Summary
Not every character inMarvel Comicsis worthy of being an Avenger. Many popular characters throughout the comic book franchise’s history, lack the conventional qualities and attributes that define someone who’s heroic. Whether it’s personality flaws, a penchant for being selfish or succumbing to vices, a lot ofMarvelcharacters aren’t just heroes; they’re anti-heroes.
Aside from being a Taylor Swift song, the termanti-herorefers to a protagonist in a piece of media who performs actions the audience may not identify asmorally correct. Some of these Marvel characters may even tread into the territory of being full-blown supervillains, though we’ve seen them have a heart from time to time. Without further ado, here areMarvel’s strongest anti-heroes.
Daredevil’s Ex-Lover Is An Expert Assassin
Name(s)
Elektra Natchios, Elektra, Daredevil, Daughter of the Hand, Woman Without Fear
Team Affiliations
Avengers Emergency Response Squad, The Hand, Heroes for Hire, Savage Avengers, Thunderbolts
Mixed martial arts, mind switching, heightened instincts, hypnosis, telekinesis, precognition
Portrayed By
Jennifer Garner (Daredevil,Elektra,Deadpool & Wolverine) Élodie Yung (Daredevilseries,The Defendersseries)
Daredevil may exist in a much darker corner of the Marvel universe than most other characters, but he’s still got a lot of heroic qualities. However,his frequent ally, lover, and adversary, Elektra, does not. Inspired by femme fatales of martial arts films, she’s a lot more brutal and ruthless than Matt Murdock. Numerous times in the comics, Elektra kills with little regard for a person’s innocence.
However, Elektra’s sympathetic backstory and romance with Daredevil gave her the courage to be heroic from time to time, helping Murdock deal with Kingpin and The Hand. Surprisingly, Elektra also has more supernatural powers than Murdock, capable of swapping minds with others and using telekinesis. She embodies a lot of Matt Murdock’s worst vices in one sexy and skilled fighter.
Retractable claws, mixed martial arts, tychokinesis
Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard
Felicity Jones (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), Erica Lindbeck (Spider-Manvideo game,Spider-Man 2video-game)
Like Elektra, Felicia Hardy is notable for switching up her allegiances. She debuted as an antagonist to Spider-Man, taking out her anger against men through violence and cat burglary. However, she feels a special connection to Spider-Man, with the two having an on-and-off relationship in the comics. In her desperation for Spider-Man’s affection, she’s proven herself to be a great hero when she wants to be.
While she wasn’t created to have superpowers, Black Cat was once magically enhanced by Doctor Strange to have heightened reflexes and retractable nail claws. She’s also been known to have tychokinesis, a psychic ability to affect probability fields, essentially giving her the crazy power to give her enemies bad luck, which is certainly problematic for Peter Parker.
One Of Marvel’s Most Brutal Characters Is Still Human
Frank Castle, Francis Castiglione, The Punisher, Captain America, War Machine, Scourge of the Underworld
The Hand, Heroes for Hire, Savage Avengers, Secret Avengers, Secret Defenders, Thunderbolts
Peak human strength, mixed martial arts, master marksman
Gerry Conway, Ross Andru, John Romita Sr.
Dolph Lundgren (The Punisher), Thomas Jane (The Punisherremake), Ray Stevenson (Punisher: War Zone), Jon Bernthal (Daredevilseries,The Punisherseries,Daredevil: Born Again)
Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher,maybe Marvel’s most iconic anti-hero, but he’s also the most human out of any other character on this list. A former Marine Corps sniper, Castle puts his military expertise to use as an amateur vigilante, fighting off crime using extreme methods such as torture and murder. This frequently puts him at odds with more heroic characters like Daredevil and Spider-Man.
However, Castle has put down the skull-and-bones armor for more noble purposes, such as taking on the mantle of War Machine following James Rhodes' death in theCivil War 2arc. While he can take a lot of hits, he’s got no flashy superpowers, just pure and raw human strength. At the same time, his obsession with vengeance and justice can sometimes make him too reckless and sloppy.
Wade Wilson, Deadpool, Merc with a Mouth
Avengers Unity Division, Deadpool Corps, Heroes for Hire, Hydra’s Avengers, Secret Defenders, Thunderbolts, War Avengers, X-Force
Abilities
Super-strength, super-speed, mixed martial arts, weapons master, regeneration, fourth wall breaking
Fabian Nicieza, Rob Liefield
Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Deadpool & Wolverine)
Deadpool isn’t just morally ambiguous, and he’ll tell you as much by breaking the fourth wall. The merc with a mouth debuted as a supervillain to X-Force, but later became a charismatic anti-hero in his own right. As fans of his Ryan Reynolds variant know, Wade Wilson started off as a mercenary diagnosed with cancer and undergoes experimental treatments, turning him into a regenerating mutant.
Among Deadpool’s most overpowering abilities is this regeneration, which can almost comically save him from near-death. On top of that, he’s also an expert fighter, often brandishing dual katanas or pistols, with his fightsending up quite bloody. Despite Deadpool’s loose morals, he has often been a hero to the wider Marvel universe and fought alongside fellow anti-heroes like Wolverine.
Cybernetic enhancements, super-strength, self-sustenance
Roger Stern, John Buscema
Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxytrilogy,Avengers Infinity War, Avengers Endgame, Thor: Love & Thunder), Ashly Burch (Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series)
Nebula certainly spiked in popularity following her portrayal by Karen Gillanin the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but her comic book origins already showcased how powerful she could be. The adoptive daughter of Thanos, Nebula is a space mercenary who was repeatedly cybernetically enhanced by Dr. Mandibus, making her incredibly strong and physically superior to most other human characters.
Additionally, like her father, Nebula has been in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet, which can only be achieved by the very strongest of Marvel’s characters. Thankfully, she used it for good to undo Thanos' godly powers. Even then, she remains a fugitive for the most part and has only briefly joined the Guardians of the Galaxy team, unlike her MCU version, who is definitely more of a proper hero.
This Brutal and Deranged Man Has An Egyptian God In His Corner
Marc Spector, Steven Grant, Jake Lockley, Moon Knight, Mr. Knight, Fist of Khonshu
Defenders, Heroes for Hire, Marvel Knights, Midnight Mission, Midnight Sons, Secret Avengers, West Coast Avengers
Lunar strength, power absorption, mixed martial arts, weapons master, immortality, necromancy, self-sustenance
Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight)
Pretty much any character in Marvel Comics who has a close relationship with a literal god is pretty strong. However, Marc Spector is a bit different from the rest, given he suffers from dissociative identity disorder. Not only is he unable to control himself when the Egyptian moon god Khonshu summons him, but his powers differ depending on which identity he currently has.
Like Deadpool, Moon Knight has military expertise to fall back on, but among his most impressive powers is his pain tolerance. Even Taskmaster has said he’d rather not mimic Moon Knight’s abilities due to the character’s willingness to take a hit. On top of that, Marc Spector has also been resurrected numerous times to continue serving Khonshu, which makes him quite immortal.
Raven Darkhölme, Mystique, Foxx, Surge
Astonishing Avengers, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, The Hand, Hellfire Club, Marauders, Weapon X-Force, X-Corps, X-Men
Metamorphing, healing factor, mixed martial arts
Chris Claremont, Jim Mooney
Rebecca Romjin (X-Men,X2,X-Men: The Last Stand), Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: First Class,X-Men: Days of Future Past,X-Men: Apocalypse,Dark Phoenix)
Most of the X-Men are incredibly powerful, but few are as liberal with their loyalties as Mystique. A mutant shapeshifter, Raven Darkhölme has used her powers for both good and evil, such as assassinating important figures throughout history or helping the X-Men take down Apocalypse. Plus, she has an on-and-off relationship with Wolverine that spans literal decades.
Mystique also doesn’t just have shapeshiftingto rely on in fights. Her powers have been enhanced in the comics, allowing her to grow wings, nail talons, and natural body armor. More than anything, Raven is incredibly cunning and hard to manipulate, often serving as a double agent on behalf of Professor X, though Xavier is also wise to keep her at a distance.
James Howlett, Logan, Wolverine, Weapon X
Avengers, Avengers Unity Division, Midnight Sons, New Avengers, New Fantastic Four, Savage Avengers, Secret Defenders, X-Force, X-Men
Adamantium claws, super-strength, super-speed, mixed martial arts, weapons master, regeneration
Len Wein, John Romita, Roy Thomas
Cal Dodd (X-Men: The Animated Series,X-Men ‘97), Hugh Jackman (X-Menfilms,Deadpool & Wolverine), Steve Blum (various video games), Henry Cavill (Deadpool & Wolverine)
There are simply too many instances where Wolverine has survived impossible circumstances, from nuclear bombs to being ripped in half by the Hulk. As a frequent member of the Avengers and X-Men, Logan has all the makings of a noble Marvel hero. Sadly, he’s also a victim of his own demons, relying hard on alcohol and being incredibly anti-social, even towards his fellow mutants.
In fact, it was Wolverine’s anti-hero status that made him so groundbreaking as a Marvel staple, given how tired characters like Captain America and Spider-Man were at that time. Given how long he’s lived and the things he’s survived,Wolverinewouldbe Marvel’s strongest anti-hero, but unfortunately, the one thing he lacks is the strength of a god or the magic of a master sorcerer.
Sorcery, telekinesis, shapeshifting, super-strength, healing factor
Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby
Tom Hiddleston (Thor, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Love & Thunder, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Loki), Sophia DiMartino (Loki), Jack Veal (Loki), Richard E. Grant (Loki), DeObia Oparei (Loki)
For most of his comic book history, Loki was the quintessential supervillain, whose mischief resulted in the formation of the Avengers in 1963. However, the character’s popularity allowed comic book authors to explore his sympathetic backstory and perspective enough to qualify him as an anti-hero. Now, Loki has done some messed up things, but he’s also done some good.
Among Loki’s most impressive feats as an anti-hero include taking over the role of Sorcerer Supreme from Doctor Strange, as well as helping defeat his maddened “King Loki” variant inSecret Wars. The Asgardian deity should obviously never be trusted, but even the Marvel Cinematic Universe has proven that he’s capable of positive change, sacrifice, and even love (albeit, towards himself).
Wanda Maximoff, Scarlet Witch, Living Darkhold, Emperor of Magic
Avengers, Avengers Unity Division, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Hydra’s Avengers, Secret Defenders, Strange Academy, West Coast Avengers
Witchcraft, hexcraft, chaos magic, reality warping, energy manipulation, flight, time manipulation, necromancy
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Elizabeth Olsen (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Emily O’Brien (Marvel’s Midnight Sons)
Like many other rankings of Marvel Comics characters, Scarlet Witch takes the cake as one of the franchise’s best anti-heroes. Wanda Maximoff has all the makings of a great hero, from a genuine desire to do good to powers that would really make the Avengers one of the strongest superhero teams. However, her allegiances have been split by her own mental state and her family.
Notably, the Scarlet Witch’s father is Magneto, giving her some loyalty to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. TheHouse of Msaga also sees Wanda’s grief nearly erase mutants from the entire universe.Among Wanda’s other OP powersinclude bending reality to her will, affecting probability, as well as becoming a Nexus Being, making her controlling over the entire Marvel timeline.
