Wolverine’s Top 15 Costumes In The Comics, Ranked

Wolverine is arguably one of the most identifiable Marvel superheroes, having gained a cult following with the X-Men franchise and his standalone comic series along with Hugh Jackman’s classic on-screen portrayal. Even though he hardly needs to conceal his identity, the mutant initially donned his iconic long-eared mask, with his costume switching colors between brown-and-tan and yellow-and-blue.

Over the years, his costume has undergone many variations, considering the teams he has been affiliated with, ranging from X-Force to The Fantastic Four. Even though many changes still incorporate his half-sleeved, tiger stripe look, some versions are also more militaristic and stealthy in design.

UPDATE: 2022/10/31 17:42 EST BY SHAWN S. LEALOS

Just when it seemed that Hugh Jackman was completely finished playing Wolverine in the X-Men movies, Ryan Reynolds pulled him back in. In a surprise announcement, Reynolds and Jackman revealed that Wolverine would return for Deadpool 3 when the movie hits the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is even more massive because it will mark the second time that a Fox X-Men member shows up in the MCU, and it should be a bigger role than the small one that Patrick Stewart had in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Not only will Wolverine be back for this movie, but the MCU is also reviving the classic 90s X-Men animated series, so it will be interesting to see what costume Wolverine wears in his MCU debuts.

15/15 Feral Costume

In Fatal Attraction, the worst thing that could have happened to Wolverine happened. Magneto tired of always fighting the X-Men, and he used his magnetism powers to rip out Wolverine’s Adamantium skeleton. It almost killed Wolverine, but the X-Men kept him stable until they could get him some help. However, the trauma turned him feral.

The first appearance of this Wolverine costume came in Wolverine Vol. 2 #100. He lost his healing factor and quit the X-Men. In this new form, where he began living in the woods, he wore a new costume and hid his face using a blue bandana.

14/15 Original Yellow and Blue

For some old-school fans, it is the classic yellow and blue Wolverine costume that many prefer. However, while this is the classic look, it is nowhere near the best costume he has worn. It did improve when artists eliminated the fake whiskers and gave him bigger fins on his mask though.

Even if later costumes improved his look in every way, the original costume deserves its time to shine. It was his most iconic style, and while the bright blue and yellow colors don’t really work for Wolverine anymore, it is something that all fans remember fondly.

13/15 Old Man Logan

For a time, Old Man Logan was an alternate world story that showed what would happen if Logan killed the X-Men, one of the worst things Wolverine had ever done. The villains of the Marvel Universe took over the United States. However, that all changed when Logan came to the 616 and ended up working with the X-Men while this world’s Wolverine was gone.

For his appearance, Logan originally wore a long trench coat with brown pants and boots. He topped it off with a cowboy hat. However, once Secret Wars ended, Logan changed his style to a brown leather jacket and a white tank top with a pair of jeans. He did wear an actual costume for a short time, but he was mostly wearing western wear through his time in the 616.

12/15 Tactical Black Uniform

The tactical black uniform was what Wolverine wore for just a brief time. This costume appeared for the first time in Marvel Comics Presents #150. This was a costume that Wolverine wore when he had to team with Typhoid Mary after she developed the Bloody Mary persona. They set out to liberate a powerful young mutant from a research facility.

This outfit was a tactical black uniform with several brown pouches on it, although it is unclear why Logan needed pouches. His weapons are still his claws. However, it was a cool new look that Wolverine stopped wearing right after fighting Daredevil in this storyline.

11/15 Fang

Fang makes for a polarizing costume but still retains its iconic status over the years. Debuting in X-Men #107, the Fang costume is nothing but the uniform of an Imperial Guard. As Wolverine’s outfit was engulfed in flames after a fight with the Imperial Guard, he dueled with one of their members, sporting the uniform that rather suits his feral persona. In fact, it also seems to vaguely resemble the physical appearance of his antagonistic brother Sabretooth.

The bone-clawed adornments might seem a bit tacky, but the overall blend of dark brown and tan unintentionally hinted at his iconic brown costume that was introduced a few issues later.

10/15 X-Men Evolution

While other animated X-Men series often relied on Jim Lee’s take on the blue and gold costume (or the Astonishing X-Men variant), X-Men Evolution tried to introduce a new color scheme for Wolverine while hinting at slight influences of his brown costume. He sported the same costume in the short-lived comic series (2001-2002) spawned from the show.

The orange-brown and bluish-black result in a fresh look suited for a new generation. The costume doesn’t just look visually pleasing but also complements the revisionist themes of X-Men Evolution.

9/15 Asgardian Armor

In Fear Itself #7, Wolverine’s costume is bewitched with Asgardian magic, granting him enough power to fight the Serpent’s vanguard known as the Worthy.

His outfit becomes more war-like with a dark gray armor that sports ‘volcanic’ cracks all over. That’s not all. Even his claws get an amusing makeover, glowing orange with increased heat. The suit was crafted out of extremely durable Asgardian Uru metal by Iron Man.

8/15 X-Uniform

The Jim Lee era of Uncanny X-Men found the illustrator revamping classic costumes while adding his own touch. The look was memorable chiefly because, for the first time, Wolverine sported a costume that was the same as his team members, giving the X-Men a sense of homogeneity.

Just like his peers, Wolverine wore a blue-and-gold combo with a significant bright-red belt that bore the team’s ‘X’ motif. As the new X-Men series dominated the 90s, Wolverine eventually gave up the team look in favor of his usual brown one.

7/15 Ablation Armor

Wolverine hardly ever needs any armored costume, courtesy of his regenerative abilities. The Ablation Armor in Wolverine Vol. 6 is much heavier and intentionally bulletproof, contrasting with his other outfits. The bulky armor was created by Superior Spider-Man when the mutant lost his healing factor for some time.

The shades of black and yellow are less vibrant and most of his joints are covered with plated layers. The black ‘X’ in the front is another standout feature. The suit also had enough space for gauntlets where he could hide his hand and rely on ‘pseudo-claws’ instead (as he limited using his own claws in such a vulnerable situation).

6/15 X-Jacket

Over the years (especially in the 21st century), Wolverine is often kitted in a brown leather jacket. In New X-Men and The Uncanny X-Men reboot, his usual jacket bears a few yellow stripes along with a circular ‘X’ insignia. The style is increasingly associated with the character in other comic book series too, giving him a more humanized appearance rather than an increasingly vintage costumed look.

He wore the jacket for most of Grant Morrison’s run on New X-Men. His look went with the aesthetic of the team, as the other X-Men too opted for minimalist styling options by this time.

5/15 Soteira

The Soteira suit is easily one of the most aesthetic and stylish looks in Wolverine’s ever-changing wardrobe. Unfortunately, the costume had an extremely brief run, as it was ripped off him in a battle against Soteira’s soldiers in Return of Wolverine #1.

In fact, the black outfit (with a lining of red) is just the usual uniform of Soteira corporation’s guards. Similar to the case of the Fang costume, Wolverine had to rely on a spare Soteira suit because his own blue and yellow costume was damaged.

4/15 Kraokan Brown and Tan

When the X-Men set up their new home on Krakoa, they moved away from humanity to escape the hate and prejudice of the real world. The team settled in and many of them changed their appearances and attitudes, with all mutants accepted to live in peace. For Wolverine, he went back to basics.

His Krakoan Brown and Tan costume is a remix of his original yellow and blue Wolverine costume. Designed by Adam Kubert, this uses the same aesthetic design of his Astonishing X-Men look, but with the new colors. It is an almost perfect Wolverine style and one that he should keep. This is the best he has looked in years, and it is one that should stick around even if the Krakoan era ends.

3/15 X-Force

In X-Force Vol. 3, a disgruntled Cyclops ordered Wolverine to lead a new branch of the team that would function as a black ops squad to handle violent missions involving murder.

The black and gray costume that Wolverine dons not only suits the under-the-radar nature of his operations, but also seems to bear a thematic value as he goes on to unleash a darker side of his personality. The red eyes further add a sense of grit and danger to this avatar of his. Overall, it seems like a worthy update on the older Tactical Black uniform that he once wore while fighting Daredevil.

2/15 Classic Brown And Tan

The classic brown and tan costume was designed by legendary artist John Byrne for X-Men #139, a design that went through several reinterpretations in the 80s and the 90s. It was notable for giving off the aura of a superhero costume while deviating from the more caricatured elements of the preceding blue and yellow classic costume.

For instance, the brown and tan costume retained the mask’s eared outgrowths but ditched the tiger stripes and the large shoulder pads.

1/15 Modern Yellow And Blue

Any Wolverine aficionado would know the significance of the many iterations of the blue and yellow costume, but Astonishing X-Men‘s modern version was definitely a much-needed update. It is a sleek fit that resembles the classic with shorter ears. The shoulder pads and the stripes around the ribs are still present, but in a less exaggerated fashion.

The striped combat boots again resemble classic versions, but the most significant update on the modern yellow and blue is the lack of underpants. John Cassaday’s contemporary bodysuit is the definitive Wolverine costume that brims with originality while significantly innovating the older versions.

NEXT: Every Movie Involving Wolverine (& The Order To Watch Them In)