Wolverine co-creator Len Wein dies at 69

(Image credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

published 11 September 2017

Len Wein, the comics writer who co-created such iconic characters as Wolverine and Swamp Thing, has died. He was 69.

His death was confirmed by DC Comics on Sunday. In a statement, Diane Nelson, president of DC Entertainment, called Wein "one of the most welcoming people and legends in comics," and said there's "hardly a facet of DC's world that Len didn't touch." Wein grew up loving comics, and with collaborator and friend Marv Wolfman, sold his first scripts to DC in 1968.

In addition to creating characters, Wein was a prolific editor, working on Watchmen, New Teen Titans, and Saga of the Swamp Thing. "Not every writer can be a good editor," Geoff Johns, president and chief creative officer of DC Entertainment, said in a statement. "But Len deserves equal credit for both talents. He helped to revitalize the entire DC Universe." Actor Hugh Jackman, who has played Wolverine in several blockbuster movies, tweeted Sunday night that he was "blessed to have known Len Wein. I first met him in 2008. I told him from his heart, mind, and hands came the greatest character in comics."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox