Sabretooth (comics)

Sabretooth
Sabretooth, as seen on the cover of X-Men vol. 2 #162. Art by Salvador Larroca.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Iron Fist #14 (August 1977)
Created by	Chris Claremont (writer) John Byrne (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Victor Creed
Species	Human Mutant
Team affiliations	X-Men Brotherhood of Evil Mutants Team X Marauders X-Factor Weapon X "Avengers" (1959) Hand[1] Astonishing Avengers[2] Avengers Unity Division
Notable aliases	Slasher, El Tigre, Der Schlächter ("The Butcher" in German)
Abilities	Regenerative healing factor Retractable claws and sharp teeth Superhuman strength, senses, reflexes, and feline-like attributes Extended longevity

Sabretooth (Victor Creed) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, the character first appeared in Iron Fist #14 (August 1977). Sabretooth was originally portrayed as a non-powered serial killer but was later written as a mutant possessing bestial superhuman abilities, most notably a rapid healing factor, razor-sharp fangs and claws, and superhuman senses. He is a vicious assassin responsible for numerous deaths both as a paid mercenary and for his personal pleasure.

Sabretooth's long-time enemy is the mutant and X-Men member Wolverine, with conflicting accounts as to the origin of their feud. It is known that Wolverine and Sabretooth were victims of the Cold War supersoldier program Weapon X, and that Sabretooth saw Wolverine as competition and therefore antagonized him. While Wolverine is depicted as suppressing his more savage qualities, Sabretooth does the opposite and embraces them.

The character has appeared in several X-Men animated series and video games. Played by Tyler Mane, Sabretooth was a henchman of Magneto in the first X-Men film and X-Men: The Official Game. Liev Schreiber plays him in the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In May 2008, Wizard magazine ranked Sabretooth #193 of the 200 best comic book characters of all time.^[3] In 2009, Sabretooth was also ranked as IGN's 44th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.^[4]

Publication history

The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14 (August 1977) and was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Sabretooth was initially conceived as a recurring antagonist for Iron Fist, whom he fights several times. He works for a time with the Constrictor as a partner-in-crime, and clashes repeatedly with Iron Fist and Power Man.^[5][6] 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. He 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. Sabretooth 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 had meant 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.^[7]

In Wolverine vol. 2 #42, genetic tests performed by S.H.I.E.L.D. confirmed that Sabretooth and Wolverine were not father and son.

An interviewer asked Paul Jenkins if Dog Logan, a character from Wolverine's early life, from the limited series Origin was Sabretooth. Paul Jenkins said he had not intended it to be him, but said he would not have a problem with another writer doing it later.^[8][9] At the end of the miniseries Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine it is shown that Dog and Victor Creed are not the same person, as Dog is teleported from the turn of the 20th century to the present.^[10]

X-Men Forever

In X-Men Forever, Chris Claremont's continuation of his run on X-Men (non-canonical to the mainstream timeline and taking place in the 161 Marvel Universe), Sabretooth is established as Wolverine's father. He attacks the X-Mansion, but is blinded by Storm.^[11]

Claremont has stated in an interview that in X-Men Forever the original true Sabretooth makes his reappearance after a long time, and that most of the previous appearances of Sabretooth prior to X-Men Forever #2, that follows directly after X-Men vol. 2 #3, were that of a weaker Sabretooth clone created by Mister Sinister. The original true 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 he always meant for the Sabretooth dressed in the Byrne costume to be later outed as a clone of the original true Sabretooth. Claremont 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. 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."^[12]

Fictional character biography

Early life

Sabretooth's name, or what is believed to be his real name, is Victor Creed.^[13] Sabretooth's memories have been tampered with by clandestine organizations such as Weapon X and so much of what appears to be his past is not of credible account. The clearest accounts of Victor's childhood begin with him murdering his brother Luther over a piece of pie.^[14] His father then chains him in the basement like an animal and systematically pulls out Victor's elongated canines, which perennially grow back. Victor begs his mother to let him go, but she does not.^[14] Years pass until Victor eventually gnaws off his own hand in order to escape the basement and apparently murders his parents.^[14] It is, however, later revealed that Sabretooth only killed his father, and took care of his mother financially, visiting her frequently until her death.^[15]

Victor is revealed to have had a brother, Saul, and sister, 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 was an animal handler. They helped track down a feral James "Logan" Howlett, the future Wolverine, for a circus.^[16] They also helped Logan escape after he was experimented on by Nathaniel Essex, and the three go on the run.^[17] Saul perceives Logan to be stealing Clara from him, leading to him tipping Essex off to Logan's location. In the ensuing chaos, Logan accidentally kills Clara, although her healing factor later revives her. Saul Creed, not knowing this, blames Essex for her death, and the two men seek Essex out, Saul Creed revealing that Clara was his sister.^[18] Logan however finds out that Saul Creed betrayed them to Essex, and drowns Saul Creed in a potion of Essex's. Horrified by this Clara asks Wolverine to never look for her again. Victor Creed was then informed about his brother's death.^[19]

In an early tale, Logan lives in a small community of Blackfoot Indians and settlers. 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 her murder was simply the last straw in a series of grievances he held against Sabretooth.^[20] Creed eventually adopts a tradition of tracking Logan down on his birthday with the intention of fighting him.^[14]

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.^[21] 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 Friends of Humanity, an anti-mutant organization, and while running for President is assassinated by Mystique from an alternate future.^[11]

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.^[22]

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.^[23]

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.^[24]

Supervillain

Emerging as a costumed villain, Sabretooth becomes partners with the Constrictor and the two act as enforcers for major criminal interests. Sabretooth battles Iron Fist and is badly beaten.^[25] Sabretooth and the Constrictor then fight Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Misty Knight, and Colleen Wing only to be defeated again.^[5] With the Constrictor, Creed begins to stalk and kill human beings for pleasure, which earns him the newspaper title of "The Slasher"; he also attacks Misty Knight again.^[26] With the Constrictor, he attacks Harmony Young, but they are defeated by Luke Cage.^[6] The Constrictor and Sabretooth dissolve their partnership, and Sabretooth nearly kills the Constrictor at one time.

Sabretooth is next reunited 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.^[27]

Sabretooth eventually encounters a thief by the name of Gambit, and the two fight, but find they aren't exactly enemies.^[28] Later, while recruiting for mastermind villain Mister Sinister, Gambit gathers a group of mutant criminals he has associated with who form the Marauders.^[29] Sinister clones several of the Marauders so that he has a loyal group of lackeys after the originals die.

The Marauders are directed to massacre the Morlocks, which sets Sabretooth in another battle against Wolverine.^[30] 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.^[31] He is replaced by a clone by the time the X-Men attack the Marauders' headquarters. With the X-Men slaughtering his teammates, Sabretooth flees^[32] and is reunited with Mr. Sinister at the X-Mansion.^[33] The X-Men and X-Factor attack them there, and kill both Sabretooth and Sinister.^[34] However, Sabretooth manages to keep his tradition of stalking Wolverine on his birthday that year.^[20]

Sabretooth returns to the sewers to slaughter leftover Morlocks. He kills Chickenwings, hunts Mole, and then battles Archangel.^[35] Caliban, a surviving Morlock, hunts Sabretooth down. Sabretooth proves no match for Caliban, who breaks his back and leaves him for dead.^[36] It takes weeks for his healing factor to repair his spine, during which he sustains himself on sewer water and passing vermin. He recovers just in time to confront Wolverine, who stumbled upon him while lost in the sewers.^[37] He attacks Wolverine again in Times Square, but their conflict is cut short by a vigilante who shoots them both with hallucinogen-laced bullets which trigger memories of their time as partners in the CIA.^[38]

Sabretooth then allies with Fenris and Matsu'o Tsurayaba against the X-Men and Maverick.^[39] While attending a wrestling match, Sabretooth is attacked by the Weapon X robot Shiva. He is rescued by John Wraith, who convinces him to team up with the rest of Team X - Wolverine, Maverick, Silver Fox, and John Wraith - to discover why their anti-aging factors are suddenly failing. Their quest leads them to the telepath Aldo Ferro, the Psi-Borg. Ferro overwhelms them all with psychic illusions, concluding with a toothed tree which apparently consumes Creed.^[40]

Suffering from severe bloodlust, Sabretooth hires telepathic mutant Birdy to help him keep his urges in check by providing what he calls "the glow", a psychic blast that satiates his bloodlust and numbs the pain of his suppressed memories as a youth, allowing himself control for short periods.

Betrayal of the X-Men and brief alliance with X-Factor

A short time later, Birdy is killed by Sabretooth's grown son Graydon, who now has a hatred for mutants, especially his father. Without "the glow", Sabretooth slips into a murderous killing spree. This culminates in a clash with Maverick, whom Sabretooth defeats. He escapes, claiming only Wolverine can do what needs to be done to the psychotic Creed. Afterward, Maverick approaches the X-Men in Japan, and an ancient telepath, comatose since the nuclear bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, who mind-links with Creed and the team discovers Creed's psychosis was rooted in his time as a CIA operative. On a mission, he slaughtered a target, his wife (a "frail" for Creed), and a little boy. The look in the boy's eyes has followed Creed ever since. Ultimately, Sabretooth attacks Charles Xavier, leader of the X-Men. As Xavier infiltrates Creed's mind, he discovers that every victim Sabretooth has killed is remembered by the villain. Xavier is confident this means Creed values human life, and there is hope for the mutant. Sabretooth is incarcerated, as a wanted murderer, in a holographic environment because Xavier does not want him to roam on the grounds. Sabretooth is angered, but grudgingly stays with the team. During his incarceration, he assists in battles against the X-Cutioner and the Phalanx. Caliban, free of Apocalypse's control, kidnaps the X-Man Jubilee in exchange for Sabretooth. When Sabretooth arrives, he mauls Caliban's face, and Caliban flees. Wolverine, who had left the team after his adamantium was removed by Magneto, returns, and the villain escapes for a fight. This leads to Wolverine stabbing one of his claws into Sabretooth's brain.^[41]

The newer, gentler Sabretooth is frequently nursed by X-Force member Boomer; he eventually reveals that he was feigning helplessness, and attacks Boomer. Psylocke saves the young mutant's life, and she uses her psionic knife to disable him. However, this no longer works because his brain injury from Wolverine freed him from the need for "the glow", furthermore rendering him resistant to telepathic detection and control. Retaliating, Sabretooth nearly kills Psylocke, but he is finally confronted by the X-Men, who incapacitate him.^[42]

He is turned over to the custody of Dr. Valerie Cooper, who fits him with an explosive restraining collar and forces him to participate as a member of the government-sponsored X-Factor team. Creed later admits he was a "sleeper" agent with the mission of executing X-Factor members the government could not control. He eventually escapes, and returns once more to mercenary work. Under unknown circumstances he gains adamantium skeleton and claws.^[43] Sabretooth is captured, along with Wolverine, by Apocalypse, who forces the two to fight each other for the right to become Apocalypse's new Horseman, Death. After Sabretooth's defeat, Apocalypse extracts the adamantium from him and bonds it to Wolverine, Wolverine having fought to win as he felt that he might resist the brainwashing and so be easier to defeat than Sabretooth, who might actually enjoy what he had become.^[44]

Sabretooth then joins Mystique's new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, calling itself the Brotherhood, where he participates in an assassination attempt against Senator Robert Kelly.

Weapon X and the Brotherhood

Later, he is forced to become a member of a relaunched Weapon X program, where his skeleton is infused with adamantium once more. In Wolverine vol. 2 #166, Sabretooth reveals that by means of genetic enhancement the Weapon X program has increased his strength and accelerated his healing factor. Eventually he escaped the program again and resumed working solo. However, he sometimes worked on a team, such as when he worked with several other villains to locate the Identity Disc, a record of heroes' secret identities. This ended up being a ruse.

Later, in Canada, he encountered Sasquatch and the newest Wendigo. Sasquatch believes Creed may be responsible for some of the human deaths occurring there. Creed is seen setting traps and acting mysteriously. Sasquatch discovers Sabretooth is playing a twisted mind-game with the Wendigo before attempting to kill it. Sabretooth and the Wendigo fall into the Arctic Sea with Sabretooth biting the Wendigo's neck, and both are presumed dead by Sasquatch. After a fearsome battle in the arctic waters, Sabretooth emerged victorious with the hide of the Wendigo.

Sabretooth would later attack the Xavier Institute, in a revamped Brotherhood consisting of leader Black Tom Cassidy, Mammomax, Avalanche, Exodus, and undercover heroes Nocturne and Juggernaut. Wolverine claims to have killed Sabretooth, spreading him "all over the grass", although Black Tom's plant abilities probably contributed to Sabretooth's survival; he returns in X-Men: The 198 Files.

Reluctant alliance with the X-Men

In X-Men vol. 2 #188 (August 2006), Sabretooth was spotted fleeing a mysterious group of superhumans collectively known as The Children. Their reasons for pursuing him remained unknown, but two of them—Sangre and Serafina—were tracking him. Sangre activated a singularity generator that annihilated most of the town and killed all its citizens, except for a little girl whom Serafina deliberately shielded from the destruction so there would be a witness to what had happened. He later encountered two more of the Children—Aguja and Fuego. They attacked him and temporarily neutralized his healing factor, but he managed to escape regardless, only to end up at the Xavier Institute later that night seeking sanctuary.

It is revealed that the Children are after Creed because he has seen them and knows who they are, while the public believed the X-Men destroyed the town. It is only when Rogue, the leader of the team, injected Nano-Sentinels into Sabretooth's blood that they take him along with their fight against the Children, a factor that one of the Children exploited. At one point, Cannonball saved his life during the battle. Sabretooth rewards him with some inside information: "The first time you turn your back, you're dead." Following the incident on Providence, Creed escaped the X-Men, but was hurled into the middle of the Pacific Ocean by Cable.

Writer Mike Carey noted he has no plans on redeeming Sabretooth, saying, "I'm not going to try and show a heroic side to Sabretooth's nature; I’m not going to retcon him so that there are reasons for his actions that make him forgivable. The things he's done are not forgivable and he can't be redeemed. I'm not making him into a hero; I'm making him into a team member and there are reasons within the first storyline as to why he ends up fighting alongside the X-Men against another enemy. And there are reasons why it's not so easy to simply shake him off again afterwards. There are things that are going on that will sort of unfold during the first year of my run which explain his being there and explain his being accepted with very, very grave misgivings into the team."^[45]

Death

Sabretooth renews his rivalry with Wolverine following the latter's return to the X-Mansion. A fight soon breaks out with Wolverine tossing Sabretooth through a window. During the fight, Wolverine thinks back to the time when Sabretooth had, supposedly, killed Silver Fox. He remembers Sabretooth saying, "quod sum eris" and asks what it means. Sabretooth explains that it means "I am what you will be." Wolverine loses control and calls Sabretooth insane before placing his fist against Sabretooth's throat. Creed tells him if he extracts his claws, he will rip his heart out. Wolverine replies, "Let 'er rip", and pops his claws into Sabretooth's throat.^[46] Wolverine later regains consciousness and finds himself chained to the roof of the Blackbird. He quickly breaks free of the chains and is surprised to find Sabretooth piloting the jet. Wolverine breaks into the cockpit and begins choking Sabretooth with one of the chains and causes him to crash.

The two emerge from the flaming wreckage and, while healing from the injuries sustained in the crash, begin fighting once again until separated by a lightning bolt, courtesy of Wolverine's former teammate and current Queen of Wakanda, Storm.^[47] A short time later Sabretooth is chained up in the royal palace of Wakanda and complains to Wolverine, Storm, and the Black Panther. Sabretooth snaps the chains and escapes into the jungle, with the Black Panther quickly giving chase. The Black Panther catches up to him and the two begin to fight, with Sabretooth quickly gaining the upper hand. He holds the Black Panther off the ground by the neck, preparing to strike a killing blow, when Wolverine suddenly appears and slices off Sabretooth's left hand.^[48]

Once the fight between the Black Panther and Sabretooth is broken up by Wolverine, Sabretooth is brought back to the Wakandan Palace and placed in a vibranium holding cell and guarded around the clock. The battle scene between the Black Panther and Sabretooth then becomes the focus of why Wolverine was brought to the palace in the first place. It seems that amongst the bones from an elephant graveyard, there are also some unidentified skeletal remains of another offshoot of Homo sapiens called "Lupus sapiens". The Black Panther and Wolverine are discussing that instead of there being one evolutionary path between humans and monkeys, that there may also have been one that developed from lupines. It is believed at this point that Romulus is the first of this race, and it is revealed that he has been the one behind Daken's attacks, and the driving force behind the Weapon X program. After the discussion with the Black Panther, Wolverine is awakened by the stench of blood from something that has a scent similar to his and Sabretooth's and also something else. It turns out to be an enhanced Wild Child who has now surpassed the abilities of both Wolverine and Sabretooth, thanks to Romulus. Wild Child strikes Wolverine with poison-tipped claws and incapacitates him for two days. When Wolverine awakens, he finds Sasquatch, Wolfsbane, and Feral and her sister Thornn ready to go back with him to the Weapon X complex so that they might get to the bottom of this lupine mystery.

Once they all arrive at the Weapon X facility, Wolverine is plagued by memories that seem to mix past and present together and all of them controlled by Romulus. Wolverine goes in alone telling the others to stay put on the plane, but they do not listen. Feral and Thornn, who were granted their lupine appearance back by Romulus, are separated and Sabretooth, reduced to his animalistic state, has gutted Feral and she is dying. Wolverine gets Feral back to the ship and finds that Thornn and Wolfsbane are in shock from the encounter, along with Sasquatch having been incapacitated by Wild Child. Once they are on their way, Wolverine goes back to the Xavier Institute and asks Cyclops to give him back the Muramasa sword, which he gave to Scott in case he was too out of control and needed to be put down for good. Cyclops only does this after Emma Frost reads Wolverine's mind and sees the horrors that Wolverine has been witnessing when he dreams: the horrors committed by Victor Creed throughout the years. Sword in hand, Wolverine then sets out to find and kill Sabretooth once and for all.^[49]

After the events in "Evolution", Wolverine has been waiting for an unspecified length of time at Silver Fox's cabin in the Canadian wilderness. Sabretooth finally shows up and immediately attacks him. In the ensuing battle Wolverine cuts off Sabretooth's left arm with the Muramasa. Sabretooth, still in his animalistic state tries to re-attach his arm allowing his healing factor to kick in, but it does not work. Wolverine explains to a bewildered Creed that it is because the sword interrupts the healing factor and that he has to finally kill Sabretooth for what he's done. Managing to regain control and speak between grunts, Sabretooth tells him, "Do it". Wolverine then decapitates Sabretooth, finally putting an end to his long-time enemy. Logan then walks away, leaving both Creed's body and head in the snow to rot.^[49]

Hell

Sabretooth appears to Wolverine, leashed and under the control of the Devil himself, who has claimed to have broken Victor's will.^[50] Victor shows defiance by striking the face of his defeated master after Wolverine uses his broken bone claws to pin Satan to a wall.^[51] After Wolverine has an interrupted discussion with his father, it is shown that Victor wields Satan's sword, which is being held as a symbol of who is the ruler of Hell. Wolverine fights Victor again, mentioning, as he beheads him once more, that there's no coming back when you're killed by the sword. Wolverine leaves Victor's beheaded soul lying in the pit of Hell.^[52]

Return

It was later revealed that the Sabretooth beheaded by Logan was in fact one of several clones grown by Romulus. The real Sabretooth comes out of hiding and starts a war between rival gangs in Japan.^[53][54] He is hired to kill Mr. Takenaka, leader of the Yakuza, and tosses him from a jet.^[53] Creed is later approached by other Yakuza members to accept an offer at an airport in L.A. Sabretooth says he'll miss an important meeting by going, and kills the Yakuza. He settles up his tab at the brothel and finishes his meal. Creed sets a trap for Logan before heading to his meeting but he breaks free and catches up to him. The two battle, while Creed is flying a jetpack, and crash to the ground. They land among the Yakuza, the Hand, the new Silver Samurai and Wolverine's adopted daughter. Logan goes to save his daughter and tears through Sabretooth to do so. Creed recovers and grabs the Silver Samurai.^[55] It is later revealed he is working with Mystique and the Mind Ninjas.^[56] Sabretooth stands beside Mystique as she repeatedly shoots Wolverine in the face. They kiss before Sabretooth heads on to the next part of his plan. He escapes with the man who hired him, Azuma Goda, to cause a war between the Hand and the Yakuza.^[57] As Goda reveals his master plan of becoming an "invisible" ruler of Japan, Sabretooth seems to have his own plans. He allows Wolverine to slip past Goda's security and leaves Logan to kill him. Creed then saves Mystique from Lord Deathstrike and makes him an offer. The three of them arrive at a meeting of the remaining heads of East Asia, who are deciding the fate of Tokyo and kill them all as Sabretooth, along with Mystique and Lord Deathstrike, declares himself the new "invisible" ruler of East Asia.^[58] Sabretooth later holds a party with some of Wolverine's enemies to celebrate becoming the "invisible" ruler of East Asia. After Wolverine crashes the party and defeats all the guests, he tells Sabretooth "Happy birthday, from your old pal Wolverine".^[59]

Sabretooth trains Kade Kilgore in combat where Kade is told to focus on his hatred towards Wolverine's school. Sabretooth tells Kilgore that even if he gains pleasure from slowly hurting his enemies, the best way to destroy them is to hit them in the heart. Everything has a heart, even a school. Sabretooth asks Kilgore what's the school's heart, and Kilgore replies that the heart is Henry McCoy. At the Peak, Sabretooth ambushes Beast and they both start fighting. Sabretooth manages to wound Beast before taking his fight to Abigail Brand. With help from Beast, Abigail is able to blast Sabretooth away.^[60]

Later while investigating Sabretooth's grave with Cloak, Wolverine finds that Creed's body still lies underneath the ground, which indicates that Sabretooth wasn't resurrected after all. Wolverine also discovers that it was apparently Romulus the mastermind behind everything and after being beaten to near death, he is saved by a mysterious woman with long red hair who tells him the answers lie in the Weapon X facility. When he awakes, Romulus and the stranger are gone. Wolverine goes to explore the Weapon X facility only to find that someone has been experimenting with Sabretooth's genetics and has cloned him repeatedly, suddenly one wakes up who Wolverine recognizes by scent to be the real Sabretooth.^[61] After fighting the Sabretooth clones, Wolverine encounters the mysterious woman again who reveals herself to be Romulus' twin sister Remus.^[62] She reveals that the whole "Lupine Sapiens" story was all just an elaborate hoax by her brother intended to be a ruse for his real goal of creating a master race of natural mutants artificially enhanced by a new type of adamantium created using vibranium illegally mined from Wakanda, using Wolverine as a template. After tracking Romulus to his stronghold somewhere in Italy, Wolverine brutally attacks and incapacitates Sabretooth before confronting Romulus.^[63] While Wolverine fights Romulus, Sabretooth fights with Cloak. While Romulus is ultimately imprisoned by Wolverine and imprisoned in the superhuman prison of the Raft by the US Government, Sabretooth manages to escape from the battle.^[64]

Sabretooth appears as a member of Daken's short lived Brotherhood of Mutants.^[65] Sabretooth later becomes a headmaster of the Hellfire Academy.^[54] Sabretooth also works with Mystique to frame the original X-Men for a series of bank thefts.^[66]

Inversion

During the AXIS storyline, Sabretooth appears as a member of Magneto's unnamed supervillain group during the fight against Red Skull's Red Onslaught form,.^[67] Sabretooth experiencing a 'moral inversion' that turns him into a hero when the attempt to bring out the Xavier elements of Onslaught backfire, prompting Steve Rogers to recruit him and the other inverted villains into a new team of 'Astonishing Avengers' to defeat the inverted heroes.^[2] At the end of the storyline, it is shown that his inversion from evil to good is permanent due to him having been protected by an energy shield generated by the inverted Iron Man- along with Havok- leaving him reflecting on what he has become. Sabretooth turned himself over to the authorities and plans to do good by Wolverine's example when he gets out.^[68]

Sabretooth later joins the Avengers Unity Division and accompanies them to the High Evolutionary's Counter-Earth to look for Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.^[69] He also assists the main Avengers team in confronting the latest version of Ultron.^[70]

All-New, All-Different Marvel

As part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel event, Sabretooth appears as a member of Magneto's X-Men branch in order to protect mutantkind at all costs.^[71]

Powers and abilities

Sabretooth is a mutant with a number of natural mutant powers and artificial improvements to his physiology. His primary mutant power is an accelerated healing ability that allows him to regenerate damaged or destroyed areas of his body and cellular structure far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary human. He regenerates organs such as missing eyes and large portions of flesh. Sabretooth's natural mutant attributes stem from, at least partially, his accelerated healing factor. This "healing factor" also grants him virtual immunity to poisons, most drugs, toxins, and diseases, and limited immunity to the fatigue poisons generated by his own body.^[72] The regenerative qualities of his healing powers and an "age suppression factor", cause him to age at an unusually slow rate. While he is of an unknown advanced age, Sabretooth has the appearance and vitality of a man in his physical prime.

The depiction of Sabretooth's powers has evolved with his treatments by various writers. His healing power, in particular, was introduced as a retcon. When he became Wolverine's frequent antagonist, Sabretooth started being depicted as possessing a healing factor comparable to his foe's. In other, earlier appearances, Sabretooth was not depicted as possessing such a power. In The Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 1 #116, he was incapacitated when his face was severely wounded, and did not display any accelerated healing ability. In issue #119 of The Spectacular Spider-Man, a still badly scarred Sabretooth returned, and his wounds reopened when he was hit in the face by the Black Cat.

Sabretooth possesses superhumanly acute senses that are comparable to those possessed by certain animals. Sabretooth is able to see objects with greater clarity and at much greater distances than an ordinary human. His sight is enhanced to the point that he can see with this same level of clarity in almost complete darkness, just like a nocturnal cat. This could be from being able to see into the infrared and ultraviolet portions of the spectrum.^[73] His sense of hearing is enhanced in a similar manner, allowing him to hear sounds that humans can not. Sabretooth is able to use his highly developed sense of smell to track targets by scent. He is able to track targets with an impressive degree of success, even if the scent has been eroded by natural factors such as weather conditions. His sense of taste is also developed to superhuman levels.

Many of Sabretooth's natural physical attributes are beyond human levels. He possesses some degree of superhuman strength (able to lift heavy objects without breaking his bones, due to his healing factor). The exact limits of his strength are unknown, but he is seemingly stronger than Wolverine. Originally, he could crush an iron barbell with ease.^[74] Sabretooth's physical strength has been artificially enhanced at least twice. Sabretooth received his first strength enhancement from his son, Graydon Creed.^[75] Sabretooth's strength was further enhanced after joining the latest incarnation of the Weapon X Program.^[76] His mutant healing factor grants him superhuman stamina. He can push himself at peak capacity for several days before fatigue begins to affect him.^[72]

His agility and reflexes were enhanced beyond the human body's natural limits. With an ability to flex, relax, and reflex his musculature at dramatically improved speeds, Sabretooth's pounce can be devastating. As depicted in both movies and comics throughout his appearances, most enemies can not react to his leap before being hit.^[77] Combined with the ability to stalk, move quietly, and see in the dark he has the initiative in a fight. Even Wolverine's instincts are incapable of countering this effect fully (although he is frequently depicted smelling Sabretooth just before taking a painful strike).

Sabretooth's physical appearance is described with animal-like mutations, including sharper-than-normal teeth with two pronounced canines and retractable claws^[72] where ordinary humans have fingernails and toenails. He also was portrayed to have thick, bushy eyebrows, which gave him an animal like appearance as well.^[14] His eyes were supposed to be depicted as amber without visible pupils, as this was noted by the Foreigner as something that caused him to stand out. However, colorists also depicted his eyes with red, blue, grey, brown, or hazel irises.

Later, just prior to Wolverine's marriage to Viper, Sabretooth's skeleton and claws were molecularly laced with the indestructible metal adamantium by Apocalypse,^[78] who later removed it and bonded it to Wolverine's bones.^[44] Later, the Weapon X program bonded adamantium to his bones once more.^[79] However, Sabretooth did not have adamantium connective tissues in his joints and wrists, only adamantium bones, therefore his limbs could be severed.^[72] According to the official Marvel Comics website, Sabretooth still possessed an adamantium skeleton. Even without the adamantium enhanced edge, Sabretooth's claws were capable of cutting most conventional materials including flesh, bone, wood, stone, and some types of metals.

Skills

Sabretooth is an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, having been trained by various organizations such as the CIA, Weapon X, the Foreigner, and HYDRA. He is also an expert hunter and tracker, even without the use of his heightened senses. Sabretooth also developed a high resistance to telepathic probing and manipulation, after an incident in which Wolverine stabbed him under the chin with a claw, and punctured his brain.^[80] Although his extreme arrogance and bestial nature gives him the appearance of stupidity, he is actually quite intelligent. He routinely has hacked into government databases to steal classified information and has escaped the highest levels of incarceration. He is also quite skilled at psychological manipulation.

Other versions

Age of Apocalypse and the Exiles

In an alternate universe in Marvel Comics depicted in the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline there is a vastly different version of Sabretooth. This version of the character has the same origin as the one in the normal continuity, but has a different moral alignment. He is actually one of the X-Men and a role model for other mutants in this alternate reality. This Sabretooth was initially a villain, having been recruited by Apocalypse, but he was cast out as a traitor when he expressed moral reservations about using nuclear weapons to wipe out the world's human population. Apocalypse intended to kill Sabretooth alongside the X-Men, but was thwarted by Magneto.^[81] Sabretooth came back into Apocalypse's fold and took part in a number of culls, but he eventually grew disgusted by his life and rebelled against Holocaust, for which he was imprisoned alongside the feral Wild Child. Instead of becoming a feral killer, like Holocaust intended, Sabretooth defeated Wild Child and became his master and protector. Together, the two escaped and joined the X-Men afterward.^[82] He became a hero and an ally of Logan (Weapon X), and even adopted a young girl, Blink, as his daughter. In the Exiles comics, he spent decades in an alternate dimension raising mutant children, attempting to teach them ethics and tolerance, without incident.^[83]

Also, this version of Sabretooth's biological son was theorized to be Nightcrawler, evidenced by the statement of Mystique that she had gone to the trouble of "finding a father with fur" when Nightcrawler complains he is cold and, when the Shadow King possesses Mystique, the captions reveal "one memory is more interesting then the others" and flashes to Sabretooth taunting Nightcrawler.^[84]

When the "Age of Apocalypse" timeline was apparently destroyed, Sabretooth became the leader of the extra-dimensional band of characters who slide into alternate realities, known as Weapon X. For a time he was also the leader of their counterpart team, the Exiles, and remains with the team to this day. This version of Sabretooth originally had no adamantium in his skeleton (though it was later revealed that his skeleton had become laced with adamantium like Wolverine), but was still superhumanly strong and possessed a regenerative healing factor."^[85]

When Sabretooth decided to leave Weapon X, he stayed behind in a dimension to ensure that that reality's version of David Richards, the son of Franklin Richards and Rachel Summers, would not be corrupted by his virtually omnipotent powers. However, the boy turned evil anyway, despite Sabretooth's best efforts at raising him right.^[86]

When he was recruited by the Timebroker into the Exiles, Blink's personality became incredibly docile and subservient to Creed. Sabretooth gladly took the leadership role from Blink, a fact that Mimic clashed with him over multiple times. He continued to assist the Exiles in the race to catch Proteus. He survived being teleported into outer space by Blink (albeit by accident). After Proteus' defeat, Sabretooth stayed with the team to help fix the multiverse.^[87]

Later, when the Exiles needed to defeat the Silver Surfer, this version temporarily becomes a Herald of Galactus. He uses the powers he gained to maul the Silver Surfer, then after he no longer needed it he returned the Power Cosmic to Galactus.^[88]

At Sabretooth's request, Heather unhinges Psylocke from Earth-616 to join the Exiles in Power Princess' place as she might be their only chance if Proteus ever resurfaces. However, upon arrival, she clashes with Sabretooth, thinking him to be the Earth-616 Sabretooth that nearly killed her twice. They fight for a while, but eventually Psylocke catches on to the fact that Sabretooth is not there for a fight and Morph intervenes and makes an introduction. Surprisingly, Psylocke cannot be detected by any of Panoptichron's cameras.^[89] Heather teleports Morph, Sabretooth, and Psylocke down to Earth-1720 to save the other Exiles, who are beaten or brainwashed, courtesy of this world's Madame Hydra, Sue Storm. He and the other Exiles save their brainwashed friends after fighting them.^[90] Sabretooth then returns to an empty Panoptichron. He and Psylocke have been getting closer since their fight. It was later revealed on their first mission of the Exiles with Sabretooth as the new team leader, that his skeleton was now laced with adamantium, though exactly how this happened has yet to be revealed, as he never been previously shown to have had any such enhancements. Sabretooth was lost along with Mystique, Valeria, Sage, Rogue, and Gambit (most of the New Exiles team) when they were immersed within the Crystal Palace.^[91]

Apparently Blink and the new team of Exiles had found a way to reverse the process as Sabretooth has since been returned to the Age of Apocalypse, since he and Wild Child are seen following and confronting the X-Force from Earth-616.^[92] After teaming with X-Force to save Archangel, most of the AoA X-Men are killed. Nightcrawler stays on Earth-616 to join X-Force while Sabretooth returns to AoA with the only other survivor, Jean Grey. There, they face off against Weapon Omega, formerly this world's Logan and Jean Grey's husband. In an attempt to recreate the Decimation with clones of the Scarlet Witch,^[93] both Jean and Sabretooth end up powerless. They go on the run with the X-Terminated,^[94] and Sabretooth was injured a while later fighting Weapon Omega while saving Jean.^[95] In the months that followed, his son Graydon, also known as Horror Show, patched him up physically and the two made their peace. During the X-Termination crossover, AoA Nightcrawler's trip home resulted in the release of three evil beings that destroy anyone they touch. Several casualties resulted, including the AoA's Sabretooth, Horror Show, and Fiend, as well as the X-Treme X-Men's Xavier and Hercules.^[96]

Earth X

In another alternate reality, Earth X, Sabretooth was a member of a Hominid race of half-men, half-beast creatures known as the Bear Clan (along with the Wendigo spirit), who were staunch opponents of the Moon Clan, of which Wolverine was a member (along with Wild Child, Sasquatch, and Beast).

House of M

In the House of M alternate reality created by Scarlet Witch, Sabretooth is a messenger/assassin sent by Magneto. He was dispatched to assassinate Graydon Creed.^[97] Magneto sent Sabretooth to deliver a threat to Black Panther. After a short fight, Black Panther decapitates Sabretooth with a vibranium sword, then returns the head to Magneto. It is unknown as to whether or not the head was reunited with the body at a later stage, but this seems unlikely due to later events.^[98]

Marvel Noir

In the Wolverine Noir series, this version of Sabretooth is only known by his name, Victor Creed, who owns a hotel named "The Puritan" as well as a boxing club called "Victory Boxing" in the southeast of the Bowery, which was used to get kids off the street. Logan's partner, Dog, mentioned Creed in the Puritan after he disappeared. Logan, expected by Victor, goes to the boxing club and the two fight; Victor beats him and has his body thrown into the alley, where Yuriko's body was also lying.^[99] Victor and his thugs capture Logan after he passes out outside of a bar,^[100] taking him to the train yards where Rose and Mariko are waiting with Dog tied to the train tracks. Rose reveals that she had Victor bring Logan and Dog here so that she could get revenge on them. Dog is run over by a train during this conversation and Rose shoots Mariko in the head so she could not betray them to help Logan, which makes Logan kill her and her thugs. Victor runs off during the fight, wishing Rose "good luck in hell".^[101]

Marvel Zombies

Sabretooth, as a zombie, is one of a group of zombie villains who team together to try to devour the visiting Galactus. They manage to hurt the cosmic being, but are thrown off their goal by zombie "heroes", Wolverine being one of them. In the course of the battle, Wolverine decapitates Sabretooth.^[102]

Mutant X

In this reality, a feral Sabretooth roams the Canadian Wilderness with feral versions of Wolverine and Wild Child who help make up "The Pack". Near the end of the series he breaks off from "the Pack" rejoining up with Weapon X to bring back Wolverine. After kidnapping Wolverine's family Wolverine confronts him and kills him by chopping his head off.^[103]

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Sabretooth is a mutant soldier and commando for Weapon X, under the direction of a man by the name of Colonel Wraith, who referred to him as "a poor man's Wolverine". He appears to be the only mutant who enlisted in the program by choice, due to his high-ranking position and his high authority in the operations. He is practically the same as the Earth-616 version of Sabretooth, having accelerated healing and keen senses, with the exception that he has four adamantium claws surgically implanted in each arm in an attempt to one-up Wolverine after having many failures in the service of Weapon X. One of the adamantium claws implanted in his left forearm is broken.^[104] Exactly how and when this occurred has not been revealed. He has a burning hatred for Wolverine and also, as he stated in his encounter with him at Weapon X, for the primitive Homo sapiens. He feels that his cruel, psychopathic nature was merely a natural part of being a mutant. When Magneto attempted to destroy the world so that he could eradicate humans, Sabretooth asked him to kill as few animals as possible.^[105]

He cruelly boasts of murdering Wolverine's wife and child, and then commenced battle with him outside the Weapon X compound. He initially had the upper hand, but Wolverine managed to score a critical hit, a stab to Sabretooth's groin, before driving him off the edge of a cliff.

Following Sabretooth's loss to Wolverine, the Weapon X program was dismantled with Colonel Wraith being shot dead by Nick Fury. Sabretooth did not die from his encounter with Wolverine, but rather returned as a high-ranking follower to Magneto in the Brotherhood of Mutants. His encounter with Wolverine while with the Brotherhood was his final underestimation of his old enemy. After boasting that he can survive any wound or injury, and would always return to fight and haunt Wolverine, Wolverine gives a vicious retort: he decapitates Sabretooth on the spot, although the panel was partially covered, so that the full effect of the injury was not visible.

Sabretooth was long thought dead until he resurfaces one night when Wolverine and Storm were leaving Nowhere Special (a pool hall). He is alive and well sporting a new scar around his neck, apparently from the decapitation he received from Wolverine when they last met. Sabretooth explains that his head had remained partially attached to his body via strands of tissue and blood vessels, which allowed him to survive in a comatose state while his body regenerated. He also made one startling revelation: Wolverine is his biological father. Sabretooth then attempts to obtain a tissue sample so that Dr. Cornelius can clone a new Wolverine. During the beginning of the "Aftermath" arc, Sabretooth tells Wolverine that he is Wolverine's son. He also wants to help Wolverine search for his wife, Sabretooth's mother, although Wolverine claims that his scent proves that this is not true.^[106]

Sabretooth made a one-panel cameo in the "Magical" arc, standing outside the Xavier Institute while hiding behind a tree, with a look of sorrow on his face.

In Ultimates 3^[107] and Ultimatum, Sabretooth is shown to use his claws as weapons (like the main Marvel Universe version of Sabretooth) instead of his four adamantium claws. No canon explanation has been given for this change. Sabretooth alongside Juggernaut were recruited by Rogue and John Wraith to help fight Magneto. In Ultimatum #4, he kills Angel, before being shot in the eye by Hawkeye.^[108] In Ultimatum #5, he is shown pulling Mystique off of Magneto's citadel before the lower levels explode. They are later seen as part of Quicksilver's new Brotherhood in Wundagore.^[109]

X-Men Forever

In, X-Men Forever, Chris Claremont's continuation of his run on X-Men (non-canonical to the mainstream timeline and taking place in the 161 Marvel Universe), Sabretooth is established as Wolverine's father. He attacks the X-Mansion, but is blinded by Storm,^[11] as well as losing one hand and having his healing factor shut down. He subsequently joins the X-Men to honor his son, using his still-enhanced senses to compensate for his lack of vision, and a bionic replacement for his hand. It is also revealed that the Sabretooth that fought alongside the Marauders is a clone made by Sinister; the true Sabretooth, while initially villainous, is less psychotic and as such is able to truly reform. The two Sabretooths do battle on one occasion.

X-Factor Forever

Sabretooth appears in Louise Simonson and Dan Panosian's five issue run on X-Factor Forever.

Age of X

In the Age of X reality, it was revealed that Sabretooth has been captured by the Sapiens League and paraded down the streets as a dangerous mutant as shown in Tempo's memory.^[110] He was later used by the Avengers to track other mutants- his jaw removed and replaced with metal joints, his words suggesting that whatever caused this injury left him with brain damage - under the codename 'Weapon S', but he is killed by the Hulk after leading them to the fortress as his head is literally crushed.^[111]

Wolverine MAX

In the 2012 series Wolverine MAX, Logan is shown to be living in Japan as a monk when he first meets a blond, older man calling himself "Victor". Victor tells Logan that he is "just like him". When Logan refuses to accept Victor's claim as truth, Victor responds by saying "Okay then, I'll just have to prove it", before hurling the former into a nearby tree, proving his superhuman strength.^[112]

In other media

Television

• Sabretooth is featured in the X-Men animated series, voiced by Don Francks, and makes many appearances throughout the course of the show, sometimes as an enemy of Wolverine and the X-Men and other times as their reluctant ally. In the second-season episode "Beauty and the Beast", Sabretooth's name is said to be Graydon Creed Sr., rather than Victor Creed, to provide less confusion as to the paternity of Graydon Creed, the founder of the anti-mutant group The Friends of Humanity. It is also revealed that Sabretooth was born in Edmonton, Alberta, although his birthplace has never truly been specified in the comics. Also, Sabretooth, in a version mirroring his "Age of Apocalypse" and Exiles persona, can be seen fighting alongside Wolverine and Storm for Magneto in the fourth-season episode "One Man's Worth". He appears at the end of Season Five's episode "Bloodlines" when his son Graydon is dropped in front of his cabin after being kicked out of the Friends of Humanity.
• Sabretooth appears in X-Men: Evolution, voiced by Michael Donovan. He is shown as an ally of Magneto and retains his hatred of Wolverine, antagonizing him in the episodes "The X-Impulse" and "Spykecam" and helping a former Weapon X scientist to capture him in the episode "Grim Reminder" (hinting at him and Wolverine both working for them in the past). In the episode "The Cauldron, Part 1", he again fought Wolverine on an island after Magneto used his powers to draw the X-Jet with Professor X in it toward Asteroid M. In the episode "The Cauldron, Part 2", Wolverine, on Professor X's advice, takes a dive so that he can trace Sabretooth back to Asteroid M. Magneto uses his mutant-enhancing chamber on Sabretooth giving him a feline-like appearance. When Wolverine, Mystique, Toad, and the remaining X-Men arrive, Sabretooth fights Wolverine and is defeated. In the episode "Operation: Rebirth", Sabretooth appears, having regressed back to his normal state when he fights Wolverine, Rogue, and Nightcrawler when they came to destroy the Operation: Rebirth machine that Magneto was using to rejuvenate himself. In the two-part episode "Day of Reckoning", Sabretooth appears as a member of Magneto's Acolytes. After Magneto's apparent death at the hands of Apocalypse, the Acolytes split up and Sabretooth left to parts unknown.
• Sabretooth first appears in the Wolverine and the X-Men episode "Past Discretions". Voiced by Peter Lurie. He is seen as a member of Weapon X. He worked as Wolverine's partner and overseer on missions, although he does refer to Wolverine as Logan (or the trademark term, "runt"). He holds a grudge against Wolverine for choosing not to harm a target's daughter and attacking him instead.
• Sabretooth appeared in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "Enter Dormammu", voiced by Charlie Adler.^[113] He is teamed up with Juggernaut to look for an Infinity Fractal only to be defeated by the Super Hero Squad. In the episode "Oh Brother", Sabretooth takes part in the attack on Asgard. In the episode "Stranger From a Savage Land", He works with Toad, Thunderball and Batroc the Leaper in to capture a Star Quartz stone from the collar of Zabu, pet sabretooth tiger of Ka-Zar, which he wants to keep for a pet.
• Sabretooth appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "Freaky",^[114] with the voice role reprised by Peter Lurie. Sabretooth invades Wolverine's apartment at the time when Spider-Man's mind was swapped with Wolverine's mind by Mesmero. Spider-Man in Wolverine's body tries to reason with Sabretooth and tells Wolverine in Spider-Man's body to stay at school and to inform Phil Coulson of his situation. Sabretooth then chases Wolverine into the streets until Wolverine gets on a bus. Sabretooth catches up to Wolverine and Peter Parker and they fight Sabretooth. Spider-Man in Wolverine's body tells Wolverine in Peter Parker's body to change into Spider-Man. Spider-Man and Wolverine double-team Sabretooth and defeat him.

Film

• Sabretooth appears in the film X-Men portrayed by Tyler Mane (who worked as a stuntman until Bryan Singer cast him as Sabretooth). Sabretooth is seen as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants. He sets up an ambush to capture Rogue on Magneto's orders, but is stopped by Cyclops and Storm. When the mutated Senator Kelly discovers the abilities that Magneto placed upon him, Sabretooth unsuccessfully tries to stop him from escaping. Sabretooth and Toad later ambush Cyclops and Storm to prevent them from finding a runaway Rogue while Magneto himself kidnaps her. Professor X uses his telepathy to control Sabretooth into letting Rogue go only for Magneto to use his abilities to threaten to kill the police officers with their deflected bullets. Professor X had no choice but to release Sabretooth from his mind control. During the showdown at the Statue of Liberty, Magneto disables the other X-Men while Sabretooth fights Wolverine. Cyclops blasts Sabretooth off the Statue of Liberty, causing him to fall to the boat below.

• In February 2008, 20th Century Fox announced Liev Schreiber was to portray Victor Creed in the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, released in May 1, 2009. The film depicts Victor as the half-brother of James Howlett (Wolverine) and that they fought together as mercenaries in the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War.^[115] Victor grows increasingly violent and uncontrolled as time passes. During the Vietnam War he attempts to rape a young Vietnamese woman and then brutally attacks the soldiers who try to stop him, leading to both him and James being placed in front of a firing squad. They survive the firing squad, and thus are invited to join Major Stryker's all-mutant team. James leaves the team when he witnesses Stryker's willingness to kill innocent civilians, but Victor does not go with him. Victor and Stryker subsequently work together to capture various mutants, culminating in tricking Logan into agreeing to have adamantium bonded to his skeleton by claiming that Victor had gone rogue and had killed the woman he loved. Despite the animosity between the two of them—made even worse when Stryker reveals that, contrary to his deal with Victor, he cannot merge adamantium to his skeleton because it would kill him—the brothers fight together to defeat Weapon XI, Victor explaining his reasons as being that only he gets to kill Wolverine, subsequently departing when the battle is over. This version of Victor possesses enhanced strength and speed, heightened senses, and razor-sharp nails that can extend or retract at will, allowing him to climb sheer surfaces and adds extra power to his grip and he is also given the ability to run on all fours.
• Sabretooth appears in the Wolverine part of Hulk Vs voiced by Mark Acheson. Sabretooth appears as a member of Weapon X employed by Professor Thornton.^[116] He first appears when Wolverine and the Hulk are shot with tranquilizer darts by Deadpool. He then punches out Wolverine and carries him off to the laboratory. Sabretooth then forcefully punches Wolverine awake when Professor Thornton enters where they are holding Wolverine. Later, he confronts Wolverine after his escape from the cell with Professor Thornton and Lady Deathstrike. Annoyed by Professor Thornton, he slashes him in the back (but not fatally) while he is talking to Lady Deathstrike and blames it on Wolverine when the others arrive as they have similar claw marks (although Deadpool realizes he lied). He, along with Lady Deathstrike and Omega Red, face off against Wolverine and eventually to defeat him. Soon, Bruce Banner transforms into the Hulk, (triggered by the stab wound Wolverine left him) and punches Sabretooth out of the laboratory, knocking him out for the rest of the battle. He was later seen lying in the snow unconscious as Hulk and Wolverine finish their fight.

Video games

• Sabretooth is the final boss in the NES video game Wolverine.
• Sabretooth appears in the Capcom fighting games X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom 2, voiced by Don Francks. His partner Birdy is also seen in one of his attacks and poses.
• Sabretooth is a playable character in the X-Men: Mutant Academy fighting games, voiced again by Don Francks.
• Sabretooth is a playable character in X-Men: Next Dimension, voiced by Fred Tatasciore.
• Sabretooth appears in X2: Wolverine's Revenge, voiced again by Fred Tatasciore.
• In X-Men: The Official Game, Sabretooth (voiced by Tyler Mane) serves as the first and final boss for Wolverine. He first appears as a hologram in the Danger Room, then fully appears near the final act with Magneto and is sent into the Master Mold to retrieve Jason Stryker for Magneto's Brotherhood. He has a rematch with Wolverine inside the gigantic Sentinel factory, and is once again defeated when Wolverine impales him and has him fall off the monument. Sabretooth's name as well appears in Stryker's base above a cell door, a nod to fans of the character, as in the comics, Sabretooth was rumored at the time to be receiving an adamantium skeleton like Wolverine.
• Sabretooth appears in X-Men Legends, voiced by Peter Lurie. He is a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants. He fights the X-Men alongside Avalanche at the Mount and later fights alongside Magneto and Mystique on Asteroid M.
• Peter Lurie reprises his role of Sabretooth who appears as a non-playable character in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (PC version has a playable version). Sabretooth's appearance in X-Men Legends II is something of a continuity enigma, in that he has the personality and history of 616 Sabretooth, physical appearance of Ultimate Sabretooth, and yet at the same time plays a nurturing father role to Blink, as with the Age of Apocalypse/Exiles Sabretooth. Later, he ends up kidnapped by Dark Beast for Apocalypse's plot.
• On April 26, 2007, Sabretooth was released as a downloadable character for the Xbox 360 version of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance as part of the Villain Pack, again voiced by Peter Lurie. "Age of Apocalypse" Sabretooth and Ultimate Sabretooth appear as alternate costumes. He has special dialogue with Deathbird and Gladiator (both of whom seem to mistake him for Wolverine and an X-Man).
• Sabretooth is featured in the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game adaptation, voiced by Liev Schreiber.
• Sabretooth appears in the Marvel Super Hero Squad video game, voiced by Charlie Adler.
• Sabretooth appears as a villain character in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.
• Sabretooth appears in the Nintendo DS version of X-Men: Destiny.
• A zombified version of Sabretooth makes a brief cameo alongside Punisher, Daredevil and Bullseye in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 on Frank West's ending while Reed Richards and Frank are looking at the details from the world of Marvel Zombies.
• Sabretooth is featured as a boss in the Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance. Sabretooth later becomes a playable character.
• Sabretooth is available as downloadable content for the game LittleBigPlanet, as part of "Marvel Costume Kit 6".^[117]
• Sabretooth appears as a villain in the video game Marvel Heroes, voiced by Neil Kaplan.
• Sabretooth appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes, voiced by Travis Willingham.

Books

• In the X-Men/Star Trek crossover novel Planet X, Wolverine programs the holodeck of the Enterprise-E to simulate Sabretooth (along with the Blob, Unus the Untouchable, and Juggernaut) for him and Worf to fight.
• In the novelization of the X2 film and the comic book prequel tie-in, it is revealed that Sabretooth survived the incident, was the subject of an international manhunt, and had a brief confrontation with Logan to talk about their shared history.

Comic strips

Sabretooth appeared in 2010 in the syndicated comic strip The Amazing Spider-Man. This version of Sabretooth is revealed to be the brother of Wolverine. He pursues Spider-Man to Florida where he causes havoc. His rampage is brought to an end when Wolverine interrupts him and the two battle to a stalemate, at one point knocking one another out. Upon recovering, both brothers decide to call time on their conflict, at least for now.

References

External links

• Sabretooth at Marvel.com
• UncannyXmen.net Spotlight on Sabretooth