Iron Man vs Wolverine: A Test of Metals

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Bryan's creative career has taken a lot of inspiration from the world of comics. As an esteemed fantasy writer and a lover of fantasy gaming. Comics have helped strengthen the powers of Bryan's imagination, entertained him endlessly, and now he uses these new superpowers to write incredible content for Comic Fan Club!

Main Differences: Tale of the Tape

iron man vs wolverine comic — From Avengers #2 (2010) Image by Bryan Hughes

Strength

In berserker rage, Logan has, at best, flipped a car, whereas Iron Man has lifted a submarine.
Iron Man can punch through solid concrete and, using all his power up, once managed to knock out The Hulk. However, Wolverine is often shown throwing fists with The Thing and Hulk in berserker mode, which causes actual damage in multiple battles.
Wolverine moves 300 lbs of Adamantium around like a cat, requiring an insane amount of strength. Iron Man is only about 400 lbs of metal.
It’s a closer call than expected, but that arc reactor…

Edge goes to: Iron Man

Durability

With his Mark 70 suit, Iron Man can repair damage in seconds and restart his heart. Wolverine has more than once recovered from having his organs and skin melted down to the bone.
Iron Man’s suit takes blows from Thor’s Hammer(to an extent) and tanks missiles. Wolverine’s skeleton can’t be destroyed, but his body is damaged easily by those same attacks.
Iron Man’s suit has a power limit that is difficult to drain without damaging it unless he is over-exerting himself. In berserker rage, Wolverine heals chunks of flesh in microseconds, and in a normal state, he once fought non-stop for nearly 18 hours.

Edge goes to: Wolverine

Fighting Skill

Wolverine has trained with the greatest swordsmen and martial artists in Japan. However, Iron Man has trained with Captain America and Black Widow.
Wolverine was a special ops soldier for Canada during two wars and S.H.I.E.L.D. on countless secret missions. However, Iron Man has a battle computer that analyzes data as he fights.
Iron Man’s computer was able to help him against Captain America, someone considered to be on equal footing with Logan in a fair fight. Wolverine has had to survive the wilds of the Savage Land without his healing factor and only his hunting skills.

Edge goes to: Wolverine

Versatility

Iron Man can fly, but Wolverine is a ninja with an incredible leap and can attack from nearly ten feet away in a blink.
Wolverine has claws that can retract and cut through/damage any surface in the Marvel Universe. Yet, Iron Man can fire a massive arc blast from his chest and repulsor rays from his hands.
Iron Man can make sound waves and release tiny nanites to attack internal organs. However, Wolverine’s healing factor would probably defeat these nanites and send their bodies back with warning signs.
Iron Man can cause electrocution and move up to(once surpassing) Mach 5 speed in full flight! Wolverine can…um…

Edge goes to: Iron Man

A Brief History

Iron Man and Wolverine have known each other for quite a long time. They both have close relations with Nick Fury dating back decades. They’ve teamed up a lot. Not to say they haven’t been on the other side of one another.

The X-Men and the Avengers have faced off on multiple occasions, as it were. The first time though, Iron Man wasn’t part of the matchup. The second time, during the Civil War, Iron Man didn’t assist in that fight. The third time, that’s the charm. Wolverine was actually on the Avenger’s side, helping Iron Man.

That’s right; these two have seldom come to blows. Not even when the whole Marvel Universe was pitted against one another. It is a rare occasion and has never been drawn out.

They don’t even hate each other. For one reason or another, Logan talks to Tony Stark like they’re old friends in most of their interactions. He isn’t always nice to him, but Tony almost looks up to Logan. It often comes off as if he has some great respect for him.

Maybe there is some lore I’m missing, what with Logan haven fought during World War II in Marvel cannon, and likely having known his father. Heck, it’s possible he saw him grow up. The only common theme I find in their long conversations is that they both have had a troubled history. They both are trying to be better men. They connect on this.

Tony Stark isn’t Spider-Man or Professor X. He sees the world a little more like Wolverine, but unlike Logan, he doesn’t want to make those tough calls. He isn’t ever afraid to call on Wolverine when that’s the job he thinks needs doing.

Putting a threat down for good, that is. He knows Logan doesn’t like doing it but can bear the burden without going mad. They have a very strange dynamic, and it works.

They areboth heavy drinkers. Tony for his time as an arms dealer and for mistakes like Ultron, among others. Wolverine for his time as a weapon and trying to forget loved ones lost. They are far more alike than is apparent on the surface. Troubled by their pasts, fighting to be better.

This is why they often end up on the same team, working well together or not coming to blows when arguing. It’s why Iron Man made Wolverine an Avenger as soon as he got the chance.

They understand one another well.

Avengers

In 2005, Wolverine became a prominent member of The New Avengers. Personally, one of my favorite runs of The Avenger Franchise.

It wasn’t easy to get him on board, however. Wolverine was overcoming some serious brainwashing by Hydra, where he nearly took out the best players in the superhero community. Captain America was certainly against Logan joining.

It was Iron Man who wanted him on the team. Tony Stark went to convince him to join. Using some of their similarities to do so. Iron Man said being on The Avengers helped give him clarity, and while it would help him to have Logan on board, it would also be good for Wolverine. That didn’t exactly work.

So, in the end, he offered to pay him a lot.

Wolverine clashed with nearly every member of the New Avengers team. Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage, and especially Captain America. He and Iron Man always seemed to communicate better than he and the others.

After being on The New Avengers for several years, Wolverine was put on the main team alongside Thor and the usual cast. He remained an Avenger for a very good chunk of comic history while still being an X-Man at the same time. You could say he was overexposed.

In all that time, however, he and Tony Stark only came to blows once. When a remote Iron Man suit went to check on the recovering remains of Wolverine after an explosion.

In a split-second, Wolverine, waking up in a feral state, put his claws right through that suit’s skull. Had Tony been in there, that would have been game over. He wasn’t, and what came instead was a heart-to-heart.

One in which, despite his willingness to kill his enemies, Wolverine calls out Tony for putting potential before people too often. Something Iron Man took to heart. Old Man Logan made Tony a better hero with a single sentence.

The weight of him having his entire body slowly recovering from being blown to bits and suffering radiation damage probably added to his words.

In the end, there are no good battles between them to base my conclusion on.

Similar Opponents

Since they don’t have enough fights against one another to showcase how the actual Marvel writers usually consider this, we need to compare their fights against similar enemies.

Iron Man VS Omega Red

Omega Red is one of the most powerful villains in the long list of mutants that hate Wolverine. He heals from nearly any damage, is made completely of Carbonadium, a metal just shy of Adamantium’s strength, and has some serious extra powers.

Of these powers, Superhuman strength and tentacles that can literally drain the life force of his enemies to extend his own are the most dangerous. Having a mutant like Wolverine who heals to leech off for eternity is an ideal state for Omega Red.

Especially since Wolverine killed him when he was just a Russian soldier before he was transformed into what he is now.

Iron Man once crossed paths with this impressive foe and nearly had his tail handed to him. Not fully aware of his enemy’s abilities, he started the fight, trying to blast and punch Omega Red.

That didn’t go well, and Omega Red was about to drain him of his life. Tony Stark has a bag of tricks, and 50,000 volts later, Iron Man took down one of Wolverine’s greatest rivals.

Comic Found in: Iron Man #297

Wolverine VS Omega Red

While in the end, Wolverine and Omega Red have traded victories countless times, I will dissect their first great comic book encounter.

The fight in question is the one that went on for nearly 18 hours. This fight was Omega Reds’ triumphant jump onto the scene in the Marvel Universe. Red was out for revenge, and Logan was his target.

Although Wolverine put up a fight, when the final curtain was pulled, Omega Red won this fair contest. Leaving Wolverine a beaten mess and in need of rescuing. Unable to access his rage, sustaining damage over a long period proved to be enough to fell the regenerating hero. That is a good sign for Iron Man.

Comic Found in: X-Men #5 (That whole X-Men saga is incredible)

Also read: Spiderman vs Wolverine: Web vs Claw

Iron Man VS The Hulk

Iron Man and The Hulk have clashed numerous times. Some of them brilliant, some of them short. Iron Man rarely wins.

In their longest drawn-out fight, during the Original Sin arc, Iron Man uses everything in his arsenal.

It is one of the best hero VS hero battles in Marvel history, in regards to art, and what it shows is that everything Iron Man throws at The Hulk isn’t enough. Eventually, The Hulk recovers from the damage and destroys Tony’s black and gold suit and his Hulkbuster armor.

It’s a clean and fair victory. Endurance trumps damage, something Wolverine is very capable of achieving.

Comic Found in: Original Sin: Hulk VS Iron Man

Wolverine VS The Hulk

Yes, Hulk has certainly beaten Wolverine. In his very first appearance, Wolverine lost to The Hulk. It wasn’t an easy win for the Jade Giant, and it was one of few.

In all honesty, comics which have promised us a proper Hulk VS Wolverine fight usually let us down. It’s within the pages of other stories that we really see them brawl at their full potential.

During his time as Horseman of Apocalypse, Wolverine goes full berserker mode against a wild Hulk. He nearly manages to do the thing some refuse to believe he can, the thing Nick Fury believes only Wolverine is capable of; kill The Hulk.

After tanking monstrous blows, a flurry of quick gashes to the neck leaves even the Jade Giant weakened and keeling over, with Wolverine only stopping from beheading him by remembering why he became Apocalypse’s Horseman.

No, he didn’t receive a power upgrade. He got his Adamantium back and a sword that didn’t help him. He became the Horseman of Death, so Sabertooth couldn’t. His brief moment of clarity allows Hulk to escape.

Although Hulk gets away, it is a stark contrast to how the fight with Iron Man usually goes. Berserker Wolverine is shown to swing faster than the Hulk can block or recover and heal fast enough to endure blows with ease from him. That looks bad for all of Tony’s arsenal.

Comic Found in: Wolverine #145

Can Wolverine Hurt Iron Man?

Right out of the gate, I need to be candid. Wolverine can’t fly. He doesn’t have to test Logan’s healing factor to win. Iron Man can utilize magnetics, as shown in multiple different iterations of his suit.

If he flies up and incapacitates him with magnets until he can use his tech to lock Logan up. It wouldn’t usually be much of a fight. The problem is Iron Man doesn’t use this tactic against similar opponents. He’s always punching and getting too close. That could cost him.

Is there a Way Wolverine Can Beat Iron Man?

wolverine vs iron man comic — From the Adamantium Agenda. Image by Bryan Hughes

Yes. If Tony gets in range, he wouldn’t be able to move or damage Wolverine fast enough to stop a quick stab to his kidneys or worse. While his suit can move at Mach speeds during travel, it is not that fast right out of the gate. He does not have some Quicksilver-like speed.

Wolverine’s short-distance attacks are so fast that Spider-Man has trouble dodging them. Logan has landed these attacks on Iron Man before. Not to mention, even Tony’s best suit can’t stop Adamantium.

So, hypothetically, there is a chance.

Hypothetical Battle

We walk our two warriors into an area where no other living things aside from trees and brush exist for miles. Surrounded by mountains, they enter a natural arena.

This is a fight for the ages. To make this as fair as possible, we will say Iron Man has asked Wolverine to help him test his suit’s capabilities. In other words, he won’t be using magnetism to get a cheap win unless he absolutely has to.

Wolverine agrees to the exercise. It’ll be good to practice against an enemy that doesn’t fight at close range. The catch is both of them know the other’s powers. Wolverine’s centuries worth of training will play a large part in the coming fight.

Round 1

As soon as Iron Man smiles and says begin, he tries to fly up. Wolverine is too fast and grabs his ankle.

Blasts, percussion, and sharp lasers knock Wolverine off, but a good slash and the thruster on Iron Man’s left foot is down.

Tony’s suit flies awkwardly about. As he argues with his computer to repair his left foot before he crashes, he uses his hands to balance out his body. A wad of mud comes flying at his visors. Rugged, effective, and briefly blinding Iron Man, who is luckily still safely in the air.

With Iron Man’s vision blurred, Logan hides and readies a trap. Crouching deep within the confines of some branches. Iron Man wipes the mud off and looks around, his suit effectively repairing the thruster by this point.

“I wanted to test the suit, not play hide-and-seek, Logan!”

This is the test, Logan thinks. This is how he needs to face an enemy like Iron Man. Soon, Iron Man’s advanced suit spots the heat signature, and with a smirk and a sigh, Tony fires a strong repulsor blast into a tree.

He moves to see how much damage he did to his opponent, only to notice the target he hit was Wolverine’s clothes covered in urine and blood. Disgusting, effective.

Wolverine leaps up quickly before Iron Man can react, practically naked, covered in the mud he threw, and begins clawing away at the suit.

Holding his hand below the jaw of the downed Tony with a smile. “Winning a fight is more than just a test of power, Tony.”

Round 2

“Yeah, but it’s also a test of power, Logan.” Tony’s chest fires the Unibeam! It blasts Wolverine far into the air, burning and wounding him.

Tony realizes if Logan had popped his claws, he would’ve been dead. His suit repairs itself, and he gets up to check on his sparring partner. Once again, Wolverine is not visible.

Tony feels fear, “Why did I pick him to train against?”

This time his suit changes its scan, searching for traces of Adamantium. Sure enough, he locates Wolverine scaling a mountain.

After a quick flight to him, Iron Man starts testing his repulsor aim at Wolverine. Much to his chagrin, Logan is dodging nearly every shot. It’s a bit of a stalemate.

Tony changes tactics and releases a sonic attack. Logan’s ears burst from damage, and Iron Man flies in at full speed smashing his fist right into Logan’s cheek. Wolverine’s body flies backward and crashes into rock and dirt. A hole made from impact holds what appears to be a defeated Wolverine.

Iron Man is happy with his suit’s performance.

The damage from the sound and the punch in unison were poor choices. Rattling Wolverine’s head often triggers memories he battles to suppress.

Logan’s eyes go red. This is the worst-case scenario.

Round 3

wolverine vs blade comic — From Wolverine VS Blade. Image by Bryan Hughes

For the next hour, Iron Man does everything he can to calm or incapacitate Logan.

No attack works and Iron Man’s suit begins to run low on energy with all the damage output it’s doing. He uses his suit’s magnetic field to hold Wolverine up. Iron Man is not Magneto, and berserker Wolverine has pushed back against The Hulk.

With the magnetic field up, Iron Man’s suit starts to alert him about energy usage. Wolverine is slowly pushing toward Tony Stark and is in a feral, dangerous state of mind.

Iron Man is pushing more and more power into the field as Wolverine gets nearer. Finally, Tony takes off his mask and jokes about Captain America. “Steve once admitted to a wet dream about Captain Marvel. Can you imagine those two having kids?” Wolverine cracks a smile, and his eyes revert to normal.

“Heh, that’s a bad dream…you want to let me move now?”

Tony does, “Got to make a note about maybe adding adamantium coils or something to my arsenal.”

“Why didn’t you stay in the air instead of wasting power trying to restrain me?” Logan goes to gather his clothes to wash them.

“Fair Point,” Iron Man checks his power reserves. Twelve percent.

Winner: Iron Man

iron man and wolverine comic — From Avengers #5 (2020) Image by Bryan Hughes

Other Comics Used for Reference

FAQs

Question: Have Iron Man and Wolverine ever Fought?

Answer: Not in any real context, no.

Question: Is Iron Man’s Armor Stronger than Adamantium?

Answer: No. Adamantium is supposed to be very rare and the most powerful metal bar none in the Marvel Universe. Though some writers ignore this on rare occasions, it is basically Marvel Law. Iron Man couldn’t get enough to make a full armor out of it just the same, and that has remained canon.

Question: Are Iron Man and Wolverine Friends?

Answer: Yeah, they really kind of are. They are not close friends, but they get along when they meet.

In Summary

While the idea of the fight is fun, there isn’t much a ground opponent can do against one that doesn’t need to land. In a fight, Wolverine loses seven out of ten times, with his victories due to Tony trying to brawl or being arrogant as he’s shown to do in the past.

Feel free to browse our site for other articles like this and read more about Wolverine and Iron Man. I hope you enjoy some of the comics linked, as well.

Take care, True Believers.