7 Comic Book Characters Who Wouldn’t Be Heroes in Real Life

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Names like Batman, The Hulk, and Deadpool are household names in their current ink and paper world, but what would change for them in reality? Would there be any heroes welcome outside of Captain America, Spider-Man, or Superman? And the same goes for female heroes, who will hopefully get a separate list soon. Black Cat would be a common crook, and Wonder Woman could end up being a dictator.

Scroll down to see our choices for 7 comic heroes that wouldn’t be involved in any heroism if plopped down in the real world.

1) The Hulk

Marvel

Bruce Banner’s angrier side would probably fare much worse in the real world than he does in the comics. And that’s saying something!

The Hulk is a monster from the start, but he’s also a founding member of The Avengers. Banner is also carrying baggage, complete with several different personalities, a lot of unchecked rage, and poor fashion choices. In the real world, you won’t see the Hulk being shot off to another planet or locked in a special Hulk prison. At best, Banner himself could be forced into sedation and locked away for good. The more likely result is the Hulk being labeled an enemy of the state and assaulted until he’s put down. Even if he means well, people are far too skittish to give Hulk the time to win them over.

2) The Punisher

Marvel

Much like Christopher Dorner, The Punisher would probably be killed by the police after a long manhunt. Sympathy for his murdered family aside, becoming a vigilante only seems to work when you’re Charles Bronson or you’re a comic book hero. He’d have plenty of fans, no doubt, but people wouldn’t label him a hero. He’d also be on the wrong side of the law. While he’s not targeting the police or innocents, he is still going to end up as a public enemy.

3) Deadpool

Marvel

Wade Wilson would be in the same boat as The Punisher, but he also wouldn’t likely be in the hero game. He’d have plenty of killing to do, likely as a member of Blackwater or whatever they have changed their name to as this point. We’d also likely never get the influence of the comic book world to shift him from the villainous mercenary to a fourth-wall-breaking jokester. Picture him more as his version from Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe than Ryan Reynolds’ big-screen goofball.

4) Ghost Rider

marvel

It doesn’t seem like comic book people bat an eye at Ghost Rider burning up the streets while on the hunt for vengeance. Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, or Robbie Reyes would all end up locked away, however, if they started taking vengeance in the real world. Firstly, people are not going to embrace a flaming skeleton on a motorcycle. The bike alone would be a noisy problem, but the flames would seal the deal. People would be scared to death.

5) Wolverine

Marvel

Logan wouldn’t work out in the real world for several reasons. Leave the metal skeleton and the memory loss to the side; Wolverine’s entire being would likely end up under total government control. If he manages to escape that type of control, prison has to be close. He’s got too much rage, still would have his claws, and might even be a shedding problem given his hairy nature. He’s not as much of a lunatic as Deadpool, at least, but he’s still too much of a liability to just let him roam free.

6) Iron Man

Marvel

The final two options here are the big money choices for a possible jump to reality. And given how reality treats wealth and immense amounts of cash, it’s safe to say they won’t be judged for their superheroics. They’ll be judged by their bank accounts, while others judge them for their business decisions. We’d expect to see Iron Man suits mass-produced for the military around the world, and Stark Industries would never stop being a weapons manufacturer. That’s practically a reason to print cash in the real world, as sad as that sounds.

7) Batman

DC Comics

On the other side of the generational wealth coin, we have Bruce Wayne/Batman. While he’s able to basically operate as he wants to with his unlimited wealth, the red tape would be Batman’s main foe in reality. There’s also little chance he’d be able to swing around town in his Batman costume without someone recognizing him. Also, people aren’t going to look fondly upon a rich guy who has every vehicle imaginable and uses them, barreling around the city and hammering another nail in the coffin of the environment.

Do you agree with our choices? Let us know in the comments.