James "Logan" Howlett, also known as Wolverine, is a Canadian mutant. Wolverine was the second known mutant born, after his half-brother Sabretooth. He has a number of animalistic mutations: these include three retractable razor sharp claws on each hand, and heightened senses, which allow him to track people through scent and sound. Additionally, Wolverine possesses a healing ability which allows him to rapidly heal and recover from almost any injury in astonishingly short times, prolonging his aging process consequently. Adamantium has been surgically bonded to his entire skeleton, including his claws, making him nearly indestructible. Wolverine is a brutal and sometimes feral hand-to-hand combatant often having berserk rages, he also has experience fighting in multiple wars and cage-fights.
Powers and abilities
- Accelerated Healing Factor: Wolverine possesses a "healing factor" which allows him to rapidly heal and recover from almost any injury in astonishingly short times. Depending on the severity of the injury, Wolverine can completely heal within a matter of seconds to a matter of hours. Wolverine's healing factor is in fact so powerful that the only way to kill him is to cut off his head (although that would be impossible due to the Adamantium bonded to his entire skeleton structure). The healing factor allowed him to stand up and walk through a disintegrating telekinetic blast emanating from Phoenix, while others were completely disintegrated. He also survived the blast wave of the nuclear strike on Nagasaki, suffering severe burns. His skin and his hair regenerated in under a few seconds. Upon removing the nano-bug that was on his heart, the wounds that he inflicted when his healing was temporarily disabled all healed in a short time. He was also able to withstand well over a dozen arrows in his back.
- Poison and Toxin Resistance: Another aspect of Wolverine's healing factor is that his body is much more resistant to the effects of poisons and other harmful foreign substances. For example, when Stryker's commandos were assaulting Xavier's mansion, they subdued and captured several mutants with powerful tranquilizer darts which caused near-instant unconsciousness. When they attempted to subdue Wolverine with the tranquilizer darts, however, it did not significantly impede his rampage against them. At most, they momentarily made him a little groggy before he simply shrugged off the effect, as seen when he yanked out the darts when the fight was over. This also means that Wolverine has a high tolerance for alcohol and tobacco as his body can easily process small amounts of them without effect. For example, Wolverine has been a heavy cigar smoker for decades, but this has not had a long-term detrimental effect on his health.
- Retarded Aging Process: In addition, his healing factor has prolonged his aging process, if not stopped it altogether. It is why despite the fact that he is well over 170 years old, he still possesses the physical condition and appearance of a man in his 30s' who engages in intensive physical exercise.
- Retractable Bone Claws: Wolverine possesses three retractable razor-sharp bone claws on each hand.
- Adamantium Skeleton: Wolverine had adamantium bonded to his skeleton and claws during the Weapon X program, organized by William Stryker, making it nearly indestructible. The adamantium-laced claws can cut through nearly any substance (Wolverine was easily able to cut through a thick metal wall with them). However, it makes him vulnerable to opponents with magnetically or metal-control based powers such as Magneto. After a battle with Silver Samurai; Logan's adamantium-coated claws were sliced off, though the bone claws regenerated afterwards. Two years later, Logan has yet to find a way to recoat the claws.
- Superhuman Strength: Wolverine is also superhumanly strong, both as an effect of his mutation and as a result of carrying the intense extra weight of the adamantium bonded to his skeleton around. With the adamantium as body mass, he has an increased striking strength and most likely lifting strength as well, being able to fling a "mercenary" at the end each set of claws into the air at least 10 feet.
- Superhuman Speed: Wolverine is able to run over 30 mph. When sensing Victor was near and going after Kayla, he was able to leave from his job site and reach her car in a minute.
- Superhuman Stamina: Thanks to his regenerative powers, Wolverine's fatigue toxins are halted for hours, allowing him to engage in physical activity for far longer than a normal human can.
- Superhuman Endurance: Wolverine's endurance is far more greater than that of a normal human.
- Insulated Weather Adaptation: Wolverine's body is highly resistant to certain elemental extremes, particularly cold, to the extent that he can sleep nude in subarctic conditions with no apparent injury.
- Enhanced Senses: Wolverine possesses enhanced senses and is capable of tracking people through scent alone as well as detect their presence within a large area through scent and sound. All of Wolverine's senses are increased to extremely high levels although it is unknown if this extends to his senses of taste and touch. His senses enables him to sense when danger is near such as at the Yashida's funeral.
Abilities
Excellent Hand-To-Hand Combatant: Wolverine is also an excellent hand-to-hand combatant with experience fighting against various cage-fighters, and also 120 years of experience in the U.S. military service, and surviving at least four different wars. He is probably second only to Mystique.
Excellent Stealthiness: Wolverine was able to sneak around at the Xavier institute with a lot of "mercenaries" armed with night vision goggles and guns, being shot only once. Furthermore, he was able to sneak around Magneto's base camp, and whilst being attacked by several mutants, he still didn't alert the full force of the Brotherhood of Mutants and was able to slip among them after defeating the small group of mutants.
Weaknesses
Adamantium Weapons - Wolverine's adamantium claws cannot penetrate or destroy other adamantium weapons. He is also vulnerable to Magneto's powers.
Decapitation - If Wolverine's head was to be decapitated, he wouldn't be able to regenerate/heal himself. However, with the indestructible adamantium bonded to his skeletal structure, this task becomes more difficult.
Drained Healing Factor - After Ichiro Yashida drained Wolverine's healing factor through his severed claws with the Silver Samurai armor, he began to age rapidly. Following Yashida's death Wolverine's healing factor returned him to his youthful appearance. However by the time of Days of Future Past Wolverine's temples have begun to grey. It can be assumed that Yashida in the Silver Samurai armor may have removed some of his longevity when he became young.
