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Antiheroes have been a staple of Marvel Comics since almost the start. While some of the characters started as villains before moving into the realm of good guys, they are all dangerous and very popular characters who will do anything to bring a villain to justice — or put them in the ground.
10) Magneto
Magneto is an interesting case. He was one of the first major Marvel Comics villains, the top bad guy in the X-Men comic books. However, over time, Marvel worked to show why Magneto did what he did. The mutant “terroriost” was a child in a Nazi extermination camp, and he has seen firsthand what humans do to those who are different. While Professor X always wanted to find peace between humans and mutants, Magneto knew that humans would never accept peace. Magneto has always been right about this. Over the last two decades, Magneto has evolved into an antihero, working alongside the X-Men and even assuming a leadership position on Krakoa. He is a good guy now, but he is also someone who knows what needs to be done; normal humans realize Magneto is someone they can never fully trust.
9) Blade
Blade is an interesting antihero in Marvel Comics. He is a stone-cold killer, but he also lives with a strong honor code. He only kills vampires. However, he also kills all vampires, regardless of whether they are evil or not, which makes him a dangerous person. He also showed how powerful he is in the recent Blood Hunt storyline, where Blade became the big bad in Marvel Comics for a short time when Varnae possessed him. However, when he has control of himself, Blade has been a genuine hero and was even a member of the Avengers. That said, when a vampire is around, Blade has no code other than to turn them into dust as soon as he can.
8) Elektra
When Elektra first appeared in Marvel Comics, she was an assassin and a villain. However, she was also a sympathetic character because she developed a romantic connection with Daredevil. That was an interesting time in their lives. Created by Frank Miller, Elektra’s willingness to kill and Daredevil’s code to save lives drove the conflict between them. It also made the moment that Bullseye killed her so tragic, even though she was an assassin as well. In newer Marvel Comics, Elektra and Daredevil remain connected. During Daredevil’s time in prison, Elektra even took on the role of Daredevil, promising not to kill while operating in that costume. This all makes her one of the most interesting Marvel Comics antiheroes for that reason alone.
7) Moon Knight
Everything that Moon Knight does is to protect the people on the streets. However, unlike many Marvel Comics heroes, he doesn’t care how violent the battles get, and he will kill any villain if he finds it necessary. Moon Knight is also a conflicted hero, as his dissociative identity disorder does not allow him to know what each of his alters is doing at any given time. This has made heroes like Captain America know that Moon Knight is almost as dangerous as the villains he fights. It also doesn’t help that Moon Knight follows the moon god, Khonshu (who some thought was a manifestation in his mind for years before he finally showed up and made himself known to other Marvel heroes).
6) Loki
Loki was one of Marvel Comics’ first major villains, appearing in the Thor stories in Journey Into Mystery before taking on the role as the very first villain in The Avengers #1, bringing the team together for the first time. Loki was a purely evil villain for years before Marvel peeled back some layers and revealed his terrible upbringing and how he didn’t have a chance but to turn out as he did, thanks to Odin and the Asgardian prophecies. However, ever since Loki sacrificed himself to save Asgard in Siege, he has become an antihero, trading in his title as God of Mischief for the moniker God of Stories. He has worked with the Young Avengers and has become an ally of his brother, Thor, one of the biggest turnarounds in Marvel Comics history.
