Every week, a secret cabal of Marvel staffers gathers to discuss the best of the best when it comes to the House of Ideas.
It's hard to put together a list of the "best" fathers in the Marvel Universe, since so many of the most interesting ones happen to be the ones who have screwed up the most. Nonetheless, patriarchy for better or worse has shaped many of our greatest heroes and most despicable villains.
This week, the Secret Cabal reveals their favorite Marvel fathers—and father figures—and detail the paths they led their children down.
For each entry you get the quick rundown as well as a special spotlight comic courtesy of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
As always, these picks reflect the personal choices of the Secret Cabal, not the official opinion of Marvel or Marvel.com, and can be considered subjective at best. Enjoy!
10. CORSAIR
Learn More About Him… here
First Appearance: X-MEN #104 (1977)
Children: Cyclops (Alex Summers),
Havok (Alex Summers),
Vulcan (Gabriel Summers)
Why He Makes the List: "Imagine not knowing who your father is and then learning he's a crazy Han Solo-style space pirate with big earrings and a stylin' headband who makes time with a cat-lady—sound like a dream, right? Not so much for Cyclops and Havok, who just wanted a normal dad. Give
Corsair credit for trying, as he attempted to make up for lost time with his boys and took them on some great adventures, but ultimately his parental neglect came back to bite him when his third son, Vulcan, burnt him to a crisp." – Secret Cabal member Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: CLASSIC X-MEN #15—Learn more about Christopher Summers' journey to becoming Corsair!
9. THE HULK
Learn More About Him… here
First Appearance: INCREDIBLE HULK #1 (1962)
Children: Skaar, Lyra
Why He Makes the List: "The angry apple doesn't fall far from the gamma-irradiated tree in the case of the
Hulk and his kids, Skaar and Lyra. Interestingly enough, the Green Goliath hasn't actually met either of his offspring yet, but they've both shown a penchant for the family business—that business being smashing. We can't wait to see Hulk try to put Skaar over his knee or give Lyra a time-out; somebody should probably evacuate the city first." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: SKAAR: SON OF HULK #1—The savage son of Hulk battles across the battered world of Sakaar!
8. PROFESSOR X
Learn More About Him… here
First Appearance: X-MEN #1 (1963)
Children: Legion (David Haller)
Why He Makes the List: "Charles Xavier has managed to serve as a surrogate father to dozens of
X-Men and
New Mutants over the years, but his negligence in his own child's life nearly led to the end of reality as we know it. To be fair to Chuck, he didn't actually know about David, his son with Gabrielle Haller, for years, but once he found out, he never could get a good handle on being a true parent.
Professor X's tortured and tragic relationship with his boy truly tugs at the heartstrings, and with Legion's recent return, we await the next chapter with anxiety and excitement." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: NEW MUTANTS #26 (1985)—Charles Xavier encounters his fractured son, Legion!
7. MAGNETO
Learn More About Him… here
First Appearance: X-MEN #1 (1963)
Children: Anya,
Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff), the
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff),
Polaris (Lorna Dane)
Why He Makes the List: "It probably shouldn't be a surprise that one of the most dangerous super villains in Marvel history is also a pretty terrible dad. You want to be a villain,
Magneto? Go for it. But to drag your kids into it, to enlist your children into your
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants? You monster! Oh, and by the way Mags, you have another daughter with the same exact powers, from one of your many flings. We're sure she didn't want birthday cards or hugs from her dad all those years. Yup, Magneto's a jerk dad. But, hey, who doesn't love a little drama?" – Secret Cabal member Agent_M
Spotlight Comic: HOUSE OF M #7—The Master of Magnetism's family divided!
6. CYCLOPS
Learn More About Him… here
First Appearance: X-MEN #1 (1963)
Children: Cable (Nathan Summers), Marvel Girl II (Rachel Grey; daughter from an alternate future)
Why He Makes the List: "To save his child's life, Cyclops had to send the baby in to the future. That's sacrifice! Fortunately, Nathan Christopher Summers, aka Cable, came back from the future, returning as a much older man than Cyclops. And despite some problems encountered after first reuniting, Cyke and Cable have bonded over the years. Most recently, Cyke's respect and desire to protect his son during and after 'Messiah CompleX' have shown that the leader of the X-Men is an A+ dad." – Agent_M
Spotlight Comic: UNCANNY X-MEN #201—Cyclops duels
Storm for leadership of the X-Men even as
Madelyne Pryor gives birth to their son!
5. PETER PARKER (MC2)
Learn More About Him… here
First Appearance: WHAT IF? #105 (1998)
Children: Spider-Girl (May Parker), Benjamin Parker
Why He Makes the List: "Who wouldn't want to have
Spider-Man himself as their old man? Well, May 'Mayday' Parker—aka the sensational Spider-Girl—lives young comic fans' dreams of being Peter Parker's kid, and while it's not always a breeze, it's also never dull. Peter can come down hard some time, as anybody who has faced the amount of tragedy he has would, but while he may not love his daughter's web-slinging, Peter remains a pillar of support and an example of both power and responsibility." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: SPIDER-GIRL #10—The Amazing Spider-Man teams with his daughter, the Spectacular Spider-Girl!
4. NORMAN OSBORN
Learn More About Him… here
First Appearance: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #14 (1964)
Children: Harry Osborn, Sarah Stacy, Gabriel Stacy
Why He Makes the List: "It's a good thing this isn't a list of Marvel's best dads, because ol' stormin' Norman surely wouldn't make the cut. But, while he's a crap dad, he's also one of our favorites. Why? Because he's crazy, he's driven his kid crazy and yet he's still there for Harry when the junior Osborn runs into problems. I suppose that even awful dads have their moments." – Agent_M
Spotlight Comic: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #513—The secret children of
Norman Osborn revealed!
3. MISTER FANTASTIC
Learn More About Him… here
First Appearance: FANTASTIC FOUR #1 (1961)
Children: Franklin Richards,
Valeria Richards
Why He Makes the List: "It's not easy to balance being one of the world's premiere super heroes, a genius-plus-level big brain scientist
and a dad, but
Reed Richards does his best to make it work. Though he may have trouble showing his emotions at times, Reed has never had a problem when it comes to displaying his love for his children—and we're not talking about the Torch and the Thing. Reed would go to hell and back for his kids, and he also takes them on rad vacations to the wild West—that's a cool dad." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #6 (1968)—Reed Richards faces
Annihilus for the lives of his wife and unborn son!
2. ODIN
Learn More About Him… here
First Appearance: JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #85 (1962)
Children: Thor,
Loki (foster son), Balder, Tyr, Vidar
Why He Makes the List: "Do you know what
Odin's nickname is? 'All-Father.' Yeah, that's right. All. Dash. Father—which means he's the biggest, baddest, most 'let's-have-a-catchiest' father out there! Or it just refers to his role as top god in the Asgardian pantheon. Still, whether he's dishing out love both tough and touching to Thor or taking in a lost and abandoned young Loki as if he were his own, the one-eyed god gives fatherhood a good name." – Agent_M
Spotlight Comic: THOR #353—Odin fights side-by-side with his sons Thor and Loki against Surtur!
1. BEN PARKER
Learn More About Him… here
First Appearance: AMAZING FANTASY #15 (1962)
Children: Spider-Man (Peter Parker; nephew)
Why He Makes the List: "When you look up 'father figure' in the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe…well, there is no entry, but if there were, kindly Uncle Ben's picture would be pasted front and center. In a single appearance,
Ben Parker imparted on Peter Parker—and all of us—the life lessons that would make him one of Marvel's greatest heroes. Though Peter was actually his nephew, not his son, Ben treated the boy as if he were his own and made sure he had a happy childhood, setting him on the path to being a good man before he was taken too soon. As long as Spider-Man swings the skylines of the Marvel Universe, Ben Parker's legacy will live on." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: AMAZING FANTASY #15 (1962)—Uncle Ben teaches his nephew Peter that with great power comes great responsibility…
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