A member of Marvel's X-Men, Wolverine was the first superhero to go through the procedure of having adamantium bonded to his skeleton. While the experiment scarred him deeply, over the years, the adamantium coupled with his inherent healing abilities has come to his rescue multiple times.
Fans know Wolverine as the most popular adamantium-enhanced superhero in the Marvel Universe. However, he isn't the only one who uses the coveted substance. There are several other Marvel characters who have used adamantium in some capacity or another. Some utilize it for good, while others find ways to use the indestructible steel alloy to create havoc and destruction.
This article will take a look at these characters whose combat strength is accentuated by adamantium.
Ultron, X-23, and four other Marvel characters who possess adamantium-enhanced abilities like Wolverine
1) Ultron: First appeared in The Avengers #54 (1968)
While Wolverine is one of the good guys in the Marvel Universe, Ultron is a supervillain who uses his abilities and adamantium to try and create mass destruction. Ultron is described as a highly intelligent and self-aware artificial intelligence who uses his extremely heightened mental capabilities to do evil.
However, the real threat with Ultron is his adamantium robotic body that makes him invulnerable. It also gives him superhuman strength, speed, the ability to absorb and project energy, and much more.
2) Bullseye: First appeared in Daredevil #131 (1976)
Very few Marvel characters will be able to match Bullseye's accuracy when it comes to throwing objects as projectiles. While he doesn't have any superpowers, some of his bones are laced with adamantium, which he had to get after a bad fall.
Lord Dark Wind, the first scientist to propose the bonding procedure, was able to operate on Bullseye. Unlike Weapon X's experiment which relied on incomplete, stolen material, Lord Dark Wind properly carried out the implantation so Bullseye didn't suffer like the Wolverine.
3) Sabretooth: First appeared in Iron Fist #14 (1977)
Victor aka Sabretooth has a somewhat complicated relationship with adamantium. When he is captured by Apocalypse along with Wolverine, he is shown to have adamantium grafted onto his skeleton and claws. However, when he loses a fight, Apocalypse strips it off him. After that, he takes part in a new Weapon X Program which allows him to gain adamantium claws.
It is clear that defeating Wolverine is one of the main motivators behind his obsession with adamantium. However, even with the added boost, Sabretooth struggles to match Logan's fighting prowess which he has fine-tuned over decades.
4) Lady Deathstrike: First appeared in Alpha Flight #33 (1986)
Comic book readers first meet this character as Yuriko Oyama, the daughter of Kenji Oyama aka Lord Dark Wind. She blames Wolverine for her father's downfall and is out to get vengeance.
She transforms her body to become more powerful. Spiral and the "Body Shop" turn her into a robot with extraordinary abilities such as superhuman strength, stamina, and more. On top of that, her skeletal structure is unbreakable as it is laced with adamantium molecules.
5) Russian: First appeared in The Punisher Vol. 5, #8 (2000)
When it comes to supervillains who can easily pummel their opponents to death, the Russian ranks high on that list but Adamantium didn't come up in his early stories. Initially, he simply relied on his brute strength and stamina, and he was almost impossible to defeat. His only weakness was heat which the Punisher used against him.
He received adamantium augmentation only when General Kreigkopf resurrected him. Given how he was already quite strong, the boost of adamantium only made him a bigger threat.
6) X-23: First appeared in NYX #3 (2004)
Laura, also known as X-23, possesses retractable adamantium-coated bone claws that she can use in combat. In the beginning, she is an assassin but after she crosses paths with Wolverine, she becomes a member of the X-Force.
Fans were initially given the impression that she was created as Wolverine's clone but it is later revealed that he is her biological father. This smart and capable adamantium-enhanced hero eventually takes over for her father as the new Wolverine.
Adamantium is a powerful substance and Marvel will likely continue to use the indestructible steel alloy to bolster narratives in the future as well. For now, the legacy continues in these Marvel characters who wield it with perfect ease, much to the displeasure of their opponents.