Summary
TheMarvelUniverse is home to some of the most iconic and diverse characters in all fiction. The heroes and villains fans have come to adore range from realistic and relatable to idealistic personifications of morals and societal values. But even in a world full of campy heroes and wholesome altruists,Marvelhas a gallery of macabre and sinister characters that have a strong following.
AsMarvelcontinues to expand its video game empire, it may be worth placing some of these darker characters into a genre the media juggernaut has seldom explored: horror. With the right characters, gameplay, and storylines in mind, players may be inclined to pick up a horror title with the famed red-and-white logo on the front cover, bringing the entertainment company a new avenue of success in the gaming industry.
10Morbius
The Living Vampire
After experimenting on himself with vampire bats to cure his rare blood disease, Dr. Michael Morbius became a pseudo-vampire with an insatiable bloodlust. Now fighting his predatory instincts with a desire to do good and find a cure for his condition, Morbius struggles to maintain his humanity as a living vampire.
Morbius' vampiric ties make him a perfect candidate for a horror game. Players can flip the script of traditionalstealth horror gamesby playing as the cursed anti-hero. ThinkDead by Daylight, but with a single-player twist and always playing as the killer. Given the recurring theme of mental health in Morbius' writing, Marvel has a great opportunity to balance brutal, suspenseful gameplay with an emotionally charged story.
9Man-Thing
An Experiment Gone Wrong
Dr. Theodore Sallis was a brilliant biochemist and professor who strove to make the next Super Soldier Serum. After injecting himself with the serum and getting into a car crash in The Everglades, Sallis transformed into Man-Thing, a terrifying creature with the appearance of the swamp’s flora.
Man-Thing’s nature abilities are perfect for players to terrorize enemies. The game will be set in the swamp, aunique horror game setting. Few things sound more terrifying than a seven-foot-tall plant monster rising out of a swamp and dragging someone down with it.
8Doctor Strange
Oftentimes Lives Up To His Name
Neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange’s life changed when he was in a car accident, which maimed his hands. He sought out a powerful sorcerer known as The Ancient One, who healed his hands and taught him the Mystic Arts. Stephen pursued the study of magic and now resides in New York City, where he serves as a guardian against mystical forces.
While Dr. Strange himself is not a terrifying creature, the Sorcerer Supreme battles against various hideous monsters, the dead, and dark magic users.Monster horror games are popular, so being able to cast mystical spells to slay ferocious beasts sounds like an enticing adventure that’s sure to feature thrilling jumpscares and excellent combat mechanics.
7Werewolf By Night
A Beast In The Moonlight
After Dracula slayed his wife, vengeful Transylvanian scholar Baron Grigory Russoff became a werewolf after being bitten by one under Dracula’s employ. Since then, a curse of lycanthropy has been passed down to each of Grigory’s descendants through numerous magical means. But, no matter the means of gaining the curse, each member of the Russoff family now has no choice but to become a werewolf any time there is a full moon.
Marvelhas the option to make a series of Werewolf By Night games that focus on a single generation and a family member in each game. In addition, the writers have the opportunity to use thebroken family trope for the games, creating a franchise that is equally scary and emotional.
6Gorr The God Butcher
Driven By Revenge
After losing his entire family to the harsh conditions of his planet, Gorr believed that the gods had forsaken him. Seeking vengeance for what he lost, Gorr armed himself with All-Black The Necrosword,one ofMarvel’smost powerful weapons, and began to kill every god he could find, becoming the “God Butcher”.
Gorr would be a perfect candidate for a horror game with similar mechanics and storyline to theGod of Warfranchise. There would be many great opportunities for brutal kills and terrifying cutscenes to make players feel like a boogieman that even the gods cower before.
5Moon Knight
The Fist Of Khonshu
After being left for dead in Egypt, mercenary Marc Spector was given a second chance at life by the moon god, Khonshu, who revived him. Spector took an oath to be his fist and protect nighttime travelers with his brand of violent justice. In his youth, Spector developed dissociative identity disorder, something that became a major point of emphasis in all of his media appearances.
The dark and gritty vigilante battles many mythological-themed villains and monsters, perfect for an action-horror game. In addition, the writers couldemphasize mental healthwith Spector’s different personalities and the toll serving Khonshu has on his mind.
4Scarlet Witch
Connected To Chaos
Throughout her youth, Wanda discovered she could harness chaos magic and manipulate probability and reality. Through many teachers, Wanda grew her skills and learned how to harness her powers, but has frequently wrestled with the effects her magic has on her mind.
Wanda Maximoff’s chaos powers are dangerous, as, with them, she has eradicated races and timelines. A psychological horror game would suit the Scarlet Witch as she struggles to use her powers while trying to resist the corrupting nature of her powers.
3Ghost Rider
The Spirit Of Vengeance
Though many have adopted the Ghost Rider name, the Spirit of Vengeance exists to punish those who have wronged others and bring them to the demon, Mephisto, for punishment. But typically, those who are contracted to be the Ghost Rider are actively trying to escape Mephisto’s deal, providing an interesting struggle between the two forces.
With his connections to demons, the ability to sling hellfire at foes, and a hellish landscape, Ghost Rider could easily star in a game similar toDoomwith a hack-and-slash and horror twist.
2Magik
The Queen Of Limbo
lllyana Rasputina was abducted into the demonic realm Limbo at age six. Though on earth she was only gone for a few seconds, Illyana was abused in Limbo for years, but managed to learn powerful dark magic to become the queen of the realm and escape as a teenager. Unfortunately, these experiences led her to sustain large amounts of trauma.
Marvel could balance demonic and psychological horror to show Illyana fighting literal and mental demons in Limbo. The game would benefit from a similar playstyle toHades,where she must escape the dark world by fighting challenging bosses and respawn at the start after defeat.
1Elsa Bloodstone
The Ultimate Monster Hunter
Elsa was born into the monster-hunting business, as her father, the legendary Ulysses Bloodstone, forced her to fight monsters since her infancy. Despite his cruel methods, Elsa willingly followed in his footsteps to become a legendary monster hunter.
Elsa has seen her fair share of horrors in her lifetime, all in the form of disturbing creatures that she has conquered. Marvel could send players on a globetrotting journey as Elsa through dark worlds where monsters are waiting in the shadows, creating the perfect, intense horror game.
