Marvel Comics’ multiverse is massive. It’s this infinite web of alternate realities, each spinning off from a “what if” moment. The multiverse also gives fans a chance to dive into stories that are darker or just plain bizarre without permanently altering the “main” timeline. Some universes are eerily similar to the main one (Earth-616), while others are completely unrecognizable. Naturally, this means there are multiple versions of the Avengers scattered across these universes.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Some versions stay true to their heroic roots, but others? Not so much. The multiverse allows Marvel to experiment with these ideas endlessly, giving us everything from noble saviors to downright sinister versions of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
7. Superior Iron Man
Superior Iron Man is a darker, morally corrupt version of Tony Stark who emerged during the Axis storyline when the moral alignments of heroes and villains were inverted. This version of Stark retained his inversion even after the event concluded, resulting in a Tony who was unapologetically selfish, manipulative, and power-hungry. He created the Extremis 3.0 app, which allowed users to achieve physical perfection but charged exorbitant fees for continuous use, turning human insecurities into a business model. Unlike the heroic Iron Man, Superior Iron Man had no qualms about exploiting others for profit and even clashed with his former allies, such as Pepper Potts and Daredevil, when they opposed his schemes.
6. Evil Hank Pym / Ultron Pym
Hank Pym, one of the founding Avengers, has always struggled with his inner demons, but his darkest incarnation emerged when he fused with his greatest creation, Ultron. This occurred during the Rage of Ultron storyline, where Ultron, Marvel’s ultimate AI villain, merged with Pym after being defeated. The resulting fusion created Ultron Pym, a twisted hybrid of man and machine who fully embraced Ultron’s philosophy that humanity was inherently flawed and needed to be eradicated. Ultron Pym’s cold, calculating nature was terrifying because it combined Pym’s genius intellect with Ultron’s unrelenting hatred of humanity.
5. Dark Scarlet Witch
Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch, has often teetered on the edge of heroism and villainy, but her darkest moments came during Avengers: Disassembled and House of M. Overwhelmed by grief and mental instability after the loss of her children, Wanda suffered a breakdown and accidentally unleashed chaos. She killed several Avengers, including Vision, Ant-Man, and Hawkeye, during Avengers: Disassembled, effectively dismantling the team. Her actions escalated in House of M, where she used her reality-warping powers to create a utopian world dominated by mutants, only to erase most of the mutant population with the infamous phrase, “No more mutants.”
4. Hydra Supreme Captain America
The Hydra Avengers emerged during Marvel’s Secret Empire storyline, when Captain America was shockingly revealed to be a Hydra sleeper agent all along. After reality was reshaped by the Cosmic Cube, Steve Rogers rose to power as the Hydra Supreme, leading a fascist version of the Avengers that enforced Hydra’s authoritarian rule across the United States. This dark incarnation of the team included corrupted or manipulated heroes like Thor (Odinson), Scarlet Witch (possessed by Chthon), Vision (infected with Hydra software), and Deadpool, alongside villains like Taskmaster and Black Ant who served Hydra without hesitation.
3. Spider-Man — The Other / Spider’s Shadow
In Spider-Man: The Other, Peter Parker undergoes a horrifying transformation after being pushed to his limits in a battle with Morlun, a vampiric villain. Severely injured, Peter dies but is resurrected by the “Other,” a mystical spider entity. Upon his return, Peter begins exhibiting darker, more animalistic traits, including enhanced spider-like abilities and a more violent approach to fighting crime. This darker Spider-Man is driven by primal instincts, abandoning his moral code and terrifying his allies with his ruthlessness. This storyline explores Peter’s struggle to retain his humanity while dealing with his newfound powers.
2. Thor — King Thor / Unworthy Thor
King Thor and Unworthy Thor represent two contrasting dark versions of the God of Thunder. In one timeline, King Thor is an older, more cynical version of Thor who rules the universe after the death of nearly all other life. While he retains some semblance of heroism, his loneliness and guilt over past failures leave him embittered and ruthless, willing to make questionable moral decisions to protect what remains of existence. His reign is marked by a sense of despair, as he carries the weight of countless tragedies across millennia.
Unworthy Thor, on the other hand, emerges when Thor loses the ability to wield Mjolnir after being deemed unworthy. Stripped of his powers and title, Thor becomes a brooding, self-destructive figure who struggles with his identity and purpose. During this time, he exhibits a more brutal and savage fighting style, fueled by anger and bitterness.
1. Hulk (Maestro)
Maestro is an evil future version of the Hulk who emerges in a post-apocalyptic world where most of Earth’s heroes have been killed. In this timeline, Bruce Banner’s intellect and the Hulk’s strength merge into a tyrannical ruler who dominates the remnants of humanity with an iron fist. Unlike the heroic Hulk, Maestro has no moral constraints and uses his immense power to crush anyone who opposes him. His rule is marked by cruelty, as he hoards resources and enslaves survivors to maintain his dominance.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Iron Gate and Coffee Stain -
Image Courtesy of Apple
