The second in our series of timelines of major of events in Wolverine comics, this one in chronological order to help you situate all the events revealed to have occur over the decades of Wolverine comics.
I shouldn’t have to tell you, but I will anyways: the list below contains spoilers! (cue the spoiler horn). If you have any suggestions to add, remove or change to this list, leave us a comment so we can include it when get around to updating this list later on. Also, while you’re interested, check out the chronological X-Men reading order, which can be filtered for just Wolverine appearances, or check out the 25 best Wolverine stories.
The years assigned to each event is set according to today’s date, assuming Marvel’s floating timeline is in the range of 3 to 4 years for every published year. However, Wolverine is one of the few characters to have some solid markers in the sand independent of the timescale, as his healing factor and slow aging allows him to somewhat credibly maintain his presence during key events like World War II.
Please note that this list contains issues that detail the events in question, though those events might not be the main story of the book. Many of the events for which these books are listed are told within flashbacks. That means reading these events in this order for the first time may be disjointed, as we hop through different eras (for example, his time with Team X is told within context of his time with the X-Men in the 90’s, and core of the story is how is learning his memories were scrambled, and not the events of Team X themselves).
See the reading order version of this list >
James Howlett Gets Mutant Powers
Year: the 1880’s, or about 130 years ago (published 2001)
James Howlett is a sickly Canadian boy in the 1880’s who develops mutant powers (healing factor and bone claws). He adopts the name Logan from his household servant kid (Dog) and his groundskeeper father (Thomas). It is hinted that Thomas is in fact James’s real father. Thomas kills John Howlett, James’s father, and James kills Thomas in retaliation.
These events lead James to leave home and lead a nomadic life.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
Wolverine The Origin #1 BUY
Wolverine The Origin #2 BUY
Wolverine The Origin #3 BUY
Wolverine The Origin #4 BUY
Wolverine The Origin #5 BUY
Wolverine The Origin #6 BUY
As described in:
Wolverine: Origin
Wolverine: Origin HC
Sabretooth Kills Silver Fox
Year: the 1900’s, or about 110 years ago (published 1989)
Logan settles in with Silver Fox, who is murdered by Sabretooth on Wolverine’s birthday in a series of yearly recurring attacks on that day.
As described in:
Wolverine 1st Series #10 BUY Sabretooth kills Silver Fox
Wolverine in WWII and Madripoor
Year: the early 1940’s, or about 70 years ago (published 1989, 2005, 2007)
Logan travels to Madripoor, where he meets Captain America for the first time. Wolverine, having served in WWI, eventually serves in WWII.
As described in:
Uncanny X-Men #268 – Wolverine first meets Captain America in Madripoor (49 years from 1990)
Wolverine Origins #16 – Wolverine & Captain America
Wolverine Origins #17 – Wolverine & Captain America
Wolverine Origins #18 – Wolverine & Captain America
Wolverine Origins #19 – Wolverine & Captain America
Wolverine Origins #20 – Wolverine & Captain America
Wolverine 2nd Series #32 – Wolverine in concentration camps
Romulus, Daken and Ogun
Year: 1946, or 67 years ago (published 1985, 1997, 2009)
Throughout Logan’s travels during World War II and afterwards, he meets Ogun, who mentors him in martial arts.
Logan settles in Japan with Itsu. Itsu is pregnant, though is killed by Winter Soldier, who was sent by Romulus, a mutant who has been alive for ages and has taken a particular interest in shaping Logan’s life. The baby, endowed with Logan’s healing factor, survives and is raised by Romulus as Daken.
As described in:
Wolverine 1st Series #113 Ogun and Wolverine meet
Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #1 Ogun 1st appearance
Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #2
Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #3
Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #4
Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #5
Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #6
Wolverine Origins #5 BUY – Daken is born
Wolverine Origins #33 BUY – Daken is revealed
Wolverine Origins #34 BUY
Wolverine Origins #35 BUY
Wolverine Origins #36 BUY
Wolverine Origins #37 BUY
Wolverine Origins #38 BUY
Wolverine Origins #39 BUY 1st full appearance of Romulus
Wolverine Origins #40 BUY
Collected In:
Wolverine Origins: Romulus
Team X
Year: “30 years ago” from the storyline published in1991. Depending on if the floating timescale applies or not, it could be the 1960’s, or the 1970’s according the stories new placement in the floating timescale.
Wolverine eventually enlists with the CIA, and becomes part of Team X, along with Sabretooth and Silver Fox (who wasn’t dead after all). He spends time around the world performing covert operations, with a notable service in Germany.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
Wolverine 1st Series #48 BUY – Shiva Scenario / Dreams of Gore
Wolverine 1st Series #49 BUY – Shiva Scenario / Dreams of Gore
Wolverine 1st Series #50 BUY – Shiva Scenario / Dreams of Gore
X-Men #4 BUY – Omega Red, Team X
X-Men #5 BUY – Omega Red, Team X
X-Men #6 BUY – Omega Red, Team X
X-Men #7 BUY – Omega Red, Team X
Collected In:
X-Men by Chris Claremont & Jim Lee Omnibus – Volume 2
Weapon X
Year: Between the Team X years (60’s/70’s) and before his first appearance (10 to 13 years ago, or about 2002, though published 1975)
Logan is caught and placed within the Experiment X program, under the Weapon X project. They experiment on how to make him a better killing machine by bonding adamantium to his skeleton, a process uniquely applicable to him due to his healing factor. He becomes a mindless killing machine, and manages to escape.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
Marvel Comics Presents #72 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #73 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #74 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #75 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #76 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #77 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #78 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #79 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #80 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #81 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #82 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #83 BUY – Weapon X
Marvel Comics Presents #84 BUY – Weapon X
Collected In:
Wolverine: The Adamantium Collection
Wolverine: Weapon X
Wolverine Joins Alpha Flight
Year: 10 to 13 years ago, or about 2002 (published 1974)
Heather and James Hudson discover Logan naked and confused in the Canadian wilderness. They take him in and help him recover.
Logan enlist with Department H with James Hudson and becomes a special agent of the Canadian government under the code name Wolverine and Weapon X (though he does not necessarily relate the Weapon X title to his earlier experiments, which he does not completely recall).
One of his most notable missions is up against the Hulk and Wendigo.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
Uncanny X-Men #140 BUY Heather and James Hudson help Wolverine recover
Alpha Flight #17 BUY – Reprints material from Uncanny X-Men #109 and fills in some blanks
Incredible Hulk #180 BUY – 1st Wolverine cameo
Incredible Hulk #181 BUY – 1st Wolverine full appearance
Incredible Hulk #182 BUY
Wolverine joins the X-Men
Year: 10 to 13 years ago, or about 2002 (published 1975)
Wolverine is approached to join the X-Men by Charles Xavier. He accepts the offer and quits Department H, as his gratefulness to Heather and James is outweighed by the how his abilities were abused by the Department.
He eventually reveals his name, Logan, to his teammates and dons a new brown costume.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
Giant Size X-Men #1 – Joins X-Men, quits Department H
Uncanny X-Men #95 – Claws revealed as real
Uncanny X-Men #98 – 1st “flirtation” with Jean Grey and 1st scene without his mask
Uncanny X-Men #103 – 1st mention of Logan
Uncanny X-Men #139 BUY 1st Brown costume, reveals his name as Logan
Collected In:
The Uncanny X-Men Omnibus Volume 1 (New Printing)
Logan and Mariko
Year: 8 to 10 years ago, or about 2004 (published 1982)
Wolverine falls in love with Mariko, the daughter of a Japanese crime boss. He fights for her honor, and eventually ends up killing her father, Shingen.
Mariko inherits her father’s obligations, which further complicates their romance. Their wedding was called off after many power plays an wrangling between the different players of the Japanese underworld who did not want to see Wolverine involved.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
Uncanny X-Men #118 1st Mariko
Uncanny X-Men #119
Wolverine Limited Series #1
Wolverine Limited Series #2
Wolverine Limited Series #3
Wolverine Limited Series #4 Wolverine kills Mariko’s father
Uncanny X-Men #172 Wedding called off
Uncanny X-Men #173
Uncanny X-Men #174
Collected In:
Wolverine: The Adamantium Collection
Essential X-Men, Vol. 4 (Marvel Essentials)
Wolverine as Patch
Year: 6 to 8 years ago, or about 2006 (published 1988)
Wolverine, after the X-Men go into hiding after the world believed them dead, takes up residence once again in Madripoor under the alias “Patch”
As described in:
Wolverine 1st Series #1 1st Patch
Wolverine and Jean Grey
Year: 6 to 8 years ago, or about 2006 (published 1990)
Wolverine had a flirtatious relationship with Jean Grey right off the bat during their brief period together as X-Men. Though what came off as personality trait grew into a full blown feelings for her, which became apparent during their time together behind bars during the X-Tinction Agenda affair.
As described in:
Uncanny X-Men #242 1st kiss (Inferno)
X-Factor 1st series #61 1st kiss and insinuation of true love (X-Tinction Agenda)
Shattered Memories
Year: 5 to 7 years ago, or about 2007 (published 1991)
While Wolverine had been hinted to have had a colorful past, this is the first time the the notion that his memories had been implanted and that he did not truly know his full past became part of his lore.
Xavier and Jean Grey help Wolverine untangled his memories as he recalls his time during Weapon X and Team X, though he also discovers that some of those memories were fabricated.
We also learn that Silver Fox is alive.
As described in (though previously mentioned):
Wolverine 1st Series #48 – Shiva Scenario / Dreams of Gore
Wolverine 1st Series #49 – Shiva Scenario / Dreams of Gore
Wolverine 1st Series #50 – Shiva Scenario / Dreams of Gore
Mariko dies
Year: 5 to 7 years ago, or about 2007 (published 1992)
The complicated relationship between Mariko and Wolverine comes to a head as machinations within the Japanese underworld lead Silver Fox to poison a blade that was only supposed to be used for Mariko to sacrifice one of her fingers. Mariko dies.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
Wolverine 1st Series #55
Wolverine 1st Series #56
Wolverine 1st Series #57 – Mariko dies
Wolverine Loses His Adamantium
Year: 5 to 7 years ago, or about 2007 (published 1993)
While confronting Magneto once again as part of the X-Men, Magneto brutally defends himself by using his powers to yank all of the adamantium from Wolverine’s body, leaving him catatonic and revealing his claws were in fact made of bone.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
X-Men #25
Wolverine 1st Series #75
Collected In:
Wolverine: The Adamantium Collection
X-Men: Fatal Attractions
Wolverine goes feral
Year: 4 to 6 years ago, or about 2008 (published 1996)
In an attempt to convert Wolverine into Apocalypse’s Horseman of Death, the villainous Genesis attempts to bond adamantium back onto Wolverine’s bones. He fails, and Wolverine reverts to a feral state.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
Wolverine 1st Series #100
Adamantium Returns as Logan becomes Death
Year: 3 to 5 years ago, or about 2009 (published 1999)
The conversion to Apocalypse’s Horseman of Death eventually prevails, and Wolverine is brainwashed to battle the X-Men with his adamantium returned. The brainwashing is overthrown, and Wolverine returns to the X-Men along with his adamantium.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
X-Men #95 – Wolverine revealed as Death
Uncanny X-Men #376 – The Twelve
Cable 1st series #75 – The Twelve
X-Man #59 – The Twelve
X-Men #96 – The Twelve
Wolverine 1st Series #146 – The Twelve
Wolverine 1st Series #147 – The Twelve
X-Man #60 – The Twelve
Uncanny X-Men #377 – The Twelve
Cable 1st series #76 – The Twelve
X-Men #97 – The Twelve
Collected In:
X-Men vs. Apocalypse Vol. 1: The Twelve (v. 1)
Weapon X Expanded, Wolverine Kills Jean Grey
Year: 2 to 3 years ago, or about 2010 (published 2004)
Weapon X is revealed to be only a small part of the larger Weapon Plus program.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix returns, which leads to Wolverine having to kill the woman he loves (but couldn’t have) Jean Grey.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
New X-Men #142 Assault on Weapon Plus
New X-Men #143 Assault on Weapon Plus
New X-Men #144 Assault on Weapon Plus
New X-Men #145 Assault on Weapon Plus
New X-Men #146 Planet X
New X-Men #147 Planet X
New X-Men #148 Planet X
New X-Men #149 Planet X
New X-Men #150 Planet X – Wolverine kills Jean Grey
Collected In:
New X-Men, Vol. 3
X-23
Year: 2 to 3 years ago, or about 2010 (published 2004)
Wolverine, along with the X-Men, investigate a set of strange murders that are linked to him, only to discover X-23. X-23 is then revealed as a female clone of Wolverine.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
Uncanny X-Men #450 X-23 meets Wolverine
Uncanny X-Men #451
X23 #1
X23 #2
X23 #3
X23 #4
X23 #5
X23 #6
Collected In:
Uncanny X-Men – The New Age Vol. 2: The Cruelest Cut
X-23, Vol. 1: The Killing Dream
Wolverine Joins the Avengers
Year: 2 years ago, or about 2011 (published 2005)
Wolverine is asked to join the new Avengers team of Captain America. He takes to the team, despite his storied past, and eventually becomes a respected member of the team.
(Wolverine had stated that he joined so many teams to keep him occupied so he wouldn’t have to deal with his many fractured memories).
Essential Wolverine Issues:
New Avengers #1
New Avengers #2
New Avengers #3
New Avengers #4
New Avengers #5 Wolverine appears
New Avengers #6 Wolverine joins
Collected In:
New Avengers, Vol. 1: Breakout
New Avengers Omnibus, Vol. 1
“I Remember All Of It”
Year: 2 years ago, or about 2011 (published 2005)
The universe altering event during the House of M, which briefly created a new reality which carried partly over into the current one and ended with the loss of most mutant powers also had the consequence of having Wolverine remember everything about his past. This ends an important period that is so attached to Wolverine, that of him having fractured memories.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
House of M #1
House of M #2
House of M #3
House of M #4
House of M #5
House of M #6
House of M #7
House of M #8 – Wolverine Remembers
Collected In:
House of M
Sabretooth Dies
Year: a year or 2 ago, or about 2011 (published 2007)
As a mysterious new villain, Romulus, is teased, Wolverine and Sabretooth enter their final battle, of which Wolverine is the victor.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
Wolverine 2nd Series #50
Wolverine 2nd Series #51
Wolverine 2nd Series #52
Wolverine 2nd Series #53
Wolverine 2nd Series #54
Wolverine 2nd Series #55 Sabretooth dies
Collected In:
Wolverine: Evolution
Romulus and Daken Revealed
Year: a year, or about 2012 (published 2009)
Romulus and Daken are revealed to Wolverine. Though they have existed for decades, Romulus’s machinations and memory alterations had kept them secret until now.
As described in (though previously mentioned):
Wolverine Origins #33 – Daken is revealed
Wolverine Origins #34
Wolverine Origins #35
Wolverine Origins #36
Wolverine Origins #37
Wolverine Origins #38
Wolverine Origins #39 1st full appearance of Romulus
Wolverine Origins #40
Collected In:
Wolverine Origins: Romulus
Wolverine and the X-Men
Year: Recently (published 2011)
Wolverine, after a major disagreement with Cyclops over the training of young mutants, disbands from his X-Men to create his own team headquartered back in Westchester in the renamed Jean Grey school for Gifted Youngsters.
Essential Wolverine Issues:
X-Men – Schism #1
X-Men – Schism #2
X-Men – Schism #3
X-Men – Schism #4
X-Men – Schism #5
X-Men Regenesis #1
Wolverine And The X-Men #1
Wolverine and the X-Men #2
Wolverine and the X-Men #3
Collected In:
Wolverine: The Adamantium Collection
X-Men: Schism
Wolverine & the X-Men, Vol. 1
It might be hard to believe, but I am looking for even more precise information: where does the “Wolverine Evolution” TPR fit in the “Wolverine: Origins” series?
There are clear references to the “Evolution” storyline at least as early as the “Wolverine: Origins: Deadpool” TPR , but should “Evolution” be read even earlier in the “Origins” sequence?
ooops…meant TPB
Right? Ive been reading up on marvel arcs and i cant find much about the evolution storyline
This is a stupid question to most of you out there but why is Shiva Scenario and Romulus/Daken arcs on the list twice? Also, chronologically, at which point would I read them?