Though today Wolverine is the most popular member of the X-Men, he debuted in a far more antagonistic role. Wolverine actually first appeared as an agent of the Canadian government who was sent to eliminate the Hulk. Throughout his first appearance, a brutal fight takes place that depicts Wolverine as a far more villainous character than he is today.
First appearing on the final page of The Incredible Hulk #180, Wolverine is tasked with attempt to team up, which leads to him helping Wolverine dispatch Wendigo.
Though at first befuddled by the Hulk’s actions, Wolverine uses the Hulk's confusion to his advantage by pretending to befriend him. While Wolverine has Wendigo distracted, the Hulk picks up the monster and throws him through a giant tree. While it’s on the ground, Wolverine jumps on Wendigo and proceeds to brutally cut the creature with his claws, finally incapacitating it. However, before Hulk can celebrate his victory and new friendship, Wolverine attacks him once more in order to complete his mission.
While the fight between Hulk and Wolverine moves away from Wendigo, its incapacitated body is retrieved by characters named Georges Baptiste and Maria Cartier, who actually summoned Wendigo in the first place. As Hulk and Wolverine continue to fight, Cartier arrives at the scene and subdues the two of them with toxic gas. With her enemies knocked out, Cartier reveals that the Wendigo is actually her brother and she intends to transfer his curse to the Hulk in order to turn him human again. However, before she can do so, the Hulk reverts into Bruce Banner, causing Georges to leave upon discovering he’s more than a mindless beast. Regardless, Cartier attempts the ritual but is stopped when Wolverine and Hulk awaken and begin fighting again.
While Hulk and Wolverine fight, Cartier escapes to a nearby cave, only to shout in horror when realizing Wendigo is awake. Both Wolverine and Hulk hear the shouting and stop fighting, Hulk uses the distraction to punch and finally knock out Wolverine. The comic ends with Cartier learning that Georges transferred the Wendigo curse to himself out of love for Cartier, reverting her brother into a human again. Georges, now the Wendigo, runs away just as Hulk arrives, causing Hulk to discover Cartier sobbing with her brother in the cave. Feeling sorry for her and not knowing her original intentions, the Hulk comforts her as the comic ends.
Overall this is a really great debut issue for Wolverine and establishes him as a quick-witted yet feral fighter who’s willing to do anything to achieve his mission. Of course, the first difference one would notice about Wolverine is how different his mask would look in a later appearance, specifically in how the eyes are actually visible through it. Wolverine’s next appearance would be in Giant-Size X-men #1, where he would leave the Canadian government to the X-Men and began his career as a true hero. Though Wolverine fits the role of an angsty super-hero better than a villain, it’s still exciting to discover he debuted as somewhat of an antagonist.
