Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the fascination with monsters like werewolves has grown so much that they have become a part of popular culture. From iconic movies like The Wolfman and An American Werewolf in London to literature like Stephen King's Cycle of the Werewolf and the Twilight series, werewolves have captured the imagination of many filmmakers, artists, and writers.
But there have been many comic book creators who took the lore and history of the werewolf and attempted to create something new for comic book readers to enjoy. Whether it's transforming the most unexpected characters into the foul beasts or turning the monsters into heroes, these comics did try to make something new from the werewolf mythos.
Lar-On - DC Comics
While Earth werewolves can be pretty dangerous on their own, Kryptonian werewolves take this whole thing to the next level. No one best encapsulates this danger than Lar-On.
After becoming infected with Red Kryptonite, Lar-On was sent to the Phantom Zone to protect other Kryptonians from becoming infected. But the D.E.O on Earth accidentally opened up a portal where Lar-on jumped out and with the full moon on display, transformed into the deadly red werewolf and caused a rampage until Supergirl came onto the scene and saved the day.
Mokoshan - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
While some fans of the 2012 TMNT animated series were introduced to a werewolf in the 5th season, this was not the first time the reptilian brothers encountered a werewolf. They encountered them as early as 1995.
Published by Archie Comics, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures was based on the first animated series and in issue #67, the turtles, April O'Neil, and the humanoid fox Ninjara are attacked by a group of werewolves while on a camping trip after mistaking their vehicle for a hunter's that killed one of their own. They then meet Mokoshan, the leader of the pack who eventually falls for Ninjara and the two would eventually have a child named Moka in the spin-off series Ninja: Seed of Destruction.
Gary Hampton - Invincible
Robert Kirkman's Invincible gained many new fans after the Amazon Prime animated show debuted last year, creating a series of hilarious memes that stuck around. And while audiences will have to wait for the 2nd season, comic book fans are already familiar with the other heroes that Invincible himself would team up with.
One of them was Gary Hampton, a man who uses his werewolf curse for good and starred in his spin-off series, The Astounding Wolf-Man. Even though it lasted for 25 issues, the character would team up with other heroes in the Invincible comics as the two publications shared the same universe.
Jughead - Archie Horror
Yes, believe it or not, the burger-loving Jughead was indeed a werewolf. But this reveal was taken outside of the mainline Archie comic book run and instead was its series titled Jughead: The Hunger.
This series saw Jughead discovering that he is indeed a werewolf and that he has unintentionally become the serial killer that has plagued Riverdale. Running across 13 issues, the characters from Jughead: The Hunger would cross over with Vampironica, another spin-off title outside of the mainline Archie comics that saw Veronica become a vampire. Although, this is just one of many crossovers in the Archie comics.
William Grenier - Hellboy
Created by Mike Mignola, Hellboy has been fighting supernatural threats since the 90s in the comic book pages before making his cinematic debut in 2004. From ancient witches to demonic beings, Hellboy will stop at nothing to protect the Earth against those that look to cause chaos and destruction.
The 2nd story arc in the Hellboy comics, The Wolves of Saint August, saw the demonic hero come face to face with William Grenier, the last surviving member of the cursed Royal Family of Griart who can transform into werewolves. Having killed everyone in the town, Grenier takes on his tall and intimidating werewolf form to fight Hellboy.
Wolfsbane - Marvel Comics
Despite the poor reception, fans of the X-Men movies were finally treated to the cinematic debut of Rahne Sinclair aka Wolfsbane, played by Maisie Williams in The New Mutants. And the character is no stranger to television either, appearing in several X-Men animated series across the 1990s and 2000s.
A mutant with the power to transform into a wolf and wolf-human hybrid, Wolfsbane was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod. She made her debut in Marvel Graphic Novel #4 in 1982 where she joins forces with other young mutants to form The New Mutants. And more can be known about Wolfsbane with these questions answered.
Alpha - 2000AD's Age of the Wolf
2000AD may be known as the British comic book company responsible for major creations like Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper, but they have created many characters and storylines since 1977. One of them was Age of the Wolf, which saw a majority of the world's population transform into werewolves after the full moon stays in the sky.
Throughout the trilogy, many years pass by and the werewolves develop intelligence and build their civilizations on a post-apocalyptic Earth. One of these sentient beasts was Alpha, who was introduced in the third story arc where they want to wipe out the remaining humans.
Bigby Wolf - Fables
Bigby Wolf may be more familiar with some as the playable protagonist in The Wolf Among Us video game. In the game, the disgruntled yet charismatic Big Bad Wolf, Bigby Wolf, is the sheriff who tries to solve a series of crimes in Fabletown that is filled with classic literacy and folklore characters.
The source for this game came from the Fables comics created by Bill Willingham. Bigby Wolf plays a similar role in the source material, acting as the sheriff and one of the main characters who encounter several different characters to solve cases and keep the peace, only transforming when it's necessary.
Werewolf By Night - Marvel Comics
Introduced back in 1972 in the pages of Marvel Spotlight #2, Marvel's Jack Russell is a human whose bloodline can shapeshift into werewolves when the full moon appears. The anti-hero has fought against some of Marvel's most iconic heroes as well as joined forces with the likes of Ghost Rider and Morbius to form the Legion of Monsters.
But Russell isn't the only person to take hold of the mantle of Werewolf by Night. Introduced in 2020, Jake Gomez is the 2nd Werewolf by Night and unlike Russell, he can transform at will into a werewolf without the full moon. No matter who it could be, there's plenty to know about MCU's next hero.
Lou Prio - Moonshine
Moonshine premiered in 2016 and is one of Image Comics' supernatural publications. Created by artist Eduardo Risso and writer Brian Azzarello, the world of Moonshine takes place during the American Prohibition that mixes in some monsters and dark magic for a good mix.
Lou Pirlo is sent to West Virginia to strike a deal with moonshine maker Hiram Holt. However, he gets more than he bargained for and Pirlo gets cursed, transforming into a werewolf against his own will.