How Much Does It Cost to Be Wolverine in Real Life?

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By Sarah Ang2013-07-19 19:38:40 UTC

"I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do best isn't very nice."

We know him best as a ruthless X-Men authority figure. He's brusque, irreverent and rebellious — but also a cunning leader who adheres to a code of personal honor. Brandishing his adamantium-laced claws, this classic anti-hero is the most popular X-Men character of all time.

Wolverine, or Logan, first appeared in 1974 as Bruce Banner's enemy in "The Incredible Hulk," issue #180. Writer Len Wein specifically created him at the request of Marvel's editor-in-chief Roy Thomas, who wanted a fierce-tempered, Canadian Wolverine.

He eventually joined the "X-Men" comics, and his growing popularity led to his own four-issue series, "Wolverine," in 1982. He's continued to be a main character in most mutant adventures.

Born in the late 19th century, Wolverine suffers one of the most infamously dark and secretive personal histories of all comic book characters, which we've slowly unraveled over the years through numerous mini-series, story arcs and films. (The latest adaptation, James Mangold's The Wolverine, premieres later this month.)

He possesses superhumanly accurate senses, a mastery of the martial arts, a razor-sharp intellect and is resistant to telepathic assault — not to mention his near-indestructible adamantium skeleton and his powerful healing ability.

The heavy drinking and smoking doesn't help his loner reputation, but with all his assets, he doesn't need any assistance. Check out the infographic below to compare the annual cost of being Wolverine in 1974 and 2013, taking inflation into account.

Wolverine Price Infographic Image: Bob Al-Greene, Mashable