Mutant Massacre

The 'Mutant Massacre' storyline in which Mr. Sinister uses a group of villains to destroy the Morlocks.

The Sabretooth featured in this run is almost certainly a clone created by Mr. Sinister, and not the Sabretooth we have seen up to this point or will see in the future.

However, this is also the first time we see Wolverine and (a) Sabretooth interacting so it's an important run.

Wolverine (1988) #10: This is the first flashback episode to Sabretooth and Wolverine's backstory together.

Some important notes: Sabretooth's real name has not yet been established as Victor Creed and he is referred to as Sabretooth throughout. 

Chris Claremont likely intended the setting of this flashback to have been the 1940s or 1950s because this was before Wolverine and Sabretooth's immortality was established. However, Claremont's ambiguity of setting and odd depiction of rural Canada suggested a much earlier timeframe to later writers, who imagine this occurring in the 1890s or 1900s, which later becomes its canonical timeframe.

Likewise, the actual veracity of the events depicted in this issue are of dubious truthfulness within the story. The Hama era of Project X strongly suggests that this incident is a false memory implanted in both Sabretooth and Wolverine to control them, and in fact evidence exists that it could not have happened– after all we meet Silverfox alive– however, later writers will contradict this and imply that it actually happened.

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #322 and #324: While Sabretooth only makes a small appearance in these books it is a highly important one. Sabretooth appears here in Europe, still working as an assassin and being paid to take out a high profile political target.

This is the appearance that makes it clear that the animalistic Sabretooth from the Mutant Massacre (who is killed by the new Mutants in a brief appearance in the Inferno storyline) is almost certainly a clone and not the original Sabretooth.

 X-Factor (1986) #51-53: Sabretooth is hired to kill Angel. This is skippable, but leads straight into the New Mutants appearance.This set of appearances establishes a later somewhat important enmity with Caliban.

New Mutants (1983) #90-91: These two issues by Rob Liefled are ugly and largely pointless but they do establish why Sabretooth is where he is when we next see him– which is the next major era for Sabretooth.

Project X Backstory (Hama Era)

In some ways this is the first really critical run of plots for Sabretooth which really codified his backstory and character going forward; to the point where this is the run where his real name, Victor Creed, is revealed.

Wolverine (1988) #41-46: This is the first real Sabretooth and Wolverine storyline. Larry Hama takes up writing duties here, and uses them to smoothly transition between the few ideas about Sabretooth that Chris Claremont established, into the larger concept he has for Sabretooth.

This section establishes their rivalry and history, building into the idea that much of what they know and believe about one another may be false. Throughout this arc Sabretooth claims that Logan is his son, an idea that Hama will soon reveal is the result of mind control they both underwent, as Sabretooth starts having flashbacks and breaks in his programming.

Wolverine (1988) #48-49: A critically important couple of issues where Wolverine discovers his and Sabretooth's past as special forces partners with Team X in the cold war era.

X-Men (1991) #5-7: These issues continue to probe Wolverine and Sabretooth's true backstory with one another, as Omega Red kidnaps and tortures Wolverine to discover the final outcome of a mission that the pair were on during the cold war.

Wolverine (1988) #60-64: this is the critical run where Larry Hama exposes the full scope of the brainwashing and programming that Sabretooth and Wolverine underwent together.

Wolverine (1988) #68: A flashback issue to another important cold war mission Wolverine and Sabretooth undertook as part of Team X.

Sabretooth (1993) #1-4: Also known as Sabretooth: Death Hunt. This is Sabretooth's first miniseries and a critically important one. It establishes his long held romance/enmity with Mystique, setting it during an incident during the cold war. It establishes another important point going forward– Mystique and Sabretooth's son, Graydon Creed.

The Basement Arc

With Sabretooth's backstory and character firmly established, the story now moves into it's next phase, the basement arc.

During this series of issues, Sabretooth has finally completely lost his mind due to the fragmentation of his earlier brainwashing, which has driven him into a now completely uncontrollable bloodlust.

He seeks help with the X-Men, only to find himself locked in a dungeon in the basement and berated and condemned by various characters, who believe he is beyond help, and unworthy of pity.

He is eventually semi-accidentally lobotomized by a half-mad Wolverine, and is reduced to a childlike state during the healing process. During this time he befriends abuse victim Tabitha Smith who shows him kindness and empathy, only to be condemned by her friends for doing so.

Sabretooth Special (1996) #1: At the end of this arc, Sabretooth breaks out of captivity and goes on a rampage, before attempting to commit suicide, preferring death to captivity. "Have you ever seen the end of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?" he asks.

However, his suicide attempt fails and he is captured by the government, leading directly into the next arc.

X-Factor Era

Taking place primarily in the pages of a year and a half long run of X-Factor, this is another early core Sabretooth story. This story continues the repeated themes of Sabretooth being held captive and controlled by government forces who want to use him as a weapon, and the increasing futility of trying to control him.

Core interactions during this time are a continuing romantic arc and enmity with Mystique, and a newly established sort of dark mentorship with the character Wild Child who shares many of Sabretooth traits but in a much more pathetic and absurd way.

Loose Cannon

During this time Sabretooth is back to doing mercenary work and doing as he pleases, after finally having escaped the mental deterioration of his mind control, and captivity by the government.

Logan: Shadow Society (1996) #1: Sabretooth takes a job with the Hellfire Club that connects to his and Logan's mutual past.

Maverick (1997) #1-7: While not every issue features an appearance by Sabretooth himself, the main thrust of the story is Sabretooth being hunted by a figure from his past, following up on the events depicted in Wolverine (1988) #68.

Wolverine (1988) #126-128: Sabretooth crashes Wolverine's wedding and beats him up, before he, Wolverine and Kitty Pryde are forced to fight a team of magical ninjas that swap the trio's personalities with one another.

Gambit (1999) #7-9: Sabretooth teams up with Gambit against Mister Sinister and Sabretooth is allowed to take on a more anti-hero role by the narrative.

Uncanny X-Men (1981) #388 & Bishop: The Last X-Man (1999) #16: Sabretooth teams up with Mystique for some political machinations against the X-Men.

Weapon X (2000s)

During this arc, Sabretooth is captured, along with a number of other mutants, and forced into another Weapon X project which experiments on him and uses him as a weapon. However, being of sound mind this time, this goes very poorly for Weapon X as Sabretooth escapes and makes himself a problem for them. 

Wolverine (1988) #160, 162-166: Sabretooth is recaptured by the new Weapon X project who proceed to implant his skeleton with adamantium like Wolverine's and try to use him as a weapon.

Deadpool (1997) #57, 59-61: Weapon X sends Sabretooth to attempt to recruit Deadpool for the Weapon X project. They don't know that Sabretooth is already plotting his escape.

There are several issues of Weapon X "pregame" that involve Sabretooth, and show how things have been going for the project. 

 Weapon X (2002) #½

 Weapon X: Wild Child (2002) #1

 Weapon X: Agent Zero (2002) #1

Sabretooth: Mary Shelly Overdrive #1-4: Along with the original mini, this four issue mini is the best Sabretooth solo miniseries written so far. A true neo-noir story and a tragedy, Sabretooth finds himself mixed up with an innocent young woman who is in over her head and running out of time. This story casts Sabretooth as a true romantic anti-hero. Set after his escape from Weapon X and before he comes back to make himself a problem for them.

Weapon X (2002) #2-12: Sabretooth makes himself a problem for Weapon X throughout this year long run. Some highlights include renewed clashes with Wild Child following up on their X-factor mentorship/enmity.

New X-Men (2001) #142: Sabretooth runs into Wolverine in a Hellfire club bathroom.

Wolverine (2003) #13-19: Sabretooth recruits Wolverine to help him on a job hunting down a figure from their mutual past. This is a great arc because it reverses the usual perceived dynamic of an animalistic Sabretooth and a civilized Wolverine. It's also some of the most time that Sabretooth and Wolverine spend talking so far.

Sabretooth (2004) #1-4: A really tepid and skippable book that doesn't focus much on Sabretooth himself. However, it's interesting enough for the twist, which is that Sabretooth is not actually the villain who's been killing people, as is assumed at the start.

Identity Disc (2004) #1-4: A fun but messy and easily skippable mini. Sabretooth and some other villains are recruited for a big heist.

Weapon X (2002) #26-28: Sabretooth returns to the pages of the Weapon X book for the end of its run, to clean up the mess. This run is great for the relationship between Sabretooth and fellow mutant mercenary John Greycrow (known here as "Scalphunter"). Plus we get to see Sabretooth in a Hawaiian shirt. The very end of this run implies that Sabretooth is pulled away by business with the Brotherhood of Mutants which we unfortunately never see much followed up on.

Black Panther (2005) #7: this "House of M" era issue implies that Sabretooth has been working for Magneto and the brotherhood of mutants for the past 9 months he's been off screen. Magneto sends him to kill the Black Panther and they fight. Sabretooth then disappears from comics for another full year.

X-Men (1991) #188-193: Sabretooth seeks sanctuary with the X-Men and hangs out on their couch for a while, while Mystique avoids speaking to him. He warns the X-Men about the so called "Children of the Vault."