Len Wein - Co-Creator of Swamp Thing And Wolverine Dies

Len Wein did it all. He wrote, he drew, he colored, he edited - anything the company needed to make the best comic books possible. He was not as flashy as some of his contemporaries but he was an essential creator that anyone who knows comic books understands.  Yes, he co-created Wolverine and Swamp Thing and that would be enough for any lifetime but his fingerprints are all over some of the best work every done in the medium.

Wein introduced Wolverine with artists John Romita Sr. and Herb Trimpe. The Canadian mutant debuted in "The Incredible Hulk" number 181.

In 1975, he wrote and Dave Cockrum illustrated "Giant Size X-Men #1," the first new X-Men story in five years, after the original team created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby slipped from popularity. The new series featured a new team including Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus rescuing original X-Men Marvel Girl, Iceman and Angel, plus the recruits Havok and Polaris.

Today, the characters Wein introduced have helped bring in more than a billion dollars onscreen in the "X-Men" and "Wolverine" films. And Colossus was a key player in the breakout hit "Deadpool."
In 1971, Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson also introduced Swamp Thing for DC Comics. He later edited 1980s Swamp Thing stories by Alan Moore, and edited Moore and artist Dave Gibbons celebrated, genre-bending "Watchmen." Both "Swamp Thing" and "Watchmen" also led to film adaptations.

 

One of the most prolific and influential comic book writers and editors, Len Wein, has passed away at 69 years old. Wein is best known for co-creating Wolverine and Swamp Thing but he is also partly responsible for Giant Size X-Men #1 which introduced fans to Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Storm. Wein’s comic book career spanned close to five decades during which he edited the classic Alan Moore tale, The Watchmen and offered some memorable tales for The Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and Justice League of America. Other characters that Wein co-created are Batman confidant Lucius Fox, Jamie Madrox, and Brother Voodoo.

Many giants from the comic book creative community have taken to social media to express their sorrow over Wein’s passing.