10 Marvel Characters Done Dirty by the Writers

Comics have been a huge part of popular culture since the early days of heroes like Captain America, The Avengers, and The Fantastic Four. This world, filled with countless memorable characters – heroes, villains, and everything in between – has made Hollywood billions. But many comic book fans agree that the quality of the comics themselves has declined recently, and some characters have suffered more than others.

Comic books published since 2010 have often been controversial, frustrating both longtime fans and newer readers. Some believe writers focus too much on current fads and jokes, while others think the publishers haven’t built on the popularity of the movie adaptations. The result is that many beloved characters haven’t lived up to their potential in recent years.

The Efforts to Make Doctor Doom More Sympathetic Should Stop

Since the early days of the Fantastic Four comics by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, Doctor Doom has been considered one of the greatest supervillains ever created – many even see him as the ultimate comic book villain. But over time, some writers have strangely started trying to make him a more relatable or even sympathetic character. A few have even portrayed him as an egotistical antihero rather than a true villain. It’s important for creators to remember that it’s perfectly acceptable for him to remain a completely irredeemable enemy.

Many fans feel Doctor Doom has lost his edge, with recent writers adding humor that doesn’t suit his character. Doom should be a truly frightening villain, like Sinestro or Thanos, and while exploring his insecurities is good, turning them into constant jokes diminishes him. This problem seems to be part of a larger issue with how The Fantastic Four comic has been handled recently.

Marvel Should Take Some Cues From James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy

James Gunn’s 2014 film, Guardians of the Galaxy, brought Peter Quill, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Drax together on screen and became a huge hit. However, Marvel Comics hasn’t fully capitalized on that success, and their approach to the team is considered a significant missed chance in recent comic book history.

I remember when the Guardians of the Galaxy were pretty much unknown! Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe blew up, their early comics weren’t worth much at all – you could find a first appearance of Rocket Raccoon for next to nothing. They weren’t even a second-string team, honestly – they were super obscure. But James Gunn’s movies totally changed that, and it just proves that sometimes, following what happens on screen can actually be a really smart move for collectors.

Wolverine Is Fast Becoming the Lazy Cash Grab

Wolverine has long been one of Marvel’s most popular characters, as evidenced by his numerous appearances. However, his character has suffered recently because Marvel seems to trust him so much they don’t put enough effort into finding strong writers for him. Because of this, it’s difficult to point to a truly great Wolverine story from the past ten years.

Wolverine is running into a problem similar to Batman: fans often prefer his standalone stories over his main comic book series. Writers consistently deliver exciting tales like “Wolverine vs. Predator” or “Old Man Logan,” but struggle to create consistently compelling stories for the core Wolverine title. Even his well-regarded runs are often just decent, with occasional moments of brilliance, and revisiting his history shows that even past decades weren’t always successful for the character.

Man-Thing Should Be Marvel’s Equivalent to Swamp Thing

The 1970s were a creative period for Marvel Comics, and Steve Gerber was a standout writer. He uniquely combined fantasy, adventure, surrealism, and philosophical ideas, creating two iconic characters of that era: Howard the Duck and Man-Thing. His run on Man-Thing brilliantly blended horror and fantasy, but the quality declined after he left the title. While other writers, including Chris Claremont, took over, the series never quite recaptured its original magic.

Though both characters share a similar core concept, DC’s Swamp Thing consistently receives ongoing attention with limited series appearing roughly every five years. Meanwhile, Marvel’s Man-Thing rarely gets more than a single, standalone story. Even when talented writers like R.L. Stine work on Man-Thing, Marvel doesn’t seem to commit to the character long enough for a truly memorable narrative to develop.

Howard the Duck Should Lean Closer to Mystery Satire

Howard the Duck, Steve Gerber’s second major creation for Marvel, is a bit of an oddity within the main Marvel universe. While not as action-packed as Wolverine or as intellectually stimulating as The Fantastic Four, it’s a playful mix of detective stories and the whimsical, sometimes spooky, style of Jim Henson. Sadly, Marvel hasn’t quite figured out how to use Howard beyond a supporting role, treating him more like a novelty than a central character.

Howard the Duck’s solo adventures, mostly written by Chip Zdarsky, often fall flat, feeling like a less successful version of Deadpool. It’s time the character was handled by a writer who truly understands satire and the comic genre. Ideally, Howard should be a unique blend of Calvin and Hobbes’ charm, the mystery of Raymond Chandler, and lighthearted fantasy. Instead, most stories focus too much on exaggerated everyday situations and prioritize quick jokes over compelling mysteries.

Marvel Won’t Invest In Making Captain Marvel Iconic

Marvel won a legal fight with DC over the rights to the name “Captain Marvel.” Following the victory, they chose to retire the original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell, and replaced him with Carol Danvers as the primary hero. While the company publicly stated their intention to build their brand around Danvers, subsequent storylines have failed to live up to expectations, suggesting a lack of genuine commitment.

Considering how fiercely Marvel protected the trademark for this character, it’s disappointing they haven’t developed a truly compelling story arc for Carol Danvers. The fact that the last widely praised Captain Marvel story was Jim Starlin’s The Death of Captain Marvel from 1982 speaks volumes. While she’s meant to be Marvel’s equivalent of Superman, she lacks the iconic, modern stories like All-Star Superman or Birthright that define the character. Essentially, she’s a leading hero without a clear direction.

Blade Needs a Resurgence Under the Midnight Universe

Since the 1970s, Blade has been Marvel’s main character for scary monster stories, starting with a memorable first appearance against Dracula. However, in recent years, Marvel seems to have struggled to recapture that same storytelling magic. While some miniseries, like those created by Bryan Edward Hill and Elena Casagrande, have been well-received, many horror fans feel Blade hasn’t gotten the attention he deserves within the larger Marvel Universe.

Blade hasn’t been a consistent success in Marvel comics, possibly because the publishers tend to shy away from truly scary horror, or perhaps because they’ve tried too hard to reimagine him. He’s a character with the potential to star in a long-running series, but fans are often left wanting more, as his comic runs rarely last beyond a dozen issues. Despite his clear potential, it’s been difficult to consistently make him appealing to modern readers.

Now that Marvel is launching a new line of horror comics called the Midnight Universe, it’s a great time to bring back Blade with stories geared towards adult readers.

Doctor Strange Needs to Be Stranger

Doctor Strange began as Marvel’s master of the mystic arts, similar to DC’s Doctor Fate, and defined how magic functioned within Marvel’s main universe. He delivered some of the most compelling horror-fantasy comics during the Bronze Age, but his stories became less engaging over time. Interestingly, his comic book adventures have become less interesting since the launch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is unusual considering the increased popularity and potential for new ideas.

The Doctor Strange stories should be wonderfully strange and unpredictable, just like Sam Raimi showed in the sequel he directed. It’s disappointing to see recent comics feel so bland – they often resemble a generic Dungeons & Dragons campaign instead of truly exploring the character’s amazing abilities. Given how powerful Doctor Strange is, too many of his adventures seem designed for easy TV adaptation rather than being bold and imaginative.

Marvel Seems to Enjoy Annoying Spider-Man Fans With Middling Writing

Marvel made a hugely unpopular choice in 2006 when they ended the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane in the storyline “One More Day.” Since then, the Spider-Man comics have largely struggled, with only a few truly successful arcs. Even before 2006, the character suffered from questionable creative choices, like the Norman Osborn/Gwen Stacy plot and the widely disliked “Clone Saga.” Now, Marvel seems to have accepted they can’t please everyone, and often publishes multiple Spider-Man titles with very different styles at the same time.

The problem isn’t that the Spider-Man comics are poorly written, but rather issues with editing that prevent writers from giving fans the stories they’re hoping for. Since the “One More Day” storyline, readers have consistently wanted to see Peter Parker and Mary Jane back together, but writers have hinted at it without ever following through. Many recent Spider-Man comics, particularly those from the Zeb Wells era, feel gloomy and uninspired compared to what the series should be.

Captain America Needs Fresh Material For The Modern Age

When Captain America was created, the intention was to present a hero who stood against fascism. However, some writers have found it challenging to keep him meaningful in today’s world, and have even taken drastic steps, like turning him into a villain working for HYDRA. Many fans miss the classic, action-packed stories from writers like Mark Gruenwald, and feel the character is better served by those kinds of adventures rather than being shoehorned into current political issues in an attempt to recapture his original spirit.

Many Captain America storylines feel repetitive: Steve Rogers loses faith in what America stands for, goes on a personal journey, and then rediscovers his hope. While this isn’t a bad concept, it’s been used repeatedly for years. Readers love Steve Rogers, but they’re starting to crave the more straightforward, action-packed adventures like those seen in earlier comics.

2026-05-13 14:11