| Wendigo | |
|---|---|
 The Wendigo on the cover toThe Uncanny X-Men #140, art by John Byrne and Terry Austin. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #162 (April 1973)[1] |
| Created by | Steve Englehart Herb Trimpe |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Several individuals |
| Team affiliations | Varies per individual |
| Notable aliases | Various names in Native Canadian folklore |
| Abilities |
|
TheWendigo (occasionally:Wen-Di-Go) is a fictional monster appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The Marvel character is based on theWendigo legend of theAlgonquian peoples. The monster first appeared inThe Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #162 (April 1973), created by writerSteve Englehart and artistHerb Trimpe, fighting the Incredible Hulk.[2]
The Wendigo is not one specific person, but instead is the manifestation of a curse that can strike anyone who commits an act of cannibalism in the Canadian North Woods. Originally only one person can become the Wendigo at the time, which has led to one Wendigo being cured if another person was struck with the curse. In later years it has been revealed that a pack of Wendigos lived in theBering Strait.
While normally depicted as a savage beast with no control, Wendigos have appeared as part of various villainous groups, showing some restraint when not fighting. The Wendigo character has also appeared in media outside comics, including animated series and video games.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(December 2012) |
The Wendigo first appeared inThe Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #162 (April 1973), and was created bySteve Englehart andHerb Trimpe. Englehart recalled: "I knew about the legend of theWendigo, and thought, between his strength and his sad story, that he sounded like a goodHulk opponent".[3]
Several people have been afflicted with the curse of the Wendigo, includingPaul Cartier,Georges Baptiste,Francois Lartigue,Lorenzo,Mauvais and others.
The curse is regional to the woods of Northern Canada and takes place, under the right conditions, when a person in the forests of Canada feeds on human flesh. This "curse of the Wendigo" was created by the Northern Gods (also known as the Inua) in an effort to deter human cannibalism.[4]
The cannibal transforms into a superhumanly strong, nearly indestructible, fur-covered monster: the Wendigo. They then roam the woods eating human beings. The Wendigo frequently fights theHulk,Wolverine, andAlpha Flight. Paul Cartier transforms into the Wendigo, battles the Hulk, and escapes.[5] He battles the Hulk again and encountered Wolverine,[6] and then battles both. Cartier is cured when college professor Georges Baptiste becomes the Wendigo.[7]
Baptiste later terrorizes a snowbound group.[8] He battles Wolverine,Nightcrawler, and members of Alpha Flight, but is captured and cured byShaman, then arrested byDepartment H.[9]
Fur trapper Francois Lartigue later transforms into the Wendigo, battles the Hulk when Bruce Banner stumbles across a cabin belonging to him, andSasquatch, and is taken to be cured by Shaman.[10]
InSpider-Man #8–12 (the "Perceptions" story arc), a Wendigo-like creature is blamed for killing several children nearHope, British Columbia.Spider-Man's alter ego, Peter Parker, is sent to take pictures during the media frenzy that follows. Wolverine, having previous experience with Wendigos and having concern for the creature's welfare, comes to the town and contacts Peter Parker directly, seeking Spider-Man's assistance. Together, Spider-Man and Wolverine determine the real cause of death among the children. This version of Wendigo is less aggressive, not cannibalistic, and not as durable as other Wendigos.[11]
A few years later, a new Wendigo emerges, leading to a fight with Wolverine andShe-Hulk.[12] A local Canadian super-hero,Talisman, arrives and claims to have a magical cure for the Wendigo's condition. After a long battle, the Wendigo is defeated by a combined attack from his two opponents, and placed into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.[volume & issue needed] This Wendigo is apparently later taken in by the Canadian-based Department K and is given an electric collar that keeps the usually mindless beast under control and is integrated as a member ofWeapon P.R.I.M.E., a team of operatives with a personal grudge againstCable.[13] The Wendigo's collar is later replaced with a neurological implant that restores his capability of speech.[14]
During theChaos War storyline, it is revealed that a pack of Wendigos exist in theBering Strait afterRed Hulk is attacked by a Wendigo, attracted by his camp fire while cooking a meal. The Red Hulk kills one Wendigo, while the others come to claim the body and eat it. It is also revealed that theGreat Beasts are forced to manipulate the curse of the Wendigo to allow the transformation of several people instantly instead of only one, to create an army to fight with them against the Chaos KingAmatsu-Mikaboshi.[15]
As part of Marvel Comics' 2012 initiative, "Marvel NOW!", a Wendigo appears as a member ofOmega Flight. Wendigo and the rest of Omega Flight are sent by Department H to investigate one of the Origin Bomb sites left byEx Nihilo in Regina, Canada, a mission in which Wendigo is killed.[16]
A Wendigo is summoned to Las Vegas through the wishing well ofTyrannus along withBi-Beast,Fin Fang Foom,Umar, and Arm'Cheddon to fight the Hulk. This Wendigo is capable of minimalistic human speech and teams up with Bi-Beast to use the well's powers to allow them to grow to about 30 feet tall for fighting the Hulk. However, both creatures are easily defeated by the Hulk and are imprisoned along with Arm'Cheddon in theDark Dimension by Umar until Tyrannus and Fin Fang Foom raid the dimension, allowing them to escape in the chaos.[17]
A later confrontation between two Canadian meat packing plant employees resulted in one accidentally killing the other, and the perpetrator trying to cover it up by running the body through a meat grinder. This resulted in a mass outbreak of the Wendigo curse, which was greatly exacerbated by the curse being transmitted via bite wounds inflicted by the Wendigos, in a process akin tolycanthropy.[18]Tanaraq (the "father" of the Wendigo) intends to spread the curse outside Canada and across Earth.[19] The combined efforts of the X-Men, the other Beasts, andGuardian thwart his plan, eliminating the curse.[20]
Roxxon embarks on an archaeological expedition to find a Wendigo. When a Wendigo attacks a scientist named Ella Sterling, she is saved byWeapon H.[21] It was revealed that Roxxon executive Mr. Banks had a miner named Philips Waggoner eat Wendigo meat at the site where the Avignon Party resided during a blizzard. Waggoner is transformed into an Ur-Wendigo, which is more powerful than any normal Wendigo and can grow larger by eating flesh. Weapon H borrowsDoctor Strange's Ax of Angarruumus and allows himself to be eaten by the Ur-Wendigo to kill it from within.[22]
Wolverine later encounters Leonard, a teenager who was inflicted with the Wendigo curse. Leonard explains to Wolverine that he had fled an abusive household alongside his friend Ryan, only for Ryan to die in the wilderness. Leonard cannibalized Ryan's corpse, resulting in him contracting the Wendigo curse. Wolverine stays with Leonard to help him control himself and ultimately reunites him with his mother.[23][24]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(December 2006) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The Wendigo possesses a variety of superhuman physical abilities and powerful claws as a result of transformation by an ancient mysticalcurse. However, Wendigos usually retain little of their former human personas.[12] Sorcerers such as Mauvais and Lorenzo have been able to avoid this aspect of the curse, using magic to gain the power of the Wendigo while maintaining their intelligence.
InThe Amazing Spider-Man #277, a creature called Wendigo appears. It is a reptilian, ghost-like being who can become invisible and generate intense cold.[25]
A possible future version of Leonard / Wendigo appears in "Age of Revelation", where his full name is revealed to beLeonard Two Bears.[26]
An original incarnation of Wendigo,Jamie Madrox, appears in "Earth X".[27]
In theMC2imprint, the Hulk,Doctor Strange, Wolverine, and Wolverine's daughterWild Thing encounter a large number of Wendigos who were transformed from a lost Cub Scout troop. However, Strange ultimately removes the curse and their memory of the events.[28]
Greer Baptise / Wentigra, an amalgamation of the Georges Baptiste version of Wendigo andTigra created by theInfinity Gems, appears in theInfinity Wars storyline.[29]
| Hulk family | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supporting characters | |||||
| Superhero allies | |||||
| Enemies | |||||
| Television |
| ||||
| Films |
| ||||
| Video games | |||||
| Titles | |||||
| Storylines |
| ||||
| Alternative versions | |||||
| Related articles | |||||
