In the Marvel universe, it is most common for villains to lose their temper and weaponize their aggression against the protagonists. This is frequently used to illustrate that anger tends to be an unproductive and sometimes even malevolent emotion.
However, the heroes are no strangers to losing control. Several of them become exponentially more deadly when they have abandoned all semblances of restraint. By analyzing these morally questionable heroes and the actions they have taken in a fit of rage, we can best appreciate the many pervasive ways that their hatred has impacted their judgment - for better or worse.
10 Iron Man Nearly Killed Captain America
After it was revealed that Bucky Barnes had killed Tony Stark's mother, he was plunged into a fit of rage. The inventive genius was willing to abandon any nuances behind the situation (including the knowledge that the Winter Soldier had no control of his actions), hellbent on taking vengeance for his parents.
Steve Rogers was there to intervene, leading to a brutal fight between the two heroes. In this confrontation, Stark pointed his gauntlet at the defenseless Captain and almost killed him in his fury.
9 Ghost Rider's Malevolent Powers Are Not To Be Trifled With
Just as terrifying as his unholy appearance suggests, Ghost Rider seeks to claim the souls of the wicked. This makes him a natural anti-hero since he is more concerned with delivering evil to justice than saving the innocent (even if the former results in the latter).
However, Ghost Rider's anger should not be feared merely for his daunting physical strength or harrowing features. His penance stare forces his target to examine their sins, capable of inflicting immense pain or even killing the subject under more extreme circumstances.
8 Thor's Anger Nearly Killed Thanos At His Peak
After the God of Thunder had obtained Stormbreaker, he returned to Earth in order to stop the invasion in progress at Wakanda. By this time, Thanos had already decimated much of his enemies' forces and claimed the Mind Stone from Vision.
Having completed the Infinity Gauntlet, he was prepared for the snap that would change the entire universe. Enraged at how he had wronged his friend and for the death of his brother, Thor lunged at the Mad Titan with such ferocity that he nearly killed him. Thanos himself even acknowledged that a better-targeted attack would have claimed his life.
7 Nothing Scares Star-Lord When He's Enraged
Star-Lord is completely fearless when his loved ones are in danger. This was most prominently observed through his infamous beatdown of Thanos, where he had discovered that the Mad Titan sacrificed Gamora in order to attain one of the Infinity Stones.
There are other more productive examples of his rage, as seen through the ferocity he displayed when confronting Ego about his maniacal plans to reshape the galaxy. The rogue's fury is an excellent and necessary asset that gives him the drive to overcome significantly more powerful antagonists.
6 The Punisher's Brutal Creativity Borders On Evil
When the Punisher is fixated on a notably nefarious target, he ensures to be deliberately brutal when engineering demise - even more than he might an average thug. This was most clearly demonstrated through one of the final scenes in 2004's The Punisher.
After he had caught the mastermind behind his suffering, he tied him to the back of a car, doused an entire parking lot in gasoline, and forced the automobile forward, dragging the criminal through an active field of explosions and effectively burning him alive.
5 When Wolverine Is Angered, Literally Nothing Can Stop Him
Wolverine has many unique qualities that distinguish him from the other X-Men. His Adamantium Claws were not originally a mutation - they were a result of a Weapon X project that capitalized on his rejuvenation to give him an experimental, impervious skeleton.
Despite the precautions the villains took, they could not keep him from escaping their facility and failed to retain him in the many attempts they made to bring him back. Moreover, the grudge he has against the organization and his willingness to kill his enemies make him a precarious target to hunt.
4 Bucky Barnes' Conditioning Foregoes Captain America's Formality
Bucky Barnes was once a Hydra Agent whose lingering conditioning makes it difficult to trust him. Similarly, he does not attempt to hold himself to the moral standards that Captain America holds himself to, and he has told Steve doing so would be impossible on a number of occasions.
The Winter Soldier's traumatic history and tenuous allegiance makes him more morally gray than his counterpart and equally deadly when he finally loses control. During their fight against Iron Man, he displayed notably less restraint than Steve did in taking Stark down.
3 Drax Is Willing To Do Anything To Claim Vengeance
Oftentimes, Drax's obliviousness is played for comedic effect. However, his backstory and devotion to his own concept of honor (and revenge) makes him just as much of an intrepid warrior as his captain, Star-Lord.
When he finally found Ronan the Accuser - the man who slaughtered his family - he didn't hesitate to charge at him despite the latter's possession of the Power Stone, a weapon daunting enough to raze entire planets. Against less prepared villains, he would have readily ripped them limb from limb.
2 The Scarlet Witch Almost Took Down Thanos By Herself
Forced to watch the death of Vision and ultimately helpless to stop it, Scarlet Witch would demonstrate the true extent of her power against Thanos during the final fight at the conclusion of Endgame.
Tortured by loss and livid at Thanos' pithy dismissal of her suffering, she unleashed her magic on him, debilitating the Mad Titan and almost incapacitating him entirely by herself. Were it not for the villain's minions, she would have enacted satisfying and brutal revenge.
1 The Hulk Thrives On His Own Anger
Easily the most deadly hero when enraged, the Hulk's strength is unmatched by most of the Marvel universe. He grows proportionately more powerful to the anger he feels and was even strong enough to take on the series' entire cast of heroes after being forced to endure the loss of his planet and death of his mate during the events of World War Hulk.
The fruits of his anger were also observed in the MCU, where he halted a gigantic alien leviathan after Captain America had instructed him to become as enraged as possible. It was a sterling example that Banner is an unrivaled juggernaut regardless of the continuity he is in.