5 Marvel Characters From The ’80s Who Are Totally Cringe Now

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However, that doesn’t mean that everything was perfect. There were some great characters created back then, but there were also lots of very cringe characters, ones who played out of what was popular at the time. While some of these characters grew and changed into something better, that doesn’t how cringe it is to read their old comics. These five Marvel characters are the definition of ’80s cringe.

5) Frenzy

The diversification of the X-Men played a massive role in the success of Marvel in the ’80s. There are lots of excellent mutants from this era, but there are some who didn’t have the best start. Frenzy is a beloved mutant nowadays, but back when she first appeared in X-Factor, she was just a Grace Jones wannabe. She didn’t really have any personality other than mean strong woman. Frenzy was just an ’80s cannon fodder villain, and comparing her to what she is today shows just how cringe she once was.

4) Cloak

Cloak and Dagger are both going to be on this list, but they both need their own entries. They were created during the “drugs are bad” portion of the ’80s (which is hilarious if you know anything about the ’80s), two runaways that were injected with special heroin that made them mutants. Cloak, a young African-American named Tyrone, was given the powers of darkness, a massive billowing cloak that could absorb anything and teleport the duo through the dark dimension. Cloak is such a cliche it isn’t funny; you can tell he was written by good-natured liberals, but there’s just something so cringe about making the black kid into a hero defined by darkness.

3) Dagger

Dagger was given the special heroin and gained a connection to the Lightforce, allowing her to throw light daggers and heal people. Tandy was as much a cliche as Tyrone; a wealthy white girl with bad parents who ran away from home to the city and got taken by the wrong people. She’s the nice one, the sweet one, and was really barely a character at all back then. Where Cloak was dark and brooding, she was the sunshine and everybody liked her. I know that everyone loves Cloak and Dagger, but looking at each of them shows just cringe they really were.

2) Jubilee

Chris Claremont changed the X-Men forever in the ’80s, creating some of the most beloved characters ever. Jubilee was one of the last major characters he created and has become extremely popular. However, she was so cringe back in the day. She was the stereotypical ’80s teen, a girl who just wanted to skate around and bum it at the mall, speaking like a California valley girl. She was so cringe back in those early appearances; I’m someone who loves her very much, but every time I read those old comics and think about the fact that a 39 year old man was writing this teen girl, I cringe a little bit.

2) Dazzler

Dazzler has built a fanbase over the decades, but there’s no doubt she was once super cringe. She was a disco-themed character that came out in 1980, when disco was already dead. The whole thing is extremely cringe, and if you go back and read a lot of her early appearances, you’re going to find yourself grimacing pretty often. Much like Jubilee, she’s a character that has gotten way less cringe over the decades, but those early appearances are a totally different character.

Who are your favorite cringe ’80s Marvel characters? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!