What is the first appearance of Wolverine?
Published Sep 14, 2026 · Updated Oct 11, 2026 · 1 min read
Short answerWolverine's first full appearance is The Incredible Hulk #181, cover-dated November 1974, by Len Wein and Herb Trimpe, with the costume designed by John Romita Sr. He is seen first in a one-panel cameo on the last page of Incredible Hulk #180 (October 1974). Hulk #181 is the most valuable comic of the Bronze Age.
#180 and #181
Hulk #180 ends with Wolverine bursting in as "Weapon X", sent by the Canadian government to stop the Hulk. Issue #181 is the full three-way fight between Wolverine, the Hulk and the Wendigo. Wein wrote the character as a short, feral Canadian with claws; the healing factor and the rest came later, mostly under Chris Claremont in X-Men.
Why #181 is the Bronze Age's biggest key
Wolverine became the most popular character of the 1980s and 1990s and a screen franchise since 2000. The issue was printed in normal numbers for 1974, but demand is far beyond any other Bronze Age book, and high-grade copies are further reduced by the Marvel Value Stamp: many copies have the stamp cut from an interior page and receive a green qualified label. See What are Marvel Value Stamps?.
What to check when buying
- Stamp intact — on the label notes or confirmed by the seller.
- Label colour — restored copies are common because the book is worth restoring; a CBCS 2.0 restored copy in the store shows how the market prices one.
- Reprints — Marvel has reprinted #181 many times, including facsimiles.
An unrestored CGC 3.5 is in the store.
Wolverine's next keys
- Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975) — joins the new X-Men.
- X-Men #94 (August 1975) — first regular issue of the new team; copies in the store.
- Wolverine #1 (September 1982) — the Claremont–Miller limited series.
See Why is Incredible Hulk #181 so valuable? and the Wolverine character page.
Written by the Rare Comics Collectors grading team. Spotted an error or have a question this guide does not answer? Tell us.
