Much of the Marvel Comics universe is built upon families. Like any family, the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe have had more of their share of ups and downs. Families are built upon love, trust, and caring, but those qualities aren't always expressed in the most healthy ways.
In fact, for many Marvel families, the reality is quite the opposite. Secrets, deceit, and even abuse have been hallmarks of several of the more prominent families in Marvel Comics. The venerable House of Ideas has crafted many tales and tragedies centered on dealing with family trauma over its long and storied history.
Mentions of abuse ahead. Please proceed with caution.
10 Quicksilver Was An Absentee Father
Family issues have plagued Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff), one of Marvel's fastest speedsters, throughout his lifetime. His father is the X-Men's primary nemesis Magneto, bent on Mutant supremacy on Earth. While Pietro eventually joined the Avengers, though, he didn't escape the inheritance of parental shortcomings.
He married Crystal, a member of the Inhuman royal family, and sired a child, Luna. Quicksilver soon joined the family business, joining the Inhuman militia. His focus on his duties to the militia resulted in him neglecting his duties as a father, straining his relationship with Crystal and eventually leading to divorce.
9 Bruce Banner Emerged From An Abusive Home
Bruce Banner is most known to Marvel's readers as the Incredible Hulk. However, the brilliant scientist had his beginnings in an abusive home. The young Bruce was the object of his father Brian's envy, as Bruce soon commanded the attention of Brian's wife, Rebecca.
Brian eventually murdered Rebecca and was committed, leaving Bruce essentially an orphan. The trauma of his childhood experiences lingered in Bruce, as he struggled with not only keeping the rampaging Hulk at bay but also with the trauma of his upbringing.
8 J. Jonah Jameson's Worldview Was Formed By A Troubled Home
J. Jonah Jameson has no superpowers, but his power over the Daily Bugle has made him one of Spider-Man's most ardent nemeses. Jameson is constantly angry and frustrated and immensely distrustful of his friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
That worldview was formed from having grown up in an abusive home. Despite his father having been a decorated war hero, the young Jameson was a consistent victim of his father's abuse. This led to him realizing that even the most revered heroes are flawed, which helped inform Jameson's campaign against Spider-Man.
7 Shang-Chi Broke Family Tradition To Become A Superhero
Shang-Chi was one of Marvel's more relatively-obscure heroes until he sprang onto the stage in the MCU with Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The 10 Rings. However, the character has a long history in the Marvel Comics universe, and it begins with familial disagreements.
His father, the crime lord and assassin Fu Manchu intended for Shang-Chi to inherit the family's crime empire. Shang-Chi challenged his father's wishes, however, defecting after his first mission. Years later, Shang-Chi became part of Steve Rogers' Secret Avengers and found himself at odds with his nefarious father again.
6 Doctor Doom Saved His Mother From Hell
There is perhaps no greater villain in the Marvel Comics universe than Victor Von Doom. As the principal nemesis of the Fantastic Four, Doom has plagued Marvel's heroes for decades. It might be surprising, then, to learn that Doom was actually a loving son.
Upon learning that his late mother's soul had been condemned to Hell, Doom made it his mission to free her. He allied with Doctor Strange and actually traveled to Hell to free her. Doom made a bargain to have Strange take his mother's place, only for his mother to be disgusted by the deal. As such, her soul was taken to Heaven. Doom gained his mother's freedom but lost her respect.
5 Hank Pym Became An Abuser
Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, unleashed one of Marvel's most dangerous villains when he created the artificial intelligence known as Ultron. The malevolent Ultron looked upon Pym as his father, leaving Pym with a legacy of having essentially sired a being bent on the human race's obliteration.
Pym later became one of the Marvel Universe's first problematic characters, as he abused his wife, Janet Van Dyne, the Wasp. In the years following Ultron's creation, Pym fell into a depression upon realizing that the size-shifting Pym Particles would be his only scientific achievement. Coupled with his guilt over Ultron becoming one of the Avengers' most dangerous villains and his wife's successful career as a model, Pym took his aggression out on his wife.
4 Moon Knight's Fighting Instinct Disappointed His Father
Moon Knight has recently become known to fans of the MCU with his Disney+ series. His background in his true identity of Marc Spector hinted at his future as one of the Marvel Universe's premier fighters, much to the disappointment of Spector's father.
His father, a rabbi, had escaped Nazi persecution in the '40s. The elder Spector's faith led to his sons being bullied. Marc's brother, Randall, was often the target of the bullying, sparking Marc's tendency to fight in order to protect Randall. Unfortunately, the rabbi's pacifist instincts were in conflict with his son's desire to fight back, resulting in a tense relationship.
3 Tony Stark's Father Sent Him To Boarding School
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Tony Stark is better known to the Marvel Universe as the invincible Iron Man. A billionaire playboy and philanthropist, Stark is the CEO of one of the world's foremost corporations. However, the ingenious Stark began life as something of a thorn in his father Howard's side.
Howard Stark had issues with alcoholism, which he would pass down to his son eventually. The elder Stark was verbally abusive toward his young son, eventually shipping him off to boarding school at the age of seven. Sending Tony to boarding school also caused a rift between Howard and his wife, Maria.
2 Matt Murdock Grew Up An Orphan
Before becoming the crime fighter Daredevil, Matt Murdock lived a difficult life. His father, the boxer "Battlin'" Jack Murdock, claimed that his mother was dead and raised his young son in abject poverty. Under pressure from his father to make something of himself, Matt's studying led to him being bullied by neighborhood children.
After Jack was killed in a match, Matt was left alone and orphaned. Matt didn't realize until years later that his mother was alive, living as a nun in a convent, fully aware that she had a son. As a result, Matt learned to distrust his only living parent. All of these events led to Daredevil becoming one of Marvel's most brutal heroes.
1 Spider-Man's Family Has Been Chaotic For Years
There is probably no superhero in Marvel Comics with more family issues than Spider-Man. While his upbringing was relatively wholesome, raised by his loving Aunt May and Uncle Ben, Peter Parker has struggled to find a peaceful family life since becoming Spider-Man.
Peter and Mary Jane Watson had a haunted marriage that ended in divorce, resulting in the two having an on-again-off-again relationship for years. Additionally, Aunt May herself has caused Peter some distress, having engaged in relationships with supervillain nemesis Doctor Octopus and Spider-Man's principal detractor in the press, J. Jonah Jameson.