At this point, countless superheroes have debuted in Marvel Comics. Many of them have become popular enough to earn their entry into live-action films, while others remain comic book exclusives. However, the reason most of these popular heroes catch on has to do with their origin stories.
Oftentimes, a superhero's origin story is what connects them to the reader. It can be inspiring to see a character go from humble beginnings to great heights. These Marvel Comics characters earned their appeal solely due to their compelling origin stories, making them iconic figures in Marvel's history.
10 Carol Danvers
Before Carol Danvers became an Avenger, she was a young Air Force recruit with great potential. However, her destiny of becoming Captain Marvel began even sooner, as her mother was a former captain of the Kree army. After her mother abandons Carol's family, Carol's father becomes abusive toward her in retaliation.
Before becoming Ms. Marvel, Carol encounters other Marvel icons, such as Nick Fury and Wolverine. Eventually, while working as head of security at NASA, a battle with Kree soldier Mar-Vell results in Carol gaining cosmic abilities. Eventually, she goes from the black sheep of her family to one of the most powerful Avengers.
9 Marc Spector
Marvel fans are just now getting to meet Oscar Isaac's take on Marc Spector after Episode 2 of Moon Knight. For those fans, the comic books provide a deep dive into Spector's origins as a Marine-turned-mercenary. After a skirmish leaves him half-dead, Spector is revived by the moon god Khonshu and chosen as his new Avatar.
However, Marc's backstory is more complicated than that. As a teenager, Spector was almost killed by a close family friend who was really a Nazi deserter. The trauma left Spector with dissociative identity disorder, a mental illness that made his mind weak enough for Khonshu to choose Marc to be commanded as Moon Knight.
8 Stephen Strange
Dr. Stephen Strange is one of few Marvel heroes whose beginnings aren't as humble as others. Strange was a brilliant neurosurgeon, whose materialistic nature cost him relationships. After a near-fatal car accident damages the nerves in his hands, Strange is too proud to give up his career and seeks a cure in alternative medicine.
This journey leads Strange to Tibet, where he meets The Ancient One. There, Strange grows out of his skepticism as the Ancient One teaches him the mystic arts. Soon enough, Strange succeeds the Ancient One as the new Sorcerer Supreme, becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Marvel universe.
7 Kamala Khan
Compared to most Marvel characters, Kamala Khan's origins are more relatable than most. A Pakistani-American teenager from New Jersey, Kamala is a superhero fanatic, writing Avengers fan-fiction that stars her idol, Carol Danvers. However, exposure to Terrigen mist forces Kamala into the world she often dreams of.
While Kamala is quick to adopt the superhero persona, the life of crimefighting doesn't turn out to be what she hopes for. She becomes involved in the second superhero Civil War, which eventually turns her against Danvers. Overall, this character's origins are a good lesson in not meeting your heroes.
6 Steve Rogers
Steve Rogers wasn't born to be the greatest Avenger. Desperate to serve in the U.S. military during World War II, Rogers is rejected many times for his lack of physical strength. His determination doesn't waver, and Rogers eventually volunteers to be the test subject of the experimental Super Soldier serum, which works.
Rogers eventually gets what he hoped for, becoming a top specimen of human strength. He is instrumental in helping the Allied Forces win World War II, before being frozen in ice for decades. When he emerges, he continues the fight as a member of the Avengers, although this time, the world around him has changed.
5 James Howlett
James Howlett, a mutant, was born to a wealthy Canadian family in the 19th century. Unfortunately, the bone claws in his hands and healing factor made him an outcast to his origins. Howlett then takes on the name "Logan," and later becomes a test subject of the Weapon X program, which turns his bone claws into Adamantium.
Now a bonafide killing machine, Logan adopts the moniker "Wolverine" when he's recruited to become a Canadian government operative. Eventually, he abandons that cause to join Professor X's league of mutants. While he began life as an outcast, through the X-Men, Logan is able to find his new family.
4 Natalia Romanova
The future Avenger known as Black Widow lived a tragic childhood. From a young age, the Russian child known as Natalia Romanova was trained alongside dozens of other orphans in the infamous "Red Room." There, Natalia was chosen to become a KGB operative, where she was separated from her husband, Alexi.
Eventually, Natalia brushed up against many other Marvel heroes, such as Clint Barton and Tony Stark. She later is cured of her brainwashing by the Russian government and becomes a valuable asset to the Avengers. However, she's never truly able to shake the guilt of her actions as a Russian spy.
3 Tony Stark
Like Strange, Tony Stark's origins are far from modest. Born the son of weapons manufacturer Howard Stark, Tony becomes a genius inventor who takes over his father's company. However, his cockiness and disregard for human life resulted in him getting kidnapped by terrorists who command him to build weapons for them.
Not one to be outsmarted, Tony designs the very first Iron Man suit as a hostage, using it to escape. Traumatized from this experience, the former playboy returns to America and upgrades the armor, so he can save more lives. Out of all the Marvel heroes, Tony definitely faces the most change throughout his story arc.
2 Wanda Maximoff
The MCU has been faithful to Wanda's comic book origins in terms of mounting trauma. Maximoff was born the twin sister to Pietro, who were both orphaned after their home in Serbia was attacked. It's during this time that Wanda discovers her natural talent for magic, using it to defend her and her brother on their journeys.
Eventually, Wanda and Pietro are rescued by Max Eisenhardt, a mutant who goes by the name of "Magneto." They are recruited into his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, where they begin as antagonists of the X-Men. Eventually, Wanda abandons this group of terrorists and becomes a powerful member of the Avengers.
1 Miles Morales
When it comes to Spider-Man, Peter Parker has one of the most iconic origin stories in comic book history. A bite from a radioactive spider grants him superpowers, which he only fully utilizes following the accidental death of his uncle, Ben. However, the story of Miles Morales is a timely improvement on Parker's origins.
Miles is a teenager from Brooklyn who has a close relationship with his uncle, Aaron Davis, a former criminal. After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Miles foregoes crimefighting and leaves it to Peter Parker. However, Parker is soon killed by Norman Osborn, forcing Miles to carry the first Spider-Man's legacy as the new web-slinger.