Who is your favorite Marvel superhero?

Alright everyone, let's kick things off—I want to start a thread about who your favorite Marvel hero or group of heroes is (if you prefer teams over solo acts).

For me, my absolute favorite Marvel character—and honestly, he isn't even a "superhero" in the traditional sense—has been the Punisher since I was a kid reading the comics all the way through to today. There are several reasons for this. First off, I am completely obsessed with his philosophy regarding the fight against crime and evil; the idea that you combat evil using its own logic is just visceral. Watching him take down drug lords, assassins, and the rest of that filth... it’s almost like a drug to me. 😁 Second, he’s just an ordinary man without any superpowers, yet he is fully equipped with peak soldier-level skills and intelligence—taking a regular human to the absolute limit—supplemented by high-end weaponry and, of course, that legendary skull emblem on his chest.

Unfortunately, we haven't been blessed with one truly great Punisher film, but personally, I found the 2004 Punisher film to be quite solid; I’d give it a 6.5/10. To my mind, Thomas Jane was the perfect Punisher—the literal embodiment of the character on screen. If they ever decide to do a reboot, it HAS to be the Punisher, period.

Punisher War Zone was a massive disappointment to me; the 2004 version is much better by comparison. On that note, I'll leave here a video Tribute I put together for the Punisher:

[HD] The Punisher 2004 - Tribute after Punisher

After the Punisher, my favorites are Daredevil, then Spidey, then the Avengers as a whole, and finally Wolverine as a standalone character.

That's my list. So, tell me—who has been your top Marvel hero since childhood? I mean, from the early comic book days right up to the modern films? Why them? And what did you think of their cinematic adaptations (assuming your favorite actually made it to the big screen)?

You totally skipped over Punisher with Dolph Lundgren.

I don't know, I just haven't been feeling the Marvel universe lately. To be honest, their heroes feel a bit lower quality compared to what DC is putting out.
I’ve loved Spider-Man since I was a kid, though. I used to grab the comics whenever I could find them.
But even he doesn't really impress me much anymore—when I actually stop to think about it, he rarely manages to take down a heavy-hitter villain all on his own. That doesn't sound particularly cool for a superhero, I guess. And those tired, old jokes of his... 😁

Right now, I'm finding Luke Cage pretty intriguing. He feels like Marvel's version of Bane.
It's a shame there hasn't been a movie made about him; he seems incredibly powerful.

And yeah, I'm just not a fan of these cinematic Avengers, nor am I that hyped about Iron Man. None of those heroes have really grabbed my attention for any specific reason.

redmarlin27 said:You dodged the Punisher movie with Dolph Lundgren.

I didn't dodge him—I'm just trashing a movie where the logic was basically non-existent unless they decided to use CGI to fix everything; which, let's be honest, should have been the Punisher's trademark at this point. Seriously, WTF? That kind of stuff just... does it for me. 🙂 So, for me, it isn't really Punisher; it’s just some random guy played by Dolph Lundgren.

And honestly, that movie with Thomas Jane could have been absolutely stellar if they had actually hired a director who knew what they were doing. Instead, it turned out just okay—and for me, Thomas Jane was the only thing perfect about the role. That was it. I’m holding out hope that someone will finally tackle the dark essence of Punisher in a masterful way—ideally with Jane back in the role—because you could make a movie and a half out of this character if you leaned into the darkness, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel with some pseudo-"dark Spider-Man" concept or whatever else.

If there is an intention to make a serious, gritty, realistic hero film along the lines of Nolan's Batman, but within the Marvel universe, I think Punisher is the perfect candidate. But apparently, he isn't "popular" enough for some people, or maybe he doesn't fit the mold of a typical hero fighting evil—mostly because he isn't some sanitized Boy Scout (and I'm not talking about Batman here); he is a literal force of nature when it comes to crime. To quote him:

"In certain extreme situations the law is inadequate. In order to shame its inadequacy it is necessary to act outside the law to pursue natural Justice" 😁.

wiredraven82 said:It’s not even that I skipped it—the movie was just straight-up garbage. Like, they could've used relativity theory to explain why the skull logo wasn't on his chest, but honestly, they should've just used some basic CGI to get it there. It's the Punisher's whole signature look, so... seriously, WTF? That kind of stuff just kills it for me... 🙂 So, for me, it doesn't feel like Punisher at all, just some random guy being played by Dolph Lundgren.

They didn't have the rights to use the logo, which is why it isn't there. It wasn't like they couldn't print a shirt with it if they wanted to...

And I gotta say, this Thomas Jane movie could've been absolutely killer if they'd just found the right director to helm it. As it stands, it turned out decent enough, but Thomas Jane was just perfect for the part, so that's about it.

The director was more than fine, really, and they did exactly what they set out to do. A Punisher western vibe. The fact that they were working with a peanut-sized budget is a totally different story, so yeah, it's not exactly eye candy like the modern adaptations you see now. And Jane actually nailed the role, he even put together a little video Tribute for the fans. 😁

briskhound2 said:They didn't have the legal clearance to use the logo—that's why it’s missing. It wasn't a matter of them being unable to print a shirt with it or anything like that.

Good grief, right—I completely forgot about that detail. Regardless, that wasn't really my main point.

briskhound2 said:The director was more than up to the task; he executed exactly what was envisioned. A Punisher story set in a Western atmosphere. Now, having a budget the size of a peanut is a different story—it’s certainly not the visual spectacle you see in modern adaptations. But Thomas Jane truly nailed the role, he even put together that little clip for the fans. 😁

😲😲 Damn, Deckard Care, I hadn't seen this yet—holy hell... Pure brutality. That's the stuff. Adding this to my favorites immediately.

I honestly can't wrap my head around why this ended up in the film subforum—since, let’s be real, every single one of Marvel's superheroes originates from the comic books anyway. But whatever, I guess it doesn't matter much.

As far as my own personal obsession goes, it started with Spider-Man, and then I eventually fell down the rabbit hole with the X-Men and the Ultimates.

I wouldn’t exactly call myself a massive Marvel fanatic, but I have such a huge soft spot for those characters who don't quite fit the cookie-cutter mold of your typical, shining superhero—you know, the darker, grittier types like Ghost Rider, Werewolf by Night, Blade, Man-Thing, and all those others in that same vein...

Spider-Man is easily Sam Raimi's best work.
I haven't even touched the new one yet 🤷

Ang Lee's "Hulk" takes the top spot for me.

The rest were more or less fine, I guess—I'm pretty happy with most of them. "Thor" was a bit of a letdown, though; I really felt like it was missing those epic, larger-than-life moments... "The Avengers" were awesome, though, just a total, classic blockbuster through and through. The "Iron Man" series is great too (haven't caught the third one yet), and Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy was solid, even if the third installment felt a little weak to me. But man, this reboot? That was such a pleasant surprise. I'm actually really looking forward to what comes next...

Coming from the Spider-Man comics.

But if we're talking movies? It’s definitely Iron Man hands down.

Swamp Thing is hands down my absolute favorite character, but I gotta say, that 80s adaptation was actually pretty solid considering how much time has passed since it was made. Maybe...

David Lopez8 said:My absolute favorite character has gotta be Man-Thing, but honestly, that 80s adaptation was... I don't know, maybe just appropriate for the era it was made in? I guess...

Total slip-up, I meant the DC universe. My bad! Regardless, he’s still one of the heavy hitters.

Cinematically speaking... Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) — I really think Jackman is just perfect for the part. He’s got that serious, brooding, sarcastic vibe, yet he stays positive... just like the comic version.
Hulk (Eric Bana) — It’s not even really about Bana (though he did a solid job), it’s more about Ang Lee. He actually delivered an incredible Hulk here. Visually? Stunning. The story? Solid. In my opinion, it’s the most underrated superhero movie out there. It’s sitting at a 5.7 on IMDb?! Meanwhile, that one with Norton—which was way, way worse in my eyes—has a 6.9. I’d give the second one a 5.7, and this one a solid 7.2 or 7.3...

I wouldn't go so far as to call Punisher a hero—maybe an anti-hero at best—but even with that label, he just doesn't grab me...

When looking at the big cinematic universes, I struggle to pick one because they all feel kind of lukewarm. Iron Man is basically broken with that suit, Thor is a bit of a bore, and Captain America is actually decent. I'm low-key looking forward to the new Winter Soldier movie; I think that title alone could work. Also, Thor: The Dark World looks like it might actually have some grit to it...

There are three versions of Hulk out there. I haven't seen the Ang Lee version, but Ruffalo did a solid job in the Avengers movies, even if the actual plot didn't leave much room for anything deep...

The X-Men stuff was alright at the start, but then the franchise completely tanked by the third installment. Singer came back, but First Class was pretty underwhelming...

The original Spider-Man trilogy was okay, though the third one was a bit trash—but hey, what else can you expect from Raimi given that material? The new Spider-Man was just plain bad.

If I missed anyone, my bad, but the Marvel cinematic universe just isn't really my thing... 🙂

@Steven Thomas5/">@@Steven Thomas5

You can view the Punisher however you want, but let's stick to the facts:
1. He is easily the most grounded "hero" in Marvel's lineup—and in my book, he absolutely is a hero.
2. The character forces us to confront some massive philosophical, sociological, and moral questions—specifically, should we fight evil and crime using its own brutal methods? Look, I’m no God, so I won't claim to have the ultimate answer, but I find myself completely locked in while watching him take out those psychos—especially when he makes them pay before pulling the trigger. I am fully on board with his philosophy regarding certain types of evil; predators, killers, and abusers deserve a bullet straight to the head—though, honestly, making them suffer first would be more fitting, since a bullet is almost too merciful.
3. The way the Punisher operates—that direct approach to eradicating evil—is ten times more effective than the legal system. Now, whether that is morally "right" is a different story, but if you want an opinion on that, just ask any person living in a place where they are actually suffering under that kind of criminality.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eynolds%29.jpg

Out of everyone, my absolute favorite has to be Sentry.

Deadpool all the way!
http://www.geekstir.com/wp-content/u...olstarwars.jpg
He’s truly in a league of his own...

wiredraven82 said:@Steven Thomas5/">@@Steven Thomas5

You can view Punisher however you want, but let’s stick to the facts:
1. He’s the most grounded "hero" in Marvel, and in my book, he's a hero.
2. The guy forces this massive philosophical, sociological, and moral question onto us: should we fight evil and crime using their own methods? I’m no God, so I can't give you the ultimate answer, but I know I get a kick out of watching him take down those psychos... especially when he breaks them before pulling the trigger. I'm totally on board with his philosophy for dealing with evil. Pedophiles, killers, abusers—they all deserve a bullet straight to the head. Though, honestly, a little silence first would be nice... a bullet is almost too merciful.
3. His brand of justice is ten times more effective than the system. Whether that's "moral" is something you should ask people around the world who actually suffer from that kind of evil.

Just because a character doesn't have superpowers doesn't automatically make them "realistic." It's hard to call any comic book character truly realistic, but if that's what you mean, then sure.

The whole concept of a "hero" is up for debate, though I don't think Punisher belongs in the same category as characters who primarily or exclusively use non-lethal methods to settle things.
If you enjoy the violence, hey, that's your prerogative. But you really have to ask yourself: who is he doing this for? Is he doing it for himself because he just loves the killing and the torture, or does he genuinely believe this is a justifiable, fair form of justice?
Violence is a cycle. It never stops because there's always someone else ready to add to the tally. Which means violence as a response to violence isn't actually effective...
Every movie touches on this: someone kills someone, then someone else kills them back. But the person who was killed isn't coming back.
Most characters are driven by the desire to prevent further suffering.
How they achieve that depends entirely on their ethics. If you have someone like Superman, for example, who refuses to kill as a hero, then Punisher just isn't in the same league. That's why I call him an anti-hero. Maybe a vigilante, but definitely not a hero. 😉

I don't need to ask anyone. Just look at the conflicts in the Middle East and tell me if violence as a response to violence is a good way to fight injustice... 😉

Spider-Man. The one and only ☕