Wolverine in other media

Adaptations of Wolverine in other media
Created by Roy Thomas
Len Wein
John Romita Sr.
Original source Comics published by Marvel Comics
First appearance The Incredible Hulk #180 (October 1974)
Films and television
Film(s) X-Men (2000)
X2 (2003)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
X-Men: First Class (2011)
The Wolverine (2013)
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Television
show(s)		 X-Men (1992)
X-Men: Evolution (2000)
Wolverine and the X-Men (2008)
Games
Video game(s) The Uncanny X-Men (1989)
X-Men (1992)
X-Men Legends (2004)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Wolverine is one of the few X-Men comic book characters to be included in every media adaptation of the X-Men franchise, including film, television, computer and video games, and is the only one to have starred in his own video games.

Television

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends

Wolverine appears alongside the other X-Men in the episode "A Fire-Star Is Born" of the animated series, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. He is portrayed with an Australian accent.

Pryde of the X-Men

He also appears in the 1989 animated television pilot X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men. He was voiced by Pat Pinney and this version also has an Australian accent.

Marvel animated universe

Cathal J. Dodd voice-acts as Wolverine in the 1990s X-Men animated television series, the Marvel vs. Capcom series of fighting games, two episodes of the Spider-Man animated series, and the X-Men Cartoon Maker PC game. Masashi Ebara voiced the character in the Japanese dub. He used the aliases "Logan" and "John Logan" in the series. Wolverine wears the classic yellow and blue costume from the comics, and is shown to be in love with Jean Grey, who is Cyclops's girlfriend for most of the series.

X-Men: Evolution

Main article: X-Men: Evolution

In the 2000–2003 animated television series X-Men: Evolution, Wolverine, a man whose past is shrouded in mystery, provides the teenaged X-Men with battle training and creates conflict among his younger teammates. Unlike most versions, Wolverine did not sport his signature muttonchops and was noticeably taller. Voice-actor Scott McNeil portrays him.

Wolverine and the X-Men

Steven Blum plays the lead role.

The Super Hero Squad Show

For the seventh time, Steve Blum voices Wolverine for the The Super Hero Squad Show series on Cartoon Network as a member of the squad.

Black Panther

Wolverine appears in Black Panther voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

Wolverine appears during a flashback scene of episode 4 of the prequel micro-series to the animated series, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Logan fights alongside Captain America and other heroes as a Howling Commandos soldier in World War II. He is referred to as Howlett, which corresponds with his birth name of James Howlett. He is again voiced by Steven Blum.[1]

Wolverine also appears in the "New Avengers" episode as part of the New Avengers, a team set up by Tony Stark as a fail-safe in case the main Avengers would be unable to fight. Wolverine is summoned and joins with Spider-Man, Heroes for Hire members Luke Cage and Iron Fist, War Machine and the Fantastic Four's Thing to fight Kang the Conqueror. He and the rest of the New Avengers appears again in the series' finale, "Avengers Assemble".

Marvel Anime: Wolverine

As part of a four-series collaboration between the Japanese Madhouse animation house and Marvel, Wolverine starred in a twelve-episode anime series that premiered in Japan on Animax and in the United States on G4 in 2011.[2] The series will focus on him going to Japan to investigate A.I.M. Logan also appears during episode 4 of the Iron Man and episode 7 of the Blade portion of the collaboration. He is voiced by Rikiya Koyama in the Japanese version and Milo Ventimiglia in the English dubbed version.

Spider-Woman motion comics

Wolverine appears in the Spider-Woman motion comics. In this series, he is voiced by Jeffrey Hedquist.

Marvel Anime: X-Men

Steven Blum reprises the role of Wolverine in the English version.

Marvel Universe

In Disney XD's Marvel Universe programs, sporting his mainstream-version brown and yellow costume, the Ultimate version of Wolverine is voiced by Steven Jay Blum. He first appears in Ultimate Spider-Man, again voiced by Steven Blum..

Wolverine makes a cameo appearance in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "The Collector" as one of the heroes captured by the titular villain. Wolverine also makes a full appearance in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "Wendigo Apocalypse" when he teams up with the Hulk to hunt the Wendigo.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Super Heroes

Wolverine makes an appearance in this special, voiced by Steve Blum.

Films

X-Men film series

Many actors were considered for playing the part of Wolverine in a film adaptation of X-Men. At one point in the 1990s, Glenn Danzig being approached for the role in the 1990s due to a slight resemblance. However, Danzig declined as the shooting would interfere with his his band's nine month tour.[3] Bryan Singer, the director of the first two X-Men movies, spoke to a number of actors, including Russell Crowe and Edward Norton, for the role. Fox ruled out Mel Gibson as being too expensive. In 1999, SFX magazine spoke to Keanu Reeves, who told the publication he didn't feel he was right for the role. Though Dougray Scott was cast,[4] the role of Wolverine went to Hugh Jackman. Despite what was thought to be a highly controversial move due to his much taller stature than Wolverine's comic depictions, Jackman's actual performance was well received. Jackman revealed in an interview with the Huffington Post that his character was originally going to have a cameo in Spider-Man.[5]

In the film series, while still having all his other powers, Wolverine's healing abilities are the most prominent mentioned. This power is depicted as more potent than any his other storyline counterparts, as he was frequently observed returning into full health even from the most fatal of injuries in just a matter of seconds. It also has been shown greatly expanding his lifespan, having lived for nearly 200 years while retaining his prime health and appearance, believing him by many to be ageless.

In the X-Men Origins: Wolverine prequel, Wolverine's past is fleshed out. Born James Howlett in 1832 Canada, Logan awakened his mutant powers at age 13 when he murdered Thomas Logan, who he learned to be his biological father, after the groundskeeper killed the only father he knew. Running off with his half-brother Victor Creed, Logan spends the next century fighting in numerous wars before the Vietnam War where he is briefly a member of Stryker's Team X before leaving due to the group's disregard for life. However, Logan's past catches up to him through both the Weapon X Project in which he is pitted against Stryker, Creed and Wade Wilson/Deadpool. Though Logan and Creed eventually work together to fight and kill Deadpool, Stryker shoots Logan with adamantium bullets before he is arrested. Though Logan survives, his memory is lost. Wolverine also makes an appearance in X-Men: First Class, which is set before most of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, rudely declining Xavier and Magneto when they were recruiting their team.

By the time of the first X-Men film, Wolverine first appears as an amateur cage fighter in Laughlin City, Alberta who meets Rogue and ends up getting himself involved in the conflict between the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants. After helping stop Magneto's plan, Logan is directed by Xavier to an abandoned military base around Alkali Lake that might contain information about his past. This leads to the sequel X2, Logan finding nothing left of the base and returning to Xavier's school where he encounters Stryker once again. During an alter confrontation with Stryker, Wolverine regains some of his memory, but opts to remain with the mutants over Stryker's objections. Stryker himself is killed when the base floods after sustaining damage. In X-Men: The Last Stand, after Xavier and Cyclops were apparently killed by Jean under the influence of her Phoenix persona, Wolverine, Storm, and Beast take over in leading the X-Men in against Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants. Wolverine is forced to kill Jean at her behest.

In The Wolverine, a guilt-ridden Wolverine lives in isolation in the Yukon after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand before being sought by a Japanese CEO named Yashida who wants to repay Wolverine for saving his life during World War II. When Wolverine refuses to have his healing factor transferred into Yashida, it leads to a series of events leading to his adamantium claws severed before finally letting go of his guilt over Jean's death. After returning to America, Wolverine finds himself approached at the airport by Magneto and Xavier while learning of a new threat to all mutants.

This leads to the events of X-Men: Days of Future Past, where Wolverine's mind is transferred back in time into his 1973 self to prevent Mystique from assassinating Bolivar Trask, whose death would result in an advanced model of Sentinels destroy all life in the future year of 2023 (Wolverine was selected as the strain of the transference would kill anyone else who was sent back that far, with his healing factor the only thing that would allow him to cope). With the help of a younger Charles Xavier and Hank McCoy, they are able to prevent Mystique from assassinating Trask, preventing the apocalyptic-future from ever occurring. Once his mission is fulfilled, the original timeline is erased and Wolverine returns to a changed future while his past self regains consciousness and has no memory of anything that happened.

Wolverine wakes up in his proper timeframe. In the alternate time, Wolverine is shown to have joined the X-Men and had become a history teacher at the Xavier Institute. It is also learned that the past changes negated Cyclops and Jean's deaths. Wolverine is again possessed by the his future self. It is unknown what this did to the alternate Logan's consciousness as it is implied that it may be permanent this time. However he has no memories of the new timeline when he reawakens in the new future.

Wolverine is set to appear in X-Men: Apocalypse, though it is unclear which version Jackman will depict. Jackman is also set to reprise his role as Wolverine in another solo-film, but has confirmed that this will be his final solo appearance as the character.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

Hulk Vs (2009)

Steven Blum reprised his role as Wolverine in the film Hulk Vs, in a segment called "Hulk Vs. Wolverine". It also features many insights on Wolverine's past. This was tied in with the Wolverine and the X-Men series in episode 7, titled "Wolverine vs. Hulk", though the ties are incredibly loose, as there is very little (if any) continuity between this movie and the episode.

Video games

Wolverine is a playable character (often the primary or default playable character) in all X-Men video games and many Marvel video games in general including The Uncanny X-Men, X-Men (arcade game), X-Men (Sega), and X-Men 2: Clone Wars.

Solo games

Video games featuring Wolverine as the lead character include Wolverine for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Wolverine: Adamantium Rage for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis.

Spider-Man related games

Fighting games

He is a playable character in X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse, X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. He is voiced by Cathal J. Dodd in these games with the exception of Marvel vs. Capcom 3, in which Steven Blum reprises his role. There are 2 selectable versions of Wolverine in Marvel vs. Capcom 2: one with adamantium claws and the other with longer bone claws.

X-Men: Mutant Academy and X-Men: Next Dimension

Wolverine appears as a playable character in X-Men: Mutant Academy, X-Men: Mutant Academy 2, and X-Men: Next Dimension. Cathal J. Dodd reprises his role for the first game, while Tony Daniels voices the character for the sequel.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Wolverine is an unlockable character skin in Activision's 2001 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3.

Movie tie-in games

Wolverine is one of the playable characters in the movie tie-in games X2: Wolverine's Revenge, X-Men: The Official Game and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Mark Hamill voices the character in X2: Wolverine's Revenge, while the others feature Hugh Jackman reprising his role from the films.

X-Men Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

X-Men Destiny

Super Hero Squad games

Other games

Books

Music

The Bloodhound Gang mention Wolverine in the song "Why's Everybody Always Pickin' On Me?". In the first few lines, the song states that when the person was born, "Wolverine is less hairy than your son", referencing Wolverine's prodigious body hair.

The band Entombed has an album, Wolverine Blues, with Wolverine on an alternate cover. The album also had a single of the same name. The band, though, did not intend to associate the album or the song with the character - even though the music video of the title track contains many images of Wolverine.

Brazilian rock singer Nasi, of Ira! fame, because of his similarity with the character, in his first solo album, called "Onde os Anjos Não Ousam Pisar" (where angels dare not to tread), posed as Wolverine, with a cigar and adamantium claws. The album has also a track called "Wolverine Blues", but it has no connection with the Entombed version.

The punk band Rancid has a song called "Sidekick" which mentions Wolverine fighting police officers and government agents to protect homeless people.

The rap artist Xzibit references Wolverine in his song "X", with the (admittedly incorrect) line "My whole skeleton is dipped in titanium" (the correct would be adamantium).

Canadian thrash metal band Annihilator (band) have song called Weapon X which is based on Wolverine (comics).

Action figures

Wolverine has often been rendered in plastic, either independently, or in conjunction with other media. Mattel was the first, with the 1984 Secret Wars line, supported by five points of articulation, including the neck, shoulders and hips. Among other notable figures, started a controversial trend in toys: the variant. His claws came in two different color options, one set silver, the other set black. When collectors began trying to complete their sets for Secret Wars, the silver set was readily available, while the black set was found to be rare.

While Wolverine was the first to be rendered in plastic, the other X-Men would go several years with no interest, until 1992 when "Night of the Sentinels" was shown in animated form. With a toy line in stores retailing at roughly five inches, they had a modest roster of seven figures. The sculpts were a cross between DC's Superpowers line and GI Joe. The points of articulation included on these figures were relatively standard, but many of the figures also include action features as well.

Out of the twenty-eight waves of the X-Men line produced by Toy Biz, starting with 1991s series 1, only two series of the line did not feature a Wolverine (Counting Albert, because his package clearly states; "Robot Wolverine"...) Twenty-six figures were eventually produced, but with; repaints, two-ups (10" figures) or reissues, the total count is uncertain.

In 1998, Marvel had begun producing X-Men: Evolution in '99, and that line of toys yielded a net of six Wolverine action figures. But at the same time of the movies release, Wolverine gave us another nine figures. The toy line performed well, as Toy Biz began producing figures in 6" to support the character's animated exploits. In 2003, they featured a figures with twenty-six POA. X-Men: Classics were 6" and they added three Wolverines...

Marvel Legends started in 2002, releasing two solid waves with no Wolverine. Toy Biz boasted 26+ POA (points of articulation), extreme detail, and excellent paint applications. It seemed that Marvel wanted to create iconic versions of all their characters with the collector in mind. Gone were the days of colorful, childlike toy packages. They were replaced with; impenetrable clamshells that flattered the characters in general.

During Toy Biz's production of Marvel Legends, there were a total of 13 Wolverine figures produced. These included Classic costume (with unmasked variant), Brown costume, a Weapon X figure, a "Days of Future Past" Logan figure (with younger variant), an "Astonishing X-Men" costume (with unmasked variant), an "Age of Apocalypse" figure (with burnt face variant), another unmasked Classic costume model (With a different head sculpt included in an X-Men 5-pack boxset) and an original costume model included in a 2-pack with Sabretooth (a variant "raging" model was also produced). Toy Biz as well produced a short-lived X-Men Classics toy line which included two more Wolverine figures. Another X-Men line was released in 2005 which included Ninja Armor Wolverine, Stealth Wolverine and Air Strike Wolverine action figures.

In 2007, Hasbro took over production of Marvel Legends. The 2nd wave of figures produced included an "Ultimate" Wolverine figure. Also they produced a 25th Anniversary Wolverine exclusively to Toys R Us. The figure itself is just a repaint of Toy Biz's Marvel Legends Series 6 Wolverine painted silver. The package comes with no BAF and features a picture of his famous solo series.

Diamond Select began a Marvel Select collectors line-up. They promised even more detail than the X-Men and Marvel Legends lines. Although they were not in scale with the other figures, offered more Wolverines, three to date. Marvel Legends has provided 13 different figures, including variants, including deluxe scale figures and Icons.

Wolverine is the second figurine in the Classic Marvel Figurine Collection. It is the shortest figurine in the collection at 77.5 millimeters.

Lego had released two versions of Wolverine in his classic yellow and brown suit.

The first one is released in 2012, in the "Wolverine's Chopper Showdown"

The second one is released in 2014, In the" X-Men vs The Sentinels Blackbird Jet"So far the only set to get the newer Wolverine minifigure.

References

  1. ↑ "Twitter / Christopher Yost: @I_am_onlive that's right". Twitter.com. 2010-10-08. Retrieved 2010-10-10.
  2. ↑ "Marvel Anime to Run on G4 in the United States". Anime News Network. July 23, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
  3. ↑ MTV News. June 3, 1997
  4. ↑ WENN. "Hugh Jackman originally lost Wolverine role to Dougray Scott". Hollywood.com.
  5. ↑ Hugh Jackman, 'Prisoners' Star, On His Everlasting Love for Wolverine
  6. ↑ Mike Fleming, Jr (March 21, 2014). "Fox Sets David James Kelly To Script Next ‘Wolverine’". Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Hugh Jackman Talks Wolverine 3 - But Will He Do It?". SFX magazine. April 30, 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  8. ↑ "Hugh Jackman on Twitter". Twitter.
  9. ↑ "Hugh Jackman on Instagram". Instagram.
  10. ↑ "Mangold on Twitter". Twitter.
  11. ↑ Donnelly, Matt (March 28, 2015). "Hugh Jackman Confirms ‘Wolverine’ Sequel Will Be His Last". The Wrap.
  12. ↑ Denick, Thom (2006). Marvel Ultimate Alliance: Signature Series Guide. Indianapolis, Indiana: Brady Games. pp. 36, 37. ISBN 0-7440-0844-1.
  13. ↑ "Marvel Costume Kit 3". Sony. Archived from the original on December 30, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  14. ↑ "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes On the Way". Marvel.com. January 8, 2013. Archived from the original on January 8, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.

External links