7 Most Powerful Heroes Marvel Forgot About

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of characters that have made a name for themselves in Marvel Comics. Even with dozens of comic books running simultaneously, it’s impossible to shine a light on all of them, especially since new characters are constantly being introduced. Marvel has to focus on either the characters that sell or the ones that represent something that Marvel wants to put forward, and while that list isn’t small, it doesn’t cover anywhere near all the heroes. Far too often, interesting heroes are dropped to the annals of history, and that’s a downright crime.

Today, we’re going to remedy a small portion of that by looking at seven of Marvel’s forgotten heroes. Of course, with so many to choose from, we decided to limit the selection to seven of the most powerful heroes who can’t seem to land anything more than a guest appearance now and again. These heroes are true powerhouses that could rewrite the course of Marvel, but they’re limited by the fact that they never show up. It’s a darn shame, because all of these heroes are unique and interesting, and we’re here to prove that today.

7) Blue Marvel

Blue Marvel is one of the strongest heroes in the multiverse. He was a scientist experimenting with antimatter, and an explosion granted him incalculable strength that puts him on the same level as powerhouses like Hulk and Thor. He can fly, manipulate all forms of energy, and tank every kind of punishment imaginable. He’s Marvel’s attempt at creating Superman if he were African American, and that premise is followed through perfectly. He’s an incredibly interesting and frighteningly powerful character, and definitely deserves more spotlight than he receives. And to think, he’s still doing the best of all the other members of this list. 

6) Smasher

Isabel Kane is the first human Superguardian of the Shi’ar Imperial Guard, a title given after she found a discarded Exospex in her yard. The alien goggles granted her incredible might, flight, and super-vision. She can easily lift over a hundred tons, travel across the universe by her own power, and even download additional powers from the greater Shi’ar database when the need calls for it. She’s actually in a committed relationship with other criminally-forgotten hero Cannonball, and they’ve had a child together. She’s a superhero, mom, and intergalactic guard for an alien empire. Any one of those can make for a wonderfully rich character, but all three make someone who needs the chance to show everyone how interesting she is.

5) Starbrand

The Star Brand is a planetary defense system created by the multiversal Builders, which grants its host unmatched durability, energy projection, and matter manipulation. There have been numerous Starbrands, but the object of our study today is Kevin Connor. He was introduced in Jonathan Hickman’s legendary Avengers (2012) run, and what makes Kevin so interesting is that he was never meant to be Starbrand. He was chosen as the system collapsed, and his awakening destroyed his entire school around him. He’s abrasive, headstrong, and liable to leap before he looks, but all of those traits are tempered by a real desire to be a good hero. 

Starbrand is a cosmic powerhouse, and Kevin’s constant struggle against his own selfish nature made for some very interesting reading. Unfortunately, he was killed when Robbie Reyes, Ghost Rider, accidentally activated his Penance Stare. This was the last time the Penance Stare actually worked as intended, and to think, it was killing such an interesting hero. That’s the worst crime there is on this list.

4) Nightmask

On the subject of Starbrand, Nightmask is his equally underrated and powerful best friend. Adam was designed to be the first of Ex Nihilo’s new breed of perfect humans, but he was infused with the power of Nightmask, one of the companions to the Star Brand. This lets him control and radically change machines, teleport, and unleash incredible bursts of energy. He and Starbrand were best friends and a team until Kevin’s untimely death, leaving Nightmask a solo hero, and mourning. Nightmask has a whole lot of potential, as his status as a “perfect human” hasn’t been explored, which opens tons of possibilities on its own. Nightmask can be a very interesting character if his story is developed just a tad bit more.

3) Hyperion

Specifically, the Hyperion of Earth-13034. Unlike the evil or unhinged variants that have shown up in more recent stories, this version of Hyperion is a hero through and through. He was his homeworld’s greatest hero, until he lost it and another Earth during an Incursion he failed to stop. He became an Avenger and vowed to save this world if he could not protect his own. As another of Marvel’s Superman pastiches, Hyperion sports all the same powers as the Man of Steel, even if to a lesser extent. He’s undeniably one of Marvel’s strongest heroes, but this version has been all but forgotten. With another clone of him taking center stage, it’s unlikely that we’ll even see this version again for a long time.

2) Sleepwalker

The Sleepwalkers are a species of dream police, protecting the people of the universe from monsters that attack them in their dreams. This Sleepwalker was accidentally bonded to the human Rick Sheridan, letting Sleepwalker manifest in the real world while Rick slept. Sleepwalker is extremely powerful, with his most dangerous ability being his Warp Gaze. He can alter anything he looks at into strange or incredible shapes. He can make the road beneath someone twist into a giant spring, or transform a clump of threads into a Spider-Man costume. Sleepwalker operates on dream logic and battles dreamlike foes, bringing one of the most original rogues galleries in comics to the table, which makes the fact that he never appears that much more aggravating.

1) Miracleman

Originally named Marvelman, Miracleman was created as a replacement for the original Captain Marvel, Shazam, when the rights went to DC. As such, Miracleman is extremely powerful, able to transform from a normal man to a superhero with a single word, Kimota. He possesses great strength, flight, and energy blasts, which he later learned were psionic in nature. He’s a very unstable character who is constantly battling with himself, his abilities, and his dark past, all of which come together to make a very entertaining read. He’s not often used, but when he is, it is always a show.

And there we have seven of the most powerful yet forgotten Marvel heroes. Which forgotten hero is your favorite? Leave a Comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!

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