10 Marvel Heroes That Were Originally Villains

When most people think of superheroes, they think of unflinching paragons of virtue who are inherently good. However, many of Marvel’s most iconic heroes had their starts as villains and criminals. Each of these characters went through a long redemptive path of trials and tribulations to atone for their past sins and to emerge as heroes, or anti-heroes. Marvel heroes of whatever stripe are almost always conflicted and struggle morally, some more than others. Redemption is a constant theme of Marvel comics and some of their heroes have had to go a lot further than others. 

Whether it was within the span of one issue or a hundred, these are the Marvel villains that have taken the longest journey to becoming true heroes.

1) Songbird

Debuting as the supervillain Screaming Mimi, Melissa Gold was a low-level villain who could produce supersonic screams. She was then recruited as part of Baron Zemo’s Masters of Evil. As part of an elaborate plan relying on new identities and holograms, Zemo had his team pretend to be a new superhero team called the Thunderbolts, with Melisa taking on the name “Songbird.” Despite their origin as a scam, Songbird and the rest of the Thunderbolts, aside from Zemo, discovered that they actually preferred being heroes and ultimately turned against their leader. Since then, Songbird and the Thunderbolts have become a force for good.

2) Scarlet Witch

The Scarlet Witch has always been a character that struggled to do the right thing. Like her brother Quicksilver, Wanda started as a member of the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. The pair would eventually abandon the group and seek redemption by joining the Avengers. With her magical abilities, Wanda is one of the Avengers’ most powerful teammates. However, the chaos magic she draws from leaves her vulnerable to violent outbursts that threaten to destroy the multiverse. Despite this, she still tries her best to fight the darkness and be a hero.

3) Venom

Venom is a story of two redemptions in one! Introduced initially as one of Spider-Man’s deadliest enemies, the symbiote fed on Eddie Brock’s hatred for Peter to become stronger. However, over time, Eddie’s humanity began to surface past the boiling hatred that the symbiote amplified. He started rescuing civilians and would even team up with the web-head to stop bigger threats like Carnage. The symbiote began to be more heroic as it was imbued with Eddie’s sense of morality. Eddie and the symbiote would eventually part ways, with Eddie letting go of his hatred. Even with this separation, the symbiote retained some of Eddie’s moral center and no matter who became its new host, it continued as New York’s lethal protector.

4) Emma Frost

As one of the leaders of the evil secret society, the Hellfire Club, the White Queen Emma Frost underwent one of the most radical character developments in the Marvel Universe. She established her own school for mutants, with the original purpose of recruiting students into the Hellfire Club. However, she grew to love her students and was deeply traumatized when Sentinels massacred them. Realizing that her students would have been safer with Charles Xavier, Emma began her path of redemption by joining the X-Men as both a teacher and a hero.

5) Elektra

Elektra has always had a complicated history. She was a former college lover of Daredevil before becoming a hitwoman for the Hand. Elektra and Daredevil fought on many occasions, but over time, they formed a deep bond and fell in love again. Ultimately, inspired by Daredevil’s ethics, Elektra abandoned her life as an assassin and became a hero. The pair’s relationship still has had many ups and downs, but Elektra has remained a hero. Elektra even became the new Daredevil when Matt was sent to prison.

6) Deadpool

The Merc with a Mouth is one of Marvel’s most iconic and violent anti-heroes, but at first, he was just a hired gun that fought the New Mutants and X-Force. While he did have some morals, Wade used to have a much easier time abandoning them if it meant he could make a quick buck. That changed, however, when he teamed up with the hero Siryn, and the two formed a strong bond. Inspired by his friend, Deadpool would embark on a slow path towards becoming a better person and hero. And while the process was uneven, it shaped him into the beloved and quirky anti-hero that he is today.

7) Rogue

With her deadly touch, it’s not that surprising that Rogue started as a villain. As the adoptive daughter of Mystique, Rogue was raised to become a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, whom she came to serve loyally for many years. However, that all changed when she fought the hero Rom the Spaceknight and absorbed the cyborg’s sense of morality. This event shook Rogue to her very core, and soon afterward, she would join the X-Men and become one of their most valuable members.

8) Hawkeye

In Hawkeye’s first appearance, he fell in love with Black Widow when she still worked as a spy for the Soviet Union. Clint was manipulated by Natasha into stealing valuable Stark technology. When Iron Man swooped in to stop the duo, Hawkeye realized that he had been used and was fighting for the wrong side. Clint then set his sights on becoming an Avenger. He chose a questionable way to apply: he broke into the Avenger’s mansion and tied up Jarvis just to say that he was trustworthy and had the skills to become a member. Surprisingly, this convinced the team that he would be a valuable member, and the archer was recruited.

9) Black Widow

Raised from infancy to be Russia’s perfect assassin, Natasha was introduced as a cold and ruthless spy who worked to undermine the United States. She fought Iron Man several times until she was gravely injured while working with Hawkeye. After recovering, she chose to defect. Russia reacted by trying to kill her. Natasha then became an agent of S.H.E.I.L.D. and several years later, Black Widow finally became an Avenger and would go on to be one of the team’s most valuable members as their stealth and martial arts expert.

10) Wolverine

One of the most iconic superheroes in all of fiction began as an antagonist to the Hulk. Before he became an X-Man, Wolverine worked for the Canadian government, which ordered him to kill the Hulk. When Logan arrived, Hulk was busy fighting another monster called the Wendigo. Initially, the two teamed up against the Wendigo, but after the beast was defeated, Wolverine turned his claws on the Hulk. However, he was no match for the green giant and was ultimately beaten. After his debut issue, Wolverine got his a chance at redemption when the X-Men recruited him, and he became the awesome hero we all know and love.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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