Wolverine is one of the most popular superheroes of all time. He came from humble origins- a one off battle against the Hulk and the Wendigo in Incredible Hulk #181- but his time in the hottest book of the 80s and 90s- Chris Claremont's Uncanny X-Men- would cement his place among the elite superheroes in the Marvel Universe.
For years, there was no character in Marvel Comics who was more beloved than Wolverine and even today, he's still one of the most popular characters around. There have been lots of different versions of the character over the years, some better than others. This list is going to look at the best of them... and the worst.
10 Best: Old Man Logan
Mark Millar and Steve McNiven's "Old Man Logan" storyline was an immediate hit with fans. There was something about a grizzled, older pacifist version of Logan wandering a wasteland controlled by supervillains trying to come to terms with the sins of his past and save his family.
After the death of the main version of Wolverine, this version would be brought into the contemporary Marvel Universe in a phenomenal series written by Jeff Lemire and later Ed Brisson, telling some of the best Wolverine stories of all time.
9 Worst: Debut Version
The Wolverine fans saw in his debut was a much different character than the ones fans would get to know over the years. Basically a mouthy little dude with a Napoleon complex, he was a prototype of the character fans would learn to love.
None of the hallmarks of the character that fans would grow to appreciate about him were there yet. It was all very rough and while there was all kinds of potential, looking back on the debut is like looking at a different character.
8 Best: Age Of Apocalypse Weapon X
The Age Of Apocalypse is one of the most beloved X-Men stories of all. The changed versions of familiar characters really resonated with readers and one of the best was Weapon X.
This version of Wolverine had broken away from the X-Men after losing his hand against Cyclops and Jean Grey went with him. He had got the girl and was still fighting the good fight. Marvel would revisit the character and the world several times, with Weapon X getting Jean back and discovering his daughter, and then becoming the new Apocalypse.
7 Worst: Weapon X
So, the story "Weapon X" by Barry Windsor-Smith is one of the most important Wolverine stories of all time, as it showed readers what happened to their favorite Canadian mutant when he was part of the Weapon X project and his subsequent escape from their clutches.
However, that version of Wolverine was basically just a bestial killing machine and isn't really one that fans would want to spend a lot of time with. He wasn't the Wolverine readers knew. He wasn't even a person.
6 Best: Claremont-Era Wolverine
When it comes to the X-Men, there are few writers as prolific as Chris Claremont. For many characters, the best they were ever written was when they were in Claremont's hands. He did so much to make these characters seem like real people and Wolverine was no exception.
Without Claremont, so much of what readers readers love about Wolverine wouldn't exist. Claremont was the character's main writer, both in Uncanny X-Men and his solo title, for a long time and his version of the character is still one of the best.
5 Worst: The '90s Version Who Guest Starred Everywhere
This is a weird entry. Back in the '90s, Wolverine was guest starring in everything. Marvel figured putting Wolverine in a comic was a new way to print money and the thing about it is was that they weren't wrong- Wolverine moved units.
However, this version of Wolverine was always a very watered down version of the character, written by writers who didn't understand or keep up with the character and only had the barest understanding of him. Plus, they would job Wolverine out to new characters to prove they were tough.
4 Best: Bone Claw Wolverine
Bone claw Wolverine doesn't get nearly as much love as this version deserves. First off, he was written by one of the best Wolverine writers ever, Larry Hama. Secondly, this version of the character was without his adamantium, meaning he wasn't the invulnerable tank he had been.
Hama put Wolverine on a journey that he had never been on- coming back from the loss of the thing that helped define him and trying to prove that he could be a hero still, useful still. Then, Hama showcased the character going feral, losing what made him human and how he reacted. It was bravura storytelling and more people need to give it a look.
3 Worst: Patch
The Patch version of Wolverine came about because the X-Men had "died" and were in hiding from the world, but Wolverine still needed to go to the criminal island of Madripoor and have adventures in his solo book. Since, he couldn't have those adventures as Wolverine, he put an eye patch on and became Patch.
The thing that makes it so bad is that he literally just wore an eye patch and still did all of the things Wolverine is known for doing. Anyone who took a picture of him in action, with the claws and all, could send it to the newspaper and prove he and the X-Men were still alive.
2 Best: Modern Version
The Wolverine readers get now is the best version of the character. It's a culmination of every writer's work on him. He knows that he no longer needs to be a loner and has found a family that cares about him. He's been a leader and has become one of the most important superheroes in the world, the connecting glue between mutants and the rest of the superhero world.
This version of Wolverine knows what he's fighting for and why he's doing it. He's gained so many of the things in life that he as looking for, but he knows there is always more to fight for.
1 Worst: Feral, Noseless Wolverine
The saddest part about this version of Wolverine is that it could have been great. Larry Hama had set the whole thing up perfectly. However, there was something about the execution that ruined the whole thing. Maybe it's because Marvel didn't want to take their most bankable character and make him into bestial monster, but something was off.
He was only actually a beast for a very small amount of time before he became a version of the character that was basically the same as always, just speaking with a different font. Plus, he had no nose.