Wolverine is the best there is at what he does. He's long been one of the most popular characters in the Marvel Universe, having gone through the kinds of trials and tribulations that would cause a lesser hero to give up the ghost. While his brutal methods have often put him at odds with his fellow heroes, there's no doubt that Wolverine has done a lot of good.
He's faced down some of the most powerful and sadistic threats the Marvel Universe has to offer, always trying to fight the good fightーor at least make sure evildoers get their bloody deserves. His popularity has put him in the upper echelons of Marvel heroes, but does he belong there?
10 Is The Greatest: Fighting For A World That Hates And Fears Him
Wolverine has been a member of every major team that Marvel has to offer, but he's spent the most time with the X-Men. As one of the team's most important members, he's found himself on the front lines in the battle against threats to both mutantkind and humanity, trying to protect not only his people but the people trying to destroy him.
The X-Men have never had it easy- they aren't media darlings like the Avengers or the Fantastic Four and are viewed with suspicion and derision by the general public. Despite this, Wolverine keeps doing his best to fight to protect people that would rather see him dead and keep his people safe at the same time.
9 Isn't The Greatest: He Rubs People The Wrong Way
While Wolverine has many close friends among the Marvel Universe heroes, many of those relationships formed despite him instead of because of him. To put it bluntly, Wolverine can be tough to get along with. While Marvel's heroes are often fighting amongst themselves, most of them are genuinely likable people who want people to accept them. Wolverine doesn't care about all of that.
He is who he is, and if people don't like it, he doesn't much care. While there's a part of him always reaching out for belonging, he can be gruff and quick to anger. More often than not, his friends have to overlook that kind of behavior to get along with him.
8 Is The Greatest: Will Go To Any Lengths To Save The Day
Wolverine's healing factor and adamantium skeleton make him extremely hard, but not impossible, to kill, but as he's pointed out, it still hurts. He's often looked at as the tank of whatever team he's on- his fighting style is all about taking as much damage as possible, and that means taking a lot of pain.
Heroes are known for doing anything to save the day, but few have put themselves through what Wolverine does in a single mission. He's been shot, stabbed, immolated, exploded, and basically had every terrible, painful thing happen to him. This has never stopped him from trying to do the right thing.
7 Isn't The Greatest: The Berserker Rages
Wolverine has long faced down some of the most sadistic villains around, ones who glory more in hurting people than taking over the world, and he's had to go to some pretty extreme lengths to beat them. He has often gone into berzerker rages because of his animalistic nature, where he attacks his foes relentlessly, losing himself in the violence. It's won him battles, but it's also made him a liability.
While he's gotten better at controlling them over the years, in this state, Wolverine can be just as dangerous to his friends as he is to his foes, and the wanton blood lust that he displays in these states has caused people to fear him more than anything else.
6 Is The Greatest: He's More Than Meets The Eye
Unlike some heroes, Wolverine is not a simple man, which makes him a more interesting character. Captain America is amazing, but he's kind of one dimensional when it comes right down to it. That's not a bad thing; simplicity can be great. However, it doesn't make a character the greatest to read about.
Wolverine may seem like he's just a guy who likes to fight who can take a lot of damage, but there's so much more to the character than that. Wolverine can fit into just about any story a creator wants to tell- a superhero story, a spy story, a war story, a crime story, a ninja story, and so many others. This utility allows him to have adventures that other heroes can't.
5 Isn't The Greatest: Skeletons In His Closet
Wolverine has been a lot of things over the years; not all of them have been good. In fact, for a long time, Wolverine was doing a lot of terrible things for horrible reasons, and this has come back to bite him- and his friends- on more than one occasion. While many heroes started as something less than heroic, few have as much blood on their hands as Wolverine.
While he's always trying to make up for the sins of his past, they've irrevocably marked him. Not everything can be atoned for, and while this makes him a more interesting character, it always seems like there is some new horror waiting for him from his past, ready to pop out and make all the good he's done meaningless.
4 Is The Greatest: The Best Friend Someone Can Have
While Wolverine can be tough to get along with, one thing is for sure- there are few people one would rather have on their side than Wolverine. Wolverine is loyal to his friends in a way that goes way beyond what most people would consider healthy. Wolverine is a man who has known loss throughout his very long life and will do anything for the people in his life.
It doesn't matter how long it's been since he's seen someone- if they need help, he's there, ready to do whatever needs to be done to get them out of trouble.
3 Isn't The Greatest: A Lot Of The People He Cares About End Up Dead
While Wolverine can be the best friend someone can have, there's also a drawback to being his friend- it has cost many people their lives. Wolverine fights some truly monstrous villains, some who care more about hurting him than anything else, like Sabretooth. The people he's close to having often been targeted and some have lost their lives because of their relationship with him.
While he tries to best to save them, he can't be everywhere. While he's a great friend to have, he's also a very dangerous friend, as his enemies often try to hurt him by hurting the ones around him.
2 Is The Greatest: Has Grown Over The Years
One of the drawbacks of superhero comics is many of the most beloved characters stay pretty static over the years. Spider-Man is still pretty much the same character he's always been; same with fan favorites like Thor, Captain America, and Captain Marvel. Wolverine, however, has changed a lot over the years.
He went from the gruff loner to one of the most respected heroes around. He's easily one of the most well-connected heroes, having a friend in every corner of the Marvel Universe. He's led the X-Men and earned a place among the Avengers, the greatest superhero team on Earth.
1 Isn't The Greatest: All The Killing
While superheroes' morality has evolved a lot over the years, one thing that hasn't changed is they try not to kill. That doesn't mean they succeed, but most of them would rather not have to kill someone. Wolverine, on the other hand, kills. A lot. While the people he kills usually deserve it, it's not the best look for a hero.
While he does struggle with this, Wolverine still has few problems with killing bad people. This has caused many of his fellow heroes to look down on him and doesn't exactly make him the best role model.