X-Men Biology: Wolverine's Bone Claws Explained
Of all the different mutants who make up Marvel Comics' X-Men, Wolverine is arguably the most popular. Known for his brutal fighting style, retractable metal claws, and absurd healing factor, Wolverine has established himself as not only one of the most beloved superheroes of all time but one of the most iconic characters in comic book history.
It's worth mentioning that Wolverine's powers and appearance have undergone some major overhauls since his debut back in 1974. Perhaps the most notable change to the character's powers is the retcon surrounding the foot-long claws that poke out just above his knuckles. In most modern appearances of the character (including the live-action version of Wolverine portrayed by Hugh Jackman), these claws are frequently presented as "bone claws" that are a part of his skeleton and a result of his mutant heritage.
Longtime comic book fans will know that these bone claws were actually introduced in the 1990s and that Wolverine's original claws had a much different origin. Here's everything you need to know about the history of Wolverine's claws and how they first changed from metal to bone.
Wolverine's claws were originally a part of his gloves
When Wolverine first appeared in 1974's "Incredible Hulk #180," his metal claws were very different from the foot-long skeletal spikes we've become accustomed to. In this first appearance, his claws actually seem to be on the outside of his gloves and appear to be attached to his wrist rather than shooting out from just above his knuckles.
On his official blog, author Len Wein (the co-creator of Wolverine) admitted that he originally intended for these adamantium claws to be a part of Wolverine's gloves -– meaning that anybody who put on his gloves could subsequently use his claws. Although these claws were still retractable, they wouldn't become a part of his skeleton until Chris Claremont took over "Uncanny X-Men" in 1975. In "Uncanny X-Men," these claws were a result of the "Weapon X" program that granted Wolverine his powers and sent him on a mission to attack Hulk. The program not only coated Wolverine's skeleton with adamantium but also "added" a set of adamantium claws to go alongside his healing factor and mutant strength.
These "claw gloves" were actually referenced in the "X-Men: The Animated Series" episode "Old Soldiers," which recaps Wolverine's (Cathal J. Dodd) past as a participant in World War II. Fighting alongside Captain America (Lawrence Bayne) and the OSS, the Wolverine we see during these flashbacks actually uses a set of claw gloves to battle. This is because he had not yet been bonded to adamantium by Weapon X.
The metal claws were later changed to bone claws that were part of Wolverine's mutation
Wolverine's claws were retconned once again after the events of 1993's "X-Men" #25, wherein Magneto rips all of the adamantium off of Wolverine's skeleton in a fit of rage. In "Wolverine" #75 (also 1993), Wolverine forces himself to act despite being weakened by Magneto, and surprises himself and the rest of the X-Men when bone claws tear through his skin. This reveals that his claws were never implants, and were actually a part of his skeleton the whole time, shocking the rest of the X-Men.
This is a massive revelation in "Wolverine" #75, as Wolverine realizes that the Weapon X program actually took his memories when they were fusing his skeleton with adamantium. Later comics like "Wolverine Origin" would flesh out this retconned backstory, revealing that Wolverine's bone claws were a part of his latent mutant abilities and that the Weapon X program had abducted him and wiped his memories precisely because of those abilities.
After the 1993 retcon, the official backstory for Wolverine's claws was updated to explain that they were always mutated bones with adamantium grafted onto them. This detail remains in Marvel's official Wolverine character biography even today.