5 Iconic Heroes Who Rarely Act Like Superheroes (Yes, That Involves the X-Men)

There’s no one way to be a superhero, but when someone is a superhero, there are certain expectations for what the character will do and how they’ll act. Fans expect them to save the day in a way that only they can, saving lives and stopping supervillains in equal measure. However, even hallmarks of the genre have a hard time heroes all the time, and today, we’re examining five of DC and Marvel’s biggest names who, despite being some of the most important superheroes in the world, rarely actually act like it. This comes in a variety of ways, so, without further ado, let’s dive right into it and examine why these characters need to put the hero back into superhero.

5) Hulk

Let’s start with the Jade Giant himself. The Hulk and Bruce Banner have each been part of some of the most iconic superheroic teams in history, and battled some of the strongest foes around. He’s a founding Avenger, for crying out loud. The Hulk has saved the world from villains like the Leader, and averted universal destruction from even the One Below All. He’s smashed his way through more supervillains than anyone can count, and no matter how dire the situation, when push comes to shove, the Hulk is always willing to throw down with people who threaten the world.

Of course, those moments seem more like outliers than the norm. Despite being one of Marvel’s biggest names, he spends most of his stories on the run or fighting off threats specifically gunning for him. It’s also incredibly common for the Hulk to be an antagonistic force in his own comics. The first several decades of Banner’s appearances focused on his endless attempts to stifle the Hulk and keep him from hurting others, or even conquering the world. Those roots are still present today. Heck, the Hulk is currently a major villain aiming to bring about the Age of Monsters. The Hulk is even more likely to be a force of chaos than he is a genuine hero.

4) Aquaman

Aquaman, much like the Hulk, is a founder of his universe’s most iconic team. He’s a mainstay in the Justice League, battling alongside the genesis of superheroes himself, Superman. However, while his Justice League adventures are classic examples of superheroes working together, it’s rare for his solo comics to show the same. Aquaman is best known as the king of Atlantis, which the vast majority of his stories focus on. Instead of dealing with villains who threaten the world, he’s usually grappling with political schemes or defending his kingdom from some manner of magical threat. Even his current storyline is all about preparing for intergalactic conquest. It’s more ocean politics and squabbles than it is anything else.

Aquaman is a protector, but he rarely ventures outside the bubble of that storytelling style. Frankly, given that he also lacks a secret identity and his supporting cast is nearly entirely located within Atlantis, you could remove him from his superhero roots and not much would change. This is not to say that we need to remove Aquaman from his position or status to tell a superhero story, but that he’s far too insular in his little world as of right now. His newest stories are taking steps to broaden that and connect him with other heroes, but he’s still a far way away from fitting that traditional mold on his own.

3) Sentry

The Sentry is one of Marvel’s most complex heroes, as he’s a villain in equal measure. Bob Reynolds was a man struggling with addiction when he ingested the Golden Sentry Formula. He was transformed into the perfect Golden Guardian, a hero who can save the world every bit as well as Superman, holding onto that same hope and power. On the flip side, for every good action the Sentry takes, his darker half, the Void, negates it with an equally evil action. On top of his struggles against the Void, the vast majority of Bob’s stories focus on his failing mental health, how he can be manipulated by those with dark intent, and how his own desires lead to him destroying just as much as the Sentry as he does as the Void.

While the Sentry was originally imagined as Marvel’s Superman with an evil side, most of his other stories forgot that this dynamic only works if the Sentry is genuinely heroic. Most of the time, the Golden Guardian is flawed and weak-willed to the point where it brings into question what good he even does. The Void only grows more evil with every appearance, but the Sentry seems to become less heroic and more grey, which goes against the very foundation of his concept. Thankfully, his newest solo run, The Sentry, gave us a view of this original dynamic restored.

2) Wonder Woman

Diana is one of the most important superheroes to ever exist. She’s the original and most influential superheroine, and serves as a member of the Trinity, demonstrating exactly what a superhero in DC should look like. Without a doubt, when Wonder Woman is at her best, she’s a hero that almost nobody can touch. She’s the ultimate symbol of truth, compassion, and understanding, fighting for peace and making the world a better place. However, most of the time, instead of fighting for any of those things, she’s off on a fantasy adventure or dealing with Amazonian problems specifically.

Wonder Woman has an awesome repertoire of villains to pull from, but the vast majority of her stories directly deal with either problems that only affect the Amazons or some kind of military confrontation. She hardly ever gets to spread her message of peace or live with a secret identity, especially since she used to have one, but got rid of it decades ago. Over time, everything that was distinctly superheroic about Diana was chiselled away until she became nothing more than a Greek warrior woman.

1) X-Men

As promised, this list caps off with the legendary X-Men. Now, most of the complaints for the other heroes mentioned don’t apply here. They battle supervillains all the time, and only a few are known for going off the deep end. However, just like Wonder Woman, they’ve been transformed from heroes into just people who fight for mutantkind’s safety. Those might sound like synonyms, but they truly only fight for mutants. Back in the day, they would battle regular supervillains bent on any number of things, but now it’s very, very uncommon for them to battle any foe who isn’t directly related to genociding for or against mutants in some way.

Even their superhero identities have changed to being their mutant names, which, while cool, also separates them from superheroism. They rarely do anything but battle for survival, to the point where other heroes showing up in their books makes the contrast all the stranger. This is exactly why an event like “DNX,” which has them fighting to save humans, feels so monumental. It’s the first time they haven’t been concerned solely with mutant survival in years. The X-Men are one of the biggest superhero teams, but they’ve hardly been superheroes. Thankfully, with this new event and the upcoming Maximum X-Men, they are poised to finally rectify that mistake.

Which superheroes do you think have gotten so deep into their own mythos that they’ve forgotten their heroic roots? Let us know in the comments below!

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