7 Most Underrated Marvel Legacy Heroes

Legacy has always been an important part of superhero work. Heroes don’t just save the day, they inspire people to become better versions of themselves. Superheroes need to save people spiritually as well as physically, showing everyone that there is a better way forward. It’s no mistake that the best-respected heroes are the most inspiring, from Spider-Man to Captain America. A huge part of the legacy superheroes leave behind is the next generation of heroes who pick up their mantles to keep fighting for a better future. While DC is better known for its focus on its heroes’ legacies, that doesn’t mean that Marvel hasn’t created their own litany of legacy heroes.

Legacy heroes are people who take up the mantle of heroes who came before them. Think Miles Morales and Kamala Khan being Spider-Man and Miss Marvel. They weren’t the first, but they have proven they deserve their names more times than we can count. While they’re some of the most popular examples, they are far from Marvel’s only legacy heroes. Today, we’re going to take a look at seven of the most underrated heroes who have picked up legendary mantles but don’t get the recognition they deserve. With all that said, let’s leap into these legacies. 

7) Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell) 

Carol Danvers is the most popular hero to call herself Captain Marvel, followed closely by the original, Mar-Vell. Between them, however, three others claimed the mantle, and one of them was Genis-Vell, Mar-Vell’s son. He was born after his father’s death, with his mother Elysius using Mar-Vell’s genetic code to artificially impregnate herself. When Genis learned of his father’s legacy, he immediately wanted to live up to the hero that he was. He traveled the universe, fighting to restore order, even bonding to Rick Jones with the Nega Bands as his father had. He never soared to the same importance, but his family is steeped in important lore that deserves further exploration.

6) Phoenix (Rachel Summers)

Rachel is the daughter of Cyclops and Jean Grey from the “Days of Future Past” timeline. She eventually made her way to the 616 timeline, and despite a rocky start, eventually was accepted by both her parents and became host of the Phoenix Force. Rachel’s time as Phoenix let her elevate the power from its days of being a pure threat, and started it down the path to what it became today. Her deep connection to the different timelines, such as operating as Mother Askani, has forged Rachel into a character who has seen more darkness than almost anyone, but who chooses to see and bring the light. 

5) Power Man (Victor Álvarez)

Victor is the son of the deceased villain Shade, having bonded with part of the visor that let Shade absorb and redirect chi. This power lets the new Power Man fight with powers that mimic both his predecessor, Luke Cage, and his best friend, Iron Fist, which immediately makes him very interesting. Luke Cage and Iron Fist have one of the greatest friendships in comics, and the new Power Man is the living embodiment of their powers combined, all wrapped up in the character of a young man trying to live up to his reformed father’s example. He’s a down-to-earth hero who wants to protect the little guy, and with his long history with the Heroes for Hire, he has everything it takes to stand tall while doing that. 

4) Spider-Girl (Makawalu Akana)

After the original Spider-Girl went back to her identity as Araña, the identity was picked up by a young girl determined to become Spider-Boy’s archnemesis. She’s a mutant who can mimic the powers and skills of anyone she makes eye contact with, and holds a grudge against Spider-Boy after his ten eyes made her lose control of her powers. Makawalu is a whole barrel of fun and horror, having been trained by Bullseye to be a monster, but she decided to become a hero and prove she was the best around. She’s insane, funny, and downright dangerous in every regard, which makes this young superheroine the perfect partner and archnemesis. 

3) Thor (Eric Masterson)

While most know that Thor had a human alter ego in Donald Blake, he actually had a second, much more obscure one in Eric Masterson. Eric was a normal human man who took a mortal blow for Thor and was spared when Odin bonded them together. Eventually, Thor was banished after killing Loki, and Eric became the new and sole Thor. He defended the world just as well as the previous God of Thunder had, and when the original Thor returned, he continued protecting Migard with an enchanted weapon of his own, going by Thunderstrike. Eric was a brief but important part of Thor’s mythos, becoming one of the few beyond the original to lift Mjolnir.

2) Venom (Dylan Brock)

While there have been several people who’ve taken the wheel of the Venom symbiote, Dylan Brock is easily the one who earned it most. Son of the original Venom, Dylan bonded with his second, symbiote father after Eddie became the King in Black. Dylan had years of setup and a unique connection to the symbiotes, bringing a youthful energy and sense of evolution to the Lethal Protector. Unfortunately, his time as Venom was criminally short, and while I’m a much bigger fan of MJ as Venom than most, I can’t deny that Dylan’s time in the suit wasn’t one of the freshest times the character had in ages.

1) Captain America (Isaiah Bradley)

After the secrets of the Super Soldier Serum were lost, the US government tried to recreate it by forcibly enlisting 300 Black soldiers for horrific experiments. Isaiah was the last survivor of those experiments, and when push came to shove, donned a Captain America costume to save the day. This incident landed him life in prison, where solitary confinement and untreated complications from the serum reduced him to a childlike state. Even still, his legend grew in the Black community, and he became a legend. Every other Captain America looks to him as a true hero, and his story reminds them of just what they stand for versus against. He is a severely underrated Captain America and deserves all the respect in the world.

Which legacy hero do you think deserves more spotlight? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!

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