By Ben Morse

Over the holidays, while most of you enjoyed your time off with friends, family and food, a secret cabal of Marvel staffers gathered and picked the ten mightiest heroes of 2007. Check out who we came up with, including why each guy or gal made the list, their defining moment of the year, and a key comic you can read for yourself courtesy of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.

10. JAMIE MADROX
Where He Showed Up: X-FACTOR, "X-Men: Messiah Complex"
Why He Makes the List: With times tougher than ever for mutants in the Marvel Universe, even the X-Men can't handle it all, which makes those who fall through the cracks lucky to have Jamie Madrox and X-Factor Investigations there to catch them. In between tracking down his own wayward duplicates, Madrox defended Mutant Town against threats like X-Cell and the
Isolationist and even managed to bed Monet and Siryn on one drunken night with two bodies—classy.
Biggest Move of the Year: Cyclops and most of the X-Men may not be on Madrox's holiday shopping list after they hid the secrets of M-Day from the general public, but nontheless, he still answered the call of duty during "Messiah CompleX"—albeit with a little telepathic prodding from Emma Frost—and sent two of his dupes into the future to try and help the cause.
Comic You Gotta Read: X-FACTOR #1, Jamie kickstarts X-Factor Investigations

9. EMMA FROST
Where She Showed Up: ASTONISHING X-MEN, "X-Men: Messiah Complex"
Why She Makes the List: The lovely Emma Frost has come a long way since her days as the devious White Queen of the Hellfire Club and proved herself an asset to the X-Men many times over in 2007. In addition to giving her lover, Cyclops, the emotional support he needed to lead the X-Men and providing the New X-Men with plenty of "tough love," Emma put her own wellbeing on the line time and again, braving the uncharted Breakworld with the Astonishing team and pitting her psychic powers against no less than Mr. Sinister during "Messiah CompleX."
Biggest Move of the Year: Emma maintains a cool exterior around the students of the Xavier Institute, acting as if she doesn't care for or openly disdains them, but when the deadly Kimura threatened X-23, the headmistress exposed her den mother side, erasing the assassin's sole happy memory and vowing to do worse if she ever came after the children under her protection again.
Comic You Gotta Read: EMMA FROST #1, a pivotal tale from Emma's youth

8. THOR
Where He Showed Up: THOR
Why He Makes the List: For three years, fans everywhere bemoaned the lack of Thor in the pages of Marvel comics, but in 2007, the thunder returned in a big way. Reunited with his Donald Blake alter ego, Thor emerged from the "dead" more powerful than ever, bringing Asgard with him and setting up shop over Oklahoma of all places. Seeking out the lost Asgardians, the Thunder God has addressed serious issues like the fallout of Hurricane Katrina and regional disputes in Africa along the way, proving himself one god who stands among the people even if he lives above them.
Biggest Move of the Year: Whether Iron Man had justification for constructing his flawed Thor clone during the Civil War or not, you had to know he would have one ticked off Asgardian on his hands sooner or later, and Thor certainly didn't disappoint those waiting for Tony Stark to get his shellhead handed to him. In the wreckage of post-Katrina New Orleans, Thor confronted his one-time best friend and brought down the thunder, the lightning and the full storm, cracking Iron Man's armor and sending him running home to the helicarrier.
Comic You Gotta Read: THOR #351, Thor vs the demon Surtur to prevent Ragnarok

7. CAPTAIN AMERICA
Where He Showed Up: CAPTAIN AMERICA, CIVIL WAR
Why He Makes the List: Call Steve Rogers what you will, but don't call him somebody who doesn't stand by what he believes in, because he carried his convictions, sadly, all the way to the grave. Captain America stood up for the civil liberties of his comrades in arms during Civil War, but proved himself the bigger man by ending the conflict when he saw the harm it had done to his beloved country. Felled by a bullet, the scrawny kid who became a larger than life legend continues to inspire in death as he did in life.
Biggest Move of the Year: It takes guts to fight, but it takes even more guts to lay down your sword. Civil War could have escalated into a neverending nightmare that claimed more lives than the tragedy that ignited it, but Cap's graceful surrender assured things would never go that far—a lesser man would not have admitted he could be wrong.
Comic You Gotta Read: CAPTAIN AMERICA #400, imprisoned by the Kree Supreme Intelligence, Cap fights his greatest foes

6. SPIDER-MAN
Where He Showed Up: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN, NEW AVENGERS
Why He Makes the List: Most years, Spider-Man proves he's a hero just by surviving the hardships he endures in order to do the right thing and protect those he loves, but this year he showed a lot of guts just being able to stand up. Peter Parker lost his friends, his home, his privacy and nearly his aunt; he found himself hunted as an outlaw like never before while villains he had put behind bars paraded as heroes, but he still put the mask on
and proved he hasn't forgotten his great responsibility—a hero through and through.
Biggest Move of the Year: After spending the first half of the Civil War as Tony Stark's poster boy and then the Thunderbolts' whipping boy, Spidey acquits himself nicely in the final battle, earning Reed Richards' exclamation of "Spectacular," plus his own of "Amazing."
Comic You Gotta Read: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #252, Spidey's first adventure in the black costume

5. THE WINTER SOLDIER
Where He Showed Up: CAPTAIN AMERICA
Why He Makes the List: After losing decades of your life to a tortured existence as a mind-controlled assassin, most folks would throw in the towel and hit the showers, but that's not how the guy who once served as Captain America's kid sidekick, Bucky, rolls, and this year he proved what a man he has grown into. Unexpectedly losing his best friend and mentor before he ever even really got him back when Cap died, Bucky rededicated his life to protecting Steve Rogers' personal world and the ideals he gave his life for. By year's end, the Winter Soldier proved himself ready to step into the role he has been destined for since boyhood.
Biggest Move of the Year: Despite having no allies, no superhuman abilities, and no real gameplan outside relying on his gut, the Winter Soldier runs the guantlet of an elaborate security system, dozens of armored S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and even his former lover the Black Widow of the Mighty Avengers in order to claim the ultimate prize: Captain America's shield.
Comic You Gotta Read: CAPTAIN AMERICA 65TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL, Cap and Bucky battle the Red Skull in World War II

4. NOVA
Where He Showed Up: NOVA, ANNIHILATION, ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST
Why He Makes the List: Plenty of heroes can brag about saving the Earth time and again, but while most of Marvel's good guys were bickering over registration in the early part of 2007, Nova took on the small task of saving the entire freakin' universe! Under the surprisingly capable leadership of Rich Rider, cosmic also-rans like Star-Lord and Drax united to overcome incredible odds and put up the ultimate goal line stance against Annihilus and his Negative Zone armies with Nova nailing the key sack in the
waning minutes of the fourth quarter. Since then, while the Avengers and friends patrol Earth, Nova has made everything else his beat.
Biggest Move of the Year: He killed Quasar, imprisoned Galactus and razed whole planets in his march towards complete and utter Annihilation, but in the end Annihilus proved no match for Nova's secret weapon: plunging his hand down the throat of the evil insectoid and ripping his guts straight out!
Comic You Gotta Read: NOVA #1, a day in the life of Nova

3. CYCLOPS
Where He Showed Up: ASTONISHING X-MEN, "X-Men: Messiah Complex"
Why He Makes the List: The days of nerdy bespectacled boyscout Scott "Slim" Summers long gone in the rear view, Cyclops led the X-Men through some of their darkest days this year like the stalwart mutant general he has become. With lover Emma Frost at his side and the Children of the Atom following his lead, Cyclops took bold risks, even standing up to mentor Professor X, and kept his cool and composure during the first half of "Messiah Complex," holding the X-Men together against the Marauders, Purifiers and threats from within.
Biggest Move of the Year: Facing the armies of Breakworld with the Astonishing X-Men team, Cyclops took the ultimate gamble, hastily throwing together an improvised plan using Emma's telepathy that hinged on him throwing himself into outer space and actually dying so that the other side would revive him behind enemy lines. And by far the craziest thing about this plan…it worked!
Comic You Gotta Read: X-MEN: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM #1, re-telling of Cyclops' first meeting with Professor X

2. LUKE CAGE
Where He Showed Up: NEW AVENGERS
Why He Makes the List: With Captain America dead and Iron Man's team dealing with the bright, shiny threats, somebody needed to lead the Avengers and make sure Earth's Mightiest Heroes would still look out for the common man—who ever thought that person would be Luke Cage? The one-time Hero for Hire no longer fights for money, but to protect those who can't protect themselves. With the big guns out of the picture, Cage has assumed command of the New Avengers and taken on the Hand and the Hood's super villain army while also keeping an eye on the impending Skrull threat, getting his hands dirty when nobody else will.
Biggest Move of the Year: With dozens of superpowered bad guys at his beck and call, the Hood seemed unstoppable, but displaying a strategic mind nobody would have given him credit for in times past, Cage utilized the powers of Dr. Strange and the full range of abilities of his Avengers to defeat the villains and take them into custody. The war with the Hood may not be over, but Cage won the key first battle.
Comic You Gotta Read: NEW AVENGERS #3, Cage joins the Avengers

1. IRON MAN
Where He Showed Up: IRON MAN, CIVIL WAR, MIGHTY AVENGERS
Why He Makes the List: To be a hero, one must learn to sacrifice for the greater good, and nobody sacrificed more this year for what he believed to be right than Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. He may have won the Civil War, but Tony lost his share of friends and allies in victory—including his best friend, Captain America—and endured beatdowns courtesy of everybody from Thor to the Hulk for his actions. But in the end, the 50 State Initiative has proven a success and S.H.I.E.L.D. runs more efficiently than ever under Director Stark. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but luckily Tony Stark has neck muscles stronger than iron.
Biggest Move of the Year: While he paid a hefty price to get there, sitting in the command chair of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier at the conclusion of Civil War and watching as his dreams of a better tomorrow began to unfold, Tony Stark got a brief moment to savor what he had accomplished…before getting right back to work.
Comic You Gotta Read: IRON MAN #4, Iron Man gains his Extremis abilities

Happy New Year from all of us here at Marvel.com!