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Marvel Comics has produced so many great characters that it is easy to forget half of them. This is not a criticism but rather a compliment–the ability to create so many compelling characters shows the company’s immense creativity over time. Many of these characters have withstood the test of time and deserve as much credit and appreciation as Daredevil, Captain America, or Wolverine. So, these are the most underrated characters in the Marvel Universe. Let’s begin!
The fact that fans nicknamed Adam Warlock “Cosmic Jesus” should tell you enough about his stature in the Marvel Universe. He was created on Earth by a group of scientists in the 60s during a Fantastic Four storyline, but he has become a part of Marvel Cosmic, constantly fighting against evil across the galaxy.
One of the great things about Warlock is his complex nature: he was created rather than born, he wandered the galaxy searching for an identity, and he was even faced with an evil version of himself from the future, the Magus, highlighting his constant potential to fall into darkness. Let’s add a phenomenal rivalry with Thanos, one of Marvel’s most iconic villains, and you have someone special. Warlock hasn’t gotten the spotlight he deserved in recent years, but there is no denying that he is a wonderful character.
Luke Cage is the very definition of underrated when you consider his entire evolution in the comics. He is mainly remembered as a black stereotype during his original solo run in the 70s or as the 50% of one of the best bromances in fiction with Iron Fist (which is great, by the way, and you should read their original run together). Still, there is a lot more regarding the man from Harlem.
He married Jessica Jones, had a child and became a part of the Avengers, and led them after the events of Civil War. He was even a part of the Thunderbolts for a while, showing how flexible and tridimensional the character has become while maintaining the best elements of the runs he enjoyed in the 70s and 80s. There’s so much more Marvel could do with Cage, and it is a shame he doesn’t have the spotlight more often.
The recent Disney+ series that is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has given more attention to the character. Rightfully so, but Moon Knight deserves even more spotlight as he is one of the best-written characters in all of Marvel and a unique hero in his own right.
There have been claims of people saying that he is just “Batman with multiple personalities”, but that is doing Moon Knight a massive disservice. He is a well-written street-level hero with a superb design, a well-done character arc, and some of the most underrated runs in all of Marvel history. This is the definition of a great character who deserves a lot more attention.
Bruce Banner’s cousin hasn’t gotten the credit she deserves in recent runs. Many writers had tried to reinvent the wheel with She-Hulk when writer and artist John Byrne showed the blueprint with his iconic solo runs in the 80s and early 90s.
She-Hulk was a muscle mommy before muscle mommies were a thing. She was breaking the fourth wall long before Deadpool. She added an element of levity and humor that wasn’t so common in the more mainstream Marvel comics then and did so with gusto, personality, and style. Peak 80s She-Hulk is a character that deserves a lot more recognition.
You could make an entire list like this with just the mutant characters, but Havok needs to be here. He is much more than Cyclops’ younger brother, but he often gets the shaft because of this.
Legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont showed how good the character could be when he became a team member in the mid-80s, cementing his place when they were riding high in popularity. He was charismatic, strong, and, above all else, he was his own man.
People have forgotten that this character has led the Avengers. Monica Rambeau proved time and time again to be one of the best-written Marvel characters in the 80s, but her time in the spotlight has proven to be way too short.
This is primarily because she shares her mantle with the original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell, whose death has been one of the most touching in the medium’s history, and Carol Danvers, the most known Captain Marvel. Therefore, Monica is often in no man’s land and doesn’t get much attention. Her storylines with The Avengers are great and deserve a lot more reading.
The MCU might have given him a bit of mainstream focus in the Black Widow movie, but he was done a massive disservice there. Taskmaster is one of the toughest street-level fighters in the Marvel Universe and should be treated as such.
Just putting it out there: this character can copy any movements he sees. It doesn’t matter the execution; if he can see it, he can do it. This alone makes him an extremely deadly foe, and when you add his training as a world-class assassin, you have someone you genuinely don’t want to mess with.
This is particularly important because Taskmaster can be a perfect recurring antagonist for street-level heroes. Still, he doesn’t get much exposure or use, which leads to him not giving the level of gravitas he deserves. However, he is a perfect antagonist and fighter and deserves more.
There are many underrated Marvel characters, but these are some of the finest. Do you have any others that we missed out on? Drop a comment below and let us know. Also, be sure to check out our article on the Most Underrated DC Characters!
