MONDOmagazine

by Owen “what do you mean I can’t put Starman on this list” Craig

10. Nick Fury
I like that Nick Fury is always one step ahead of everyone else. There’s something about an old man from the war with one eye showing all the young guys out there how it’s done. My only complaint about Nick Fury is that I kinda wish he was even older. So that he couldn’t beat the living crap out of anyone and had to out-smart them all the time. I’m not saying he has to be REALLY old. Just, like, Patrick Stewart old.

9. Hellcat (Patsy Walker)
The idea of Hellcat is brilliant. Take one Marvel’s old romance comics characters and turn her into a superhero. I love it. Patsy Walker becomes Hellcat. My issue with the character and the reason she isn’t much higher on this list is that I haven’t seen this awesome idea taken advantage of. I want to see Marvel publishing a romance/superhero book about Patsy. She should be balancing her dating life with her superhero life. I’m telling you, it would be brilliant.

8. Ant-Man III (Eric O’Grady)
I understand that I have a lot of newer characters on this list, and it probably shows off the fact that I haven’t been reading Marvel comics for very long. Eric O’Grady is the newest one I’ve got on here, but that’s because he’s made such an impression on me. Having the guts to introduce a hero who…well, he’s kind of a jerk…no wait, jerk undersells it, he’s scum…that takes guts. For my money it paid off. He’s a fascinating to watch: whether he’s watching Ms. Marvel shower or making out with his dead best friend’s girlfriend ON HIS FREAKING GRAVE you can’t help but wonder if he will ever be redeemed. And those precious few moments where he is? Well worth the wait. Eric O’Grady’s comic may have been cancelled, but he lives on in Avengers: The Initiative.

7. Kitty Pryde
Whether she’s being called Pixie, Ariel, Shadowcat or just plain Kitty, everyone loves her. How can you not? We’ve seen her grow up, mature, have her heart broken and now we all collectively hope she’s going to make it through Astonishing (although things aren’t looking good). She has a pet dragon, she called Xavier a jerk and talked back to Emma Frost. She’s gone from being the junior member of the X-Men to being one of their senior members. But I’m rambling. She’s a fun character, that’s my point.

6. Jessica Jones
There’s something about seeing a superhero who messed up that’s really compelling. Someone who wasn’t strong enough to keep it up after things got bad (admittedly, really really bad). Jessica Jones, formerly known as Jewel, gave up. She hung up her tights for good and became a detective. Alias was one of those most compelling reads I’ve ever had in the Marvel universe, and with good reason. Jessica is a completely original character, one who has shown us things going bad for the cape crowd. And I don’t mean bad as in hostages and supervillains (although those things exist in her world, too), I mean bad as in alchoholism and self-loathing. Things are looking a little better for Jessica these days, I just hope that someday that we get another solo series with her. Her appearances in New Avengers have been nice, but they’re not enough for my liking.

5. Chase Stein
There’s something I like about characters I could most likely never stand to hang out with in real life. Chase is the kind of guy that would piss me off were I to meet him, but I can’t get enough of reading about him. He’s the son of evil scientists but has no real interest in using his parents’ inventions beyond kicking some put with them or using the x-ray glasses to see through some clothes. But I’m underselling the character, he’s deeper than you’d think. He was most interested in the least conventionally attractive member of his team, he has a fairly sketchy past and now he’s got even more reason to hate the world. It’s been sad times for Chase lately, I hope some day he can bounce back. And as a side note to Marvel, if you cancel Runaways again, I will never forgive you.

4. Magneto (Eric Lehnsherr)
Gotta love the villain who believes he’s doing the right thing. Is he even a villain? Tough to say, and that’s what makes this character so great. He has every reason to hate the world: he was oppressed during the Holocaust, hated for being a mutant and his best friend turned into his greatest enemy. The awkward friendship/hatred that drives Xavier and Magneto’s relationship is what makes the X-Men franchise my favourite of the Marvel universe. Magneto is one of, if not the single greatest villain in comics because on some level it’s completely fair that he feels this way and it’s easy to see why some people think he’s right. In fact, I kinda want one of those “Magento was right” t-shirts myself.

3. Hawkeye (Clint Barton)
I love my archers. In fact, I pretty much love Hawkeye for the same reasons I love Green Arrow. I don’t even care that they’re so similar, I love them both. Those scenes about their rivalry in JLA/Avengers were priceless. Now if only Hawkeye could ditch the lame Ronin costume, put his awesome purple outfit back on, find a nice girl and settle down.

2. Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes)
He used to be a martyr, a motivation for Captain America to keep going when things are rough. Now he’s one of the most interesting characters in Marvel’s Universe. I’m against bringing characters back from the dead, but when it works this well it’s tough to argue. He’s got a troubled past, a badass bionic arm and more codenames than you can shake a stick at. He may be having a tough time living in Cap’s shadow, but it’s damn entertaining to watch him try.

1. Rogue (Anna Marie)
Ah, Rogue. I love everything about you. Ever since I watched X-Men: The Animated Series as a kid I’ve been fascinated by the blessing/curse of her powers as well as that white streak in her hair. She’s got a sexy southern accent, a badass boyfriend (yes, I have a soft spot for Gambit, I blame being 10 years old when watching the cartoon) and a crapload of personalities crammed into that brain of hers. Things don’t usually go well for her, the X-Men team she lead recently… well… we’ll just say that they’ve dispanded. That’s why I love Rogue, it really sucks to be her and it’s fun to see how she deals with it.