Version 3.00, last updated on January 06, 2008

Joe Quesada and Richard Isanove, Origin #1

In late 2000 shortly after the box office success of the first X-Men movie, Marvel Comics President Bill Jemas challenged his new editor-in-chief Joe Quesada and the rest of the Marvel Comics’ editorial staff to write “…the one story we can’t tell,” the origin of Wolverine. Many writers turned down the opportunity including Grant Morrison (“I thought it was a dumb idea.”), Brian Bendis (“I’m not the guy to write this.”), Mark Millar (“I didn’t want to drop anything I was currently working on.”) and Joe Casey (“Never a burning question in my mind.”). Finally Paul Jenkins, who had never written a Wolverine story, stepped forward and co-wrote the story with Jemas and Quesada.[1] Jenkins noted, “My sensibilities seem to lay, I think, in characterization much more than events… I have to examine his character and not just make it a series of important events. Because they become meaningless if there’s not actually people that you care about taking part in those events… If you do a good story with good art and people really dig the characterization, they will like it.”[2] As for the story itself, Jenkins later admitted, “Origin was based a little bit on my own upbringing in England.”[3]

Wolverine: The Origin #1 (Nov 2001) – “Part I: The Hill”
Plotter: Paul Jenkins, Bill Jemas & Joe Quesada; Scripter: Paul Jenkins;
Penciler: Andy Kubert; Digital Painter: Richard Isanove
We begin at the Howlett Estate up on ‘the Hill,’ home to John Howlett, the son of a domineering self-made millionaire. John’s eldest son has died of a sudden fever years earlier, an event that sent the mother (and John’s wife), Elizabeth, briefly to an insane asylum. To help raise the youngest and now only son, James, a young girl named Rose is hired from the village. At the estate she encounters Thomas Logan, the groundskeeper and a drunkard, who lives nearby with his Huck Finn-like son, nicknamed Dog. Though James Howlett is frail and sickly, the three youths, James, Rose and Dog, spend the summer together, frolicking as kids do. One day, while James and Dog play near the water, James falls in and Dog rescues him. Later that evening while James recuperates, Thomas Logan beats his son for fraternizing with “their kind.” When Christmas arrives months later, James receives a puppy while Dog observes through a window. John Howlett takes pity on the poor child and gives him a toy train, but when Dog shows his gift to his father, Thomas Logan beats his son once again.

…While we are intentionally led to believe that Dog will grow up to become Wolverine, it is James Howlett who will be revealed as the mutant nicely tying into Logan’s earliest memories…

Deadpool #27 (Apr 1999)
“It’s a Barbarian Bunny – Busty Broad Bonanza in My Brainpan…”
Writer: Joe Kelly; Penciler:L McDaniel; Inker: McFarland
A familiar scent in San Francisco’s Chinatown sets off a flood of memories for Logan including “my tricycle.” Considering that Model introduced the ‘three-track tricycle’ in 1883, we can presume Logan had a flash of his childhood as James Howlett.

Heroes for Hope Starring the X-Men #1 (1985)
Writer: Harlan Ellison; Penciler: Frank Miller; Inker: Bill Sienkiewicz
Wolverine has a vague memory of a time before he could heal himself, when he was “…merely human.”

Astonishing X-Men #15 (Aug 2006)
Writer: Joss Whedon; Artist: John Cassaday
Logan is mentally regressed by Cassandra Nova to his childhood. Among the many things we learn about young James Howlett is that he likes to cut out paper chains.

Astonishing X-Men #16 (Oct 2006)
Writer: Joss Whedon; Artist: John Cassaday
While still mentally regressed, Logan gives another clue to his childhood during a fervant plea to God. “Oh Lord, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee and for any wrongs I have done in your sight including that dream I had about the chambermaid that spoilt my bedlinens.” Later, he shows his courage by trying to assist Kitty Pryde. “You’re a girl, and if there’s danger about, I… well it isn’t right for a Howlett to hide behind someone’s skirts. I shan’t prize my life above my honor.”

Astonishing X-Men #17 (Aug 2006)
Writer: Joss Whedon; Artist: John Cassaday
In the final moments of his mental regression, Logan reveals a few more of his early attitudes, referring to the Japanese language as “heathen funny talk” and that “one reads about George the Third bumbling away the Americas.”

Wolverine: The Origin #2 (Dec 2001) – “Part II: Inner Child”
Plotter: Paul Jenkins, Bill Jemas & Joe Quesada; Scripter: Paul Jenkins;
Penciler: Andy Kubert; Digital Painter: Richard Isanove
Several years pass and James Howlett, now a young teenager, still appears pale and weak. Rose, while continuing to attend to her duties, accidentally sees Elizabeth Howlett being dressed and notices three horrible scars across her ribs as if she had been clawed by an animal. In shock, Rose runs outside and is physically accosted by Dog. James witnesses the attack and alerts his father and before long John Howlett berates Thomas Logan over the conduct of his son. The following day, Dog attacks James in a secluded area of the grounds for ratting him out and kills James’ dog, Callie. By evening, John Howlett has Thomas and his son thrown off the premises, but later that night, they sneak back onto the estate grounds with rifles, forcing Rose to help them break into the house. Once inside, Thomas finds Elizabeth Howlett and tells her that she is leaving with him. At that moment, John Howlett barges in, and Thomas decks him, threatening him with the rifle. All of the sounds wake James, who walks in just in time to see Thomas fatally shoot his father in the head. Something snaps deep inside James, and he attacks Dog and Thomas. As Thomas pushes him away, we discover that James has bone claws coming from the back of his hands, claws that he uses to impale Thomas Logan, killing him on the spot.

Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove, Origin #2

It is strongly implied from the story that Thomas Logan, the groundskeeper, is James Howlett’s biological father, from his uncanny resemblance to the present day Logan to the interplay between Thomas and Elizabeth Howlett. We are also given a glimpse of the tombstone belonging to James Howlett’s brother, John: born 1885 and dying in 1897. Hence the first part of this story definitely takes place after 1897, placing James’ birth in the late 1880s to early 1890s.

Paradise X #4 (Sep 2002)
Plotter: Jim Krueger and Alex Ross; Scripter: Jim Krueger;
Penciler: Dougie Braithwaite; Inker: Bill Reinhold
A theory by Aaron Stack (Machine Man) in a future time line posits that Logan came from the Moon Tribe, a race of humans who remained feral and wild in Northern Canada. He further argues that Sabretooth is from a rival tribe, the Bear Clan. Additional speculation by Kyle Richmond (Nighthawk) suggests that the young, feral Logan was found and adopted by a well-to-do family, the Howletts, as a surrogate for John Howlett, their sole heir who passed away in 1897. Because this feral child showed no infirmities like those of a normal child, the family kept him secluded in the house, feigning illnesses to keep him out of sight.

Note that future time lines such as Paradise X are stories of speculation and are notoriously unreliable, so this conjecture is suspect, but it would nicely dovetail Logan’s early memories of childhood with the story of Wolverine: The Origin and the dream sequences he experienced during Jeph Loeb’s run of Wolverine.

Wolverine (Vol. 2) #50 (Mar 2007) – “Evolution, Chapter One: First Blood”
Writer: Jeph Loeb; Pencils: Simone Bianchi;
Ink & Washed Halftones: Simone Bianchi & Andrea Silvestri
After regaining all of his memories, Logan begins to dream of Lupines, a race of wolf-like men who hunt sabretooth tigers in prehistoric times.

Wolverine (Vol. 2) #51 (Apr 2007) – “Evolution, Chapter Two: Deja Vu”
Writer: Jeph Loeb; Pencils: Simone Bianchi;
Ink & Washed Halftones: Simone Bianchi & Andrea Silvestri
Logan’s dreams continue with the Lupines wiping out a group of Neanderthals.

Wolverine (Vol. 2) #52 (May 2007) – “Evolution, Chapter Three: Blood on the Wind”
Writer: Jeph Loeb; Pencils: Simone Bianchi;
Ink & Washed Halftones: Simone Bianchi & Andrea Silvestri
While in Wakanda, Logan’s dreams evolve into those of Lupine warriors fighting on an ancient battlefield with armored elephants reminiscent of Hannibal. Much to Wolverine’s astonishment, he finds the ancient bones of the Lupines in a Wakandan elephant graveyard.

Wolverine (Vol. 2) #53 (Jun 2007) – “Evolution, Chapter Four: Insomnia”
Writer: Jeph Loeb; Pencils: Simone Bianchi;
Ink & Washed Halftones: Simone Bianchi & Andrea Silvestri
Still in Wakanda, Logan’s dreams progress into those of Lupine gladiators fighting in the Colosseum of ancient Rome. Based on findings from the archaeological site, Black Panther and Storm pose the theory that Logan and other feral mutants like Sabretooth evolved from Lupines and are not actually mutated humans.

The theory put forth by Jeph Loeb (through Black Panther and Storm) that Wolverine, Sabretooth and a handful of other feral mutants are actually evolved from wolves is pseudo-science at its worst even for the Marvel Universe. There is simply no credible evidence to support the theory that a heretofore unknown species is responsible for a handful of individuals already identified beyond a shadow of a doubt by Cerebro and the High Evolutionary (to name but a few) as mutants. It is as spurious as the theory of spontaneous generation was centuries ago.

Wolverine (Vol. 2) #55 (Sep 2007) – “Evolution, Chapter Six: Quod Sum Eris ”
Writer: Jeph Loeb; Pencils: Simone Bianchi;
Ink & Washed Halftones: Simone Bianchi & Andrea Silvestri
After a climatic battle with Sabretooth, Wolverine is confronted by Wild Child who claims that there have always been two great Lupine warriors throughout the ages and that Wolverine represents the greatest Lupine warrior of all time. He further reveals that the mysterious Romulus is the leader of the Lupine race throughout all of time and gave these dreams to Logan so he could better understand his heritage.

…Marvel Comics released a series of “The End” or final stories for their most popular characters and Wolverine’s last story tied directly into the events of Wolverine: The Origin…

Wolverine: The End #1 (Jan 2004)
Writer: Paul Jenkins; Artist: Claudio Castellini
Because this is a yet another tale from the future, there is no way to ensure these events will happen, so any references to Logan’s past are suspect. Regardless, Logan of the future does confirm the events of Wolverine: The Origin, noting that the Howletts faced “…a tragedy – the children all died, one after another. The banks took over… all the money went missing.” Logan then adds, “I’m the only one left… I know I was born here – I found out a few little pieces about the family over the years.”

Wolverine: The End #3 (Jun 2004)
Writer: Paul Jenkins; Artist: Claudio Castellini
A hundred years in the future while searching for a man name Kitsunebi, Logan has a vague memory of a photograph showing his father and mother holding him as an infant. Later, when Logan finally does meet Kitsunebi, the White Ghost, he discovers he is a mutant with ghost-like shifting abilities and bone claws extending from the backs of his hands. After they battle, Kitsunebi reveals himself to be Logan’s older brother, John Howlett. Again note that with all tales from the future, there is no way to ensure the veracity of any details revealed.

Claudio Castellini, Wolverine: The End #4

Wolverine: The End #4 (Aug 2004)
Writer: Paul Jenkins; Artist: Claudio Castellini
Continuing his encounter with his older brother, Logan suddenly remembers being told as a child that his brother had died. His brother then gives Logan a photo taken by their father of James as an infant in his mother’s arms. John Howlett explains that their mother was having an affair with the gardener, Thomas Logan. When he confronted their mother about it shortly after James (Logan) was born, John was overcome with anger and sprouted bone claws from the back of his hands, gashing her mother’s ribs in the process. John’s father and grandfather arrived and subdued John. The grandfather took responsibility for John, promising “…the very best medicine has to offer,” but instead committed him to a lunatic asylum for the next fifty years. Since John Howlett has only actively appeared in The End, a story from the future, we must view these explanations with skepticism.

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[1] Christopher Lawrence, “Secret Mission,” Wizard #120, September 2001.
[2] “Paul Jenkins Talks Origin,” Comics Continuum (www.comicscontinuum.com), May 24, 2001.
[3] Richard Ho, “Logan’s Done,” Wizard #146, December 2003.