While we all know Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Hulk, some heroes from the Marvel universe have been completely forgotten over time. Here are 12 superheroes from the House of Ideas that you've probably never met.
12) Red Wolf
Created in 1970, Red Wolf is one of the few superheroes to have an American/Indian origin. William Talltrees is the son of Thomas Talltrees, a Cheyenne chief. Raised in the wild, Red Wolf is an expert tracker. Armed with a tomahawk, a javelin, and a hunting knife, he is also accompanied by a wolf named Lobo. When his family is murdered by a real estate developer, he decides to take up arms to seek revenge. On paper, it's a good idea, but Red Wolf is quickly weighed down by almost racist clichés. The character falls into obscurity and only reappears on rare occasions, such as during the Civil War. He was also briefly a member of the Avengers and Defenders and had his own miniseries in 2016.
11) Sinjin Quarrel
In 1996, Peter Quill disappeared. Marvel then decided to introduce a new Star Lord: Sinjin Quarrel. A young telepath trained on the planet Probiti, Sinjin Quarrel discovers Peter Quill's living ship. Sinjin Quarrel agrees to help the ship's Artificial Intelligence track down Peter Quill.
10) Generic Super-Hero
Originally from Earth-84041, as his name suggests, Generic Super-Hero is a generic vigilante. While his identity is unknown, Generic Super-Hero is a normal man, a victim of his system, tortured at work, sexually harassed. At night, he becomes a Generic Super-Hero to defend the poor and oppressed.
9) Terror Incorporated
Created in 1988, Terror hails from Earth-88194. Linked to the occult, the character was meant to be a member of a line of mystical superheroes that were quite popular at the time, such as Morbius, Daimon Hellstrom, and the Wolf Man. In 1992, Marvel launched a series centered on Terror, but the comic was canceled after 13 issues due to insufficient sales. Terror has the ability to replace damaged body parts by absorbing those of others. He secretes a natural glue that allows him to connect and maintain organs within his own body. Even when reduced to a head, torso, or arm, Terror remains conscious and mobile. He can even use the bodies of animals or aliens. It is not really known in which part of his body his consciousness resides.
8) Adam-X
Adam-X breathes the 1990s. Created in 1993, he made his first appearance with the X-Force. Adam Neramani is an mutant alien hybrid. It seems that Adam-X is also part of the Summers family. A mix between mutant and Shi'ar, Adam-X can literally ignite the blood of his enemies. He also has claws reminiscent of Wolverine's. In 1995, Fabian Nicieza, his creator, abandoned the Adam-X saga, leaving the character without a conclusion. We've seen him again on rare occasions since, for example on Mojoworld, where he became a commentator.
7) The Wild Boar
Created in 1977, the Wild Boar is a Texas trucker who wears the costume of a wild boar and who has the ability to drive any vehicle perfectly... And then we wonder why such a concept didn't work.
6) Solarman
Originally, Solarman came from a Marvel cartoon that didn't make it past the pilot stage. Solarman then only appeared in two short comics from The House of Ideas. One tells his origins, the other a ridiculous confrontation between Solarman and a hologram of Doom... Ben Tucker has a bracelet that transforms him into Solarman, whose powers come from the sun's rays. Created in 1979, the character then reappeared in 1989, and one last time in 2016.
5) The Judge
Created in 2002, Michael Hart is a deceased former judge. He sometimes reappears, in the form of a ghost, to defend the poorest. Every night, a mysterious power leads him to the scene of old unsolved crimes. When he confronts criminals, the Jury, a supernatural force that possesses him, kills those with corrupted hearts. A sort of poor man's Ghost Rider...
4) The Phone Ranger
In 1985, Kurt Busiek imagined A.G. Bell, a telephone repairman. One day, the character comes across an alien telephone. The mysterious handset gives him unprecedented powers: under the pseudonym Phone Ranger, he has the ability to exploit all the world's telecommunications technologies. He appeared in a handful of comics before being completely forgotten.
3) Captain Ultra
Created in 1976 by Roy Thomas, Captain Ultra (Griffin Gogol by his real name) was conceived as a parody. Initially, Roy Thomas had imagined this character as a somewhat useless hero from The Legion of Super-Heroes from DC Comics. But the character finally ended his run at The House of Ideas. Originally, Griffin Gogol is a plumber who wants to quit smoking. He then turns to a hypnotist who is secretly an alien. The latter allows him to overcome his addiction and gives him, as a bonus, new powers. A sort of poor man's Superman (he has basically the same powers), Captain Ultra wears a ridiculous costume, ultra-colorful and frankly not very charismatic. The icing on the cake is that in return for his powers, Griffin Gogol has become pyrophobic, that is to say, phobic of fire. As soon as he sees even a tiny flame, he faints. Not practical when you're in the Marvel universe.
2) 3-D Man
Created in 1977 by Roy Thomas (him again), 3-D Man has a rather useful power. He has the ability to recognize a disguised Skrull. However, the character has never been fully exploited. He teamed up with the Avengers for a time and joined the Skrull Kill Krew. Above all, he has been completely forgotten.
1) NFL SuperPro
NFL SuperPro is a character created in 1991 by Fabian Nicieza. The story focuses on Phillip "Phil" Grayfield, a former player in the National Football League. The latter survives an accident and wears a nearly indestructible football uniform. Produced in collaboration with the NFL, the series began publication in 1991 and ended after 12 issues. Nicieza left SuperPro after four issues and was replaced by Buzz Dixon. In 2005, the Chicago Sports Review called it "perhaps the worst comic strip ever created." Because of this unique status, NFL SuperPro has become something of a cult favorite among comic book readers.
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