Was Wolverine a mutant in his first appearance?

[[]D[]/\/\[]D @ Nite/So-tite]

Was Wolverine ever listed/cited as a mutant in Incredible Hulk #181, or was he retconned into one afterwards?

[Joe Acro]

When Wolverine first appeared, the origins of his powers and his background were intentionally left ambiguous. What was known was that he was a government agent for Canada. So, I suppose you could say his mutancy was a retcon.

[JmH Reborn]

It was said that he wasn't a mutant ala his rival Sabretooth, those claws (for both of them) were initially meant to be a part of the gloves. Some retcons work and luckily the way both characters were initially created left open alot of options. Remember Len Wein wanted Wolverine/Badger to be a young 17 year old hotshot until Bryne dramatically changed that when the mask came off 30 years ago.

[Lurch]

I would have sworn that the mask came off early enough in the run that the art was by Cockrum. I do distinctly remember the issue where they find out that his claws are part of him, Banshee says something like, Laddie, yer claws, they're part of ye! And I haven't seen that issue since it was on the stands.

[fishtaco]

I would have sworn that the mask came off early enough in the run that the art was by Cockrum. I do distinctly remember the issue where they find out that his claws are part of him, Banshee says something like, Laddie, yer claws, they're part of ye! And I haven't seen that issue since it was on the stands.Wolverine was first seen with his mask off in Uncanny X-Men #109, which was pencilled by Byrne. However, the design for Wolverine's face that we all know was created by Dave Cockrum. Before even knowing that Cockrum had created a face, Byrne created one himself. He presented it to Chris Claremont, who told him that Cockrum already created one, so Byrne just used Cockrum's design in Uncanny X-Men #109. Later, when Claremont and Byrne collaborated on Iron Fist, Claremont had the idea of a character named Sabretooth. When Byrne designed the character visually, he used his original design for Wolverine's face for Sabretooth's. :)

[Buddahbelly]

Wolverine was first seen with his mask off in Uncanny X-Men #109, which was pencilled by Byrne. However, the design for Wolverine's face that we all know was created by Dave Cockrum. Before even knowing that Cockrum had created a face, Byrne created one himself. He presented it to Chris Claremont, who told him that Cockrum already created one, so Byrne just used Cockrum's design in Uncanny X-Men #109. Later, when Claremont and Byrne collaborated on Iron Fist, Claremont had the idea of a character named Sabretooth. When Byrne designed the character visually, he used his original design for Wolverine's face for Sabretooth's. :)
Cool. I had no idea about the Sabretooth with Wolvie's face thing. OMG!!! I learned sumthin in the net!!!:eek:

[Sorcerer Supreme]

Yea, thats a pretty cool bit of info, thanks for that.

[DDM]

When Wolverine first appeared, the origins of his powers and his background were intentionally left ambiguous. What was known was that he was a government agent for Canada. So, I suppose you could say his mutancy was a retcon.

Wolverine being a mutant is not a retcon. Logan's past was purposely left ambiguous in his first appearance since he is only known as "the Wolverne." Chris Claremont filled in the blanks over the years in Uncanny X-Men. A retcon is changing a character fudamentally; for example, the Fantastic Four #286 reveals Phoenix became Jean Grey (rather than the reverse, Jean Grey became Phoenix) is changed & Simon's death being a crystalis state in Avengers #9 is a retcon to explain his resurrection in The Avengers #151.

[Joe Acro]

One definition of a retcon is adding information to a character/event or its history. By this definition, expanding on a character is still, technically, a retcon.

[spoon_jenkins]

Wolverine was first seen with his mask off in Uncanny X-Men #109, which was pencilled by Byrne. However, the design for Wolverine's face that we all know was created by Dave Cockrum. Before even knowing that Cockrum had created a face, Byrne created one himself. He presented it to Chris Claremont, who told him that Cockrum already created one, so Byrne just used Cockrum's design in Uncanny X-Men #109. Later, when Claremont and Byrne collaborated on Iron Fist, Claremont had the idea of a character named Sabretooth. When Byrne designed the character visually, he used his original design for Wolverine's face for Sabretooth's. :)
A few things are incorrect here. First, Wolverine was seen with his mask off several issues #109 and before Byrne took over for Cockrum. He appeared with his mask off at least as early as the Dave Cockrum penciled Uncanny X-Men #98.

In fact Uncanny #109 was even the first maskless appearance of Wolverine drawn by Byrne. Byrne drew him in Iron Fist a few months early in Iron Fist #15 (which was a while after Cockrum drew Logan without his mask).

[fishtaco]

A few things are incorrect here. First, Wolverine was seen with his mask off several issues #109 and before Byrne took over for Cockrum. He appeared with his mask off at least as early as the Dave Cockrum penciled Uncanny X-Men #98.

In fact Uncanny #109 was even the first maskless appearance of Wolverine drawn by Byrne. Byrne drew him in Iron Fist a few months early in Iron Fist #15 (which was a while after Cockrum drew Logan without his mask).Whoops! I totally forgot about that! I guess Byrne never read X-Men (1st Series) #98. Did Wolverine have his mask off in Iron Fist #15?

[DDM]

Whoops! I totally forgot about that! I guess Byrne never read X-Men (1st Series) #98. Did Wolverine have his mask off in Iron Fist #15?

Yes. The X-Men are at Jean's apartment at the end of the story for a party. Wolverine is wearing Fang's costume anyway so he is not wearing a mask in the story.

[spoon_jenkins]

BTW, I recommend that old school X-Men fans pick up Iron Fist #15. With Claremont and Byrne, it's almost like a "lost issue" of their X-Men run (although as noted, it preceded Byrne's stint on X-Men).

[Nstar83]

I don't know i really don't consider Wolverine a mutant.I always thought that before the Celestial an deviant tampering on early humans they all would have had the same basic format as wolverine , or the MOON CLAN in canada.Which meens all had Healing factors Senses an bone claws, i could be wrong.I am sure someone will point it out in a none to kind manner thou

[DDM]

BTW, I recommend that old school X-Men fans pick up Iron Fist #15. With Claremont and Byrne, it's almost like a "lost issue" of their X-Men run (although as noted, it preceded Byrne's stint on X-Men).

At the time, John Byrne was promoting himself to be the next X-Men penciler to the Marvel editors since Dave Cockrum left the book; Byrne basically has said Iron Fist #15 was his "audition" to see if he could handle the X-Men.

[carabas]

I've always heard that Claremont's original idea for Womverine's origin was that he wasn't a mutant, or even a human at all, but one of Count Nefaria's Ani-Men.

[fishtaco]

I've always heard that Claremont's original idea for Womverine's origin was that he wasn't a mutant, or even a human at all, but one of Count Nefaria's Ani-Men.No. In X-Men (1st Series) #98, Stephen Lang's goons are having a hard time scanning Wolverine, although they are having no trouble with Banshee and Jean Grey. Wolverine was originally supposed to be a real wolverine, transformed into what he is by the High Evolutionary.

Fortunately, Claremont changed his mind. ;) :D

[Lurch]

A few things are incorrect here. First, Wolverine was seen with his mask off several issues #109 and before Byrne took over for Cockrum. He appeared with his mask off at least as early as the Dave Cockrum penciled Uncanny X-Men #98.

In fact Uncanny #109 was even the first maskless appearance of Wolverine drawn by Byrne. Byrne drew him in Iron Fist a few months early in Iron Fist #15 (which was a while after Cockrum drew Logan without his mask).

I had not checked this thread since before you posted this. Today, I took this question the horses mouth, so to speak. I had the privilege of talking to Mr. Cockrum for about a half hour at a small con in Greenville, SC, and I asked him about this. He said yes, he's the man who gave Wolverine a face, and the man who drew it first in a published comic.

He's wheelchair bound, but in great spirits. And while he has some problems with his hands now, his work is still superior to 90% of what I see being published today.

[curefreak]

I dont know the technical defintion of a retcon, but to me a retcon is something that changes the established facts of a story or character, so i dont think you can call it a retcon that he turned out to be a mutant, cause it was never said that he wasn't a mutant.

[CaptainCanada]

I dont know the technical defintion of a retcon, but to me a retcon is something that changes the established facts of a story or character, so i dont think you can call it a retcon that he turned out to be a mutant, cause it was never said that he wasn't a mutant.
That's how I look at it. He was said to be a superpowered Canadian agent, but nothing else was given about his background, so saying that he is a mutant doesn't change anything.

[Stephane Garrelie]

Not a retcon: Roy Thomas asked Len Wein to create a canadian mutant in Hulk with the intention to add him later to a new international team of X-Men for the relaunch of the book.

[fishtaco]

I dont know the technical defintion of a retcon, but to me a retcon is something that changes the established facts of a story or character, so i dont think you can call it a retcon that he turned out to be a mutant, cause it was never said that he wasn't a mutant.I agree. Since there was no continuity established (specifically how he has super powers), revealing him to be a mutant is establishing the continuity. Now, if it said in his earliest appearances that he was, say, hit by cosmic rays, and THEN it said he was a mutant, then yes, that would be a retcon.
Not a retcon: Roy Thomas asked Len Wein to create a canadian mutant in Hulk with the intention to add him later to a new international team of X-Men for the relaunch of the book.I did not know that. Cool.

[Stephane Garrelie]

Wolvie face/ Byrne/ Cockrum:

While doodling Byrne (who was at the time working with Claremont on Iron-Fist) came with a face for wolverine that he presented to Claremont. Claremont told him that Cockrum (who was the penciler of the X-Men) had already created a face for Wolverine and that it was nothing like that. Some months later Claremont and Byrne used the face created by Byrne for a new character: Sabertooth.