Over the last decade, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced dozens of characters for the fans to love and hate. The MCU's success has managed to make these characters famous all over the world. Even though now everyone knows them, most of them have been around for longer than 50 years in the comic books.
Not all these characters were unknown before their film adaptation. Spider-Man and the Hulk, for instance, have always been successful. But others, like the Scarlet Witch and Thor, are now gaining well-deserved popularity many years after their debut. Regardless, all of them have a long history in the Marvel pages, sometimes a very different one from the one fans can see in the movies.
10 The Scarlet Witch Started As A Villain
During Avengers: Age of Ultron, Wanda Maximoff underwent experimental processes with Hydra to end the Avengers. After gaining psionic abilities, Wanda joined Ultron against Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but she soon realized the robot wanted to destroy Earth, so she became an Avenger herself. It wasn't until WandaVision that Wanda won everyone's heart, and currently she's one of the favorite characters of the MCU.
The Scarlet Witch first appeared in comics in 1964, in The X-Men #4 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, led by Magneto. In this issue, she attempts to leave the team, but Magneto doesn't allow it, reminding Wanda that he saved her from an angry mob once. The comic doesn't explore this any further, but Wanda's debut plants the seed for her tumultuous relationship with Magneto as well as her eventual status as an Avenger.
9 Hawkeye Was A Villain, Too
Clint Barton first appeared in Thor as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent tasked with stopping the God of Thunder from retrieving Mjolnir, but then Steve Rogers invited him to join the Avengers. Even though he was originally a secondary character, his story in the MCU grew and he even became the protagonist of his own show, Hawkeye.
When Clint Barton debuted in the Marvel comics in 1964, during Tales of Suspense #57, he wasn't a hero. Instead, he was a villain who joined forces with Black Widow to go against Iron Man. It wasn't until 1965, in The Avengers #16, that he joined the heroes.
8 Dr. Strange's Debut Isn't His Origin Story
At the peak of his career as a neurosurgeon, Stephen Strange injured his hands in a car crash, leaving him unable to perform operations. Unwilling to let his career go, he pursued all kinds of solutions until he found Kamar-Taj. Here, he trained under the Ancient One's tutorship until he became a Master of the Mystic Arts and eventually the Sorcerer Supreme.
Created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, Doctor Strange debuted in comics in the 1963 story Strange Tales #110, but this issue is only an excuse for fans to learn about Strange's magic while he helps a man with a recurrent nightmare. It wasn't until five months later, during Strange Tales #115, that Ditko and Lee gave Strange the backstory all MCU fans know.
7 Hulk Debuted On His Own Solo Series
First introduced in The Incredible Hulk, Dr. Bruce Banner was only a scientist until a failed experiment to replicate the Super Soldier Serum exposed him to gamma radiation. After this, he developed an uncontrollable alter-ego. The Hulk, as he's called, became a founding member of the Avengers after Natasha Romanoff recruited him in The Avengers.
In 1962, Hulk starred on The Incredible Hulk #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This issue serves as the Hulk's origin story, but it also follows Bruce Banner as he makes peace with his new powers and battles The Gargoyle, another government-created monster who Banner eventually saves from his condition.
6 Black Widow Went From Villain To Hero
Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, is a gifted woman, expert martial artist, an assassin who was trained since a young age by the Red Room, a cold-blooded program to create Russian spies. After escaping this horrible organization, Natasha was recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D., the organization that eventually created the Avengers Initiative.
Black Widow appeared for the first time in comics in Tales of Suspense #52 in 1964 as a femme fatale who seduced Iron Man to distract him while her partner, Boris, assassinated Professor Anton Vanko, a Russian deserter. Fortunately, her heart was in the right place. Natasha would join the Avengers two years later, in The Avengers #29, after breaking free from her indoctrination.
5 Spider-Man First Tried To Be Famous
After gaining spider-like abilities due to a spider bite, Peter Parker, a high school student, became Tony Stark's protégé, thus becoming the youngest Avenger yet. What seemed like a simple cameo at the beginning became a trilogy, which established Spider-Man as one of the main characters of the MCU.
Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Spider-Man in 1962 to compensate for the lack of teenage heroes. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15, his origin story issue, where he acquired agility and strength after being bitten by a radioactive spider at a science exhibit. In the beginning, he tried to be a television star, but after a robber killed his Uncle Ben, he became a crime-fighter.
4 Thor Embraced His Destiny
Thor first appeared in the MCU after his father, Odin, banished him to Earth in order to punish his irresponsibility and arrogance. Here, Thor learned humility and understood the true meaning of being a hero. Now aware of his duty, he returned to Earth and joined the Avengers against his own brother, Loki, who attempted to conquer the planet in The Avengers.
Journey Into Mystery #83, by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby, marks Thor's first appearance in the comics. This issue follows the god after his father sent him to Earth as a disabled medical student, Donald Blake. As Blake, Thor doesn't remember his time as a deity, but his true destiny calls him. After discovering Mjolnir, he transforms into the God of Thunder and takes the responsibility of protecting Earth, which he has been doing for the last 60 years.
3 Black Panther Teamed Up With The Fantastic Four
During Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa's father, T'Chaka, died in a terrorist attack orchestrated by Helmut Zemo, so T'Challa had to take the throne, and the Black Panther mantle, becoming Wakanda's protector. Even though he had a responsibility with his mainland, Black Panther also became an ally for the Avengers and fought alongside them in almost every main battle of the MCU.
The first Black mainstream superhero to debut, Black Panther first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966 only as the King of Wakanda. Black Panther's origins and Wakanda's story were explained in the next issue, Fantastic Four #53. In this story, the Fantastic Four help Black Panther to protect his country from Ulysses Klaw, a ruthless explorer trying to steal Wakanda's vibranium.
2 Captain America Started Fighting Against Nazis
Originally a frail boy with health issues, Steve Rogers' only dream was to serve his country. To achieve this, he volunteered to receive the Super Soldier Serum, which granted him superhuman abilities. Under the moniker of Captain America, he fought in World War II but a failed mission doomed him to spend 66 years frozen in ice until S.H.I.E.L.D. rescued him.
Captain America first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 in 1941, only two years after WWII began. This comic gave Captain America the same origin story as the MCU and established Bucky Barnes as Steve's sidekick. Additionally, the cover features Captain America punching Hitler in the face, which was a very controversial statement at the moment.
1 Iron Man Has The Same Origin Story
Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Initially a weapon manufacturer for the U.S. military, Tony redirected his intellect to create mechanical armor suits that helped him against all kinds of threats. After being recruited by the Avengers, he became the operation's leader. Ultimately, he sacrificed himself for Earth in Avengers: Endgame.
Iron Man first appeared in Tales of Suspense #39, a story created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby in 1963. Very similar to his MCU's origin story, in this comic, Tony Stark creates the first Iron Man suit only using metal scraps — hence it's all gray instead of red and yellow — in order to save himself from Wong-Chu, a communist tyrant from Vietnam.
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