10 Best Versions of Wolverine

In a remarkable turn of events, the character known as Wolverine, initially appearing in issue #181 of The Incredible Hulk, looked set for a modest career as a Canadian B-list hero. However, everything shifted when Wolverine collaborator Len Wein reshaped the X-Men universe with Giant-Size X-Men #1. Wolverine was integrated into the team and catapulted towards superstardom. In the early days of the X-Men, Wolverine stood out as a breakthrough character and even earned his first miniseries in 1982. Over time, more miniseries and one-shots were produced, leading to a self-titled solo series in 1989. For an impressive span of 36 years, Wolverine’s story has consistently been told through some form of ongoing series (though the term “ongoing” may seem ironic now due to the frequent reboots for temporary sales spikes).

As a die-hard cinephile over the past five decades, I’ve witnessed an array of incarnations of the iconic character, Wolverine. From alternate universes to big and small screens, numerous actors donned the mantle, while the character himself underwent various transformations. Marvel knows that Wolverine is a goldmine, and they’ve generously gifted us an abundance of versions. For some, the original remains unbeatable, but these ten adaptations come pretty close.

10) Feral Wolverine

In contrast to many others, I hold a fondness for the Feral Wolverine character. This version of Wolverine was initially introduced in issue #100 of Wolverine (Vol. 2). The groundwork for his transformation was laid in issue #77, following Wolverine’s loss of adamantium and his encounters with friends Heather Hudson (a member of Alpha Flight) and Puck. As the story unfolded, Cable’s son Genesis sought to transform Wolverine into one of the Four Horsemen of Death for the resurrected Apocalypse. This led to Cyber’s death and Wolverine’s capture, with his adamantium being grafted onto Genesis’ skeleton. X-Man Cannonball attempted to save Wolverine, but was unsuccessful. Instead, Wolverine violently rejected the infused adamantium and attacked Genesis’ allies, the Dark Riders. His mutation, previously suppressed by the adamantium, turned him into a beast. Readers often ridiculed his lack of a nose (more pronounced in Val Semeiks’ artwork), and Marvel quickly abandoned the concept; however, it was exciting to witness Wolverine struggle against his inner beast and strive to return to being human. He eventually resorted to using an image inducer to conceal his feral appearance, and it wasn’t until issue #145 of Wolverine (Vol. 2) that he returned to normal. This 45-issue run of Wolverine features some remarkable stories and is one of the more intriguing periods in Wolverine’s life.

9) Zombie Wolverine

In the comic series “Marvel Zombies” #1, Zombie Wolverine made his debut on Earth-616. Unlike other zombies, his healing factor usually protected him from viruses, but not on Earth-2149 where he became undead. Contrary to most zombie heroes, he didn’t show remorse for the lives he took and instead seemed to enjoy his zombie existence. In fact, he was one of the most engaging members among the survivors. Despite being a monster, he managed to make the most out of his zombie life, which is quite characteristic of Wolverine. His latest appearance was in “Weapon X-Men”, where he controlled his hunger and assisted other Wolverines in defeating Onslaught. Zombie Wolverine has significant potential as a character, offering both an intriguing backstory to explore and a formidable enemy to battle. Compared to Vampire Wolverine from the “What If…” series, Zombie Wolverine is much more captivating.

8) Daken

Daken is the son of Wolverine, born after World War II when Wolverine was married to Itsu in Japan. During one of his missions, Itsu was killed by the Winter Soldier while pregnant. Their unborn child, whom they intended to name Akihiro, was extracted from Itsu’s body and raised by a Japanese family who named him Daken, meaning “mongrel” in Japanese. He was taught to despise Wolverine and joined forces with his father’s enemy, Romulus. Norman Osborn later recruited Daken as the Dark Avenger, allowing him to wear the distinctive brown and orange costume. He thrived on the attention and acclaim that came with being an Avenger, often clashing with his father in battle.

Later, he assumed the mantle of Dark Wolverine, aiming to control Madripoor’s underworld. Despite his impressive portrayal of Wolverine, he eventually returned to being Daken and led the Brotherhood of Mutants against his father. In a tragic turn of events, Daken was killed by Wolverine but was later resurrected by the Apocalypse Twins. The two eventually reconciled after Wolverine’s return from the dead, with Daken becoming a part of the extended Wolverine family of heroes.

7) Patch

In the early 1900s, Logan found himself drawn to the lawless island of Madripoor and grew fond of it. To evade his numerous adversaries, he adopted the alias Patch. Over time, Patch gained notoriety on the island, and when Wolverine would revisit, he’d wear an eyepatch and white tuxedo as a nod to this persona. During the X-Men’s Outback Era, with the world believing them dead, Logan revived his alter ego, using the Princess Bar as his hideout whenever he required a respite from the X-Men. The period when Wolverine was Patch is intriguing; he spent his time drinking, gambling, and fighting while safeguarding the vulnerable on the island. Although we seldom see Patch nowadays, fans have enjoyed flashback miniseries about him written by renowned Wolverine author Larry Hama and artist Andrea Di Vito. There’s hope for more stories featuring Patch if he becomes a significant character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as he made an appearance in Deadpool/Wolverine.

6) Laura Kinney

Initially introduced as X-23, a supposed clone of Wolverine, Laura Kinney was later discovered to be his genetic daughter. Exploited by the Weapon X program, she eventually escaped and worked with various teams like the X-Men, New X-Men, Avengers Academy, and X-Force. She even temporarily took up the role of Wolverine. However, Marvel’s handling of her tenure as Wolverine was met with disappointment due to a lack of trust in her abilities and failure to fully integrate her into top-tier teams. After Wolverine’s demise, she resumed the role of Wolverine but later shared the name with him during the Krakoa Era. Notable stories featuring Laura during this period include issues #5 and #18-19 of X-Men (Vol. 5). However, her story becomes complex as she was both confined in the Vault and resurrected outside it. Over time, there were two versions of Laura: the resurrected one and the original who took on the name Talon and met an end at the close of the Krakoa Era. Despite this complexity, Laura continues her tenure as Wolverine, appearing in Gerry Duggan’s X-Men (Vol. 6) but with the dual Lauras storyline remaining somewhat confusing.

5) Ultimate Wolverine (Earth-6160)

In a different take, the initial Ultimate Wolverine was a blend of cool yet eerie portrayal of Wolverine, penned by the skilled writer of anti-hero comics, Mark Millar. Although not ranking among the top interpretations of Wolverine, the present Earth-6160 Wolverine is a significant improvement on the character. Known as Logan, he was part of the resistance group, The Opposition, consisting of mutants and humans battling the Eurasian Republic led by Colossus, Magik, and Omega Red. On a mission with Sabretooth, he was apprehended, subsequently turned into the Winter Soldier, receiving an adamantium skeleton and brainwashed to eliminate anyone ordered. After the slaying of Nightcrawler and Mystique, something inside him rebelled against his programming. A subsequent confrontation with Sabretooth allowed The Opposition to free him from mental manipulation. This is where the character stands today, and Ultimate Wolverine is undoubtedly the most captivating solo title featuring Wolverine at present. It’s a fresh take on the character, brimming with potential. To top it off, he sports an impressive beard beneath his mask, and his attire is spectacular.

4) “Days of Future Past” Wolverine

As a die-hard comic book fan, particularly fond of the X-Men series, I can’t help but express my admiration for “Days of Future Past.” This seminal story not only set the grim fate of mutantkind in stone – a future where Sentinels would wipe us out, leaving the X-Men as desperate rebels – but it also introduced and popularized the concept of dark alternate futures.

The readers were given an exceptional portrayal of Wolverine in this storyline. He fought relentlessly against the Sentinels, and his death in Uncanny X-Men #142 is a moment that remains etched in comic book history as one of the most iconic. Since then, we’ve been blessed with the overlooked Wolverine: Days of Future Past miniseries, the more recent X-Men: Days of Future Past: Doomsday miniseries, which delved into the events that led to this classic tale, and even saw him in Paradise X, where he played a crucial role in saving the universe from Mephisto’s manipulations.

To this day, the Wolverine from Days of Future Past continues to captivate me. He stands as one of the finest alternate universe versions of the character, a testament to the power and depth of storytelling within the X-Men universe.

3) Weapon X (Age of Apocalypse Wolverine)

In the cherished X-Men narrative known as “The Age of Apocalypse,” a distinctive portrayal of Wolverine was born, referred to here as Weapon X. Unlike his original counterpart, Weapon X wasn’t transformed into Wolverine; instead, he served under Magneto in an alternate X-Men team. In this reality, he found love with Jean Grey, who reciprocated his feelings. However, she was abducted by Mister Sinister and Cyclops, prompting Weapon X to disobey Magneto’s orders and rescue her. This led to a fierce battle with Cyclops, resulting in the loss of Weapon X’s left hand, which cost Cyclops his eye in return.

After leaving the X-Men, Weapon X and Jean worked together with the Eurasian High Human Council, protecting humans in North America while weakening Apocalypse’s defenses. When humans prepared a nuclear strike against mutants, Jean sacrificed herself to save innocents, but Weapon X persisted, recruiting Gateway and preventing Donald Pierce from destroying a flotilla. He arrived just in time to find Jean mortally wounded by Havok, and avenged her death.

In a final act of love, Jean used the Phoenix Force to save everyone before she passed away. Weapon X remained in North America, eventually being recruited by his daughter Kiriko (conceived with Mariko Yashida prior to meeting Jean) and rejoining the X-Men. They helped free Jean Grey, resurrected as Phoenix, from Sinister’s grasp.

However, Weapon X was later corrupted by the Death Seed and became a new version of Apocalypse in a futile attempt to save the world. This led Jean and the X-Men to use a Scarlet Witch clone to depower the mutants and defeat him. A heroic incarnation of Weapon X was featured in “Weapon X-Men,” and with Marvel reintroducing the Age of Apocalypse reality through “X-Men of Apocalypse,” fans eagerly await seeing which version of the character will return.

2) Old Man Logan

The tale titled “Old Man Logan,” penned by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven, was a massive hit, deserving every ounce of its popularity. It combined elements reminiscent of “Unforgiven,” Wolverine, “Acts of Vengeance,” and “Days of Future Past,” creating a captivating narrative that quickly became a favorite among readers. After the demise of Wolverine, Marvel reintroduced this character in 2015’s “Secret Wars” and transferred him to Earth-616 following the downfall of God Emperor Doom. During his time on Earth-616, Old Man Logan had numerous adventures with the X-Men before meeting his end in “Dead Man Logan.” Throughout the ’10s, Old Man Logan starred in some of the best Wolverine stories ever told, making him one of the most intriguing iterations of the character. The portrayal of Wolverine as a weary, aged man was impressive, and watching him grapple with his deteriorating body eliminated the sense of invincibility that had become somewhat tiresome in the character over the years. In essence, “Old Man Logan” is an exceptional comic, leaving anyone enamored with this version of the character.

1) Bone Claw Wolverine

The bone claw era of Wolverine was extraordinary, that much is clear. In the second volume of X-Men comic series, issue 25, Wolverine shed his adamantium skeleton, revealing bone claws instead. This led fans to an intriguing discovery about their favorite character. The bone claw era of Wolverine can be divided into two distinct phases:

1. The phase from Wolverine (Vol. 2) #75-90, during which Wolverine grappled with his new vulnerabilities while struggling with an overactive healing factor.

2. The phase from Wolverine (Vol. 2) #91-100, where Wolverine battled the early stages of his feral regression, striving to keep the wild beast inside him under control.

Marvel took a significant risk by introducing bone claw Wolverine in 1993, as he was at the peak of his popularity, with fans of X-Men: The Animated Series flocking to buy more Wolverine comics. Removing one of his defining traits might have resulted in decreased sales, but instead, they rose, thanks to renowned Wolverine writer Larry Hama and artist Adam Kubert. If you want to understand why this version of Wolverine is exceptional, read Wolverine (Vol. 2) #75-100 and prepare to be astounded.

What do you think is the best version of Wolverine? Sound off in the comment below.

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2025-07-29 18:22