Considering the vast array of mutants, alien invasions, time travel, monsters, and deities running aroundMarvel’s perpetually hectic multiverse, it’s hardly surprising that there are some morally gray heroes out there. Complicated characters who stand for good causes despite their dark nature have been a common trope inMarvelfor decades.
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The antihero concept, in general, has proven to be more common in Marvel than in their DC rivals for the most part. However, there are some characters who fit the more standard superhero mantle whilst still displaying sinister, unpleasant character traits and instincts. These heroes have displayed great bravery and commitment to justice, even if their hearts and minds aren’t always in the best places.
7Gambit
Thelong-runningX-Menfan favoritehas a grim, dark past he’s often tried to keep secret from his heroic teammates. Before committing himself to fighting the good fight with Professor X’s crew, the Cajun rogue worked as a mercenary and was even allied with the monstrous Mr Sinister.
Remy LeBeau’s criminal ways started at birth, thanks to his time in the New Orleans Thieves Guild. His eventual move into the Marauders gang and their horrific slaughter of the Morlocks shows he’s more than capable of evil actions when pushed to it. As an X-Man, though, Gambit has shown loyalty and bravery to his team. He also mentored X-23 and helped her discover her inner hero after her disastrous time with the X-Force. Overall, Gambit is a heroic but often amoral figure in the Marvel Universe.
6The Sentry
Marvel’s deadly answer to overpowered DC heroes such as Superman and Shazam is constantly at war with himself. On the one hand, he’s Bob Reynolds, awell-intentioned hero with the devastating powerof a million exploding suns at his disposal. On the other hand, he’s also his own nemesis in the form of The Void, an inverted, evil rendition of his personality and powers.
The danger he poses even leads to him working with Dr Strange to cast a spell that would ensure everyone, even Reynolds himself, would forget The Sentry at one point. It was a sad story arc considering the good Reynolds was revealed to have done prior to an earlier memory spell, but the danger of his unwieldy powers and psychological state risk was simply too much to leave unchecked. Despite his often noble intentions, Reynolds’ pure evil alternate personality makes him one of Marvel’s scariest and most unpredictable heroes.
5The Winter Soldier
Steve Rogers’ wayward best friend has been through the wringer more than once since he was first revealed as The Winter Soldier during Ed Brubaker’s highly acclaimedCaptain Americanoughties run. Having spent decades as a mind-wiped super-assassin, the understandably troubled Bucky Barnes ultimately did his best to fight the good fight upon rediscovering his identity.
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When Steve Rogers is seemingly assassinated, Barnes even takes up the shield and fights to keep the Captain America legacy going. As much a victim of circumstance as he was a villain initially, Barnes’ attempts to become a hero prove there is great good in him, even if other heroes will always be wary of him thanks to his brutal past.
4Wolverine
X-Men’s flagship hero is one of Marvel’s most troubled, complicated figures. The grumpy, often self-destructive James Howlett has had a long, bloodthirsty life full of tragedy and regret. Even when he’s dealing with amnesia,his temperamental, anti-social demeanorreflects the long-lasting emotional impact of his origins.
As an X-Man, Wolverine’s frequently proven himself to be a selfless, gutsy hero. He’s also taken on an almost fatherly role for troubled young mutants such as Jubilee in the past. Despite his many good qualities, however, his animalistic thirst for violence is always at risk of coming out. Freely admitting to being one of the deadliest killers in the world, Logan is simply too savagely brutal and murderous to ever be one of Marvel’s nicer heroes.
3Blade
If it weren’t for the fact that all of his victims are vampires, Blade would likely be considered one of Marvel’s biggest sadists. An elite-level hunter, swordsman, marksman, and martial artist, the Daywalker’s whole life revolves around cleansing the world of the vampiric threat it secretly faces.
Initially, a hot-headed young vampire hunter in London, the dhampir’s reckless ways led to the deaths of his teammates. In the decades since, a more measured but emotionally cold Blade has becomeone of the most fearsome killersin the Marvel Universe. His quest often seems to be designed to satisfy his own insatiable appetite for carnage and combat as much as to actually protect the innocent from vampiric influence. Despite tirelessly fighting the forces of evil, Blade remains one of Marvel’s most sinister protagonists.
2Iron Man
Few heroes have betrayed their comrades more often than Tony Stark. After living life as a greedy business tycoon and weapons manufacturer, Stark had a notable change of heart following his traumatic time as a wounded prisoner overseas. Returning to America as a superhero, Stark’s heroism is matched only by his monumental ego.
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Plenty of stories have depicted Iron Man as being an excellent leader and hero, but arcs like Mark Millar’s Civil War have shown Stark’s disturbing dark side. Cloning Thor, betraying longtime friend Steve Rogers and destroying Spider-Man’s life and identity when he tried to side with Rogers, Stark’s cruelty and unscrupulous tactics to police the superhuman world were borderline supervillain-y. Even with his emphasis on the greater good, Iron Man’s calculated strategies to take down his fellow heroes reveal a paranoid, controlling side of one of Marvel’s most beloved heroes.
1Hank Pym
There are few heroes in the Marvel Universe who’ve done more indirect damage to the world than Hank Pym. In an attempt to build an entity boasting a similar level of intellect to himself, Pym invented none other than Ultron, one of the biggest threats the Avengers have ever faced. He also physically assaulted his wife, Janet, during an argument in one of the most disturbing moments in Marvel history.
The constantly costume-changing hero does stand for justice and peace normally, but his crippling insecurities, anxiety, and aggressive tendencies have led to countless disasters over the years. More recent stories have seen Pym diagnose himself with bipolar disorder. While the reveal certainly paints his struggles in a more human light, it doesn’t change that one of the Marvel Universe’s biggest geniuses is capable of both personal and global catastrophe when left unchecked. One of the most complex characters in the Avengers line-up, Hank Pym’s heroism is frequently undercut by his troubled lifebeyond the Pym Particles.
