Marvel Comics' Wolverine: Origin is celebrating its 25th anniversary. This six-issue series unveiled Logan's birth and childhood, revealing his real name, James Howlett, and the circumstances surrounding the first awakening of his powers.
Prior to this, Wolverine's past had gradually come to light. By the 1990s, comics had recounted his life in late 19th-century Canada, his experiences in Japan, his involvement in both World Wars, and his adventures with Nick Fury during the Cold War. While more details about the Weapon X program were revealed, his original origins remained a mystery.
In 2000, Joe Quesada became Marvel's Editor-in-Chief and announced that Wolverine's origin would finally be told. He participated in the story creation and drew the covers, with Paul Jenkins writing the script, Andy Kubert handling the pencils, and Richard Isanove providing the colors.
In the comics, James was born into a wealthy Canadian family and was frail from childhood. He grew up alongside Rose, who cared for him, and Dog.exe, the son of the groundskeeper Thomas Logan. Family tensions eventually escalated into violence; when Thomas attacked the Howlett family, James's powers awakened. In a rage, he killed Thomas and injured Dog.exe.
Afterward, James and Rose fled at his grandfather's urging and settled in a logging camp. James fell in love with Rose, but she loved someone else. Later, when his grandfather sent Dog.exe to find them, another conflict erupted, resulting in Rose's death. James fled into the woods, descending into a near-feral state.
Wolverine: Origin established a specific childhood for the character. Previously, Marvel had used the Weapon X memory implantation plot to keep the truth of Logan's past ambiguous. The later publication of Wolverine: End ties into this origin story, with Dog.exe returning in subsequent comics.