Classic Moments in Comics: Wolverine’s First Brush with Awesomeness

I know what you’re thinking. “Not another article about how cool Wolverine is.” Well…kiss my ass. Wolverine’s cool…that’s all there is to it. He was cool before the 90’s comic implosion severely overused him and he’s still cool today. But this article’s about something special. It’s about the first time Wolverine did something really cool.

Well, to be more specific, it’s about the first time I think Wolverine did something really cool. I’m talking about X-Men #114.


Since his first full appearance in 1974’s Hulk #181, Wolverine had been clearly established as a scrapper. After joining up with the X-Men in 1975, we got to see Wolverine in action issue after issue. But, since Chris Claremont had to spend time developing tons of new characters for the new X-Men team, it took him a few issues to really address how awesome Wolverine was.

I won’t give you an entire review of the story. I’m sure you can find that somewhere else on the internet. The important point is that the X-Men find themselves in the Savage Land. Cyclops has been here before, but the rest of the X-Men are Savage Land virgins. Ever the wiener, Cyclops wastes no time henpecking the others to be careful.

Well, Banshee and Storm go off flying, and a giant pterodactyl picks Banshee up and starts crushing him in its claws. Cyclops can’t get a shot in (he’s probably too busy adjusting his ruby quartz pocket protector) and Storm can’t do anything. It looks like the Savage Land’s about to become one crushed Irishman richer when…



Shyeah! Wolvie gets Colossus to give him a fastball special and is launched into the air, claws a’blazin’. He then proceeds, in mid-air, to rip through this thing like Angelina Jolie on a foreign kids adoption agency. Banshee’s freed and all is well. But, hey, Wolverine’s never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He just keeps on slashing away at the hapless pterodactyl (sending the Savage Land branch of PETA into a frenzy, no doubt).


The day is saved. So what’s Cyclops do? He starts talking smack about Wolverine while they go searching for him. Dick.


Pretty soon, everyone regroups. Cyclops gives Wolverine some backhanded well wishing, and Nightcrawler busts out with a "Mein Gott". Best of all, Wolverine’s just sitting on the ripped up carcass talking about how much fun a land full of murderous dinosaurs is gonna be.


Wolverine had been around for about four years by this point and had certainly made his mark. But, for me, this is the first time in the character’s history that he got to do something really badass. Maybe the act is just heightened by the juxtaposition of Wolverine’s badass heroics and Cyclops’ jittery bitchiness…who knows? All I know is, this shit’s awesome!