Marvel's heroes and villains are some of the most well-known in pop culture. Over the years, they've set many trends in the comic book industry and changed the way people perceive comic characters. They've become some of the most popular characters in pop culture and it's impossible to deny that they have a certain je ne sais quoi to them.
Marvel has created a lot of very cool heroes and villains over the years. Many of them might not seem that way on the surface but they have that certain quality that makes them as cool as they come.
10 Captain America Never Goes Out Of Style
On the surface, Captain America does not seem like a cool character. In fact, there was a time in the '90s when Cap was considered one of the least cool comic characters out there and his sales reflected that. That was a very shortsighted way of looking at the character, since Captain America represents things that never go out of style.
Cap fights for all of the best aspects of the human condition. He's all about freedom, equality, and giving one's all to help the people around them. Beyond that, he's a dude who jumps around in a colorful costume, throwing himself at the worst villains and always coming out on top. That's as cool as it gets, regardless of who's in the costume.
9 Doctor Doom Is A Blast To Read About
Doctor Doom is another character that most wouldn't look at as cool but that's entirely wrong. He's a histrionic Silver Age monarch who speaks in the third person and wears archaic-looking armor that is more advanced than anything else. He's a master of magic and is a complex person, a man whose actions are both justified and inexcusable.
There's nothing about that description that isn't cool. Doctor Doom is one of Marvel's greatest villains but there's so much to him as a character that he's much more interesting than all of that. He's so much fun to read about, combining an old-world charm with high technology sci-fi and an arrogance that is backed up by his actions.
8 Mister Sinister Has A Winning Personality That Hides A Monster
Mister Sinister was once a cliche evil villain; a eugenics-obsessed enemy of the X-Men. While he had a great look, calling him a cool character was a road way too far. All of that would change after writer Kieron Gillen's Uncanny X-Men run. Sinister gained a personality, becoming a more fun "crazy" villain whose over the top nature hid a monstrous evil.
This approach made him a much better character, one that was fun to read about. His sense of humor is great, but his manipulative actions underline just how terrible he is. He's actually become one of Marvel's coolest characters, his demeanor matching his great look.
7 Loki Benefited From An Expanded Focus
Loki is one of Marvel's greatest villains, but for years, he was kind of one-note. A manipulative trickster villain, he definitely served his place, but that didn't make him that cool of a villain. That would come in more recent years, as his multimedia popularity, spurred on by the MCU, saw Marvel expand his focus. No longer just a foil for Thor, fans got to see him in a variety of situations.
The trickster aspects of the character were played up, giving him a better sense of humor. These changes took a character who had barely changed since the Silver Age and made him into a more modern character, one with more facets. He was charming and interesting, with an undercurrent of danger, the definition of cool.
6 Luke Cage Is Effortless Cool Personified
Luke Cage has a long history in the Marvel Universe and has always been one of the coolest characters. While he disappeared for years, his return to prominence in the early '00s, spurred on by a Marvel MAX series and joining the New Avengers, brought him back to the forefront of the Marvel Universe and proved that he was among the coolest heroes around.
He was often the highlight of every comic he appeared in, getting the best lines and kicking butt as one of the strongest Avengers. He exuded coolness, even as a married father with responsibilities, and eventually teamed up again with Iron Fist, who he played off of very well. Luke rose from obscurity to retake his throne as one of Marvel's coolest heroes, teaching a whole new generation how it's done.
5 Storm Is The X-Men's Coolest Leader
Storm is one of the most powerful mutants on Earth and that's only the beginning of what makes her so great. Storm quickly rose up the ranks of the X-Men, becoming one of the team's most popular characters before taking over as leader. She really shone there and fans got to see just how cool she could be.
She's definitely the coolest leader of the X-Men. It's not because she's funny or anything like that but because of her regal demeanor and personality. Storm has an air of nonchalance even under the most trying circumstances. She's always there for the people she loves and is the best-looking person in the room.
4 Emma Frost Has More Wit Than A Shelf Full Of Oscar Wilde Books
Emma Frost went in a more heroic direction in the mid-'90s but wouldn't really shine until she joined the X-Men in 2001. The team was the perfect place for her, and her acerbic wit was a great addition to the team. Ever since then, she's been one of the most consistently entertaining members of the team, bringing some humor to the dark post-House Of M years.
She's also the team's fashion plate, always looking her best. Emma not only proved she was a better hero than a villain but also that she was one of the coolest mutants on the planet, with a style, panache, and witticism that set her apart from everyone else.
3 Black Panther Has It All
Black Panther has been around for a long time but one thing that's never changed is how cool he is. He's basically the Bruce Wayne of the Marvel Universe- an immensely talented, incalculably wealthy, powerful man with the best toys in the world. He's also one of the world's greatest heroes and the perfect leader.
Black Panther has it all going on. There's just something about him that makes him one of the best. He's ready for anything and has a suave, effortless way about him. Few heroes can do what he does or manage to make it look as easy.
2 Wolverine Is The Best There Is
Wolverine is one of the most dangerous heroes on the planet. That and his status as the ultimate loner brought him to the party as the coolest hero in the Marvel Universe. However, that approach could have gotten tired, but creators gave him a heaping helping of character development that made him into much more.
What makes Wolverine so cool isn't just his attitude and costume but that he's a well-rounded character. He's a world-weary warrior, one who won't ever stop fighting, who loves his friends and will do anything for them. His gruff demeanor hides a warrior-poet of the highest order.
1 Spider-Man Is The Uncoolest Cool Character
Spider-Man has changed a lot over the years but he's always been cool. Peter Parker may have been a nerd at school but once he put on his costume, he became a totally different person. Parker was the ultimate wallflower but Spider-Man was a ball of energy, a sarcastic, charming, and outgoing presence in one of th coolest-looking costumes in comics.
Peter Parker and Spider-Man are two sides of the same coin. Peter can be a bit lame but Spider-Man allows him to be who he really is. He's the height of the cool, a hero who will do anything to help the weak while telling the best jokes and looking great as he does it.