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Wolverine is the best there is at what he does, and sometimes that’s blaze new trails. One of Marvel’s most popular heroes, he was the first mutant to get his own solo book and has kept it going for years. He may have first gained popularity in team books but Wolverine has proven to be an unparalleled solo star. His books have done some amazing things over the years, some of them unique in the Marvel pantheon.
Every comic out there tries to do things that others haven’t but not all of them can deliver. Wolverine’s solo books have been able to do that a lot over the years, giving readers something unique.
10 His 1982 Mini-Series Was The First Solo Mutant Book
Wolverine has a special distinction among his mutant peers. Uncanny X-Men‘s popularity can’t be understated and in the late-’70s, early-’80s, Wolverine was the breakout star. His fans were rewarded in 1982 when the hirsute mutant was given a mini-series helmed by the superstar creative team of writer Chris Claremont and artist Frank Miller.
The book focused on Wolverine going to Japan and is considered a classic. It also has the distinction of being the first Marvel solo book of any kind to star a mutant, an important step forward for the team.
9 It’s The Only Book Helmed By A Mutant That’s Never Been Cancelled
Mutants have been one of the most popular parts of the Marvel Universe since the ’80s when Uncanny X-Men was the best-selling comic in the land. Wolverine was the first X-Man to get a solo book, but others followed him, most notably Gambit and Cable. While some mutants had solo books that lasted a few years, none of them can stand up to the longevity of Wolverine’s.
Wolverine has had a solo book in some form being continuously published since 1988, which is longer than any other mutant solo book. That’s a huge accomplishment for any character and the fact that no other mutant has even been able to come close, as popular as mutants are, is all the more impressive.
8 He’s The Only Mutant To Have Two Solo Books At Once
At Marvel, there are very few characters who have ever had more than one solo book. Spider-Man, Captain America, and Iron Man are notable exceptions to this rule, although Captain America’s second book in the late-’90s was an anthology he didn’t always star in. Wolverine joined this exclusive club in 2006, with Wolverine Origins.
After that book’s story was finished, Wolverine would gain another solo book, The Savage Wolverine. During the time when he was dead, Wolverine still technically had two books, with All-New Wolverine and Old Man Logan scratching fans’ Wolverine itches. Wolverine remains the only mutant in Marvel history to helm two solo books at once.
7 He Went On A Time Travelling Trip With Spider-Man In Astonishing Spider-Man And Wolverine
Wolverine has had all kinds of partners over the years, including many non-mutants. For a long time, he didn’t really get along with many non-mutants. One of the characters that Wolverine had the most problem with was Spider-Man and the feeling was mutual. All of that would change in Astonishing Spider-Man And Wolverine, by writer Jason Aaron and artist Adam Kubert.
Wolverine and Spider-Man went on a trip across time, one that saw them fight each other tooth and nail before working together and becoming the best of friends. Very few crossovers had the length and breadth of this book, from the far past to the future, presenting the two characters in places readers never saw them before.
6 They Introduced Patch To The Marvel Universe
Wolverine is one of Marvel’s greatest heroes but his idea of secret identity is hilarious, at best. When his solo series began, it was during the Outback era of the X-Men and the world thought the team was dead. Wolverine, wanting to do some traveling and fighting, broke out his secret identity Patch. The only change he made was to wear an eye patch.
Patch is one of the best bad secret identities in comics because pretty much everyone who knew him knew it was Wolverine. While he did wear a different costume at this time when he had to do superhero stuff outside of the X-Men, the Patch secret identity was wonderfully bad.
5 The Bone Claw Years Focused On The Fall And Rise Of Wolverine’s Humanity
X-Men #25 saw Wolverine lose his adamantium but it’s what happened in his solo books that really told the story. Wolverine #75, by writer Larry Hama and artist Adam Kubert, revealed he had bone claws all along, and with his healing factor taxed out, he left the X-Men. His solo book focused on him trying to prove to himself that he could still be a superhero until Wolverine #91, by writer Larry Hama and artist Duncan Roleau, threw a wrench into the works.
This book revealed that without his adamantium, Wolverine was devolving into a feral state. His solo book became about that slow fall and how he clawed his way back in the years to come. The bone claw era of Wolverine is vastly underrated and did a lot of unique things with the character.
4 “Old Man Logan” Introduced The Wastelands
“Old Man Logan” is a Wolverine classic. Writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven’s story was a Wolverine-centric riff on Unforgiven, set in a future where the villains won and the now pacifist Wolverine goes on a mission with Hawkeye to make enough money to pay his rent to the Hulk Gang. It’s a fan favorite story that has paid dividends for Marvel.
Marvel brought the Old Man Logan version of Wolverine to the 616 universe and has also done multiple “Old Man Logan” type stories with characters like Hawkeye and Star-Lord. It’s become one of the fans’ favorite Marvel futures.
3 Wolverine #40 Debuted The Muramasa Sword
Mutant healing factors are one of the most useful powers in the Marvel Universe. Wolverine, Sabretooth, Akihiro, Scout, and Laura Kinney all have them and it makes them among the most unkillable heroes and villains around. Deadpool’s healing factor is based on them as well and for years, there’s been no easy way to hurt someone with a mutant healing factor.
2006’s Wolverine #40, by writer Daniel Way and artist Javier Saltares, debuted the Muramasa Sword, a katana created by a master swordsman that was specifically created to kill Wolverine and other mutants with a healing factor. It became one of his greatest weapons and is a lasting part of the Wolverine mythos.
2 The Death Of Wolverine And Its Sequel The Return Of Wolverine Fulfilled Their Names
Wolverine has cheated death many times but his luck ran out in The Death Of Wolverine, by writer Charles Soule and artist Steve McNiven. Featuring a healing factor-less Wolverine trying to find out who put out a hit on his life, the book was truth in advertising, killing the fan-favorite mutant until The Return Of Wolverine, by Soule and McNiven joined by artist Declan Shalvey.
These two backs brought Wolverine into the pantheon of Marvel characters who died and came back to life. It was the longest the 616 Logan went without being published and it took two different Wolverines, Old Man Logan and Laura Kinney, to replace him.
1 His Current Book Has Outsold The Every X-Men Book In The Krakoa Era At One Point Or Another
Marvel has been the sales leader for a while now and historically the X-Men books sell the best. This is especially true during the Krakoa era of the X-Men, which were jump started by writer Jonathan Hickman and artists Pepe Larraz and R.B. Silva’s House Of X/Powers Of X. The revelations from these books changed the X-Men forever and the resulting comics sold like gangbusters.
Wolverine’s solo book debuted with the second round of X-Men books and is one of the best selling comics Marvel puts out every month. It’s outsold every other X-Men book, including the flagship X-Men and X-Men event books like Inferno, at one point or another, a sales outlier that keeps getting stronger.
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