During the classic Phoenix saga, Wolverine got his first major costume change after literally stealing someone’s clothes.
As Logan prepares to don a brand new, very different outfit for the upcoming Hellfire Gala on Krakoa, Wolverine has one of the deepest closets in the Marvel Universe. From his eye-catching blue and yellow outfit that first appeared in Incredible Hulk # 180 by Len Wein and Herb Trimpe, to his sleek black and gray X-Force costume that always first appeared in X-Force # 1 by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost, Wolverine, appeared to stay stylish. One of his most iconic suits is Logan’s brown and brown uniform. He wore this costume through most of the 80s and early 90s before retiring it. While Logan’s brown suit may not be as flashy as some of his others, its origins go back to the classic “Phoenix Saga”.
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X-Men # 107 by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum shows the X-Men teleporting into another galaxy. The X-Men traveled to this galaxy to find the alien Lilandra, who had been kidnapped by Erik the Red. Lilandra’s brother, Emperor D’Ken, instructed Erik the Red to fetch his sister so that she could be sacrificed. Cyclops calls for the return of Lilandra von D’Ken. D’Ken scoffs at Cyclops’ request and orders his Imperial Guard to kill the X-Men, causing Wolverine to take action against the bestial capture.
Fang is essentially a code name for members of the Lupak species who join the Shi’ar Royal Elite Imperial Guard. During the fight, Wolverine takes a fireball from Starbolt, which completely burns his costume. Logan is now completely without a costume and has his sights set on Fang. Wolverine attacks the enemy out of sight and reappears a few moments later in the villain’s costume. This wouldn’t be the last time these two would meet. In Wolverines # 8 by Ray Fawkes and Juan Doe, it is revealed that once a year, Fang would team up with Logan to battle a dangerous opponent.
By the way, Logan and Fang weren’t the only heroes wearing the costume. Logan’s clone / daughter Laura Kinney also wore the catch suit in Uncanny X-Men # 450 by Claremont, Alan Davis and Mark Farmer. While X-23 is not wearing the costume in battle, she does wear it while working in a super-themed nightclub.
Wolverine wore the Fang costume not long after he returned to Earth. His most significant appearance comes in Claremont and John Byrne’s Iron Fist # 15, as Logan reverted to a more traditional costume shortly after returning to Earth.
While Logan hasn’t worn his Fang costume for a while, his brown and brown look seems to have been inspired by the forgotten outfit. John Byrne made the decision to change Wolverine’s look from classic blue and yellow to more monochromatic brown and brown. Byrne got rid of the flamboyant yellow and blues that Wolverine was famous for and turned it into something a little more subdued. This gave Logan a gruff look more like his personality. The tiger stripe has also been removed, giving Wolverine a sleeker look.
With the Hellfire Gala coming up, it looks like Wolverine will be putting his costume aside for a tuxedo. While he can still be just as dangerous in his tuxedo as he can in one of his costumes, there’s no doubt that Wolverine looks a lot better in the tan.
About the author
Brennan Fielder
(27 articles published)
Brennan Fielder is a Kentucky video game and comic book writer. Brennan has been playing video games since childhood and hit Donkey Kong Country for the first time when he was 5 years old. As a history buff, Brennan has become entangled in the lore and history of the heroes of Marvel and DC. Brennan is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and is never afraid of powerful stories.
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