7 Best Marvel Superhero Philosophies

Marvel Comics was able to make a huge splash because of the way it differentiated their characters from their distinguished competition, almost from the beginning. The House of Ideas could have just went with generic do gooders battling evil and fans of the day would love it, but they went the extra mile with their characters and teams. They gave them reasons to fight beyond just protecting the innocent and upholding the law, with the most well-built characters having an entire philosophy on why they do the things they do. It was all a part of Marvel’s “world outside your window” approach to comics, using the circumstances of the characters’ lives to create their motivation.

These philosophies have guided the greatest heroes in comics through conflicts with the worst evil imaginable. The best hero philosophies have become a major part of their characters, informing their actions and showing them for the heroes they really are. These are Marvel’s seven best superhero philosophies, beliefs which forged normal people into the ultimate heroes.

7) Silver Surfer

Norrin Radd gave up his life to save the people of his planet from Galactus, becoming the cosmic giant’s Herald and taking the name the Silver Surfer. Imbued with the might of the Power Cosmic, Surfer did his best to find worlds without life for the World-Devourer to consume and would eventually break away from Galactus to become a hero, helping save the Earth. Surfer decided that in order to make up for all of the destruction he caused, he would become the Sentinel of the Spaceways, protecting the people of the universe from the greatest threats and making sure no one else has to sacrifice their life to buy their world’s continued existence. Protecting life in all its form is something that Silver Surfer has devoted himself to and he’s willing to make any sacrifice to keep it going for one more day.

6) The Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four have become icons and their philosophy on life has played a huge role in their mission. The team is all about family and has been from the beginning. Reed and Ben were basically brothers and Sue and Johnny were siblings; their first mission saw them all work together to see Reed’s dream of space flight come true, like a family would. This has been the guiding light of the team since the beginning. Sure, there were always the science and the supervillains, but family has always been the thing that held the team together and allowed them to triumph. Even without their powers, they still would have been successful together, because they always worked together, each of their strengths making up for the weaknesses of the others.

5) Iron Man

Tony Stark was born in the lap of luxury and quickly became one of the most celebrated geniuses of his generation. He was a whiz at weapons design and made even more money selling arms, but never really cared about what his designs were used for. This would change when he was injured in a terrorist attack by his own weapons. He realized that the way he made his money was terrible and swore to use his creations to make the world a better, safer place. Ever since then, he’s done his best to use his intellect to create rather than destroy, using his talents and resources to protect the world.

4) Wolverine

Wolverine is the greatest mutant hero of them all and his philosophy on life has played a key role in that. Logan has spent decades fighting to protect the innocent, killing thousands over the years. He doesn’t have a problem with dealing out death. As a superhero, he does the killing so that other people won’t have to. This has been one of the throughlines of his entire superhero career. He’s always been willing to be the one who puts himself on the line so that other people won’t have to. He knows the wage that killing demands of the soul and he would rather not have anyone but him pay that price. He does the hard jobs so that other people don’t have to.

3) The X-Men

The X-Men are defined by their philosophy, which Charles Xavier handed down to them. Xavier traveled the world after his powers manifested, seeing the plight of mutants and how much help they could be to the world if they were just treated equally. He dreamed that humans and mutants could live together in harmony, eventually bringing together a group of mutants to fight for that dream. They stand for equality, battling anyone, whether they be mutant or human, who tries to say one or the other is superior or hold anyone down. While the X-Men have sometimes lost sight of the dream, it will always be their port in the storm.

2) Captain America

Captain America is all about the United States, with a caveat. Steve Rogers was brought up in Depression-era New York City. He saw the worst poverty but he also saw acts of amazing selflessness from his fellow citizens. He always believed in the dream of freedom and prosperity that has brought people to the US, and was willing to fight for it, especially against the forces of fascism. He believes completely in the ideals of the America, the promise of liberty of the country. He doesn’t blind himself to the realities of the US and will fight against anyone who drapes themselves in the flag while advocating for bigotry or fascism or anything antithetical to freedom and equality. He knows that the reality often falls far short of the ideal, but he will always fight for the best in the country, pushing everyone to follow his example.

1) Spider-Man

Spider-Man is Marvel’s most relatable hero, a young man who often loses in life but keeps going. Peter Parker was raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May, who taught him to be a kind, generous person. Ben said the words to him that would define his future career as a superhero: “With great power comes great responsibility.” This simple sentence is the law by which Peter Parker has lived since the night that Ben died thanks to his negligence. He will always use his powers responsibly and he will always use them to look out for people that can’t look out for themselves. He has worked for years to make up for the one time that he didn’t take responsibility and will never stop.

What’s your favorite Marvel hero philosophy? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!

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