Top 10 Superheroes Who Are Also TERRIBLE People

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for those superpowered heroes who may not exactly be the best role models.

#10: U.S. Agent

The misguided beliefs, opinions, and methods of John Walker as Marvel’s U.S. Agent can also be juxtaposed against another alias for which Walker formerly held, The Super-Patriot. All three iterations of this villain feel justified in their motives, and believe themselves to be heroes that are acting in America’s best interests. Walker, while not an actual supervillain as the MCU U.S. Agent, was the second Super-Patriot in Marvel comics. Wyatt Russell’s portrayal of Walker gives U.S. Agent a bit more complexity, since this fallen former Captain America is a decorated military veteran who usually tries to do the right thing. Unfortunately, Walker is quick to both anger and violence, and rarely takes personal accountability for his behavior.

#9: Namor, the Sub-Mariner

Everybody loves a good anti-hero, right? Perhaps this explains why Namor, the Sub-Mariner, has existed in one form or another since way back in 1939. This is another character who’s vacillated between hero and villain over the years, thanks primarily to Namor’s complicated relationship with those living above the waves. This mutant King of Atlantis has a short fuse, and often lets his passionate, hot-headed personality blind him to reason. Namor has been one of Marvel’s most reliable heroes over the years, working alongside groups like The Avengers and The Fantastic Four. However, The Sub-Mariner’s proud and stubborn nature will always keep him at arm’s length from becoming any sort of moral role model.

#8: Roy Harper [aka Speedy]

Why do we love to discuss the love lives of our favorite fictional superheroes? It’s not entirely clear, but one thing’s for sure: Speedy loves the ladies. This former ward of the Green Arrow, also known as Roy Harper, is flirtatious to a fault. Now, this in itself doesn’t make Speedy a terrible person, but his indifference towards the relationship status of any potential paramours does make Speedy kind of a jerk. Elsewhere, this expert marksman is almost as quick with his jabs, ribbing, and insults as he is with an arrow. This has often led many DC Comics fans to label Harper as a problematic and unlikable member of the Teen Titans.

#7: Booster Gold

We admit that DC’s Booster Gold seems to be a character who’s perpetually paying for his personal sins. This is due to the fact that, at least in the early days, Booster Gold was a self-aggrandizing showboat who used superheroes for financial gain. His cocky and devil-may-care personality may make Booster Gold charismatic, but it’s also made him historically untrustworthy. This is despite Booster’s later years presenting him as at least a somewhat-reformed jerk; one who legitimately wants to do the right thing, while shining up his tarnished reputation.

#6: Hank Pym/Ant-Man

Diehard comic book fans knew full well the reasons why Marvel decided to utilize the second Ant-Man, Scott Lang, in the lead role of 2015’s movie, as opposed to the OG, Hank Pym. This is due primarily to a storyline where Pym lost both his wife and his job with The Avengers after an incident of domestic violence. Although it should be said that this behavior hasn’t fully defined Pym in either the comics or the MCU, it did cause this otherwise brilliant scientist to rethink his behavior. This has allowed for Pym to receive at least a modicum of redemption over the years, but it was truly unfortunate that it took such a dramatic mistake for Ant-Man to head down this road.

#5: The Comedian

There has always been a fine line between vigilante and villain, and rarely has this line been as blurred as it was with The Comedian. Edward Blake’s personality feels as flawed as The Comedian’s idea of justice. This rough and tough customer started out taking a bite out of crime as a member of The Minutemen before graduating to doing dirty work for the U.S. government. There’s little in the form of a moral code when it comes to The Comedian, as evidenced by a horrific assault perpetrated upon his former Minutemen colleague, the original Silk Spectre. The Comedian essentially reaped what he sowed, however, falling to his death after being pushed out of a window by Adrien Veidt, a.k.a. Ozymandias.

#4: The Punisher

How far should superheroes go in their battles against crime? Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher feels the need to go all the way, each and every time. This bullet-riddled legacy has essentially followed Castle everywhere he’s gone since first debuting back in 1974. This was a decade where cities like New York struggled with crime rates that were out of control, and many normal citizens cried out for men like The Punisher to take back the streets. Today, however, Castle’s merciless methods have been the subject of criticism, counterpoints that were laid out brilliantly in 2025’s “Daredevil: Born Again.” Our aforementioned question still stands: what do you think of the means to which The Punisher achieves his ends?

#3: Peacemaker

There have been many different Peacamakers, with many different origins across DC’s convoluted canon, however the Peacemaker we know best is Christopher Smith, who actually started out his life as a pacifist. He was a superhero who utilized non-lethal methods against villainous forces of evil. Now, his portrayal in the DC Extended Universe sees a Peacemaker that’s more in line with the character’s story after the comic storyline “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” John Cena’s portrayal of Peacemaker is jingoistic, sadistic, and delusional in his continued fight for peace. Cena’s Christopher Smith is misguided, ultra-violent, and close-minded… although we’d be lying if we didn’t admit that he’s also hilarious.

#2: Omni-Man

The behavior of Omni-Man from the “Invincible” franchise admittedly makes him a tough sell as a superhero. This insanely powerful extraterrestrial initially intended to conquer earth, a plan that included Omni-Man’s brutal murders of the Guardians of the Globe. Omni-Man may have eventually come back to his heroic senses, but this troubled and deeply flawed comic character’s actions still make it difficult to reconcile, since he’s shed so much blood over the years. This characters’ shifting moral compass and motivations may make Omni-Man interesting to follow, but they make him hard to root for, as well.

#1: Homelander

He’s a superhero in name only; a complete maniac who keeps up a thin-veneer in front of a rotten, horrid center. Homelander is the best sort of antagonist, because he’s easy to hate but also interesting enough to follow as a character. This leader of The Seven is technically a superhero, in as much as its Homelander’s job title and public front, but he rarely acts with any sort of moral compass behind the scenes. His constant desire for validation and approval feeds into his narcissistic personality. Homelander doesn’t do good things because he enjoys doing them, but rather as a means to acquire the public adoration he so desperately craves.

What, to you, is the most interesting aspect of a flawed hero? Let us know in the comments!