Dozens of Marvel characters have been left behind through the years, however a few of them nonetheless have an opportunity to return and steal the present. The Marvel multiverse is overflowing with characters of each kind, powerset, and background conceivable. The sheer scope of Marvel’s storytelling signifies that even the typical reader might probably title a whole lot of characters.
With such a large universe, it’s solely pure for just a few characters to fall by way of the cracks. Some heroes have been by no means meant to final past a single difficulty, whereas others have been left behind earlier than they might attain their full potential. Marvel’s fixed evolution generally leaves these unsung heroes stranded up to now, ready for the best story to drag them again into the highlight.
8
Foolkiller
Launched in 1974; Final Seen Round 2016
Foolkiller is an ethical extremist who “kills fools” within the title of righteousness. A number of folks have carried the Foolkiller mantle since his 1974 debut, every representing a special type of fanaticism. Essentially the most well-known, Greg Salinger, first fought in opposition to Daredevil and Spider-Man earlier than becoming a member of the Thunderbolts as a reformed antihero. His final main look was in 2007’s Foolkiller MAX, the place his campaign took on a psychological edge.
Foolkiller’s mixture of darkish humor and street-level grit makes him good for a contemporary revival. In a post-gritty age of superhero content material, Foolkiller’s warped sense of justice might current a brand new tackle brutal vigilantism individually from Deadpool and the Punisher. Hopefully, Foolkiller’s cameo in Eddie Brock: Carnage suggests his return is simply across the nook.
7
Terror
Launched in 1988; Final Seen Round 2016
Terror, star of Terror Inc., is an immortal mercenary who survives by changing his decaying physique elements with these of others. Every new graft briefly grants him the recollections and expertise of the physique’s former proprietor. Initially linked to Nineteen Forties horror comics and later folded into the Marvel Universe, Terror has since change into an underused cult determine. After teaming up with Deadpool and Foolkiller, Terror has solely occassionally popped up as a visitor character.
Terror’s grotesque energy set and noir tone make him ripe for a comeback. Marvel might double down on Terror’s darkish humor or give attention to the extra terrifying implications of his body-horror nature in a stylistic reboot of the character. A brand new Terror Inc. mini-series might place Terror in modern-day Madripoor or intersect him with the Midnight Sons, the place his ghastly pragmatism might shine alongside Ghost Rider and Blade.
6
The Blazing Cranium
Launched in 1940; Final Seen In 2012
After discovering the hidden Metropolis of the Cranium Males, Mark Todd was granted a supernatural flame that engulfed his head and made him almost indestructible. Because the Blazing Cranium, Mark Todd fought Nazis throughout World Conflict II and joined the Invaders. Sadly, he slipped into obscurity after the struggle and was ultimately killed by zombies.
The Blazing Cranium’s pulp-inspired origins and fiery powers might simply mix horror and thriller with patriotic heroism within the modern-day. Todd might act as a fiery ethical compass in at the moment’s Marvel Universe, maybe as a barely much less supernatural counterpart to Ghost Rider. The Blazing Cranium’s righteous fury can be an ideal complement to Captain America’s idealism in trendy tales.
5
The Blonde Phantom
Launched In 1948; Final Seen Round 2009
Blonde Phantom is the moniker of the glamorous secretary Louise Grant, who fights crime in a crimson night robe and domino masks. The Blonde Phantom predates most of Marvel’s main feminine heroes, however sadly, her prime was within the Golden Age. Louise later resurfaced in The Sensational She-Hulk, reimagined as an older girl reflecting on her previous adventures and her transition away from heroics.
The Blonde Phantom deserves a comeback as a bridge between eras. A revival might discover her getting old as an older superhero, her legacy, and the way the world’s first heroines paved the best way for at the moment’s icons. In any other case, a contemporary glimpse at her Golden Age adventures might fill in a classic void Marvel is not protecting in the mean time.
4
Nomad (Jack Monroe)
Launched In 1953; Final Seen In 2005
Jack Monroe, finest generally known as the Nineties incarnation of Nomad, was initially launched because the second Bucky. Jack was the sidekick to the paranoid Captain America impostor of the Fifties. After being revived from suspended animation, he adopted the mantle of Nomad, a lone jacket-clad wanderer armed with shotguns. Regardless of incomes cult standing in his solo collection, Monroe’s story ended abruptly when the Winter Soldier killed him.
Nomad deserves one other likelihood. Jack Monroe represented the grit and disillusionment of America’s underbelly and stood other than Bucky Barnes’ optimistic origins. A resurrection or legacy revival might see him return as an emblem of the forgotten, failed a number of instances by establishments and heroes. With Bucky now among the many Avengers, Nomad might change into the Winter Soldier’s personal Winter Soldier equal.
3
ROM The Spaceknight
Launched in 1979: Final Seen Round 2000
ROM the Spaceknight debuted in a licensed comedian from Parker Brothers that Marvel developed right into a surprisingly wealthy and enduring mythology. ROM is a cyborg warrior from the planet Galador who hunts the Dire Wraiths throughout the galaxy. Sadly, when the toy line failed and the licensing deal expired, Marvel misplaced the rights to the character, leaving solely his supporting forged and ideas behind.
ROM’s absence has been felt within the Marvel Universe. Typically depicted as a tragic knight combating an infinite struggle, ROM was the proper bridge between superhero sci-fi and house fantasy. With Hasbro and Marvel lately reconciling for reprints, there’s renewed hope that ROM might return as a canonical hero once more. If that occurs, a visitor look in a Guardians of the Galaxy story might convey him again to the highlight.
2
Omega the Unknown
Launched In 1975; Briefly Returned In 2022
Omega the Unknown was a synthetic being created by the extraterrestrial Protarians. Two of their final creations, James-Michael Starling, was positioned on Earth to study human emotion. The opposite, X3Z, doomed the planet Srenesk with its vitality. X3Z traveled to Earth to guard his human counterpart because the hero Omega the Unknown, solely to satisfy his tragic finish by the hands of frightened authorities in Las Vegas.
Considered one of Marvel’s many reinventions of Superman, Omega the Unknown has one of the vital self-contained tales within the Marvel Universe. James-Michael Starling returned in 2022’s The Darkhold Omega, taking over the mantle of his android protector fourty-seven years after their debut. Nonetheless, James-Michael and the Protarians maintain a variety of untapped potential for future tales that discover his id points.
1
Infinaut
Launched in 2016; Final Seen Round 2017
The Infinaut is a colossal cosmic being from a parallel actuality. Each few years, the Infinaut would start manifesting into Earth-616, threatening to crush the planet underneath his sheer mass. Every time, people (significantly Blue Marvel) prevented catastrophe by stabilizing the dimensional breach earlier than his arrival was full. Throughout the Krakoan Age, mutants lastly managed to anchor him correctly, and the Infinaut expressed his gratitude.
Regardless of being a minor character, the Infinaut’s design and idea are a goldmine for Marvel. The Infinaut is a menace on par with Galactus, and his motivations are fairly related: he merely needs to exist. He might simply change into a recurring determine as a misunderstood cosmic ally or tragic god-like wanderer who finds objective amongst heroes, equally to the Silver Surfer and the Eternals.
