Marvel Comics has always gone their own way with the superhero. Their distinguished competition gave readers gods trying to be human, their stories tapping into the kind of spectacle you can only get with the most powerful heroes ever. However, the House of Ideas decided they wanted their characters to be more real and incorporated many elements of the real world into their books. Their heroes had feet of clay and over the decades, we’ve seen some of the most unlikely heroes ever in the Marvel Universe. The circumstances of their lives are such that there’s really no reason for them to stay or become heroes, but this is where Marvel’s embrace of realistic characters really shines.
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In the real world, people overcome all kinds of obstacles to become better and Marvel heroes are no different. Looking at many of their histories, you can see the places in their lives where any normal person would probably abandon any pretense of heroism. Sometimes, these heroes have been fighting the good fight since the beginning, hanging on through the worst things you can imagine. Sometimes, their actions and attitudes make it seem like they should be on the other side of the moral divide but aren’t. Finally, there are those started out as villains but have found a second life as heroes. These five Marvel characters are the last ones you’d expect to be heroes, including a Spider-Man foe you’ll never guess (it’s not the one you’re thinking of; or the other one. Or that one.)
5) Namor
Namor is one of the first Marvel characters and right away, he was a complicated hero. In fact, an argument can be made that he’s one of the first anti-heroes. Namor is the king of Atlantis, which has put him at odds with the heroic community many times. Atlantis and the surface don’t always get along well and this has meant that Namor has attacked the heroes numerous times, stretching back to the Golden Age. However, he lives on the planet Earth as well, and will protect the world when he needs to. The Sub-Mariner has been a member of the Avengers and X-Men, but he’s also fought both teams and has a well-known grudge with Reed Richards. He’s arrogant and imperious, constantly talking down to everyone. His wars have killed many humans over the years and it’s honestly surprising that the heroes constantly allow him to come back and fight alongside him. However, there’s a good person inside of him; he attacks the surface to protect his people and he attacks the enemies of the planet to protect his world. Despite his many grudges and bad attitude, he always ends up doing the right thing.
4) The Sandman
So, most fans know the Sandman as one of Spider-Man’s first enemies. William Baker was Spidey’s fourth foe, gaining his sand powers in a freak accident. He’d use his powers to commit petty crimes and his powers made him one of the toughest of the Wall-Crawler’s first foes. He helped found the Sinister Six and has gotten more and more powerful over the years. He can shape his body into anything, harden his skin to rock-like consistency, and has superhuman strength. His most deadly attack involves him becoming a sandy maelstrom, spinning with the kind of force that tears through skin and bone. However, he wasn’t always a villain; in fact, there was a time when he was a reserve Avenger. After combining with Hydro-Man while fighting over a girl and becoming Mud-Thing, he decided to go straight and did so. He ended up working with the heroes of New York City and was trusted enough to be given free rein of Avengers Mansion as a reserve member. He also worked with Silver Sable in the Wild Pack, acting as the superhuman muscle (along with Battlestar; Silver Sable and the Wild Pack was a favorite of mine when I was 12) for the mercenary group. He did go back to villainy, but he stayed a hero for years, surprising everyone.
3) The Punisher
The Punisher has a bloody history, one that stretches back to his days in the Marine Corps. Frank Castle lost everything he loved to crime and decided to use his skills to make the world a safer place by killing every mobster and gang member he could. He first appeared and attacked Spider-Man, lied to by the Jackal about the hero, and then his war on crime began in earnest. Let’s not mince words – Frank is a mass murderer and might even be a serial killer. He often finds himself at odds with the heroes, fighting against them or manipulating them into working with him so that he can kill his target. He’s been at odds with everyone for ages, sometimes going to prison and other times ending up dead. He always comes back, ready to kill again. Punisher isn’t a hero at all and yet he still does the right thing. No one likes him and he doesn’t like them either but he does make the night safer.
2) The Hulk
The Hulk is the strongest one there is and it’s honestly shocking he hasn’t become the most evil one there is. Bruce Banner was abused by his alcoholic father, developing numerous mental issues because of it, including DID, with the first Hulk being a protective presence in his head. He eventually became one of the greatest physicists on the planet and created the gamma bomb. The day it was tested, he ran out onto the range to save a young man and the One Below All opened the Green Door, transforming Banner into the most powerful human ever. Since then, he’s been hunted by the government and the heroes, sent to other planets and watched them die, battled future versions of himself, and has dealt with some of the most powerful beings out there. The fact that he was ever heroic character is a huge surprise. He’s constantly under attack, constantly on edge and hunted. We see so many villainous versions of the hero that it’s shocking that the main Hulk hasn’t snapped yet.
1) Deadpool
Deadpool is one of Marvel’s most complicated heroes, even if he seems rather simple. Wade Wilson became an undying killing machine, his mind constantly in flux thanks to his healing factor, his tumors constantly eating at him. He became one of the most dangerous mercenaries on Earth, battling against Cable and Wolverine, but would eventually end up becoming a more heroic version of himself. He started to fight alongside the people he used to fight against, becoming an annoying fanboy type of killing machine. However, the thing about him is that there is a broken, evil part inside of him. There’s a reason he kills in the way he does – he’s keeping the beast at bay by murdering as many people as he can. Honestly, the fact that anyone ever trusted him enough to give him a chance is rather shocking. Wade’s psychopathy has changed a lot over the years, but he’s a person with more blood on his hands than a lake and it’s shocking he’s kept it together so long.
Who’s your favorite unlikeliest Marvel hero? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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