History
James unleashes his deadly claws for the first time
Origin
Born in Canada sometime in 1832, James Howlett's mutant powers first manifested in 1845 during a moment of wild rage, after witnessing the death of his father at the hands of Thomas Logan. Grief-stricken, James impaled Thomas with his newly sprung bone claws; in his last moments, Thomas revealed that he was James' biological father.
Civil War, WWI & WWII
Fleeing with his half-brother Victor, the two spent the next several decades operating as soldiers. They fought together for the Union in the American Civil War, and with the Allied Forces in both World War I and World War II.[2]
James Howlett, veteran of the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and Vietnam
In 1945, James was held in a Imperial Japan POW camp in Nagasaki, confined to a hole in the ground covered by a heavy metal door. On the morning of August 9, the United States Air Force dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki; the officers of the camp released the Allied POWs from their cells and fled. While the commanders of the camp committed seppuku, one officer took pity on Howlett, and unsealed his holding cell before continuing with seppuku. However, he was stopped by Howlett. Realizing they could not outrun the destructive power of the bomb, James had the soldier hide in the underground cell, and shielded him from the bombing with the steel door and blocking the radiation, which burned his skin. After Logan regenerated, which surprised the officer, he tried to leave from the pit, but James told him it still wasn't safe. The commander gave him a Japanese sword, but Howlett insisted that he keep it until he came for it. Once it was safe, they left the pit and the commander allowed James to go.[3]
Erik Lehnsherr and Charles Xavier approaching James
Approached by the X-Men
In 1962, Logan was among the small number of mutants Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr detected with the first use of Cerebro. Looking to recruit Howlett to a team meant counter the villainous Hellfire Club, the two tracked Howlett to a bar. Before having a chance to explain their offer, Howlett rudely dismissed them both by saying "Go f"ck yourself", prompting them to leave. Howlett briefly looked back before ordering another drink.[4]
Vietnam War
Sometime later, both James and Victor fought for the American military during the Vietnam War, until Victor assaulted and killed an officer who tried to stop him from raping a South Vietnamese woman. Surrounded by soldiers with weapons drawn, James rushed to Victor's side, claws out. They were soon put before a firing squad for their insubordination.[2]
Team X
After surviving the firing squad, they were recruited by William Stryker to join the black ops group Team X, consisting of Logan, Stryker, Victor, teleporter John Wraith, nigh-invincible Fred Dukes, marksman David North, often referred to Agent Zero, electricity manipulator Chris Bradley and swordsman Wade Wilson. During a mission in Africa, James left the team after realizing how willing the other members were to kill innocent people to achieve their goals, especially Victor, who had developed something of a blood lust.[2]
Seeking Revenge
He returned to Canada six years later, eventually settling down into a quiet life as a lumberjack with a school-teacher named Kayla Silverfox. James, now going by the name of his real father, Logan, was lured back to Stryker after the apparently rogue Victor killed Kayla. Tracking Victor to a local bar the two fought, with Victor savagely beating James and snapping one set of his claws.[2]
This prompted him to accept Stryker's offer to bond his skeleton with Adamantium in order to give him the strength to kill Victor. He asked for dog tags that read 'Wolverine', from a tale Kayla had told him. He fled when he learned that Stryker intended to erase his memories and use his DNA as part of another experiment.[2]
Becoming the animal....
Escaping the labs and eliminating the first wave of pursuers, along with his former teammate, Agent Zero, Wolverine tracked down teammates John Wraith and Fred Dukes, and learned of a facility where Stryker kept mutants prisoner. In order to find the facility which was located on Three Mile Island he needed the aid of Remy LeBeau, a mutant known as Gambit who was the only mutant alive to escape it. While searching for him in New Orleans, Logan came across Victor and fought him a second time, this time defeating Victor. Enraged, he was about to deliver the killing blow when Gambit interrupted the fight. Victor saw an opportunity and fled the scene.[2]
Upon arriving at the Island, Wolverine was horrified to learn that Kayla had faked her death and had actually been an agent of Stryker's all along. Logan was spurred back into action when he learned that she did genuinely love him. Logan went berserk and attacked Victor, but chose to spare his life. Stryker's mutant prisoners escaped, including Kayla's sister Emma and Scott Summers. Wolverine confronted the newly-activated 'Weapon XI', his old teammate Wade Wilson, his mouth now sealed shut and artificially granted multiple mutant powers, and defeated him with the aid of Victor, who vowed that only he would get to kill his brother.[2]
Before Wolverine could leave with Kayla, however, Stryker shot him in the head with adamantium bullets, subsequently departing after Kayla ordered him to leave using her power of persuasion. When Wolverine regained consciousness, his injuries had healed, but the damage to his brain had seemingly permanently erased his memories. As police teams and emergency clean up crews surrounded the destroyed island Wolverine departed with no recollection of his past.[2]
Cage Match
Joining the X-Men
In the following decades, Logan became a cigar-smoking loner in Canada where he took on cage fights to make money as "The Wolverine", taking advantage of his adamantium skeleton. One night in a bar, he encountered a young Rogue. She saw Wolverine unleash his retractable adamantium-laced claws when another man engaged Logan in a fight. He soon left in his truck, with Rogue stowing away in the bed. When Logan realized she was back there, he kicked her out, but soon decided to let her ride with him.[5]
Bar Fight
On their way through the Canadian wilderness, their truck was attacked by his brother Victor, who had mutated even more into a feral beast called Sabretooth. Wolverine, with no recollection of his past with Victor, fought him, but was knocked out. Before Sabretooth could do any further damage, he was stopped and chased away by two mutants, Cyclops and Storm, who rescued both Wolverine and Rogue and brought them to the X-Mansion.[5]
When Dr. Jean Grey tried to treat an unconscious Logan, he escaped the medical lab and started exploring the mansion. He discovered that he was in a special school with mutants who were trying to control their unnatural abilities under the tutelage of Professor Charles Xavier. Professor X convinced Wolverine to stay with them and become an X-Man, as he could have a greater chance of discovering more about his forgotten past. He agreed and stayed. A rivalry immediately formed between he and Cyclops as he flirted with Jean, Cyclops's girlfriend.[5]
Joining the X-Men
Later, in order to lure Rogue out of the X-Mansion, Mystique impersonated Bobby Drake, a student who befriended her, and tricked her into leaving as she was a "danger" to everybody else. Magneto planned to use Rogue to control a machine that could turn all humans into mutants. When Wolverine found out about Rogue's absence, he along with the X-Men reached the Statue of Liberty where Magneto was operating on his plans. In the process, Wolverine encountered Mystique and stabbed her, nearly killing her, but she survived. He and Sabretooth engaged in battle, ending with Cyclops blasting Sabretooth off the Statue, never to be seen again. In the end, Wolverine freed Rogue from Magneto and the machine, although it seemed to have been too late to save her. Wolverine suffered life-threatening injuries when he intentionally made contact with Rogue, allowing her to absorb his mutant healing factor in order to recover.[5]
After awakening in the mansion and recovering from his vast injuries, he declared his sincere amorous feelings for a reticent Jean. As a reward of his victory along with the X-Men, Professor X gave Wolverine a hint for the search of his past, directing him to the mysterious Alkali Lake in Canada. Prior to his departure, Wolverine left his dog tag necklace with Rogue, promising that he would come back for it. He departed on Cyclops' bike towards his destination.[5]
Ghosts From The Past
Continuing his search, Logan finally discovered Alkali Lake, only to find an old and deserted factory. Disappointed, he returned to the X-Mansion.[6]
Back to school
Upon returning, Logan was given the responsibility of looking after the mutant children in Professor X's absence. Stryker and his military troops invaded the mansion in the middle of the night, and began to look for Cerebro. Wolverine killed many of the soldiers, and saved the mutant children. He asked Colossus, Bobby, Rogue and John Allerdyce to leave. As he was about to escape, he was confronted by William Stryker, whose presence struck more forgotten memories. He shook out of it, however, and left with Bobby, Rogue and John headed for Bobby Drake's house in Boston.[6]
X-Men United
After reuniting with the remaining X-Men, Magneto and Mystique offered to help the X-Men in bring down William Stryker, who was planning to use Professor X and Cerebro to kill all the mutants on Earth at his underground base of operations was at Alkali Lake. The X-Men agreed to form the alliance. Wolverine later kissed Jean, but was rejected by her as she told him that she loved Scott. Mystique, seeing this exchange, took advantage of Wolverine's love for Jean and approached him in his tent, disguised as Jean, but Wolverine quickly discerned that she was an impostor when he recognized the wound he had left on her stomach and rejected her.[6]
Fighting Deathstryke
At Alkali, Wolverine came across a laboratory where he saw his claws' scratch marks on the walls. He started remembering what happened to him and how he was experimented upon with the adamantium. William Stryker arrived and cleared Wolverine's doubts, revealing that he had created the "animal within Wolverine". Stryker introduced another mutant with an adamantium skeleton and claws, Deathstryke, who attacked Wolverine but after an bitter fight Wolverine was ultimately forced to kill her. He trailed Stryker while the X-Men rescued Cyclops, Professor X and the kidnapped mutant children.[6]
After the destruction of his base, Stryker tried to flee using his helicopter but was caught by Wolverine and interrogated. Stryker refused to cooperate and was pinned by Wolverine, who left him to be drowned in the impending flood caused by the damaged dam. When the X-Men were about to leave, Jean sacrificed herself by protecting them from the flood. Wolverine and Cyclops mourned her death. Logan later informed Scott that Jean had chosen to be with the latter.[6]
Teacher Logan
Training in the Danger Room
Logan grew more comfortable in his role as an X-Man. He substituted for Cyclops, who had not yet recovered from Jean's death. He took part in Danger Room training sessions. He didn't take it seriously and felt that the students weren't ready for combat.[7]
The Phoenix
Professor X sent Logan and Storm to Alkali Lake as he sensed something was wrong. There, they found a comatose Jean. Logan also found Cyclops' glasses, suggesting he had been killed. Back at the mansion, Logan learned that another part of Jean's psyche, the destructive Phoenix Force, had manifested itself.[7]
Visiting Xavier's grave
When Jean escaped, Wolverine, Storm and Professor X found her in her old home. Jean was angered, and with her amazing powers, seemingly killed the Professor and fled with Magneto. Wolverine, Storm, Beast and the younger X-Men later confronted the Brotherhood and Phoenix, who were trying to kill Leech, a young boy whose powers were being used for a mutant cure.[7]
Logan kills Jean
Wolverine and Beast managed to inject Magneto with the cure, depowering him of his mutant powers. The Phoenix began to destroy everything in a rage and was confronted by Wolverine. The good part of her psyche appeared for a moment and begged Logan to kill her. Logan professed his love for her and quickly stabbed her with his claws.[7]
Back home
Return to Japan
What they did to me, what I am, can't be undone.
Logan initially remained at the school for some time,[7] but eventually left, wrought with guilt and tormenting hallucinations of Jean. While living as a hermit in the Yukon, after a bar fight Logan was greeted by a young mutant named Yukio, who had traveled from Japan to bring Logan back to Tokyo as a dying wish of Yashida, the Imperial Japanese officer whose life Logan saved in 1945.[3]
Agreeing to travel to Japan, Logan met a frail and dying Yashida, who had gone on from his military service to create the most powerful technology company in Japan, and his family: son Shingen, and granddaughter Mariko. Yashida, wanting to repay his debt to Logan for saving his life, offered to strip Logan of his healing powers, in the hopes to transfer the ability to himself, while freeing Logan from "the curse" of immortality. Logan refused Yashida's offer, and informs Yukio that he intends to leave the next day. That night, Logan has a dream that Yashida's personal physician, Dr. Green, introduced something to his system from a kiss, but when he awakes, there is no one there. Early the next morning, Logan is informed that Yashida passed away, as his body is removed from the estate.[3]
Attending Yashida's funeral, Logan meets Mariko's fiancé, Minster of Defense Noburo Mori, who rhetorically questions why Logan is still in Japan. In the middle of the funeral, Mariko is kidnapped by Yakuza gangsters. After being shot in the stomach with a shotgun, Logan manages to rescue Mariko, unknowingly assisted by the Yashida family's bodyguard Harada, and escape, hiding out in a "love hotel".[3]
Mariko
Logan opted to keep guard over Mariko for the night when he suffers another hallucination of Jean begging him to join her in death. Logan's healing factor fails to regenerate quick enough to clot the blood and Logan passes out from blood loss.
Later, Logan wakes up to find a veterinarian, the grandson of the hotel's owner, had taken the bullets out of his body. Mariko and Logan then flee to Tokyo's south, to Yashida's old house in Nagasaki. There, Logan and Mariko fall for each other and sleep together that night. However, Logan is met by another hallucination of Jean and sees a vision of a giant Silver Samurai attacking him and Mariko.
The next day, Mariko is kidnapped by Yakuza, but Logan manages to grab one of the kidnappers, whom Logan interrogates before Yukio arrives. Both head to Noboru Mori's house after the kidnapper gives away his name. On the way, Yukio tells Logan that she saw a vision of his death, in a bloody room and his heart in his hand.
The two interrogate Mori, who confesses that he and Shingen conspired Mariko's kidnapping and death in order for Shingen to inherit his father's wealth and power. After the interrogation, Logan tosses Mori out the window and into the pool a few floors below.
Silver Samurai
Logan and Mariko head to Yashida's estate, where both notice the lack of guards and people in the household. Heading to the x-ray machine where Yashida once laid under, Logan x-rays himself and finds a robotic parasite on his heart, presumably inserted there by Dr. Green earlier. Logan, despite his healing factor not what it used to be, slices himself open and reaches into his chest, intending to rip out the parasite. However, a wounded Shingen arrives, attempting to attack Logan but is forced to fight Yukio.
As Logan tears out the parasite, he briefly dies, but his regenerative abilities return and he revives, managing to save Yukio from getting killed by Shingen. Logan and Shingen then enter a sword fight with Shingen's katana and Logan's claws, ending with Logan killing Shingen.
After the fight, Logan and Yukio deduce that Mariko was brought to Yashida's natal village. Heading there by himself, Logan is met by Harada and his army of ninjas, who capture him after restraining him with many arrows and cables.
Logan is then brought into the tower overlooking the village, where he is placed into a machine and is introduced to the Silver Samurai, a large suit of armor with energized adamantium katanas intended for slicing off Logan's claws and draining his healing factor completely.
Mariko manages to free herself from Harada and frees Logan, who faces the Silver Samurai as Yukio faces Dr. Green. Harada is killed attempting to help fight the Samurai and Dr. Green is killed by Yukio. Logan and the Samurai fight until Logan is left dangling off the edge of a hole in the wall and the Samurai severs his claws. As Logan's healing factor is drained, the Samurai reveals himself to be Yashida, having faked his death. Yashida reveals the armor had been what kept him alive all these years and slowly de-ages to his prime as Logan grows visibly older by the minute. Mariko hears her grandfather's intentions and stabs him in the neck with Logan's severed claw. Yashida stunned, Logan regrows his bone claws and kills Yashida by stabbing him and throwing him out of the building.
X-Man Once Again
Weak from the stress, Logan passes out and encounters Jean once more, but this time accepts her death and moves on.
Later, Logan recovers and decides to return to America, with Yukio as his "bodyguard".
Two years later, Logan arrives in America and is confronted by Magneto, who has regained his powers. Magneto asks Logan for help, as a threat to all of mutantkind has been created. Logan is distrustful, but Professor Xavier arrives, revealing himself to be quite alive and assures Logan that they can trust Magneto for the time being.[3]
Dark Future
Over the course of the next eight years, the world had became a dark place. Wolverine, Storm, Professor X and Magneto arrived to find the members of Free Mutants in China where they discussed plans to use Kitty's ability to project people back into the bodies of their past selves to send Xavier back in time to 1973 to stop Mystique from killing Bolivar Trask, which triggered the Sentinel Program. However, the trauma of the trip would be too much for even Xavier's mind, prompting Logan to volunteer for the role as his healing abilities would allow him to physically and mentally survive the trip. Shadowcat sent him back to his younger body and he woke up in 1973 in a room next to a woman, later revealed to be the daughter of someone Logan was working for. Three me entered the room, henchmen of said boss, and attacked Logan when he tried to explain his situation. Wolverine killed them and set out to find Professor X. This created an alternate timeline.[8]
Second Chance
Wolverine arrived to the X-Mansion where he made a rough encounter with Hank McCoy. Wolverine finally met Charles and asked his help, who reluctantly agreed. They planned to break Magneto out of the Pentagon, where he had been imprisoned for killing President John F. Kennedy. The three first headed to Peter Maximoff's house and asked him to help. At the Pentagon, Charles, Wolverine, Quicksilver and Hank snuck into the facility and freed Erik.
While pursuing and capturing Mystique in Paris, Wolverine saw William Stryker, triggering traumatic flashbacks. In 2023, he started violently shaking and stabbed Shadowcat with his claws. The panic attack briefly cut the connection between Wolverine and his younger self's body, but it was then regained. Meanwhile, Magneto tried to kill Mystique, but she escaped and Erik later separated from Charles, Logan and Hank. Later, when a depressed Charles was unable to use his abilities and Cerebro to find Raven, Logan had him use his mind as a "bridge" to his future self, allowing the two Charles Xaviers to communicate through him. The future Charles Xavier convinced his past self not to give up and he was able to use his abilities once more.
As Wolverine, Professor X and Hank went to the unveiling of the Sentinels in Washington, D.C. to find Mystique. Erik had used his powers to infuse the Sentinels with metal and control them to attack the public. Magneto lifted an entire stadium and transported it to surround the White House and put all but one Sentinel on lookout, and made it go after Wolverine and Beast. Wolverine attacked it but Magneto stabbed him with reinforcement steel, throwing him away to a nearby river, where he almost drowned. While Wolverine was incapacitated, his actions led to the past Charles Xavier finishing what he started and changing the future, convincing Mystique not to kill Trask, and then allowing her to save Trask from Magneto.
This left the past Wolverine to take control of his body again for the next 50 years until Wolverine returned to the altered 2023, appearently permanently possessing the other Logan.[8]
Bright Future
Having successfully altered the timeline, Wolverine awoke in the Xavier Institute in the new future at precisely the same time he was sent back in time, to find Shadowcat, Storm, Rogue, Iceman, Colossus, Beast, Professor X and to his shock, Cyclops and Jean Grey alive again. Wolverine visited Professor X and revealed he has just finished time traveling and asked what happened in the last fifty years, apparently possessing no memory of the events of the new timeline. A delighted Professor X told him they have a lot to catch up on.[8]Attributes
Powers
Regenerative Healing Factor: Wolverine's primary mutant ability is the "mutant healing factor". This allows him to recover from virtually any wound faster and more extensively than a normal human being. He can regenerate from most wounds in a matter of seconds. His healing powers also grant him immunity to all earthly diseases/illnesses and most effects of alcohol, drugs, and toxins.
- Delayed Aging: In addition, his healing factor provides him with an extended lifespan, immensely slowing his aging process if not being ageless. Wolverine was born sometime in the early 19th century. Although over 190 years old (as of 2023), Wolverine retains the health, appearance and physical vitality of a man in the physical prime of his life.
- Superhuman Strength: Thanks to his healing factor and Adamantium skeleton, Wolverine is able to lift up to 1 ton.
Superhuman Senses: Wolverine possesses superhumanly acute senses that are comparable to those of certain animals. He can see at far greater distances, with perfect clarity, than an ordinary human. He retains this same level of clarity even in near total darkness. His hearing is enhanced in a similar manner, allowing him to detect sounds ordinary humans can't or to hear at much greater distances. He is able to recognize people and objects by scent, even if they are well hidden. He can track a target by scent, even if the scent has been greatly eroded by time and weather factors, with an extraordinary degree of success. Wolverine can also use his keen sense of smell to detect lies due to chemical changes within a person's scent. These senses stem from, at least partially, his constant cellular regeneration, as are his enhanced physical capabilities.
Superhuman Speed: Is able to run faster than 30 mph.
- Superhuman Endurance: Thanks to his regenerative powers, Wolverine's fatigue toxins are halted for hours, allowing him to engage in physical activity for far longer than a normal human can.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Has greater reflexes than a normal human.
- Superhuman Agility: Has greater agility than that of a normal human.
Insulated Weather Adaptation: Wolverine's body is highly resistant to certain elemental extremes, particularly cold, to the extent that he can sleep nude in subarctic conditions with no apparent injury.
Bone Claws: Wolverine possesses 3 bone claws harnessed in each forearm, which come out through the skin between his knuckles. His flesh bleeds every time he "pops" his claws but his healing factor quickly stops it. The claws are able to cut through flesh, bone, and other materials. Thanks to his healing factor, whenever the bone claws are damaged or removed, they regenerate quickly, as shown when he had his Adamantium claws severed from his arms and his bone claws regenerated in place of them.Abilities
Expert Combatant: Due to his advanced age and experiences in various wars, Wolverine is well-versed in unarmed and armed combat and self-defense.
Weapons Proficiency: Wolverine is proficient in handling any firearms thanks to his war experiences.Weaknesses
Adamantium Weapons: It can penetrate Wolverine's Adamantium-laced bones.
Decapitation: If Wolverine's head was to be decapitated, he won't be able to regenerate/heal himself and thus, killing him. [2]
Drowning: Logan is unable to breathe underwater, and the underwater asphyxia proves one of the few ways to effectively kill him.[8]
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The process of adamantium bonding erased Logan's prior memories, and left him with nightmares about the process.[5]Paraphernalia
Weapons
Transportation
Notes
- Hugh Jackman portrays Wolverine in each of the seven X-Men films that have been released. Troye Sivan portrays a young James Howlett in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
- Wolverine, along with Professor X, is one of only two characters to appear in each X-Men film. However, since Xavier was portrayed by James McAvoy in X-Men: First Class, Hugh Jackman is the only actor to appear in all seven films.
- This version of Wolverine is much taller than his mainstream counterpart (who is 5'3"). Hugh Jackman's height is 6'2".
- Unlike his mainstream counterpart, this Wolverine does not speak Japanese, however he could understand what the Japanese bar-woman asked him.
- A cover from Empire Magazine depicts Wolverine in the future with his adamantium claws despite losing them and regrowing his bone claws. According to the film-makers, Magneto covered his bone claws with Adamantium, sometime between The Wolverine and the future of Days of Future Past.
Trivia
- In the X-Men film series, Wolverine's accelerated healing powers are never referred to as a "mutant healing factor".
- Appearing in seven different films, Hugh Jackman currently holds the record for the most theatrical appearances as a single comic book character.
- After returning to the spot where he saved Yashida's life, Logan fully regained his memories from before he was shot in the head by Stryker.
- Wolverine is the only character to exist in both the original timeline and altered timeline of the X-Men film series.
- In Origins, Logan is able to understand Japanese when the barwoman talks to him, however years later in The Wolverine, he is not able to understand Japanese at all, it's possible he'd forgotten the language over the years.
See Also
- 15 appearance(s) of James Howlett (Earth-10005)
- 2 mention(s) of James Howlett (Earth-10005)
- 84 image(s) of James Howlett (Earth-10005)
- 1 quotation(s) by or about James Howlett (Earth-10005)
- 7 victim(s) killed by James Howlett (Earth-10005)
Links and References
References
- ↑ Height based on physical statistics of actor Hugh Jackman
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 X-Men Origins: Wolverine (film)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 The Wolverine (film)
- ↑ X-Men: First Class (film)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 X-Men (film)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 X2 (film)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 X-Men: The Last Stand
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 X-Men: Days of Future Past (film)