The Untold Truth Of Spider-Man And Wolverine's Relationship

As much as Wolverine tries to sell himself as a solitary warrior who prefers to do things on his own, he sure does like to team up with other superheroes. Whether it's with his closest allies the X-Men or other groups like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, Logan constantly finds himself fighting alongside his fellow superhumans.

On the other hand, Spider-Man feels like he must operate by himself, for the most part, so he can keep his identity hidden and protect his loved ones — though it's obvious that he yearns to work with others and usually does so, any opportunity he can get. In the '60s, '70s, and '80s, the wall-crawler often teamed up with his pal Johnny Storm, of the Fantastic Four. Yet over the last 20 years, he's also often found himself paired with a far more unlikely partner: Wolverine.

At first glance, the friendship seems impossible since the two have so little in common: Logan is a quite taciturn and intimidating individual who at the flip of a switch will become a wild savage, while Peter is a talkative goofball. With that said, Wolverine and Spider-Man have always had respect for the other's strength and power, which are invaluable traits for allies in a world filled with enemies and danger. This is the untold truth of Spider-Man and Wolverine's relationship.

Wolverine and Spider-Man may not have hit it off at the beginning of their relationship, but that didn't stop them from acknowledging that they were often on the same side. So when Professor Power captures the two superheroes in "Marvel Team-Up Vol 1" #117, they both understand that they can rely on the other for help.

But the duo's trust can go a step further due to the specific nature of their superpowers. With Peter Parker's spider-sense and Logan's heightened sense of smell, the two are more easily able to know they're dealing with the right person and not some sort of shapeshifter, robot, or other nefarious threat. This realization first occurs to them before working together to escape from Professor Power's clutches, and has since become an important part of their relationship in the years to follow.

Another fascinating result of Wolverine's keen nose is that Spider-Man is unable to keep his identity hidden from him for long in the beginning. The first time Logan gets a whiff of Peter Parker, he knows the kid is the web-slinger even before he has any idea who Peter is.

Wolverine doesn't blame Spider-Man for killing Charlie; instead, he gives his fellow superhero his space, and the two part ways in silence. A few issues later, in "Web of Spider-Man Vol 1" #29, Wolverine seeks out Spider-Man to see where the two stand after their fight, and discovers that Peter — traumatized by the guilt of Charlie's death — has hit a devastating low point where he's contemplating hanging it up as Spider-Man. Wolverine says he doesn't believe Peter has really given up; to prove his point, he cuts into the disheartened hero's shirt to reveal the Spider-Man costume he's still wearing under his clothes.

In an even more heartwarming sign of concern for his young ally, Logan also makes sure Spider-Man knows he shouldn't feel responsible for Charlie's death in their previous encounter. He emphasizes that Peter has too much to live for, and it doesn't make sense for him to constantly carry the weight of responsibility for other people's lives.

At this point, the duo has been through enough together that Wolverine has no doubt that he can rely on Spider-Man when he needed him. In a story arc from "Spider-Man Vol. 1" issues #8-13, Logan recruits Spider-Man to help him stop hunters from slaughtering animals while solving a series of child murders.

Although Peter ultimately agrees to help, he's hesitant at first, mostly because of how differently the two view the situation. Wolverine argues that Spider-Man should want to uncover the truth about the slain children, knowing that the web-slinger would care more about them than the animals that Logan was more focused on.

Peter was also reluctant to believe that a wendigo that had attacked six cops was also innocent, but Wolverine was adamant that the creature was only defending himself, using information gleaned from his superhuman senses to determine that men committed the horrific crimes. In the end, Wolverine's word was enough for Spider-Man, and a legendary partnership took another solid step.

Spider-Man and Wolverine team up again when Daredevil invites them to a rooftop to discuss how to deal with Punisher. All three of them have been embarrassed by the gun-toting vigilante, so they decide it's time to teach him a lesson in "Punisher Vol. 6" issue #33. The trio ambushes Punisher outside a diner, but it all goes terribly wrong for them.

Even though he's outnumbered, Punisher ends up making fools of the three superheroes in their showdown, perhaps because of who wrote the story. According to CBR, Garth Ennis' love of crime stories makes him a great writer for Punisher, but his disdain for superheroes is shown in a fight that makes Peter Parker look like an idiot who basically doesn't understand how his own spider-sense works. Flawed as it may be, the battle once again proves how comfortable the two have grown with working together.

Although the two have allied fairly frequently over the years, Wolverine and Spider-Man were never part of the same team for long until the mid-2000s, when they both joined the New Avengers. With less time apart, their conflicting personalities clash far more often, leading to some tense interactions — and a lot of funny moments.

The back and forth banter is nearly constant, but their conflicts rarely escalate much further — although there are some extreme moments. On one occasion, Logan stabs Spider-Man during a training exercise, triggering a beating that Wolverine knows he deserves.

An even more intense interaction erupts over the untrue story that Mary Jane Watson is having an affair with Tony Stark, which understandably upsets Peter. Logan makes the mistake of joking about it, and Spider-Man's reaction is to hurl him through a Stark Tower window. (Due to Wolverine's superhuman healing, he quickly returned to the building, complaining that Peter couldn't take a joke.)

Their relationship has had some serious ups and downs over the decades, but overall, Spider-Man and Wolverine are a very entertaining odd couple. As the illustrator Adam Kubert says, "They're completely different personalities, so they act different. They stand different, they walk different, they talk different, they look different. But in a weird way ... they don't get along but they kinda have to get along."

After the death of Captain America, the two grow closer over the tragic loss as members of the New Avengers, and in the "Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine" series, they go on a journey through time together, and cementing their bond of friendship by becoming blood brothers. In a moving scene, Wolverine tells Spider-Man, "There's a lot I oughta say, Peter but ... I just ain't as good with words as you are, kid," before slicing open both their palms and clasping hands.

While the classic Fantastic Four team is off in outer space fighting the major threat to the galaxy known as the Cotati, Reed and Sue Richards send their children back to protect Earth. However, Valeria and Franklin Richards are not alone: Spider-Man and Wolverine agree to join them, rounding out a new version of the Fantastic Four. Weathered superhero veterans, the two obviously add a significant amount of experience to the team.

The duo have long been connected to the legendary squad — both Logan and Peter Parker have been members in the past, and Spider-Man replaced Johnny Storm in the lineup during "The Amazing Spider-Man" #657, after he supposedly died in the Negative Zone. And the connections don't end there — Wolverine and the wall-crawler were also members of another version of the Fantastic Four, along with Ghost Rider and the Hulk.