There was a time when superheros were simple morality plays starring the kind of people who were more ideals than characters. Then Marvel came along. While the first comics that we would think of as Marvel premiered in the Golden Age of comics, it wouldn’t be until the Silver Ages, 1961 to be exact, that the true Marvel Universe would kick off with Fantastic Four #1. Marvel heroes were quite different from those of their distinguished competition, with the characters having real world problems and issues that the readers could empathize with, allowing fans to connect to the world of superheroes in a way they couldn’t before. Marvel gave readers the world outside their window, and it helped make them the most popular purveyor of superheroes in the years to come.
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Marvel heroes had that little something extra, a quality that is known as aura. Aura is used to describe a lot of things, but the way I describe it is as that certain je ne sais quoi that makes a character special. Aura is different for different characters, but you can tell the characters who have it and those that don’t. Some heroes have much more than others, and these ten Marvel heroes are the ones with the most aura, which has allowed them to join the ranks of the most popular superheroes of all time.
10) Cyclops
Cyclops is a character who has developed his aura a lot in the 21st century. Cyclops was always a great leader, and gave off authority vibes for most of his superhero career. However, things would get more complex later, when Cyclops was charged with the leadership of the X-Men without Xavier. Things probably would stayed the same for him, with Cyclops being the same old stick in the mud if House of M never happened. The mutant race was reduced to a paltry 198, and the Xavier Institute became a reservation. Suddenly, Cyclops was in charge of keeping the mutant race alive, and everything changed. He became harder, and the responsibility fit him well. Cyclops became someone who commanded respect when he showed up anywhere and his tactical skills made him the perfect team leader. Cyclops was an implacable leader, ready to do anything, to sacrifice anyone, to break every rule to keep his people going. This was the ultimate Cyclops and he became the perfect leader. Cyclops’s aura rating went up infinitely, and he’s since become the kind of person who you would trust to lead you into Hell.
9) Black Widow
Black Widow is one of the toughest heroes around. Trained in the Red Room as one of the Soviet Union’s perfect assassins, she was crafted into a weapon who could survive anything. Anyone who isn’t afraid of Black Widow is completely aura-blind, if there is such a thing. She exudes danger, all wrapped in the body of a femme fatale. Black Widow is the kind of person who draws every eye in the room to her, men, women, and thems, a palpable excitement running through the minds of everyone. She’s the type of person where if you’re her friend, you know that the situation is handled when Black Widow shows up. If you’re her enemy, you know the same thing, except it’s going to hurt a whole lot. Black Widow is a problem solver, and she exudes enough confidence for five other heroes.
8) Luke Cage
Luke Cage has been a hero for a long time, and he always had the aura of someone who wasn’t to be messed with. However, there was also the feeling that he would never amount to much beyond being what was basically a heroic mercenary. All of that changed when he joined the Avengers. Luke Cage showed that there was more to him than just a guy who could punch people really hard and not worry about getting injured. He showed that he was a leader, someone that people could look up to. When everyone else kowtowed to Iron Man after Civil War, Luke Cage stood strong by himself, gathering a team of rebels. He played a key role in the defeat of the Skrulls. He battled against Norman Osborn’s reign, and stood strong through situations that no one would have figured he could. Luke Cage showed that he was on the level of the greatest heroes, and that aura has stayed with him ever since. As mayor of New York City, everyone knows that he’s no one to mess with, having proved himself in the crucible of some of the most harrowing events in Marvel history.
7) Storm
Storm has always been destined for something more. The death of her parents saw her forced to the streets, but she began her rise from the dark alleys of Cairo. Storm’s powers developed and she was taken as a goddess by the people of the Serengeti, using her abilities to help everyone who needed it. She was recruited for the X-Men, where she gained a whole new family and purpose. She was called goddess by her friends, and this fit her perfectly. Storm always gave off an aura of regal, infinite power, and soon proved that even without her powers she was one of the most formidable mutants alive. She learned more and more, becoming ever more powerful, and took her spot as a leader of mutants. Storm is one of the few people who can stand next to Black Panther and make him seem small, for what is a king next to a goddess? She is one of only three people who has ever been a member of the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. She proved herself to the warlike mutants of Arakko, and even Apocalypse followed her lead. When Eternity needed someone to use as a host, he chose her. Storm is power and glory incarnate, and everyone who meets her feels touched by the divine.
6) The Hulk
Thanos is easily the most feared being in the universe. Put him up against anyone, be they gods, cosmic entities, even the very forces of nature, and Thanos knows no fear. However, put the Hulk in front of Thanos and he knows fear. That’s the Hulk in a nutshell. The Hulk is the most dangerous being on Earth, and possible the most powerful human to ever exist. Sure, he can’t alter reality with a thought, or change the course of time, but his power is infinite, a strength so great that it can break worlds, possibly even universes. The Hulk is feared by all, including the man who he is a part of, Bruce Banner. The Hulk has taken many forms, and all of them have earned the fear of the greatest beings in creation. The Hulk is power, and everyone knows it.
5) Wolverine
Wolverine is the best there is at what he does. Often, this motto is followed by, ” but what he does isn’t very nice.” This is true to an extent, but the thing about Wolverine is that he never gives up. It doesn’t matter what you put in front of Wolverine, he’s going to keep going until either it falls or he does. His unbreakable skeleton (which he’s lost and never stopped) and his healing factor (which he willingly gave up to save the world and kept fighting) play a big role in that, but it’s the indomitable spirit inside him that keeps him fighting against everything. Wolverine is a man who feels everything deeply, and that depth of feeling pushes him on to always succeed, to prove he’s more than just an animal. Wolverine throws himself into battle with the Hulk. He’s locked eyes with Thanos while he held the Infinity Gauntlet. He’ll jump into battle with Magneto, someone who he is especially susceptible to. Wolverine doesn’t stop; Wolverine overcomes, and that’s why he’s the best there is.
4) Spider-Man
Spider-Man is someone who can look at the scariest thing, laugh, and attack it. Spider-Man learned the most painful lesson possible, and since then he’s never balked at his life once. Spider-Man will help anyone, and while he may seem flippant and light-hearted, there is a core of steel to him. Spider-Man is the ultimate everyman, the potential every person has to persevere over everything. There’s something about Spider-Man that is imminently approachable, but there’s also that feeling that you’re near someone great. Every hero who has met him respects him, and they have since he was little more than boy. That’s just how Spider-Man is — a person who cares about everyone and will do anything to protect anyone weaker than him.
3) Thor
Thor was raised to be a king, and possessed the power of a god. Thor could have sat back and let others take the vanguard of his battles, but that’s not who Thor is. Thor thrives at the front, using his amazing power to battle against the worst enemies that you can imagine. It might seem like someone as powerful as Thor could never be in danger, that he knows he’s going to win, so where is his bravery? However, everyone who meets Thor knows better. Thor is a person who cares deeply about everyone, and will give his all to make sure that the universe lives another day. Thor understands that when you’re royalty, that when you’re a god, you aren’t served. You serve. And Thor has given his life more than once, and will do so again, serving the people of the Ten Worlds. Thor is like a bolt of lighting — beautiful, bringing light to the darkest sky, and a force of great destruction. Woe betide anyone Thor decides to strike.
2) Iron Man
It’s easy to think that Iron Man has life by the short hairs. He’s a billionaire, a genius, and as good looking as they come. Tony Stark could have any kind og life he wanted, even after the accident that spurred him to create the Iron Man armor. However, after experiencing the pain that his work brought its targets, Iron Man decided to be the iron wall around the innocent, to protect anyone who couldn’t protect themselves. Iron Man is more than just a suit of armor; he’s a man who does his best to solve every problem in front of him. Does he always get it right? No. Will he keep trying until he can’t anymore? Absolutely. Iron Man is unbreakable, and everyone who has met him knows it.
1) Captain America
Captain America is an ideal made flesh. The realities of the United States are quite different from the reality, yet when you look at Captain America, you can feel like those ideals of freedom, equality, and equity. Young Steve Rogers saw evil in the world and desired nothing more than to fight against it. He never stops, never gives up, and will do everything he can to bring the evils of fascism to heel. Captain America is the kind of person that everyone wants to be; it’s impossible not to respect him, even if you hate him. Captain America isn’t the most powerful person, but even the universe’s most dangerous beings know that when they see him, things are going to get very bad for them.
What Marvel heroes do you think have the most aura? Sound off in the comments below.
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