Every year, Marvel release a list celebrating the superheroes who were in the spotlight the previous year. These are the characters that made headlines and sold more comics than any other character in Marvel. This is the official list as well as a year-in review for each character written by Ben Morse:
10. IRON MAN
2010 Opponents: Norman Osborn, The Ghost, the Hammer Girls
Year in Review: Poor Tony Stark spent the first part of the year brain dead after sacrificing his magnificent mind to keep its secrets out of Norman Osborn’s hands, but Iron Man would rally to play a key role in Siege as well as bringing the Avengers back together. Closer to home, Shellhead formed a new company—Stark Resilient—and exposed would-be armored “hero” Detroit Steel for the Hammer-backed fraud he turned out to be.
9. LUKE CAGE
2010 Opponents: The Hood, the Dark Avengers, Lionfang
Year in Review: Having led the Avengers through tough times in the absence of the “big guns,” Luke Cage got to enjoy some well-deserved blowing off of steam once Steve Rogers and company came back on the scene, kicking ass and taking names during Siege and then finally putting the kibosh on that pesky Hood. Now the former Power Man directs the New Avengers against the hidden threats the main team might miss, and also attempts to reform villains in the Thunderbolts. Sweet Christmas!
8. THOR
2010 Opponents: Doctor Doom, the Dark Avengers, Ragnarok
Year in Review: The greatest champions rise in the most trying of times, an axiom Thor proved true this year. When Norman Osborn and his army invaded Asgard in an attempt to bring down the Golden Realm, the Thunderer stood alone against overwhelming odds, buying his homeland time until his Avengers allies could arrive. He fended off his mad clone, Ragnarok, and even played peacemaker between his friends Tony Stark and Steve Rogers for the good of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
7. THE HULK
2010 Opponents: The Intelligencia, Hiro-Kala
Year in Review: The Intelligencia, in their near-infinite wisdom, seemed to account for everything in their complex plan to bring about the fall of the Hulks, but could not predict the heroism at the heart of Bruce Banner. Despite seeming to have shed his longtime curse once and for all, Banner stepped back into the breach, becoming The Hulk once again in order to bring down his enemies and defeat his crimson counterpart. Not long after, the Green Goliath led a charge against his own son, the deranged Hiro-Kala, and regretfully allowed his kin to be imprisoned in order to save Earth from his wrath—hard choices for a true hero.
6. THE BLACK PANTHER
2010 Opponents: Doctor Doom
Year in Review: T’Challa found himself in the unenviable position of being the first monarch of Wakanda to let the nation be conquered under his watch when Doctor Doom took over the African kingdom and pilfered its valuable Vibranium. The only mistake Doom: underestimating his foe’s willingness to sacrifice anything for victory and the greater good, including giving up the love of his people to stop a villain by rendering that Vibranium inert. Now the Panther labors on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, unafraid to work at regaining the status he gave up and always looking out for the cause of justice.
5. SPIDER-MAN
2010 Opponents: Electro, The Sandman, Mysterio, The Vulture, The Lizard, the Kraven Family, Doctor Octopus, Mister Negative
Year in Review: This could probably be said just about every year, but in 2010, nobody had a tougher time of it than Spider-Man. The Webslinger endured a grueling gauntlet arranged by the Kraven family that saw him face his oldest foes up one after the other, from a juiced up Electro to a more savage than ever Lizard to finally a resurrected Kraven himself. Spidey somehow survived the onslaught, and despite taking his lumps, ultimately saved himself and New York City. He would cap it all off by rescuing his best friend Harry Osborn’s child from the clutches of Doctor Octopus, proving all’s well that ends well—though it never ends for Spider-Man.
4. CYCLOPS
2010 Opponents: Bastion, Xarus
Year in Review: Another year of leading the X-Men meant another year of crushing responsibilities and impossible choices for Cyclops, but as always, Scott Summers bore his burden and safeguarded his people. When Bastion laid waste to Utopia, Cyclops remained calm in the face of madness, tuning out the screams of those around him and guiding the forces following to him to a victory even Steve Rogers commended. Later, when Xarus and his vampire hordes attempted a similar invasion, the X-Men’s general organizing a clever battle plan with his very own “Trojan Horse” and repelled more would-be conquerors of mutantkind.
3. HOPE SUMMERS
2010 Opponents: Bishop, Bastion
Year in Review: Telling a young girl she’s the “mutant messiah” and placing the destiny of an entire race on her shoulders already means you’re asking a lot, but to then place said young lady up against a killer robot from the future set on destroying her and anybody like her seriously seems like you’re pushing it. Yet when Hope Summers found herself in this situation, she rose to the occasion and saved the X-Men as well as all of Utopia from Bastion and his Sentinels. Hope honored the sacrifices of Nightcrawler as well as her “father,” Cable, and continues to do the best she can as she seeks out and leads a new generation of mutants. Not bad for a kid who can’t even drive yet (not that she’d want to—she flies a jet).
2. HERCULES
2010 Opponents: Typhon, The Chaos King
Year in Review: In the past, Hercules has been accused of being cocky, brusque and even foolhardy—and he remains all those things, but this year he also saved all of reality more than once! The Prince of Power led an assemblage of Avengers against his mother, Hera, and the mad Typhon, sacrificing his life to prevent them from overwriting existence. When Amadeus Cho resurrected his buddy later on with nigh-omnipotent power, the Lion of Olympus immediately took the offensive against the nihilistic Chaos King, stepping up when the villain eliminated nearly all of Earth’s heroes. He may like to party and flirt, but our boy Herc’s also a fierce warrior and natural leader who has earned the right to be called the God of Heroes.
1. STEVE ROGERS
2010 Opponents: The Red Skull, Norman Osborn, Machinesmith
Year in Review: Most would contend the truly dark days for the Marvel Universe began with the “death” of Steve Rogers, thus it’s only fitting that it took the return of the original Captain America to bring them to an end. Battling back after being stranded in the timestream, Rogers defeated his archenemy the Red Skull yet again, then barely rested and rediscovered the world he left behind before heeding the call, picking up his shield, and heading off to Asgard to bring down Norman Osborn. Under the erstwhile Super-Soldier, the Avengers managed to take out their dark counterparts and re-establish themselves as the world’s premiere fighting force for good. The world without Steve Rogers versus the world with him seems like night and day.
So what do you guys think? Do you agree with this list? Is there someone you wish would have made the cut that didn't? Share your thoughts below and don't be shy to post your own top 10 list :)