The 5 Most Lovable Losers in the Marvel Universe

Marvel revolutionized superheroes in the 1960s. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby gave readers the kind of bombastic action they craved but also went in another direction as well. Marvel’s characters were refreshingly human and they didn’t always win. Whether it was in their costumed or personal lives, Marvel’s heroes had the kind of human frailties that superheroes hadn’t had before. Over the years, Marvel continued to take superheroes in these more down-to-earth directions, to the extent that many characters – heroes and villains alike – could be referred to as “losers.” However, some of the biggest losers in Marvel are also the most lovable.

These five heroes became legendary because their loser status made it very easy for readers to love them.

Spider-Man

The Marvel Age of Comics began with 1961’s Fantastic Four #1, but there are many who believe it truly kicked off with Amazing Fantasy #15. That comic contained the first appearance of Spider-Man, the character who would come to exemplify Marvel’s approach to superheroes. Peter Parker was the ultimate sad-sack superhero. He was mocked in school and he was poor; he gained great power and immediately lost his uncle, the father figure who had helped mold him. He was unlucky with girls and had to work hard to help keep a roof over his and his aunt’s heads. His life as Spider-Man constantly made his private life more difficult, with every victory leading to a defeat of some kind.

Fans connected with Spider-Man because he had the same problems they did. Spider-Man may have been a loser, but he was the readers’ loser. He was easy to love because everyone felt the way Spider-Man had, or had the same kind of life challenges happen to them. Over the years, Marvel has taken Spider-Man’s loser appellation a bit too far — keeping him single and miserable for far longer than anyone wants — but the fans’ anger over that shows just how much they love him. Fans want to see Spider-Man catch a break, they want him to win sometimes, and they’ve proven they’ll follow him anywhere in order to see their hero get some happiness out of life.

Hawkeye

Hawkeye began his journey in the Marvel Universe as a villain, manipulated by Black Widow to fight Iron Man. Right off the bat, Hawkeye was showing his loser tendencies — doing something stupid to get a pretty girl to pay attention to him — and since then, Hawkeye has been one of Marvel’s premiere losers in comics, TV shows, and movies. On the one hand, Hawkeye is one of the bravest heroes in the Marvel Universe: he’s a person armed with one of the oldest weapons in human history, fighting alongside gods, supersoldiers, and geniuses against the most dangerous threats in the universe. On the other hand, he and everyone he fights alongside knows how insane he is for doing what he does.

Hawkeye has had some great accomplishments over the years — he’s led the West Coast Avengers and the Thunderbolts — but his life as a superhero has been more defined by being the Avengers’ resident loser. Marvel Cinematic Universe fans got a taste of this as well; Hawkeye in the MCU was basically just a soldier who used an archaic weapon and he knew it. His speech in Avengers: Age of Ultron shows that he understood his place in the team. He lost his family in Avengers: Endgame and that loss drove him to go on a quest for vengeance. The Hawkeye TV series showcased him as an old, beat-up hero, one who needed the help of the next generation to win. Hawkeye is the epitome of the loser superhero in any universe, but he doesn’t let it stop him. Fans love Hawkeye for his sense of humor, but what makes him one of the most lovable loser superheroes is that he never gives up. He’s completely indomitable and always ready with a quip, even when staring down the barrel of oblivion.

Iceman

Iceman was always the little brother of the X-Men. While he’s now known to be one of the most powerful mutants on the face of the planet, back in his early days, he was the snowman, throwing snowballs, and making jokes. This was basically Iceman’s M.O. for years. While his peers grew and changed, Iceman was the funny C-lister. Iceman being something of a loser became his main character trait. Loki caused him to lose control of his mutant powers, forcing him to wear a special inhibitor belt. Emma Frost used his body to keep herself alive after a Sentinel attack and used his powers much better than he ever had. While his fellow first class of X-Men grew and moved on with their lives, Iceman just sort of stayed the same.

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However, even with all of that, fans loved Iceman. He was endearing, he was funny, and he was always there; everyone wanted him to catch a break. Over the years, Iceman has gotten some breaks — his powers have been revealed to be Omega level and coming out of the closet as gay has allowed him to find happiness in ways he never has before — but he’s still the resident loser of the X-Men. His life is a mess, he never makes the impact that he should in battle, and he still hasn’t led his own team. However, readers love to see Iceman come around because they know he’s going to do something cool with his ice powers and tell the best jokes.

Deadpool

Deadpool may be one of the most popular superheroes on the planet right now, but a big reason for that is that he’s such a loser. Deadpool is one of the most dangerous people around and he can’t die, but that doesn’t change the core of tragedy that is the heart of Deadpool: despite his successes, his life is a series of terrible events. Wade Wilson’s healing factor may seem like his most important weapon in battle, but it’s his willpower that actually keeps him going because just about anyone else would have given up years ago if they were Deadpool.

Fans don’t love Deadpool because he’s funny and violent – that certainly helps (it makes him entertaining) but much like other heroes on this list, it’s Deadpool’s indomitable spirit and optimism that makes him a fan-favorite. Just look at the Deadpool movies; every one of them is about him losing something special to him, believing that he can get them back, and then going to the craziest lengths imaginable to get those things. That’s why fans love him: Deadpool has earned the love of the fans over the last several decades, and that love has driven him to the top of the superhero world.

The Thing

Ben Grimm lost his humanity the moment he became a superhero. He went from a man with his entire future ahead of him to a monster, and even his best friend, the most intelligent superhero in the world (Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic), couldn’t help him. Ben Grimm was trapped in the rocky body the cosmic radiation gave him and had to deal with it.

That is what made the Thing’s stories the best among his peers in the Fantastic Four. The tragedy at the center of Ben Grimm’s life endeared him to fans, as they watched him come to terms with the transformation that took his life away. He found a new life, a new family with the Fantastic Four, and even new love with Alicia Masters, eventually marrying her. He became the linchpin of the Fantastic Four and earned the respect and admiration of the rest of the superhero community. The Thing’s story is one of constantly overcoming pain to see the hope in life. The Thing loses, sure, and he’s often defined by that loss. However, he doesn’t allow that to hold him back. That’s why fans love him — the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing just keeps going, always there with a joke and ready to clobber everything in front of him.

These characters all appear in Marvel Comics.