✍️ Len Wein

Biography

Len Wein, born June 12, 1948 in New York, was a writer whose creations had an outsized impact on the entire comics industry, far beyond DC alone. His ability to conceive enduring characters and foundational narrative concepts makes him one of the most important creators of the 1970s, with an influence that continues to resonate in contemporary film and television.

At DC Comics, Wein revitalized Swamp Thing in 1972 alongside artist Bernie Wrightson. Their version of the character, introduced in House of Secrets #92 (July 1972) and then developed in the Swamp Thing series (#1–13, 1972–1974), is a masterwork of Gothic horror blending ecology with dread. House of Secrets #92 has become a major key issue whose value has risen considerably with the popularization of the character through the television series. Swamp Thing would later be reinvented by Alan Moore starting with issue #21 (1984), but it was Wein who laid the foundations.

At Marvel, Wein left an even more spectacular mark. He co-created Wolverine with artist John Romita Sr. and writer Roy Thomas. The character's first appearance in Incredible Hulk #181 (November 1974) is one of the most valuable comics of the Bronze Age, with high-grade CGC copies fetching tens of thousands of dollars. Wein then wrote Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975), the issue that relaunched the X-Men franchise with an international team including Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Thunderbird alongside Wolverine. This issue is another cornerstone of the Bronze Age.

The connection between these two universes manifested in an unexpected way when Wein became an editor at DC and oversaw the publication of Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986–1987). As editor, he guided this landmark project that would become the most acclaimed graphic novel in history. Ironically, Wein played a crucial role in both of the most influential works of the 1980s: Watchmen at DC and, indirectly, the resurrection of the X-Men at Marvel.

Wein passed away on September 10, 2017. For collectors, his creations represent blue-chip investments: Incredible Hulk #181, Giant-Size X-Men #1, House of Secrets #92, and Swamp Thing #1 are absolute key issues. Few writers can claim to have created characters of such enduring popularity on both sides of the publishing aisle.

Co-created Characters