Wolverine is the best there is at what he does, and sometimes, that's being the greatest hero in the Marvel Universe. Wolverine has grown immensely over the years, going from the grizzled loner to a respected hero in the Marvel Universe. He's been a member of every big-name team, is friends with all of the greatest heroes, and has fought some of the most dangerous threats out there.

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Wolverine's growth as a person has been amazing over the years. He's more than just the guy who slashes things nowadays, with the kind of accomplishments that many other heroes only wish they could have.

10 He's Beaten The Hulk

Marvel Comics' Wolverine Stabbing Hulk In The Head

Wolverine's first appearance was in The Incredible Hulk #181 and it started a rivalry between the two that would last. Over the years, the two of them have had a lot of monumental clashes, and while Wolverine hasn't won all of them, he's won some fights against the Hulk. That's a pretty big deal in the Marvel Universe, as the Hulk regularly beats the Avengers down by himself.

One win against the Hulk can be looked at as a fluke, but more than one? That's skill. The fact that Wolverine has beaten the Hulk so many times is super impressive, putting him in a very exclusive class in the Marvel Universe.

9 His Time As A Black Ops Operator During The Cold War Saved The World Many Times Over

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The Cold War was an interesting time for Wolverine. He worked with Team X, a CIA black ops squad that consisted of him, Maverick, and his arch-enemy Sabretooth. The three of them did a lot of bad stuff over the years, because the CIA isn't a good organization, but they also did a lot of good, preventing the Soviets from taking too much power or creating their own powerful super-soldier cadres before the rest of the world was ready for it.

Black ops can be quite nasty, especially working with someone like Sabretooth, but Wolverine's work did a lot of good for the world at large, even if no one knew about it.

8 He's Made Friends With Everyone

Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine swing through the city on a stylised Marvel comic cover

One of the great things about Wolverine over the years is his growth as a person. When he first joined the X-Men, he wasn't exactly well-liked but he grew on his teammates as the lovable curmudgeon. It was much harder going with the rest of the Marvel Universe, as most of the heroes found him to be violent and arrogant and didn't like him at all.

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While he teamed up with just about everyone, most people didn't like him. That's changed immensely, as his time as an Avenger had him associate more with different heroes or rekindle old relationships from years before. Now, he's a respected hero that most of his fellow heroes actually like.

7 He Overcame The Hand's Programming & Defeated Them

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The Hand is Marvel's go-to evil magical ninja clan. They've been known to resurrect foes and reprogram them, making them into Hand servants. This happened to Wolverine and he did his best to fight back. With the help of the X-Men, he was able to beat their programming and took the fight to them.

With the help of SHIELD, Wolverine destroyed the Hand's power for years, killing legions of their ninja and decapitating the leadership. Wolverine showed the Hand what happens when they mess with him and it wasn't pretty for them.

6 He's One Of The Few Earth Heroes To Actually Stare Down Thanos During Infinity Gauntlet

wolverine thanos marvel comics

Infinity Gauntlet was a bloodbath for Earth's heroes, as they were pretty much just cannon fodder for Adam Warlock's plan's first phase. They gave it their all but most of them didn't get close to Thanos at all. Wolverine was different as he got up close and personal with the mad god, stabbing him in the chest.

He and Thanos locked eyes and it was an epic moment, one that is emblazoned on the minds of every Wolverine fan who read the classic story. While he wasn't able to kill Thanos, the fact that he fearlessly stared down the villain is a great accomplishment.

5 He Overcame The Loss Of His Adamantium

Wolverine Bone Claws

One of the worst things to happen to Wolverine was when Magneto tore out his adamantium skeleton in X-Men #25. That unbreakable metal helped make him into the unstoppable tank he was known as, a huge factor in his status as the most dangerous mutant on Earth. Without it, he had to deal with his mortality for the first time and re-learn how to be the man he once was.

He left the X-Men to find himself, battling old foes and learning how to live without the metal. He had to deal with his mutation transforming him into an animal as well, overcoming all of it to return to the X-Men and continue as one of their toughest members.

4 He Saved Mutantkind Several Times Over As Leader Of X-Force

Wolverine leading the first roster of the Uncanny X-Force

Cyclops and Wolverine restarted X-Force during the darkest days of mutantkind, when there weren't even two hundred of them on Earth. X-Force was the secret, proactive mutant team, staffed by mutants who had no problem with killing. It was the first time that Wolverine ever led a team and he did a great job, getting the team through some dangerous missions.

Without Wolverine's X-Force, mutantkind would have been destroyed and the team even stopped one of Apocalypse's attacks. While the team's second incarnation, the Uncanny X-Force, almost unleashed a new Apocalypse on the world, they still did a lot of good as well, saving a lot of lives.

3 He Reconciled With His Son Daken

Trial of Magneto Wolverine Family

For a time, Daken was one of Wolverine's greatest foes. When his mother, Itsu, was killed by the Winter Soldier, Romulus took the baby and left him with a Japanese family. Wolverine thought the boy had died as well and never went looking for him, which birthed a hatred in Daken's heart for his father. He would strike against him later in life and eventually, Wolverine reluctantly drowned him.

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Daken got resurrected and father and son ended up reconciling. The two have worked together on Krakoa and the wounds of the past have healed, something that is good for both men.

2 He Became An Avenger

Avengers Ensemble Wolverine Comic

One of the biggest jokes about Wolverine over the years was that Wolverine was everywhere but one place. It was a place it took him years to get to—the Avengers. He didn't seem like a good fit for the team but Iron Man figured they needed someone like Wolverine on the team, someone who would do what needed to be done, and he was brought onto the team. His time as an Avengers was more successful than anyone could have predicted.

He fit in with the team better than expected, proving that was a natural for the Avengers. While his time with the X-Men proved what he could do, Wolverine as an Avenger showed the rest of the Marvel Universe just how great of a hero he really was.

1 He Founded His Own Mutant School & Led The X-Men

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Wolverine's time as an X-Men taught him a lot and put all of that to use after he and Cyclops had a violent falling out in X-Men: Schism. Wolverine and a group of mutants rebuilt the X-Mansion and rechristened it the Jean Grey Academy. Wolverine became headmaster and helped teach young mutants how to use their powers and be heroes.

He led his own team of X-Men during this time as well. He went from the ultimate loner to a trusted hero and finally, a leader and teacher. This journey was something that no one ever expected of him and showcased his amazing growth over the years.

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