With the growing popularity of comic characters thanks to the recent success of blockbuster comic book movies, hundreds of thousands of new fans have come on board the world of comic books and superheroes in general. When something becomes as big as comic book characters like Batman or Spider-Man have become, people who have a general misunderstanding of those things are inevitable, as it's become too familiar in this era for people to draw assumptions without serious research.
However, some of these misunderstandings have overtaken the actual purpose of these characters, causing mass amounts of fans and critics, new and old, to completely misunderstand why the character exists, what they represent, and why they've found success over the years.
9 Hulk Is Much More Than An Action Character
Often seen as nothing more than a dangerous brute with an anger problem, Hulk is one of the most misunderstood characters Marvel has ever created. On the surface, it's easy to see why a casual Hulk fan would view him as a fun action hero and nothing more. However, Bruce Banner is far more complex than a smart guy with an anger problem who turns into a big green giant.
Since his childhood, Bruce has been subjected to abuse, as his alcoholic father often took out his frustrations on Bruce and the rest of his family. Within his mind, the savage Hulk constantly fights for mental domination over Banner and other, less brutish versions of himself. The Hulk mythos is rich with themes of survival, self-hatred, and guilt.
8 Captain America Symbolizes The Unbreakable Human Spirit
As a character with the American Stars and Stripes literally painted across his chest, Captain America is an inherently bold and somewhat controversial figure. Critics of Captain America will often tell you the character represents an extreme, aggressive portion of American nationalism when, in reality, this couldn't be further from what the character stands for.
Yes, Captain America is a military-like figure; however, he doesn't represent any particular sect of America or even Americans in particular. Captain America represents the principles of freedom, liberty, and the incredible will of humanity. As shown through the principles and history of his legendary creator, Jack Kirby, any attempts to spin Captain America as an extremist or proto-fascist are simply misguided.
7 Deadpool Is A Dark Marvel Character
Often confused as the constant comedic relief, Deadpool is one of the Marvel universe's darkest and most tragic characters. While Deadpool is known to crack a few jokes, his jokes primarily serve as a coping mechanism for his self-hatred, allowing him to make fun of himself or others without hurting himself. On top of his self-hatred and tendency to ruin everything, Deadpool consistently appears in some of the darkest comics Marvel has ever published.
For example, in Despicable Deadpool #295, after his daughter is kidnapped, trying to get help, Deadpool is forced to kill an innocent woman. Injecting her with poison, Deadpool informs her she will soon die and that it's the only way he can save his daughter. Accepting her fate, the woman cries as Deadpool tries to console her.
6 Galactus Isn't A Traditional Villain
Though he is considered one of the greatest villains in comic history, Galactus isn't necessarily a villain in the traditional sense. While his presence above a particular planet does mean certain doom, Galactus' acts are not inspired by anything necessarily evil but are rather done out of the desire to survive.
Since his creation as a living galaxy, Galactus' only form of sustenance is high levels of energy only found inside the core of planets. With that being his only form of food, Galactus has two choices; consume planets, or die. Although Galactus' motivations are undoubtedly selfish, a desire to survive is undoubtedly relatable and not exactly wrong.
5 Readers Were Not Supposed To Like Rorschach
In general, Watchmen is among the most misunderstood comics ever created. A deconstructionist tale meant to show readers what real-life superheroes would be like, Watchmen is often confused with being like any other superhero team comic book; a fun, action-packed adventure. At the center of that misunderstanding is Rorschach, who, unfortunately, is the face of Watchmen as he quickly became its most recognizable character.
However, as pointed out numerous times by Watchmen creator Alan Moore, Rorschach was not created to be liked but rather the opposite. Moore has explained that Rorschach exists to be the bad example that people find detestable. But, to Moore's evident dismay, many readers still walk away from Watchmen idolizing Rorschach's character, relating to his loner lifestyle.
4 Iron Man Is Not A Great Leader
While Iron Man has debatably become the most popular character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the MCU's adaptation of Iron Man is far from a one-to-one adaptation of his comic counterpart. While this doesn't make MCU Iron Man any less great of a character, it has undoubtedly affected the character's image as it's become the most popular version of the character. Though many will say MCU Iron Man is totally comic accurate, that isn't the case, as comic Iron Man and MCU Iron Man have numerous differences.
The primary misrepresentation of Iron Man in the MCU comes in the form of his leadership abilities, impressive self-control, and over-the-top sarcasm. In the comics, Iron Man very often messes up in the role of leader, has a notoriously hard time controlling his alcohol habits, and isn't sarcastic. While the MCU did nail many aspects of Tony Stark, there are way too many misses for it to be considered a perfect adaptation.
3 Professor X And Magneto Are Very Complex
As two outwardly political characters, Professor X and Magneto are two of the most misunderstood characters in Marvel comics. Often confused for your basic hero vs villain dynamic, the relationship between Professor X and Magneto is far more profound than that, as they both represent different sides of a very complex issue. According to Stan Lee, the X-Men were created with a political allegory in mind, and when analyzing the methods of Xavier and Magneto, comparisons to civil rights figures like Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X are prevalent. Though it can be hard to peg down at times, Professor X and Magneto's relationship goes far beyond the basic hero vs. villain, as a perspective on certain philosophies can, and likely will, influence a reader's perception of the characters' standings.
2 Being Batman Is A Burden
Commonly confused for a spoiled rich man who likes to scare people, Batman is incredibly misunderstood. While many view Batman as a guy doing something he enjoys, one of the critical elements of Batman is that the responsibility of being Batman is a burden, not something he enjoys.
Explored in the excellent animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, being Batman is something Bruce Wayne feels compelled to do. Bruce Wayne thinks that if he wasn't Batman, and if he wasn't protecting the people of Gotham at night, his late parents would be incredibly ashamed of him.
1 Readers Are Not Supposed To Relate To Superman
With many modern critics continuously accusing Superman of being unrelatable, it's no surprise that the character is incredibly misunderstood. Often called boring for his high-level power, Superman is a character who often does things an actual human never will. In this way, Superman is not supposed to be relatable but is instead what we strive for. Humans are not perfect, we make mistakes, and we often don't find the solution to our most significant problems.
But Superman can and regularly does do all of those because he is precisely what the name says; a super-man. Superman is the one who always stands up for others, Superman is the one who solves every crisis, Superman is the one who never fails. Readers were never intended to look at Superman and think, "oh, he's just like me!" Readers are intended to read Superman and think, "wow, I hope I can be that great."