What is Wolverine's real name? Comic and movie mentions explored
Wolverine is one of the most iconic characters in the vast catalog of Marvel comics, and a member of the X-Men. The mutant with retractable claws and a healing factor is beloved among comic fans, and Hugh Jackman's portrayal appears to have added to the fame.
While Wolverine is one of Marvel's most famous characters, many fans tend to mistake his real name on many occasions. Although Canada's angriest mutant is also known by the now-iconic name of Logan, that is not his real name in the comics and films. The origins of how Wolverine got his name varies heavily between the two mediums.
Logan's real name was mentioned in X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Hugh Jackman's version of Logan in the X-Men films appears to have taken a lot of liberties with the character, especially visually. However, the personality and conflict of Jackman's Logan are accurate enough to remind the audience of the comics. While his backstory wasn't mentioned in the earlier films, Wolverine received his own prequel that would flesh out his origins.
In the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the character's real name is revealed to be James Howlett. The film portrays the character as being a sick kid, born into a wealthy family, who later sees his father be murdered by his groundskeeper, Thomas Logan. This in turn activates James' mutation and leads him to kill Thomas. James later escapes with his half-brother Victor Creed, also known as Sabertooth.
Going forward with the Weapon X program in the film, James adopts the name, 'Logan', and has dog tags printed, thereby leaving behind his legal name.
His name is James in the comic as well
Part of Wolverine's origins in the comics is how he got the name Logan. In the comics, he is born to a wealthy family and is named James Howlett, just like in the movie. However, the way he receives the name Logan is quite different. James sees his father be murdered by the groundskeeper, Thomas Logan, not knowing that Thomas is his real father. James escapes from his house, this time with his childhood friend, Rose O'Hara.
Since James has abilities that let him heal himself, his trauma is then erased, causing him to become an amnesiac. While Rose and he try to survive, she introduces James as her cousin Logan. Over the years, James completely forgets his real name and adopts the name of Logan.
Although the comic origin for the character is certainly different than how the movies portrayed it to be, enough similarities remain to make it accurate. Logan's history still hasn't been explored properly in the live-action as Wolverine is a character who has been alive since the late 19th century.
While X-Men Origins: Wolverine does hint at Logan's World War II history in the opening credits sequence, the film directly dives into his superheroism and how the X-Men are formed. Regardless, Jackman's version of the character is certainly an adaptation cherished by many fans.