Wolverine is a character who is way more lovable for the women of the Marvel Universe than he would seem. When we were first introduced to him, he was the angry loner, ready to tear into anyone. He was brash and mouthy, but all of that would change over the years, as his friendship with the X-Men grew and made him into a better person. He became one of the stars of Uncanny X-Men and that meant that he eventually he would get his first love interest, in his case Mariko Yashida. She was his opposite in a lot of ways and brought out another side of them. She was the first, but wouldn’t be the last. Logan has been romantically linked with numerous characters over the years, but for a lot of fans, his relationship with Jean Grey has always been his best.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The two of them were hardly together over the years, mostly becoming couples in alternate universes, but the love was palpable. The two of them had a fire and passion for each other that always shined through. Wolverine dates both superhero and civilians with some fans believing that heroes like Jean Grey and Storm are better for him since they can’t be “‘fridged”. However, an argument can be made that you can give him a more standard superhero love interest and it would work brilliantly. In fact, we already have an example of that with one of the Logan’s best relationships. This Logan love interest was a reporter (see what I mean when I say “standard superhero love interest”? Everyone dates journalists) and while she’s been forgotten in the never-ending march of comics, she’s easily Wolvie’s best love interest: Melita Garner.
Melita Garner Brought a Unique Feel to Wolverine Comics
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
The ’00s changed Wolverine a lot, bringing him to the Avengers and making him into a more important hero than ever. He was everywhere in the Marvel Universe; he had his own solo, appeared in every X-Men book and was one of the stars of New Avengers. His solo book had gotten a major relaunch in 2003, with superstar creators like Greg Rucka, Mark Millar, Jeph Loeb, Howard Chaykin, Darick Robertson, John Romita Jr., and many more, becoming one of the major solo books of the era. Jason Aaron, who had made a splash at Vertigo with Scalped, was soon brought over to the Wolverine side of things, wowing readers with artist Ron Garney with “Get Mystique”. Eventually, the team would be given a new Wolverine solo, Wolverine: Weapon X.
The X-Men had moved to San Francisco, leading to Logan saving San Francisco Post reporter Melita Garner from a group of thugs. The book’s first story arc would see Logan learn about a new group making adamantium-clad supersoldiers like himself, with him finding Garner and asking her for help looking into things. The two would form a classic superhero/journalist partnership, which wasn’t really something that we’d seen in Wolverine books before. Their relationship blossomed slowly and it fit beautifully. There was a genuine connection between the two characters and it helped make Aaron’s run on Wolverine: Weapon X and Wolverine (Vol. 4) a lot more entertaining.
Melita was a very vulnerable part of Logan’s world and she was a new character; most fans expected her to be killed. Usually, when Wolvie ended up with a woman that wasn’t already a superhero, it meant that we were going to see her get killed at some point. Melita was such a great addition to the book but it one hundred perfect felt like she was going to be killed for cheap drama at some point. It’s one of the worst tropes of the Wolverine comics and it honestly felt like Melita’s destiny was going to be as yet another memory on a page where Logan drinks and thinks about all the dead women he loved over the years.
However, this was never really the case. She ended up moving to New York City after X-Men: Schism, keeping their relationship going until Logan got with Storm. Their relationship just sort of ended, like something out of real life, and she’s since rarely been talked about. Melita was a charming character, a classic comic book archetype in the mold of Lois Lane, the spunky reporter who ends up helping the hero in ways that only she can. There relationship wasn’t flashy, but it was entertaining and it felt real.
One of the main reasons we never talk about Melita is because she actually survived. Logan is the ultimate tragic hero. He wins, but he also always loses. We remember the terrible events and his losses help define who he is. Melita left his life, but she’s never been lost. There’s no tragic ending of their romance, they just ended it. She comes from a period of the character that doesn’t have a massive event at its center and has mostly been forgotten. It’s a shame, because keeping her alive means that we can get more of her and Wolverine together if creators remember her time with the ol’Canucklehead.
Melita Proved that You Don’t Need to Kill a Wolverine Interest to Make Her Cool
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Women in Wolverine comics don’t have a lot of luck. Usually, when a new woman shows up in his, she’s going to be killed at a major moment in the story arc. Wolverine has had some excellent creative teams, but they all make the same mistakes with women. So, when Jason Aaron came aboard the book and we were introduced to Melita, most fans were certain that she was a goner. However, she stayed around, building a stronger relationship with Logan and becoming a better character. Her time with Logan was low key, but it was amazing.
Wolverine fans are used to being introduced to fun new love interests and losing them. We lost Mariko Yashida, we lost Silver Fox, we lost Rose. Superhero love interest is a tough job and being a Wolverine girlfriend is even more dangerous than usual. Melita was able to stay one step ahead of the Reaper at all times. She’s not going to be remembered like Mariko or Jean, but the real Wolverine fans know that she’s the real deal.
Wolverine’s 10 Most Brutal Fights
More Comics
<img src="https://comicvibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Inglorious_X-Force_Vol_1_1_Manna_Virgin_Variant-1-3-1.webp" alt="41 Years Later, This Fan Favorite X-Men Character is Finally Getting the Chance to Lead”>Variant Cover from Inglorious X-Men #1
Comics
1 day ago
41 Years Later, This Fan Favorite X-Men Character is Finally Getting the Chance to Lead
Image Courtesy of DC Comics
Comics
1 day ago
DC Just Turned Superman’s Funniest Villain Into His Darkest Nightmare
Image Courtesy of DC Comics
Comics
1 day ago
30 Years Ago Today, DC Comics Kicked Off the Story That Would Save Hal Jordan
