Werewolf By Night

In the 1970s, riding the wave of the monster craze, Marvel introduced “Werewolf by Night,” reimagining a classic creature as an anti-hero—a move that played to their strengths. Unlike previous cinematic versions of the Wolfman, this character was a fresh take with no direct ties to earlier incarnations.

Stan Lee suggested the series name, while Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog developed the story and art, based on a plot by Roy and Jean Thomas for the first issue. The character debuted in “Marvel Spotlight” issues #2 to #4 in 1971. Due to his popularity, he received his own title in 1972.

The werewolf is Jacob “Jack” Russell (yes, like the dog breed), who comes from a lineage of werewolves. His father, Gregor Russoff, moved the family from Transylvania to Los Angeles, giving Jack an anglicized surname and a modern American backdrop. Jack transforms into a werewolf during the full moon and the surrounding nights, becoming a powerful hybrid of human and wolf while losing his human intellect. Eventually, he learns to control his transformations outside of the full moon, retaining his consciousness.

As a werewolf, Jack stands nearly seven feet tall and gains superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, and reflexes. He possesses razor-sharp teeth and claws capable of cutting through light metals and has an enhanced sense of smell that remains even in his human form. He heals rapidly from non-fatal wounds but is vulnerable to magical attacks and can be killed by silver weapons due to their mystical properties.

Gerry Conway found working on the series to be a refreshing change from traditional superhero stories, describing it as “a lot of fun.”

“Werewolf by Night” was published for 43 issues, concluding in March 1977. Notably, issues #32 and #33 are highly sought after by collectors, as they feature the introduction and early appearances of the popular hero Moon Knight.