Top 10 Marvel Characters That Should be in DC

#10: Morbius the Living Vampire

Also in:

The Origins of Morbius

Morbius might be a fan favorite Spider-Man character, but he’s never really spread his wings - so to speak. He’s got a great character design and the makings of a classic tragic anti-hero, but his status as a vampire means that he simply doesn’t have much space to operate as a part of the Marvel universe - regardless of the fact that his vampirism is scientific in origin. One of the big differences between Marvel and DC is how well the latter has fleshed out the more supernatural/horror realms of its universe. Morbius versus Manbat? Morbius, member of Justice League Dark? At DC, the character could really flourish.

The ultimate version of the Prowler, Aaron Davis, plays an important role in the Marvel universe as the uncle of legacy Spider-Man Miles Morales. Apart from that however, he doesn’t really get his due. The original Prowler, Hobie Brown, made his debut as a Spidey villain back in 1969 as a cat burglar, but is generally relegated to the role of B list villain turned mercenary and occasional hero. And that’s too bad, because he’s a pretty cool character in his own right. Over at DC, his aesthetic, career path and moral conflict could have made him into a more notable adversary-turned-ally for someone like Batman.

Apparently Sony has plans to give this lesser known Marvel character her very own movie, which seems a little odd considering the fact that she’s a relative unknown to mainstream audiences. But hey… whatever floats your boat Sony! Silver Sable is a mercenary who has worked alongside heroes such as Spider-Man, but has equally found herself at odds with them due to her methods. A gritty and grounded character operating for profit in a morally gray area, she feels limited to a supporting role with Marvel. At DC however, there’s a similar character with whom an affiliation could raise her status significantly - Deathstroke. They’ve even got the same hair. Can you say long lost daughter?

#7: Black Knight

Also in:

Top 10 Black DC Superheroes

So… let’s talk about the Black Knight and all the ways in which he totally doesn’t fit in at Marvel. Dane Whitman took up the ebony blade and accepted the ancient curse that comes with it, as explained by… Sir Percival. You know… from Arthurian legend? As Black Knight, he rides a winged horse named Aragorn. To say that this guy doesn’t fit in with the Avengers is the understatement of the century. Sure, he got a leather jacket and jeans at some point, but that only made the helmet and sword somehow sillier. Alongside the likes of the demon Etrigan and the various Demon Knights, however, he’d be right at home.

#6: Ghost Rider

Also in:

Supervillain Origins: Ghost

This total badass is a ridiculously unique character who still doesn’t get nearly as much love as he deserves, but that which makes him special also makes him a notable outlier in the world of Marvel. A leather-clad flaming skeleton riding a motorcycle and whipping a chain around doesn’t exactly fit in at the Avengers Mansion, or as a fill-in member of the Fantastic Four. He’s just too outlandish. At DC, however, his brand has space to breathe among. A Lobo/ Ghost Rider crossover? Yes, please!

We’ve already suggested that one of Marvel’s best-known vampires would be better suited for DC, so it only makes sense that the company’s leading half-vampire vampire hunter join him over at the competition. Blade is a creature of the night who, despite getting an entire film trilogy of his own, is typically kept out of most major Marvel stories. His crossovers and team-ups are few and far between because, quite simply, Marvel isn’t an overly supernatural place. Most writers want to bring vampires into the mix sparingly, if ever. Over on the DC side, however, he could mix things up with the many supernatural heroes and villains, getting the sort of attention this great character deserves.

Marvel’s characters usually have specific power sets based on their origin or theme. Sure, some characters have a variety of abilities or more ambiguous ones, but for the most part, they tend to rather clearly defined. At DC, however, the more old-school characters, dating back to a simpler, early age of comics, are better described as gods than humans given that their abilities are diverse and incredibly overwhelming in their potency. Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain Atom and Shazam are just a few such examples that come to mind. Marvel’s Sentry, described as having the power of “a million exploding suns”, is wildly overpowered in his universe, but at DC, he’d be in good company.

Thanks to Wonder Woman and her Greek origins, when it comes to the Greco-Roman gods, DC has got a monopoly, having created a rich tapestry of stories and characters involving them. Though Marvel does have a pantheon of its own, Norse mythology is the leading old-school religion because of the popularity of Thor. This similarly muscular, old-fashioned hero pretty much guarantees that Hercules remains relegated to the sidelines, only getting called in as a Thor replacement when the God of Thunder is otherwise occupied. DC has their own Hercules, but he’s not particularly well-developed. While he’s certainly underused, Marvel’s Hercules has personality, and could really flex his muscles in the DC universe.

#2: Daredevil

Also in:

Top 10 Daredevil Season 3 Easter Eggs

The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen operates best under the shadow of darkness when his heightened senses give him the greatest advantage of his adversaries. This is something that the Netflix television series has really embraced, allowing the character’s darker side to shine through. Unfortunately, being a night owl also limits the number of friends Daredevil has to play with, as the A-listers like the Avengers and the X-Men all tend to go on more daytime adventures than anything else. Sure, he’s gotten numerous team-ups over the years, and has experienced plenty of success, but can’t you see him teaming up with Nightwing or Batman, and doesn’t it make a whole lot more sense?

#1: Moon Knight

Also in:

Moon Knight vs Batman

This distinctly dark Marvel character feels like a “what if” comic book interpretation of what Batman might look like if he were to become truly unhinged. A mercenary turned brutally violent vigilante, Marc Spector wages a one-man war on crime, and the judgments he hands down are admittedly severe. After a mission gone awry in Egypt left him for dead, he was apparently resurrected by the god Khonshu to serve as the moon’s knight of vengeance. Since then, he’s been portrayed as being possessed by Khonshu, a schizophrenic with multiple-personality disorder, or both. At Marvel, this character is frequently sidelined in favor of more accessible characters, but at DC, he could be a leading man.