This Era of Wolverine Is Perfect for X-Men ’97 Fans

X-Men ’97 was a huge hit, reminding fans of all the fun of 1990s X-Men comics. No one really knew just how much would be adapted from those old-school X-Men books, and many were shocked when the show somewhat adapted the classic story Fatal Attractions, including the shocking moment when Magneto tore out Wolverine’s adamantium. This was a huge turning point in X-Men history. It broke Wolverine of his aura of invincibility and it led to seeds of Onslaught being planted. Wolverine learned his claws were actually bone and left the X-Men, leading to six years – from 1993 to 1999 – of Wolverine without the metal that defined him.

The ‘Bone Claw Era’ of Wolverine is one of the more interesting in the character’s existence. It definitely had its ups and downs – but on the whole, is full of brilliant stories. There are lots of great X-Men stories for X-Men ’97 to adapt, and Wolverine’s bone claw era is something they should also put on their list. It shows off Wolverine in ways that he’d never been seen before, and could give a road map for where X-Men ’97 could go in the years to come.

The Bone Claw Years Led Wolverine to Savage Places

Wolverine lost his adamantium skeleton in August 1993’s X-Men (Vol. 2) #25, but fans wouldn’t find out about Wolverine’s bone claws until Wolverine (Vol. 2) #75, which was a month later. Wolverine wouldn’t get his adamantium back until October 1999’s Wolverine (Vol. 2) #145, creating three distinct phases of Bone Claw Era Wolverine. The first phase went from Wolverine (Vol 2) #75 to #90. These fifteen issues would see Wolverine face off against Lady Deathstrike, Roughhouse, Bloodscream, Cyber, Deadpool, and finally Sabretooth. This period saw Wolverine traveling the world on his own, coming to terms with what he’s lost and trying to prove to himself that he was still the best there is at what he does.

The second phase lasted from Wolverine (Vol. 2) #91 to #119, which are the feral years. During this period, Wolverine returned to the X-Men and learned that his adamantium had been holding his mutation back, keeping him from transforming into an animal. With the adamantium gone, Wolverine began to regress mentally and physically. He started living outside of the X-Mansion to keep his friends safe in case he went berserker. In Wolverine (Vol. 2) #100, he would go full feral, taking on a more bestial look and having to train with Elektra to regain his humanity. Issue #119 is the end of this era because it marks the end of longtime Wolverine scribe Larry Hama’s tenure on the book. The third phase went from Wolverine (Vol. 2) #120 to #145, when he had learned to deal with his mutation and had come to terms with the changes to who he was. These twenty-five issues saw longtime former Uncanny X-Men writer Chris Claremont return for a few issues; a stellar story from Warren Ellis; a battle with the Wendigo, and writer Erik Larsen taking over the book, leading to the return of his adamantium.

Wolverine is a tank. His healing factor allows him to survive any wound and that, combined with his adamantium skeleton, meant that he could throw himself headfirst into any fight and survive. Most fans have this idea of Wolverine as an unstoppable killing machine, and the Bone Claw years challenge that. The loss of Wolverine’s adamantium meant that he had to rethink his entire method of fighting – and the first phase is especially exciting for readers because they get to see Wolverine challenged. This isn’t the hero who can fight the Hulk, but someone who has just been hurt worse than ever and was actually scared. It adds deeper layers to the character.

Related: Old Man Logan Returns in Another Dark Future of the Marvel Universe

The feral phase takes the central conflict of Wolverine – man vs. animal – and puts it at the forefront. Wolverine may have come to terms with his new weaknesses, but learning that his powers are transforming him into the thing he’s fought becoming all his life leads to some amazing comics. Issues #91-100 are some of the best issues of Wolverine ever, as Wolverine fights as hard as he can to remain human. The final phase sees Wolverine somewhat triumphant; he’s learned to deal with his mutation and life without adamantium, but readers are constantly reminded of how weak he is. Sabretooth and the Wendigo trounce him; he’s forced into a marriage with Viper, and even gets thrown into outer space, where he battles the last villain anyone would expect Wolverine to.

The one thing all three phases have in common is telling great Wolverine stories. X-Men ’97 fans are used to the world-beating Wolverine, the one who can walk into any fight and win. For them, the bone claw era represents a chance to see Wolverine as a more fully-rounded character. It adds a measure of humanity to Logan – which is ironic because so much of this era is about him losing that – and shows Wolverine at his best. Even when he’s at his wildest, he’s still a hero, always fighting to be the human he knows he is.

The Bone Claw Years Are Peak Wolverine

The Bone Claw Era doesn’t have the best reputation with Marvel Comics readers. Many of them are particularly critical of the feral phase, and have been making fun of his animal look since the first time it was shown in Wolverine (Vol. 2) #100. It’s definitely true that Marvel dropped the ball there – they wanted a regular-looking Wolverine back as soon as possible – and so the plot line just sort of ends, explained away by him using a holographic image inducer and a jagged font. However, there are a lot of upsides to this era as well.

The fact that Larry Hama wrote most of the Bone Claw Era is a definite plus. Few writers are as great as Hama when it comes to capturing the conflict at the heart of Wolverine. Hama puts out several best-of-all-time Wolverine issues during this run, ones that will give X-Men ’97 fans a shock at how good they are. The art during this period also boasts two of the best Wolverine artists of all time – Adam Kubert and Leinil Yu. There are some gorgeous-looking books from them. Many of Wolverine’s best fights also come from this time frame as well – his battles with Sabretooth in issues #90 and #126 are especially impressive and brutal.

The end of season one of X-Men ’97 put Wolverine at his lowest ebb and many are wondering what way the show will go. Reading the Bone Claw years will definitely give them some ideas on what directions X-Men ’97 might take things. More importantly, it will give these fans an entirely new view and appreciation for Wolverine, and show them why he deserves to be called the best there is at what he does.

You can jump into Wolverine’s Bone Claw Era at Marvel.