Marvel Comics has a lot of great superheroes and villains, but several great non-powered characters play just as important a role in comics. This is because Marvel does its best to create heroes who are relatable to the readers. Spider-Man was initially a teenager who gained powers and had to rely on his friends and loved ones to find his way to becoming a hero. Daredevil’s role as attorney Matt Murdock was just as important as his role as a crimefighter. These supporting characters might not have any powers, but it is almost impossible to think about their superhero friends without them playing a role in their stories.
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From friends of Spider-Man and Daredevil to cult favorite characters, here are the best non-powered hero characters in Marvel Comics.
10) Willie Lumpkin
Willie Lumpkin first appeared in Fantastic Four comics as a mailman. He delivered mail, starting during World War II, and then later, as an older man, to the Baxter Building and other New York City locations. He became a mainstay in Fantastic Four comics, and he sometimes joked that he was an unofficial part of the team as their loyal mailman. He also dated Aunt May for a time. Many of Willie’s best stories are Christmas tales, but he has been in several action-packed stories as well, including the recent Venom War. It appears Willie is now immortal thanks to a blood transfusion given to him by Black Panther.
9) Edwin Jarvis
People who only watch the movies know Jarvis as the AI that Tony Stark used. Fans who watched the Agent Carter TV show know that Jarvis was a real person who worked for Tony’s dad, Howard Stark. However, comic book fans know that Edwin Jarvis served as an essential member of the Avengers as their esteemed butler and confidant. Jarvis was involved in one of the Avengers’ best-ever storylines when the Master of Evil beat the Avengers, and he tried to stand up to the villains and help fight. He is so beloved that when Black Widow murdered him in the Ultimate Universe, it remained a hugely impactful moment.
8) Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson is a Spider-Man supporting character, and he is someone who has meant a lot to Peter Parker over his life. He worked for the Daily Bugle, formerly under J. Jonah Jameson, and then later took JJJ’s place as the managing editor. He always nurtured and helped Peter as he entered adulthood. He has a son who ended up as one of Peter Parker’s roommates, a close friend of Boomerang, and the boyfriend of Tombstone’s daughter. That is where Robbie really shone, as he and Tombstone have a decades-old rivalry from when they were both younger, and it helped flesh out Robbie’s character and turn him into something more than a side character in Spider-Man comics.
7) Alicia Masters
Alicia Masters is another important supporting character from the Fantastic Four comics, and she has always been the one person who helped keep Ben Grimm grounded. Of course, Alicia is The Thing’s wife in Marvel Comics, although before she married him, she dated Human Torch for a short time as well. Alicia is sight-impaired, which she doesn’t let stop her as she uses her hands and memory to sculpt along perfect works of art. Alicia is someone who is there to talk with heroes like Susan Storm when needed and is also raising two adopted children, a pair of Skrull and a Kree child soldiers, whom she and Ben took in.
6) Dr. Claire Temple
Dr. Claire Temple gained a lot more prominence in the public eye when she appeared in the Daredevil Netflix series. However, while Claire was Night Nurse on the Netflix series, she is not Night Nurse in comics (that was Linda Carter and Christine Palmer). However, she is the nurse who worked with Luke Cage and Heroes for Hire and helped them when needed, as well as dating Cage for a short time in the past. She has since worked as a nurse treating everyone from Spider-Man and Daredevil to Captain America (Sam Wilson). Out of everyone in Marvel Comics, she is the foremost expert on superhero medicine.
5) Dawn Greenwood
Dawn Greenwood was, at one time, one of the best characters in the best Silver Surfer comic book run in Marvel history. As a young woman, she met the Silver Surfer, and the two grew very close over the years, Dawn becoming the most important person in the hero’s life. She played the role of a key character in Silver Surfer Vol. 7, and these stories were full of wonder and awe, and readers saw this through Dawn’s eyes. This had a beautiful end, as well as they accidentally overshot a time travel event and ended up before the Big Bang. They grew old together and lived a long and happy life alone at the beginning of time before Dawn finally passed away.
4) Foggy Nelson
Daredevil is a superhero, but he is also an attorney, and that role has been, at many times, more important to him than his costumed vigilante role. This makes his partner for many years, and his best friend, Foggy Nelson, so essential to Matt’s story. Foggy has been with Matt since the start of his law career, and he has been there for his ups and downs. Foggy has seemingly died, which sent Matt over the edge, and he returned. He has been a high-ranking political figure, and he has been Matt’s conscience. There might not be a more important character for a Marvel hero than Foggy has been for Daredevil.
3) Aunt May
Aunt May is the woman who helped raise Peter Parker and was part of the reason he turned out to be such a great hero. While Spider-Man uses his Uncle Ben’s quote to live his life, his Aunt May always picked him up when times were tough. She is no-nonsense and takes no nonsense. She has improved tremendously over the years, going from an easily frightened woman who feared Spider-Man to a strong, independent woman who stands her ground. When she almost died, it caused Spider-Man to make a deal with the devil, and how she lived her life has caused Peter Parker to work harder to be a better person. Everyone needs their own Aunt May.
2) Ben Urich
Ben Urich started as a Daredevil supporting character before moving on to appear in Spider-Man comics, and he has become more than just a character who showed up every once in a while. Urich worked as a reporter for the Daily Bugle, working with Peter Parker. Ben often dug into giant conspiracies and worked hard to uncover dirt on criminals like Kingpin and Tombstone. He also worked hard to discover the truth behind the hero’s actions, and he discovered Daredevil’s secret identity, although he kept the secret to himself. He is one of the most honorable journalists in Marvel Comics, and someone who has more moral fiber in his bones than even some heroes.
1) J. Jonah Jameson
Easily, one of the most important characters in Marvel Comics who was never a superhero is J. Jonah Jameson. He debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #1 as the editor at the Daily Bugle. Instead of just covering news, he used his newspaper as a tool to try to ruin the name of Spider-Man, who he believed was a menace. Over the years, he appeared as much of an antagonist as any villain, although he mainly remained a newspaperman and not a genuine villain. He became the Mayor of New York City for a time, and still tried to bring down Spider-Man’s name. More recently, he learned Spider-Man’s identity and decided to make up for his past actions, although with a podcast now rather than the newspaper he ran for so long.
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