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How well do you know your favorite characters from Marvel Comics? Here's everything you need to know about the heroes and villains from the pages of every group from the Avengers to the X-Men.

Villains

Benicio del Toro has appeared as the Collector, AKA&nbsp;Taneleer Tivan,&nbsp;in multiple <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-mcu-movies/ranker-film?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Marvel Cinematic Universe films</a>, but&nbsp;his onscreen persona differs significantly from the one cultivated in the comics over the past several&nbsp;decades. In the comics, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-collecters-collection-in-the-mcu-explained/zack-howe" target="_blank">the Collector</a> has a rich backstory that&nbsp;explains - among other things - why he likes to find and collect unique items and individuals. He&nbsp;also plays&nbsp;a role in some of the Marvel Universe&#39;s most important events; however,&nbsp;because his MCU characterization differs so sharply from the printed version, many fans don&#39;t know much about him.

Even if you&#39;re familiar with the Collector&#39;s comic book appearances,&nbsp;your knowledge of the character is probably limited. After all, with the sheer number of appearances he&#39;s made and the amount of time he&#39;s been around, there&#39;s a lot to miss - and a lot to learn.&nbsp;This list serves as a guide to the colorful history of the Collector, as brought to life&nbsp;on the page.

Marvel Comics

Michael Rooker&#39;s performance in&nbsp;Guardians of the Galaxy&nbsp;made you laugh; his character&#39;s demise in&nbsp;Guardians of the Galaxy&nbsp;Vol. 2&nbsp;brought tears to your eyes. But what do you know about the Yondu Udonta&nbsp;of Marvel Comics? Sure, you could probably guess that he has blue skin and controls an arrow by whistling - like he does in the films - but what else do you know about this decades-old character?

For instance, did you know he was actually a member of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/original-guardians-of-the-galaxy/stephanroget" target="_blank">original Guardians of the Galaxy team</a>? Or that he&#39;s not only from a distant future, but the distant future of a different Marvel reality than the main continuity you&#39;re familiar with? If you consider yourself a Marvel fan, you&#39;ve got to check out these fun facts and surprising details. Just scroll on down to learn about this futuristic alien from Centauri-IV.

As Tony Stark&#39;s closest friend and semi-sidekick, it&#39;s not surprising (but still a little disappointing) that there aren&#39;t any dedicated Happy Hogan comics in the Marvel archives.&nbsp;In the MCU, Hogan has the distinction of being played by Jon Favreau, the very man who&nbsp;gave the cinematic universe&nbsp;life behind the camera while making&nbsp;Iron Man.&nbsp;In a <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/ways-marvel-changed-their-comics-to-match-their-films/stephanroget" target="_blank">significant change</a> to the Happy Hogan from Marvel comics, Favreau&#39;s version of the character lives on in the post-Endgame&nbsp;MCU while his friend and employer met his end saving all of existence.

There&#39;s a lot that the movies have left out&nbsp;about Happy Hogan from the Marvel comics. Fans rooting for Hogan and May Parker&#39;s bizarrely cute relationship might be surprised to know that, in the comics, Happy had a grand&nbsp;love affair with another beloved MCU character in addition to&nbsp;multiple stints controlled by a supervillain alter ego. At the very least, there&#39;s lots of untapped potential in case the MCU wants to keep Favreau around as a sidekick figure to other up-and-coming heroes in future phases.

Superheroes

Let's be honest: when you were younger, Gambit was cool. He's great with a bo staff, has explosive superpowers, and a swagger that girls love and guys want to emulate. Then you turned 15 years old and realized that Gambit is the worst. The dirt worst.Seriously, while there are some redeeming qualities, you can't deny the reasons why Gambit kind of sucks. Whether it's due to being a relic of the '90s or being poorly written, it's no surprise that so many <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-comic-book-fans-dont-like-about-the-mcu/zack-howe?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">comic book fans</a> have turned on the character or don't understand his appeal. Gambit, just... just no. Try as he might, Gambit won't find himself at the top of a <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-x-men-characters/ranker-comics">list of the baddest X-Men</a> of all time any time soon.&nbsp;Keep reading below to see why&nbsp;Gambit is one of the worst X-Men ever. Even worse than Maggot.

These are 25 of the most important things you need to know about Deadpool (not just what was in the movie), so you look knowledgeable when&nbsp;repping your Marvel cred. Getting into a new property can be daunting, especially when it&rsquo;s based around a character who routinely breaks <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-that-break-the-fourth-wall/anncasano?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the fourth wall</a>, is subject to almost yearly retconning, and whose best stories are spread out at seemingly random intervals across 20&nbsp;years of comics, guest spots, and team-ups. For the most part, we whittled down the more complex information about Deadpool (i.e. anything time travel related).

After reading this list of must-know Deadpool facts, you&rsquo;ll be ready to dive into the world of Wade Wilson, and you&rsquo;ll be winning Deadpool trivia contests like it&rsquo;s what you were put on this world to do.

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With <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/everything-we-know-about-mcu-phase-four/stephanroget" target="_blank">Natasha Romanoff&nbsp;getting her very own film</a> in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, now is a good time to run through some little-known facts about <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-black-widow-comics-storylines/ranker-comics" target="_blank">Black Widow</a> in Marvel Comics. For instance, did you know Natasha Romanoff was not the first character to use the &quot;Black Widow&quot; moniker in Marvel Comics? And that Natasha Romanoff isn&#39;t her real name? What about the fact she actually does have some superhuman abilities?

Black Widow&#39;s backstory encompasses a thousand comic book appearances and&nbsp;more than 50 years of publication history. Here are some things you may not know about the Red Room-trained superspy.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Nick Fury - played by a dry-witted Samuel L. Jackson - is best known as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D (Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division). He&#39;s also the&nbsp;brain behind the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/my-dream-avengers-line-up" target="_blank">Avengers Initiative</a>. While his role isn&#39;t too dissimilar in the source material,&nbsp;Nick Fury&#39;s <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-real-comic-book-origin-of-venom/stephanroget?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">comic book origins</a> are long, rich and vastly&nbsp;under-explored in the MCU.

Fury is a war hero, a super spy, and&nbsp;an invaluable confidante for <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-superheroes-all-time" target="_blank">Marvel&#39;s superhero community</a>. He&#39;s survived numerous conflicts&nbsp;between nations, defended the Earth from invading alien armies, and battled supernatural and cosmic beings - all with one eye. Thanks to&nbsp;some fateful encounters before the heyday of costumed fighters, Fury became the glue that binds much of the Marvel Universe together.&nbsp;His expansive role has only continued to grow and evolve.

Jean Grey is a founding member of the X-Men, and when you take a look back through the history of the group in all of incarnations you realize that she&rsquo;s been one of the constants in a group rife with upheaval. Not many fans consider her their favorite mutant, but these Jean Grey facts illuminate just how wild her history really is. Seeing as how she&rsquo;s had over fifty years of history in Marvel Comics, there&#39;s a lot to cover. Get ready to have your mind blown by these things you didn&#39;t know about Jean Grey.

Aside from swapping out her name every few years, Jean Grey has gone through many changes in the Marvel Comics universe. Most X-Men fans probably remember the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/x-men-dark-phoenix-saga-explained/charlie-knauf?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Dark Phoenix saga</a>, in which Jean was taken over by a cosmic energy that randomly turned evil one day, and kicked off a seemingly <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/how-many-times-has-jean-grey-resurrected/stephanroget" target="_blank">endless cycle of Jean perishing and being resurrected</a>. But there&rsquo;s so much more Dark Phoenix trivia waiting for you on this list.

Grey has done everything from help raise Apocalypse to watch her sister explode, and she even ate a solar system (seriously). After you read all of this crazy information about Jean Grey, she&rsquo;s going to become your new favorite member of the X-Men.

Whether he&#39;s a cute dancing baby, a moody teen, or an adventurous adult, Groot is consistently ranked as&nbsp;one of the most beloved <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-guardians-of-the-galaxy-members/super-hero-teams " target="_blank">members of the Guardians of the Galaxy</a>. He may be a tree-person who seemingly only speaks three words, but his simple nature and heroic personality have made him the heart of the Guardians.&nbsp;

Groot has had a colorful comic book history many MCU fans might not know about. He was first introduced in 1960&nbsp;and has accomplished quite a bit throughout his 70-year publication history. Originally conceived as a <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-guardians-of-the-galaxy-villains/ranker-comics" target="_blank">monstrous villain</a>, Groot&#39;s character has evolved over time into the loving tree-man we all know and adore.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you&#39;ve ever been curious about Groot&#39;s alien origins, his unusual anatomy, or his many conflicts as a Guardian of the Galaxy, here are&nbsp;all of the most relevant and interesting moments in Groot&#39;s backstory.&nbsp;

Even if you’re not a huge X-Men fan, you recognize Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse. After all, Olivia Munn is front and center as the comic book character. But just who is Psylocke? A lot of different things actually, she’s kind of the David Bowie of X-Men. The Psylocke trivia on this list isn’t just going to take you back to her origins as a British charter pilot, it’s also going to delve into that weird era of the '90s where every hero and villain was being killed and reinvented with reckless abandon. Before you do anything else with your life, these are some things you should know about PsylockeEven more than most comic characters, Psylocke has gone through so many different iterations and retcons that it can be hard to keep up with who she is and what she can do. Aside from being split into multiple people and repeatedly having her powers changed, she’s been around since the late '70s, so there’s a lot of Psylocke facts to cover. If you want to get to know Psylocke a little better, check out this list of things you have to know about your new favorite X-Men character. Vote up the most fascinating facts about the mutant Psylocke, and if you’re a real Betsy Braddock fan, share your favorite tidbit about Psylocke in the comments.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe officially got its start in 2008 with the release of Iron Man, but it didn’t really get going until Avengers dropped in 2012. The universe fully blew up with that film’s post-credits scene, which left everyone with the same question - <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/how-strong-is-thanos-really/stephanroget?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">who is Thanos</a>? While long-time Marvel readers were instantly enthused at the prospect of Thanos vs. the Avengers, newer fans flocked to the internet to dig up all the facts about Thanos they could find. What they discovered, however, was one of the most complicated - yet compelling - <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-indestructible-superheroes-supervillains/joedonley" target="_blank">villain backstories</a> in all of comic book history.Thanos was created by Mike Friedrich and Jim Starlin and made his debut in Iron Man #55, which was released in February of 1973. Since then, Thanos has moved on from his Earth-bound rivals to take on more cosmic pursuits, eventually becoming the “big bad” the Marvel Universe had been sorely lacking. By now, Marvel readers know that when Thanos shows up, something huge is about to go down.

The Winter Soldier is one of the most enigmatic characters in modern <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/comic-book-characters-that-have-never-perished/stephanroget?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Marvel Comics continuity</a>. Unlike the rest of the Marvel heroes who that have graced the silver screen, Bucky&#39;s pretty myserious. In comics continuity, he was legitimately deceased until 2005, and the two movies he&rsquo;s actually in he&rsquo;s either smiling like a dope or grimacing like a teen who just saw his parents in the shower. If you&rsquo;re pumped for Captain America: Civil War, but have no idea why you should care about Bucky Barnes, take a quick peek at this Winter Soldier trivia and learn to love Steve Rogers&rsquo;s sidekick.

Even for a comic book character, some of the information in the Winter Soldier biography is absolutely ridiculous. He spent decades being deceased. He&rsquo;s pretty much offed every Marvel side character you can think of, he&rsquo;s traveled through time, and he&rsquo;s been in almost every super group except for the Great Lakes Avengers (even Bucky wouldn&rsquo;t stoop that low). However, we does slay a major Marvel character&rsquo;s wife. Before you go to the theater to follow the adventures of Captain America and the rest of The Avengers, take a look at our countdown of things you didn&#39;t know about the Winter Soldier and marvel at the strangely long life of Bucky Barnes.

How many of these archaic facts about the Winter Soldier did you know? Or did you feel left out in the cold after reading this collection of Bucky Barnes facts?

Comic Books

Unless you&#39;re a die-hard Marvel fan, you probably didn&#39;t know much about Black Panther until he started scrapping with Captain America on the big screen. Black Panther is, however,&nbsp;one of the most important heroes in Marvel&#39;s stable, and with this list, you get to know the king of Wakanda.

Though he&#39;s been a part of Marvel Comics for decades, Black Panther (aka T&#39;Challa) is not a well-known hero to mainstream audiences. But he is incredibly important and his introduction into the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/every-character-from-the-marvel-cinematic-universe-ranked?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Marvel Cinematic Universe</a>, and the mainstream in general, was&nbsp;well overdue. He&#39;s going to become vital to the world of The Avengers and everything Marvel, so now is the time to learn all you can about this complex, one-of-a-kind superhero.

So just who is Black Panther? What is Wakanda? How does he interact with and impact the Marvel universe as we know it? With this list of Black Panther trivia facts, a whole new corner of the Marvel universe will open up before your very eyes! This is your crash course on everything about the monarch of Wakanda, Black Panther!

Wolverine is one of the most recognizable Marvel Comics superheroes out there. Nowadays, he's everywhere. Movies, cartoons, video games, comic books... you name it. But he wasn't always so popular. He's been around for over 40 years, having been created by comics legends Len Wein and John Romita Sr. (though, thats up for debate). But what facts will surprise you about your favorite Marvel character? This list of trivia facts you didn't know about Wolverine will give you all kinds of interesting tidbits about Logan.&nbsp;The majority of people know Wolverine from the 20th Century Fox movie, starring Hugh Jackman. But did you know that Jackman is almost a foot taller than Wolverine is in the comics? And speaking of Jackman, did you know he wasn't even the first choice to play the ol' canuklehead?&nbsp;At one point, it was even planned to write him out of the X-Men comics for good. Fortunately for us, that didn't happen.You've seen Wolverine in the movies and cartoons, now it's time to become a Wolverine expert with these amazing facts you probably didn't know about him. Upvote the most surprising Wolverine trivia below and use your newfound knowledge against your comic book friends.&nbsp;

Rocket Raccoon&rsquo;s origins are not for the faint of heart, nor are they common knowledge among even dedicated readers of Marvel Comics. The publication of Rocket Raccoon comics was sporadic at best until 2014&rsquo;s Guardians of the Galaxy made him into an A-lister, so there&rsquo;s surprisingly little continuity behind the character - despite&nbsp;him having been around for decades. And what continuity does exist is about as weird as it gets.&nbsp;

Rocket&rsquo;s backstory has been hinted at in both <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/dark-gotg-moments-changed-for-the-movies/stephanroget" target="_blank">Guardians of the Galaxy</a> movies, but his full origin likely won&#39;t appear in the&nbsp;<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-entire-history-of-the-marvel-cinematic-universe/zack-howe?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Marvel Cinematic Universe</a>.&nbsp;Rocket&rsquo;s history in the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-guardians-of-the-galaxy-comics-storylines/stephanroget" target="_blank">Guardians comics</a> includes toy factories, a cosmic&nbsp;asylum for the mad,&nbsp;an otter girlfriend, and&nbsp;a bounty of other incidents that would be too bizarre&nbsp;to translate to the big screen. Of course, his comic book canon also contains some of the greatest Guardians of the Galaxy stories ever told.

Comic Book Movies

Erik Killmonger&nbsp;is probably the greatest Black Panther villain in the pages of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-black-panther-comics-storylines/stephanroget" target="_blank">T'Challa's&nbsp;comic adventures</a>, and you likely hadn't heard of him until the King of Wakanda&nbsp;got his first standalone movie. As such, there are almost certainly a plethora of&nbsp;things you didn't know about Killmonger. That ends today. This list aims to teach you everything there is to know about Marvel's Killmonger&nbsp;along with&nbsp;some fascinating <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/black-panther-trivia-facts/coy-jandreau" target="_blank">Black Panther trivia</a>.With Michael B. Jordan's breathtaking performance as the tragic villain N'Jadaka&nbsp;AKA&nbsp;Killmonger in Black Panther, this character has become the talk of the whole world. While some of these interesting facts about Killmonger may be slightly disturbing, it's nothing compared to the most <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/disturbing-moments-in-black-panther-comics/dave-buesing" target="_blank">disturbing things Black Panther himself has done</a>. Be warned, there are spoilers for both the comics and the Black Panther movie ahead.&nbsp;

Almost every comic book superhero has a convoluted backstory, and the messed up history of Star-Lord is no exception. The life of Peter Quill in the comics is not exactly the fun-loving affair that it is in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Although the two versions of the character share some similarities, there are also some dark differences that will never make it onto the big screen. Gamora and Nebula -&nbsp;it turns out - aren't&nbsp;the only ones who had a rough go of it out among the starways.Quill's backstory always begins on Earth, but there have been multiple variations and retcons of that origin over the years. However, the components are always the same - a mysterious alien father, a dead mother, and an alien kidnapping. With an origin that grim, it’s no surprise that the list of disturbing Star-Lord moments isn’t a particularly short one.

The Guardians of the Galaxy would not be complete without their stocky but lovable brute, Drax. Dave Bautista&#39;s portrayal of Drax as an <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/every-character-from-the-marvel-cinematic-universe-ranked" target="_blank">MCU character</a> sparked renewed interest in the warrior, but those who are only familiar with the Drax from the movies are missing out on the majority of his epic feats. Drax the Destroyer&#39;s&nbsp;comic book history goes all the way back to 1973&nbsp;when he first appeared in an Iron Man&nbsp;comic. Since then, he has transformed&nbsp;from his humble human origins into one of the coolest warriors in the galaxy.&nbsp;

Drax&#39;s origin story begins when he&#39;s a man named Arthur Douglas, but Thanos&#39;s intervention gives Drax his life&#39;s purpose. From his solo days fighting cosmic threats to the time he wore the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/other-marvel-characters-who-wore-the-infinity-gauntlet/dave-buesing" target="_blank">Infinity Gauntlet</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;his induction into the Guardians&nbsp;of the Galaxy, these are the most fascinating moments from Drax the Destroyer&#39;s backstory.

We gather here today to celebrate the history of D-Man, one of Marvel Comics’ most appropriately named D-List superheroes. Dennis Dunphy, whose full superhero name is Demolition Man, has a storied career including stints as a professional wrestler, an Avenger, the sidekick of two different Captains America, and a reveal as one of the few <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-queer-comic-book-characters/joedonley" target="_blank">openly homosexual Marvel characters</a>. Through&nbsp;it all, he’s been the good-natured butt of constant jokes, but has always managed to prove himself a true hero, worthy of the admiration of his more famous colleagues.D-Man first appeared in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Thing-28/dp/B001B1FIZE?tag=rankercom-20" target="_blank">Thing #28</a> back in 1985, although he was just Dennis Dunphy back them. He picked up his costume a few years later in a Captain America comic, and he’s been mostly associated with the star-spangled superstar ever since. D-Man has been used sparingly by Marvel writers over the years, but he remained a cult favorite for his unique characteristics and wholesome earnestness. D-Man gained a supporting role in the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Sam-Wilson-Vol/dp/0785196404?tag=rankercom-20" target="_blank">Sam Wilson: Captain America</a> series, and it’s in that comic he’s gained his most character development to date. So let's learn some facts about Marvel's D-Man, the gay superhero who started off costumed life looking like a combination of Daredevil and Wolverine.

Avengers: <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/avengers-age-of-ultron-easter-eggs/jakebaumgart?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Age of Ultron</a>&nbsp;has introduced movie audience to a slew of new characters. Although fans of Marvel's premier <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-group-and-acute_s-of-super-heroes?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">team of heroes</a> probably recognize Paul Bettany's character, other fans might be scratching their heads asking &quot;Who is The Vision?&quot; Don't worry - Ranker Comics has you covered with this list of facts about the phasing Avenger, Vision.The Vision can actually trace his origins in comics all the way back to the Golden Age when he was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. It was actually Stan &quot;The Man&quot; Lee and Roy Thomas who dusted off the android and gave him new life in the&nbsp;Avengers&nbsp;comics, where he quickly became a staple of the team.&nbsp;Who is the Vision from Avengers? Unplug and sit up straight! Ultron's hoards are at the mansion doors and the Avengers need back up! It's time you clued yourself into the hero known as Vision! Look over these fun facts and trivia tidbits and impress your friends as you leave the theater this weekend!

Marvels of Marvel

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Funny

A staple for the last decade of films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,&nbsp;Scarlett&nbsp;Johansson&#39;s Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow, finished her avenging in&nbsp;Avengers: Endgame, and is set to headline her solo feature&nbsp;Black Widow.&nbsp;People are champing at the bit for more espionage, incredible action, and witty dialogue from their favorite master assassin, but until it&#39;s finally released in theaters, fans have taken to the internet to make some killer memes.&nbsp;

Vote up the best Black Widow memes!

18 Killer Black Widow Memes That'll Leave You In Stitches

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Bad Luck Black Widow

A staple for the last decade of films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,&nbsp;Scarlett&nbsp;Johansson's Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow, finished her ...