Big Bad Wolf

The Big Bad Wolf is the name given to a powerful creature that roamed many lands. It was known to swallow its victims alive allowing the possibility for them to be rescued.

## **Biography**

### **Early Life**

Centuries ago, the North Wind fell in love with a blazing white she-wolf named Winter, the daughter of the great Wolf Fenrir. Taking canine form, he courted her and stayed by her side for two seasons but - due to his father's temperament - he was drawn back towards his castle, leaving Winter heartbroken.

Soon after her lover fled, Winter gave birth to a litter of cubs in the Black Forest, including the one that would become the Big Bad Wolf of legend. As the runt of the litter, the future Big Bad Wolf was often teased and mocked by his brothers. However his mother loved all her sons equally and tried her best to shield the young Wolf from his brother's bullying. Watching his mother die of sadness and unrequited love the young wolf grew to hate his father and regard him with little respect.

When his mother did finally die, his elder brothers left in search of their father and the future Big Bad Wolf remained behind to protect her corpse from scavengers and carrion eaters. Unfortunately, he proved unable to defend her remains due to his small size. Fueled by his loss, The Big Bad Wolf personally swore vengeance against the capricious North Wind. At some point he realized he was immortal due to his North Wind and Fenrir heritage.

### **Aesops's Fables(8th Century BC to 1 AD)**

At the beginning the Wolf was a poor hunter and was able to obtain food from the trickery of other animals, doing so several times during the classical era in Greece, between the 8th century BC and the 5th or 6th century AD. Among his exploits included consuming the Boy who cried Wolf after waiting until he had pulled the prank of falsely claiming a wolf was attacking his sheep to the extent that when he told the truth no one believed him.(*The Boy Who Cried Wolf*).

A famished wolf met a well-fed dog and complimented him on his sleek appearance. The dog described his life of ease and invited the wolf to join him. As they went on their way, the wolf asked why the fur about the dog's neck was worn away. He replied that it is merely caused by the collar he has to wear at home. The wolf then left him, declaring that a full belly is a poor price to pay for a lack of liberty.(*The Dog and the Wolf*)

After facing the difficulty of catching food on his own the Wolf was taken in by a Syriac Priest in the Middle East who attempted to teach the Wolf like a man but gave up and came to the conclusion the Wolf could not break free of its nature as the Wolf could only learn the names of food it liked to eat.(*The Priest and the Wolf*).

A feeding wolf got a small bone stuck in his throat and, in terrible pain, begged the other animals for help, promising a reward. At last the Crane agreed to try and, putting its long bill down the Wolf’s throat, loosened the bone and took it out. But when the Crane asked for his reward, the Wolf replied, "You have put your head inside a wolf’s mouth and taken it out again in safety; that ought to be reward enough for you."(*The Wolf and the Crane*).

The wolf came upon a lamb and, in order to justify taking its life, accused it of various misdemeanours, all of which the lamb proved to be unable to commit. Losing patience, the wolf says the offences must have been committed by someone else in the family and that it does not propose to delay its meal by enquiring any further and eats the lamb, because tyranny and evil beings do not care for one's innocence or one's victims. After killing the Sheep, the Wolf then took to wearing it's skin. (*The Wolf and the Lamb*).

### **In Sheep's Clothing(1 AD to 12th Century)**

Jesus Christ himself warned of the danger of the Wolf in Sheep's clothing though he used it as a metaphor, once quoted as saying: "*Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves"*. In the 12th Century, tales of the Wolves's disguise became known.

*'A wolf once decided to change his nature by changing his appearance, and thus get plenty to eat. He put on a sheepskin and accompanied the flock to the pasture. The shepherd was fooled by the disguise. When night fell, the shepherd shut up the wolf in the fold with the rest of the sheep and as the fence was placed across the entrance, the sheepfold was securely closed off. But when the shepherd wanted a sheep for his supper, he took his knife and killed the wolf.'*

Presumably this was what convinced the Wolf to abandon its disguise. Though another tale has it that a Farmer noticed his sheep disappearing and hung the Wolf. When the villagers asked why he had hung a Sheep, the farmer commented that the look was of a sheep but the actions were those of a wolf. Its identity exposed it shed its disguise.

The Wolf convinced a Fox into stealing food for him from a farmer. When the farmer came the wolf was too full to escape and was killed, later reviving due to his Fenrir side, vowing that he would never become lazy and to eat something bigger as each day passed until he became large and strong enough to confront his father.(*The Wolf and the Fox*).

### **The Big Bad Wolf**

At some unknown point in his life, The Wolf set his sights on three anthropomorphic pigs, descendants of a race of intelligent pigs that would come to be found in Manor Farm; while they were not the largest pigs he hunted, he thought by eating all three at once he would technically still be honoring his vow. By the time he actually hunted the Three Little Pigs, he had discovered some of the peculiar gifts he inherited from his father, specifically a powerful breath which failed to destroy a house made of brick. The pigs

The Wolf faced his next defeat by sentient animals when he ate six young goat kids, when the sole survivor was discovered by the mother and the two discovered the sleeping Wolf and sowed rocks into his stomach, causing him to fall down a well and nearly drown.((*The Wolf and the Seven young Kids*).

### **Tobias Clay**

Once the Wolf recovered, he was captured by a Witch under the orders of the North Wind. The Witch seeked to free Little Red Riding Hood from her lycanthropy and insanity by transferring it to a Wolf, where it would have less effect.

Tobias Clay, a mortal man was a woodcutter and hired Howard Hatchett to be his apprentice. According to Hatchett, Clay was on the verge of firing his lazy apprentice. One day, while collecting wood in a dark part of the forest for a local mill, Clay heard a scream. He convinced his reluctant apprentice to follow the noise with him, and the two found a witch's house, sat beneath a fierce storm. Inside, the witch was using the North Wind to split the rabid Big Bad Wolf from its insanity, which she trapped within a clay jar. Hatchett begged the woodcutter to leave, but when Clay saw Little Red Riding Hood enter the house and have the North Wind turned on her, he decided to act, not knowing the witch was about to cure the girl, who was her granddaughter, of her insanity, just as she had the wolf. Clay raced into the house and confronted the witch, knocking the clay jar from her hands in the commotion. The wolf's insanity was released, entering Tobias Clay and turning him into the Big Bad Wolf. The witch's magic was no match for the beast, who killed and ate her, then fled while pursuing the North Wind. Hatchett, having done nothing to save his friend, brought Red back to her family and lied about the incident to become a big hero.

   Sometime after this, the first humans he hunted and ate were Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. A local woodsman cut him open while The Wolf was sleeping, pulled Red Riding Hood and her grandmother out of his stomach (the two had some magic to them and thus survived his assault), sewed rocks into his belly(learning this was the best way to defeat him), and threw the Wolf into a river. He survived by holding his breath for three weeks (another gift from being the son of the North Wind) and passing the stones until he could manage to swim to the surface. Following that incident, he swore to hunt humans, before that point he had only eaten occasionally the weak or children such as the Boy who Cried Wolf.

As The Wolf began eating humans, he grew unnaturally large. He soon grew to gargantuan size. Once he felt he was of sufficient strength to confront his father, The Wolf journeyed to Wind's castle seven times to kill him, and seven times was he proved no match for the elemental might of his father. Accepting defeat, The Big Bad Wolf swore to think no more of his dead mother or loathsome father, instead burying his hatred and grief. This hatred and grief, upon leaving the World would take an independent form as a monstrous black Shadow(Seen in *Promethea*). At some point he was seduced by an adult Red Riding Hood(or someone using her appearance as *Fables* reveals that Red Riding Hood's form is commonly taken by magic users), and gave birth to a race called the Loups. He would have several other children with other women over the centuries.

### **The Exodus**

In the days leading up to the Exodus, Bigby hunted armies of men and goblins in the Black Forest, making it his personal mission to destroy corrupted invading forces and their camps, devour their night watchmen and destroy their supply trains.

In furtherance of his attempts to frustrate the Adversary, the Wolf took up the task of leading Fables who wished to escape the Adversary through the portal. In order to ensure that no spies were shown passage through, he insisted on tasting the flesh of everyone to whom he showed the path, and determining whether they were tainted or not.

One day, while tearing through their ranks, he discovered a woman with alabaster skin as fresh as snow and hair as black as coal. Upon approaching her, Bigby noticed her pleasant scent, destroyed her shackles and chains, freeing her from captivity; Bigby was amused by the women as she was not as terrified of him as the other captives, enough to take a sword to defend herself if the wolf were to attack. It was after this encounter that Bigby began to feel an attraction to Snow, though he would remain in the Homelands for many years before even crossing over into the Mundane world.

### **Ferryport Landing**

The Big Bad Wolf as Mr. Canis came to Ferryport Landing (then named Fairyport Landing) as the Big Bad Wolf, the 58th ticket purchaser aboard the *Neuer Anfang*(German for *New Beginning*). The ship made port in 1805, and the Wolf stayed in Ferryport Landing, to eventually be unwillingly trapped in the town by Wilhelm Grimm and Baba Yaga's magical barrier, in 1825. The Wolf used his great breath inherited from the North Wind to terrorize the town for decades, in one instance humiliating Charming by tying him upside down in a tree with his own rope. No one could stop the Bad Bad Wolf until the three little pigs devised a plan to part him with the weapon. Spreading a rumor that Old McDonald's flock of sheep had grown too big, the pigs tempted the Big Bad Wolf to McDonald's barn, where they waited, disguised as sheep. Dr.Swineheart used a pickup truck to knock him over, giving one pig the opportunity to drop from the ceiling on a rope to steal the North Wind, while another pig hit the beast with a shovel. The Big Bad Wolf was furious, so the three pigs fled. Ferryport Landing would become known as "The Farm" and the Big Bad Wolf would be unwelcome.

### **Peter and the Wolf(1936)**

In 1936, The Big Bad Wolf found its way towards Communist Russia. Peter, a young Pioneer(the youth of the Communist Party) was warned by his grandfather about the presence of the Big Bad Wolf in the nearby forest. His grandfather scolded him for being outside in the meadow alone ("Suppose a wolf came out of the forest?"), and, when he defied him, saying: "Boys like me are not afraid of wolves", his grandfather took him back into the house and locked the gate. Soon afterwards "a big, grey wolf" dud indeed come out of the forest. The cat quickly climbed into a tree, but the duck, who had jumped out of the pond, was chased, overtaken, and swallowed by the wolf.

Peter fetched a rope and climbed over the garden wall into the tree. He asks the bird to fly around the wolf's head to distract him, while he lowers a noose and catches the wolf by his tail. The wolf struggled to get free, but Peter tied the rope to the tree and the noose only got tighter.

Some hunters, who have been tracking the wolf, came out of the forest ready to shoot, but Peter gets them to help him take the wolf to a zoo in a victory parade before an audience of Young Pioneers during May Day celebrations. This parade included Peter, the bird, the hunters leading the wolf, the cat, and the grumpy grumbling Grandfather ("What if Peter *hadn't* caught the wolf? What then?").

*"If you listen very carefully, you'll hear the duck quacking inside the wolf's belly, because the wolf in his hurry had swallowed her alive."*

During World War II, the Big Bad Wolf was part of a regiment of Soldiers sent into Castle Frankenstein to prevent the Nazis from reviving the Frankenstein Monster.

### **Fabletown**

The Big Bad Wolf was later tracked down by Snow White and Feathertop whom personally promised him safe-guarded passage into the new community. Bigby agreed and Snow White cut him with a lycanthropy-stained knife, granting him the ability to change into human form at will. Bigby later became employed as Fabletown's Sheriff under King Cole's administration due to his incredible detective skills and fighting prowess. But - due to his dark past and actions - several Fables were hesitant to trust him, thus banning him from ever setting foot on the Farm.

### **1990's**

in 1993, the Big Bad Wolf found the three little pigs in the police station, where they turned the North Wind upon him, and released Mr. Canis, who awoke with no memory of his identity as Tobias Clay, or as the Big Bad Wolf, who's spirit lay dorment within. The pigs took Canis to Basil and Relda Grimm, the later of whom to invite him into the family, despite Basil, Henry and Jake's protests. Mr. Canis remained in the Grimm house as the family's protector, with the ability to tap into the Wolf's powers, even after the death of Basil and the departure of Henry and Jake. To maintain control and composure over the Wolf, Canis began to practice meditation.

It was through Meditation, Canis was able to separate his identity of Bigby Wolf into its own individual.

it became clear that Mr. Canis was losing his grip on the Wolf. Granny Relda told Sabrina Grimm that this was due to the fact that when Mr. Canis was trying to protect the family from Jack, he tasted human blood. Mr. Canis helped the family escape from several dangerous situations including when they were attacked by a frog-girl monster. Even so, Sabrina started to become wary of the old man. When Rumplestiltskin goaded Canis to transform into the Wolf. The Wolf took control, and fought with Puck. The Big Bad Wolf said that "love will be the end" of the fairy. Puck claimed that he didn't know what Canis was talking about, and the Wolf looked at Sabrina and chuckled. Daphne confronted the Wolf and said that she knew Mr. Canis was still in there and that she loved him. Touched by the affectionate moment, Canis briefly surfaced, only to be overwhelmed by the Wolf again. Knowing that Rumplestiltskin was feeding on the Wolf's anger, Sabrina tried to make Puck stop fighting the Big Bad Wolf. When the Wolf discovered how Rumplestiltskin was using him, he attacked him and the Grimms escaped. Sabrina saw the school explode. She thought it was her fault that Mr. Canis died and used the last of the Little Matchstick Girl's matchsticks to rescue her parents. ﻿

In 2002, the wolf was conjured and mind controlled by the Wicked Witch from the Magic Mirror to attack the Charmed Ones. He swallowed Grams whole and took her form while finding chances to eat Piper. The seven dwarfs recognized the wolf in disquise, but decided not to involve themselves. ﻿

As Piper re-read *Little Red Riding Hood*, the wolf repeated its lines in the story where it attacked Little Red Riding Hood, then returned to its true form and swallowed Piper. As Leo confronted him, the wolf attempted to jump into a book of fairy tales; which was a portal to such characters. However, Piper managed to blow him up from the inside before he could reach it, freeing both herself and Penny. The Wold would regenerate, no longer being controlled.

In 2010, Henry Whelp, the son of the Big Bad Wolf, found his father in prison for the murder of Red and her grandmother. Henry believes that his father was put up to it in some way. As it turns out, the murder was committed under the influence of tainted fairy dust, which turns animalia like the Whelps violent. ﻿

In 2015,  *The Bad Guys*, Mr. Wolf is pointedly the same wolf from *The Three Little Pigs* and *Little Red Riding Hood*, as his rap sheet states. Despite this, he’s the first member of the team to invoke the change to good, and is the one most insistent on keeping it. ﻿

## **Other Versions**

### **Zeke Midas Wolf**

It is quite common for characters from old tales to appear in the form of "Toons" or animated beings. The Big Bad Wolf has been portrayed by several Toon Wolves. Disney's own version is Zeke Wolf. An antagonist for the toon's version of the Three Little Pigs. He was aided by his three Wolf sons, until the death of two of them in the early days of World War II. This forever changed both the Wolf and his surviving son "Lil Bad Wolf". The son became kinder and befriended the Wolves. Zeke Wolf vented his sadness by appearing in Wartime propaganda cartoons in which he mocked Hitler. He was known for wearing very thin disguises and for dressing in drag and even attempting to seduce the pigs. After the war he became a jazz artist called "Big Bad Wolf Daddy", performing a swing version of his song with the Pigs as his backup band (they are under a contract that states he will eat them if they do not play for him). His tendency to destroy houses by exhaling is shown to be an allergy-like reaction to the sight of a door. He also serves as a Mall Santa around Christmas time.

### **Adolf "Wally" Wolf**

Adolf Wolf was one of the many cartoon counterparts of Hynkel which manifested in the Cartoon reality connected through areas like Toon Town. He allied with Hynkel to attack the Cartoons, starting with the invasion of the country of Pigmania, and even held a rank of General among the SS. He attacked in 1942. Two pigs who built their houses of straw and sticks claimed they didn't have to take precautions against the wolf, because they signed non-aggression pacts with him. The pig who built his house of stone, "Sergeant Pork" (the cartoon world's counterpart to Sergeant York), did take his precautions and outfits his house with defense machinery. Adolf Wolf invaded Pigmania, despite the two pigs protesting that he signed a treaty with them. He destroyed their houses, forcing the pigs to hide in the third pig's house, prompting a battle between the two parties. Adolf Wolf was blown out of his bomber plane by the pigs' artillery shells filled with Defense bonds and falls down to Earth alongside a bomb, which promptly blew him to Hell upon impact. There he realized he is dead and said: *"Where am I? Have I been blown to... ?",* whereupon a group of devils added: *"Ehhhh, it's a possibility!*"

Adolf Wolf did however survive this, and went on to go into hiding after the War, changing his identity to Wally Slick McWolf and taking to Cartoon acting. He became a Hollywood singer and fell in love with Hollywood singer, Red Riding Hood. He attempted to seduce her but was put off when Red's grandmother attempted to seduce him. He committed suicide, returning as a ghost to once more holler at Red Riding Hood's nightclub performances as he had in life. He returned to life once more, resuming Toon acting opposite Droopy the dog.

### **Looney Tunes Big Bad Wolves**

There was also a cartoon version appearing mostly in Bugs Bunny cartoons, voiced by Mel Blanc, who appeared in *The Windblown Hare(1949)*, *Little Red Riding Rabbit(1944)*, and many more. This was a more humorous wolf, being slightly stupid, but really prone to anger.

In the 1957 short *Three Little Bops*. In the story, the wolf plays a trumpet rather badly while instrument playing pigs engage in club hopping using clubs made of straw, sticks, and bricks. He died in this adventure but was sent to Hell, where he was allowed to continue playing the trumpet, and actually improved enough to be sent back briefly do his spirit could play with the Three Little Bops, becoming the Three Little Bops plus one.

### **Loopy De Loop**

*Loopy de Loop* was a kind-hearted wolf who spoke with a bad French Canadian accent, and whose kind-hearted attempts to assist almost always ended up by being rejected by those he sought to help-or something slightly worse. He was active from 1959 to 1965.

### **Volk**

    A Wolf living in the Soviet Union first spotted in 1969, a hooligan who eagerly turns to vandalism, abuses minors, breaks laws and is a heavy smoker. His adventures revolve around constant failures to capture a Hare. On the other hand, many of Wolf's attempts to catch Hare are often characterized by uncanny abilities on his part (including figure skating, ballet and waltzing) which demonstrate his more refined side. Wolf can also play the guitar very well and ride the powerful rocker motorbike, making his character more sophisticated than a normal hooligan. In spite of these talents, most of Wolf's schemes eventually fail or turn against him.

### **Sesame Street**

The Big Bad Wolf has become a regularly recurring puppet character on *Sesame Street*, debuting in 1973, appearing usually in purple fur (although he originally had blue shaggy fur, as he was a variant of Herry Monster). Besides the purple and blue variants, there were also green and white versions of the Big Bad Wolf. In episode 3001, the music number "Bad Wolf" showed that the Big Bad Wolf with his family which consists of his mother Big Glad Wolf, his father Well-Clad Wolf, his brother Big Rad Wolf, his sister Big Sad Wolf, his aunt Big Grad Wolf, and his uncle Big Mad Wolf. In episode 4035, the Big Bad Wolf is shown to have a brother named Leonard Wolf, who tells Elmo and Rosita that not all wolves are the same. In episode 4219, the Big Bad Wolf works in the hair-drying salon after telling Elmo and Telly Monster that he is no longer in the pig-chasing business. In episode 4266, the Big Bad Wolf huffs and puffs Slimey the Worm when he is unable to catch the Three Little Pigs not realizing the harm he is doing to Slimey. When he does realize this thanks to Alan, Big Bird. Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Oscar the Grouch, the Big Bad Wolf apologizes to Slimey and starts a hobby of bubble blowing.

The puppet for the purple variant of the Big Bad Wolf appeared in *The Furchester Hotel* as different characters.

### **Alexander T. Wolf**

In 1988, a Wolf was arrested for murdering two Pigs. This is the story he told, which may not be entirely true. Alexander T. Wolf had a cold. He was baking a cake for his grandmother's birthday and the wolf had to travel to the little pigs' houses to borrow a cup of sugar. Each time the pigs turned him away, Alexander T. Wolf's cold caused him to huff and puff and sneeze a great sneeze whereupon the wolf would accidentally destroy the pig's house. Finding the inhabitant deceased, the Alexander T. Wolf decided to eat the body so as not to let good meat go to waste, since the pig was dead anyway. The final pig's house was not blown down and Alexander T. Wolf went into an excessive sneezing fit while the pig allegedly insulted his grandmother. The authorities came and dragged a furious and flustered wolf away and locked him up in prison. It is from prison where Alexander T. Wolf is told his (not entirely convincing) story as the news reports had found out about the two dead pigs he ate and jazzed up their story. Now labeled the "Big Bad Wolf," Alexander T. Wolf stated that he was framed.

### **Shrek**

This wolf was a friendly misunderstood cross-dresser (apparently still wearing her grandmother's clothes) and on good terms with the three little pigs.

### **Wolf.W.Wolf**

First making his appearance in 2005, Wolf W.Wolf was a misunderstood Fletch-type investigator. Wolf worked undercover assignments. His assistant and cameraman was a hyperactive squirrel named Twitchy and he wrote a column for *The Once Upon a Times*. His reason for stalking Red Puckett was to get information from her about a mysterious thief striking this part of the woods. He would join the Happily Ever After agency.

At least one Earth Z version of the Wolf exists, which was zombified and killed by Rapunzel.