From Spider-Man to the Avengers, Marvel Comics has some of the most recognizable characters in fiction, but not every character they’ve introduced catches on. While some obscure characters become cult favorites, others don’t even reach that level and simply become lost to everyone’s memories.
These forgotten characters can be found in any era of Marvel history, whether in the Bronze Age or more recent comics. Some were connected to popular Marvel heroes, while others were entirely new. Still, these days, they rarely get more than a cameo, and even when they do, most people can’t recognize them.
The Slingers Are Basically Forgotten Spider-Man Identities
Slingers from Marvel Comics, features Ricochet, Hornet, and ProdigyCredit: Image via Marvel Comics
During the late ’90s, an event called Identity Crisis shook up the Spider-Man canon. After being accused of murder, Peter realized wearing the Spider-Man costume was too dangerous if he wanted to clear his name. So instead, he gave up being Spider-Man and created four new identities: Ricochet, Dusk, Prodigy, and Hornet. Once the crime was solved, Peter returned to being Spider-Man, and the costumes disappeared.
Marvel realized those costumes were too good to waste and gave them to an entirely different team of heroes. Known as the Slingers, their ongoing series lasted a year before being canceled. Weirdly, they’ve appeared on and off since then, but most fans likely have no idea who they are or where they originated. Identity Crisis is one of the best forgotten Spider-Man comics, and it’s a shame the characters it helped create have been overlooked.
Rage Was Once an Avengers Trainee
Elvin Halliday was an ordinary thirteen-year-old until he was exposed to toxic waste. His body reacted by growing into that of an adult man and gave him incredible strength, speed, and durability. While trying to use his powers for good, Rage became a probationary member of the Avengers as he worked to develop his abilities. Once they discovered he was a child, though, he was downgraded to trainee status, which led him to quit the team for the New Warriors.
Rage was a perfect character for the early ’90s, a teenager whose powers worked off his anger. Once New Warriors was canceled, the character faded into the background until the mid-2000s, when his connection to the original team briefly made him relevant in the aftermath of Civil War. Since then, he probably tops the list of heroes fans forgot were Avengers members in the first place.
The Outlaw Was Originally the British Punisher
Frustrated by the state of the world, Nigel Higgins decided to take after Frank Castle and become a Punisher in Britain. He worked with Frank for a time as London intelligence and even briefly operated in America while attempting to find him. However, he retired a few years after helping shut down organized crime in parts of Europe.
Nigel eventually retired because he was tired of treating human life like it was disposable. However, he came out of retirement and formed the Champions of Europe after defeating Maestro on another world. Still, “non-violent English Punisher” is a hard sell for most readers, so it’s not surprising he hasn’t been shown since.
Sun Girl Was a Member of the Revitalized New Warriors Team
Selah Burke was inspired to become a superhero after Spider-Man saved her life. She built her own weapons to give herself superpowers and charged into battle as a hero. Working with the Superior Spider-Man, she shut down her father, the supervillain Lightmaster. Shortly after, she joined a version of the New Warriors that featured a mix of new and old members.
While Selah brought the kind of purity and enthusiasm a superhero group needs, that iteration of the New Warriors didn’t stick around for long. After twelve issues, the book was canceled in 2014. Since then, like many Marvel characters not tied to an existing superhero “family,” she’s been largely forgotten by both Marvel and the fans.
Reptil Came From a Superhero Cartoon
Humberto Lopez got a chance to live his dream when he acquired a special fossilized amulet while on an archaeological dig with his parents. The amulet granted Reptil the strange power to transform his limbs into dinosaur limbs. Eager to become an Avenger, he immediately registered with the Initiative. Rather than making him a hero, though, Norman Osborn captured and tortured him to test the limits of his powers. Reptil eventually joined Avengers Academy as one of several teen heroes the Avengers wanted to keep an eye on.
Reptil is what happens to a comic book character born from a cross-media tie-in. The original Reptil came from the Super Hero Squad Show, but the longer that show was off the air, the less reason Marvel had to keep using him. He’s made a few appearances since the days of Avengers Academy and Avengers Arena, but with fewer than 100 appearances, most modern fans likely have no idea where he even came from. It’s a shame, because Avengers Academy is definitely one of the Avengers books that deserves a revival.
Darla Deering Helped Form a New Fantastic Four
Once a pop star, Darla Deering was chosen by Johnny Storm as one of the replacement members of the Fantastic Four while the original team traveled through time and space. When the FF didn’t return as quickly as planned, Darla tried to quit the new team. At Ant-Man’s urging, though, she agreed to come back and help. While she had no powers of her own, she was given a pair of “Thing Rings” by Dragonman. When touched together, the rings created a special Thing exoskeleton that mimicked Thing’s powers.
Darla Deering was a clever twist on the Johnny Storm archetype, someone who seemed shallow on the surface but genuinely wanted to do good. The team only stayed together for about a year before the original FF returned, and the group disbanded. Like many members of the Future Foundation from that era, she’s barely been mentioned since.
Darkhawk Wielded Dark Powers From Another Galaxy
Christopher Powell gained the power of the Darkhawk amulet while on the run from some mob members. Once he figured out how the amulet worked, he immediately decided to use his powers to fight crime. In the ’90s, Darkhawk not only enjoyed his own comic but became a member of the New Warriors, turning him into an important character in Marvel’s new wave of heroes.
Darkhawk’s problem isn’t that he doesn’t appear in comics often, but that he’s just too far down the ladder of important heroes. He’s not even a C-List Marvel hero at this point, even after they gave his entire origin a makeover. They’d have to give him his own cartoon for most fans to recognize him.
Namorita Was a Key Part of the Original New Warriors
Namorita Prentiss is Namor’s half-cousin, created through genetic manipulation. She was part of Namor’s life for a time in the early ’70s, when he placed her in the care of a human ally. During that period, Namorita spent her teenage years on the surface, growing into adulthood. While in college, she joined the New Warriors, helping them focus on ecological causes often ignored by other superhero teams.
Since the ’90s, Namorita has been largely forgotten, even though she was part of the New Warriors team that lost their lives battling Nitro. She’s been gone so long that no one would even think of bringing her back. She’s partly a relic of another time, when superhero comics often added new women by creating female versions of male characters.
Dr. Druid Was Once the Leader of the Avengers
One of the many Marvel magic users, Anthony Ludgate was obsessed with the power of the druids from a young age. He spent years traveling the world to learn as much as he could about their origins, eventually studying under the same Ancient One who would later teach Doctor Strange. From that teaching, Ludgate began tapping into ancient druidic magic, ranging from elemental manipulation to low-level psychic abilities.
While it’s hard to believe, there was a point when Dr. Druid actually led the Avengers. That was the level of prominence he had before Marvel creative came back to its senses. He’s made minor appearances here and there since then and has had a few opportunities to show off his considerable power, but Dr. Druid is still more of a trivia character than anything else.
Pod Joined Multiple Avengers Teams
Thanks to Avengers ally Ex Nihilo, Aikku Jokinen’s life was permanently changed when she came in contact with the technology known as the Pod System Armor. The armor was meant to be part of a defense system for Earth, but it captured Aikku and used her as its unwilling pilot. Through the efforts of the Avengers and Aikku’s future girlfriend Toni Ho, she was eventually able to return to normal, but she was still bonded to the armor.
Aikku should have been part of a new wave of Avengers. However, the team has shifted back to focusing solely on A-list characters since the No Road Home era ended. These days, most comic fans would only remember Pod if they were revisiting Hickman’s Avengers run, where she originated.