Many fans will remember a time just a few years ago when Marvel was often accused of spreading Wolverine too thin, giving him multiple solo titles alongside placing him front and center in numerous team books - including multiple iterations of both the Avengers and X-Men.
But in recent years, the publisher has taken a different approach to making sure everyone gets their fill of their particular brand of "the best there is at what he does" - franchising his legacy into numerous characters with a direct connection to the genuine article, each with either their own solo title or a place in a team book.
With the original Logan now back in action after a few years spent seemingly dead, we thought it high time to run down all the Wolverines (there's more than a few) currently popping claws and punching jaws in Marvel Comics.
(And that's without even dredging up Albert and Elsie-Dee, the X-Treme X-Men James Howlett, or the still-unresolved Wolverine clone from Age of Ultron... are they still around, given Secret Wars? And what about Bellona and the other Wolverine clones who were imprisoned back in 2017?)
Wolverine
The original “best there is at what he does” is James Howlett (better known to most as Logan), a nigh-unkillable ultimate soldier with a pernicious healing factor and razor-sharp claws... but almost any comic book fan can tell you that.
A little less clear are Wolverine’s recent whereabouts. Since his apparent death in 2014, when he was encased in molten adamantium, his body was housed in a remote cabin in the Canadian wilderness. Despite this seemingly inescapable fate, Wolverine was spotted alive and well – and in the possession of an Infinity Stone, no less – in Marvel Legacy #1. The mystery of his resurrection is slowly unravelling in the current Return of Wolverine series. He'll be part of the new core line-up of Uncanny X-Men next year.
Old Man Logan
Following 2015’s Secret Wars which rearranged parts of Marvel’s multiverse, the only Logan on tap in the Marvel Universe has been Old Man Logan, a transplant from an alternate timeline where Wolverine went crazy and killed the X-Men, and a conglomerate of villains nearly destroyed the Earth.
Always reluctant to acknowledge the Wolverine identity, Old Man Logan has largely co-existed alongside Laura Kinney, the current Wolverine, though Logan’s recent adventures have primarily led him to re-join the X-Men on a full-time basis. Old Man Logan had his own ongoing series for some time following his debut in the mainstream Marvel Universe, but his story is now wrapping up in the limited series Dead Man Logan, where it's confirmed he'll die.
All-New Wolverine
Laura Kinney (a.k.a.. X-23) is partial genetic clone of James Howlett, the original Wolverine who possesses the same healing factor, heightened senses, and adamantium claws as her predecessor. Though she was raised to be a merciless assassin, she became a reluctant hero after meeting Wolverine and joining the X-Men.
Follow the original Wolverine’s death, Laura took up his mantle (and a version of his yellow and blue costume) as the star of All-New Wolverine. Now that the original is back, however, she’s back in her own series under the title X-23.
Honey Badger
Okay, so Honey Badgers and Wolverines aren’t the same thing – but this Honey Badger, better known as Gabby, is inspired directly by Wolverine the hero. The genetic duplicate of Laura Kinney, the current Wolverine, Gabby is something of Laura’s sidekick/younger sister, who possesses all the powers of her progenitor in the body of a young girl.
Honey Badger showed up alongside the X-Men in Extermination, and is part of the X-23 series.
Jonathan
Jonathan the Wolverine is unique among Marvel’s many Wolverine because, well… he’s an actual Wolverine.
Rescued by Squirrel Girl from a lab where he was the subject of genetic experiments, she brought him to Laura Kinney, the current Wolverine, under the mistaken impression that Laura could speak to wolverines.
Fortunately for Jonathan, Gabby (see above) took a liking to him, and he now acts as her pet and occasional protector.
Jimmy Hudson
Another alternate universe transplant, Jimmy Hudson is the son of Wolverine from the Ultimate Universe. Raised by James and Heather Hudson (better known as two of the members of Alpha Flight in the mainstream Marvel Universe), Jimmy nonetheless has powers akin to those of his father - including claws that he also has the power to coat in organic metal, not unlike Colossus’ skin.
After arriving in the mainstream Marvel Universe following 2015’s Secret Wars (the same crossover that brought in Old Man Logan and destroyed the Ultimate Universe), Jimmy’s spent some time palling around with the original X-Men in X-Men Blue. Jimmy hasn't been seen since that title ended, however.
Daken
Though he has other children operating in the mainstream Marvel Universe, Daken is unique among the current Wolverines in that he is the son of the original Wolverine from the core Marvel Universe. Like most of Wolverine’s genetic duplicates and children, he’s inherited his father’s healing powers, heightened senses, and claws.
Though he’s primarily operated a villain, Daken has also operated as a kind of anti-hero as the Wolverine of Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers leading up to 2010’s Siege. Discovering he was terminally ill, Daken set about a plan to kill the X-Men and then himself as a kind of twisted revenge on his father. Though his body was seemingly incinerated as a result of his plot, Daken has since returned – and been a bit more heroic – briefly joining the cast of X-Men Blue before that series ended.
Wolvie
The original X-Babies, created by the villainous Mojo in his alternate world where TV ratings equal power, were infantilized versions of the X-Men who possess similar powers but have the mentality - or at least experience - of young children. Another batch of X-Babies, which our current lil' Logan hails from, were later created by one of Mojo's rivals.
Wolvie, the X-Babies resident bite-sized berserker, has been part of the cast of Exiles, however with that series coming to an end in 2019, it's unknown where Wolvie will wind up next.
Weapon H
Better known as H-Alpha (or Clayton to his friends), this Hulk/Wolverine genetic hybrid emerged as part of the "Weapons of Mutant Destruction" crossover in which Amadeus Cho and the former Weapon X squad teamed up to take on a group of evil geneticists bent on combining the DNA of the two old (and, at the time both deceased) rivals.
Fortunately for Cho and the mutants, while the plan actually succeeded, Clayton's heroic nature kept him from being the weapon his creators wanted. Unfortunately, they had a much more nasty back-up plan in H-Beta, Clayton's genetic successor, who Clayton was forced to kill to defeat.
Weapon H is part of the limited series Hulkverines that has him starring alongside - who else? - Hulk and Wolverine.
