TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HEROES

THE TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HEROES

DISCLAIMER:

These are MY PERSONAL FAVORITE Marvel Super Heroes, not which super heroes from Marvel are the most powerful, popular, or most recognizable. These are the characters from Marvel Comics that I have grown to love over the years of my fandom and the characters which I naturally gravitate towards. I'm not saying these characters are better than others nor am I saying these are the best characters out there. These are the characters I personally find the most enjoyable.

#11

BLADE 

As a bonus and honorable mention and just barely edged out of my top ten is BLADE. The story that solidified Eric Brooks a.k.a. Blade as one of my favorite characters in all Marveldom was THE RISE OF THE MIDNIGHT SONS crossover. That was my introduction to the character and one of Blade's most definitive interpretations. The TOMB OF DRACULA graphic novel mini series that preceded it (4 graphic novels by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan) and THE NIGHTSTALKERS series that succeeded it further endeared the character to me as an all-time favorite. Oh yeah, those three movies are pretty awesome too and so is the anime series written by Warren Ellis.

#10

IRON FIST

Danny Rand a.k.a. Iron Fist is one helluva character. After reading the entire volume of THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and Duane Swierczynski I was forever hooked. Every issue surrounding that particular volume (all 27 issues plus a few one-shots and specials) was a "must read" for me. As a result I have come to love his supporting cast as well. COLLEEN WING and MISTY KNIGHT are wicked awesome and the team of the IMMORTAL WEAPONS are so cool. I sincerely hope the Netflix Iron Fist series knocks it out of the park.

#9

MORBIUS ~ THE LIVING VAMPIRE

Now I know what you're thinking. I probably just lost any or all credibility I may have had, but hear me out. Michael Morbius hasn't had the most stellar career. The most recent volume and stories surrounding the character have been pretty awful, in my opinion. Needless to say, those AREN'T the stories that place the vampire hero at number nine on my list.

I have loved Morbius since I was in single digits (the 1990's). And just like with Blade, THE RISE OF THE MIDNIGHT SONS crossover event and Morbius' 90's volume which ran 32 issues are the stories that have secured him a place on my list. His appearances in the 1970's are quite enjoyable too, his twelve issue run in ADVENTURES INTO FEAR #20-31 as well as VAMPIRE TALES #1-11, and of course his first few battles against Spider-Man. Regardless of his current status, Morbius has had some very good stories in the past.

#8

ADAM WARLOCK 

There are really two iterations of this character that have endeared to me. My first encounter with HIM a.k.a. Adam Warlock was in the INFINITY GAUNTLET event by Jim Starlin, George Perez, and Ron Lim. Warlock's appearances preceding Infinity Gauntlet, those in THE SILVER SURFER and the succeeding series WARLOCK AND THE INFINITY WATCH are all wonderful. Some of the best Warlock stories to come from Jim Starlin were those from the 1970's. STRANGE TALES #178-181 and WARLOCK #9-15, AVENGERS ANNUAL #7 and MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE ANNUAL #2 are all simply wonderful.

Jim Starlin's interpretation of Adam Warlock is the definitive one and for my money, pure gold. But there is a second interpretation which I love quite dearly as well. During the Marvel event ANNIHILATION CONQUEST followed by the 2008 volume of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, both written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning renewed my love for the character. Warlock's stint as a part of the Guardians of the Galaxy team remains a true favorite.

#7

CAPTAIN MARVEL

Which Captain Marvel, you ask? I am a follower of the HOUSE OF VELL. The Kree captain MAR-VELL, for me, is where it's at. The stories that have earned him a place on my list are from the 1960's volume, particularly CAPTAIN MARVEL #25-#33 by Jim Starlin. These issues chronicle the first THANOS epic and they are just that: Epic. I love those issues and for the most part that entire volume.

Another aspect of the character that has endeared me to him is Mar-Vell's legacy. His son GENIS-VELL and his daughter PHYLA-VELL are among my favorites and who I kind of include under the Captain Marvel umbrella here (I know, it's kind if cheating but it's my list). Genis-Vell as the 90's hero LEGACY was cool and his adventures as CAPTAIN MARVEL, written by one of my favorite comic book writers, Peter David, have solidified him as a personal favorite. Genis was also featured in the twelve issue maxi series AVENGERS FOREVER by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco, which is a stellar story and is the series that launched him into Peter David's book.

And then there is Phyla. Created by Peter David, writers Keith Giffen, Dan Abnett, and Andy Lanning propelled the character to new heights and making her one of my personal favorites as well. The stories of ANNIHILATION, ANNIHILATION CONQUEST, and the 2008 volume of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY are all the reasons why I love her. Phyla grew even greater when she took up the mantle of QUASAR, a legacy left by Wendell Vaughn and an extension of Mar-Vell's legacy as Protector of the Universe. Phyla and Genis deserve a comeback.

So, I am way cheating here, but I have a fourth character I include under the Captain Marvel umbrella: the current Captain Marvel, the former Ms. Marvel ~ CAROL DANVERS. It was only because of her ties to Mar-Vell that I even gave the character any thought and thus the reason for her presence here. I actually enjoy her more as Ms. Marvel, her 2006 volume by Brian Reed being my favorite epic of hers. I also loved her as BINARY and as a team member of the STARJAMMERS.

All in all it is MAR-VELL who is technically the number seven spot but it is his legacy that continues to endear the character to me.

#6

NOVA

NOT Sam Alexander. Let's make that perfectly clear. 

My favorite Nova and number six on my top ten favorite Marvel Super Heroes is none other than Marvel's original human rocket, RICHARD RIDER ~ THE MAN CALLED NOVA. Writer Marv Wolfman was basically the sole scribe for Richard Rider during his original story arc. Richard returned in the 1990's volume of THE NEW WARRIORS. Writer Fabian Nicieza delved deeper into Richard's character and explored the Nova Corps and Nova Force. Nicieza greatly expanded the character with some wonderful storytelling.

In 2006 writers Keith Giffen, Dan Abnett, and Andy Lanning put Richard through hell, a literal trial by fire in the event titled ANNIHILATION. It was in the pages of this story that Nova climbed to a new level, both with his character and story, but also with his status in the Marvel lexicon. Thus started the greatest volume in Nova history, a 36 issue volume by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Sam Alexander wouldn't be here if not for the Nova book mentioned above by DnA. Nova would not be a presence in current Marvel comics today had it not been for this book.

Nova was always on my radar but never in a big way until Annihilation and the 36 issue volume by Abnett and Lanning. The two writers gave Rich a grand sendoff in the mini series THE THANOS IMPERATIVE (another amazing story) and Richard hasn't been seen since. This is part of the reason why Richard is still so amazing to me. Abnett and Lanning remain the last writers to really write him and he hasn't been dragged through the dirt yet by lesser writers.

#5

DOCTOR STRANGE

Strangely, Stephen Strange is the most recent addition to this list. I am ashamed to say that only within the last few years have I really come to know and love DOCTOR STRANGE. I have always been interested in the character but other characters have stolen my attention. But now after having read a lot of Dr. Strange I have to say he is one of the my personal favorites. The stories that have endeared him to me the most are his adventures in MARVEL PREMIERE #3-14 and the 1970's DOCTOR STRANGE volume #1-9 (the majority of the 1970's volume is amazing). Writer Peter B. Gillis finished off the volume and continued the story in STRANGE TALES Vol. 3 #1-19 and then the first four issues of the 1988 Doctor Strange volume. Gillis' Strange is excellent.

The 1988 volume which ran through the 1990's DOCTOR STRANGE SORCERER SUPREME #1-30, 57-79, and 83-90. Roy Thomas' work on this volume is at its strongest before it starts crossing over into other events. David Quinn's run is quite different from any Doctor Strange story I've ever read and quite entertaining. And capping the whole 1988 volume off beautifully is J.M. DeMatteis' run. All in all, Doctor Strange has had a lot of amazing stories and there is a reason he has endured for so long. Sadly I have not read any of the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko stories. With a Doctor Strange Omnibus coming out in the near future I hope to change that.

#4

NAMOR ~ THE SUB-MARINER

I was introduced to the Sub-Mariner through his friendship with the HULK and the SILVER SURFER. Stories where he crossed over into their books were among the first I'd ever read of the character. Since then I have delved deep and discovered how truly wonderful Namor is. The first full run of Namor's that I read was his 1990's volume. John Byrne's run from issue #1-25 is incredible (also my first real exposure to the character IRON FIST). Jae Lee's run and the story spanning from issue #26-39 is perhaps my favorite saga of the Sub-Mariner. 

I am currently working on collecting the entirety of Sub-Mariner's 1960's volume and so far from what I've read it is wonderful. His stint with the X-MEN in the mid to late 2000's had some great moments too. The issue DARK REIGN-THE LIST: X-MEN written by Matt Fraction is one of the best single issue Namor stories I've read and his time on the ALL NEW INVADERS written by James Robinson is the most recent wonderful representation of the character. Jonathan Hickman's NEW AVENGERS did some interesting things with the character too, some of it good, some of it meh.

#3

THE SILVER SURFER

Norrin Radd a.k.a. The Silver Surfer has long held the number three spot on my list since even before I had a list. His position here will never change because he is one of the reasons why I love comics and super heroes. Again, growing up reading comic books in the 1990's, I was enamored with the Silver Surfer. His artistic depiction by Ron Lim was what drew me to the character. It's such a simple character design yet it was so compelling. And his stories were mind blowing and totally cosmic. The Silver Surfer is the reason I love Marvel's Cosmic Corner of stories and cosmic characters more than any other.

The 1987 volume of the Silver Surfer is my favorite of his and I dare say the best quality of any of his stories. Of course it was his battle against Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet saga which really put him on the map. Jim Starlin's writing on Surfer along with Steve Englehart's and Ron Marz's are fantastic. George Perez's run and J.M. DeMatteis' run near the end cap off an amazing volume. During this volume the other HERALDS OF GALACTUS were fleshed out and became something of a team, one of my personal favorite ensembles in the Marvel Universe.

The Silver Surfer and the Heralds took part in the event ANNIHILATION, one of my favorite stories in all Marvel Comicdom. While not necessarily the most standout performance of the Surfer it is still a quality story. Andrea DiVito's artwork is some of the best looking Silver Surfer renditions I've seen since Ron Lim. This story eventually led to another couple stories called THE THANOS IMPERATIVE and THE ANNIHILATORS, two more of my favorite stories in all Marvel. The relatively recent Silver Surfer book by Dan Slott and Michael Allred, while completely different from any Surfer story to come before it, has maintained a creative and fun story.

The Silver Surfer represents one of the three pillars of my love of Marvel, super heroes, and comics.

#2

GHOST RIDER

To be perfectly clear: the movies have nothing to do with why I like Ghost Rider.

I began my comic book reading in the early 1990's. Not surprising at all is the 1990's volume of Ghost Rider being my favorite and the reason why I love the character. DANNY KETCH is my Ghost Rider. Howard Mackie and Ivan Velez are my favorite Ghost writers and artists Javier Saltares, Mark Texeira, Ron Garney, Adam Kubert, and Salvador Larroca supplied the images I always think of. Writer Howard Mackie contributed more for Ghost Rider and the Ghost Rider mythos than any other writer to ever pen the character. Howard Mackie is my Ghost Rider god.

The 1990's Ghost Rider volume along with Doctor Strange, Morbius, Blade and the Nightstalkers, and the whole MIDNIGHT SONS banner remains one of my favorites, in not the favorite, era of comic books I've ever read (the Giffen, Abnett, and Lanning cosmic era coming close). John Blaze during this era remains my favorite depiction of Johnny Blaze. Of the 1970's Ghost Rider volume issues #68-81 are among the best Ghost Rider stories ever written. If not for what Roger Stern, J.M. DeMatteis, and Bob Budiansky did during that era of Ghost Rider, I would not have the 1990's Ghost Rider to look back on with love and admiration.

In 2005 the last great era of Ghost Rider began with a beautiful six issue mini series by Garth Ennis and Clayton Crain called GHOST RIDER: ROAD TO DAMNATION. This story continued through a 35 issue volume written by Daniel Way and becoming something truly amazing in the hands of Jason Aaron, the writer who brought back Danny Ketch and finished off the story with a six issue mini series titled HEAVEN'S ON FIRE. 

Sadly ever since the Ghost Rider mantle has been picked up and passed off to any Tom, Dick, and Jane Marvel wants resulting in some truly wanting iterations.

Danny Ketch Ghost Rider would be my number one favorite character had it not been for the big guy that tops my list...

#1

THE INCREDIBLE HULK

The Hulk is Marvel's character that has been with me the longest, since the 1980's when I was in single digits. My favorite color is green, perhaps the impetus for my interesting in the Hulk. It started with the classic Bixby/Ferrigno television show and then transferred to the comic books. My love for the character started with the most basic primal aspects of him, his strength and rage. Everyone can relate to having anger and a need to let it out.

As I grew up and the more I read the more drawn I became to the character's complexities. The laymen may not think it, but the Hulk is actually one of Marvel's more complex characters. Not everybody can write him well either. Split personalities and different Hulk manifestations for each, far deeper emotional problems than just anger, and the fear of becoming what everyone believes him to be: a monster. Hulk always stays the hero but is constantly riding the line between man and monster, hero and villain. I personally have a deep affinity for misunderstood monsters and there is no better example in Marvel than the Hulk.

The stories that have endeared the Hulk to me the most are hands down those of writer Peter David. To me it doesn't get any better than Peter David's Hulk run. He gave us Mr. Fixit, the Professor Hulk, and the Maestro. He has done more for the character than any other save Stan Lee. I could go on and on about that run. Greg Pak, the writer who gave us Planet Hulk and World War Hulk has probably been the next best writer since Peter David. The 2014/15 Doc Green story arc by Mark Waid and Gerry Duggan was solid too and a fitting follow-up to Greg Pak's story.

The most underrated and underappreciated run on the Hulk is that of writer Bill Mantlo. Bill Mantlo penned over sixty issues of Hulk and wrote some of the character's definitive character threads. He wrote a proto version of the Professor Hulk and wrote the first issue about Banner's childhood and experiences with his father, plot threads Peter David would later pickup and run with. Both Greg Pak and Peter David's Hulk stories were heavily influenced by what Bill Mantlo had done.

The Hulk/Bruce Banner is my favorite comic book character with a bullet.

And there you have it. My top ten (eleven) personal favorite Marvel super heroes. Now I know what you're thinking, "How can you call that a top ten?! Where are Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, Captain America, Daredevil, Black Panther, Luke Cage, Punisher, and Black Widow? And you can't have a top ten without Deadpool!"

Those are all fine characters worthy of top ten lists everywhere. And some of them may have been on my list at one time. There are so many characters out there of all walks, shapes, and sizes. It's been my experience that the more you read and the deeper you dive the more characters you find that feel tailor made for you. Certain aspects call out stronger than others. We each develop our own personalities and personal preferences and the whole of Marvel's heroes are as diverse as we are. Does this mean my preferences are better than yours? No. Nor are mine worse than yours. They're just different because we are different. And that's the wonder of the World of Marvel, there are enough characters for everybody.

Hope you enjoyed the list!

Feel free to leave a list of your top ten Marvel super heroes in the comments below!

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