Although Marvel is well-known for creating relatable characters like Peter Parker, they're not beyond creating the occasional King or Queen either. They don’t even shy away from it for that matter either and have gone so far as to create monarchies like Wakanda, or imperial planetary systems like Spartax.
These hierarchies, in turn, allow for a variety of royal characters from all walks of life. Meaning any kind of character, be that alien, mutant, or just simply human, has the potential to be of royal descent. For now, though, let’s dive in and explore these 10 members of Marvel comics royalty.
10 Nova Prime (Queen Adora)
Adora’s reign as Queen of Xandar was filled with many hardships that threatened the survival of her people. She, along with her husband, Nova Corps founder Tanak Valt, faced devastating invasions by the Skrulls and attacks by foes like Nebula. The latter of which was so devastating that nearly all Xandarians were wiped out. Nevertheless, Queen Adora didn’t let her people die in vain and used Nova tech to revive the entire population. She’d then assumed the role of Nova Prime, in the aftermath of her husband’s death, and rebuilt the Nova Corps.
9 Mr. Knife (Emperor J’Son)
Prince J’Son of Spartax was a very idealistic royal that didn’t stand a chance of ascending to power alongside a traditionalist council. He was even wrongfully accused of treason and cast out as a result. Ironically, though, it’s this that leads him to meet Meredith Quill (an encounter that results in him siring Peter Quill).
J’Son would return home to defend Spartax from the Ariguans before ever meeting Peter, however. J’Son would then eventually succeed his father as Emperor, and secretly join the Galactic Council. His time as emperor wouldn’t last for long, though, as he would turn to crime completely as a result of Peter exposing his misdeeds.
8 Crystal (Lady Crystalia)
Originally born to the House of Agon, Lady Crystalia Amaquelin (otherwise known as Crystal) is the younger sister of Queen Medusalith. Crystal, like most of her house, was exposed to the Terrigen mists during infancy and developed powers as a result. She’s primarily dedicated to protecting the Inhumans, overall, but she has worked alongside others like the Fantastic Four and the Avengers too. Crystal, as such, differs from most other Inhumans by not relegating herself to the confines of her planet and sustains a presence throughout the Marvel universe, and their titles as a whole.
7 Prince Kristoff Vernard
Prince Kristoff’s entry into Latverian royalty is different than most. He and his mother were commoners who remained loyal to Dr. Doom after Zorba Fortunov usurped the Latverian throne. Upon meeting them, Doom pledged to protect them, but it was all for not, as one of Zorba’s robots would kill Kristoff’s mother for her disloyalty.
Doom would then adopt Kristoff after reclaiming the crown, where he would later name Kristoff the royal heir to the Latverian throne. Unfortunately, though, the kind of succession that Doom had in mind would be much worse for Kristoff in the long run.
6 Empress Lilandra Neramani
Due to mitigating circumstances, Princess Lilandra Nermani would one day rule over every planet within the Shi’ar’s reach. Beforehand, though, she would serve as Grand Admiral for the Imperial Guard, during her brother D’Ken’s reign as emperor. D’Ken sought to harness the M’Kraan crystal- a feat that Lilandra knew would only bring destruction. Knowing of her opposition, D’Ken had then planned to have Lilandra executed, but she escaped to Earth in search of the X-Men. After finding them, Lilandra and the X-Men thus proceeded to stop D’Ken. Following her brother’s defeat, Lilandra then assumed her place as Empress and became the ruler of the Shi’ar empire.
5 Gabriel Summers (Emperor Vulcan)
While most entries on this list were born to royalty, the human mutant Gabriel Summers is one of the few exceptions who attained their royal title (his being emperor of the Shi’ar). His mother was originally kidnapped by the Shi’ar while still pregnant with Gabriel, and after she was killed, he was placed into slavery.
For years, however, Gabriel’s past would be lost to him, until eventually they were revived. He’d then return to the Shi’ar in a rage, and through some manipulation on his part, would begin to dismantle Empress Lilandra’s armed forces. With time and effort, Gabriel would supersede Lilandra as ruler of the Shi’ar.
4 Empress Veranke
A Skrull alien from the Dard’van, Princess Veranke was incredibly certain that her people’s prediction of the ultimate dissemination of the Skrulls was imminent. Namely, she foresaw a great wave of destruction laying waste to their planet Tarnax II. Vernake herself had tried to warn their then Emperor, Dorrek VII, but she was ignored and subsequently banished for criticizing Dorrek’s inaction. Despite her banishment, though, Vernake would nevertheless be proven right. The surviving Skrulls would then turn to Veranke for guidance, and appoint her as their new Empress, of which she promised salvation. One that she knew could only be found on Earth.
3 Black Panther (King T’Chaka)
His son may be the Black Panther most known of today, but years ago, it was T’Challa’s father, T’Chaka, that bore the title before him. Prince T’Chaka was the third Black Panther, who fought alongside the second Black Panther, his father King Azzari. Strong as he was in combat, though, T’Chaka also had an affinity for magic and supported its preservation alongside Vibranium technology.
The technology itself would attract many outsiders, of which T’Chaka would have to defend against as King. This ultimately resulted in his decision to isolate Wakanda from the rest of the world. Unfortunately, this would lead to the assassination of T’Chaka, and T’Challa’s ascension to the throne, earning his place as his father’s successor.
2 Deathbird (Princess Cal'syee Neramani)
Prophesied that she would commit great evil, it was only by force that Princess Cal'syee Naramani ever had a chance of ruling the Shi’ar empire. Especially since she’d be banished for killing her mother and her sibling. Eventually, though, Cal'syee would return to reclaim her birthright from her sister, Lilandra, who was now Empress. Cal'syee indeed does overthrow Lilandra, but she surprisingly grows bored of ruling and returns power to Lilandra. Her prophecy may have set her up to become Deathbird, but this is obviously not enough for Cal'syee.
1 Karnak (Magister Karnak)
Another member of House Agon, Magister Karnak is a wise Inhuman that’s dedicated to protecting the prosperity of Attilan. Despite his lineage, though, Karnak’s parents originally refused to have their son undergo Terrigenesis, due to what happened to Triton. Instead, Karnak studied in the Tower of Wisdom to become a warrior so formidable that he could determine the weak points of any opponent. Like his cousin Crystalia, Karnak is seen throughout the Marvel universe alongside other characters in other kinds of adventures. At the end of the day, though, Karnak will always be loyal to the cause of protecting his House.