7) He Was Partially Modelled After Clint Eastwood
After the character became a short, middle-aged man, it was then comic book supremo Frank Miller – of The Dark Knight Returns fame – who was responsible for defining the personality of Logan as we know him by today.
In 1984, Miller wrote a four-part solo Wolverine series which properly nailed the grizzled loner that Logan is. In the writing and his artwork, Miller was inspired by classic Western actor Clint Eastwood, most known for his enigmatic anti-hero The Man With No Name in Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy. The mini-series was a big influence on both X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine. In particular the latter, as director James Mangold pitched Logan as a lone cowboy/samurai figure.
The series also introduced Wolverine’s iconic catchphrase: “I’m the best there is at what I do, but what I do best isn’t very nice.” It’s been used many times since, too, and movie fans will know it from its recitation in the aforementioned X-Men Origins: Wolverine.