Marvel is much more straight forward than DC when it comes to tracking potential appearances. They don’t use digital titles and outside of Krakoa, you have a very reliable bet on what heroes are going to appear in what title. They also tend to favorite a wider spread of characters at any given time over DC, while also still showing a favoritism for classic characters. They don’t prefer Elseworlds in the same sense as DC, trying to focus primarily on the main universe. Characters have seasons, that can sometimes last for years, but eventually they have an off season.
The Fantasy Comic League began as a Marvel only product, so the stats provided are for the full 2020 year, up to Week 45 (November). If there are heroes you are curious about that cannot be found on this list, please reach out on Twitter. If the data exists, we will provide it.
The Predictions/Ratings Made are reflective of 2021 Q1
ANTIHERO
Conan – 6.18 Points/Appearance, 17 Appearances
Conan in the Marvel Universe has been a fun time, but I wonder how much mileage it has left in the tank as Ultraman, Transformers, Alien, and more creep up into the space he comfortably occupied for the last couple years.
Total Points: 105
Rating: 8, 2 On-Goings
Deadpool (Wade Wilson) – 5.36 Points/Appearance, 14 Appearances
2020 was an off year for Wade Wilson, who is usually one of the top contenders of Marvel’s Elite. Will 2021 continue this trend, or will it see him return to the big leagues?
Total Points: 75
Rating, 7, On-Going, Frequent Guest Appearances
Elsa Bloodstone – 3.67 Points/Appearance, 6 Appearances
Essentially the co-star of the Deadpool on-going, she is very much tied to its fate. However, Elsa Bloodstone always pops up once or twice in the year.
Total Points: 22
Rating: 4, On-Going
Namor – 4.18 Points/Appearance, 11 Appearances
Namor walks the line between antagonist and ally so well that he can appear in a variety of roles in a variety of locations. He’s got a series launching out of King in Black and a presence in the upcoming Phoenix Avengers storyline, so not a bad bet in 2021.
Total Points: 46
Rating: 5, Miniseries, Frequent Guest Appearances
AVENGERS
Agent 13 (Sharon Carter) – 5 Points/Appearance, 14 Appearances
Sharon Carter had her youth restored thanks to the combined efforts of Shuri and Agatha Harkness, but she was leading the Daughters of Liberty long before that, giving her a killer 2020 that will likely continue into the coming year.
Total Points: 30
Rating: 5, On-Going
Black Knight (Dane Whitman) – 3 Points/Appearance, 3 Appearances
His 2020 was rather quiet, but in the last month he’s been popping up in a variety of places. With not one but two King in Black tie-ins and his MCU debut confirmed for 2021, it could be a big year for Dane.
Total Points: 9
Rating, 7, 2 Miniseries, Occasional Guest Appearance
Black Panther (T’Challa) – 3.58 Points/Appearance, 33 Appearances.
This stat surprised me, as it is higher than some of the other Avengers. Black Panther has typically stood around in his appearances in the past, but the galactic space battle of his own title brought him to the front lines, where he leads with actions. He’s not my first pick on the Avengers, but he’s an excellent pick regardless.
Total Points: 118
Rating: 8/10, 2 On-Goings, Frequent Guest Appearances
Black Widow (Natasha Romanov) – 4.71 Points/Appearance, 17 Appearances
Black Widow is one of the strongest Avengers to not consistently have her own title. As luck would have, she does currently have a title that will pull her forward in 2021, along with the numerous guest appearances she is sure to rack up around the release of her movie.
Total Points: 80
Rating: 7, On-Going, Frequent Guest Appearances
Blade (Eric Brooks) – 3.43 Points/Appearance, 14 Appearances
With his team book recently wrapped, and his status as an Avenger only relevant when convenient for Jason Aaron’s story, Blade’s 2021 future is looking uncertain.
Total Points: 48
Rating: 4, Will Show Up
Captain America (Steve Rogers) – 3.31 Points/Appearance, 54 Appearances.
Name an event where Captain America didn’t get his own tie-in. While never the strongest Avenger, he is perhaps the most consistent in performance. Great choice, can’t go wrong with Steve.
Total Points: 179
Rating: 9, 2 On-Goings, Frequent Guest Appearances
Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) – 5.31 Points/Appearance, 36 Appearances.
Captain Marvel is a powerhouse of a character, racking up meaningful appearances no matter what capacity she shows up in, be it leading role or guest star. I would say she is one of Marvel’s Elite, with the lowest numbers needed to break into the ranks.
Total Points: 191
Rating: 9, 2 On-Goings, Frequent Guest Appearances
Falcon (Sam Wilson) – 3.93 Points/Appearance, 15 Appearances
Falcon had a notoriously bad 2019 (2 appearances), but 2020 saw a restoration of his status a bit. With The Falcon and the Winter Soldier set to drop in 2021 now, I imagine his status will continue into the new year and possibly soar to new heights.
Total Points: 59
Rating: 4, Will Show Up
Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes) – 2.28 Points/Appearance
Johnny Blaze taps in at 6.8 Points/Appearance, Danny Ketch at 5.6 Points/Appearance. At a third of Robbie’s appearances, they nearly outscore him. Why would you draft Robbie, even if the risks of the other two appearing are low?
Total Points: 41
Rating: 7, On-Going, Frequent Guest Appearances
Hawkeye (Clint Barton) – 5.90 Points/Appearance, 10 Appearances
Despite having no title, Clint Barton racked up some major points in 2020. Purple never goes out of style.
Total Points: 59
Rating: 4, Will Show Up
Iron Man (Tony Stark) – 4.02 Points/Appearance, 56 Appearances
Intellectuals seem to rule the upper echelons of Marvel draft picks and Tony Stark is one of the best of the bunch. With an appearance record that matches Spider-Man’s, he remains the face of the Marvel Universe despite no MCU presence.
Total Points: 225
Rating: 9, 2 On-Goings, Frequent Guest Appearances
She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) – 2.77 Points/Appearance, 26 Appearances.
Jennifer is likely the weakest draft on the main Avengers roster and 2020 was not kind to her, pushing her firmly into the Immortal Hulk territory, while not letting her fully join the storyline at the same time. Still Avengers put up points, if only through appearances.
Total Points: 72
Rating: 7, On-Going, Frequent Guest Appearances
Spectrum (Monica Rambeau) – 4.8 Points/Appearance, 10 Appearances
Her team book recently concluded, but with her MCU debut in WandaVision and her presence amongst the superhero community, she will definitely be showing up sooner rather than later.
Total Points: 48
Rating: 4, Will Show Up
Thor – 4.33 Points/Appearance, 39 Appearances
With Donny Cates at the helm, Thor is set for a big 2021. He’s got a large role to play in the Venom centric King in Black event, and his own event is likely not far around the corner either. 2021 could be the year Thor puts up numbers greater than that of Steve and Tony and join the Marvel Elite.
Total Points: 169
Rating: 9, 2 On-Goings, Frequent Guest Appearances
War Machine (James Rhodes) – 4.73 Points/Appearance, 11 Appearances
Further proof that it’s never a bad idea to bet on an Iron-Family member, Rhodey managed to put in a lot of notable appearances despite not having a title in 2020.
Total Points: 52
Rating: 4, Will Show Up
Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) – 3.3 Points/Appearance, 10 Appearances
Janet is another Avenger you can’t seem to keep down, even without a title. Connections are everything in the superhero business.
Total Points: 33
Rating: 4, Will Show Up
Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) – 3.76 Points/Appearance, 21 Appearances
The Winter Soldier has strong ties to Black Widow, Captain America, and Falcon, but seems to appear everywhere with Clint Barton these days. With such strong ties to prominent Marvel Heroes, Winter will never be out of season.
Total Points: 79
Rating: 4, Will Show Up
COSMIC
Gamora – 2.5 Points/Appearance, 6 Appearances
Gamora is usually the Guardians to bank on, but one of her teammates edged her just slightly to take the title of best Guardians in 2020.
Total Points: 15
Rating: 5, On-Going
Groot – 1.67 Points/Appearance, 6 Appearances.
Wow, none of the Guardians seem to be putting up much in the way of points, but this is almost painful. Groot could be putting up so many points if given the chance to shine.
Total Points: 10
Rating: 5, On-Going
Nova (Richard Rider) –2.63 Points/Appearance, 8 Appearances
Richard Rider seems to be the main star of the Guardians of the Galaxy series, so if you wanted to fill out a cosmic slot on your roster, he’s not a bad choice.
Total Points 21
Rating: 5, On-Going
Rocket Raccoon – 1.33 Points/Appearance, 9 Appearances.
Not the stats I was expecting Rocket to have, I guess the little guy doesn’t seem to do too much these days. He has largely been ignored in favor of the other Guardians in recent storylines.
Total Points: 12
Rating: 5, On-Going
Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) – 4.15 Points/Appearance, 13 Appearances.
Strong ties to Galactus and the Fantastic Four keep the Silver Surfer ever in season. He often ends up pulled into whatever shenanigans seem to be going on in the larger cosmic universe.
Total Points: 54
Rating: 5, On-Going
Star-Lord (Peter Quill) – 3.5 Points/Appearance, 4 Appearances
While he’s one of the faces of the Guardians, Peter Quill hasn’t been the most reliable in the appearance department lately. Most of the team thinks he is dead, but he’s set to return to the series in 2021.
Total Points: 14
Rating: 5, On-Going
Venom (Eddie Brock) – 6.08 Points/Appearance, 12 Appearances.
Big Start due to King in Black, but if his performance post Absolute Carnage was anything to judge by, he’s likely to whimper in between events.
Total Points: 73
Rating: 7, On-Going, Frequent Guest Appearances
FANTASTIC FOUR
Brainstorm (Valeria Richards) – 2.4 Points/Appearance, 20 Appearances
Those stats hurt a little, but Valeria Richards has a pretty limited power set. Valeria serves as proof that appearances matter a lot, but they’re not everything.
Total Points: 48
Rating: 5/10, On-Going
Human Torch (Johnny Storm) – 3.87 Points/Appearance, 30 Appearances
The weakest performing member of the Fantastic Four proper, you would think the high flying hothead of the group would score more points. His connection to the Spider-Family didn’t get him far this year.
Total Points: 116
Rating: 8, On-Going, Frequent Guest Appearances
Invisible Woman (Susan Richards) – 4.53 Points/Appearance, 30 Appearances
The most powerful member of the Fantastic Four, Susan can usually rely on her connections to the spy community and heroines to garner her extra appearances over her three compatriots.
Total Points: 136
Rating: 8, On-Going, Frequent Guest Appearances
Lightspeed (Julie Powers) – 2 Points, 1 Appearance
Recently returned to earth from her adventures with the Future Foundation, the Power Pack looks to be reuniting for a miniseries in early 2021.
Rating: 4, Miniseries
Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) – 4.68 Points/Appearance, 37 Appearances.
Reed Richards is the strongest member of the Fantastic Four but is also one of the weakest performing of Marvel’s Elite. Still, that intellect of him has him popping up all over the place in the Marvel Universe, consulting with intellectuals from Wakanda to Atlantis.
Total Points: 173
Rating: 9, On-Going, Frequent Guest Appearances
Powerhouse (Franklin Richards) – 2.85 Points/Appearance, 20 Appearances.
He just edges out his sister, which is kind of embarrassing when you realize that Franklin Richards was the focus of the X-Men/Fantastic Four miniseries earlier this year.
Total Points: 57
Rating: 5, On-Going
The Thing (Ben Grimm) – 3.93 Points/Appearance, 29 Appearances.
Ben Grimm has the lowest score of the Fantastic Four, because he didn’t appear as frequently as the other members. That should be taken into consideration, even as he potentially gets pulled into the final run of Immortal Hulk issues.
Total Points: 114
Rating: 8, On-Going, Frequent Guest Appearances
MAGIC
Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange)- 5.7 Points/Appearance, 37 Appearances.
Stephen Strange is among the Marvel elite, a consistent performer with remarkable stats to boot. I don’t see why you wouldn’t want him on your team.
Total Points: 211
Rating: 9, 2 On-Goings, Frequent Guest Appearances
Doctor Voodoo (Jericho Drumm)- 3.91 Points/Appearance, 11 Appearances
The good doctor is both one of the leading presences of the Savage Avengers team, and also the headmaster of Strange Academy. These titles promise plentiful appearances in 2021.
Total Points: 43
Rating: 8, 2 On-Goings
Iron Fist (Danny Rand) – 2.20 Points/Appearance, 5 Appearances
Danny Rand is a very risky pick, as he has neither the performance or the appearances to support a team. He’s often part of a group, but he does have a miniseries coming in 2021.
Total Points: 11
Rating: 5, Miniseries, Occasional Guest Appearance
Shang Chi – 5 Points/Appearance, 4 Appearances
Shang-Chi’s star is on the rise and it’s already reflected in the kick off of 2021 having both an on-going for Shang Chi and a miniseries. Not a bad horse to hitch your post to.
Total Points: 20
Rating: 8/10, Miniseries, On-Going
Shuri – 3.09 Points/Appearance, 11 Appearances
Shuri may not have a title of her own, but she appears in her brother’s title abundantly, occasionally taking on the mantle of Black Panther. She’s also become a member of the magic community and has been branching out of Wakanda to help groups like the Daughters of Liberty. She’s a solo series away from kicking ass again.
Total Points: 34
Rating: 4, Will Show Up
Valkyrie (Jane Foster) – 8.25 Points/Appearance, 4 Appearances.
Damn, look at those stats. They’re admittedly a little high due to a lack of appearances, but Jane Foster is got her own series and a King in Black tie-in to kick off 2021. Sounds like an excellent addition to a roster.
Total Points: 33
Rating: 6/10, Miniseries, On-Going
SPIDER-FAMILY
Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) – 5.42 Points/Appearance, 12 Appearances.
Felicia Hardy was a breakout star in 2020, staying afloat even after her solo book went under. Her title returns with a sales boost thanks to King in Black, and she’s going for her biggest heists yet. Not a bad choice for your team.
Total Points: 65
Rating: 6, On-Going, Occasional Guest Appearance
Ghost Spider (Gwen Stacy) – 4.91 Points/Appearance, 11 Appearances.
Ghost Spider performs when she appears, but she’s a very unreliable bet. King In Black seems to be the final ride for several 2019/2020 books, and Gwen’s tie in may be it for her solo appearances for awhile.
Total Points: 54
Rating: 5, Miniseries, Frequent Guest Appearances
Silk (Cindy Moon) – 3.18 Points/Appearance, 11 Appearances.
Silk is one of the underperforming Spiders right now, but she was meant to receive a solo series back in July before Co-Vid hit. If that series launches, Silk will kicks off 2021 with strong performances.
Total Points: 35
Rating: 5, Frequent Guest Appearances and A Title On The Way
Spider-Man (Miles Morales) – 5.28 Points/Appearance, 18 Appearances.
Miles Morales is among the best performing frequent appearers on the Marvel side. With several powers on top of the usual Spider-Set, this face of the youth community is a hero you want on your roster.
Total Points: 95
Rating: 9, 2 On-Goings, Frequent Guest Appearances
Spider-Man (Peter Parker) – 7.43 Points/Appearance, 58 Appearances.
The top Marvel Hero, get him while you can. I would like to point out Peter Parker’s 58 appearances. We have 45 weeks of Marvel stats to compare against 16 DC. You have to factor out the effects at Co-Vid, but even at double the number our DC top scorers would have 120 (Batman), 85 (Superman), 80 (Wonder Woman), 54 (The Flash), 44 (Nightwing) 40 (Batgirl). Spider-Man competes on a level closer to the Bat-Family than DC’s Trinity.
Total Points: 262
Rating: 10
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) – 5.17 Points/Appearance, 23 Appearances.
Characters have seasons, but few have the season Jessica Drew does. She never really goes out of style, but when she is in her prime, she’s a powerful asset in the League.
Total Points: 118
Rating: 7, On-Going, Frequent Guest Appearances
STREET
Daredevil (Matt Murdoch) – 4.06 Points/Appearance, 17 Appearances.
A guaranteed use of senses every issue he appears, Daredevil is a safe reliable bet that doesn’t tend to rack up points all that often.
Total Points: 69
Rating: 6, On-Going, Occasional Guest Appearance
Hulk (Bruce Banner)- 5.26 Points/Appearance, 19 Appearances
Bruce Banner is a snag with the Immortal Hulk going on. Various personalities, assorted body morphing, and some great character beats. He’s been largely self-contained to the series, but it has a tendency to double ship in a month, so that’s not a bad thing.
Total Points: 100
Rating: 7, On-Going, Frequent Guest Appearances
Elektra – 2.6 Points/Appearance, 5 Appearances.
Elektra is both a mainstay of the Daredevil series and the Savage Avengers team book. She’s also getting pulled into King in Black, so 2021 could have a big payoff for Elektra.
Total Points: 13
Rating: 5, On-Going
Misty Knight – 2.75 Points/Appearance, 12 Appearances
Misty Knight is a mainstay of the Captain America book, but also pops up in surprising places too. One of those big surprises was a surprisingly big role in Absolute Carnage, so she might yet play a role in King in Black as well.
Total Points: 33
Rating: 4, Will Show Up
YOUTH
Brawn (Amadeus Cho) – 4.40 Points/Appearance, 5 Appearances.
Amadeus Cho is one of the most prolific in universe characters amongst the youth community. He’s got ties to Agents of Atlas, Champions, and the Avengers. He’s not a first round draft, but he’s a strong addition on any team.
Total Points: 22
Rating: 5, Miniseries, Occasional Guest Appearance
Hulkling (Teddy Altman) – 3.73 Points/Appearance, 15 Appearances
The new Emperor of the Kree-Skrull Alliance, I’m sure we will see plenty of Teddy in the new year.
Total Points: 56
Rating: 4, Will Show Up
Ironheart (Riri Williams) – 5 Points/Appearance, 5 Appearances
Riri Williams did remarkably good in 2020, considering she was relegated to a guest appearance in the Iron Man 2020 event for most of it. Iron people are never a bad bet and Riri could be among the best.
Total Points: 25
Rating: 6, On-Going, Occasional Guest Appearance
Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan) – 6.75 Points/Appearance, 8 Appearances.
Kamala was a character heavily affected by Co-Vid, so I think these numbers would be a little higher in a different year. Kamala is a fantastic addition to any roster, a character ripe for development who is also a leader in her community.
Total Points: 54
Rating: 6, On-Going, Occasional Guest Appearance
Nova (Sam Alexander) – 6 Points/Appearance, 2 Appearances.
The ugly duck of the Champions community, I would only take him if the other Champions were unavailable. Still, look at the points he put up in two appearances.
Total Points: 12
Rating: 5, On-Going
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