Despite what is commonly believed, Marvel is still putting out new characters and heroes almost every year. Some soar and become fan-favorites like Miles Morales and Kamala Khan while others don’t get enough traction and attention to leave an impact. Despite that, writers, artists, and editors at the House of Ideas keep trying to come up with new characters that will become somebody’s favorite superheroes.
The 2010s have been something of a renaissance for young, fresh, and idealistic heroes that have left a mark in the Marvel Universe. Many of these young heroes went on to become members of the Champions, the new Agents of Atlas, or have just remained solo. Many of these new heroes are also incredibly powerful.
10 Aero, Who Controls The Wind And Can Bend It To Her Will
One of the members of the New Agents of Atlas, Aero’s real name is Lei Ling, and she hails from Shanghai, China. She first appeared in a self-titled digital-first Chinese comic published in 2018 by NetEase and Marvel, and she was created by Zhou Leifen and Keng.
In addition to being able to fly, Aero can create hurricane-force winds, make air constructs in a similar manner to a Green Lantern can make light constructs, use the air to detect things happening miles away, generate an Air Blade powerful enough to level skyscrapers, make air-based clones of herself, silence all sound around her, and fire condensed air like a laser beam.
9 The Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes) The Spirit Of Vengeance In A Flaming Sports Car
The Ghost Rider itself is far from a new concept in Marvel Comics, but Roberto Reyes is the latest Spirit of Vengeance to emerge. He first appeared in 2014 in All-New Ghost Rider #1 by Felipe Smith and Tradd More. Instead of a motorcycle, Robbie Reyes rides the Hell Charger, a powerful muscle car with a portal to Hell in the trunk. Roberto has been so valued by the superhero community that he has become a regular member of the current Avengers.
Roberto has the powers of his Ghost Rider contemporaries, including monstrous super-strength and durability, superspeed, the Penance Stare, the ability to generate hellfire, an instantaneous healing factor, the ability to turn any vehicle into a hellfire-powered ride, and many, many other powers.
8 Nightmask (Adam Blackveil) The Genetically Perfect Human Being
Nightmask, aka Adam Blackveil, was intended to be the genetically perfect human being created by the godlike Ex Nihilo to protect the Earth from oncoming disasters. Adam first adopted the name Nightmask (a character originally from Marvel’s defunct New Universe line of comics) in Avengers #6 in 2013. This version of the character was created by Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena.
Nightmask soon joined the Avengers and struck up a close friendship with the fledgling Starbrand that also joined the team. Nightmask can create portals, emit massive blasts of energy, create multipurpose energy halos, and has Cosmic Awareness–a sixth sense that can allow him to foresee disasters and understand things that normal humans cannot. Unfortunately, Nightmask hasn’t been seen much since the advent of All-New, All-Different Marvel.
7 Kid Gladiator, Son Of The Majestrix Of The Shi’Ar Empire
Kid Gladiator is the son of Kallark the Gladiator, the Majestrix of the Shi’ar Empire and head of its Imperial Guard. Kid Gladiator, aka Kubark, is a Strontian, one of the most powerful species in the universe. He first appeared in Wolverine and the X-Men #1 in 2011. He was created by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo.
As a Strontian, Kid Gladiator pretty much has the same powerset as a Kryptonian. He can fly, move super fast, has immense super strength, supervision, can shoot energy from his eyes, and is completely invulnerable. He hasn’t been seen much since the end of Wolverine and the X-Men, but he has been sighted once on Krakoa.
6 American Kaiju, America’s Very On Patriotic Giant Lizard Monster
Todd Ziller was a volunteer for the next generation of Super-Soldier Serum. Unfortunately, it was a slapdash mixture of Lizard Formula, Pym Particles, gamma radiation, and Mutant Growth Hormone. The end result was the American Kaiju, a vast patriotic monster dedicated to defending the United States. He first appeared in Avengers #0 in 2015 and was created by Al Ewing and Gerardo Sandoval.
This giant lizard was mostly used to harass Sunspot’s Avengers Idea Mechanics organization, but he was recently seen fighting off Knull’s symbiote dragons during King in Black.
5 Kei Kawade Who Can Summon Any Kaiju He Can Imagine
Kei Kawade is a new Inhuman with an uncanny ability–he can summon, create, and communicate with any kaiju he draws. This means he can summon existing kaiju like Fin Fang Foom and Devil Dinosaur, or he can create whole new kaiju from whole cloth. He first appeared in Monsters Unleashed #1 in 2017 and was created by Greg Pak, Frank Cho, and Terry Dodson.
Kei Kawade had his own ongoing series also titled Monsters Unleashed for a time, but it didn’t last very long. Kei Kawade has unfortunately not been seen since then.
4 America Chavez Champion Of The Utopian Parallel Who Can Kick Wholes In Reality
America Chavez, aka Miss America, is one of Marvel’s most powerful heroes of all time. She comes from the other-dimensional paradise known as the Utopian Parallel, but she was sent away when the Utopian Parallel came under attack. She’s been unable to return to the Utopian Parallel since then. She first appeared in Vengeance #1 in 2011, and she was created by Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta. She has since joined up with the Young Avengers, Captain Marvel’s Ultimates team, and Kate Bishop’s West Coast Avengers. She and Kate have become best friends in this time.
America can fly, punch and kick dimensional portals into existence, is super-strong, nigh-invulnerable, has Cosmic Awareness, can harness internal energy, and has super-speed.
3 The Starbrand (Kevin Connor), The Cosmic Protector Of Earth
Kevin Connor’s rebirth as the Starbrand was disastrous, as the energy explosion killed everyone for miles around. This occurred in Avengers #7 by Jonathan Hickman and Dustin Weaver in 2013. However, it also gave Kevin immense power and got the attention of the Avengers. He soon joined the team and became close friends with Nightmask. Starbrand is another character who originally appeared in Marvel’s New Universe who was a different person entirely.
The Star Brand gave Kevin the powers of energy manipulation, matter manipulation, flight, incredible strength, a self-sustaining body, invulnerability, energy blasts, Cosmic Awareness, telepathy, healing abilities, and countless other powers. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough to save him when Robbie Reyes, completely under the control of the Ghost Rider, killed Kevin in Marvel Legacy #1 by Jason Aaron. Since then, a new person has inherited the Star Brand–a child named Selby.
2 Weapon H, The Genetically-Modified Union Of Hulk And Wolverine
Weapon H, aka Clayton Cortez, was created to be a Weapon of Mutant Destruction by Weapon X. They used genetic material from Wolverine and the Hulk to create Weapon H from Clayton. Weapon H first appeared in Totally Awesome Hulk #21 by Greg Pak and Mike Deodato Jr. in 2017. He has all the strength and regeneration of the Hulk and Wolverine combined as well as the massive Adamantium claws of Wolverine.
Weapon H had an encounter with Amadeus Cho as the Hulk and a small squad of mutants made up of Old Man Logan, Sabretooth, Domino, Lady Deathstrike, and Warpath. Weapon H escaped them and tried to lay low for a time. He even had his own comic series, though it was fairly short-lived. He surfaced again fighting off a symbiote invasion during Absolute Carnage.
1 Ex Nihilo The Golden Being Who Creates Something From Nothing
Ex Nihilo almost feels like an unfair inclusion, as Ex Nihilo is practically a god unto himself. He was created by Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena in Avengers #1 in 2012. Nihilo can create and manipulate matter, has a special control over floral life, and can breathe fire. Ex Nihilo comes from an entire race that can do the same.
Ex Nihilo helped the Avengers during the Builders War and tried to stop the end of all things during Time Runs Out. Unfortunately, Ex Nihilo and his race were killed by the Beyonders invasion.