So, one day I decided to post the following random question to all of my friends on Facebook and Twitter.
Okay tweeps – Who would you say is your favorite @Marvel super hero?#Marvel #marvelheroes2015 #marveloctober
— Dewey Singleton (@mrsingleton) July 26, 2015
To be honest with you, I wasn’t expecting loaded responses to the question, but I was blown away by the amount of people who had a very definitive answer. Jeff (a friend), proceeded to give me the complete rundown on how he would rank certain Marvel characters in the Marvel universe. Lacey, (a friend of my wife) with whom I have never had a conversation once about Super Heroes, had an answer to the question. Karen, (whom I haven’t seen in 15 years but I’m now friends with on Facebook) chimed in with her take on the question. Probably one of the more interesting responses was when I had the whole Henderson family (and I do mean the whole Henderson family) chime in, and each and every one of them had his or her own favorite.
What was once thought to be just a random question actually turned out to be quite the hot-button issue. Who knew so many people had very firm answers to the question of who his/her favorite Marvel Superhero was? Based on this response, I decided to come up with the Top 10 Marvel Superheroes. It would be super easy just to put them in the order I see fit, but that wouldn’t be a valid way to tackle this question. I’m going to have to establish criteria to evaluate these heroes:
CRITERIA –
I thought the only way for this to work is that I would have to create a 3 categories for which I would evaluate Marvel Heroes. Here are the categories:
1)Wow Factor – How does that super hero change the world?
2) Super Power Factor – How does that super hero’s powers effect the world?
3) Likability Factor – How is that super hero regarded by others?
I will be going by a scale of 10 with 1 being the worst and 10 the best. I will base my ranking on the research that I did on each of the characters that were under consideration.
10) Falcon – (Sam Wilson)
Wow Factor – 3
Super Power Factor – 4
Likability Factor – 4
Falcon is a fairly popular hero in the Marvel universe, but to be quite honest, I’m just not that impressed with him. Yes, I know he has mechanical wings that help him fly and he has telepathic powers that control birds, but he really doesn’t do much more than that. I think if I were to do a list of all the Marvel Characters he would even be further down the list.
9) Hawkeye – (Clint Barton)
Wow Factor – 4
Super Power Factor – 2
Likability Factor – 4
Hawkeye first showed up in the Marvel Universe in 1964. He doesn’t truly have any super powers, but is in peak physical condition and excellent with a bow and arrow. His ability to hit those tricky shots is fairly impressive, but not as impressive as some of the other characters in the Marvel Universe. He is likable and plays a key role on the Avengers team.
8) Deadpool – (Wade Wilson)
Wow Factor – 5
Super Power Factor – 4
Likability Factor – 8
Deadpool certainly can be impressive when he’s using those weapons on which he’s been trained, with such precision. He also has the ability to heal quickly, so that adds to not only he’s “Wow Factor” but his “Super Power” Factor. You are probably thinking, well, why is his ranking so low then? Other than his ability to heal himself, there is not much to Deadpool when it comes to Super Powers. He’s extremely likable due to his constant sarcastic tone that he takes and the one liners that he will rip off after he’s destroyed a gang of bad guys. That’s what makes him so charming in the end.
7) Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff)
Wow Factor – 5.5
Super Power Factor -4.25
Likability Factor -8
Black Widow first appeared in the Marvel Universe as an antagonist to Iron Man. She later defected and became a member of the Avengers. I gave Black Widow a slight edge in Wow and Super Power Factor due to her ability to interrogate individuals, and the ability she has for coming through during secret operations. She doesn’t have a set super power but, like Deadpool, she is quite familiar with all weapons and martial arts . She is also well liked in the Marvel Universe.
6) Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)
Wow Factor – 6
Super Power Factor – 5
Likability 7
The Scarlet Witch first appeared in the Marvel Universe in March of 1964. Her Wow Factor is fairly high because of the hexes and the mind control she exhibits throughout her adventures. Her Super Power Factor is high as well, not due to her abilities, but when your husband is The Vision you always have backup. It also seems that she is a very likable person in the Marvel world just not as much as The Black Widow.
5) Wolverine (Logan Howlett)
Wow Factor – 6
Super Power Factor – 6
Likability – 7
Wolverine first appeared as a special guest in a Hulk comic in November 1974. His Wow Factor is high because of his claws and his body, which can heal itself rapidly. His Super Power Factor is high as well for the same reason. I think the average fan of comics is also a fan of Wolverine’s. I’m not sure if he has a hardcore following like some of these characters do, but nonetheless he is our #5.
4) Iron Man (Tony Stark)
Wow Factor – 8
Super Power Factor – 4
Likability Factor – 8
I’m pretty sure that this is going to enrage some readers (especially my sister). Tony Stark’s Wow Factor is literally touching the roof. His technology is really at the heart of a lot of the Marvel Universe. He is constantly trying to come up with the next best thing, and sometimes his ego gets everyone in a ton of trouble. He lacks that Super Power Factor, but his machines make up for it and then some. Of Course, Tony scored high in likability because everyone loves Iron Man. I’m a fan ,but based on our evaluation process, I would not have him in my Top 3.
3) Spider-Man ( Peter Parker)
Wow Factor – 8
Super Power Factor -8
Likability Factor – 8
I can hear people screaming now. How could you rank Peter Parker over Tony Stark? Let me explain. His Wow Factor was an 8 because, not only can the guy take a punch, but he can quickly web out of a jam. He can also go from skyscraper to skyscraper with ease. His Super Power Factor is high, too, because the guy can literally climb up the side of wall undetected no matter what’s going on. Likability Factor is high because Spider-man is, without a doubt, universally adored.
2) Captain America ( Steve Rodgers )
Wow Factor – 9
Super Power Factor- 9
Likability Factor – 10
Captain America first appeared in the Marvel World, in 1941. He doesn’t necessarily have Super Powers but his abilities are comparable. After his treatment with the Super Solider Serum, he has unmatched strength, speed, and agility. He also heals quickly, and the serum never wears off. It’s these factors that lead to him getting a 9 in the WOW and Super Power Factor categories. He is also quite handsome, and quite likable. In fact, in 1941, Captain America was designed as a patriotic solider fighting the Nazi’s, and was used to drum up American pride.
1) Hulk (Dr. Bruce Banner)
Wow Factor – 10
Super Power Factor – 10
Likability Factor – 10
The Hulk first made his appearance in the Marvel universe in May of 1962. His Wow and Super Power Factors are high because the guy can literally level buildings in a single punch, and can leap through the clouds. If you are going to go into a battle, this is the one guy you want on your team. He is also extremely likable because, even with all this destructive powers, all he wants is to be normal. The last thing that Dr. Bruce Banner ever wants to do is turn into the Hulk.
I understand that I have probably neglected to include some of your favorite Marvel characters. I can already hear some people asking about this guy:
Thor is a god. He’s doesn’t qualify for this list.
Keep in mind that just like anything in life, these things are subjective. I tried very hard to use an evaluative tool to help make this process fair. I had some fun writing this because, what’s more fun than a debate? And what’s more debatable than who’s the #1 Marvel super hero? I highly encourage you to join in on the debate … share the article with friends on Facebook or retweet it on Twitter. Let’s get the discussion started. Who would be in your top 10?
