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Wolverine has lived an interesting life. It’s been over fifty years since we first met Wolverine, and yet much of his past is still shrouded in mystery. It took us 25 years to learn Wolverine’s real name (James Howlett), and today we’re still getting new revelations about his life before joining the X-Men. Every time we think we know Wolverine, another secret kid pops up, or we learn about an adventure he spent during his years on the run in the 20^th century.

That’s one of the most interesting things about Wolverine. Out of all of the heroes in the Marvel Universe, he might have the most storied life. Thanks to his extended lifespan and healing factor, he’s lived multiple lifetimes in multiple countries, and while Marvel has explored a lot of it, there’s always the sense that there is more hiding under the surface.

So, who is Wolverine? Who are his loves? How many kids does he have, and how many times has he died? Let’s explore the life and times of the X-Men’s most ferocious member.

A timeline of Wolverine’s life

We’ve divided this timeline into one section covering Logan’s life before joining the X-Men, and a second section covering his life after joining the X-Men. The first section cites the year a particular event happened if it’s available. For example, we know Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth takes place in 1909, so that’s what it’s listed under.

For other comics, we use contextual clues to give an approximate date range. Because these stories were written by different creators, sometimes years apart, there will be discrepancies, and some things might not make sense. Marvel Wikia was an invaluable resource for putting this section together.

Because of Marvel’s sliding timescale, the second half of the timeline doesn’t list the year an event took place. Giant-Size X-Men #1 may have been published in 1975, but Marvel’s sliding timeline imagines that it was around 15 years ago (give or take) from whatever the present day is. As such, we won’t attempt to lock down specific dates for Logan’s superhero activities. However, our timeline will still present those important events in order.

This timeline doesn’t cover everything that happened to Wolverine, because otherwise it would be longer than a novel. However, we cover the highlights of Logan’s life, the major events, milestones, and other curiosities.

Wolverine timeline before meeting the X-Men

• 1882-1885 – James Howlett is born. It should be noted that there is some dispute over his birth year. X-Men: Prelude to Schism #4 states that Logan was born in 1882. However, Wolverine: The Origin #2 states that his older brother John was born in 1885, which doesn’t align with James having an 1882 birth year.
• 1897 – John Howlett Jr, Wolverine’s older brother, contracts a “sudden illness” and dies (Wolverine: The Origin #2). Young James befriends a girl named Rose O’Hara and a boy nicknamed Dog (Wolverine: The Origin #1).
• Late 1890s-Early 1900s – James’s father is murdered by Dog’s father, Thomas Logan (who is implied to be James’s real biological father). James’s bone claws emerge for the first time, and he kills Thomas. James’s mother, Elizabeth, commits suicide. James and Rose flee the Howlett estate and live on the run. James adopts the name Logan and earns the nickname Wolverine due to the way he fights. James accidentally kills Rose during a confrontation with Dog and flees into the woods (Wolverine: The Origin #1-6).
• 1907 – Logan spends years living in the woods with a wolf pack until the pack is slaughtered by a bear. Logan is captured by a circus ringmaster, who uses him as a sideshow attraction. Logan escapes and murders the animal trainer who had tortured him, Saul Creed. This set the stages for Logan’s longtime rivalry with Saul’s brother Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth (Origin II #1-5).
• 1909 – Wolverine has his first confrontation with Sabretooth (Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth #1).
• Early 1900s – Logan settles down with a Native American named Silver Fox. The two have many happy days together until she is murdered by Sabretooth (Wolverine Vol.2 #10).
• 1912-1918 – Logan serves in the Devil’s Brigade during World War I (Wolverine Origins #14-17 and various other flashback comics).
• 1929 – Logan smuggles alcohol during the Prohibition era. He has another run in with Victor Creed, who is working as a hitman for famed mobster Al Capone (Savage Wolverine #20).
• 1937 – Logan fights in the Spanish Civil War (Wolverine Vol. 2 #35). Wolverine studies espionage under Taras Romanov. He also trains Romanov’s young ward Natasha Romanoff in combat. Romanoff would later become Black Widow, an Avenger who is one of Wolverine’s greatest allies in the modern era (Wolverine: Origins #9).
• 1941 – Logan meets Captain America for the first time during a mission in Madripoor. The heroes battle HYDRA and rescue a young Natasha Romanoff (Uncanny X-Men #268).
• 1942 – Logan fights for the Devil’s Brigade in World War II. Logan is captured and sent to a Nazi death camp in Poland. The Nazis repeatedly try to execute Logan, but his healing factor revives him each time (Wolverine Vol. 3 #32).
• 1945 – Logan is imprisoned as a POW in Hiroshima, Japan. He is present during the Hiroshima atomic bomb detonation, but his healing factor allows him to survive (Logan #1).
• 1946 – Logan marries a Japanese woman named Itsu. She is tragically murdered by the Winter Soldier, devastating Logan. Itsu was pregnant at the time of her murder, and unbeknownst to Logan, that unborn child would survive (more on him later in the guide). It’s worth noting that there is some discrepancy about the timeline of Logan’s marriage to Itsu. It’s said that Itsu’s son was born in 1946, but the Winter Soldier was said to be in suspended animation at this time (Wolverine Vol. 3 #40).
• 1950s – Logan does espionage work for America and Canada during the Cold War (Before the Fantastic Four: Ben Grimm and Logan #1).
• 1961 – Logan joins the Weapon X Project, a government program that uses mutants as special operatives. Logan is placed on Team X, a special Black Ops squad. Logan’s longtime rival Victor Creed is one of his teammates. Weapon X begins to mess with Logan’s memories (Wolverine Vol. 2 #48-49).
• 1968 – Logan quits Team X after tensions erupt during a mission with Sabretooth (X-Men Vol. 2 #7).
• 1974: Scientists from the Weapon X project drug and capture Logan. The scientists graft an Adamantium skeleton to his body and begin to recondition his mind to make him their ultimate weapon. The process erases Logan’s memories of his life before the Weapon X program. Logan eventually turned on his captors and escaped (Marvel Comics Presents #73-84).
• Years later: Wolverine is found in the woods by James and Heather Hudson. The feral Wolverine is shot, and he begins to regain his mind after the Hudson’s nurse him back to health. This leads to Wolverine joining the superhuman government agency Department H (Alpha Flight #33).
• Roughly 15 years ago: The Canadian government sent Wolverine to fight the Hulk. Wolverine holds his own, but the Hulk is able to best him. This is Wolverine’s first comic book appearance (The Incredible Hulk #180-181).

Wolverine timeline after joining the X-Men

• Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975) – Wolverine joins the X-Men for the first time.
• X-Men #98 (1976) – Wolverine is illustrated without his mask for the first time, revealing that he’s older than his teenage teammates.
• X-Men #103 (1976) – Wolverine is called Logan for the first time. Prior to this issue, he had only been referred to by his codename.
• X-Men #116 (1978) – Wolverine’s healing factor is seen for the first time.
• Marvel Comic #335 (1979) – Wolverine appears in a solo story without the X-Men for the first time.
• X-Men #124 (1979) – We get our first hint that Wolverine has an adamantium skeleton.
• X-Men #139 (1980) – Wolverine begins wearing his iconic brown and tan costume.
• Wolverine #1-4 (1982) – Wolverine headlines his own miniseries for the first time.
• Uncanny X-Men #173 (1983) – Wolverine almost marries Mariko Yashida, but the wedding ceremony is disrupted by Mastermind, who uses his mental powers to make Mariko leave Logan at the altar.
• X-Men #25 (1993) – Magneto uses his powers to rip out Wolverine’s adamantium skeleton.
• Wolverine #145 (1999) – Wolverine’s adamantium skeleton is restored, thanks to Apocalypse.
• House of M #8 (2005) – After recovering from one of the Scarlet Witch’s spells, Wolverine realizes that he’s regained the memories of his life before he was in the Weapon X program.
• Death of Wolverine #1-4 (2014) – Wolverine is killed by Dr. Abraham Cornelius after his body is covered in liquid metal. Without his healing powers, which he had lost, Logan suffocates and dies.
• Return of Wolverine #1-5 (2018) – Wolverine is revived by a mutant named Persephone.

Who are Wolverine’s most important love interests?

Let me start off by saying this is not going to be a complete list of every love interest Wolverine has had. Logan has been around the world for over a century and loved many women along the way. This list covers some of his most notable relationships.

• Viper/Ophelia Sarkissian – A terrorist leader who has had an uneasy alliance with Wolverine from time to time. Logan and Ophelia got married as part of an alliance to consolidate her power in Madripoor. However, it was strictly a marriage of convenience, and once Logan was able to gain leverage over her, he asked for a divorce.
• Mariko Yashida – Wolverine’s girlfriend during the X-Men’s Bronze Age run. Mariko and Wolverine were almost married, but the villain Mastermind used his powers to brainwash Mariko into leaving him at the altar. Mariko is later poisoned by an assassin and asks Wolverine to kill her to avoid a long, painful death. Wolverine honors her requests, leading to one of the most heartbreaking moments of his life.
• Jean Grey – A founding member of the X-Men and one of the most powerful mutants on Earth. Logan has had intense feelings for Jean for years and has stolen a kiss or two, but she remains committed to Scott Summers, and no romance has ever developed.
• Yukio – A skilled ronin who is a longtime ally of Wolverine. There has been romantic tension between them now and then, but it’s settled into a strong friendship.
• Rose O’Hara – Although Rose and Logan never dated, she could be considered his first true love. Rose was a childhood friend who knew Wolverine back when he was James Howlett. Although he had feelings for her, Rose never returned his affections. She was tragically killed when she was caught in the crossfire during a battle between James and his brother Dog. It should be noted that Rose resembles Jean Grey, and it’s possible their resemblance helped drive Logan’s attraction to Jean.
• Charlemagne – A European intelligence agent who Wolverine had a relationship before joining the X-Men. Years later, Logan would help her when a group of ex-KGB assassins targeted her for knowing too much. Charlie chose to end her life on her own terms rather than be hunted for eternity.
• Itsu – Wolverine’s wife during a period when he lived in Japan. She was murdered by a brainwashed Winter Soldier, devastating Logan. Itsu and Wolverine’s son Akihiro survived and currently operates as the demonic anti-hero Hellverine.  
• Storm – One of the most powerful mutants on Earth, and a longtime X-Men teammate. Storm is one of the few people who can look Wolverine in the eye and call him on his bullshit. The two briefly dated after Storm’s marriage to Black Panther crumbled, and today they remain close friends.
• Silver Fox – A Native American woman with whom Logan lived in the early 20^th century. Their romances ended when she was killed by the villain Sabretooth. 

Who are all of Wolverine’s children?

How does Wolverine spend Father’s Day? It’s complicated. He’s sired a few children over the years, and his relationship with his kids is a bit messy. Some of them want to kill him, and some of them have nearly succeeded in making it happen. Here’s a breakdown of all of Wolverine’s children. Keep in mind, this only covers the 616 version of Wolverine. No alternate futures, alternate realities, movies, or cartoons.

It’s important to note that Logan has led a long life and been with a lot of women, so it’s possible there are more kids out there that we aren’t aware of.

• Akihiro – The son of Wolverine and his wife, Itsu. Like his father, Akihiro has a strong healing factor and retractable claws. For a tim,e he blamed Wolverine for his mother’s death, but they’ve since made peace with one another. He recently received a power upgrade and now operates under the name Hellverine.
• Erista – The final page of Wolverine: The Jungle Adventures #1 implies that Wolverine fathered a child with a member of the Tribe of Fire. This idea was expanded on in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: X-Men 2004 #1, which stated that Wolverine had a son named Erista. According to author Eric J. Moreels, Erista is the same baby seen at the end of Jungle Adventures #1. Erisa hasn’t been seen since.
• Laura Kinney – The daughter of Logan, and a powerful mutant in her own right. Laura has gone by the codenames X-23, Wolverine, and is currently calling herself Talon. Originally, she believed she was a clone of Wolverine, but it was later revealed that she was Logan’s biological daughter (long story short, Laura’s mother did some genetic hijacking).  
• Laura Kinney (Krakoan duplicate) – This is a bit awkward. When Laura was presumed dead after a mission gone wrong, the X-Men resurrected her using Krakoa’s Resurrection Protocols. However, it turned out the original Laura was still alive, so now there was a duplicate. Laura has had clones before, but it would be wrong to dismiss this one as another clone since the Krakoa Resurrection Protocols more or less bring you back from the dead in a new body. This makes Laura’s Krakoan duplicate an interesting anomaly.
• Raze Darkholme – The son of Wolverine and Mystique. An adult version of the character attacked the X-Men after arriving from the future. The story implied that a young version of Raze exists in the present-day Marvel Universe, and he just hasn’t encountered Wolverine yet.
• William Downing – The son of Wolverine and a woman named Dolores Downing. William became a mercenary called Gunhawk and teamed up with a group of his half-siblings to fight his father. It didn’t go well for him.
• Saw Fist – The son of Wolverine and an unknown Mexican woman. His real name is unknown, but he grew up to become a mercenary named Saw Fist, known for the chainsaw attached to his right wrist gauntlet. He killed himself after failing to beat Wolverine in combat.
• Cannon Foot – A mercenary who was known for kicking rocks like they were cannonballs, hence his name. He tried to kill Wolverine, but Wolverine killed him instead.
• Shadowstalker – The daughter of Wolverine and an unnamed woman. Shadowstalker attacked Logan alongside her half-siblings as part of a group called the Mongrels. She didn’t survive the encounter.
• Fire Knives – A mercenary who used flaming knives. She fought Wolverine and chose to kill herself after she was unable to best him in combat.
• Amiko Kobayashi – Amiko is a Japanese girl whom Logan helped raise after the death of her mother. She’s considered Wolverine’s “foster daughter” and has grown up to be a capable young woman, becoming a vigilante in her own right.

What are all of Wolverine’s deaths and resurrections?

The Marvel Universe is a dangerous place, and it isn’t unusual for its heroes to die and get resurrected. When you add Wolverine’s healing powers, this results in a recipe for lots of deaths and revivals. Here’s a breakdown of the major deaths and resurrections Wolverine has undergone in the comics.

Because of Wolverine’s healing factor, there have been some ambiguous situations, and some comics where he’s only been dead for less than an issue. It would be impossible to track EVERY death for that reason, but the following is a breakdown of the major ones.

Please note, this only covers the Earth-616 comics versions of Wolverine. We’re not counting deaths in alternate futures, What-If stories, movies, or cartoons.

• Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #11 (1984) – Doctor Doom uses the powers of the Beyonder to kill Wolverine and his superhero allies. Colossus uses alien technology to revive Wolverine and his allies in Secret Wars #12.
• X-Men Annual #11 (1987) – Wolverine is stabbed by the villain Horde, who rips his heart out as a trophy. Logan is revived later that issue after the Crystal of Ultimate Vision brings him back from a single drop of blood.
• Uncanny X-Men #227 (1988) – Wolverine and the X-Men sacrifice their life forces in order to defeat a villain called the Adversary. Wolverine is converted into energy and briefly dies. Logan and his X-Men teammates are resurrected later that issue by a magical entity named Roma.
• Wolverine #175 (2002) – Wolverine is killed after an intense battle with his rival Sabretooth. Logan briefly enters the afterlife, but his healing factor kicks in, and he’s revived in Wolverine #176.
• Wolverine #20 (2004) – Wolverine is killed by Gorgon and resurrected by the mystical group known as the Hand.
• Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine #3 (2010) – Wolverine uses a weapon known as the Phoenix Gun to destroy an alternate reality version of Doctor Doom. However, the gun also destroys anyone who uses it, killing Wolverine. Spider-Man uses a Cosmic Cube to resurrect Wolverine later that issue.
• Wolverine #1 (2013) – Logan’s soul is ripped from his body by the Red Right Hand cult. Logan’s soul returns to his body after a ritual is conducted in Wolverine #5.
• Death of Wolverine #4 (2014) – Dr. Abraham Cornelius covers Wolverine’s body in liquid adamantium. The liquid hardens, and Wolverine (who had lost his healing powers) suffocates. A mutant named Persephone uses her powers to revive Wolverine in the 2018 limited series Return of Wolverine.
• House of X #4 (2019) – Wolverine teleports himself to the vacuum of space to destroy the Orchis Mother Mold. He was revived using Krakoa’s Resurrection Protocols in X-Men #6.
• Wolverine #27 (2024) – Beast decapitates Wolverine and resurrects him to be a mindless puppet. Wolverine would later regain his mind (and he wasn’t too pleased with Beast).

For more on Wolverine and his X-Men allies, keep your eyes peeled to Popverse for more deep dives, guides, fun facts, and more.

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