7 Worst Things MCU Heroes Survived

Being a hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not for the faint of heart. When Tony Stark recruits Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War, the high school student uses his powers only for small jobs, like stopping runaway cars. However, fighting in that airport in Germany shows Peter that he has the potential to be so much more. Of course, with great power comes great responsibility, so the more active Spider-Man is, the more danger he puts both himself and his loved ones in. By the time Spider-Man: No Way Home is about to roll credits, the titular hero has no choice but to erase himself from his friends’ memories, ensuring that they can live in peace.

As sad as Spider-Man’s sacrifice is, though, it can’t hold a candle to some of the other trials that MCU heroes face. The franchise just doesn’t want to see its good guys win, choosing to make them suffer to get the best out of them. Here are the seven worst things that MCU heroes have survived.

7) Shuri Losing Her Family

All of Wakanda mourns the loss of King T’Chaka at the start of Black Panther, but it hits his two kids, T’Challa and Shuri, the hardest. However, they can’t throw themselves a pity party because Erik Killmonger shows up and takes over the country for a short period. And the hits just keep on coming because, a handful of years after that, both T’Challa and Queen Ramonda die, leaving Shuri all alone. It’s a testament to Shuri’s resolve that she becomes the Black Panther and saves her people at the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

6) Iron Man Starving in Space

Tony lived a cushy life before his parents died, and when he reached adulthood, he returned to his wild lifestyle. It takes being kidnapped and thrown in a cave in Afghanistan for him to wake up to reality and put his mind to good use, becoming the hero known as Iron Man. But being the face of the MCU doesn’t get Tony any special treatment, as he loses Peter and a few other friends at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. He tries to return home, but his ship stalls out in the middle of space, and he runs out of food. Captain Marvel finds him in the nick of time, but he’s not in the best of shape.

5) Doctor Strange’s Time Loop

People respect Doctor Stephen Strange, but nobody likes him at the start of his 2016 solo movie. After a car accident, Strange seeks the help of the Ancient One, whom he believes can heal his hands and put his life back together. Instead of doing that, though, she teaches him the Mystic Arts, and he starts to embrace his heroic side. Dormammu shows up not long after Strange starts his training, so the newbie uses the Time Stone to teach the villain a lesson, trapping him in a time loop. There’s no telling how many times Strange died before Dormammu finally threw in the towel.

4) Nebula Being Tortured

Nebula doesn’t fit in the hero category at the start of her MCU, and she doesn’t want to. Her only mission is to dish out pain because that’s all she knows how to do. Thanos, Nebula’s adoptive father, spent years upgrading his daughter using cybernetics, pushing her body to places it should never have had to go. And the abuse doesn’t stop after Nebula leaves her dad’s side, with him torturing her for information in Infinity War. At least with Thanos gone, she can now live a peaceful life on Knowhere.

3) Thor’s First Battle Against Thanos

Thor’s arc is one of the MCU’s most impressive, as he goes from a spoiled brat to a respected ruler in the matter of a few movies. Just when the God of Thunder looks to have his people in the clear, though, Thanos shows up and ruins everything. Not only does Thor watch the Mad Titan kill his best friend, Heimdall, and his brother, Loki, but he also has to bear the brunt of a massive explosion. If the Guardians of the Galaxy hadn’t shown up when they did, Infinity War might’ve ended even worse than it did.

2) Bruce Banner Being the Hulk for Two Years

Initially, Hulk is also on the ship carrying the Asgardians that Thanos attacks. Of course, he’s travelling back to Earth with his teammate after a siesta on Sakaar. It isn’t all fun and games for Bruce Banner while his alter ego is becoming the champion of the planet. His mind sits dormant for two years, and while the MCU doesn’t go too deeply into how that changes Bruce, there’s a good chance it’s a significant part of his decision to merge himself with the Hulk.

1) Wanda Maximoff Losing Everyone

Yes, Wanda Maximoff is technically dead in the MCU, which should disqualify her from this list. However, her losing her mind in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is only the tip of the iceberg. She watches her parents, brother, and life partner all die long before the Westview incident, and she still tries to move on. The MCU better bring Wanda back in some capacity because she deserves far better than she’s gotten so far.

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