As extensive as the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now, most of it has been somewhat limited by what filmmakers can get away with under PG-13 ratings. Not every film in the MCU has the same liberties as Deadpool & Wolverine. That said, Marvel Comics’ history is full of characters that, if they showed up in the MCU, would instantly earn any movie an R rating.
With Spider-Man: Brand New Day now bringing in a whole lot of comic book-accurate villains to the MCU and Avengers: Doomsday set to do the same before Secret Wars resets the universe, Marvel has never had more villains to choose from. Still, there are some that are definitely off the table. From the disgusting to the morally detestable, here are 15 Marvel villains from the comics that would be positively too traumatizing and too dark for the MCU.
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15. Crime-Master’s Jack O’Lantern
First Appearance: Venom (Vol. 2) #1 (2011) | Power Level: Street-Level (trained assassin, no powers) | MCU Block: Serial-Killer Gore
There have been multiple Jack O’Lanterns wreaking havoc in the Marvel Universe. However, 2011’s Jack remains the most disturbing of them all. Created by Rick Remender and Tony Moore, this Jack is a disturbing serial killer who turns his victims’ heads into human Jack-o’-lanterns, scooping out their brains and leaving a candle inside their skulls.
Little is known about this version of Jack – only that he allegedly killed every previous Jack O’Lantern before he took the mantle. An edgy villain for a very edgy Venom run, Deadpool eventually killed this Jack, and Marvel replaced him with a much more PG-13 incarnation in 2018.
14. Skinless Man
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Force #21 (2012) | Power Level: Enhanced (mutant/Weapon Plus augmentation) | MCU Block: Body Horror
With an alias like “Skinless Man,” it’s no surprise we haven’t seen Harry Pizer in the MCU just yet – and we might never see him. Pizer used to be your average mutant, skin and all. His superpower was his exceptionally elastic skin, something that led him to become the ultimate Cold War spy.
Once his luck ran out, Pizer was skinned alive, becoming the infamously gory Skinless Man. After teaching himself how to stretch his muscles, Pizer reached an entirely new level of disturbing. Coincidentally, he was also killed by Deadpool in the comics.
13. Ultimate Blob
First Appearance: Ultimate X-Men #3 (2001) | Power Level: Superhuman (mass, strength, gravity field) | MCU Block: Cannibalism Imagery
Virtually any “Ultimate” take on Marvel villains would qualify for this list. However, if we’re talking about the most disturbing, terrifying, and borderline diabolic villains ever to disgrace the pages of a Marvel comic, the crown goes to Ultimate Blob – specifically during the Ultimatum event.
Infamously, this Blob is a cannibal. We see him eating the remains of Janet Van Dyne, aka Wasp. Don’t worry, though – seconds later, Ant-Man turns giant and bites his head off. An all-around disgusting storyline that will certainly remain far away from the MCU.
12. Vermin
First Appearance: Captain America #272 (1982) | Power Level: Enhanced (superhuman strength/speed, animal control) | MCU Block: Child Abuse
Vermin is what you get when you combine body horror with psychological torture, and you add just a bit of cannibalism for good measure. Edward Whelan had a history of child abuse before he became a rat/human hybrid. Now, “Vermin” lives in the filth of New York City’s sewers, an abused child trapped in the body of a homicidal monster who’s forced to consume human beings to survive.
Originally introduced as an antagonist to Captain America, Vermin plays a crucial role in Kraven’s Last Hunt – easily one of the best Spider-Man storylines ever written.
11. The Maker
First Appearance: Ultimate Fantastic Four #1 (2004); Maker identity debuts Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #2 (2011) | Power Level: High (genius-level tech, immortality, reality-altering schemes) | MCU Block: Nihilistic Villainy
Marvel’s Ultimate Universe gave us some great characters, but it’s also responsible for some of the most disturbing moments in comic book history. The Maker is the evil alter ego of Ultimate Reed Richards; heavily traumatized by the events of Ultimatum, this Mr. Not-So-Fantastic decided to abandon humanity altogether.
The Maker is one of the most fearsome villains in the Marvel Multiverse, even crossing over into the mainline 616 universe and spreading doom wherever he went. At one point, he even sabotaged the entire 616 reality, causing widespread chaos and effectively erasing every superhero from existence.
10. The Brood
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #155 (1982) | Power Level: Superhuman (hive species, parasitic conquest) | MCU Block: Alien Parasitism
The Marvel Multiverse is teeming with alien lifeforms, but few are as destructive and dangerous as The Brood. With their Xenomorph-like design and an unstoppable need to propagate their species, The Brood has more than a few things in common with Halo’s similarly named Flood.
The Brood has crossed paths with the X-Men on numerous occasions, particularly during the Brood Saga. Captain Marvel also clashed with them in Revenge of the Brood, a storyline that definitely cemented these creatures’ potential for body horror.
9. Holocaust
First Appearance: X-Men Alpha #1 (1995, as Nemesis) | Power Level: Cosmic-Adjacent (mass energy absorption/projection) | MCU Block: Name Controversy
Yeah… that name is more than just a bit problematic, isn’t it? Marvel has already had to censor Holocaust’s name before, calling him “Nemesis” in his first action figure – and it’s easy to see why you wouldn’t want to sell ‘Holocaust’ toys. Beyond the controversial name, Holocaust has a nasty tendency to drain their victims of their life force, leaving them as withered husks.
His family tree is just as chaotic as one would expect from someone who calls themselves “Holocaust.” Supposedly related by blood to Apocalypse, he was also the chosen herald of Onslaught. All in all, the guy could really use a better PR firm.
8. Mojo
First Appearance: Longshot #3 (1985) | Power Level: High (reality-warping ruler of the Mojoverse) | MCU Block: Grotesque Design
Considering the MCU’s love for meta narratives, it’s amazing that we still haven’t seen Mojo join the cinematic universe. This grotesque alien slug is obsessed with TV and ratings, commanding an entire dimension like it was a reality TV show.
Mojo is one of those Marvel characters that just screams “Yeah, this character comes from the ‘80s.” Not only is he positively disgusting: Mojo is a force to be reckoned with. His reality-altering powers and control over technology make him a formidable enemy for the X-Men, the Marvel Multiverse, and good taste in general.
7. Mr. Smile
First Appearance: Doctor Strange #5 (2020) | Power Level: Superhuman (demonic magic, Mallet of Entropy) | MCU Block: Nightmare Imagery
Doctor Strange has faced off against his share of terrifying entities over the years, but Mr. Smile might be the most unsettling of them all. With a design that looks more like an SCP reject than a Marvel villain, Mr. Smile hasn’t played a large role in the comics yet, and we’re all very much grateful for that.
Together with his equally disturbing partner, Mr. Sulk, Mr. Smile tried to defeat Strange with his Mallet of Entropy. While Smile and Sulk never stood a chance against the Sorcerer Supreme, their unsettling, nightmarish designs feel brilliantly out of place. Essentially, Mark Waid and Kev Walker wondered, “What if the Babadook was a Marvel villain?” And, surprisingly, it worked.
6. Marcus, Son of Immortus
First Appearance: Avengers #200 (1980) | Power Level: High (Kang/Immortus-lineage time and age manipulation) | MCU Block: Consent Issues
Avengers #200 was a seriously bizarre comic book. It starts with Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel) mysteriously pregnant. Things get weirder when she gives birth only three days later to a rapidly aging child who becomes a full-grown adult almost immediately. Carol’s “son” calls himself Marcus – and he’s also in love with Carol, trying to mind-control her into a relationship.
Marcus’ entire storyline is all sorts of messed up, and Marvel has spent years burying Avengers #200 in the deepest depths they can find. It’s safe to say that this particular storyline won’t be coming to the MCU any time soon.
5. Sin-Eater
First Appearance: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #107 (1985) | Power Level: Street-Level (peak-human, gun-based, no powers) | MCU Block: Gun Violence
While not as physically disturbing as some of the more unsettling Marvel rogues, Sin-Eater would never appear in a modern MCU project. The reason is very simple: his tactics. While other villains rely on supernatural powers or over-the-top villainy, Sin-Eater is an ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who uses his shotgun to shoot people, simple as that.
A villain who invokes real-life violence and tragedies like Sin-Eater would make Disney execs a bit uncomfortable, to say the least. Later comics tried to soften Sin-Eater’s edges, but he’s still a problematic character that just wouldn’t fit in the current MCU.
4. Shuma-Gorath
First Appearance: Marvel Premiere #10 (1973) | Power Level: Cosmic (Great Old One, reality manipulation, immortal) | MCU Block: Rights Issue
An eldritch abomination that simply cannot be killed, Shuma-Gorath is one of Doctor Strange’s most powerful adversaries. Shuma-Gorath has the power to corrupt the minds of its victims from great distances, even from different universes.
While there’s a very slim chance any of the characters we’ve seen here eventually find their way into the MCU, Shuma-Gorath is definitely not one of them. As it turns out, the only thing more powerful than an eldritch god is copyright lawyers. Marvel doesn’t have the rights to Shuma-Gorath’s name, keeping this character confined to select comic books and other minor appearances outside live-action.
3. The Shadow King
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #117 (1979) | Power Level: High (near-immortal psychic entity, possession) | MCU Block: Psychic Horror
Marvel sure loves its incorporeal evil entities, and the Shadow King might be one of the best. A demon without a corporeal body, the Shadow King can possess avatars in the material plane to do his bidding – which usually means trying to kill Charles Xavier and the rest of the X-Men.
We’ve already seen a live-action take on the Shadow King thanks to Fox’s Legion TV series. Still, that was part of the now-defunct X-Men cinematic universe, not the current MCU. Considering how disturbing his storylines tend to be, Disney might not be willing to add this villain early on to their mutants roster.
2. Freak
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #546 (2008) | Power Level: Enhanced (bulletproof/fireproof mutation, unstable) | MCU Block: Drug Addiction
Substance abuse and body horror? Yup, Freak is staying far away from Tom Holland and Disney/Sony’s Spider-Man. Freak was a drug addict who tried to steal from Aunt May’s soup kitchen. He inadvertently injects himself with an experimental serum (that he thought was crystal meth), and his skin falls off. A tale as old as time for Spider-Man bad guys.
He eventually turns into an animal/human hybrid that’s seemingly immortal. Any issue with Freak on it is sure to feature gratuitous amounts of gore, which is precisely why he has avoided the MCU so far.
1. The Thousand
First Appearance: Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #1 (2001) | Power Level: Enhanced (hive-parasite, no cosmic scale) | MCU Block: Skin-Stealing Horror
Spidey could never trigger your arachnophobia. The Thousand? Yeah, he’s the stuff of nightmares. This villain used to be Carl King, your average high school bully who just happens to discover that Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider. Naturally, he eats the spider, as anyone would do in a similar situation.
Carl doesn’t get powers; instead, he dissolves into a thousand spiders. He gets the power to consume people from the inside and wear their skins as disguises. Not exactly a friendly neighbor, if you ask me.
