • The Fantastic Four • The Hulk • Thor • Spider-Man • Iron Man • The Avengers • The X-Men • Daredevil • Wolverine • The Thunderbolts
Other heroes	Sub-Mariner • Nick Fury • Dr. Strange • The Silver Surfer • The Black Panther • Carol Danvers • The Defenders • Ghost Rider • Luke Cage & Iron Fist • Man-Thing • The Punisher • Moon Knight • She-Hulk • Alpha Flight • Elektra • Power Pack • Cloak and Dagger • X-Factor • Excalibur • New Warriors • X-Force • Cable & Deadpool • Heroes for Hire
Satellite and junior teams	The New Mutants • West Coast Avengers • Generation X • The “Secret” Defenders • X-Treme X-Men • New X-Men • Young Avengers • The “Secret” Avengers
Arch villains	Red Skull • Doctor Doom • The Leader • The Abomination • Loki • Doctor Octopus • Green Goblin • Venom • List of Spider-Man enemies • The Mandarin • Masters of Evil • Ultron • Kang the Conquerer • Magneto • Apocalypse • List of X-Men villians • Bullseye • Kingpin • Sabretooth • Baron Zemo
Sidekicks and love interests	Bucky Barnes • Alicia Masters • Jane Foster • Rick Jones • Betty Banner • Mary Jane Watson • Pepper Potts • Jim Rhodes • Teen Brigade • Edwin Jarvis • Moira MacTaggart • Karen Page • Foggy Nelson • The Falcon • Great Lakes Avengers
Important storylines	The Night Gwen Stacy Died • The Kree-Skrull War • The Avengers-Defenders War • The Secret Empire • Phoenix Saga • The Eternals Saga • The Dark Phoenix Saga • The Korvac Saga • Demon in a Bottle • Secret Wars • Secret Wars II • Mutant Massacre • Venom Saga • Armor Wars • Fall of the Mutants • Inferno • Acts of Vengeance • X-Tinction Agenda • Infinity Gauntlet • Operation: Galactic Storm • Infinity War • X-Cutioner's Song • Infinity Crusade • Maximum Carnage • Fatal Attractions • Bloodties • The Clone Saga • Onslaught • Heroes Reborn • Operation: Zero Tolerance • Heroes Return • Maximum Security • Avengers Disassembled • Spider-Man: The Other • House of M • Decimation • Planet Hulk • Civil War • Annihilation • Endangered Species • World War Hulk • One More Day • Messiah Complex