Marvelhas a massive roster of superhumans and superteams, from The Avengers, to the X-Men, with the Fantastic Four, Guardians of the Galaxy, and even more in between. And while many ofMarvel’s most powerful charactersseek out a team to become even stronger, not all Marvel heroes are team players.
Some all-powerful Marvel heroes are either strictly solo heroes, unofficial team members at best, or characters who are currently pursuing their own standalone adventures. For one reason or another,these strongest Marvel heroes don’t fight on any existing team, even if their fans might not realize it.
10Phoenix (AKA Jean Grey)
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
While Jean Grey is noteworthy asa founding member of the X-Men, she has no ties to the team today, ever since resurrecting and reuniting with the Phoenix force. WithJean Grey now re-bonded to the Phoenixtoday in an entirely new cosmic evolution, Marvel confirms that this status quo will be unfolding for the foreseeable future. And it’s bad news for the X-Men.
As Jean reaches her most powerful potential, she continues to fly solo throughout the galaxy. That’s a loss for her former team members, and were she to change her mind, recruiting arguably the strongest cosmic entity in the universe is the biggest ‘cheat code’ a super-team could turn to. In a moment, becoming the Marvel Universe’s most powerful team.
9Werewolf by Night (AKA Jack Russell)
Created by Roy Thomas, Jean Thomas, Gerry Conway, and Mike Ploog
Jack Russell seldom gets used in Marvel’s comics, outside of horror-themed comic book issues or Halloween-centric events. When a character is so intrinsically tied to the horror genre, it becomes harder to find reason to include them in stories set outside of that genre. Unfortunately for Werewolf by Night, mainstream adventures haven’t been the norm.
WhileMarvel often enjoys straight-up horror stories, it’s a less-represented genre in superhero comics than sci-fi, action, or straightforward drama. Russell’s potency and power within that genre is a blessing and a curse, since a chance to step outside of his original setting is earned… but directly undercuts his strength as a ‘lone wolf’ archetype.
8Red Hulk (AKA Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross)
Created by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness
While the name has been given to more than one character, General “Thunderbolt” Ross has become synonymous with Hulk’s most infamous mirror image. But Red Hulk is more than just a crimson-colored version of Bruce Banner’s alter ego, and Marvel has detailedthe difference between Green and Red Hulk, but both versions deserve to be seen as heavyweights.
When the Red Hulk title was worn by Robert Maverick he did fight as part of the U.S. Avengers, but Thunderbolt is a different story. Ross made it clear during his run that the Red Hulk doesn’t play well with others, even other heroes. Proving it by regularly tossing around do-gooders from pillar to post, more often than accepting their help.
7Hellverine (AKA Daken/Akihiro)
Created by Benjamin Perry and Raffaele Ienco
Hellverine can technically refer to two characters, as the demonic Bagra-ghul has claimed two Marvel characters as a host: first Wolverine, and later his son Akihiro. The warrrior formerly known asDaken is the current Hellverine, and as a character who has received several different identities over the years, the Hellverine role could be one that sticks.
And rightfully so, since Akihiro’s Hellverine persona is easily his most powerful upgrade to date. Aside from his stint as the ‘Wolverine’ of the Dark Avengers, Akihiro has taken after his father with a general dislike of being a team player. EVen so, the Hellverine might be his hottest ticket yet to justify joining any one of Marvel’s super-teams.
6Hulk (AKA Bruce Banner)
While Marvel’s surprise announcement of their own comic bookroster of Thunderbolts–make thatNew Avengersincludes Hulk, he has yet to officially join the team. In itself, this announcement is slightly historic, marking the first time in years that Hulk has joined a super-team willingly or even completely.
While he was a founding member of The Avengers, Bruce Banner’s incredible immortal journey has seen him walk a lonely road in recent memory. In fact, some stories have put Hulk in direct conflict with The Avengers and other superheroes. Most of the good guys remain trepidatious about aligning themselves with the mean, green giant.
5Doctor Strange (AKA Stephen Strange)
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Given his MCU career, most will be surprised to learn that Doctor Strange isn’t currently operating on any regular teams. Sure, he’s not against working with other superheroes as a rule, and most recently collaborated with numerous Avengers to save the world from vampires during"Marvel’s “Blood Hunt” crossover event. But Doctor Strange did technically die during that event.
Granted, Stephen’s friend Blade was possessed at the time, but the sentiment remains the same: that kind of ordeal would understandably give the Doctor some trust issues. It’s a shame, because the formidable mastery of the dark arts is something any super-team would kill for.
4Spider-Girl (AKA Makawalu “Maka” Akana)
Created by Dan Slott and Paco Medina
Maka Akana is one of the newest superheroes introduced in the Marvel Universe, but is slowly ingratiating herself into the hero community. Not only because she’s young, but because she was originally introduced as a villain trained by Bullseye. She eventually overcomes his manipulations, but still needs to gain trust before being picked for anyone’s team.
With that in mind, it’s hard to denySpider-Girl is Marvel’s next big thing. Her power as a Spider solidifies her all-powerful status, especially when considering the combat skills she acquired while training. Her crime-fighting future looks bright, so she’s bound to be a part of a super-team one day, at least some years down the line.
3Venom (AKA The Symbiote)
Created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane
Venom is currently in a transitional phase, so to speak, as the symbiote is rediscovering itself after acquiring a new host. Mary-Jane Watson being revealed as the new Venom host has managed to beMarvel’s biggest twist of 2025, and now, the all-new Venom must put in the work to find out what kind of hero they will truly become.
Venom has been affiliated with the likes of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Secret Avengers, and Thunderbolts in the past, but all with a different host. Only time will tell which teams Venom would fit best with MJ as its host. The potential remains high considering the power Venom wields at its fingertips.
2Spider-Man (AKA Spider-Man)
Spider-Man is easilyMarvel’s most popular superhero, which alone is reason enough to be included in Marvel’s super-teams like The Avengers and even The Fantastic Four. Almost contradictory, that’s also the reason why he’s not attached to any super-teams today. Spider-Man’s solo popularity justifies him not being on any super-teams.
Both in-universe and especially among the editorial team at Marvel Comics, Spider-Man doesn’t need to be on a team… especially not as much as teams need Spider-Man. His name boosts sales alone, so the next time that Spider-Man finds himself in a superhero team, readers can assume it’s because Marvel wanted to give the team a boost in popularity with the Spidey shine.
1Solarus (AKA Mallory Gibbs)
Created by Jason Loo and Luigi Zagaria
Solarus emerged during the 2024Sentryseries (better known now asSentry: Legacy, as collected in trade paperback form), as one of many normal citizens suddenly gifted with the powers of the late Robert “Bob” Reynolds. Mallory Gibbs went from being a wheelchair user toMarvel’s most powerful hero.
Despite harnessing the power of a million exploding suns, she’s yet to be recruited by any of Marvel’s major teams. In fairness, she’s still young and training under Misty Knight. Once Mallory learns to perfectly refine her abilities now that she is the world’s sole owner of the Sentry’s power,Marvel’ssuper-teams are going to be begging for her presence.
