10 Best Marvel Characters Who Embraced ’90s Tropes

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Some see Marvel Comics‘ heyday as either the Silver Age of Comics or the 1980s, with the latter being an era where almost every major character and franchise had great ongoing titles. The 1990s were a much more infamous decade, both for Marvel and comic books as a whole. Grim and gritty were in, and this saw several characters in the Marvel Universe hit it bigger than others.

The 1990s catapulted several Marvel heroes and antiheroes into stardom, be they X-Ceptional mutants or symbiotic Lethal Protectors. This time period defined Marvel’s X-Men in particular, and they had just the right amount of edge for the era. The same was true for various vigilantes and antiheroes, who shined brighter than ever in the Dark Ages of Comics.

10

Venom Was an ’80s Character Who Hit It Big In the ’90s

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #300 by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane

Venom started as the black symbiote suit that Spider-Man got in the Secret Wars event. However, it left Spidey, bonded with Eddie Brock, and took on a darker personality. Venom debuted in the 1980s, with his general design being a more muscular Spider-Man. This changed in the ensuing years, with Venom gaining a new attitude that saw him ironically go from vengeful villain to Lethal Protector.

Venom gained his long tongue and more vicious form of vigilance in the 1990s, with this decade seeing him become something of a solo character. There were also countless new symbiotes, some even being a part of major crossover stories. Thus, Venom and his symbiote spawn Carnage defined the decade, with the gruesome goo monster exemplifying 1990s tropes.

9

Adam X Was One of the Most X-Treme X-Men

First Appearance: X-Force Annual #2 by Fabian Nicieza and Tony Daniel

From his name to his appearance, everything about Adam X represented the best and worst of Marvel’s ’90s “x-cess.” One of the many new X-Men characters from the era, he wore spiky shoulder pads and a backward baseball cap. His mutant powers even involved blood, making him into a borderline self-parody for the era that would have fit in well at Image Comics alongside Spawn and Rob Liefeld’s Youngblood characters.

Ironically, Adam X had the most clean-cut brother possible, as he was the half-brother to X-Men field leader Cyclops/Scott Summers (and similarly to Havok/Alex Summers). Having both the mutant X-gene and being a Shiar hybrid, he represented how convoluted the stories involving the X-Men’s alien allies had become. The character arguably didn’t amount to much in the comics back then, however, and he’s still somewhat obscure given his pedigree.

8

Wolverine Was the Best There Is In the 1990s

First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #180 by Len Wein and Herb Trimpe

Wolverine debuted in the Bronze Age of Comics fighting against the power of the Incredible Hulk, but he soon joined the new X-Men team afterward. Since then, he’s been the group’s most popular member, which took off in the 1990s. Not only did the solo Wolverine comic book become even more successful, but he went through several changes that fit perfectly within the scope of the comic book industry at the time.

The 1990s revealed that Wolverine’s claws weren’t made from adamantium but were bone, making him even edgier to fans. If this weren’t enough, he later devolved into an animalistic “feral” form, with his berserker rage being the norm for a while. He also had several alternate universe appearances as variants such as “Weapon X,” he was overall second only to Spider-Man in popularity.

7

Gambit Was a Secondary Wolverine In the 1990s

First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee

Besides Wolverine, there was one member of the X-Men who really came into prominence in the 1990s. Gambit was a smooth-talking Cajun ladies man who debuted in 1990, and he had a grungy air of mystery to him. Secretly tied to the villainous Mr. Sinister, his finished design (involving a trenchcoat) and weapons made him stand out among the more clean-cut X-Men.

Gambit’s popularity went beyond his appearances on X-Men: The Animated Series, and he had his own ongoing comic book in the 1990s. This saw him even come to blows with New Sun, an alternate universe variant with omega-level mutant powers. Cynical yet lovable, he was very much a “Vertigo Comics” X-Men character, both visually and characteristically resembling DC Comics’ John Constantine.

6

Jubilee Was a 1990s Mallrat

First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #244 by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri

Despite not debuting in the 1990s, Jubilee was another character who fit right in when the decade came. Jubilee was the 1990s equivalent to Kitty Pryde, with the latter having grown up and temporarily moved on from the X-Men. Obsessed with the mall and hitting up the arcade, Jubilee was a sort of sidekick to the older mutants and especially gravitated toward the gruff Wolverine.

Jubilee wasn’t necessarily inspired by anime or manga, but she did feel fitting for a decade in which both became increasingly popular in the West. Of course, the character’s relevance plummeted as the ’90s elements she was associated with (mall culture and the like) began to dwindle. Thus, she’s still largely known due to the animated series for the X-Men, more so than recent comics.

5

Nightwatch Was a Ripoff of Todd McFarlane’s Spawn

First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man #97 by Terry Kavanagh, Alex Saviuk and Joe Rubinstein

The infamous exit of various Marvel artists to form Image Comics was a watershed moment for the comic book industry. This was especially the case following the launch of Todd McFarlane’s successful Spawn franchise, with Marvel hoping to gain some of the popularity garnered by the company’s former employee. It attempted to do so with a character that so blatantly copied Image’s flagship character that even fans could see the cynical imitation.

Despite his different powers, Marvel’s Nightwatch was visually almost indistinguishable from Spawn. This included a masked face, a black costume, and a living, flowing cape. The fact that he was tied to Spider-Man (McFarlane once worked on when he co-created Venom) only made the similarities even more obvious. Of course, Image Comics had its fair share of imitations for popular DC and Marvel characters, so it was arguably deserved for equality’s sake.

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #149 by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru

The 1990s was when Spider-Man really swung to new heights, with the comics introducing controversial story beats. One was the infamous “Clone Saga,” in which Spidey’s Bronze Age clone was brought back. Taking the name Ben Reilly (after Uncle Ben Parker and Aunt May’s maiden name), he eventually gained the superhero name Scarlet Spider from the press.

Scarlet Spider’s costume was a tubular red bodysuit with a blue hoodie, making him distinct from Spider-Man while being in the same general aesthetic. It was definitely in the same vein as the jacket and earring worn by the Conner Kent Superboy in the 1990s, with some finding the design dated. When combined with his meandering clone plots, Ben Reilly did showcase the era’s Spider-Man comics, for better or worse.

3

Marrow Was Popular Only In the 1990s

First Appearance: Cable #15 by Jeph Loeb and David Brewer

Marrow is a firm example of a Marvel character made for a certain era, as she was only prominent in the latter half of the 1990s. Having the mutant power to grow bones that could be used as weapons made her a more grotesque version of similar ideas that were used for Wolverine. Like Logan, she had an animalistic sensibility due to being raised away from civilization as a Morlock.

Marrow was big enough in the 1990s to be playable in Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, and her inclusion in the game is her only real claim to fame. The obscure mutant Marrow lacks any major stories and mainly coasted with her brutal nature by adding more body horror elements to the X-Men comics. Even amid other obscure mutants who gained prominence in the now-concluded Krakoa Age, Marrow remains a product of comics from 30 years ago.

2

Ghost Rider 2099 Brought Vengeance Into the Future

First Appearance: Ghost Rider 2099 #1 by Len Kaminski and Chris Bachalo

Ghost Rider was another hero who became more popular decades after debuting, with the 1990s introducing the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider. This decade also had another new Ghost Rider in the form of Zero Cochrane, a.k.a. Ghost Rider 2099. Ghost Rider 2099 had the same hellish attitude fans expected inside a cyborg body, making him the best representation of the cyberpunk 2099 setting.

Unlike other Spirits of Vengeance, Ghost Rider 2099 wasn’t supernatural and instead embraced futuristic cyberpunk concepts. This recalled novels such as Snow Crash and Neuromancer and fit in with the 1990s differently, given how cyberspace and home computers were becoming part of everyday culture. Add in a skeletal cyborg with a penchant for vengeance, and it’s no wonder this motorcycle-driving Marvel antihero had a comic that lasted over two years.

1

Kaine Did Whatever a Spider Can – But Edgier

First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man #119 by Terry Kavanagh and Steven Butler

The Clone Saga had several genetic copies of Peter Parker, and Ben Reilly wasn’t the only one. Cloaked and mysterious for most of the story, Kaine Parker was a failed Spider-Man clone who had a much darker idea of power and responsibility. This saw him outright killing numerous classic villains, making way for a dark new era for the Web-Slinger.

Kaine’s powers were exaggerated versions of Spider-Man’s own, with his superhuman physical powers being stronger. His precognitive abilities were a stronger version of “spider-sense,” while his ability to cling to walls mutated into the scarring “mark of Kaine.” His body suit was a skin-tight healing apparatus that somewhat resembled a symbiote, and this made for one deadly character who truly took Spider-Man’s mythos into a dark and gritty direction.

“}]] The 1990s popularized a lot of Marvel Comics heroes and antiheroes, with some of these being perfect for the era of grim and gritty comic books.  Read More