12 Underrated Marvel Heroes With Costumes Worthy of the Avengers

While these superheroes may not be household names, they do have some of the most spellbinding costumes in the entire Marvel Universe.

Not all Marvel heroes are as well known as A-list Avengers like Spider-Man or Iron Man, but some of the publisher's most underrated vigilantes still have costumes to rival the very best. A great costume is a huge part of a great superhero, with clear, bold aesthetics fixing these crime-fighters in the minds of fans. Of course, costumes can often be practical too, providing armor or equipment which otherwise wouldn't make sense.

Here, then, are 12 Marvel superheroes who are as far as possible from being household names, but whose costumes wouldn't look out of place in the highest ranks of superhero-dom. Each of these superheroes are cult favorites, and looking at their costumes, it's clear to see why they have their own dedicated followings - even if they've yet to make the jump to the A-list.

Originally designed by Spider-Man during a period where he couldn't use his regular costume, the Prodigy persona is a deliberately overblown superhero identity, with Peter wearing a cape and crown, and affecting an air of heroic arrogance while in costume. However, the identity was later taken up by Richard Gilmore, who joined the Slingers - a group of heroes who each inherited one of Spider-Man's short-lived alternate personas. Prodigy has been a hero in good standing ever since, and was the first hero to openly defy Iron Man during the Civil War event, as well as fighting in the final battle of Secret Invasion.

In all iterations of his costumes, there is orange with silver and black. In one of his best iterations, he is covered head to toe with metallic accents adorning his chest, forearms, and head. This costume was actually gifted to him by mentor Black Marvel. The suit not only looks cool but has powers too - mystically enhanced to give the wearer super strength and agility, make them bulletproof, and give them the ability to glide on air currents.

Silver Sable first appeared in Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz's The Amazing Spider-Man #265. She's a butt-kicking mercenary that has hunted down war criminals, all without any superpowers. However, she is an extremely skilled markswoman, swordswoman, gymnast, combatant, and martial artist, as well as working with the skilled crew known as the Wild Pack. Given her mercenary status, Silver Sable has fought both alongside superheroes and against them, often to protect her home nation of Symkaria.

Sable wears a stunning costume which looks like a metal sculpture, providing protective armor thanks to its kevlar lining. Her unique costume is monochromatic, looking silver from head to toe, with even her hair matching.

Night Thrasher and his eye-catching costume first appeared in Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz's Mighty Thor #411. Similar to DC's Batman, Night Thrasher is a vigilante with no physiological superpowers, using body armor and weapons in his battles - as well as his trademark skateboard. Another striking similarity to Batman is that he's the son of murdered billionaire parents and uses the money from his family's foundation to fund his crime-fighting missions. In recent comics, Marvel has been turning Night Thrasher into a new Tony Stark - an ultra-confident genius who acts as a consulting science expert for other heroes.

Mainly black with deliberate pops of red, Night Thrasher's costume sets him apart from other masked vigilantes that go for all-black to be inconspicuous. An armor and weapon designer, Night Thrasher made his costume far more durable than it appears, with added features such as a utility pack, jet boots, and a voice scrambler built into the helmet.

A fun and unique character, Dazzler was designed as part of a joint venture by Marvel and Casablanca Records, with the intent of releasing albums from the fictional pop star - an idea that ultimately fell through. In the comics, Alison Blaire is a mutant with the ability to convert sound energy into light and energy beams. A singer and performer, she moonlights as a superhero when teams like the X-Men and A-Force need her. Dazzler doesn't seem to enjoy the superhero life, though, limiting her superhero activities so she can pursue superstardom.

Being a disco performer, it is only fitting that the stars-in-her-eyes Dazzler would have a disco-inspired superhero costume to match. With wide lapels and a bell-bottomed jumpsuit, her costume makes her a standout alongside the X-Men as well as having an appearance that would've fit right in at Studio 54. One of the biggest celebrities in the Marvel universe (even Mystique likes her music), Dazzler is deserving of one of the most stylish superhero costumes ever.

Originally going by the name the Beetle, Abner Jenkins has had quite the journey, trying to make it as a mercenary before joining the Masters of Evil, until finally turning good and becoming part of the Thunderbolts. He is an average guy with no physiological powers. However, he is exceedingly intelligent and a gifted engineer, making his Beetle and Mach Armor himself. As a result, granting his own powers and having complete control over his abilities.

Abner Jenkins often updates his armor. He is currently on Mach X, but many fans laud his costume during his Mach IV era. His fourth iteration of the costume included the awesome power colors of red, silver, and black. Also, his suit had wings that were jet black and super sleek. Jenkin's suit was more than its appearance, like any great superhero costume. For instance, his helmet gifts him the ability of 360 vision as well as his armor offering energy blasters and a grenade launcher. Abner is a self-made hero, and while his armor isn't as slick as Iron Man's, that's the point - it's constantly being tweaked and upgraded so Mach IV can prove himself worthy after a villainous start.

White Tiger is a legacy hero, beginning with Hector Ayala in Bill Mantlo, Yvette Perez, and George Pérez's Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19. The mantle later passed to FBI agent Angela Del Toro, and now resides with Hector's sister Ava Ayala. White Tiger has been a member of many hero teams, namely the Mighty Avengers with Luke Cage and Power Man, the New Avengers while assisting the team, and the Defenders with a slew of other supers like Elektra and Spider-Woman. A hero that many have been wanting to see in the MCU for years, White Tiger has the interesting powers and background to be a compelling character for Marvel film fans.

The white sleekness of the costume mixed with the tiger stripes of black make the suit dynamic, while the mystical White Tiger amulet adds glowing green to her look. Her costume's aesthetic is not the best part though. Her suit has the White Tiger amulet, gifting her the powers of feline agility and enhanced strength, speed, senses, and accelerated healing as well as camouflage powers.

Related: White Tiger Cosplay Lifts Marvel's Underrated Street Hero Out of Obscurity

Part human, part machine, Fantomex was created as the next generation of mutant-killing Sentinel - a murderer based on superhero archetypes, and designed to be the wise-cracking rogue of a larger team. However, Fantomex turned on his controllers in the World, and instead allied with the X-Men (while still working as a notable international thief.) Fantomex is able to create illusions and has an external nervous system in the form of a flying saucer, while ceramic plates in his mask make him immune to telepathic attacks.

Fantomex has a striking costume, but one with a cynical edge, as he was manufactured to fulfill an established superhero archetype held by characters like the mutant hero Gambit. The contrast between the black and white are eye-catching immediately, but there's also an incredibly stylish simplicity. Often joining with the X-Men's missions, he has an X belt buckle to show his affiliation.

A true Renaissance Man, Blue Marvel is a scientist, veteran, former fullback, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and superhero, and will even be joining the latest incarnation of the Illuminati. The star of his own comics, starting with Kevin Grevious and Mat Broome's Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1, he went on to be part of Luke Cage's team during the Infinity crossover in 2013's Mighty Avengers, and has held a leadership role with the Ultimates and Defenders. A formidable hero, Blue Marvel has the powers of anti-matter energy absorption, super strength, energy manipulation, telekinesis, and hyper-cosmic awareness. Also, he's basically invulnerable, not the least bit harmed when a hydrogen bomb blew up in his hands.

Adam Brashear's backstory is tragic - he was one of Marvel's first superheroes, but was asked to retire by the president after the public found out he was African-American. Blue Marvel's costume is therefore designed to evoke an earlier age of heroism, originally positioning him as an echo of Superman, but one who was held back by human prejudice - using white and blue rather than Clark Kent's red and yellow. Today, Adam has returned to heroism, and often accessorizes his original look with an on-theme jacket.

First appearing in Jed MacKay and Alessandro Vitti's Taskmaster #3, Taegukgi is Marvel's South Korean national hero. Gaining his heroic reputation from his time as the leader of the Tiger Division, the government-sanctioned superhuman response team, Taegukgi earned his abilities after exposure to an Asgardian artifact. Since the artifact exposure, Taegukgi can fly and project powerful energy beams from his eyes. Also, he ages extremely slowly, extending his longevity. Moreover, he is very resistant to attacks and able to withstand a lot of damage, becoming one of Marvel's most durable heroes.

His costume pays tribute to his home country, with the emblem of the South Korean flag displayed proudly on the front of his suit. Also, the costume is built out of sturdy material, protecting the already heavily resistant superhero from any inflicted damage. Taegukgi is effectively South Korea's Captain America, and his simple but immediately identifiable design speaks to the same symbolic weight of purpose.

Debuting in the 1940s when Marvel wasn't even Marvel yet and was called Timely Comics, Hellcat first appeared in Miss America Magazine #2, in Stuart Little and Ruth Atkinson's 'Introducing Patsy Walker.' She has been the star of her own comics as well as an eventual team member of the Avengers and the Defenders, showing her versatility as one who can work on her own or with others. Hellcat has major ties to Marvel's mystical world, and straddles the line between public superheroism and patrolling the shadows.

Hellcat's catsuit makes a striking use of colors, with bright yellow as the main hue and focal point. Her lustrous hair is a major part of her look, while her cat ears allow for a surprising amount of expressiveness which superhero cowls can often limit. Her suit has some functional abilities as well, containing steel alloy claws on her gloves and boots.

The star of his own self-titled comic series that enjoyed its peak in the '90s, Darkhawk is a human-android hybrid. An amulet grants him the ability to project his mind into an android, allowing him to fight crime in a way that would otherwise be impossible. While having his own series, he has also fought alongside many of Marvel's best and most popular heroes like when he fought the Hobgoblin with Spider-Man or when he defeated the U-Foes with Captain America.

Darkhawk's suit is a one-man armory that can shapeshift into a huge variety of forms. The suit itself is a techno-organic Raptor that offers a range of enhanced abilities like super strength, agility, and reflexes, while also transforming into whatever weaponry is needed to face a given threat, including Wolverine-style claws. The best part of the suit, however, rests in the huge wings that gift Darkhawk the ability to fly and even travel between planets.

When Doctor Octopus' consciousness ended up in a perfect clone body following his time as the Superior Spider-Man, he spent a brief period as the Superior Octopus, attempting to work as a hero with his own skewed morality. Now a peak physical specimen, Octavius used a suit that echoed his time as Spider-Man but used his villain colors, including a sleek new version of his mechanical arms thrown into the bargain - first appearing in Dan Slott and Stuart Immonen's Amazing Spider-Man #25. Otto used the Superior Octopus costume during the Secret Empire event, as a member of the evil Captain America's Avengers.

These heroes may never have the same cultural footprint as Captain Marvel or the Avengers (although never say never), but they still have some of the coolest looks in Marvel Comics, often because their lesser fame allows creators to experiment with different colors and designs that might be rejected for an already A-list hero.