Sabretooth is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, he first appeared in Iron Fist #14 (August 1977) and was initially depicted as a serial killer known as "the Slasher", before being developed into a supervillain associated with the X-Men during the "Mutant Massacre" crossover in 1986. This portrayal of Sabretooth has endured as the archenemy of the superhero Wolverine.
In his comic book appearances, Sabretooth is the alias of Victor Creed, a psychopathic mutant possessing enhanced senses, razor-sharp claws, superhuman strength and reflexes, and regenerative healing abilities. There have been various possible accounts of the origin of Sabretooth's feud with Wolverine. The most common story involves both of them being participants in the Weapon X super-soldier program. After Wolverine escapes and attempts to suppress his animalistic qualities, Sabretooth becomes obsessed with forcing Wolverine to embrace his feral instincts by tormenting him and ruining his life.
In the X-Men film series, Sabretooth is depicted as Wolverine's biological brother, portrayed by Tyler Mane in X-Men (2000) and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) and by Liev Schreiber in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). In May 2008, the Wizard magazine ranked Sabretooth #193 of the 200 best comic book characters of all time. In 2009, Sabretooth was ranked as IGNs 44th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.Sabretooth is number 44 . IGN.
Publication history The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14 (August 1977) and was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Sabretooth was conceived as a recurring antagonist for Iron Fist, whom he fights several times, including once hidden behind a mask and gloves as "the Slasher".Power Man and Iron Fist #78 He works for a time with the Constrictor as a partner-in-crime, and clashes repeatedly with Iron Fist and Power Man.Power Man and Iron Fist #66Power Man and Iron Fist #84 Sabretooth also appeared in comics such as The Spectacular Spider-Man. Chris Claremont introduced him as a minor X-Men villain, a member of the Marauders, during the "Mutant Massacre" crossover in 1986.
Sabretooth rose to greater prominence when he was split off from the Marauders and became a recurring antagonist of an individual member of the X-Men, Wolverine. The character was subsequently featured in limited series and one-shot comics including Sabretooth and Mystique and Sabretooth: In the Red Zone, and even had his own ongoing reprint series in the mid-1990s, Sabretooth Classics.
Origin Chris Claremont intended for Sabretooth to be Wolverine's father, though this was contradicted by subsequent writers. Claremont, when asked what he had intended to be the relationship between Wolverine and Sabretooth, stated:
Father and son. That's why Sabretooth always considered Logan "sloppy seconds" to his "original" / "real deal." The other critical element in my presentation of their relationship was that, in their whole life, Logan has never defeated Sabretooth in a knock-down, drag-out, kill-or-be-killed berserker fight. By the same token, on every one of his birthdays, Sabretooth has always managed to find him, no matter where Logan was or what he was doing, and come within an inch of killing him. For no other reason than to remind him that he could.
Genetic tests performed by S.H.I.E.L.D. confirmed that Sabretooth and Wolverine were not father and son.Wolverine (vol. 2) #42
An interviewer asked Paul Jenkins if Dog Logan was Sabretooth. Jenkins had not intended the speculation, but said would not have a problem with another writer doing this later. The miniseries Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine has shown that the two characters are not the same person.Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine #6 A one-shot specialty comic entitled X-Men Origins: Sabretooth chronicling some of the character's earliest childhood experiences, differing distinctly from Dog's life. It is also later shown that Sabretooth and Dog are separate people.Wolverine (vol. 2) #304
X-Men Forever In X-Men Forever, Chris Claremont's continuation of his run on X-Men (non-canonical to the main timeline and taking place in the alternate universe of Earth-161), Sabretooth is established as Wolverine's father. He attacks the X-Mansion, but is blinded by Storm.
Claremont has stated in an interview that in X-Men Forever, the original, true Sabretooth makes his reappearance after a long time, and that the Sabretooth seen prior to X-Men Forever #2, which follows directly after X-Men (vol. 2) #3, was actually a weaker clone of the character created by Mister Sinister. The original Sabretooth reappears dressed in the Jim Lee costume in X-Men Forever, which would make the weaker clone the one dressed in the John Byrne costume. Claremont claims that he always meant for the Sabretooth dressed in the Byrne costume to be later outed as a clone of the original Sabretooth. Claremont has stated: "Speaking specifically of the cast of X-Men Forever, one character who's becoming more enticing is Sabretooth, in part because (at least as it relates to my conception of him) very little is actually known. They then filled his skeleton with adamantium. At this specific point of his life, readers haven't really seen that much of him over the years, since the Sabes that's shown up most over the time is a less-endowed copy cloned from spare cells by Mr. Sinister."
Fictional character biography Early life Sabretooth's real name is believed to be Victor Creed.X-Men (vol. 2) #5 (February 1992) His memories have been tampered with by clandestine organizations such as Weapon X, so much so that there are virtually no credible accounts of Victor's past. The clearest accounts of his childhood begin with him murdering his brother Luther Creed over a piece of pie.X-Men Origins - Sabretooth His father Zebediah chained him in the basement like an animal and systematically pulled out Victor's canine teeth, which perennially grew back. Victor begged his mother Victoria to let him go, but she did not. Years passed until Victor gnawed off his own hand to escape the basement and apparently murdered his parents. It is later revealed that Sabretooth only killed his father and took care of his mother financially, visiting her frequently until her death.Wolverine (vol. 4) #11
Victor is revealed to have had a brother named Saul and a sister named Clara, who are believed to be the reason for Victor's ongoing feud with the X-Men's Wolverine. Saul Creed was a tracker and hunter, while Clara Creed was an animal handler. They helped track down the feral Logan for a circus.Origin II #2 They also helped Logan escape after he was experimented on by Nathaniel Essex, and the three go on the run.Origin II #3 Saul perceives Logan to be stealing Clara, leading to Saul tipping Essex off regarding Logan's location. In the ensuing chaos, Logan accidentally kills Clara, although her healing factor later revives her. Saul, not knowing this, blames Essex for Clara's death, and the two men seek Essex out, Saul revealing that Clara was his sister.Origin II #4 Logan finds out that Saul betrayed them to Essex and drowns Saul in a potion of Essex's. Horrified, Clara asks Wolverine to never look for her again. Victor was then informed about his brother's death.Origin II #5 After this, Sabretooth captured Logan and brought him back to be experimented on by Essex at the Ravencroft Institute. However, Essex's assistant Dr. Claudia Russell (ancestor to Jack Russell), freed Logan. Creed and Essex later killed Russell for this and experimented on her corpse."Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth #1." Marvel Comics.
In an early tale, Logan lives in a small Blackfoot community. One day, Sabretooth tracks him down in Canada and seemingly murders his one-time teammate's lover Silver Fox on Logan's birthday, after Silver Fox rejects him. In this tale, it is indicated that Logan did not have particularly strong feelings for Silver Fox and that the murder was simply the last straw in a series of grievances he held against Sabretooth.Wolverine (vol. 2) #10 Creed adopts a tradition of tracking Logan down on his foe's birthday with the intention of fighting."X-Men Origins: Sabretooth"
Early history Creed is recruited into a top secret CIA covert ops unit known as Team X, with allies John Wraith (Kestrel), Logan (Wolverine), Silver Fox (whose death was a hoax), and David North (Maverick). On one mission, the psychopathic Sabretooth kills a crucial scientist during a battle against Russian supersoldier Omega Red, causing Team X to break up.X-Men (vol. 2) #4–7 During this period, he fathers a son, Graydon Creed, with the mutant shapeshifter Mystique, who is undercover in the guise of a spy named Leni Zauber. Graydon grows up to found the Friends of Humanity, an anti-mutant organization. While running for president, Graydon is assassinated by a time-traveling Mystique from the future.X-Men Forever #2
After the disbanding of Team X, Logan and Victor meet up again, as friends, when Logan learns of anti-mutant forces within the government. Victor and Logan form a team of rebel mutants, and Victor falls in love with a mutant named Holo. Eventually, Creed grows tired of the fighting and wants to leave with Holo, but she has already decided against it. In the final conflict, Holo is mortally wounded. Creed blames Logan for her death.First X-Men #1–5
Next, Sabretooth is recruited by the Weapon X program, but it is unknown what, if any, enhancements he receives. As part of the program, his memories are tampered with by the psychic mutant Aldo Ferro, also known as Psi-Borg.Sabretooth #2 (September 1993)
In 1968, Creed (using the alias Sabretooth) works as a mercenary assassin in Saigon. An individual called the "White Devil", involved in the disappearance of soldiers and locals, contacts Sabretooth and offers to employ him as one of his own enforcers. Sabretooth accepts.Weapon X (vol. 2) #27
Supervillain
Emerging as a costumed villain, Sabretooth becomes partners with Constrictor, with both working as enforcers for major criminal interests. Sabretooth battles Iron Fist and is badly beaten.Iron Fist #14 Sabretooth and the Constrictor then fight Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Misty Knight, and Colleen Wing only to be defeated again. With Constrictor, Sabretooth begins to stalk and kill others for pleasure, which earns him the newspaper title of "The Slasher".
Sabretooth reunites with his employer, the Foreigner, who claims to have trained the mercenary at some point. He attacks the Black Cat, nearly biting through her leg until he encounters a crowbar hidden underneath her boot. He is defeated by Spider-Man, and outmaneuvered and humiliated by the Black Cat in combat.Spectacular Spider-Man #116, #119
Sabretooth eventually encounters a thief by the name of Gambit and the two fight, but find they are not exactly enemies.X-Men (vol. 2) #33 Later while recruiting for Mister Sinister, Gambit gathers a group of mutant criminals he has associated with who form the Marauders.The Uncanny X-Men #350 The Marauders are directed to massacre the Morlocks, which sets Sabretooth in another battle against Wolverine.X-Factor #10; Thor #374; The Uncanny X-Men #212–213 Sabretooth and the Marauders join in an attack on Polaris, and battle Wolverine again during the Marauders' attempt to kill Madelyne Pryor. Wolverine stabs Sabretooth through the heart and uses Scrambler's power to disable his healing factor, killing him.The Uncanny X-Men #219, #221–222 He is replaced by a clone by the time the X-Men attack the Marauders' headquarters.The Uncanny X-Men #240–241