Comic book characters often have a lot of gadgets, inventions, souped-up vehicles, and loaded-up secret bases to go to. This is true in Marvel Comics and DC, and the truth is that this costs a lot of money. Therefore, except for rare cases, superheroes have to have an abundant source of income. That is why many superheroes are rich in their secret identities.
While some have money due to their side jobs, such as Matt Murdoch as an attorney, others have built up immense piles of cash due to things like inheriting money from their families, using their high intellect to create inventions to patent, or running a small country. It takes a lot of money to work as a superhero and here are 10 of the richest characters in the Marvel Universe, ranked.
10 10. MOON KNIGHT
Some people incorrectly label Marc Spector as the Marvel Comics version of Bruce Wayne. Moon Knight and Batman are very different characters, but there is one place where they are very much alike. They both have a secret identity which is that of a wealthy playboy. Of course, that is one of many identities for Moon Knight.
As Marc Spector, though, he invested the money he made as both a boxer and a mercenary smartly and became wealthy through these investments. He has enough money to afford the gadgets, weapons, and vehicles he uses as Moon Knight, with an estimated worth of $2.3 billion.
9 9. PROFESSOR X
Charles Xavier was born into a wealthy family, and he inherited the money from his family. That is why he has the money for something like the Xavier Institute, the massive mansion in a wealthy suburb. He also has enough money to develop the gizmos, tools, weapons, and vehicles the X-Men have used over the years.
Xavier has spent a considerable amount of his fortune, but he invests smartly. The fact he is a psychic makes one wonder if all of his investments were on the up-and-up, but it has kept his worth at an estimated $3.5 billion.
8 8. NORMAN OSBORN
Norman Osborn is wealthy for much the same reason as Tony Stark. He ran Oscorp, following in the footsteps of his industrialist father, Amberson Osborn. Norman was able to build the company into a massive success, where he grew in power while the world was unaware that he was the psychotic Green Goblin on the side.
Even after he was defeated at the end of Siege and seemed to lose everything, Norman Osborn is too smart for that. He had his money, and fortune spread all over the world, so the United States government couldn't even dent his fortune. Osborn is worth around $10 billion.
7 7. EMMA FROST
Emma Frost is another Marvel Comics character with immense wealth and riches. She was the heir to the Frost fortune, and she has used it to invest in several companies over the years. It also helped that she was a psychic, and that helped her when it came to investments and business deals.
She was also a member of the Hellfire Club, and they only admit the wealthiest individuals in the world. There is one other thing to take note of. Emma has the power to turn herself into a diamond, and that means she is physically valuable as well. As for money, she has an estimated worth of $11 billion.
6 6. REED RICHARDS
The Fantastic Four have not always been wealthy. Through their existence, there have been many ups and downs where they almost lost everything at times. With that said, Reed Richards has one of the greatest minds in the world and has invented several groundbreaking devices.
When someone like Richards creates something, he can make money extremely fast due to his new patents. Finally, thanks to Reed taking the government's side in the first Marvel Civil War, the government returned all the money it previously seized. Richards is now worth an estimated $12 billion.
5 5. WILSON FISK
Wilson Fisk has often said that he was an impoverished child to a drug-addicted father. With that in mind, it is very impressive where Fisk ranks on the richest characters in the Marvel Universe. His estimated financial worth is $40 billion.
Everyone ranked above the Kingpin of Crime either inherited their wealth or are the leader of a country. Fisk, on the other hand, earned all his money the old-fashioned way — through petty street crime, gambling, gun-running, extortion, and as a spice trader. That last one is the legitimate enterprise for Wilson Fisk.
4 4. TONY STARK
When looking at the richest characters in the Marvel Universe, most people immediately look at Tony Stark. While he has experienced his ups and downs over his life, Stark has maintained control of his family business, one that has been hugely successful.
Stark Enterprises started as a weapons developer, but then Stark grew a conscious and moved his technology into other areas to help the world and not destroy it. He is brilliant and continuously comes up with new inventions that he patents, and his wealth grows larger and larger. The richest Marvel character on this list that is not the ruler of a country, Stark is worth around $80 billion.
3 3. DOCTOR DOOM
Doctor Doom is a supervillain that at times is untouchable. That is because he is the monarch of the sovereign nation of Latveria. He is also a good ruler to his people and ensures no one goes hungry in his country. That is why, with rare exceptions, his people love him.
Doctor Doom can care for his people through his personal wealth. He has several patents in electronics he invented and owns all the assets of his country. Doom's estimated self-worth is around $100 billion.
2 2. NAMOR
Namor is basically the ruler of the oceans and the Prince of Atlantis. He has laid claim to pretty much everything that modern-day society has lost in the oceans. This adds up to billions of dollars worth of lost treasures he has access to that almost no one can reach. However, that is only the tip of the iceberg.
Namor is also the owner of Oracle Inc. in corporate America. While he cares little about the surface world, he knows that a vast fortune will help him maintain his status in the world at large. He is worth an estimated $260 billion.
1 1. BLACK PANTHER
T'Challa is the leader and king of the most technologically advanced country in the world. Because he rules this country, he has access to two things — technological advancements and vibranium. This makes Wakanda itself one of the wealthiest countries in the world. According to Marvel Comics, vibranium is $10,000 per gram, and that adds up fast.
As the head of state, T'Challa has access to all this money. He proved this in the MCU when he had multiple building erected in the United States using his vast fortune. Black Panther's estimated worth is $500 million, making him the richest character in the Marvel Universe.