Way back in the day, DC Comics created the superhero with Superman, which would lead to Marvel creating their own superheroes. Even back then, the publisher was doing things differently than their distinguished competition, but the biggest change to the formula wouldn’t come until the Silver Age. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby revolutionized the superhero forever, and it’s paid off. The House of Ideas have created many of the greatest superheroes of all time, and their A-list heroes are a who’s who of the most popular heroes ever: Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Storm, and many, many more. However, they’re the just the tip of the spear when it comes to great heroes.
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The Marvel Universe is full of heroes, and many of the best aren’t in the A-list at all. The publisher’s B-list is full of amazing heroes, lower-level heroes that are some of the best out there. These ten B-list Marvel heroes are the best of all time, second stringers who are just as cool as the greats.
10) Hank Pym
Hank Pym is a complicated character who gets a lot of hate for something he did once while in mental distress and creating the ultimate human-killing machine. Pym hit his wife the Wasp and built Ultron, and the character has been defined by those actions in the eyes of fans for years. However, there’s so much more to the hero than just that. Pym is one of the greatest science heroes in the Marvel Universe. His Pym Particles are one of the most versatile and useful creations ever, allowing him to fight evil. However, what really makes Hank a great hero (other than the fantastic Yellowjacket costume) is the struggle. He’s constantly dealing with his own mental issues, and that makes his heroism all the more realistic. He’s a complicated character, one that can fit in so many different stories. Marvel hasn’t used him well in years (although 2023’s Avengers Inc. is fantastic and you need to hunt it down, because I’m pretty sure I’m the only person who read it), but that doesn’t change how awesome he is.
9) The Wasp
Hank Pym was one of Silver Age Marvel’s first heroes and he brought his girlfriend Janet Van Dyne with him. He built a costume for her that allowed her to fly and fire wasp stings energy blasts, gave her some Pym Particles, and she was off to the races as the Wasp. She’s a founding member of the Avengers, and has led several Avengers teams. She’s one of the most unflappable heroes out there, and she’s mastered her abilities to become one of the most underrated Avengers ever. The Wasp is a fantastic hero, and she deserves her flowers as one of Marvel’s greats.
8) Kitty Pryde
The X-Men rose through the ranks to become the most important superhero team in the Marvel Universe. You’re going to meet a lot of great mutant heroes from the team on this list, and Kitty Pryde is the first of them. She joined the team as a 13 year old girl, and has since has grown into one of the most skilled and beloved heroes ever. She’s mastered her phasing powers, using them brilliantly for offense and defense, has become a skilled hand to hand fighter, and is one of the most multifaceted heroes out there. Kitty Pryde is one of the greatest X-Men, and she’s proved it time and time again. Entire generations have grown up with her, and she’s become a favorite of nearly every X-fan.
7) Nova
Nova was created to be the teenage Green Lantern of the Marvel Universe. Richard Rider was recruited to the Xandarian Nova Corps, given superhuman strength, speed, flight, and access to the Worldmind. Since then, he’s joined the New Warriors, helped fight against the Annihilation Wave and Thanos, became one of the only survivors of the Corps, joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, and has been saving the universe for years. He’s a legend, and Marvel bringing back in the recent cosmic Marvel epic Imperial was a great return to form for the character. Nova is a superstar and hopefully one day he’ll reach the level he belongs in.
6) Genis-Vel
There are some people out there who would say that Genis-Vell isn’t even a B-lister. However, as a former Captain Marvel who had his own solo series for years, he’s played a huge role in the history of Marvel. The son of the original Captain Marvel Mar-Vell, he eventually got the Nega-Bands and become a hero, merging with Rick Jones so they could switch places in the Negative Zone to fight evil. Since then, Genis has fallen from grace, but he’s long been way better than he gets credit for being. His series from Peter David and ChrisCross in the late ’90s and the early ’00s was sensational, and he’s the owner of the coolest costumes ever. It’s about time for Genis-Vell to come back and remind readers why he’s always been so great.
5) Spectrum
The Avengers have fielded some amazing rosters, introducing readers to some truly astounding heroes. Back in the ’80s, readers got to meet the second Captain Marvel in the pages of the book: Monica Rambeau, who has since become Spectrum. Monica’s powers allowed her control over light and energy, and she showed that she was one of the most formidable heroes out there in the years since. She’s risen to leadership of the Avengers, the first black woman to lead the team, and has starred in beloved books like Nextwave and The Ultimates. With the failure of The Marvels and Monica in the MCU, the publisher has stopped her push, but she’s still the best of the best.
4) Hercules
A lot of times, Hercules is looked at as a lower-level Thor and that’s completely unfair to the Prince of Power. There are, however, some similarities. He’s the son of a powerful god, has been fighting evil for millennia, and is one of the strongest heroes on the Earth. Even with those, he’s proven to be one of the best around and a unique hero. He’s battled alongside the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and is known for his boisterous love of life, food, love, and fighting. Herc is always a fun character; he can work for comedy and serious stories equally well. He’s also one of the sexiest male characters in comics, a beefcake for everyone who enjoys that sort of thing. He’s just all around awesome, one of Marvel’s greats.
3) Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler is one of the most beloved X-Men, first appearing in Giant-Size X-Men #1. In the 51 years since, the character has become a favorite of fans and is one of the most fun heroes in comics, always ready with a joke and some jawdropping daredevil maneuver to save the day. Kurt Wagner is an interesting character. He’s a devout Catholic who looks like a devil. He’s a man who loves his friends intensely, and does his best to help them see the best in the world, while never shrinking from making the hard decisions. His design and costume are perfect, and his powers are some of the most recognizable in Marvel history, the onomatopoeia “BAMF” becoming one of the most iconic in comics. He’s a legend and that’s all there is to it.
2) Magik
Magik was a character who was beloved by X-Men fans, but no one really thought she’d ever become a popular character. However, since her return to life in the 2009 New Mutants series in the X-Men’s Utopia Era, she’s become more popular than ever. She’s a no-nonsense warrior, her teleportational disks and magical mastery making her one of the most formidable X-Men out there. She’s become Cyclops’s right hand woman, completely devoted to her people and battling any threat to them. She’s fun to read about, a woman fighting her inner demons with an acerbic wit who never gives up. She’s become a true great, and her appearances in Midnight Sons and Marvel Rivals has introduced her to an entirely new generation of fans who never would have seen her otherwise.
1) Beta Ray Bill
Once upon a time, Odin wanted to teach Thor a lesson (stop me if you’ve heard this one before), so he found an alien warrior who was pure of heart, made him worthy of Mjolnir, and let him go to town. Such was the birth of Beta Ray Bill, one of the greatest Marvel heroes who never gets the break he deserves. Mjolnir was replaced by Stormbreaker, and since then he has been a staunch ally of Asgard and the Avengers. Bill has proven to be one of the greatest warriors in the cosmos, and has starred in some amazing miniseries like Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill and Beta Ray Bill: Argent Star. He’s proven to be a very valuable part of the Thor mythos and knocks it out of the park every time he appears. It’s long past time he got the credit he deserved.
Who is your favorite B-list Marvel hero? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
