Marvel Comics superheroes often seem to be independently wealthy because few of them seem to be shown working regular jobs. However, there are some cases where the heroes are shown working, most prominently in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man. From the start of this series, Peter Parker was as important as Spider-Man in the storylines, and he went from being a high school nerd to becoming a photographer for the local newspaper. It was one way Marvel Comics helped kids relate to these otherwise ultra-powerful characters. There have been other cases where the daytime jobs are as fantastical as the superhero antics, such as Tony Stark and Reed Richards as inventors, and a short time where The Thing was a professional wrestler.
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From working as a photographer and a lawyer to jobs as a social worker and a nurse, here are Marvel Comics superheroes who hold down day jobs in their secret identities.
8) Peter Parker, Photographer
Spider-Man is easily the most famous Marvel Comics character who worked a day job because he had to. Peter became Spider-Man as a teenager in high school, and he soon learned his Aunt May was having financial problems, so he wanted to help out. After a failed attempt to be a professional wrestler, he got a job selling photographs of Spider-Man in action to the Daily Bugle. He would set up his camera before a battle and then sell the photos to help pay his bills, making it a significant part of his storyline. Later in life, Peter became a teacher and also a scientist, but his role as a photographer is the one that remains the most popular daytime job of any Marvel Comics superhero in their real lives.
7) Jane Foster, Doctor
In the early Thor comics, he had a secret identity of Donald Blake and would turn into Thor when he slammed his walking cane on the ground, and it turned into Mjolnir. Blake was a doctor, and this is how he met and fell in love with Jane Foster, who was a nurse. Thor hasn’t been Donald Blake in a very long time, but Jane went on to become a superhero herself as first Thor and then Valkyrie. Not only did Jane become a superhero, but she also pursued further education and became a doctor herself. She continued this work when not acting as a superhero, helping people on a different level.
6) Matt Murdoch, Attorney
Matt Murdock is an interesting Marvel Comics character because he feels that his day job is almost more important than his superhero career. Matt is an attorney, and his career in the courtroom is as necessary, and sometimes more so, than anything he does as Daredevil. Matt believes in letting the court system and the courts punish the criminals, and that puts him at odds with some other vigilantes on the street. It also puts Daredevil into tough spots in the few times that his identity was revealed, as it cost him the job that meant the most to him. This is also important since Matt’s life as an attorney opens the door for some of his best supporting characters, including Foggy Nelson.
5) Wanda Maxomoff, Bookstore Owner
Wanda Maximoff has a new day job, but it is also a cover for how she helps people. In her 2023 series, Wanda opened her own bookstore called the Emporium in Lotkill, New York. She also hired Darcy from the Thor movies and the WandaVision Disney+ series to work at the counter. The store offers a wide selection of books, as well as tea, talismans, herbal remedies, readings, custom spells, and more. It also has a special door called The Last Door, which allows anyone who needs help to step through a door where they are and end up in the Emporium, where Wanda will help them with their needs.
4) Doc Samson, Psychologist
Doc Samson is a gamma-radiated superhero who made his debut in The Incredible Hulk comics as an ally, friend, and sometimes enemy of the Hulk. He ended up exposed to gamma rays when he tried to help cure Bruce Banner of his affliction as the Hulk by using a projector to drain the gamma energy off him. However, Samson used the projector on himself and ended up watching his hair turn green, and he gained superhuman strength. While he showed up as a scientist, his actual profession is as a psychologist, with a PhD in the subject. Over his career, he has published 38 peer-reviewed papers on the psychotropic and physiological aspects of gamma transformations.
3) Janet Van Dyne, Fashion Designer
Janet Van Dyne has been in Marvel Comics since almost the beginning, debuting as Ant-Man’s partner before becoming a founding member of the Avengers. She was also one of the Avengers’ best leaders in their history. However, over the last two decades, Jan hasn’t been as active, and she has focused more on her day job as a fashion designer. She even made an appearance recently in Avengers Academy, where she used her expertise to create costumes for the new young heroes. Her job as a fashion designer also means that she has had more costume changes than almost any other superhero.
2) Jennifer Walters, Attorney
Jennifer Walters has the same day job as Matt Murdock. The key difference is that Matt keeps his identity as Daredevil a secret. On the other hand, She-Hulk is not only a superhero, but she was also an attorney in her complete transformation into She-Hulk. She also worked for the district attorney’s office for a time. Sadly, she lost this job in her solo series in 2008 when she was disbarred after breaking the attorney-client privilege to try to save some children her client at the time was believed to have killed. She was able to get reinstated a few years later and has continued to bounce between her role as a superhero, an Avenger, and a lawyer.
1) Sam Wilson, Social Worker
Sam Wilson has always been different from Steve Rogers in one significant way. Steve grew up to become a loyal soldier and has been a superhero since his younger days. He fights for his country, what is right, and what he learned through his years in the military and as leader of the Avengers. However, Sam was a social worker, and he was more interested in helping kids on the streets than stopping world-destroying threats. As Captain America, this made him and Steve very different, as Steve always looked at the big picture. However, Sam wanted to use his position to help the people on the streets, fighting for the little people before caring about doing anything on a larger scale.
What is your favorite day job for any superhero in Marvel Comics? Was there anyone that we missed? Let us know in the comments below.
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