30 Strongest Versions of Wolverine (Ranked)

There is no doubt that Wolverine is the most popular of all of the X-Men, as fans just can’t get enough of his antihero personality and his no-care attitude. Of course, because Wolverine is incredibly popular among different comic book fans, he has one of the most fleshed-out stories in the world of Marvel Comics. That is why Wolverine’s story is something that fans love to read, as the writers did a good job of crafting a narrative that fits his overall personality.

Of course, there are many different versions of Wolverine in the history of Marvel Comics. Some of these versions come from entirely different universes or timelines, while some of them are different people. Whatever the case may be, Wolverine has a lot of powerful versions in the entire Marvel Comics universe storyline. In that regard, we are here to look at the strongest versions of Wolverine.

30. Marvel Versus

Marvel Versus is a story about how Wolverine took the lone wolf act to the next level because he never really had a choice about it. What happened here was that he was literally the only hero left standing because a plague forced all of the heroes of Marvel to fight against each other. But because Wolverine’s healing factor prevented the plague from taking over his mind and body, he was the only one left to defeat these cannibalistic heroes.

In this storyline, it was the entire Marvel Universe against Wolverine who lost an arm in a fight against the Hulk. So, while he may be weaker compared to the usual Wolverine because he only has one good arm, the fact that he is resilient enough to defeat the other heroes makes him strong.

29. Jimmy Hudson

It was after the Secret Wars storyline that survivors of the Ultimate Universe made their way to Prime Earth, wherein most of the Universe-616 characters exist. In that regard, that is where we meet Jimmy Hudson, who is another version of the Wolverine character.

Born Jimmy Howlett, this Wolverine is, of course, the son of the original Wolverine and was entrusted to his friend, James Hudson, when they both participated in the war against Iraq. That is why his family name was changed to Hudson, as it was important to make sure that he didn’t have his biological father’s family name. He possesses the same powers that Wolverine has, but the only thing he lacks is his father’s vast experience.

28. Mr. Murderhands

Mr. Murderhands is another alternate version of Wolverine, as this was one of the ways that the character was reimagined on the Earth where Spider-Gwen exists. This version of Wolverine is actually a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that was nicknamed Mr. Murderhands.

Of course, the backstory of this character wasn’t quite fleshed out, but he used to be a samurai warrior in the past. However, he was cursed with immortality due to his sins as a killer. After that, his mind was wiped, and he was given to S.H.I.E.L.D. by the Weapon X corporation to work for them. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the character in action a lot in the storyline of Spider-Gwen’s Earth.

27. Hooded Man

The Hooded Man is a Wolverine version that comes from an alternate future and is a part of a superhero group called the New Avengers. In this future, Galactus was already dead, but the New Defenders used his body to travel back in time to the present so that they could save the people of their world. It was revealed that their future had been devastated and ravaged by different things, such as war and natural disasters.

As such, the New Defenders tried to migrate the people of their world to the past. This Hooded Man version of Wolverine is similar to Old Man Logan but is a desperate character that wants to save the people of his timeline.

26. Noir

In this storyline, the Noir version of Wolverine is actually a detective, as it was clear that this alternate version of the character was inspired by noir detective storylines that are quite popular in America. Logan is actually a detective that works together with his half-brother named Dog Logan.

While this Noir version of Wolverine doesn’t have his adamantium claws, he made use of knife claws that were more than enough in his fights with Cyclops, as he actually used them to blind one of his eyes in their battle.

25. The Wolverine

The Wolverine is actually the live-action version of Wolverine, as we got to see this character in several Fox X-Men movies. Played by Hugh Jackman, the Wolverine has appeared in nine films and is one of the most recognizable live-action superheroes of our time.

Of course, this version of Wolverine is a lot taller than the comic book version and is actually an incredibly strong and resilient character that has saved the world a few times. His story ends in the Logan film, where the world’s mutant population has drastically decreased due to Professor X, who killed most of the mutants on the planet due to one of his episodes of dementia. Of course, while this Wolverine is strong, resilient, and powerful, the thing is that he doesn’t have the same kind of impossible comic book physics that the other Wolverine versions have.

24. Rancor

Rancor is a Wolverine version that really isn’t Logan. Instead, she is the great-great-granddaughter of Logan from centuries into an alternate future. She was first encountered by the Guardians of the Galaxy, as she ruled over an entire colony of humans as a tyrant.

It was during that storyline that it was revealed that all of Wolverine’s descendants ended up becoming tyrants despite the fact that the original Wolverine was always heroic. Rancor, meanwhile, idolizes Wolverine’s power but isn’t as powerful as him, as she derives her strength from her rage and anger. As such, she doesn’t have the same kind of strength that Wolverine has.

23. Mangaverse

What do you get when you create a Wolverine drawn in a manner that’s similar to manga? Well, you get an over-the-top version of the character that fits the tastes of Japanese and American fans alike. While the mangaverse was short, it was still an entertaining attempt at recreating the Marvel Comics universe using manga art styles.

Mangaverse Wolverine is essentially the same Wolverine. But the thing is that his claws are now changed to energy knives. Meanwhile, he doesn’t have his right forearm after he lost it in a fight against Cyclops, who lost an eye in the fight. In that regard, he isn’t as strong as the regular Wolverine but is still pretty much quite capable in a fight.

22. Hydra

Of course, we know for a fact that Hydra is known for knowing how to brainwash people, and Wolverine wasn’t spared from the evil organization’s brainwashing as well. This alternate version of Wolverine comes from the Enemy of the State storyline, as he ended up getting brainwashed by Hydra to do the organization’s bidding.

In this storyline, Hydra joined The Hand and the Dawn of White Light and killed and resurrected Wolverine as one of their agents. As such, he was an important part of their plans as they regularly used him to infiltrate and steal plans from S.H.I.E.L.D. Later on, he was captured by the good guys and was cured of his brainwashing. But he still did a lot of damage while he was working for the bad guys.

21. Counter-Earth Hawkeye

Franklin Richards, a powerful character himself, created a pocket dimension that is based on Counter-Earth. As such, this dimension is different from the usual Earth, even though it does have some of the characters that we’ve seen in the regular Marvel Universe. One of them was Hawkeye.

However, instead of the usual Clint Barton Hawkeye, the one using the bow was none other than Wolverine, who was part of the Avengers of this world. It was only Captain America who was aware of his true identity, as this version of Wolverine was more interested in using his bow and arrow instead of his claws.

20. Bone Claws

We know for a fact that Wolverine has adamantium in his body as it covers his entire body to make him stronger and more durable. However, in one of the storylines of the X-Men, it was revealed that Wolverine’s claws were always an innate part of his mutation as he was supposedly capable of using bone claws that could shoot out of his hands. In that regard, the adamantium was only there to make his claws stronger.

However, when Magneto used his powers to take the adamantium out of Wolverine’s body, he still retained all of his mutant powers but now had bone claws instead of adamantium ones. While the bone claws aren’t exactly strong, they were still very useful in a fight. On top of that, Wolverine could now move faster than ever due to the fact that he no longer had to carry the weight of his entire adamantium skeleton.

19. Weapon X

The entire Age of Apocalypse storyline was very entertaining during the 90s era of the X-Men, as it allowed us to see a dark future where Professor X was already dead, and Apocalypse had taken over the entire planet. And Wolverine had a role in this apocalyptic (pun intended) future as he was known as Weapon X.

Weapon X is still part of the X-Men, even though the team is now a lot different compared to the one that we knew. In this storyline, he is a lot wilder than his usual 616 counterparts and no longer has one of his hands. But the morbid part is the fact that his claws still pop out of the stump remaining in the hand that he lost.

18. Old Man Logan

One of the most popular and most human versions of Wolverine is Old Man Logan, which tells the story of an older and weary Wolverine in a post-apocalyptic world. This is also the movie that was used as the basis for the successful and critically-acclaimed Logan movie starring Hugh Jackman.

In this storyline, Logan was forced into killing the X-Men several years ago and now went as Logan instead of Wolverine, as he now lives a solitary and peaceful life. However, he was forced to return to action because of the actions of a gang of powerful Hulks. Thanks to his decades of experience, he was more than a match for the Hulks, as he now seeks to rewrite history in the modern Marvel universe.

17. Days of Future Past

Days of Future Past is another one of the X-Men movie titles. Of course, this also served as one of the inspirations for the movie of the same title. Wolverine, in this storyline, comes from a future that has become apocalyptic because of the actions of the Sentinels, which killed mutants by the hundreds and ended up enslaving the planet.

Wolverine, who went back to the past, is a more powerful version of his 616 counterpart due to his age and experience at the hands of the horrific Sentinels. He still has all of the powers of the regular Wolverine, but he ends up dying when a Sentinel destroys him, leaving only his adamantium skeleton behind.

16. Bounty Hunter

This is one of the most entertaining Wolverine versions we have, as he was actually a Deadpool character. In this storyline, Wolverine is a successful wild west bounty hunter that ends up hunting Deadpool the entire time because he mistook him for Deadpool Kid.

In that regard, there are some hilarious moments in the storyline, but it is still quite serious in the sense that Bounty Hunter Wolverine’s temper is a lot shorter than the usual Wolverine’s own temper. And that means that he is quick to anger during the entire time that he is chasing Deadpool around.

15. Dark Claw

If you were to combine Batman with Wolverine, you would get Dark Claw, who is a character that was created by Amalgam Comics in an attempt to combine two of the most iconic characters from DC and Marvel. This is a very strange version of Wolverine but is one of the strongest because of how it combines the best traits of both characters.

We all know that Batman is a great fighter and a very intelligent mind. Combine him with Wolverine, and we get a dangerous fighter with all of the abilities and resources of Batman and the claws and healing factor of Wolverine. In that regard, we can’t think of another character that could be as ferocious as this one in a fight.

14. Earth-616

Earth-616 Wolverine is the most popular version of the character, as this is the standard Wolverine that everyone knows and loves. He is James Howlett, who took on the name of Logan. On top of that, he is the original Wolverine that has earned himself a lot of fans all over the world due to his personality and powers.

The truth is that 616 Wolverine isn’t really the strongest, but he is one of the strongest because he is a very resilient and determined fighter that has seen his fair share of fights. He is also one of the most successful comic book characters of all time, as he has earned himself millions of dollars in comic book revenues and movie adaptations. As such, he is easily one of the best versions of Wolverine in the entire history of the character.

13. Daken

Daken is one of the children of Wolverine, as he was actually married before. Back in 1946, he and his Japanese Wife Itsu were expecting a child. However, the Winter Soldier came in to kill Itsu to force Wolverine out of hiding. And while the death of his wife angered Wolverine, what people didn’t know was that his child survived due to the healing factor that was inherited from his father.

This version of Wolverine grew up to become Daken, who is a well-trained fighter that was manipulated by Romulus, who convinced him that it was his father that killed Itsu. In that regard, Daken became a rage-empowered character that was intent on killing his own father to take revenge for the death of his mother.

12. Earth-616 Hot Claws

Of course, Earth-616 Hot Claws Wolverine is still just the regular 616 version of the character but comes with a powerful upgrade. We are talking about the hot claws that allow him to use heat-infused adamantium claws powerful enough to defeat some of his strongest opponents.

The hot claws are actually the result of the excess energy that was transferred from his healing factor to his adamantium skeleton. As such, he was able to strengthen himself while healing. But the problem was that this power became a forgotten one as Wolverine wasn’t able to use his hot claws a lot of times after they were introduced in Return of Wolverine.

11. Feral

Of course, we already talked about Wolverine without his adamantium skeleton. However, Feral Wolverine is an entirely different story as this is the same character whose adamantium skeleton was ripped out of his body by Magneto but was able to use his secondary mutation, which allowed him to become very strong despite missing his adamantium claws.

Of course, this Feral Wolverine is one that loves stabbing instead of slashing, as his bone claws are not strong enough to slash. However, his secondary mutation allowed him to develop a feral nature that is quite animalistic, as he can take down strong opponents that the regular Wolverine struggles to defeat.

10. Ultimate

Ultimate Wolverine is one that comes from Earth-1610, and that means that he is an alternate version of the character from a different universe. This character has the same powers as the standard 616 version but is made to be more powerful due to the fact that the Ultimate Comics actually made their characters stronger than their 616 counterparts.

This Ultimate Comics version of Wolverine is stronger because of his ruthlessness. He was not shy about using his powers in a brutal and ruthless way, as he almost killed Cyclops and brutally attacked Magneto. He is also a better fighter than the regular Wolverine, as he remembers all of the training he underwent throughout his entire life.

9. All-New

There was a point in the time period of Marvel Comics when the All-New era ruled the comic book stands. Of course, because he is one of the most popular comic book characters, Wolverine got an All-New version. However, this was not the Wolverine we were familiar with because Laura Kinney took the mantle from Logan in this storyline. And she proved to be very powerful, just like the original Wolverine.

In this storyline, Laura was created by a top-secret program that wanted to recreate Wolverine as the only one to survive the experiment was Laura herself. As X-23, she escaped her captors and went on to become a powerful hero that continued the legacy of Wolverine after Logan died. She is one of the strongest Wolverine versions around due to her strength and resilience.

8. Zombie

We can never forget about Zombie Wolverine during the Marvel Zombies storyline, as this is one of the most entertaining yet morbid Marvel universes ever seen in the history of comic books. Of course, Wolverine, in this storyline, became a zombie after he was bitten by Hawkeye and Captain America. The virus overwhelmed his healing factor, and he became a zombie as a result of two characters infecting him.

This version of Wolverine has a cybernetic right arm because he lost his original one to the Silver Surfer. Of course, in that fight against the Surfer, he gained cosmic powers after he ate his corpse, and that allowed him to become incredibly powerful. The only problem is that he is made of rotting flesh.

7. Old Man Venom

We already talked about Old Man Logan, and this version of the character takes place during the Venomverse, where Old Man Logan became a host for a symbiote to become Old Man Venom. Essentially, this storyline continued the Old Man Logan storyline that fans loved.

In this world, Archangel captured Logan because he wanted him to suffer for the deaths of all of the X-Men. They used a T-Rex that was infected by Venom, as the symbiote attached to him after the dinosaur swallowed him whole due to the fact that he was a superior host. In that regard, Old Man Venom obtained all of the powers of Venom while retaining the powers of Wolverine. That is why this is an incredibly powerful version of the character. 

6. General James Howlett

General James Howlett is the Earth-12025 version of Wolverine and is the Governor-General of the Dominion of Canada. While he may not seem like an impressive character in terms of his appearance, he is essentially a god because of his powers. He has all of the powers of the usual Wolverine but has a skeleton laced with adamantine, which is a powerful metal with mystic capabilities.

As such, Wolverine is stronger than ever as he has the power of the metal that the Olympian gods favor. He is immune to telepathic attacks and has a body that is more durable due to the superiority of adamantine. He could even resist attacks from Mjolnir itself.

5. Vampire

If we have a Zombie Wolverine, we also have a vampire version of the character, as you get a very powerful Wolverine that is essentially feral and almost immortal. The fact that Vampire Wolverine is a vampire means that his strength and speed are enhanced to vampiric levels. On top of that, he has an evil personality that is fueled by the character’s desire to drain the blood of the living. As such, he is very dangerous compared to the usual Wolverine.

Vampire Wolverine came from one of the issues of Marvel Comics’ What If…? as he ended up feasting on Dracula himself to become the new king of the vampires. However, because he has a healing factor, the only way he turns into a vampire was eating Dracula, as he obtains the powers of the most powerful vampire. The only problem is that he also gained the weaknesses of the vampires as well.

4. Weapon Omega

Weapon Omega stands as one of the most powerful versions of Wolverine due to the fact that he has all of the standard powers of the 616 version but was able to obtain the powers of Apocalypse himself. As such, he became the leader of the Horsemen and ended up ruling a dystopian world.

As Weapon Omega, Wolverine is essentially at this strongest version in terms of his powers as he is immortal and has most of the powers that Apocalypse had. And we all know just how much of a powerhouse Apocalypse is, as Wolverine inherited most of these powers when he became Weapon Omega.

3. Weapon H

While we do believe that Weapon Omega is a powerful version of Wolverine, Weapon H is an entirely different story as well because of the fact that this is a character that combines two of the angriest characters in the history of Marvel Comics. And yes, we are talking about Wolverine and the Incredible Hulk himself.

Weapon H (the H stands for Hulk) was introduced as a character that combined Wolverine and the Hulk as Clayton, an ex-military contractor, was experimented with. As such, he became a hybrid that was meant to hunt and kill mutants due to the fact that he had the powers of both Wolverine and Hulk. And this makes him an incredibly dangerous individual despite the fact that he isn’t as experienced as the actual Wolverine.

2. Hellverine

In the comics, the Red Right Hand was a cult that had a weird vendetta against Wolverine, as it was never really explained well enough why they wanted revenge against him. As such, the group summoned a demon that ended up possessing Wolverine so that he could be forced to murder all of his friends. As such, we know for a fact that it was through the deaths of all of Wolverine’s friends that the Red Right Hand could exact their revenge on Logan.

This version of Wolverine was given the nickname Hellverine, as he killed a lot of the actual Wolverine’s friends, all while the soul of the real Wolverine was trapped in Hell. Wolverine fought the X-Men. Meanwhile, Jean Grey used her powers to accompany Logan’s soul in Hell as they tried to cast the demon out of his body and send it back to where it came from. The fact that Hellverine took on the entire X-Men is a testament to his strength.

1. Phoenix

One of the strongest entities in the entire Marvel Comics universe is the Phoenix Force, which is the same cosmic power that allowed Jean Grey to become Phoenix and Dark Phoenix. This entity is nigh-omnipotent as it possesses powers that not even the likes of the Celestials could match. And the Phoenix Force found a new host in the form of Wolverine.

This version of Wolverine was introduced in one of the recent issues of Thor. Old King Thor went out to investigate the death of all life in the cosmos, and he found the final host of the Phoenix Force. This host, of course, turned out to be an old and powerful version of Logan, whose powers are still yet to be fully explored. But the fact that Phoenix Wolverine combines the power of the Phoenix Force with Wolverine makes him an incredibly powerful entity.

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