Wolverineisn’t just one of the mosticonicX-Menheroes in Marvel Comics, but he has also been a vehicle for the introduction of other awesome characters throughout his history. Indeed, Wolverine isn’t just a character, but an entire franchise in its own right. There areWolverinefilms, comic book series, and even video games. Sure, he’s amember of the X-Men, but Wolverine very much has his own continuity. And within that continuity, other characters have been able to enter the spotlight.
Wolverine’s solo adventuresare some of the best comics in Marvel’s catalog, and practically every adventure introduces new characters that are either phenomenal in that isolated story, or find a permanent place inMarvel Comics’ wider continuity. This isn’t anything new, either, as Wolverine has had his own series (both main title andMarvel Comics Presents) since the ‘80s. However, there are plenty of characters that have been introduced in Wolverine’s personal continuity at the turn of the millennium alone, and some are certainly stronger than others. Here are the10 strongestWolverinecharacters introduced since 1999!
10Romulus
Romulus is Perhaps the Most Influential Person in Wolverine’s Life
Romulus is an ancient mutant whose past is a bit ambiguous. He claims to be of a subspecies of human called Lupine that evolved from canines instead of primates, but that claim has been greatly debunked in Marvel Comics (though it is still possible). What isn’t up for debate regarding Romulus, however, is his impact on Wolverine’s life, and on world history as a whole. Romulus was the ruler of ancient Rome, and he had a hand in guiding most prominent regimes throughout history. However,there was always one thing missing in Romulus' life: Wolverine.
Romulus said that Wolverine was his descendant, and he wanted to forge him into a living weapon worthy of Romulus' greatness. That’swhy Romulus created Weapon X, and why he quietly guided the events of Wolverine’s lifethroughout his life from the shadows. Indeed, Romulus is perhaps the most influential person in Wolverine’s life.
9The Adamantine
The Metal of the Gods is a Sentient, Golden Metal Linked to Adamantium
The Adamantine is a relatively new character inWolverinecontinuity. It is the God of Metal, a sentient golden orb that has the ability to spread its consciousness across different forms of metal, including and especially adamantium. Not only that, but it has the power to possess those who have incorporated adamantium into their bodies. InWolverine(2024), which is the current ongoingWolverinetitle, the Adamantine is the big-bad of the series,possessing other adamantium-characters inWolverinelore, uniting them against Wolverine.
Characters like Lady Deathstrike and Cyber, classic Wolverine antagonists, are now being controlled by the Adamantine, which only proves how horrific and powerful this Wolverine character really is.
8Hellverine
Wolverine has His Own Version of Ghost Rider
Hellverine might be the most badass newWolverinecharacter introducedin Marvel Comics to date. The character started out as Wolverine himself, who was possessed by a demon named Bagra-ghul during a crossover with Ghost Rider. No one thought Hellverine would be anything more than just a brief ‘Ghost Rider’-ization of Wolverine for a single story, but everyone was wrong. After Wolverine exercised Bagra-ghul from his body and soul, the demon took a new host: Akihiro aka Wolverine’s son.
Akihiro was murdered by Sabretooth during theSabretooth War, but Bagra-ghul decided to possess his corpse anyway and bring him back from the dead in order to have the perfect host that was close enough to Wolverine. And, in some ways, even better. Now,Hellverine is his own character separate from Wolverine, complete with his own comic title, which finally gives this badass character the chance to shine.
7Old Man Phoenix
A Phoenix-Possessed Wolverine from Another Reality
Sometimes the bestWolverinecharacters aren’t even native to the prime reality of Earth-616, but are instead found in a completely different universe. One such example is Old Man Phoenix, a character who is a play onOld Man Loganwith all the cosmic powers of the classic Phoenix. In his universe,Wolverine was possessed by the Phoenix Forceafter King Loki utterly wiped out humanity.
The story of Old Man Phoenix is fascinating, butthe coolest thing about him is the obvious: Wolverine with the power of the Phoenix. Marvel Comics has played with the idea of having other characters (aside from Jean Grey) wielding the Phoenix Force, like Cyclops and even Onslaught. However, the idea of Wolverine wielding such cosmic power is just badass, making Old Man Phoenix a standoutWolverinecharacter.
6Solem
An Arakki Mutant with Adamantium Skin
Solem is a character who hails from another plane of existence known as Otherworld. He’s a mutant, in technical terms, but not one of Earth.Solem is an Arakki mutant, a descendant of the first mutants originally protected by Apocalypse and his family back when Krakoa and Arakko was one island. After Apocalypse was forced to split the mutant homeland in order to save it, Krakoa remained on Earth while Arakko fell into Otherworld, where evolution continued on both planes of existence. And Solem is the result of one end of that evolution.
Solem has adamantium skin, along with super-strength and heightened speed/reflexes. Those are his mutant abilities, but he’s also a borderline psychopath and poet, finding beauty in the violence of taking life. He’s also the wielder of a Muramasa Blade, making him especially dangerous to healing mutants like Wolverine.
5Ultimate Wolverine
Wolverine of Earth-6160 Might Be His Most Hardcore Variant
Remember how some of the best Wolverine characters were from different universes? This is probably the greatest example of that being true.Ultimate Wolverine from Earth-6160 is actually also the Winter Soldier of the Ultimate Universe, as he was created by a version of the Weapon X program run by Colossus and the Rasputin family, who are villainous followers of the Maker in this continuity. When the Maker traveled to this universe to reshape it to his liking, he corrupted the Rasputins and made them in charge of mutants, which means they were also in charge of mutant experimentation. And thus, Ultimate Wolverine (aka the Winter Soldier) was born.
This version of Wolverine is like a mindless Terminator. He kills his targets with brutality and efficiency, even if they were people Logan used to know and was friends with, like Mystique and Nightcrawler. It’s likefans are finally getting the version of Wolverine from when he was a living weapon with Weapon X, but not just in flashback sequences, which is utterly epic.
4Rien
Rien is the Daughter of Wolverine with Magical Bone Claws
Riene du Rien is the daughter of Wolverine and sorceress Sylvie D’Arqueness, which is something that’s made evident by her powers. Rien has bone claws like her father, but the magic that flows through her veins from her mother’s heritage allowed them to surge with magical power. Fans were introduced to Rien during a mission against an otherworldly villain known as the Truth, which must be banished from Earth every few decades, lest it wreak havoc upon the world. Wolverine and Sylvie were previously tasked with fending off the Truth, but Rien took on that task herself, and proved more than capable of handling it.
It’s always exciting to see new characters from Wolverine’s family tree, but it’s especially exciting in Rien’s case, asshe’s kind of like a ‘what if Wolverine had magic’-type of character.
3Doctor Rot
Doctor Rot Might Be Even Worse than the Weapon X Program
There are few characters in Marvel Comics history more repugnant than Bentley Newton, aka Doctor Rot. This guy was a medical genius capable of carving into people’s brains and making them his personal puppets. He’s a gruesome, bloody, and ugly character who found Wolverine absolutely fascinating, despite the difficulty it was to carve through his adamantium skull. SinceWolverine’s mind had already been manipulated by Weapon X, Doctor Rot was easily able to revert Logan to his former mindless, killing-machine self.
The experiments this character would perform and the total disregard for human life are honestly hard to watch in the comics Doctor Rot is featured in. Andthat’s exactly what makes him such a phenomenalWolverinecharacter.
2Gorgon
Gorgon Rivals Wolverine in Every Way (& Even Stole His Identity One Time)
Tomi Shishido, akaGorgon, is a mutant with the power to petrify anyone who looks him in the eye. However, that’s not Gorgon’s real claim to fame, as he’s also a master swordsman who can rival the best in the Marvel Universe, including and especially Wolverine. That’s why Gorgon has found himself in leadership positions in some of the most prominent villain groups in Marvel Comics, including the Hand and Hydra.
Not only that, butGorgon even believably took over the persona of Wolverine on the Dark Avengers. He wore Wolverine’s costume and proved himself vicious and skilled enough to make the world think that he was actually the original Wolverine. As fans know, that’s no easy feat, and only further proves how utterly badass Gorgon is as an original character.
1The Shiver Man
The Shiver Man Could Have Killed Wolverine, but Chose Not To
Caleb Jackson, aka The Shiver Man, is an undead bounty hunter with unclear origins. Some say he was cursed by a priest in the Old West while on a mission to avenge his dead wife; others say he was the one who killed Jimmy Hoffa. Nothing is known for sure about the origin of The Shiver Man. All anyone knows is that, when he’s sent after a target, that target is dead, no matter what. The Shiver Man was sent after Wolverine at one point in time, andthe only reason Wolverine isn’t dead is that The Shiver Man decided not to kill him.
The Shiver Man is like a living shadow, a metaphysical ghost-like being of darkness that kills his victims with two magical pistols. He is literally untouchable, utterly unkillable, and one of the scariest, deadliest beings in the Marvel Universe. That’s why The Shiver Man is one of the 10 strongestWolverinecharacters introduced after 1999!
