5 DC Heroes Who Are Just as Brutal as Wolverine, and They Don’t Need Claws to Be Terrifying

Wolverine has gotten quite a reputation over the years. The ol’Canucklehead was first introduced in battle with the Hulk and Wendigo, matching their ferocity and punching way above his weight class before going on to the X-Men and becoming a savage superstar. Logan is one of the first major anti-heroes in comic history and presaged the changes to the superhero that would come in the ensuing decades. Wolvie’s violence and brutality was shocking back in the day, and his success would see numerous creators copy the hero and his methods. Superheroes have generally gotten more violent, but even with that change, most heroes still haven’t reached Wolverine’s level of savagery. However, that doesn’t mean none of them have.

Over the years, DC Comics has often been looked at as the more kiddie of the Big Two, but even they learned their lessons from the X-Men’s most savage member. In fact, an argument can be made that some of the most brutal DC heroes ended up inspiring Wolverine. While not all DC heroes can match the ferocity of Logan, there are some who can. These five DC heroes are just as brutal as Wolverine, but they didn’t need an adamantium skeleton and claws to reach their violent potential.

5) Hawk

DC introduced icons in the ’60s, creating numerous characters who would stand the test of time and become households names. Then there’s Hawk, who you’ve never heard of but played a big role in inspiring Wolverine. Hank and Don Hall were brothers who had very different temperaments and they were chosen by the Lords of Chaos and Order to become their new servants. Hank was empowered by the Lords of Chaos, gaining superhuman strength and durability, while his brother gained speed and agility. They became Hawk and Dove, the duo eventually joining the Teen Titans. Dove would end up dying in Crisis on Infinite Earths and was replaced by Dawn Granger, but Hank was always there, angry and overprotective. Hawk was given more than power by the Lords of Chaos, as their gift also made his already impressive rage boundless. He’s one of the most dangerous bruisers in the DC Multiverse, known for losing his temper and going wild. There’s even some futures were his anger gets the best of him and he becomes the Monarch, an all-powerful world conqueror. He’s a savage combatant that most would rather avoid than battle.

4) Wildcat

Wildcat first appeared decades before Wolverine and there’s a lot of Alan Grant in the DNA of the ol’Canucklehead. Grant was a champion boxer who decided to use his fighting skills to help clean up the streets, donning one of the coolest costumes ever. He’d end up joining the Justice Society of America, which was a huge change from him beating on street crooks, pitting him against world-shaking foes. While he would eventually gain nine lives, which slowed down his aging and allowed him to come back to life after every death, what kept him in these fights was his savagery. Alan wasn’t like Jay Garrick or Alan Scott; he’s not some kind of purely heroic role model. He was all about surviving and that meant he was willing to fight dirty. He let his temper get the best of him and understood the language of violence better than his teammates. While he didn’t kill nearly as much as Wolverine, he had no problem doing so when it needed to be done. His death was a huge shock to the team but he died the way he lived – giving his all to save the lives of his friends.

3) Timber Wolf

The Legion of Superheroes is one of the most heroic teams out there, and that makes perfect sense. The 31st century’s teen heroes were all inspired by the legends of Superman and the superhero community, and they did their best to be like him and the heroes he inspired. However, not every member can be as good as Superman and Timber Wolf has long fought with the more savage side of himself. Given powers by his scientist father, Timber Wolf was gifted with superhuman strength, speed, and agility, as well as razor sharp claws. His powers made him more fierce and animalistic than before; he’s basically a werewolf, sometimes losing control of his temper and entering a feral state, just like Wolverine. He was introduced about a decade before Wolvie and there’s a good chance that Dave Cockrum, artist of X-Men when Logan joined the team and formerly an artist on the Legion, used a lot of Timber Wolf to inform the future superstar’s character. With the upcoming return of the Legion, it’ll be interesting to see how Timber Wolf is developed.

2) Lobo

One thing you’ll notice about this list is that most of the characters were introduced before Wolverine; in fact, it’s safe to say that some of these characters informed the future characteristics of the ol’Canucklehead. However, that can’t be said for Lobo. The Main Man was created by legendary writer/artist Keith Giffen, who wanted to make fun of the rise of the anti-hero in general and Wolverine in particular. Lobo was everything that Wolverine was, but taken to the extreme. He was gruff, he was violent, he smoked big cigars, and he liked to drink. He never met a situation that he wouldn’t turn into a fight and is just as known for fighting other heroes as he is teaming up with them. Lobo is known for taking the violence to some ridiculous extremes, using his Superman-level strength and durability to start trouble across the universe. His favorite weapon is a chain with a massive hook on the end, a weapon that underlines just how brutal he can be.

1) Hawkman

Hawkman was DC’s Wolverine before Wolverine was a thing. Carter Hall was first introduced in the Golden Age, an archeologist who was the reincarnation of the pharaoh Khufu. He used Nth metal to fly, enhancing his strength and durability, and wielded the weapons of the ancient world in battle against street toughs, Nazis, supervillains, and world-ending foes. The Golden Age was a way more violent time for superheroes and Hawkman was all about that life, tearing through his enemies with reckless abandon. He’s become one of the most complicated characters in DC history thanks to their numerous multiversal reboots (seriously, the saga of Hawkman’s origin retcons is insane), but one thing that hasn’t really changed about him is his proclivity for violence. He’s a man from an earlier time, one who has no problem hitting someone full in on the face with a massive mace, his morals formed by his years of reincarnations. While he’s often been hold back from killing by his teammates, that doesn’t change the fact that if it was up to him, he’d be permanently ending the lives of his foes. He is honestly more likely than Wolverine to go into a berserker rage in 2026.

Who’s your favorite savage DC hero? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!

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