5 Great Marvel Sidekicks That No One Ever Remembers

It’s honestly a shame that sidekicks don’t seem to thrive in the Marvel Universe. Oh sure, there are plenty of younger, less-experienced heroes who adopt the legacies of older heroes or who strike out on their own. But it’s rare to see sidekicks as frequently as they appear in the DC Universe. They’re not unheard of, but for the most part, they’re just not as integral to the Marvel Universe. So what ends up happening is that a lot of Marvel sidekicks end up falling by the wayside of history, with few people ever bringing them up again.

It honestly sucks because some sidekicks do deserve more attention than they get. Like, Bob, Agent of Hydra. People loved that guy, but when’s the last time he’s ever really featured in a story? Or Alpha, Spider-Man’s erstwhile companion who looked like he was being set up to be the wall-crawler’s Robin? The dearth of sidekicks is one thing, but it’s worse knowing how many Marvel has let slip through its fingers over the years. If you’re curious about these and more sidekicks that hardly anyone talks about anymore, read on and give these heroes some love.

5. Bob, Agent of Hydra

Hydra may be a horrible, fascistic terrorist organization, but Deadpool found the one decent thing among them in the form of Bob. Bob was a young man who was browbeaten into joining Hydra, despite not possessing any commitment to their ideology or valuable skills. He ran into Deadpool during one of the Merc with a Mouth’s missions, sparking an unlikely friendship that lasted longer than anyone thought. Bob doesn’t have much going for him (other than a willingness to take Deadpool’s abuse), but he’s a fantastic character who added a real fun spice to Wade Wilson’s narrative.

4. Toro

Seasoned Marvel fans know that Jim Hammond was the first Human Torch, and those who really know their stuff are aware that he had a sidekick. Thomas Raymond, aka Toro, is the son of two scientists who worked alongside the Human Torch’s creator, who was born with an immunity to fire. Toro was orphaned and raised in the circus until he was found by the Human Torch. Toro possesses similar powers to the Human Torch and worked alongside his mentor for years. I couldn’t tell you the last time Toro appeared, but he adds something special to the Human Torch.

3. Free Spirit

When it comes to Captain America’s partners, no one’s ever going to top Bucky Barnes. But that doesn’t mean some attention can’t be paid to Cathy Webster, aka Free Spirit. Cathy was a young woman caught up in an experiment where she was weaponized and brainwashed. But after regaining her autonomy, she fought alongside Captain America as part of the Captain America Hotline, a crew that aided Cap’s various missions. Free Spirit’s ‘never say die’ attitude and peak human physiology made her a great ally to Captain America. Hopefully, we’ll get to see her again someday.

2. Alpha

It’s wild to me how quickly the world moved on from Alpha, aka Andy Maguire. Similar to Spider-Man, Andy’s life was changed forever on a field trip, though Andy was exposed to ‘Parker Particles’, giving him hyper-kinetic energy powers. I can understand why people didn’t really like Alpha, as he was pretty reckless and nearly got a lot of people killed (including Spider-Man). He was de-powered by Peter, only for Alpha to regain his powers years later. I didn’t think Alpha was a bad idea, and I still think that maybe it’s worth exploring Alpha, at least one more time.

1. Blindspot

If there’s a sidekick that got a raw deal, it was Samuel Chung, aka Blindspot. Sam was a young immigrant who came to America with his mother and, not too long after, built an invisibility suit. He created the Blindspot persona and began protecting Chinatown, later turning to Daredevil when it became clear Sam needed training. Sam and Daredevil had a brief falling out after the former was blinded by Muse, but they eventually made up. Sam pops up occasionally, but I can’t help but think about how much of a missed opportunity it was ending his partnership with Daredevil.

Who’s your favorite lesser-known Marvel Comics sidekick? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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