In the world of superheroes the name Wolverine aka Logan is associated with immense strength, power and animal instinct that no other superhero possesses. The Wolverine character has been around for a couple of decades now and has a huge story line which continues to this day.
So, who is exactly Wolverine or Logan?
He has lived through many decades right from the First World War to present day. He is a popular mutant with enhanced physical abilities, animal instinct for hunting, incredible regenerating ability which allows him to heal faster than any human being. But, the biggest character trait that makes Wolverine the hero who he is today is his retractable bone claws in each hand. He has featured in many comic books apart from his own comic series, movies, TV series, animation series and much more. He had actively participated as a member of several organizations like the X-Men, Alpha Flight, and the Avengers.
Wolverine in a Nutshell
It is not easy to put Logan the Wolverine in one frame, at least not the small one. You need one large canvas to portray his character as he is such a complex being. There are certain parts of his life that shaped who he is today and what he has developed into.
It all starts in the 1880s where the Wolverine was supposedly born to a rich owner John Howlett and his not-so-mentally-stable wife Elizabeth and his real name is James Howlett. He is actually an illegitimate child of their groundskeeper Thomas Logan, making him half-brother to the Dog, Thomas’s other son. A tragedy struck the family and everyone is killed – his father, mother, Thomas and this thing ultimately sets-off the mutation on young James and here he develops his famous steel-claws on both of his hands. After running away with Rose, his childhood companion and caretaker in a way, his life takes a dramatic turn. From working in the mining colony to living with wolves in the wilderness to working in circus and finally being recruited into the Canadian military during the World War 1 and 2, he has seen everything and lived more than any other human being.
All these events in his life made Wolverine what he is today - violent, insensitive, impulsive, stubborn, and emotionally stunted, angry, destructive and more. These are some of the traits, but his hard-to-control rage is one of the reasons why Wolverine is what he is. When he is finally recruited to the X-men clan – a refuse to all the socially rejected mutants around the world – he finds it difficult to fit in. He is certainly older than others having outlived his peers by at least hundred years. He also has a series of heartbreaking love stories with most of his partners dying. Romance and violence seems to rule his life and he somehow seems unable to separate these two from one another. But, one of the major parts of his character is that he does not have the memory of his past life and this is exploited over and over again by Dog and later Sabertooth, and others too. He is constantly at war with Sabertooth and other high authorities.
Wolverine the Superhero Everyone Loves
Wolverine started as an antihero but quickly gained popularity as the superhero with a twisted past and tragic events that shaped his life. Having lost his family so early, it is evident that he longs to fit in, unfortunately he fails miserably. Nevertheless, he bonds with a few of the mutants in X-men like the Rogue and Yukio. The pride and moral-code that Wolverine lives by is the reason why he is one of the favorite superheroes. With his brooding, rage, outburst, immense strength and ability to live for so long characteristics, Wolverine is the kind of superhero that has seen everything bad that happened to the world. He is constantly brainwashed by successive handlers (if you can call them that) for using him for the purpose to fight for a cause that may or may not be good. He will get into a fight without thinking twice if he thinks injustice is being done to someone. His instinct to fight also gives him the purpose to fight for the weak. Sure he has been manipulated by many to take advantages of his un-paralleled fighting skills, but he also has a good side that compels him to stand up for the weak.
Wolverine in The Future
There is more of Wolverine coming up through the movies and comics. Will he remember his past? Will he achieve the sense of belonging he so badly wants? Will he get the peace? These are some of the many things that need to be explored in the coming future. Till then you can enjoy this extraordinary antihero turned superhero and celebrate what he stands for.
Wolverine is one of the popular characters and there is no sign of stopping him from entertaining his fans. This broody, rage-filled, steel-clawed hero has inspired many t-shirt designs among other popular merchandise. His popularity is growing by the day and every time a new movie or comic is released you will get to see a different part of Wolverine.