Marvel's superheroes connect with fans because they aren't the Platonic ideal for superheroes. They have flaws and foibles which make them more relatable, something that readers greatly appreciate. However, some comics take that approach a bit too far. These heroes aren't always the most heroic. Sometimes they've been downright villainous, taking their heroism to some dark places.
Sometime, they're heroes who will go to any lengths to stop evil. Other times they've done as much as damage as they've prevented, and some have been enemies of the people they called friends. They're still heroes, but sometimes it's hard to distinguish them from the villains they face.
10 Wolverine Has No Qualms About Killing
Calling Wolverine villainous may feel like a stretch, since there are few heroes more noble than him. However, his methods mirror tactics a villain will use. Wolverine knows he's a killer, and he has no problem with that. He goes to extremes for the right reasons, which counts for something, but that doesn't change the fact that he's ended many people's lives.
Wolverine's known for being gruff and short with most heroes outside the X-Men. He's a great hero, but he also has no limits. If someone has to be tortured for information, he'll do it. If someone has to die, he'll turn their lights out, too.
9 Deadpool Hasn't Changed Much Beyond Who He Kills
Deadpool was always on sale to the highest bidder, but in recent years he's moved away from that life. He used to be a thorn in Cable and X-Force's side, but now he's a different kind of nuisance. Deadpool wants to be a hero, and he doesn't matter who he annoys to get there, nor does he care who he has to kill.
Much like Wolverine, Deadpool has no problem wading hip deep through the blood of his enemies to fulfill his goals. His wild sense of humor takes the sting out of it, but Deadpool constantly invents creative ways to kill his enemies. That behavior alone feels villainous.
8 The Punisher Is Basically A Serial Killer
The Punisher has cut a bloody swath through the criminal underworld. Calling him a mass murderer is completely correct, but another term would fit better: serial killer. Frank Castle is a deeply scarred man, targeting criminals out of a pathological need to destroy all crime.
Of course, the only redeeming factor Punisher has is that he targets the worst of the worst. Beyond that, he's basically a villain who kills evil people. Sometimes, Punisher will kill fewer people in order to fit in with the other heroes, but that never lasts.
7 The Hulk Has Wrecked Lives With His Rampages
The Hulk is a complex person, but his actions can be very villainous. From the beginning, the Hulk finds himself at odds with the United States military, which isn't uncommon with superheroes. The difference, however, is his destructive potential. Hulk has maimed several soldiers, who were just following orders.
Hulk's rampages have destroyed entire cities, wrecking the lives of the residents. He's also spent more time fighting superheroes than anyone else, to the point nearly every major team has an anti-Hulk plan. The Hulk can be a great help to the world when he's exercising control, but the amount of damage he's done, even without killing, is massive.
6 Namor Has A Reputation For Being The Worst Teammate Imaginable
Namor is the strongest aquatic hero in the Marvel Universe. The King of Atlantis has attacked the surface world many times over the years, but he's also been a member of the Avengers and the X-Men. That said, he's almost always a disruptive presence on any team he's on, his arrogance and sense of superiority pitting him against his teammates.
Namor walks the razor's edge between hero and villain, but he's always leaning a little toward the villain side. His bad attitude and anger make him difficult to work with. His working relationship with Doctor Doom is better than his partnerships with any heroes but Invisible Woman or Emma Frost.
5 Professor X Is As Manipulative As Any Villain
Professor X positioned himself as the most important mutant on the planet. His dream birthed the X-Men and his status as leader of the mutant community led to him founding the mutant nation of Krakoa. Armed with telepathic might, Professor X challenged powerful villains, but his time leading an army affected his ideals.
Professor X became a man who had no problem wiping minds, controlling people, and keeping terrible secrets from those he loved. He's a master manipulator, making him just as bad as the telepathic villains he opposed. He's been a benevolent dictator for most of his tenure with the X-Men, making every choice and doing whatever he saw fit to make mutantkind safe.
4 Nick Fury Has Gone To Terrible Lengths To Secure Freedom
Being a spy, even for the "right" side, can compromise one's morals. There's no greater proof of that than Nick Fury. Fury's done a lot to save the world over the years, but he's also had to sign off on several monstrous acts. Fury has gotten his hands dirty on many occasions, all in the name of freedom. He has no problem doing whatever it takes to win.
What puts Fury in a separate league from heroes who've worked as spies like Black Widow or Wolverine is that Fury will use others for his own bidding. He's fighting a war, and he'll use every weapon possible to win. The line separating Fury from villains like Baron Strucker continues to grow thin.
3 The Beast Has Embraced An "Ends Justify The Means" Approach
The Beast has been an X-Man since the beginning. For someone who's been a hero as long as he has, it would stand to reason that he's grown into a great hero, an exemplar for the next generation. However, all of his growth has been in the opposite direction. As the years have gone by and things for mutants grew worse, Beast has taken an alternative approach.
Beast will do anything to protect his people. He almost breaks the timestream, bringing the original five X-Men to the present. As head of the Krakoan X-Force, he has committed international crimes that would embroil the nascent nation in war if others hadn't cleaned up his mess.
2 The Sentry's Complex Relationship With The Void Has Always Made Him A Bit Villainous
The Sentry joined the New Avengers as its most powerful member, but there was a lot of baggage to unpack. The Sentry had once been a great hero of the early years of the Marvel Universe. However, the revelation that Sentry and the world-ending monster, the Void, were the same drove heroes to mindwipe the world of his existence. Sentry's return to heroism led everyone to some dark places.
As time went on, the Sentry lost more and more control, allowing the Void to become ascendant. He became Norman Osborn's chief enforcer, something that granted the Void even more power. Marvel's heroes ended up killing Sentry, but his inevitable resurrection led him to merge with the Void and endanger the entire universe.
1 Iron Man Is A Terrible Person
Iron Man has always faced a lot of demons. One of those being that he's a terrible person. To begin with, Iron Man doesn't trust many people to do things correctly, which is where the Illuminati comes from. He's attacked his fellow heroes for using his technology and led S.H.I.E.L.D. to disaster after winning the superhero civil war.
The superhero civil war easily became Iron Man's most reprehensible moment. His actions were those of a greedy opportunist, working alongside unjust individuals for his own aggrandizement. Iron Man betrayed his friends, worked with villains, and soiled his reputation.