The Evolution of Wolverine, Part 1

Uncanny X-Men #141, cover (detail)

Like many, I became an avid fan of the X-Men in the late 1980s / early 1990s. I can’t remember the first issue that I read—my best friend Philip shared his copies with me on the school bus—but I remember the first one I bought: Uncanny X-Men #270, Part 1 of the “X-Tinction Agenda,” published in November 1990. Wanting more, the following month I picked up Wolverine #34, at which point I was hooked (at least for a while).

I also started purchasing back issues as best I could. But the high price of those comics prevented me from making it back past the mid-1980s. So I took for granted the way the characters were at the time that I was reading. As far as I was concerned, the Wolverine of 1990 was the same as the Wolverine of 1980, or ’75.

But one interesting aspect of serial narratives, whether they’re comic books or television series, is that they rarely start out fully formed. Rather, their concepts and characters develop over time, as the people making them figure out what does and doesn’t work. The Wolverine that I met c. 1990 was a significantly different character than the one that older readers were introduced to in 1974. And although I didn’t know it at the time, 1991 would prove another turning point in the character’s nature, as different creators brought different ideas to Wolverine, revising both his present and past.

In this series of posts, I want to delve into that history, demonstrating how the writers, artists, and editors behind the scenes created and refined Wolverine as a character over the first twenty years of his existence. Broadly speaking, there are three distinct periods:

1. 1974–1982: Wolverine comes together as a character. Initially a short-tempered man with claws, animal senses, and a tendency to fly into berserker rages, Wolverine later gets his unbreakable adamantium skeleton and his fast-healing factor, as well as his fondness for smoking and drinking, plus his catchphrase.
2. 1982–1991: Wolverine’s history as a secret agent gets fleshed out. He thinks and speaks frequently about his past, from the time he spent living in Japan, to his team-ups with fellow military officer Carol Danvers.
3. 1991-onward: In a major retcon, Wolverine is reinvented as an amnesiac, as well as a victim of the nefarious Weapon X program. In order to accommodate these new ideas, much of his past life is rewritten.

In this first post, I’ll tackle the initial period, 1974–82, showing how it took around eight years for the people behind the scenes to get the basic character down.

“I’m like an animal…”

Today, two of Wolverine’s defining characteristics are his mutant fast-healing factor and his unbreakable adamantium-laced skeleton. But, remarkably, it took more than six years for Wolvie to acquire those two traits.

X-Men fans who were reading in the 1970s knew a much simpler version of the character. At its foundation lay the idea that Wolverine was feral, animalistic. As he himself tells his comrades, “I’m like an animal—I don’t know from faces. I know from scents, voices, feelings …”

Uncanny X-Men #100, page 15 (detail)

As such, he was given not to thinking, but to “reactin’ t’ things on a gut, instinctive level” (Uncanny X-Men #111, page 23). That instinct, coupled with his keen senses and razor-sharp claws, saved him and his fellow X-Men on numerous occasions—even as he remained a liability to everyone around him.

Part of that was due to the fact that Wolverine, much like his fabled namesake (not to mention the Hulk), was prone to entering uncontrollable berserker rages. As the narration describes him early on: “Push him too far and he goes mad—and when he does, he kills.”

Uncanny X-Men #96, page 22 (detail)

A little later, when Cyclops complains that he’s “just about had it with your ‘mad killer’ act, pal!”, Wolverine replies, “It’s no act, leader-man!”

Uncanny X-Men #106, page 6 (detail)

Wolverine’s role as a character at that time was that of the “loose cannon”—a powerful, but potentially fatal element in the mix. Indeed, one of the reasons why he joined the X-Men was to learn how to better control his berserker rages.

The comic makes a lot of Wolverine’s “psycho killer” nature in the beginning. The man is supremely short-tempered, constantly trying to pick fights with his teammates.

Uncanny X-Men #96 page 7 (detail)

Uncanny X-Men #102, page 6 (detail)

Even Storm, who’s inordinately gracious and patient, admits she finds Wolverine “occasionally … irritating.”

Uncanny X-Men #125, page 10 (detail)

This original version of Wolverine was essentially a wolverine in human form. So it’s not entirely surprising that, behind the scenes, someone at Marvel was toying with the idea of making the guy precisely that: an actual wolverine that someone (the High Evolutionary?) had transformed into a human.

The comic contains a few hints toward this intended origin. At one point, the villainous Dr. Steven Lang and his assistant scan Wolverine. The assistant wonders whether Wolverine is a mutant, since “his readings are nothing like [the other X-Men].” Lang replies, “The Sentinels say he is … but mutant or no, whatever the Wolverine is, he isn’t human.”

Uncanny X-Men #98, page 22 (detail)

A second hint comes five issues later, when Wolverine meets one of the Little People who inhabit Cassidy Keep. Wolverine expresses disbelief that the person is real: “No way, bub. The Wolverine doesn’t believe in Leprechauns.” The Little Person, whose name is Padraic, replies, “Suit yerself. Maybe Leprechauns don’t believe in talkin’ wolverines, either.”

Uncanny X-Men #103, page 26 (detail)

Note that Padraic somehow knows Wolverine’s real name—Logan—which hadn’t yet been revealed, the implication being that he has supernatural insight into Wolvie.

A final clue along this line can be found on the cover of Uncanny X-Men #111, where Wolverine, who’s been abducted by Arcade, is described as “Killer Beast in Human Form! Savage!”

Uncanny X-Men #111, cover

Other than that, however, this idea (thankfully) went nowhere.

Figuring out what’s inside

In addition to his animalistic nature, Wolverine also had his signature adamantium claws. However, it wasn’t clear at first whether those claws were a weapon that he used (attached to his gauntlets), or part of him. Issue #98 (April 1976) makes it clear that the blades emerge from Wolverine’s forearms.

Uncanny X-Men #98, page 23

Uncanny X-Men #98, page 26 (detail)

 

But it took a while longer for the comic to clarify that there was still more to Wolverine—namely, that his skeleton was also adamantium, and that he had a fast-healing factor.

We get our first hints of both those traits in issue #116, published in December 1978. After a Savage Land dinosaur bites Wolverine’s arm (which proves fatal for the dino), Wolverine tells Storm not to worry, because “I heal real fast! And the beast ain’t been born that can break my bones.”

Uncanny X-Men #116, page 11 (detail)

That’s the first clue that someone at Marvel was looking to expand on Wolverine’s powers. But neither his healing factor nor his adamantium skeleton are mentioned by name, and neither is hinted at again for over a year.

Presumably, those aspects of the character were still getting worked out behind the scenes. At times, Wolverine worries about being injured, even killed, by things that later wouldn’t faze him. For instance, in issue #133 (May 1980), a Hellfire Club goon shoots Wolverine, prompting the X-Man to think, “That was close—almost too close. If I hadn’t spun away when this guy fired, his burst would’a cut me in two ’stead o’ simply creasin’ my side!”

Uncanny X-Men #133, page 6 (detail)

His teammates also worry about his safety. During a session in the Danger Room, Colossus shoves Wolverine out of the way of a falling steel girder.

 

Uncanny X-Men #106, page 3

Of course, it’s possible that the girder wouldn’t have hurt Wolverine, but Colossus didn’t know that. Right from the start, Wolverine was cagey, playing his cards close to his chest. For instance, while he tells Mariko Yashida, soon after meeting her, that his real name is Logan …

Uncanny X-Men #120, page 6 (detail)

… he doesn’t reveal that information to his fellow X-Men for some time. Nightcrawler learns about it only when he meets Heather Hudson, who addresses Wolverine as such.

Uncanny X-Men #139, page 12 (detail)

Wolverine’s response to Nightcrawler—“you never asked”—is something of a running gag in the comic at that time. It was a clever way for the writers and artists to keep the character cryptic while they developed him.

So perhaps Wolverine simply didn’t tell his teammates that he could heal quickly, or that his bones were laced with adamantium. But if so, it’s difficult to see how he could conceal his metal skeleton from Magneto, the self-styled Master of Magnetism. And yet that villain completely overlooks that fact on not one but two occasions, even as he manipulates Wolverine’s metal claws, and taunts Colossus for daring to attack him, since his “steel body” renders him “the weakest of the X-Men.”

Uncanny X-Men #104, page 16

Uncanny X-Men #112, page 14 (detail)

Uncanny X-Men #112, page 27

Looking back now, it seems the creative forces behind the comic hadn’t yet decided on making Wolvie’s skeleton metal.

It isn’t until October 1979 that they cross that Rubicon. In issue #126, the X-Men square off against Moira MacTaggert’s villainous mutant son Proteus, who has the power to warp reality and possess people. At one point, the evil child tries to take control of Wolverine, only for him (and us) to learn that “this X-Man’s full of metal,” a substance that Proteus can’t stand. Wolverine clarifies: “It ain’t just metal, sweetheart. I got a skeleton made of about three million bucks worth of adamantium.”

Uncanny X-Men #126, page 26 (detail)

From that point on, the other X-Men, as well as the comic book’s narration, frequently comment on those adamantium bones (even if they neglect to mention the price tag). Two issues later, the team is still fighting Proteus, and Cyclops pulls a stunt he figures Wolverine alone can survive, thanks to his reinforced skeleton.

Uncanny X-Men #128, page 22 (detail)

However, even as Cyclops delivers those “hard knocks,” he fails to mention Wolvie’s fast-healing factor. (Indeed, he pulls the stunt because he’s worried that Wolverine won’t survive the fall.) He overlooks that healing factor for a second time ten issues later, in the coda to the “Dark Phoenix Saga.” Reflecting on his tenure with the X-Men, Cyclops describes Wolverine as having “the hyper-senses of an animal, plus an unbreakable adamantium skeleton and claws”—no more, no less.

Uncanny X-Men #138, page 11 (detail)

Nor does Wolverine refer to his healing factor during the “Dark Phoenix Saga” proper, while ruminating on how he doesn’t fear much. As he puts it, “There ain’t much for a man with unbreakable adamantium bones an’ razor-sharp claws to be scared of.”

Uncanny X-Men #137, page 11 (detail)

So while it’s possible that Wolverine had his fast-healing factor at this time—c. October 1980—it seems more likely that the people behind the comic were still figuring out Logan’s powers, feeling their way forward.

It isn’t until issue #142 (February 1981) that Storm refers to Wolverine’s “mutant fast-healing ability” by name. Two panels later, Wolverine mentions it as well, making it official.

Uncanny X-Men #142, page 16 (detail)

As it happens, this issue was the second part of the “Days of Future Past” story line (January–February 1981), which proved immensely popular—it, along with the “Dark Phoenix Saga” (January–October 1980), are what initially pushed the X-Men over the top, making the series a hit.

I wasn’t a reader at that time, but it seems to me that part of that popularity was due to the fact that, later on in the issue, the Wolverine of the future—the then-distant year of 2013—gets killed by a Sentinel, whose ray sears all the flesh from his bones, leaving behind only his adamantium skeleton, which clatters to the floor.

Uncanny X-Men #142, page 22 (detail)

Uncanny X-Men 142, page 23 (detail)

This issue, presumably, cemented in readers’ minds the fact that Wolverine’s skeleton was metal. (The cover also refers to and reinforces this iconic moment.)

Uncanny X-Men #142, cover

But just in case readers missed it, they got another glimpse at Wolvie’s metal bones in the summer of 1982, in issue #160. The X-Men get sent to Limbo, where they encounter the corpse of another future Wolverine, of whom only his skeleton remains. Memorably, the demon S’ym casually snaps off one of that skeleton’s claws to use as a toothpick.

Uncanny X-Men #160, page 9 (detail)

Smoking & drinking

So it wasn’t until February 1981 that Wolverine came into full possession of his powers. Other aspects of the character also took some time to develop, gradually coming into focus during the character’s first eight years—for instance, his tendency to kick back with a cigar as well as a “brew.”

When he first joined the X-Men, Wolverine sometimes smoked cigarettes …

Uncanny X-Men #98, page 2 (detail)

… and he sometimes smoked cigarillos.

Uncanny X-Men #139, page 12 (detail)

Finally, in issue #153—the delightful “Kitty’s Fairy Tale,” published in January 1982—we see Wolvie smoking a cigar.

Uncanny X-Men #153, page 11 (detail)

One issue later, he smokes another cigar, as he speaks with Carol Danvers.

Uncanny X-Men #154, page 06 (detail)

From that point on, while he smokes the occasional cigarillo, he mainly favors cigars. Kitty comments on this habit in issue #196, when she swipes one from him and tries a few puffs, much to her displeasure.

Uncanny X-Men #196, page 12 (detail)

Wolverine’s drinking also increases steadily over time. In issue #125 (September 1979), after bickering with Cyclops, Wolverine storms out of the Danger Room, complaining, “I need a brew!” (page 10). Later that night, we see him downing another beer. (I doubt he’s still nursing the first one.)

Uncanny X-Men #125, page 31 (detail)

This is a good example of artists finding, then repeating, something that works, and gradually, Wolverine drinking after a Danger Room session became habit. In issue #139 (November 1980), after a workout, Nightcrawler brings his teammates lemonade. When Wolverine complains, “I don’t drink lemonade,” Nightcrawler surprises him with a beer.

Uncanny X-Men #139, page 7 (detail)

Soon after that, the Danger Room gets destroyed (as tends to happen from time to time). Wolverine and Nightcrawler switch to training in the woods, with the loser owing the winner a case of beer. Nightcrawler quickly racks up considerable debt.

Uncanny X-Men #148, page 7 (detail)

Uncanny X-Men #149, page 4 (detail)

(As a sidenote, issue #172 presumably sees Wolverine call Nightcrawler’s debt due.)

Uncanny X-Men #172, cover

Wolverine’s drinking grows throughout the summer of 1982. In issue #159 (July 1982), he downs a six-pack while hanging out at Misty Knight’s apartment …

Uncanny X-Men #159, page 3

… and by issue #160 (August 1982), it’s become customary for him to enjoy “a brew” after workouts—even as his teammates opt for healthier refreshments.

Uncanny X-Men #160 (Aug 1982), page 3 (detail)

That said, slicing off the top of the can was novel—but as the man said, he was thirsty.

“I’m the best there is …”

The final piece of the puzzle fell into place immediately after that, in September 1982. That month saw the release of the first issue of the Wolverine limited series, a four-issue collaboration between Chris Claremont and rising star Frank Miller. They open the first issue with a catchy line (an example of antimetabole, not to mention litotes) that would become the character’s catchphrase: “I’m the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.”

Wolverine #1 (Sep 1982), page 1

To ensure that the catchphrase would stick, Claremont repeated it one month later, in Uncanny X-Men #162.

Uncanny X-Men #162 (Oct 1982), page 14 (detail)

So there you have it: by the fall of 1982, Wolverine had completed the first phase of his development. He had his powers, his vices, and his catchphrase. With all of that settled, the creative forces behind the book began looking backward, into Wolverine’s past—which we’ll explore ourselves in the next part of this series, coming soon!

For more on the evolution of geek culture, check out my most recent book, I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing: Star Wars and the Triumph of Geek Culture. And for more writing on the X-Men, see my five-part series, “What Should Be Done with the Mutant Menace?”

Works Cited

• Uncanny X-Men #96, Dec. 1975. “Night of the Demon!” Writers: Chris Claremont and Bill Mantlo. Penciler: Dave Cockrum. Inker: Sam Grainger. Colorist: Phil Rachelson. Letterer: Dave Hunt. Editor: Marv Wolfman.
• Uncanny X-Men #98, Apr. 1976. “Merry Christmas, X-Men — The Sentinels Have Returned!” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Dave Cockrum. Inker: Sam Grainger. Colorist: Janice Cohen. Letterer: Joe Rosen. Editor: Marv Wolfman.
• Uncanny X-Men #100, Aug. 1976. “Greater Love Hath No X-Man…” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Dave Cockrum. Inker: Dave Cockrum. Colorist: Bonnie Wilford. Letterer: Annette Kawecki. Editor: Marv Wolfman.
• Uncanny X-Men #102, Dec. 1976. “Who Will Stop the Juggernaut?” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Dave Cockrum. Inker: Sam Grainger. Colorist: Bonnie Wilford. Letterer: John Costanza. Editor: Archie Goodwin.
• Uncanny X-Men #103, Feb. 1977. “The Fall of the Tower.” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Dave Cockrum. Inker: Sam Grainger. Colorist: Janice Cohen. Letterer: John Costanza. Editor: Archie Goodwin.
• Uncanny X-Men #104, Apr. 1977. “The Gentleman’s Name is Magneto.” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Dave Cockrum. Inker: Sam Grainger. Colorist: A. Yanchus. Letterer: Patterson. Editor: Archie Goodwin.
• Uncanny X-Men #106, Aug. 1977. “Dark Shroud of the Past!” Writers: Chris Claremont and Bill Mantlo. Pencilers: Dave Cockrum and William Robert Brown. Inker: Tom Sutton. Colorist: Andy Yanchus. Letterer: Joe Rosen. Editors: Archie Goodwin and Marv Wolfman.
• Uncanny X-Men #111, Jun. 1978. “Mindgames!” Cover Artists: Dave Cockrum, Terry Austin, and Danny Crespi. Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colorist: Mary Titus. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Archie Goodwin.
• Uncanny X-Men #112, Aug. 1978. “Magneto Triumphant!” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colorist: Mary Titus. Letterers: Gaspar Saladino and Bruce Patterson. Editor: Jim Shooter.
• Uncanny X-Men #116, Dec. 1978. “To Save the Savage Land” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Roger Stern.
• Uncanny X-Men #120, Apr. 1979. “Wanted: Wolverine! Dead or Alive!” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Roger Stern.
• Uncanny X-Men #125, Sep. 1979. “There’s Something Awful on Muir Island!” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Roger Stern.
• Uncanny X-Men #126, Oct. 1979. “How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth…!” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Roger Stern.
• Uncanny X-Men #128, Dec. 1979. “The Action of the Tiger!” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Roger Stern.
• Uncanny X-Men #133, May 1980. “Wolverine: Alone!” Writers: Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Jim Salicrup.
• Uncanny X-Men #137, Sep. 1980. “The Fate of the Phoenix!” Writers: Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editors: Jim Salicrup and Louise Jones.
• Uncanny X-Men #138, Oct. 1980. “Elegy” Writers: Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Louise Jones.
• Uncanny X-Men #139, Nov. 1980. “…Something Wicked This Way Comes!” Writers: Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Louise Jones.
• Uncanny X-Men #141, Jan. 1981. “Days of Future Past” Writers: Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Louise Jones.
• Uncanny X-Men #142, Feb. 1981. “Mind Out of Time.” Writers: Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Cover artists: Terry Austin and Danny Crespi. Penciler: John Byrne. Inker: Terry Austin. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Louise Jones.
• Uncanny X-Men #148, Aug. 1981. “Cry, Mutant!” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Dave Cockrum. Inker: Josef Rubinstein. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Janice Chiang. Editor: Louise Jones.
• Uncanny X-Men #149, Sep. 1981. “And the Dead Shall Bury the Living!” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Dave Cockrum. Inker: Josef Rubinstein. Colourist: Don Warfield. Letterer: Janice Chiang. Editor: Louise Jones.
• Uncanny X-Men #153, Jan. 1982. “Kitty’s Fairy Tale.” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Dave Cockrum. Inker: Josef Rubinstein. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterers: Tom Orzechowski and Annette Kawecki. Editor: Louise Jones.
• Uncanny X-Men #154, Feb. 1982. “Reunion.” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Dave Cockrum. Inkers: Bob Wiacek and Josef Rubinstein. Colourist: D. Warfield. Letterer: Joe Rosen. Editor: Louise Jones.
• Uncanny X-Men #159, Jul. 1982. “Night Screams!” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Bill Sienkiewicz. Inker: Bob Wiacek. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Louise Jones.
• Uncanny X-Men #160, Aug. 1982. “Chutes and Ladders.” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Brent Anderson. Inker: Bob Wiacek. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editors: Louise Jones and Danny Fingeroth.
• Uncanny X-Men #162, Oct. 1982. “Beyond the Farthest Star.” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Dave Cockrum. Inker: Bob Wiacek. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editors: Louise Jones and Danny Fingeroth.
• Uncanny X-Men #172, Aug. 1983. “Scarlet in Glory.” Cover Artists: Paul Smith and Ron Zalme. Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Paul Smith. Inker: Bob Wiacek. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editors: Louise Jones and Danny Fingeroth.
• Uncanny X-Men #196, Aug. 1985. “What Was That?!!” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: John Romita Jr. Inker: Dan Green. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Ann Nocenti.
• Wolverine, Vol. 1, #1, Sep. 1982. “I’m Wolverine.” Writer: Chris Claremont. Penciler: Frank Miller. Inker: Josef Rubinstein. Colourist: Glynis Wein. Letterer: Tom Orzechowski. Editor: Louise Jones.

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