It Seems Like There’s Only One Evil Sabretooth in the Marvel Multiverse (And It’s Blowing Our Minds)

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Sabretooth is a famous villain in the X-Men universe. He first appeared in an issue of Iron Fist, where he was a dangerous mutant mercenary. But he didn’t become truly popular until writer Chris Claremont paired him with Wolverine in Uncanny X-Men. From then on, Sabretooth became Wolverine’s fiercest enemy, sometimes fighting the X-Men and other times even teaming up with them. He’s a villain fans love to despise – a ruthless monster who uses his incredible strength, healing abilities, enhanced senses, and sharp claws and teeth to do whatever he pleases. Whenever Sabretooth appears, readers know a violent confrontation is about to happen.

Sabretooth is a famously dangerous Marvel villain, and he’s consistently been a fan favorite. This popularity has led Marvel to explore different takes on the character, starting with the alternate reality storyline “The Age of Apocalypse” in 1995. In this version, Sabretooth was a hero with the X-Men, known for his close bond with the mutant Blink. This alternate Sabretooth became so popular he later appeared in the Exiles comic series. More recently, in 2025, Marvel introduced another version of Sabretooth as a kind and compassionate character in Ultimate Wolverine. This raises an interesting question: what makes the main version of Sabretooth (from the 616 universe) so villainous, while these other versions aren’t?

For Some Reason, Alternate Sabretooths are More Like Wolverine than In the 616 Universe

Sabretooth’s troubled past in the Marvel universe deeply shaped who he became. As a child, Victor Creed’s mutant abilities frightened his parents, who imprisoned him in their basement. This harsh treatment led to a violent outburst where he escaped and tragically killed his family. Throughout his story, Sabretooth’s actions demonstrate the lasting impact of this trauma. He consistently uses his powers to assert his freedom, seemingly as a way to prove to his parents – and anyone else – that he can never be controlled.

When exploring alternate universes, events naturally unfold differently. But surprisingly, the backgrounds of characters often remain consistent across these worlds. We can likely assume, for example, that Victor Creed – also known as Sabretooth – had a similar origin on both Earth-6160 and Earth-295, as both worlds were very similar to our own (Earth-616) before diverging. Interestingly, in both of these alternate realities, Sabretooth isn’t a villain, but more akin to Wolverine – a compassionate hero fighting for what’s right.

Across different Marvel universes, Sabretooth consistently shows a surprising protective side. In “The Age of Apocalypse,” he begins as one of Apocalypse’s deadly Horsemen but grows weary of the violence. Later, in Ultimate Wolverine, he’s a bartender hiding young mutants Artie and Leech while fighting against the Eurasian Republic as part of a resistance group. Interestingly, in both of these storylines, Sabretooth ends up mirroring what Wolverine would do – taking in and protecting young mutants. In “The Age of Apocalypse,” he acts as a mentor to both Blink and Wild Child. And in Ultimate Wolverine, he tries to help young mutants escape and live normal lives.

I believe the reason these two characters are different comes down to Wolverine. Wolverine and Sabretooth used to be much closer, even friends, despite Wolverine sometimes disagreeing with Sabretooth’s violent tendencies. What both timelines—one alternate, one the main universe—have in common is a longer friendship between Wolverine and Sabretooth. This extended partnership could be the crucial factor, giving Sabretooth the opportunity to develop into a more positive person.

These Versions Prove Sabretooth Never Had to Be a Monster

Wolverine is a strong and influential hero, and his impact is clearly felt by those around him, including Sabretooth. Even in the main Marvel universe (Earth-616), their relationship was complicated, but they still managed to collaborate, even before Wolverine’s memory was altered by the Weapon X program. Perhaps Sabretooth ultimately needed Wolverine’s friendship to overcome his troubled past and realize there was more to life than the fear and isolation he experienced as a child.

Whenever Sabretooth and Wolverine are friends, Sabretooth consistently becomes a more virtuous person. Looking at the original Ultimate Universe, their friendship was broken by Weapon X, leading Sabretooth down a villainous path, mirroring what happened in the main 616 universe. It appears Wolverine has a profound impact on Sabretooth’s life, fundamentally altering Victor Creed’s destiny.

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2026-02-17 01:13