Wolverine and Sabretooth‘s rivalry is one of Marvel‘s best. Sabretooth seemingly wasn’t introduced to be a Wolverine villain, he first appeared in Iron Fist (Vol. 1) #14, but since their first battle in Uncanny X-Men, they’ve become perfect enemies. They’re perfectly physically matched; both of them have advantages and disadvantages over the other and it’s helped make their fights some of the best ever. Their blood feud, unlike a lot of them in comics, has rarely ever flagged. They’ve rarely worked together over the decades, and every time they have, they’ve promised the other that after they win against whoever they’re fighting, the real fight begins. There is boundless hatred between the two of them.
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Wolverine and Sabretooth have had some amazing fights over the years, but some of them have been better than others. Wolverine has survived some brutal battles, and the ones against Sabretooth are the best. These are the ten most awesome Wolverine/Sabretooth fights, legendary battles that fans have loved for decades.
10) X-Men (Vol. 2) #6
The ’90s were the decade of the X-Men, and X-Men (Vol. 2) proved that. The book was the Jim Lee (along with Scott Lobdell) book for its first year, and readers got one of the most surprising Wolverine/Sabretooth fights ever. This fight took place after Omega Red took down the X-Men, and Logan and Maverick were licking their wounds. ‘Tooth and Psylocke were sent after them, finding them in a sewer. The last time Wolverine and Sabretooth fought in a sewer (which will be on this list) was amazing, so fans were thrilled to see the two battle, especially drawn by Lee. What they got instead was Creed taking Logan out in between panels. It was a shock, and that’s what makes it so cool. It subverted reader expectation and is unique in the pantheon on their skirmishes.
9) Wolverine (Vol. 7) #50
The Krakoa Era was great for the X-Men, and Wolverine thrived. Wolverine (Vol. 7) was one of the best titles of the era, and it ended with a battle between Sabretooth and Wolverine in Wolverine (Vol. 7) #50, by Ben Percy, Victor LaValle, Geoff Shaw, and Cory Smith. This was the end of “Sabretooth War”, a ten-part story that saw Creed attack X-Force with an army of multiversal Sabreteeth. The ol’Canucklehead was without his powers and donned adamantium armor and the Murasama blade for their final battle. The two went to town on each other, and it was bloody and amazing. It’s an exciting, shocking fight that ends in gore and blood, which is exactly what you want from these two.
8) Wolverine (Vol. 8) #12
2025 wasn’t great for Wolverine. His two solo books had a lot of problems and Wolverine (Vol. 8) was honestly kind of bad most of the year. However, Wolverine (Vol. 8) #11, by Saladin Ahmed and Martin Cocolo, had one of the best fights in Wolverine history. Logan learned his mother was alive, and went after her, finding Sabretooth holding her. The two of them ripping into each other was wonderfully rendered by Cocolo, and was one of his finest moments since he came on the book. While there’s twist to this story that makes it kind of bad (some would argue this one shouldn’t count on this list because of that), the pages with the fight are a highlight of a year that needed more moments like this.
7) Wolverine (Vol. 5) #13
Paul Cornell and Alan Davis put Logan on the road to his death, closing out the first chapter of his end with “Killable”. This story saw Wolverine start to deal with his life without his healing factor, trying to figure out if he could still be the man he always was. Eventually, this led to Sabretooth rearing his ugly head, ready to test his longtime enemy. Wolverine (Vol. 5) #13 saw the two of them clash, and Sabretooth beats him close to death. What makes this fight so great is Creed’s vitriol for Logan; the way he talks down to him, points out his fears, and takes advantage of the situation is so peak. Cornell did a great job with ‘Tooth in Volumes 5 and 6, and this fight shows how well he understood the character.
6) Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #213
The X-Men became stars in the ’80s, and Wolverine played a huge role in that. He had some amazing adventures with the team and on his own, but he wouldn’t meet his perfect rival until “Mutant Massacre”. Sabretooth was part of the Marauders at the time, slaughtering Morlocks, but stopped that to go after Psylocke and Wolverine. The two of them would start chasing each other down in Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #212, and the next issue would see them in battle, from Chris Claremont and Alan Davis. This was their first fight in the comics, and it knocked everyone’s socks off. It’s an awesome fight, and it set the tone for everyone of their battles that came after.
5) Wolverine (Vol. 2) #41
Wolverine (Vol. 2) was the longest running Wolverine series, and has some of the best fights between him and his worst foe. The first one on this list from this legendary book comes from Wolverine (Vol. 2) #41, by Larry Hama and Marc Silvestri. The two enemies ended up battling in the sewer and Sabretooth claimed to be Logan’s father. It was a massive moment back then, but even without that, the fight was awesome. Silvestri is one of the best Wolverine artists ever, and this battle looks amazing. The two enemies would fight over the next couple of issues on and off, but this issue has the coolest moments of this round between the two.
4) Wolverine (Vol. 2) #145
Wolverine (Vol. 2) #145, by Erik Larsen and Leinil Yu, brought back Wolverine’s adamantium after a fight with his greatest enemy. This issue has two awesome fights in it, against Sabretooth and the Hulk, both taking place in two different time periods. The ‘Tooth fight took place in the past, as Apocalypse threw the two at each other to fight over who would become Death. Sabretooth had an adamantium skeleton at the time, and the two had one of their most desperate fights with some of the highest stakes of their long rivalry. Wolverine wins in a pitched battle (and battles Hulk as Death), showing why he’s the best there is at what he does.
3) Wolverine (Vol. 2) #126
Wolverine (Vol. 2) #126, by Chris Claremont and Leinil Yu, is a wedding issue, after the events of issue #125 saw Logan forced to wed Viper in Madripoor. However, Sabretooth shows up and what follows is one of the best fighst imaginable. Wolverine doesn’t have his adamantium but he’s able to get the upper hand and even wins… then Sabretooth gets up and reveals that he has an adamantium skeleton. What follows is one of the most severe mismatches ever. This fight is flawless from start to finish. It has amazing ups and downs, taking readers on a journey, and has gorgeous artwork. It’s not talked about as much as it should be, but it’s a best of all time fight comic.
2) Wolverine (Vol. 2) #10
Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #213 is the first printed Wolvie/’Tooth fight, but it’s not chronologically their first fight. That comes from Wolverine (Vol. 2) #10, by Chris Claremont, John Buscema, and Bill Sienkiewicz. This issue tells the story of Wolverine’s birthday, a day where Sabretooth always shows up and hurts him. We learn the origin of this fear; once upon a time, Victor Creed killed Logan’s girlfriend on his birthday, and the two battled it out in the snow. It’s a gorgeous fight, with Buscema and Sienkiewicz’s art really giving the fight everything it needs to shine. This is a best of all time single issue comic, and another Wolverine fight that deserves its place in the pantheon of great comic battles.
1) Wolverine (Vol. 2) #90
Wolverine flourished in the ’90s, and his finest moment came in Wolverine (Vol. 2) #90, by Larry Hama and Adam Kubert. Logan had left the X-Mansion after losing his adamantium, and finally returned after regaining confidence in himself. However, there’s only one person there: Sabretooth. Logan fights wanting to kill the imprisoned villain, but ‘Tooth takes the choice out of his hands with an escape attempt. What follows is their greatest battle, one that is brutal and emotionally charged. Hama is the greatest Wolverine writer, nailing both characters’ hatred adroitly and Kubert gives this fight everything it needs to be legendary. The gatefold pages make the whole thing even better, and it has gone down as their best bout.
What’s you favorite Wolverine/Sabretooth fight? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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