The Marvel Comics multiverse is incredibly vast – it’s essentially an endless collection of alternate realities, each created by imagining a different outcome to a key event. This allows for stories that are more intense or unusual without changing the core storyline fans know and love. While some of these universes are almost identical to the main Marvel universe (Earth-616), others are wildly different. As you can imagine, this results in many different versions of the Avengers existing across these various worlds.
While some alternate realities showcase classic, heroic versions of Marvel’s characters, others take a very different approach. The idea of the multiverse lets Marvel explore endless possibilities, presenting us with everything from truly inspiring heroes to surprisingly villainous takes on the Avengers.
7. Superior Iron Man
During the ‘Axis’ storyline, a twisted version of Tony Stark known as Superior Iron Man appeared after a reality shift scrambled heroes’ and villains’ morals. Even after the event ended, Tony remained selfish, manipulative, and obsessed with power. He developed the Extremis 3.0 app, promising physical perfection but charging extremely high fees to keep it active, essentially profiting from people’s insecurities. This version of Iron Man was willing to exploit anyone for financial gain and ended up fighting with former friends like Pepper Potts and Daredevil when they challenged his plans.
6. Evil Hank Pym / Ultron Pym
Hank Pym, an original member of the Avengers, has always battled personal struggles. However, his most disturbing form appeared when he unexpectedly merged with Ultron, the powerful AI villain he created. This happened during a storyline called “Rage of Ultron,” after Ultron was initially defeated. The combination resulted in “Ultron Pym,” a frightening being that blended Pym’s intelligence with Ultron’s belief that humanity was fundamentally flawed and should be destroyed. Ultron Pym was particularly terrifying because he combined Pym’s brilliant mind with Ultron’s ruthless hatred for people.
5. Dark Scarlet Witch
Wanda Maximoff, also known as the Scarlet Witch, has often walked a line between being a hero and a villain, but her most troubling actions happened during Avengers: Disassembled and House of M. After losing her children, Wanda experienced intense grief and a mental breakdown, which led to accidental destruction. In Avengers: Disassembled, she unintentionally killed several Avengers, including Vision, Ant-Man, and Hawkeye, causing the team to fall apart. Things got even worse in House of M, where she used her powers to reshape reality and create a perfect world for mutants, but then tragically erased most of the mutant population with the words, “No more mutants.”
4. Hydra Supreme Captain America
During Marvel’s ‘Secret Empire’ story, a shocking twist revealed Captain America had secretly been a Hydra agent all along. Using the power of the Cosmic Cube to change reality, Steve Rogers became the supreme leader of Hydra and formed a twisted version of the Avengers. This team enforced Hydra’s strict control over the United States. It included heroes who were either corrupted or controlled – like Thor, Scarlet Witch (influenced by a dark force), and Vision (infected with Hydra programming) – as well as villains like Taskmaster and Black Ant who willingly served Hydra.
3. Spider-Man — The Other / Spider’s Shadow
In the Spider-Man story arc The Other, Peter Parker faces a terrifying change after a brutal fight with the villain Morlun. Badly wounded, Peter briefly dies but is brought back to life by a powerful, mystical spider being. When he returns, he starts behaving differently, becoming more aggressive and developing heightened spider-like abilities. This new, darker Spider-Man is driven by instinct, leading him to abandon his usual principles and frighten those around him with his harsh methods. The story focuses on Peter’s fight to hold onto his humanity as he struggles to control his powerful new abilities.
2. Thor — King Thor / Unworthy Thor
King Thor and Unworthy Thor are both darker takes on the classic hero. King Thor is an older, world-weary version who rules a desolate universe after most life has vanished. Though he still tries to do good, he’s haunted by past mistakes and feels immense guilt, making him a harsh and sometimes morally ambiguous leader focused on survival. His long reign is filled with sadness and the burden of countless losses.
When Thor is no longer considered worthy to wield his hammer, Mjolnir, a different version of him appears – one known as Unworthy Thor. Stripped of his powers and status, he becomes a troubled and reckless character, grappling with who he is and what he’s meant to do. He fights with a harsher, more aggressive style, driven by his rage and disappointment.
1. Hulk (Maestro)
I’ve heard stories about Maestro, and they’re terrifying. He’s basically a future version of the Hulk, but everything went horribly wrong. After most of the heroes fell in a destroyed world, Bruce Banner’s mind and the Hulk’s power combined, but instead of a hero, it created a ruthless dictator. He doesn’t care about doing what’s right; he just uses his incredible strength to control what’s left of humanity. It’s a dark world under his rule – he takes everything for himself and keeps everyone else enslaved. He’s everything the Hulk shouldn’t be.
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2025-12-08 20:12