DC's Wolverine

[Cap808]

I always wondered who was DC's version of Wolverine. In the Amalgam universe they had Wolverine vs. Lobo, but I never thought that was a good fit. To simplify my thought process on this, I was thinking it would have to be someone who is willing to get into a scrap of any sort, take on missions that other heroes would consider 'messy', and most importantly, have a healing factor that would be the sole reason that he/she was able to recover and win a majority of these scraps.

My three candidates are as follows:

Hawk (Hank Hall) - maybe power-wise the best comparison I can come up with.

Hawkman - this reputation/distinction could possibly get the character over with new readers?

Aquaman - a dark horse for this comparison, and probably influenced by Jason Momoa

Any other candidates?

[Riv86672]

Those are good choices (Hawk is an awesome one).
Only thing is, none of them have ever really been pushed in-universe as that type of character to any great extent.

Deathstroke might get some mentions, in that he’s been pushed in-universe in a lot of the same ways.
And he has the HF, the reputation among his peers, he’s teamed w. everyone, knows everyone...

[Lightning Rider]

I actually think his best parallel is probably Deathstroke. He's not a hero, but he has a similar vibe in that he's plagued with painful memories, and each is "the best at what he does". Their skill in combat is probably similar, as are their superhuman reflexes & physical abilities. Both are frequently on solo missions in dicey, morally ambiguous contexts.

Hawkman's not a bad candidate among actual heroes. Ties to historical eras, numerous half-remembered past lives, a savage combat personality, and a brooding temperment.

[king81992]

I actually think his best parallel is probably Deathstroke. He's not a hero, but he has a similar vibe in that he's plagued with painful memories, and each is "the best at what he does". Their skill in combat is probably similar, as are their superhuman reflexes & physical abilities. Both are frequently on solo missions in dicey, morally ambiguous contexts.

Hawkman's not a bad candidate among actual heroes. Ties to historical eras, numerous half-remembered past lives, a savage combat personality, and a brooding temperment.

Deathstroke is never morally ambiguous, any 'moral ambiguity' he has is a result of writers pretending he did nothing wrong or was misunderstood and fans buying into what that narrative.

[Gaius]

Just swap out healing factor with "prep time" and it's pretty much modern Batman.

[king81992]

Just swap out healing factor with "prep time" and it's pretty much modern Batman.

Wolverine is more likable than Batman, then again a lot of people are these days.

[LifeIsILL]

In terms of personality it's definitely Jonah Hex.

He's a loner who goes around killing every scumbag he sees.

[Lightning Rider]

Deathstroke is never morally ambiguous, any 'moral ambiguity' he has is a result of writers pretending he did nothing wrong or was misunderstood and fans buying into what that narrative.

Disagree. At his best, he's treated fully like a villain, but he has his moments of inner conflict. Especially with regards to his family.

In terms of personality it's definitely Jonah Hex.

He's a loner who goes around killing every scumbag he sees.

Oh true, Hex is a great pick.

[Psy-lock]

New 52 Hawkman was this. He even had regeneration and amnesia.

[Captain Nostalgia]

While it's true that Wolverine may have been derived from the idea of Timber Wolf....

I don't think there is any DC equivalent to Wolverine...he's unique and one of a kind....which is why he is so popular.

[Robotman]

DC really doesn’t have one particular character that you can point to as their answer to Wolverine. They have tried on numerous occasions to push a character for that role.

Obviously Timberwolf should be one of the candidates. Legendary artist Dave Cockrum redesigned the Legion of Superheroes in the 70s and Timberwolf was definitely his prototype for his eventual design for Logan (he had also intended Nightcrawler to be on a Legion offshoot team). When he left DC for Marvel, Cockrum was the first artist to depict Wolverine without his mask and is responsible for the classic pointed hair and sideburns. He also gave him the updated orange and brown costume that was very similar to his Timberwolf design. Though Timberwolf was already Wolverine before Wolverine as he was originally introduced as loner with a bad attitude. His first code name was Lone Wolf. Maybe the editors thought it was too on the nose. He also got his powers through experimentation similar to the Weapon X program.

Deathstroke has a military history, was experimented on, and has similar powers (healing factor, heightened senses, and peak human ability). The two characters are often pitted against each other in fan debates for that reason. But Slade was always supposed to be more of an evil Captain America. He even wears chain mail and Cap style boots and gloves. As much as DC sometimes tries to make him an anti-hero, Slade is far too much of a cold blooded sociopath to be their Wolverine. Read Sempers brilliant Deathstroke run.

Hawkman has been positioned to play the role a lot, especially in the 90s and in the New 52. The warrior hero who is infused with strange metal and who would much rather smash his enemies than come to an understanding. But his reincarnation means that sometimes he’s more of a studious archeologists or disciplined leader.

Lobo became a parody of the extreme violent superheroes that Wolverine exemplified. He was even pitted against Logan in the DC vs Marvel crossover. Lobo will always be too much of a wacky parody character be DC’s true answer.

[etrumble]

Errr...Timber Wolf?

Member of the Legion of Super-Heroes predates Wolverine but there are many similarities.

From wiki: the serum changed him into a wolf-like lycanthrope, he gained claws, enhanced senses, the ability to heal quickly from injuries, and even greater strength. As a byproduct of his wolfen form, he is often prone to outbursts of savage fury.

[Anthony Shaw]

Errr...Timber Wolf?

Member of the Legion of Super-Heroes predates Wolverine but there are many similarities.

From wiki: the serum changed him into a wolf-like lycanthrope, he gained claws, enhanced senses, the ability to heal quickly from injuries, and even greater strength. As a byproduct of his wolfen form, he is often prone to outbursts of savage fury.

Yes, plus they have the Dave Cockrum connection.

[Agent Z]

I always wondered who was DC's version of Wolverine. In the Amalgam universe they had Wolverine vs. Lobo, but I never thought that was a good fit. To simplify my thought process on this, I was thinking it would have to be someone who is willing to get into a scrap of any sort, take on missions that other heroes would consider 'messy', and most importantly, have a healing factor that would be the sole reason that he/she was able to recover and win a majority of these scraps.

My three candidates are as follows:

Hawk (Hank Hall) - maybe power-wise the best comparison I can come up with.

Hawkman - this reputation/distinction could possibly get the character over with new readers?

Aquaman - a dark horse for this comparison, and probably influenced by Jason Momoa

Any other candidates?

I think Hawkman is the best analogue. He has a similar personality and both are associated with a fictional metal (adamantium for Wolverine, Nth Metal for Hawkman).