Marvel just revealed that Wolverine encountered his first comic book villain back when he was in the Weapon X Program.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for “The Beast Within Them,” in Wolverine: Black, White and Blood, by Gerry Duggan, Adam Kubert, Frank Martin and VC’s Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
Whether he’s on his own or with the X-Men, Wolverine is a man with a variety of different sparring partners, from villains like Sabretooth to the savage heroes like the Hulk. While Logan fought the Hulk in his first adventure in Len Wein and Herb Trimpe’s Incredible Hulk #181, he also fought another one of his most notorious opponents, a Wendigo.
However, a story in Wolverine: Black, White and Blood #1, reveals that Logan’s first appearance wasn’t his first encounter with a Wendigo. As the issue reveals, Logan first encountered a Wendigo during his training with the Weapon X Program.
Related: Wolverine Reignites a Fan-Favorite X-Men Romance in X of Swords
The story, “The Beast Within Them,” by Gerry Duggan and Adam Kubert, begins with Logan sent out into the wilderness by his Weapon X captors. The scientists are running another test of Wolverine’s abilities, following battles with wolves, bears and even some humans. None of these tests were particularly challenging for Logan, yet the scientists believe that this coming opponent will certainly prove more than a match for their subject.
Out of the woods emerges a Wendigo, who begins to ferociously attack the mutant. Wolverine and the Wendigo viciously go at each other, exchanging blow after devastating blow. Neither one holds back, leaving the spectators at Weapon X in suspense. Much to everyone’s surprise, Wolverine eventually wins the fight and gets the opportunity to finish the mystical creature.
However, the human part of the creature speaks to Logan, causing the feral mutant to hesitate. This momentary spark of humanity leads the scientists to incapacitate Wolverine before he can ponder his actions any further. Both the Wendigo and Wolverine are captured and sent back to the lab at Weapon X.
This untold encounter is particularly noteworthy, considering Wolverine’s history with the Wendigo.
Although many primarily remember Wolverine’s initial battle against the Green Goliath, the two heroes spend most of the issue teaming-up to kill Wendigo. Outside of the Hulk, this makes the Wendigo Wolverine’s first official opponent. Since then, Wolverine has frequently gone head-to-head against many different versions of the Wendigo.