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Marvel has always marched to the tune of its own drum and the way it approaches sidekicks is no different. While DC mostly used teenage sidekicks, Marvel’s respected roster of heroes went another direction, as their sidekicks were often older than their DC counterparts. Sidekicks also were never as big a deal in Marvel as they are in DC.
This made being a sidekick an uphill battle in the Marvel Universe, as many of them started out as less than popular but grew into characters that fans love. They’ve outgrown the stigma of being a sidekick and become something special, gaining fans along the way.
10 Glob Herman Debuted As A Background Character Before X-Men Fans Really Started To Love Him
Grant Morrison’s New X-Men was a revolution, introducing many characters and concepts that changed the X-Men forever. One of those characters was Glob Herman, who started out as just a bizarre-looking background character. He had a distinctive look, as he was a skeleton in see-through wax and would play a part in the “Riot At Xavier’s” story as a member of Quentin Quire’s Omega Gang.
Eventually, he’d get fleshing out and fans learned to love the earnest young mutant. He became a fan-favorite character, helping the likes of Old Man Logan when he was with the X-Men. While he isn’t the most well-known young mutant, it’s hard to deny how loved he is.
9 Armor Has Grown Immensely Since Her Debut
Armor was introduced in Joss Whedon’s landmark Astonishing X-men run and like many young mutants, would get taken under the wing of Wolverine. The two worked together throughout Whedon and Warren Ellis’ run on the book before Armor was put in with some of the teen X-Men books. There, she’d get fleshed out and gain more fans.
Starring in the first couple of story arcs of 2019’s New Mutants, Armor doesn’t have the name recognition of other former Wolverine sidekicks but she has a lot of fans, ones who patiently await her return to the big leagues.
8 Beta Ray Bill Started As Thor’s Rival Before Working With Him And Making A Name For Himself
Beta Ray Bill has worked with Thor for years but they didn’t always have a cordial relationship. Chosen by Odin to replace the Odinson as God of Thunder, Bill and Thor battled it out over Mjolnir. While Bill lost, he gained Thor’s respect and the magic hammer known as Stormbreaker. He and Thor worked together for years, fierce foes of all who would do evil.
It took fans time to warm up to Beta Ray Bill but once they did, they realized just how great a character he was. While he’s yet to taste the glory of an ongoing solo series, he’s still one of the most beloved characters in the Thor mythos.
7 Silver Surfer Was An Unconventional Sidekick Who Became Something More
It’s weird to think about it this way but Silver Surfer was basically Galactus’s sidekick when he first showed up. It makes sense once one really thinks about it: Galactus was the more powerful of the two, Surfer did his bidding, and they went everywhere together. While many fans liked the character right off the bat, he wasn’t exactly successful.
Silver Surfer took time to catch on, eventually getting a solo series. He’d get sporadic runs throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s, even becoming a big-time player in the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe. While he doesn’t get as much love as he once did, he’s still quite popular.
6 Toad Was Magneto’s Punching Bag For Years
Villains can get in on the sidekick game as well and Magneto had no problem doing so. Toad was a member of the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants but he was also mainly known as Magneto’s sidekick, as he would follow the mutant master of magnetism around like a lovesick puppy. Unfortunately for Toad, this was Silver Age Magneto, so he was liable to beat on Toad for kicks.
Toad would go on to become one of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants’ longest-serving members, even taking over the team for a time. While he’s still often used as the butt of jokes, he actually has fans now and is better off than in his old days of being Magneto’s punching bag.
5 Sharon Carter Gained Fans Over The Years
Being one of Cap’s love interests is never an easy job but Sharon Carter parlayed it into success. Sharon and Cap crossed paths many times in her work as SHIELD’s Agent 13 before they started working together. This would lead to an on-again, off-again relationship between the two, one that would become Cap’s most iconic relationship.
Sharon’s popularity has waxed and waned over the years but that’s more than can be said for most of Cap’s other love interests turned sidekicks like Diamondback. Sharon Carter is now an iconic part of the Cap mythos.
4 Kate Pryde Took Time To Appeal To Fans
Kate Pryde is one of the X-Men’s most beloved members, but it wasn’t always that way. Kate had the unenviable position of being the new girl on the X-Men and was the youngest member of the team. At first, she was honestly kind of frustrating to fans, constantly changing her name and costume. A time as Wolverine’s sidekick helped her a lot and as years went by, she’d grow on fans, becoming the fan-favorite she is today.
Kate has taken her place as one of the X-Men’s most popular and beloved members gradually. It was often an uphill battle for her and while she hasn’t really had much luck as a solo star, fans love her immensely.
3 Carol Danvers Started As A Sidekick And Became One Of Marvel’s Greatest Heroes
Carol Danvers has had a long career in the superhero world. She began as a simple Air Force attache to Captain Marvel, working with him before her Kree powers were awakened and she became Ms. Marvel. She’d continue to work the Kree hero until his death when she would join the Avengers. After that, she went through years of ups and downs before becoming Captain Marvel.
As one of the most powerful Captain Marvels ever, Carol quickly made a name for herself. She transcended her early roots and became one of Marvel’s greatest heroes, a leader of the hero community in a way her mentor never really was.
2 Falcon Flew Higher As The Years Went On
Falcon is now a multimedia star, a former Captain America, and one of Marvel’s most beloved heroes. It wasn’t always that way, though. Falcon started out as Cap’s sidekick and he was pretty different from the character he would one day become, not even having his trademark wings. Falcon just got better and better as the years went by, eventually becoming an amazing hero.
Falcon has been in a lot of great stories over the years, something which helped cement his growth. His rise in popularity was long coming and he’s taken his place in the pantheon of great Marvel heroes.
1 Jubilee Went From An Unwelcomed Character To A Confident X-Man
Much like Kate Pryde before her, Jubilee got pigeonholed as the “annoying teenager” of the X-Men. Also like Kate, she’d get the Wolverine rub, except this was during the early ’90s Wolverine, when the character was at the height of his popularity. Older fans didn’t exactly like her, but fans closer to her age took a shine to her.
Since then, she’s grown a lot as a character and that helped Wolverine’s former sidekick in the eyes of many. She’s lost her powers, become a vampire, and became a parent. She’s led teams, regained her powers, and become an amazing X-Man, more than earning her beloved status.
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