Wolverine is A Patchwork Character

When I hear the casual comment by writers that: ‘Wolverine was created by Len Wein’ I can’t help but wince.

When you look at Wolverine as we know him today, you have to realize he is a virtual patchwork character with no one major creator responsible for the overall character and what he has become.

What I mean by this is look at all the other major heroes and characters. They had one or two creators make the hero, origin, powers, supporting characters, and main villains.

For example, with FF: Lee and Kirby made the FF, Doctor Doom, Galactus, Silver Surfer, The Inhumans, etc.

With Spider-Man it was Lee and Ditko making Spidey, his main villains, supporting characters.

Batman, it was Kane and Finger who brought that world around.

You get the picture.

Anyway, with Wolverine, who was responsible for his overall character? Answer, not any one particular creator. The main ones I know of are:

To name a character Wolverine. The credit probably goes to Roy Thomas who wanted him a Canadian hero. But from what I’ve read no one recalls exactly the circumstances of who said what, so it was either him or Len Wein. Whatever the case:

Len Wein got the initial idea rolling with Roy Thomas. However Wein imagined him as a teenager and the claws were only a part of the gloves.

John Romita Sr. drew the initial costume, but Gil Kane redesigned by accident, the mask Wolverine wears now.

Dave Cockrum gave us the face of Wolverine, behind the mask.

John Byrne suggested the name Logan, because of a Canadian mountain.

Chris Claremont helped to develop a lot of the personality Wolverine has become.

Barry Windsor Smith gave us the Weapon X story and explained how Wolverine got his adamantium skeleton and claws.

Under Larry Hama, and whatever editors decided it then, it was revealed the Wolverine had actual bone claws as a part of his skeleton. Also the idea of the false memory implants started.

Jemas, Quasada and Jenkins then gave us the Wolverine origin and his real name.

Wolverine’s main villain Sabertooth, was not created by any of the people involved with Wolverine at the start. Such as Len Wein, Thomas or Romita.

The healing factor power was initially a throw away idea, in no way imagined to become what it has meant to the character. I believe it was a Claremont idea. But can’t nail a specific source. So I leave that possibility open to Wein, Byrne, or Thomas.

By now I think you get the point of this post. Wolverine is a very fragmented creation as a character and who contributed what. However to give Len Wein full creative credit for creating Wolverine, I think is absolutely wrong. His idea and what he contributed to the creation of Wolverine as we know him today is VERY little.

Wein DID NOT design the signature Wolverine costume, make his name / identity of Logan out of the costume. Did not design his signature face out of the costume. Did not make the claws a part of Wolverine’s body. Did not create the bone claws idea. Did not create his revealed Origin and name. Did not create his main villain Sabretooth.

Wein basically saw him as a teenager with gloves that had claws on it.

At one point Wolverine was also seen as a sociopath who could possibly cut down an ally for any minor little perceived slight.

Overall, I’m glad most heroes have only one or two creators who started them, there origin, powers, and main villains.

Using Wolverine as an example, I just find a character created like this to be very messy. And if we were talking financial royalties situation, I think it would be a mess. And in this example, Wein should not and does not deserve much financial royalty on a character like this at all. Because he contributed very little to the status quo of the Wolverine character and what he has become.

And sure I know their was no royalty situation then. But that’s not the point. Overall, as a top selling icon character of Marvel, Wolverine is probably their most patch work created character.