Marvel comics are full of inspiring superheroes. These characters, superpowered or not, choose to fight the good fight every day, regardless of how dangerous this may be. Often, their sense of duty comes from their personal experiences. In many cases, these experiences aren't as happy as they should be. Instead, they're incredibly tragic.
Superheroes like Jessica Jones and Spider-Man have gone through things that definitely shaped them. Loss and trauma are a great part of the reason why they chose to become superheroes and protect others. These experiences hurt them deeply, but they also made them stronger.
10 Rogue
Unarguably one of the most powerful X-Men, Rogue wasn't always a hero. When she was younger, her absorption abilities flared up while she kissed her boyfriend, putting him in a coma. The trauma of this tragedy isolated her and put her on the path to becoming a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
This was only the beginning of a life of missteps that ended once she joined the X-Men. If it hadn't been for this experience, Rogue would've made peace with her abilities way sooner. However, her time as a villain truly shaped her personal responsibility as an X-Men.
9 Doctor Strange
Originally a successful but arrogant neurosurgeon, Stephen Strange was involved in a car accident that greatly affected his hands' nerves. Unable to work as before, he embarked on a journey to find a solution beyond modern medicine. This is how he met the Ancient One, who trained him in the Mystical Arts.
Doctor Strange's origin story reads as a cautionary tale about arrogance, but it has a happy ending. Although Stephen didn't return to his work as a neurosurgeon, the Ancient One's training turned him into one of the most talented sorcerers in Marvel and he even became Sorcerer Supreme.
8 Jack Of Hearts
A half-human, half-Contraxian, Jonathan Hart gained superpowers against his own will. His father, Phillip Hart, was a scientist working on a new fuel, Zero Fluid. Unfortunately, this rubbed the wrong people off and they killed him right in front of Jonathan. While trying to escape, he was doused in Zero Fluid, becoming highly radioactive.
Jack of Hearts lost his father that day, but he also lost the opportunity of having a regular life. Given his powers, he can never remove his super suit. Besides, he's highly dangerous to those around him. These experiences doomed him to a sad life, but they also made him a selfless hero.
7 Jessica Jones
When Jessica was a teenager, her whole family died in a car accident against a military convoy. She survived but was doused with radioactive chemicals that made her super strong. Jessica attempted to become a superhero, Jewel. Unfortunately, the Purple Man captured her and turned her into his slave. After months of acting like the Purple Man's girlfriend/bodyguard/personal assassin, Jessica managed to escape.
Unfortunately, the trauma of this experience completely reshaped her ideas about the world. Recently, thanks to Luke Cage and her daughter Danielle, Jessica Jones lives a happy-almost-domestic life. However, it took a long way to get here, and she still deals with the mental trauma.
6 Wolverine
Born in the 19th Century, James Howlett had to say goodbye to his regular life when his mutant powers manifested. His bone claws made him an outcast and his healing factor has forced him to outlive every loved one he has ever known. This constant loss has made him bitter.
Even though Wolverine is famous for being one of the best members of the X-Men, it's undeniable that he's a killing machine too. This duality is what makes him fascinating. Even with good intentions, all the tragedies in Logan's life changed his perspective on life, making him a pessimist, but also turning him into one of the most committed heroes ever.
5 Mighty Thor
Originally Thor's love interest, Jane Foster has gone a long way since then. She became a doctor and then became Mighty Thor, taking the role from Odinson's hands. Finally, she took the Valkyrie moniker. As the Mighty Thor, Jane went through a painful journey against cancer. This only became more complex when Mjolnir started interfering with her chemotherapy.
Before her own diagnosis, Jane had to deal with her mother's death under the same circumstances. The Mighty Thor shows how the heroine made peace with this situation, which helped her to understand her own disease. This powerful awareness about her own death was central to her development as a superhero.
4 Scarlet Witch
Wanda Maximoff is one of the most powerful characters in Marvel, but even all her reality-warping abilities haven't shielded her from tragedy in her life. One of the most complex episodes in Wanda's life was House of M. After losing her artificial kids, Tommy and Billy, as well as Vision, Wanda reshaped reality, ending mutants once and for all.
This villainous event is definitely one of the worst moments of Wanda's life. However, her self-discovery journey following House of M has been a delight to read. Both her solo runs since then have shown how much Wanda's heroism stems from her experiences, making her a more empathetic, committed hero.
3 Black Widow
A former Russian spy brainwashed and trained by the Black Widow Ops Program, Natasha Romanova had her life taken away from her. When she was only a baby, the Russian government took her away from her parents and tried to depersonalize her so she would become nothing but a soldier.
Although she defected to the U.S. and has been a member of the Avengers ever since Natasha's life before America still takes a toll on her. On one hand, it has made it very difficult for her to have a regular life, but additionally, some of the villains from this time still follow her. Regardless of this, her experiences with the Red Room have filled her with determination to stop injustice and crime everywhere.
2 Daredevil
When Matt Murdock was just a kid, he saved a blind man from getting hit by a truck full of chemicals. Ironically, this accident blinded him too. However, it amplified his other senses. This tragedy was soon followed by a second one when his father, boxer Jack Murdock, was killed by a fight promoter.
Jack's death imbued Matt with a sense of duty. As a lawyer, he always ensured to protect those who needed it the most, even working pro-bono constantly. Additionally, he became Daredevil, Hell's Kitchen's protector. Matt's strong sense of duty came directly from his father, but his death is what truly pushed him to be a hero.
1 Spider-Man
Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, is known for being one of the friendliest, funniest, more wholesome superheroes in Marvel. However, he has had a fair share of sad moments in his life. When he first gained spider-like abilities, he chose to use them for entertainment.
After he let a robber escape, the criminal killed Uncle Ben. This moment changed things forever. After losing his uncle, Peter became a superhero where he experienced a plethora of tragic events that tested his heroism. Since then, Spidey has been an absolute Marvel fan-favorite. The tragic death of Uncle Ben was unfortunately central for him to be the superhero everyone loves now.