Logan: Wolverine’s Tragic Love Life

When one thinks of Wolverine, one automatically thinks of violence, mystery, savagery, and… romance? Sure Logan doesn’t always conjure up images of long walks on the beach, candle light dinners, or steamy make-out sessions to a background track of Barry White, but for a guy not known for the hearts and flowers, Wolverine has certainly had his fair share of lovers.

Wolverine wears his heart on his sleeve (and at times, he wears other people’s hearts on his claws), and has had many romantic connections both in the X-Men and in the pages of his own comic series. He gets around when it comes to love, but sadly, many of these affairs end pretty damn tragically; he’s had to bury so many lovers that it’d even put Matt Murdock to shame. So let us pay tribute to those ladies who’ve had braved the hairy chest and stabby claws of Wolverine.

Jean Grey

First appearance: X-Men #1 (1963)

Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

If it’s true that the greater Logan’s love for a partner, the greater the danger she’s in, one can argue that Jean Grey is Wolverine’s greatest love. When Logan first laid eyes on this red-haired mutant, he instantly fell claws over heels. Wolverine loves the forbidden, so the fact that Jean Grey was engaged to Wolverine’s rival and foil Cyclops only made the always rakish Wolverine burn hotter with desire.

As Wolverine and Jean Grey grew closer, passion turned to admiration and Wolverine fell in deep love with his comrade-in-arms. Wolverine’s heart broke when Grey became the Phoenix and was lost to the X-Men the first time, but when Jean Grey rose from the grave, Logan thought he had another shot at his true love. But like many of history’s great loves, the romance between Wolverine and the former Phoenix would always remain unrequited. Not only does Logan have to witness the object of his deepest affections in the arms of another, he’s also had to watch Jean die again (and again). As we said, Wolverine has buried many lovers, but poor Jean was buried more than once.

Storm

First appearance: Giant-Size X-Men #1

Created by: Len Wein and Dave Cockrum

Man, that Jean Grey stuff was depressing, but happy days, the Wolverine-Storm romance has not ended in death and heartbreak. Yet.

Storm has romanced two of the most brilliant thinkers in the Marvel Universe, the King of Wakanda, T’Challa (AKA the Black Panther), and the smartest of all X-Men, the technomancer Forge. But even Storm likes a rough tumble with a beer-drinking man’s man once in a while, which explains her on-again, off-again affair with Logan.

Wolverine and Storm shared a few lip locks in the early days of their tenures as X-Men, but things got downright steamy after Storm divorced Black Panther. Yeah, Wolverine was a big time rebound for the weather goddess, which might explain why, unlike so many Logan lovers, she lived to tell the tale.

Mystique

First appearance: Ms. Marvel #17 (1978)  

Created by: Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum

The Mystique-Wolverine romance is the very definition of an unhealthy relationship. On one side you have a killer mutant with questionable memories of his past and a history of love affairs that ended tragically, and on the other hand, you have an immoral shape shifter who thrives on psychological torture. 

In the must read Get Mystique story arc by Jason Aaron, it is revealed that Mystique and Wolverine have had a love affair that stretched all the way back to the 1930s. They once even led a gang of crooks in Mexico and were the Bonnie and Clyde of the mutant set until fate tore them apart. Logan and Mystique are sometime lovers, sometime rivals, but always steamy and troubled. 

Domino

First appearance: New Mutants #98 (1991)

Created by: Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld

This one is purely physical. Domino is one of the most dangerous women in the Marvel Universe, and, Wolverine, is well, short, feral, and always horny. Wolverine and Domino’s steamy hookups are truly dangerous friends with benefits type situations, but hey, after all the romantic tragedy in Logan’s life, he deserves some of the casual wanky cranky.

Mariko Yashida

First appearance: Uncanny X-Men #118 (1979)

Created by: Chris Claremont and John Byrne

Mariko Yashida is considered by many to be Wolverine’s true love. Mariko is a demure and refined Japanese aristocrat who also happens to be the daughter of a crime lord. But in each other’s arms, Mariko and Logan found true peace and romantic contentment. The two never married because Mariko was honor bound to handle her father’s criminal empire, but she was always there for her savage lover whenever he needed a respite from his violent life.

Sadly, it all ended in tragedy when Mariko was poisoned by a criminal rival named Matsu’o Tsurayaba, who used the toxin of a rare blowfish to guarantee Wolverine’s love a horrifically painful death. To spare Mariko the pain, Logan killed his beloved, but his revenge was legendary. Wolverine captured Matsu’o Tsurayaba, and every year on the anniversary of Mariko’s death, Wolverine slices off one of the assassin’s body parts. This has been going on for a very long time.

Silver Fox

First appearance: Wolverine vol. 2 #10 (1989)

Created by: Chris Claremont and John Buscema

Silver Fox was a Native American woman who Wolverine fell in love with in the early part of the 1900s. The two lived a tranquil life together, but since this is Wolverine we’re talking about, I think you know where this is going. Oh, it goes there and then it goes a few steps further into horror when she was raped and killed by Sabretooth.

Or was she?

Later events indicate that Silver Fox’s death was an implanted memory. In the modern era, Wolverine finds her alive and a member of Team X, an elite team of mutants and super powered mercenaries. Silver Fox then betrays Logan and joins HYDRA. And then dies. And this is just confusing and depressing. How can a little hairy guy living in a cabin with a beautiful woman become some mind-numbingly confusing and tragic? That’s Wolverine for you.

Rogue

First appearance: Avengers Annual #10 (1981)

Created by Chris Claremont and Michael Golden

This one might be a bit unsettling for fans of the X films. In Fox’s X-Men movie franchise, Wolverine and Rogue have an inspiring father/daughter relationship. But in the comics, not so much.

You see, there was a time when the X-Men encountered a space being known as the Golgotha. This creature had the power to amplify people’s inner emotions. When Wolverine and Rogue were exposed to Golgotha, it is revealed that there was a deep seated desire between the two legendary mutants. They engaged in some lip wrestling that was equal parts hot and steamy and all around creepy. The X writers never really followed up on this deep rooted desire between the two, but it’s there. You have to wonder if Jackman and Paquin know about this.

Red Sonja

First appearance: Conan the Barbarian #23 (1973)

Created by: Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas, and Barry Windsor-Smith

We don’t want to overwhelm you with alternate universe romance, but a few are worth mentioning. In What If? Volume 2 #6 (1990), Marvel presented “What If… Wolverine Had Lived During the Age of Conan the Barbarian?” Well, he would hook up with Red Sonja, that’s what would happen.

We all know from Jean Grey that Logan has a thing for redheads, and Red Sonja is the most badass, deadly redhead in comic history. This is a match made in the hells of Hyboria, but it’s bloody appropriate that these two stone cold killers hook up in this sword and sandal alternate reality.

Elektra

First appearance: Daredevil #168 (1981)

Created by: Frank Miller

We’ll hit you with another alternative world Wolverine romance. In the MC2 Universe (the same alternate reality that gave the world Spider-Girl), Wolverine and Elektra get married and have a daughter. So yes, between the MU proper and the MC2 ‘verse, Elektra has hooked up with both Daredevil and Wolverine. No wonder she has died like six thousand times. Anyway, Elektra and Logan’s daughter becomes the hero known as Wild Thing because what else would you call the daughter of these two very stabby lovers?

Itsu

First appearance: Wolverine Vol 3 #40 (2006)

Created by: Daniel Way and Javier Saltares

Itsu was Wolverine’s lover during World War II. For a time, the two were very happy together, and Itsu even became pregnant. I think you see where this is going.

One day, Logan returned home to find Itsu dead and the baby torn from her womb. It turns out that Itsu was killed by none other than the Winter Soldier. The baby was not truly lost, and grew up to become the villainous Daken. One has to believe that these days, Wolverine isn’t inviting old Bucky to any poker games. Longing, rusted, furnace, daybreak, seventeen, benign, nine, homecoming, one, freight car, indeed!

Maureen Logan

First appearance: Wolverine Vol 3 #66 (2008)

Created by: Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Wolverine’s ladies aren’t even safe in the future. In the Old Man Logan reality, Logan leaves his violent past behind to be with a woman named Maureen. She was a former employee of the Weapon X program, but later in life, Maureen fell in love with Wolverine and the two settled down and had two kids.

Due to his violent past, Wolverine vowed never to pop his claws again. But Logan and Maureen lived in a broken world, where groups of super villains took over, and a violent group of thugs known as the Hulk Gang (a gang of killer redneck Hulks, duh) demanded protection money from the Logan family. The former Wolverine went on a quest to collect the money, but when he returned home, he found that the Hulk Gang had killed Maureen and the kids because they were bored. Believe me, there was some snikt action after that. 

Amir

First appearance: Wolverine Vol 3 #42 (2006)

Created by: Marc Guggenheim and Humberto Ramos

Yes, Wolverine’s curse of love and death even extends to fish people. Amir was an Atlantaen warrior who helped Wolverine find the villainous Nitro during Marvel’s first Civil War. Even a woman used to the crushing depths and the mysteries of the oceans couldn’t survive falling for Logan. After Amir and Wolverine’s first moist encounter, she was killed by the villain known as Shogun.

Yukio

First appearance: Wolverine #1 (1982)

Created by: Chris Claremont and Frank Miller

Hey, this one worked out okay! Yukio is one of the greatest assassins and warriors in Japan. She and Logan have been rivals as wells as lovers, and while their relationship is more casual than some of the others on this list, over time the two honorable killers built a trusting kinship. Wolverine values Yukio so much that he’s trusted her to raise his step-daughter Amiko. Plus, when Wolverine has to go kill, like, thousands of ninjas, he can always give Yukio a call. Fans even got to meet Yukio in The Wolverine film..

Viper

First appearance: Captain America vol.1 #110 (1969)

Created by: Jim Steranko

So yeah, Wolverine was once for real married to this once leader of HYDRA. You see, Viper blackmailed Wolverine into marrying her so she could become the leader of the criminal empire of the lawless state known as Madripoor. Wolverine had no choice but to tie the knot, even going as far as obeying when she demanded they consummate the marriage.

It wasn’t exactly domestic bliss, because after the wedding, Viper got possessed by the evil Ogun. In order to drive Ogun out of his wife’s body, Wolverine had to impale her with his claws! As she was bleeding out, Wolverine offered to exchange divorce for medical attention and Wolverine was a single man once again. Despite the fact that his wife was completely evil, the fact that Logan had to end a divorce by stabbing his betrothed just proves that, yeah, this dude’s love life is cursed.

Native

First appearance: Wolverine Vol. 3 #13 (2004)

Created by: Greg Rucka and Darick Robertson

The Native was another creation of the Weapon X program. After she escaped, Sabretooth manipulated Wolverine into track her down. During the hunt, Wolverine began to have latent memories of a once romantic relationship with Native during his Weapon X days. After Logan finds her, Native shows him some drawings of the two feral killers as lovers.

Wolverine and Native renew their romantic bond and Native even becomes pregnant. Until—say it with me now—Sabretooth kills Native. Sigh. It’s a shame because you’d think that since Native is as uncontrollable as Wolverine she would have been one of the few Logan lovers that lived.

Rose O’Hara

First appearance: Origin #1 (2001)

Created by: Paul Jenkins, Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada, and Andy Kubert

Rose O’Hara was Logan’s first true love. Rose looks eerily similar to Jean Grey, which explains that X attraction, but as you can guess, Rose’s story also ends tragically.

Young Logan loved Rose, but Rose felt only deep friendship for Logan. She marries another and lives a happy life as the wife of a camp foreman. Her happiness was not to last, as during a fight with a killer and former childhood friend named Dog, Rose falls on Wolverine’s claws and dies. At least poor Rose can take heart that she started a trend—a really bloody and heartbreaking trend.

Melita Garner

First Appearance Wolverine: Weapon X #1 (2009)

Created by: Jason Aaron and Ron Garney

Melita Garner is perhaps the most human of all of Logan’s lovers. She is a reporter that begun a romance with Wolverine after he saved her from a group of muggers. Their professional relationship soon blossomed into a romance that was…surprisingly normal and healthy. Melita wasn’t a mutant or an alien or an escaped government experiment or the head of a crime family or anything super extraordinary, she was just a daring reporter trying to expose the world to truth and justice and for that, she won Logan’s heart.

It all ended when Melita received a package in the mail containing photographs of Logan making love to Yukio. The pictures were actually of Mystique morphed into Yukio, but the impact was the same. Melita called it quits, but happily, she lived to tell the tale of her romance with Wolverine.

Atsuko

First appearance: Logan #1 (2008)

Created by: Brian K. Vaughan and Eduardo Risso

Logan met Atsuko in Japan during World War II after he and another soldier escaped a Japanese prison camp. Logan’s brother-in-arms wanted to kill Atsuko, but Logan protected her. He and Atsuko quickly struck up a romance, and wouldn’t you know it, the other soldier returned and tried to murder Logan’s new lady. Atsuko killed the soldier with her father’s sword, but was shot in the struggle. 

Hercules

Not all of Logan’s lovers were ladies. Well, in the regular Marvel timeline, as far as we know, Logan is heterosexual, but in the alternate universe of 2012’s X-Treme X-Men, Wolverine’s romantic tastes were a bit more varied.

In this world, a mustachioed Ron Swanson looking version of Wolverine was in love with that universe’s Hercules. The love between Logan and Herc became the emotional center of the short lived X-Treme X-Men series, and it was a fun romance to behold. An undying badass mutant and an undying braggadocios demi-god finding love in each other’s arms. It was daring and surprising, and Herc lived to tell the tale, which is one better than most of Logan’s lovers, no matter what universe they lived in.

Charlemagne

First appearance: Spider-Man Versus Wolverine #1 (1987)

Created by: Jim Owsley and Mark Bright

Charlemagne was an ex-KGB agent that had a torrid romance with Wolverine. In the must read classic Spider-Man Versus Wolverine #1 (1987), Charlemagne’s cover gets burned after she turns on her KGB handlers. When the KGB came out in force to take her down, Charlemagne knew that she would be tortured to death and begged Wolverine to kill her before she is captured. Wolverine stabs her with his claws but flinches. The tough as nails Charlemagne was suffering and begs Wolverine to end it all, at this inopportune moment, Spider-Man shows up and prevents Wolverine from delivering the killing blow. During the fight, Charlemagne snuck up on Spidey who lashes out and kills her with one shot. It was a tragic moment not only for Spider-Man, but for Wolverine as well, as he loses another love.

Tyger Tiger

First appearance: Uncanny X-Men #229 (1988)

Created by: Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri

Another one that lived!

Tyger Tiger is an on-again, off-again lover of Logan who also rules the criminal underworld of Madripoor. She rules with a fair hand and doesn’t allow certain crimes into her country. Wolverine allows Tyger to continue her operations because he knows she will keep the lawless nation free of sex slavery, hard drugs, and terrorism. With Tyger, it’s all about gambling and other relatively victimless crimes. Wolverine has helped Tyger protect her empire, and whenever the crime lord and the mutant hero make the beast with two backs, Wolverine and Tyger Tiger burn bright in the darkness of the night. That there was a highfalutin literary joke in case you thought we only did poop and dick jokes around here.

Gahck

First appearance: Wolverine: The Jungle Adventure #1 (1990)

Created by: Walter Simonson and Mike Mignola

Let’s end on a strange but happy one. Gahck is the chief of a Savage Land tribe known as the Tribe of Fire. For those not in the know, the Savage Land is a place in the Marvel Universe where many different tribes live amongst dinosaurs and other long extinct creatures. It’s kind of like if Edgar Rice Burroughs threw up in the Marvel Universe.

So Wolverine meets and falls for the beautiful and wild Gahck and they become lovers. Unbeknownst to Wolverine, Gahck bears a son, and this one doesn’t die or turn evil or anything. Somewhere, right now, a kid that looks like Logan is fighting a dinosaur in the Savage Land. That makes us feel all warm and fuzzy and a tiny bit terrified inside. Let’s just hope that Junior here is luckier at love than his daddy.