Marvel Comics took the superhero and decided to tweak the concept. The heroes of their distinguished competition where powerful men and women devoted to peace, truth, and justice. Marvel’s heroes would have much the same goals, but they were also human beings. They had to deal with all the same things that people in the real world did and they weren’t always the nicest people in and out of costume. In fact, some Marvel heroes could be downright unpleasant. They don’t really care as much about the feelings of others, they just want to get the job done. Some of them are able to build entire relationships with other heroes, even though it’s obvious that there’s a lot of enmity between them.
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Unlikable heroes are the bread and butter of the Marvel Universe. Look at your favorite teams; each of them have some kind of troublemaker character, the hero that the other people on the team can’t stand but keep around because they get results. These heroes always make stories better, adding the kind of attitude and drama that makes Marvel books so unique. These are Marvel’s five most unlikable heroes, some of whom are quite powerful.
5) Punisher
2026 is looking to be the year of the Punisher, with the character getting another ongoing series, as well as starring in several books meant to tie-in to John Bernthal’s Punisher’s big screen MCU debut. He’s massively popular and has been for decades. However, in the Marvel Universe, Frank Castle is one of the most disliked heroes around. In fact, there are many who would say that calling him a hero is a road too far. Castle is all about fighting crime on its terms, slaughtering every bad guy in his way. He doesn’t go in for team-ups unless he absolutely has to and is more likely to fight the other costumed heroes he meets than he is to work with them. Over the years, Frank has fought some of Marvel’s most popular heroes and all of them agree that he is a terrible human being. No one likes him at all, although they will allow that sometimes, he has his uses.
4) Quicksilver
Quicksilver is the twin brother of Scarlet Witch and has always been the more hated of the two of them (although I’ve always believed that she’s the worse human being of the pair). Pietro Maximoff has earned the ire of his fellows over the years. The speedster has been trapped in a world that feels like it’s been dipped in molasses and this has given him an attitude that can be charitably called unpleasant. He gets annoyed with everything and this has made his relationships with others difficult, at best. He’s a great hero, always ready for a fight, and will follow orders, but there’s always going to be a moment where he just decides to sass everyone. Pietro has had a rough time of things and he tries; the heroes who know him best know that he’s not all that bad. However, most of them just don’t want to put up with his attitude.
3) Emma Frost
The X-Men have been defined by powerful women, with Emma Frost rising to the top of the mutant world as a member. However, if it wasn’t for her relationship with Scott Summers, it would have been much more difficult for her. Emma is a woman who was born into privilege, yet decided that she wanted to make her own way in the world. She’s as tough as nails and doesn’t have any time for those who vex her. She can be quite catty when it comes right down to it, but she’s more than proven that she’s a capable person. She doesn’t have any problem throwing shade at anyone, even the people she actually likes, and is especially dismissive of her fellow women. Her rivalry with Jean Grey alone has become legendary. If she doesn’t like you, you’re going to know about it immediately and she’s never going to let you forget that she can’t stand you.
2) Namor
Calling Namor a hero is too simple, but it’s a word that can be used to describe him at times. As the King of Atlantis, he has battled the worst threats of the deep, and has joined the Avengers, the Illuminati, the Defenders, the Invaders, the X-Men, and probably more that I’m forgetting. On every single one of those teams, he was known for being a trouble maker. Namor is an arrogant, regal man and he doesn’t really have any problem telling anyone off. He’s known for his love for Sue Richards, so that’s given him a certain reputation (he also ended up trying to romance Emma Frost while she was with Cyclops), and he will definitely hold a grudge against anyone who “wrongs” him – just ask Black Panther (and the irony is that the Sub-Mariner was the aggressor in the situation that birthed their grudge). The only person that Namor is actually completely respectful to is Doctor Doom. Namor is powerful enough that he’ll always have a place among the A-list of the Marvel Universe, but no one is going to like it.
1) Starfox
Starfox is the brother of Thanos. However, unlike his brother, he’s decided to use his powers for good. Or at least, what he thinks is good. Eros of Titan is an Eternal, so he has the requisite high level of super strength, invulnerability, speed, stamina, senses, flight, and cosmic energy manipulating abilities. He also has another power and that’s where all of his problems come from. He can control the mind of anyone he speaks to. Now, in the early years of the character, this power was played straight. He never did anything bad with his power to control people. However, recent years have seen his powers questioned and the ethics of his actions, especially his relationships with women, has become the focus of his stories. He doesn’t really appear very much anymore for obvious reasons; heroes don’t really trust him anymore and creators would have to deal with a backlash if he showed up.
What Marvel hero do you think is most unlikable? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
