Cataclysmic events seem to happen at an alarming rate in the Marvel universe. Hardly a month goes by without some cosmic crisis threatening Earth's heroes. The heroes of Marvel Comics could easily become jaded and resentful of Earth's constant need for salvation and some certainly have. Others, however, have managed to keep a sunny disposition despite one of the most stressful jobs in existence.
Certain Marvel heroes have seen the worst the world has to throw at them, and they've still managed to stay positive. These heroes have been betrayed, wounded, or had their hearts broken but they still managed to keep their faith in people and keep fighting another day.
10 Professor X Will Give Anyone A Second Chance (Or A Fifth)
Professor X founded the X-Men through his school for gifted youngsters. From the start, his job required maintaining a positive attitude. His school was a haven for teenagers who were hated by society and sometimes by their own families. Many of the children could not control their dangerous powers, requiring the X-Men to defeat them before helping them.
Despite the difficulties of his role, Professor X has nearly always maintained a sense of optimism. He has given a home and mentoring to Mutants in need, even those who have done bad things in their pasts. Most famously, he repeatedly worked alongside his oldest rival, Magneto, giving the potentially genocidal villain more chances than anyone else would.
9 Spider-Man Takes His Role As A Friendly Neighbor Seriously
Spider-Man's heroism is deeply rooted in his sense of responsibility. Peter Parker feels the weight of the world because he also feels the responsibility to fix it. Despite seeing humanity at its worst, however, Peter has managed to maintain his optimism about the world. Spider-Man believes even bad guys can do better if given the chance.
In Amazing Spider-Man #622 (by Christos N. Gage, Reilly Brown, Victor Olazaba, and John Rauch), Magnetic Man reluctantly robbed a bank after getting out of prison. Peter Parker walked past and suggested there might be another path. Peter offered the man a job at his company, despite his criminal record, so he could use his technical abilities for good.
8 She-Hulk Is Willing To Defend All Sorts Of People
Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk, spends most of her time working as a lawyer. Because she is a superhero, Jen's clients tend to be other super-powered people. She believes that everyone is entitled to competent legal representation, and she hasn't been afraid to legally defend the villains she fights.
In addition to her professional contacts, She-Hulk also has a very colorful dating history. When Jen transforms into She-Hulk, she becomes incredibly confident and more sexually aggressive. She-Hulk has dated men ranging from Tony Stark to Starfox, but her most infamous partner was also a former legal client, the villainous Juggernaut.
7 Deadpool Sees The Best In Others, If Not Himself
Deadpool is a walking dichotomy. When he thinks about himself, he can be incredibly pessimistic and nihilistic. When it comes to other people, however, Deadpool is generally far more charitable, whether it's warranted or not. Deadpool exists in his own version of reality, unbounded by things like facts. He's willing to give anyone a chance, as long as it fits his skewed worldview.
Deadpool's relationship with Wolverine is a great example. Wolverine is irritable, and he doesn't treat Deadpool well, doling out both verbal and physical abuse when the Mouthy Merc annoys him. Despite this mistreatment, however, Deadpool is utterly convinced that Wolverine is his "best buddy" and no amount of actual evidence will convince him otherwise.
6 Captain America's Compassion Inspires More Than His Strength
Captain America is certainly one of comics' most inspirational heroes. Steve Rogers is one of the most unwaveringly moral people in Marvel history. Even when the existence of reality itself was on the line, Cap refused to compromise his morals.
Cap's role with the Avengers has always been both a leader and source of inspiration. Cap has faced many villains over the years, but he has also proved willing to forgive past actions as long as people are trying to do better moving forward. The epitome of this willingness to forgive is his friend Bucky Barnes (the Winter Soldier), who has a violent past but is trying to do better.
5 Squirrel Girl Is Helping Villains See The Softer Side Of Life
While she's not as well-known as some of her compatriots, Squirrel Girl's optimism inspires almost everyone she meets. Doreen Green is one of the most upbeat characters around, and she's not afraid to use some of that optimism to convince villains to take a kinder path.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comes across as a B-List hero but she has successfully taken on some of the most powerful beings in the universe, including Thanos and Galactus. She convinced Kraven the Hunter to give up his vendetta against Spider-Man, and she talked Galactus out of consuming the Earth. At the end of her series, all the villains she had helped returned the favor in her fight against the Iron Ring.
4 Thor Sees More Good In People Than He Probably Should
Thor is a good person. If he weren't, he wouldn't be able to wield his hammer Mjolnir, which requires its user to be worthy of its power. Unfortunately, Thor is a bit too forgiving when it comes to people who have wronged him, particularly in his own family.
Throughout both the comics and the MCU movies, Thor's brother Loki has constantly betrayed Thor. Loki has played tricks, sometimes deadly ones, on his brother since they were children. Despite that pattern, the Odinson just can't seem to stop trusting his troublesome brother. Thor's father, Odin, also hasn't always treated Thor well, but for Thor, family always deserves forgiveness.
3 Daredevil Will Protect Nearly Anyone In The Courtroom
Matt Murdock initially struggled after an accident took his vision. Afterward, however, Matt trained and developed skills that left him far more capable than most sighted people. He uses those skills as Daredevil, as well as his law degree, to defend people who need his help.
Over the years, Matt has defended both the Earth's mightiest heroes, but also some of its worst villains. He even defended his own nemesis, the Kingpin, in court after making a deal with the Kingpin's wife. Daredevil's love life is also full of second chances, the most significant being his ex, Elektra, who is also a skilled assassin.
2 Janet Van Dyne Is One Of The Warmest Marvel Heroes
Janet Van Dyne grew up as a wealthy socialite, but became a hero after her partner, Hank Pym, helped her to transform into the Wasp. The two fought crime together and eventually married. Unfortunately, Pym had a temper, and he physically abused Janet.
Despite this terrible turn in their relationship and their subsequent divorce, Janet was still able to work alongside Pym and assist him in a professional capacity. The pair even rekindled their romantic relationship eventually after Hank got professional help. Janet has also been incredibly kind to her teammates who have made mistakes, including helping She-Hulk after her role in decimating the Avengers and killing Vision.
1 Storm Gives Others The Second Chance She Received
When Ororo Munroe was a child, she was a thief on the streets of Cairo. Professor X gave her a chance to turn her life around by becoming part of his team of Mutant heroes, the X-Men. Over the years, Storm became one of the strongest leaders of the team.
Storm's life has been quite the journey. She has taught at schools for Mutants, been a member of the X-Men, Morlocks, Marauders, X-Force, and even the Hellfire Club. She became queen of Wakanda after marrying T'Challa, the Black Panther. Throughout her life, she's remained open-minded in her relationships. This came to a head recently when she formed the "Brotherhood of Arakko" with her former enemy, Magneto.