Marvel Comics' 'Incredible Hulk' #181: Wolverine's First Comic Cover
A Fight Etched in Marvel History
In the long, eternal run of comic books, the first full appearance of a beloved character is a seminal moment in time.
In 1974, the Hulk already had an extensive publication history, dating back to 1962 and the immortal team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Hulk also already had an extensive history terrorizing the Canadians, and in response, a government program was developed to stop him.
It was called Weapon X.
Marvel Comics The Incredible Hulk #181 opens with the green giant - made up of “unfettered fury” - fighting another giant, the immortal Wendigo, in the Canadian wilderness.
On the opening page, out bursts another character, a mutant with animal-like rage. He appeared in the final teaser panel of the previous issue with a snarl, ready to do battle.
Who was this “living, raging powerhouse” sent to take on Hulk, our poor green giant who just wanted some peace and quiet in nature?
A Classic Bronze Age Battle
It’s classic Marvel at its best. Every page full of colorful action, the kind to make a kid’s imagination run wild. Who is this furious character clad in yellow and blue with these awesome adamantium claws (that we’ve all pretended to have ourselves, be it with forks, pencils, or whatever else we’ve got)? And how is he able to stand toe to toe with one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel universe?
Instantly, Len Wein and John Romita Sr. created a timeless character.
More than fifty years later, the core of Wolverine remains the same. The fearlessness, his brutal past as a government experiment program. In these early stages, he was merely a blunt instrument of the Weapon X program and he will often spend the rest of his publication history grappling with that.
In #181, Hulk and Wolverine battle throughout the forest - taking a brief reprieve to put down the Wendigo together - and the Hulk ultimately lands a glancing blow that knocks Wolverine out.
Wolverine would appear in another cameo in Incredible Hulk #182 and again the next year in Giant-Size X-Men #1, which featured the first appearances of Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and more. The legend of Wolverine would only continue to grow through the X-Men, his own decades-long comic run, movies, Saturday-morning cartoons and more.
But it all started in the Canadian wilderness, landing blows on the Hulk and living to tell the tale.
Pay homage to the origins of one of the most beloved characters in comic-book history with our Incredible Hulk #181 cover tee.
