History YMMV / Wolverine

** The [[Comicbook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] version is this even more so. Ultimate Wolverine was initially characterised as totally lacking all of 616 Wolverine's redeeming traits, being depicted as a shameless, amoral and [[DirtyOldMan frankly]] [[{{Ephebophile}} creepy]] JerkAss, culminating in [[spoiler:his attempted [[MurderTheHypotenuse cold blooded murder]] of Cyclops]]. Some fans believed the later CharacterDevelopment which brought him closer in line with his mainstream portrayal made for an effective redemptive arc and that he had become a true hero by his [[spoiler:death during ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'']]; others believed that the character was unsalvageable and impossible to see as anything but a villain after all that.

** The [[Comicbook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] version is this even more so. Ultimate Wolverine was initially characterised as totally lacking all of 616 Wolverine's redeeming traits, being depicted as a shameless, amoral and [[DirtyOldMan frankly]] [[{{Ephebophile}} creepy]] JerkAss, culminating in [[spoiler:his attempted [[MurderTheHypotenuse cold blooded murder]] of Cyclops]]. Some fans believed the later CharacterDevelopment which brought him closer in line with his mainstream portrayal made for an effective redemptive arc and that he had become a true hero by his [[spoiler:death during ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'']]; others believed that the character was unsalvageable and impossible to see as anything but a villain after that.

** The [[Comicbook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] version is this even more so. Ultimate Wolverine was initially characterised as totally lacking all of 616 Wolverine's redeeming traits, being depicted as a shameless, amoral and [[DirtyOldMan frankly]] [[{{Ephebophile}} creepy]] JerkAss, culminating is [[spoiler:his attempted [[MurderTheHypotenuse cold blooded murder]] of Cyclops]]. Some fans believed the later CharacterDevelopment which brought him closer in line with his mainstream portrayal made for an effective redemptive arc and that he had become a true hero by his [[spoiler:death during ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'']]; others believed that the character was unsalvageable and impossible to see as anything but a villain after that.

** The [[Comicbook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] version is this even more so. Ultimate Wolverine was initially characterised as totally lacking all of 616 Wolverine's redeeming traits, being depicted as a shameless, amoral and [[DirtyOldMan frankly]] [[{{Ephebophile}} creepy]] JerkAss, culminating is [[spoiler:his attempted [[MurderTheHypotenuse cold blooded murder]] of Cyclops]]. Some fans believed the later CharacterDevelopment which brought him closer in line with his mainstream portrayal made for an effective redemptive arc and that he had become a true hero by his [[spoiler:death during ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'']]; others believed that the character was unsalvageable and impossible to see as anything but a villain after than.

** The [[Comicbook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] version is this even more so. Ultimate Wolverine was initially characterised as totally lacking all of 616 Wolverine's redeeming traits, being depicted as a shameless, amoral and [[DirtyOldMan frankly]] [[{{Ephebeophile}} creepy]] JerkAss, culminating is [[spoiler:his attempted [[MurderTheHypotenuse cold blooded murder]] of Cyclops]]. Some fans believed the later CharacterDevelopment which brought him closer in line with his mainstream portrayal made for an effective redemptive arc and that he had become a true hero by his [[spoiler:death during ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'']]; others believed that the character was unsalvageable and impossible to see as anything but a villain after than.

** Wolverine having [[WolverinePublicity a trope about character ubiquity]] named after him seems somewhat irrelevant now that the X-Men are being phased out in favor of ComicBook/TheInhumans in the comics.

* JustForFun/CounterpartComparison: Dog Logan bears a few more than passing resemblances to [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Dio Brando]]. Both are characters are TheResenter to the hero who was born in an upper class family during the 1800s, both turn out the way they are because of AbusiveParents, and both cross their respective MoralEventHorizon by killing the hero's dog.

* EscapistCharacter: He fits the bill. A de facto [[ResurrectiveImmortality Immortal]] and nearly InvincibleHero, who is also a ChickMagnet with countless love interests, plays by his own rules and [[KarmaHoudini regularly gets away with murder.]]
* FanNickname: Sniktbub, from the sound made when he releases his claws and his CatchPhrase "Bub."

** He got it on with Mystique at one point. She was disguised as someone else, but after it was over, he informed her that he knew all along (see TheNoseKnows).

** See RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap below. [[spoiler: Looks like after about 40 years, Marvel's finally going to oblige that wish. ''ComicBook/MarvelLegacy'' shows [[ComicBookDeath it didn't stick.]]]]

* ProtagonistCentredMorality: The eternal paradox of Wolverine is that he’s popular because he’s a snarly AntiHero who slashes his way through corridors full of {{Mooks}}; however, because he’s so popular, writers (many of whom are fans of him themselves) are loathe to even imply that he could be in the wrong and sometimes even like to depict him as a moral authority and role model for more straightforwardly heroic characters. This results in a character who frequently acts in a morally ambiguous fashion, yet is consistently depicted as completely right and justified, especially in recent years where Marvel tried to push him as a replacement for Professor X and the next BigGood of the X-franchise while keeping the stabby-hacky-slashy routine that makes him “cool”. It verges on an outright double standard, as other characters generally get taken to task for doing things that Logan gets a pass for. ''Sometimes by Logan himself.''

* StrongAsTheyNeedToBe: Due to his tendency to [[WolverinePublicity appear everywhere]] and meet everyone, he’s had one-on-one fights with just about every villain and [[LetsYouAndHimFight most of the heroes]] in the Marvel Universe. Also, given his [[PopularityPower popularity]], the fight has to look at least a little competitive. This means that one week he can be shown being taken to his absolute limits by ComicBook/CaptainAmerica or ComicBook/ThePunisher, and next week he’s in a triple threat with the Hulk and Wendigo.
** His primary [[TheRival rival]] is Comicbook/{{Cyclops}}, a man with EyeBeams powerful enough to crack open an armoured vehicle. Realistically, every fight between them should be over in a few panels and end with Scott standing over a smoking and unconscious Logan. However, because the story needs them to have a protracted fight, Wolverine typically leaps right back to his feet after taking energy blasts that can level a mountain, or in some especially egregious moments, holds his claws up in front of his face and just walks into them like they’re a stiff breeze.
** The ultimate example of this would be ''ComicBook/OldManLogan'', where a hallucinating Wolverine kills the X-Men (literally all of the X-Men), despite the fact that many of the X-Men should be able to mulch Logan without even trying. It’s explained that they were deliberately holding back to avoid killing him, except: a. between them they should have at least a dozen ways of restraining or incapacitating him non-lethally, and b. Wolverine is effectively immortal, so there’s no reason to hold back against him.

*** [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist Jason Wyngarde]], aka [[MasterOfIllusion Mastermind]], is a mutant kidnapped by Weapon X so that they can make him into a weapon for the government. He is imprisoned with a mutant named Maureen, as well as Logan himself. Maureen designs a helmet to increase Wyngarde's powers, allowing the trio to escape, but Wyngarde uses his powers to incapacitate Logan, believing him too beastly to be allowed to roam free, allowing Weapon X to recapture him. Years later, Wyngarde is using his powers to kidnap people around New Orleans--at least dozens, possibly hundreds of them--turning them into [[BrainWashedAndCrazy mind-controlled "zombies"]] and taking them to a community he is creating, Green Haven. At Green Haven, Wyngarde runs this community like a fiefdom, with humans acting like serfs for the mutants. When Weapon X sends an army of sentinels to capture him and Wolverine, Wyngarde has no intention of giving up his fiefdom, intending to have his mind-controlled "zombies" fight the Sentinels to the death, not caring if they die in the process. Wyngarde also exposes Wolverine to [[MindRape horrific illusions]] to break him and make him his pawn.

*** [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist Jason Wyngarde]], aka [[MasterOfIllusion Mastermind]], is a mutant kidnapped by Weapon X so that they can make him into a weapon for the government. He is imprisoned with a mutant named Maureen, as well as Logan himself. Maureen designs a helmet to increase Wyngarde's powers, allowing the trio to escape, but Wyngarde uses his powers to incapacitate Logan, believing him too beastly to be allowed to roam free, allowing Weapon X to recapture him. Years later, Wyngarde is using his powers to kidnap people around New Orleans--at least dozens, possibly hundreds of them--turning them into [[OurZombiesAreDifferent mind-controlled zombies]] and taking them to a community he is creating, Green Haven. At Green Haven, Wyngarde runs this community like a fiefdom, with humans acting like serfs for the mutants. When Weapon X sends an army of sentinels to capture him and Wolverine, Wyngarde has no intention of giving up his fiefdom, intending to have his mind-controlled zombies fight the Sentinels to the death, not caring if they die in the process. Wyngarde also exposes Wolverine to [[MindRape horrific illusions]] to break him and make him his pawn.

** [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist Jason Wyngarde]], aka [[MasterOfIllusion Mastermind]], is a mutant kidnapped by Weapon X so that they can make him into a weapon for the government. He is imprisoned with a mutant named Maureen, as well as Logan himself. Maureen designs a helmet to increase Wyngarde's powers, allowing the trio to escape, but Wyngarde uses his powers to incapacitate Logan, believing him too beastly to be allowed to roam free, allowing Weapon X to recapture him. Years later, Wyngarde is using his powers to kidnap people around New Orleans--at least dozens, possibly hundreds of them--turning them into [[OurZombiesAreDifferent mind-controlled zombies]] and taking them to a community he is creating, Green Haven. At Green Haven, Wyngarde runs this community like a fiefdom, with humans acting like serfs for the mutants. When Weapon X sends an army of sentinels to capture him and Wolverine, Wyngarde has no intention of giving up his fiefdom, intending to have his mind-controlled zombies fight the Sentinels to the death, not caring if they die in the process. Wyngarde also exposes Wolverine to [[MindRape horrific illusions]] to break him and make him his pawn.
** [[BigBad Master Mold]] is the [[AIIsACrapshoot AI]] that controls the Sentinels for Weapon X and the true architect of Wolverine's misfortunes. Master Mold is using the Sentinels to kidnap mutants so that Weapon X can make them into weapons for the government. Master Mold is also stoking anti-mutant violence in America, by providing funds and support to anti-mutant groups like a biker gang known as the Cold Blooded. After Wolverine escapes Weapon X, Master Mold is dead set on recapturing him. Master Mold hires the Cold Blooded to capture Wolverine but has her Sentinel army [[BadBoss wipe them out]] when [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness they prove too chaotic to control]]. Master Mold sends her Sentinel army to Green Haven, ordering them to kill everything in their path until Wolverine is captured. After capturing Wolverine, Master Mold not only intends to make Wolverine her weapon, but also plans to use Wyngarde's mind control tech against the people who run Weapon X, [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters desiring to give orders, rather than follow them]].

* CompleteMonster: Besides Omega Red, Donald Pierce, and especially his ArchEnemy and EvilCounterpart Sabretooth, Wolverine has his own RoguesGallery. Please refer to [[Monster/XMen Complete Monster/X-Men]].

* CounterpartComparison: Dog Logan bears a few more than passing resemblances to [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Dio Brando]]. Both are characters are TheResenter to the hero who was born in an upper class family during the 1800s, both turn out the way they are because of AbusiveParents, and both cross their respective MoralEventHorizon by killing the hero's dog.

* ProtagonistCentredMorality: The eternal paradox of Wolverine is that he’s popular because he’s a snarly AntiHero who slashes his way through corridors full of {{Mooks}}; however, because he’s so popular, writers (many of whom are fans of him themselves) are loathe to even imply that he could be in the wrong and sometimes even like to depict him as a role model and moral compass for other characters, many of whom are much straighter heroes than him. This results in a character who frequently acts in a morally ambiguous fashion, yet is consistently depicted as completely right and justified, especially in recent years where Marvel tried to push him as a replacement for Professor X and the next BigGood of the X-franchise while keeping the stabby-hacky-slashy routine that makes him “cool”. It verges on an outright double standard, as other characters generally get taken to task for doing things that Logan gets a pass for. ''Sometimes by Logan himself.''

* ProtagonistCentredMorality: The eternal paradox of Wolverine is that he’s popular because he’s a snarly AntiHero who slashes his way through corridors full of {{Mooks}}; however, because he’s so popular, writers (many of whom are fans of him themselves) like to depict him as a role model and moral compass for other characters, many of whom are much straighter heroes than him. This results in a character who frequently acts in a morally ambiguous fashion, yet is consistently depicted as completely right and justified, especially in recent years where Marvel tried to push him as a replacement for Professor X and the next BigGood of the X-franchise while keeping the stabby-hacky-slashy routine that makes him “cool”. It verges on an outright double standard, as other characters generally get taken to task for doing things that Logan gets a pass for. ''Sometimes by Logan himself.''

* ProtagonistCentredMorality: The eternal paradox of Wolverine is that he’s popular because he’s an AntiHero; however, because he’s so popular, writers (many of whom are fans of him themselves) are loathe to depict him as as being in the wrong. This results in a character who frequently acts in a morally ambiguous fashion, yet is consistently depicted as completely right and justified, especially in recent years where Marvel tried to push him as a replacement for Professor X and the next BigGood of the X-franchise. It verges on an outright double standard, as other characters generally get taken to task for doing things that Logan gets a pass for. ''Sometimes by Logan himself.''

* ProtagonistCentredMorality: The eternal paradox of Wolverine is that he’s popular because he’s an AntiHero; however, because he’s so popular, writers (many of whom are fans of him themselves) are loathe to depict him as as being in the wrong. This results in a character who frequently acts in a morally ambiguous fashion, yet is consistently depicted as completely right and justified. It verges on an outright double standard, as other characters generally get taken to task for doing things that Logan gets a pass for. ''Sometimes by Logan himself.''

** His primary [[TheRival rival]] is Comicbook/{{Cyclops}}, a man with EyeBeams powerful enough to crack open an armoured vehicle. Realistically, every fight between them should be over in a few panels and end with Scott standing over a smoking and unconscious Logan. However, because the story needs them to have a protracted fight, Wolverine typically leaps right back to his feet after taking energy blasts that can level a mountain.

* WTHCastingAgency: Creator/MiloVentimiglia was ''horribly'' miscast as Logan in [[{{Anime/Wolverine}} the 2011 Wolverine anime]], with a voice that sounded far too young and came off as a teenager trying to sound cool, add to that that it was Ventimiglia's first voice acting performance and he's acting alongside well known and experienced voice actors such as Creator/VicMignogna, Creator/JBBlanc and Creator/KateHiggins, which made his rather stiff portrayal stick out like a sore thumb. Worsening it even more was that Creator/SteveBlum, experienced voice actor and considered by many to be [[CantUnhearIt the definitive animated Wolverine voice]] ''was part of the cast'' but voiced Wolverine's CanonForeigner [[TheRival Rival]] Kikyo instead of Logan himself. Thankfully, after seeing the less than stellar reviews of Ventimiglia's performance, Blum was given back the role of Wolverine for the following [[Anime/XMen X-Men anime series]]. Granted, that series appeared to be a separate continuity from the previous shows, as the Logan seen before reappears in ''{{Anime/Blade}}'' voiced by Ventimiglia once more.

* MyRealDaddy: Len Wein may have created him originally, but Claremont (and partially Creator/JohnByrne also,) made Wolverine the man we know today. Even after Byrne left though, Claremont kept adding to the character, specifically a deep love and appreciation of Japanese culture, as well as many other things. (Such as Madripoor.)

* DorkAge: Arguably the "bone claws" arc, but the "feral subhuman" arc (after Genesis' failed attempt to restore his adamantium) is probably closer to the trope.

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: In TheSeventies, fans asked for him to be killed off. When TheEighties came around, he was the most popular member of the X-Men.

* ProtagonistCentredMorality: The eternal paradox of Wolverine is that he’s popular because he’s an AntiHero; however, because he’s so popular, writers (many of whom are fans of him themselves) are loathe to depict him as as being in the wrong. This results in a character who frequently acts in a morally ambiguous fashion, yet is consistently depicted as completely right and justified.

* ProtagonistCentredMorality: The eternal paradox of Wolverine is that he’s popular because he’s an AntiHero; however, because he’s popular, writers don’t like to depict him as being in the wrong for fear of turning off his fans. This results in a character who frequently acts in a morally ambiguous fashion, yet is consistently depicted as completely right and justified.

* ProtagonistCentredMorality: The eternal paradox of Wolverine is that he’s popular because he’s an AntiHero; however, because he’s popular, writers don’t like to depict him as being in the wrong for fear of turning off his fans. This results in a character who frequently acts in a morally ambiguous fashion, yet is consistently treated like TheParagon.

** His primary [[TheRival rival]] is ComicBook/Cyclops, a man with EyeBeams powerful enough to crack open an armoured vehicle. Realistically, every fight between them should be over in a few panels and end with Scott standing over a smoking and unconscious Logan. However, because the story needs them to have a protracted fight, Wolverine typically leaps right back to his feet after taking energy blasts that can level a mountain.

** The ultimate example of this would be ComicBook/OldManLogan, where a hallucinating Wolverine kills the X-Men (literally all of the X-Men), despite the fact that many of the X-Men should be able to mulch Logan without even trying. It’s explained that they were deliberately holding back to avoid killing him, except: a. between them they should have at least a dozen ways of restraining or incapacitating him non-lethally, and b. Wolverine is effectively immortal, so there’s no reason to hold back against him.