The article discusses sensitive topics, including abuse, addiction, suicide, sexual assault, and extreme violence.

When it comes to dark and mature comics, most people believe DC publishes grittier and grimmer stories than Marvel. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. Although the MCU and most Marvel mainstream stories are kid-friendly, the publisher also has its fair share of dark comics.

Marvel's most mature stories are usually explicitly violent and include graphic content. However, violence isn't the only trait that makes a comic dark. These comics explore mature topics of all kinds. They sometimes delve into the very core of human nature. What truly makes these the darkest Marvel comics is the profound despair and hopelessness they convey.

Updated on December 21st by David Harth: Comics have matured in some pretty big ways over the years, as the creators involved did their best to burn away the idea that comics are for kids. This has resulted in dark comic stories that have sometimes gone much further than anyone would have imagined. Sometimes, these dark stories come from the violence and language involved, other times it's because of the subject matter they choose to explore.

20 The Dark Phoenix Saga Changed The X-Men Forever

When most fans think of the 1980s, they imagine that the true maturation of the comic industry took place in 1985, with books like Watchmen, Squadron Supreme, and The Dark Knight Returns. However, an argument can be made that Uncanny X-Men was doing mature superheroes since the late '70s. The best example of this is the brilliant classic, The Dark Phoenix Saga. The story of the Dark Phoenix's rise and the X-Men battle to save their friends is much darker and mature than it gets credit for.

From the battle against the Hellfire Club, which is all started because of Mastermind's mental manipulations of Phoenix, to the X-Men facing off against their best friend to Dark Phoenix killing billion to the sacrifice of the Phoenix to save all creation, The Dark Phoenix Saga is very, very dark. Claremont was always sneaking mature material into Uncanny X-Men, and The Dark Phoenix Saga proved no different.

19 "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" Changed Spider-Man History

Spider-Man is the ultimate hard luck hero, but for years, all of that was rather simple. Spider-Man would have money problems and girl troubles, the same as the readers. However, things took a turn for the dark in The Amazing Spider-Man #121-122, where Peter Parker found out his girlfriend had been taken by his worst enemy. Spider-Man went to save her, a battle that ended with the Wall-Crawler himself accidentally killing the woman he loved.

What followed was a brutal fight, as Spider-Man took out his rage on Green Goblin. "The Night Gwen Stacy" died was a turning point for Spider-Man. Spider-Man's love life always contains drama, but this story took that to another level. Superhero's girlfriends got kidnapped a lot, but rarely were they killed. When they were, they especially weren't killed by the hero themselves. This story is an example of Marvel injecting some rather dark drama into its books long before such things were cool.

18 Weapon X Is A Tale Of Dark Science And Blood

Wolverine has a lot of very dark stories, but "Weapon X" takes the cake. This story was serialized in Marvel Comics Presents from issues #72-84, and finally told readers the story of the Weapon X Program that had changed Wolverine forever. The issue is told largely through narration, as the scientists of the Program begin their experimentation on the man called Logan. However, a living weapon isn't something that can be controlled, and Wolverine breaks free and slaughters everyone in his way.

"Weapon X" is a classic story, one that often gets left out of the conversation about the darkest comics. However, at its core, this is a story about a person being made into a weapon, and then the brutal slaughter that it begins. "Weapon X" is as dark as they come and it's sometimes easy to forget that over thirty years later.

17 The Incredible Hulk -1 Revealed A Terrible Episode From Bruce Banner's Past

In the late '90s, Marvel pulled out the "Minus One" month. Every Marvel book that dropped that month received a -1 issue, which took place at some point before the Silver Age beginnings of the Marvel Universe. That's an intriguing idea, but it wasn't always used very well. However, one book that did an amazing job with is The Incredible Hulk. This was towards the end of Peter David's classic run, when the writer teamed with Adam Kubert. The two of them gave readers a dark nugget from Bruce Banner's past.

This issue depicted Brian Banner being released from the asylum he was held in after he'd killed Bruce's mother. Brian is taken in by his son, who he once bullied and abused, and the old cycle starts up again. However, this time, Bruce isn't having it and everything comes to a head at the gravesite of Bruce's mom, where a fight between the two Banners turns deadly. Bruce Banner's past is full of terrible moments, and this issue digs into that. It's extremely dark, revealing that Bruce Banner's rage was born long before the gamma radiation opened the Green Door.

16 X-Men: The Hellfire Gala (2023) #1 Destroyed The Krakoa Era In Brutal Fashion

The X-Men's Krakoa Era has been the best the X-Men have been since Grant Morrison left the title in the early '00s. What made them work so well was the way they found a way to tell unique stories, changing the tenor of mutant stories from dark and hopeless — something that was the main storytelling device from 2005 to 2019 — and made life for mutants almost perfect. However, all good things come to an end, and X-Men: The Hellfire Gala (2023) #1 found the darkest way to ruin their paradise.

X-Men: The Hellfire Gala (2023) introduces a new team of X-Men, only to slaughter them all by dropping a wisecracking Nimrod on them. Jean Grey and Iceman get stabbed with poisoned knives, and Professor X is forced to telepathically send every mutant through Krakoan gates suborned by Orchis. It's a dark and bloody tale, one that takes the hope of the Krakoa era and replaces it with the doom and gloom that Marvel has used in its mutant stories for nearly twenty years.

15 Hulk: The End Was A Picture Of The Green Goliath At The End Of His Life

After a nuclear holocaust, Hulk's radiation immunity left Bruce Banner as the only human on Earth. Bruce tried to end his life after years alone, but the Hulk wouldn't allow it, still obsessed with proving he was the strongest. Hulk: The End was a one-shot that depicted Bruce's death after a tortuous, lonely, and post-apocalyptic existence.

Hulk: The End isn't dark because of its violence but its sad, morbid theme. The series explores one of the best versions of Bruce Banner and his complicated relationship with his alter ego. Banner's solitary existence and his final hallucinations featuring his loved ones, all dead many years ago, will put a sense of sadness in any reader's heart.

14 Marvel Zombies Showed The Heroes As Monsters

The Marvel Zombies came from an alternate reality where a cosmic virus turned every superhero into a zombie. Except for a few, all of Earth's Mightiest Heroes roamed the planet searching for food and eating each other at the slightest provocation.

Marvel Zombies went too far on more than one occasion, featuring explicit violence. However, it also told a very sad story that didn't feature many hopeful moments. Marvel Zombies depicted an atrocious universe and didn't give fans much of a break.

13 The Punisher: The End Is A Nihilistic Look At Frank Castle At The End Of The World

After surviving World War III, Frank Castle traveled through the remains of civilization in The Punisher: The End. He made it his mission to bring the last straws of justice to those who'd caused the global holocaust. Knowing humanity would likely repeat their mistakes, The Punisher chose an extreme route and set out to kill every last magnate before succumbing to radiation.

The Punisher: The End featured a hopeless universe through the eyes of a hopeless character. There weren't any redeemable heroes in this story, nor happy endings. The story simply depicted Frank Castle and his decades-long blood trail, which ultimately brought about the end of humanity.

12 Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do Goes To Some Very Dark Places

Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do is a six-issue series that follows the titular heroes on an investigation. They look into a series of crimes connected to Mr. Brownstone, a mutant with the ability to teleport and who uses his abilities to deliver drugs directly into someone's bloodstream.

The Evil That Men Do is a small reflection on crime and how violence only creates more violence. This series tackles all kinds of ghastly topics, including death by overdose, addiction, and sexual assault. The Evil That Men Do is definitely darker than most Spider-Man comics, and it touches on a dark moment from Black Cat's past that may shock fans of the character.

11 Old Man Logan Takes Readers To A World Where The Heroes Lost

A dark future known as the Wasteland was first introduced in "Old Man Logan" from the ongoing Wolverine series. Millar and McNiven explored a post-apocalyptic world taken over by the supervillains after they killed most of the heroes. Readers eventually learned Wolverine had killed the X-Men because of an illusion cast by Mysterio.

Wolverine became Old Man Logan after the event and retired to raise a family on a secluded farm. However, a new adventure brought him across the Wastelands. His journey led him into conflict with the cannibalistic Hulk family and the President of the World, the Red Skull.

10 Realm Of Kings Took Readers To The Cancerverse

Black Bolt used the T-Bomb to create The Fault in the War of Kings event. Quasar discovered it was actually a portal that led to one of Marvel's most terrifying universes, where evil organic masses ruled. They engulfed everything in the cosmos, just like cancer. Because of this, they baptized this reality as the Cancerverse during the Realm of Kings event.

Described as the place where life had won and death had lost, the Cancerverse was a corrupted realm ruled by the Many-Angled Ones. These demonic beings were straight out of a cosmic horror story, and they infected some of the most powerful characters in Marvel. The Cancerverse unarguably established itself as a nightmarish corner of Marvel's multiverse.

9 Spider-Man: Reign Is The Dark Knight Returns Of Spider-Man

When it comes to dark Marvel comics, Spider-Man: Reign isn't as graphic as others. However, it's still one of the most disturbing Spidey comics out there. This comic centers on an elder version of Peter Parker, tormented by his doing in Mary Jane's death, living in a fascist New York City without superheroes.

Reign ends on a hopeful note, with Peter taking the Spider-Man mantle again, but before this, everything is horrible. Peter blames himself for giving MJ cancer due to his own radioactive body fluids. He ends up buried alive in her coffin and watches a couple of his allies die. Reign is definitely one of the most disturbing Marvel comics.

8 "What If the Phoenix Had Not Died?" Outlines The Terrible Consequences Of The Phoenix's Survival

What If...? #27 depicts an even darker look at Jean Grey's time as the Phoenix. In a What If storyline too dark for the MCU, the hero ends up surviving her encounter with the Shi'ar on the moon. She goes on to defeat Galactus, but she ultimately loses control of the Phoenix Force.

After killing the X-Men, Jean Grey became overcome with grief for her own actions. Unable to restrain the Phoenix any longer, the cosmic entity took complete control of her. The Phoenix Force engulfed Jean and grew without control until it consumed the whole universe.

7 Born Tells The Brutal Story Of The Punisher's Beginnings

Marvel MAX was a comic imprint that focused on adult stories featuring popular heroes and villains from the Marvel universe. MAX published one of The Punisher's darkest comic series and released a new take on Frank Castle's dark origins. A MAX limited series, Born took place during Castle's time as a soldier in the Vietnam War.

Born featured graphic imagery and brutal violence that depicted atrocities committed during the war. Castle's last stand against the attacking Vietcong at Firebase Valley Forge unlocked the dark killer within him. It also introduced a potentially paranormal reason for Castle's evolution into The Punisher that may have cost him his family.

6 Kraven's Last Hunt Marks The Day The Titular Villain Stopped Playing Around

1987's "Fearful Symmetry: Kraven's Last Hunt" focused on Kraven the Hunter as he captured and then impersonated Spider-Man. He hoped to prove to himself superior to his old foe, so he drugged Spider-Man and buried him alive for two weeks. Spider-Man eventually clawed his way out of the coffin and engaged in a final confrontation that ended with Kraven's suicide.

"Kraven's Last Hunt" combines Zeck's photorealism and DeMatteis' complex narrative to offer the fans a darker story different from other Spider-Man storylines. While the storyline wasn't too explicit, it gave Kraven a grim end. Given Kraven's usually composed nature, his fate came as an absolute surprise for readers.

5 "What If The Beast Had Truly Become A Beast?" Reveals Hank McCoy's Worst Nightmare

In What If...? #37, Hank McCoy/Beast from the X-Men continues to turn into an animal instead of being able to stop his mutation. Even though his teammates try to help him, Hank finally uses his last fragments of humanity to give up. What If...? #37 ends up with Beast living in the Savage Land among animals.

Hank McCoy, a brilliant scientist forced to hide because of his mutation, is already a very tragic figure in the X-Men. Incapable of blending in with society, he's often ostracized for his appearance. What If...? #37 takes Hank's plight to the next level and perhaps takes things too far.

4 Ultimatum Takes Grimdark Too Far

Ultimatum pitted Marvel's superheroes from the Ultimate universe against Magneto, who was out for revenge after the death of his children, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Fueled by his grief, the mutant caused a series of disasters around the globe, which led to some of the worst deaths in the Marvel storyline.

These deaths included Magneto eviscerating Wolverine and Hank Pym biting the Blob's head off after the villain ate The Wasp. Ultimatum depicted Marvel's most iconic figures as mortals and took them to their breaking point. This bleak universe was perfectly illustrated by Finch's gritty and explicitly violent art.

3 Dark Ages Takes The Heroes To A Future That Is Literally Dark

A possible future for the Marvel universe that was literally one of the darkest realities appeared in 2021's Dark Ages series. A powerful cosmic being known as the Unmaker threatened the planet. The only way to stop it was with a universal E.M.P. that destroyed every electrical system and power source on Earth.

Marvel's heroes helped create a new society without electricity, but Apocalypse returned with a new plan that threatened the world. Together, the surviving heroes fought against their mind-controlled allies to stop Apocalypse from taking control of the Unmaker and destroying the universe.

2 Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe's Title Is Truth In Advertising

One of Punisher's bleakest comics is also one of the most disturbing Marvel comics. Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe reimagines Frank Castle's origin story as if his family had been killed in the crossfire of an Avengers and X-Men battle against the Brood.

When a mysterious billionaire, Kesselring, offers to fund his revenge against all heroes, Castle goes on a rampage. After killing Daredevil, he realizes what he did and kills himself out of regret. Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe doesn't have a single happy moment, and it's full of violence, so readers will find it very difficult to stomach it.

1 Ruins Is A Pitch Black Superhero Book

A dark parody of Marvels depicted one of the most terrifying alternate realities in the Marvel universe. Ruins was a nightmare dystopia where "everything that can go wrong will go wrong." Most Marvel characters didn't gain helpful superpowers. For instance, Wolverine was slowly dying of poisoning due to his adamantium bones.

Additionally, Ruins featured all kinds of disturbing topics and cruel fates. Most mutants suffered terrible mutilations, and formerly empowering accidents turned fatal. Peter Parker developed an infectious disease from the radioactive spider that bit him, which spread across the doomed planet. All in all, Ruins proved to be a morbidly fascinating story full of shocking moments.