Marvel's 10 Most Selfish Superheroes, Ranked

Summary

Heroes often let personal desires outweigh duties, making selfish choices over the greater good.
Marvel characters like Cyclops show selfishness through personal relationships and leadership decisions.
Scarlet Witch and other characters prove themselves as selfish heroes driven by personal interests.

In the Marvel Universe, whether in comics or in films, heroes often find their humanity in emotions that clash with their sense of duty as a superhero. They show flaws when making hard choices, letting personal desires lead them to place themselves above the greater good, which triggers conflicts due to limited empathy and altruism.

In many stories, they show a lack of sacrifice when facing extreme decisions, or they reveal the true nature they hide behind good deeds, proving more complex than the usual line between right and wrong. This leads them to choose selfish actions that harm their teams and the world, spreading destruction and chaos as they follow personal interests.

10 Best Hero Couples In Marvel Comics, Ranked

These Marvel couples prove that love and heroism go hand in hand!

Posts 2

By Eduardo Ariedo

10 Moon Knight

The Hero Refuses Responsibilities Out Of Selfishness

First appearance in the comics: Werewolf by Night #32

Chosen by Khonshu, Moon Knight strays from duties due to selfishness, which was clear when Marc Spector was an ambitious mercenary who cared only about personal gain. He accepted the most dangerous jobs for money and power, mirroring his later refusal to follow Khonshu’s commands and fueling conflict with his divine mission, which required genuine commitment.

As shown in the Moon Knight TV show, Marc often resists the responsibility that comes with being Moon Knight, choosing a calm life instead of the burden that comes with heroism. His bond with Layla proves he is among the most selfish heroes in Marvel, as he puts himself at risk and increases her worries, dragging her into danger.

9 Gamora

From Ruthless Assassin To A Selfish Hero

First appearance in the comics: Strange Tales #180

Adopted by the Mad Titan, Gamora became a lethal assassin who fought with Thanos, seizing worlds and taking lives with a cold approach. She also acts selfishly by selling the Power Stone for wealth, ignoring the danger of that deal, a trait that stays alive in her alternate form in Avengers: Endgame, which lost her heroic growth.

In the Guardians of Galaxy comics, she is driven by revenge against Thanos, who wiped out her people and exploited her skills, pushing her to seek payback regardless of the fallout. In many arcs, she steps away from her teammates to act on her own, dismissing the group’s well-being as a whole, which highlights her deep selfish streak.

8 White Queen

Cruel And Manipulative, She Ranks Among The Most Selfish Heroes

First appearance in the comics: Uncanny X-Men #129

Shifting between hero and villain, Emma Frost joined several X-Men teams and even led them in the Marvel Universe, proving her power and cunning. Introduced in X-Men: First Class, she stands with Sebastian Shaw in his quest for world control, showing no concern for the havoc of war or the bodies he left behind, confirming her selfish spirit.

In the comics, she is even more manipulative, treating the mutants she trained like pawns in Uncanny X-Men and possessing Storm’s body to strike the X-Men. She reached the peak of her selfishness in Avengers vs. X-Men when she punished humans after gaining fragments of the Phoenix’s power, solidifying her status among the most selfish heroes in Marvel.

7 Cyclops

Driven By Ideals, He Is A Selfish X-Men Leader

First appearance in the comics: X-Men #1

Though not deeply explored in the X-Men movies, Cyclops showed many selfish acts in the comics, starting with a major controversy: his relationship with Emma Frost began while he was still with Jean Grey. By seeking comfort in Frost, he neglected his partner and exposed his selfish side in romantic matters, proving that his ideals did not stop him from hurting loved ones.

13 Best Marvel Comics Duos

Marvel Comics has a long history of excellent pairings. Whether romantic, friends or even enemies, Marvel Comics has some amazing duos.

Posts

By Eduardo Ariedo

After the Schism storyline in the X-Men comics, he clashed with Wolverine over handling young mutants, insisting on training them for combat instead of keeping them away, which split the superhero team. Later, in Avengers vs. X-Men, he made ever more extreme choices without weighing his team’s well-being while facing a major threat, proving how far his selfish leadership could go.

6 Thor

His Ego Makes Him One Of The Most Selfish Superheroes In Marvel

First appearance in the comics: Journey into Mystery #83

Thor ranks among the strongest Avengers, yet he once cared more about personal wants than protecting others. In the Thor movie, he defies his father by traveling to Jotunheim for revenge, ignoring the impact on himself and his people, which leads to banishment to Earth and the loss of Mjolnir, further highlighting his selfish streak.

In the comics, he deserts Asgard to pursue his own path in Thor Lore: The Surtur Saga, where he confronts Surtur, leaving his realm unprotected and ignoring his father’s summons, confirming his selfish ways. He later challenges Ego in The Mighty Thor without weighing the dangers of his actions, endangering the universe and his allies.

5 Doctor Strange

He Only Cared About Himself Before Becoming A Superhero

First appearance in the comics: Strange Tales #110

Although he is among the strongest sorcerers in Marvel, Doctor Strange has displayed his selfishness many times. In The Oath, one of his most famous tales, he seems ready to break the sorcerer’s code to save Wong’s life, caring little about the impact of that choice, which reveals his self-centered nature and drive for power.

Seeking power, Strange fights to keep his rank as Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, ignoring the devastation he causes along the way. His past also reveals a focus on surgical prestige instead of caring for others out of empathy or kindness, reinforcing his selfish core and thirst for glory, which overshadow his heroic role.

4 Wolverine

This Hero Can Break All Rules When Enraged

First appearance in the comics: The Incredible Hulk #180

With an impulsive temperament, Wolverine is among the most selfish characters in Marvel, driven by emotions that sometimes lead him away from core objectives. In Enemies of the State, he furiously pursues revenge against Hydra after being manipulated, ignoring advice from the Avengers and the X-Men and choosing a violent path, showing how his selfish impulses override teamwork.

The hero sets off alone in X-Men: The Last Stand, leaving the X-Men to follow his own path and disregarding his duties as a hero. Later, in Logan, he refuses to help X-23 until Charles Xavier convinces him, focusing on his pain and fatigue at first, which reveals a deep sense of selfishness and a reluctance to protect others.

3 Scarlet Witch

This Hero Will Do Anything For Her Children

First appearance in the comics: X-Men #4

Scarlet Witch emerges as one of the most selfish characters in Marvel when her power and grief combine, showcasing her immense abilities in Avengers: Disassembled. Upon losing her children, she condemns mutantkind to extinction with her infamous line, “No more mutants,” caring only about personal loss and ignoring global consequences, further proving her selfish drive.

10 Best Marvel Superheroines, Ranked

From Scarlet Witch to Black Widow, these are the best Marvel superheroines, proving their strength in comics and the MCU.

Posts 5

By Eduardo Ariedo

In House of M, she reshapes reality so mutants become dominant to regain her children, never caring about the impact on everyone else. In the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness film, she kills many individuals in her quest for her sons, marking the peak of her role as one of the most selfish heroes in Marvel.

2 Iron Man

By Underestimating His Team, He Makes Selfish Decisions

First appearance in the comics: Tales of Suspense #3

In one of his darkest Marvel storylines, Iron Man struggles with alcoholism in Demon in a Bottle, refusing any external help and trying to manage his addiction alone. He shows no concern for others despite unstable behavior, revealing the egocentric nature of the most selfish hero in Marvel, whose pride often outweighs any empathy or regret.

In Age of Ultron, Tony builds Ultron to protect the world, but this creation becomes a global threat, showing his selfish choice to act without team input. He ignores potential fallout again in Civil War, taking the easy route instead of consulting the other Avengers, reaffirming his pattern of reckless decision-making that fuels his egotistical image.

1 Mister Fantastic

His Coldness Makes Him The Most Selfish Hero In Marvel

First appearance in the comics: Fantastic Four #1

Early in the Fantastic Four comics, Reed made a selfish choice that caused turmoil for his entire team, convincing them to travel into space despite the danger of cosmic radiation, all to prove his theory. He bears the guilt for the outcome, once again revealing how his scientific ego overrode caution and respect for others.

In other comic arcs, he created the Negative Zone in Civil War, standing against his friends and family by believing the ends justified the means. In one of his harshest acts, he chose to destroy several worlds to save his own in Secret Wars, proving he had become one of the most selfish heroes in Marvel.