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The Marvel Universe is full of heroes, and many of the best aren’t in the A-list at all. The publisher’s B-list is full of amazing heroes, lower-level heroes that are some of the best out there. These ten B-list Marvel heroes are the best of all time, second stringers who are just as cool as the greats.
10) Hank Pym
Hank Pym is a complicated character who gets a lot of hate for something he did once while in mental distress and creating the ultimate human-killing machine. Pym hit his wife the Wasp and built Ultron, and the character has been defined by those actions in the eyes of fans for years. However, there’s so much more to the hero than just that. Pym is one of the greatest science heroes in the Marvel Universe. His Pym Particles are one of the most versatile and useful creations ever, allowing him to fight evil. However, what really makes Hank a great hero (other than the fantastic Yellowjacket costume) is the struggle. He’s constantly dealing with his own mental issues, and that makes his heroism all the more realistic. He’s a complicated character, one that can fit in so many different stories. Marvel hasn’t used him well in years (although 2023’s Avengers Inc. is fantastic and you need to hunt it down, because I’m pretty sure I’m the only person who read it), but that doesn’t change how awesome he is.
9) The Wasp
Hank Pym was one of Silver Age Marvel’s first heroes and he brought his girlfriend Janet Van Dyne with him. He built a costume for her that allowed her to fly and fire wasp stings energy blasts, gave her some Pym Particles, and she was off to the races as the Wasp. She’s a founding member of the Avengers, and has led several Avengers teams. She’s one of the most unflappable heroes out there, and she’s mastered her abilities to become one of the most underrated Avengers ever. The Wasp is a fantastic hero, and she deserves her flowers as one of Marvel’s greats.
8) Kitty Pryde
The X-Men rose through the ranks to become the most important superhero team in the Marvel Universe. You’re going to meet a lot of great mutant heroes from the team on this list, and Kitty Pryde is the first of them. She joined the team as a 13 year old girl, and has since has grown into one of the most skilled and beloved heroes ever. She’s mastered her phasing powers, using them brilliantly for offense and defense, has become a skilled hand to hand fighter, and is one of the most multifaceted heroes out there. Kitty Pryde is one of the greatest X-Men, and she’s proved it time and time again. Entire generations have grown up with her, and she’s become a favorite of nearly every X-fan.
7) Nova
Nova was created to be the teenage Green Lantern of the Marvel Universe. Richard Rider was recruited to the Xandarian Nova Corps, given superhuman strength, speed, flight, and access to the Worldmind. Since then, he’s joined the New Warriors, helped fight against the Annihilation Wave and Thanos, became one of the only survivors of the Corps, joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, and has been saving the universe for years. He’s a legend, and Marvel bringing back in the recent cosmic Marvel epic Imperial was a great return to form for the character. Nova is a superstar and hopefully one day he’ll reach the level he belongs in.
6) Genis-Vel
There are some people out there who would say that Genis-Vell isn’t even a B-lister. However, as a former Captain Marvel who had his own solo series for years, he’s played a huge role in the history of Marvel. The son of the original Captain Marvel Mar-Vell, he eventually got the Nega-Bands and become a hero, merging with Rick Jones so they could switch places in the Negative Zone to fight evil. Since then, Genis has fallen from grace, but he’s long been way better than he gets credit for being. His series from Peter David and ChrisCross in the late ’90s and the early ’00s was sensational, and he’s the owner of the coolest costumes ever. It’s about time for Genis-Vell to come back and remind readers why he’s always been so great.
