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Over its many decennium , Marvel Comicshas endured iits comely share of controversy and scandal . While most of the publisher ’s slip - ups have happened on the comic book page , very few remember ( or only wish to forget)the surprising amount of controversial cover art . Whether the masking in questions are outdated , problematic , or simply offensive in hindsight , these scandalous decision turn up that sometimes , it actually is hunky-dory to gauge a book by its cover song .
Thebest and brightest of Marvel cover artistsmay not have think to cement their names in infamy , but nontextual matter tell its own narrative , and even iconic artists have been felled by their own prejudice - taint creations . Sometimes it ’s a relatively innocuous decision that should have been caught by a second circle of eyes , other time readers are left to enquire how Marvel ’s leadership could ever approve the comic ’s release . Fortunately , most Marvel comic Holy Writ cover art is purely fun , alluring , and entertaining … butthese shockingly controversial Marvel Comic covers are still intemperate to see at .
1She-Hulk #6 - Starfox On Trial
Dan Slott, Will Conrad, Dave Kemp, Greg Horn
While thisteasing look from She - Hulkand the Inhuman Starfox may seem innocently playful at first coup d’oeil , what lie down beyond the funny cover is what lends to the most pause . Among many wide-ranging superpower , Starfox can stimulate the “ joy center ” of the brain of anyone within his general law of proximity . The Inhuman has frequentlyused this superpower to calm and seduce numerous char , some of whom were never fully willing participants in their animal affairs . finally , the hoagy ’s actions caught back up when he was reprehensively tried for ravishment against married women .
Jennifer Walters , aka the She - Hulk , in the beginning took Starfox on as a client until even she became upset she had become a victim of his powers . pay the seriousness of what was at stake , the military issue ’s screen artistic creation is in incredibly misfortunate taste . She - Hulk draping herself over an criminate sexual predatorwhile he gives a coy eye blink and thumbs up completely overshadows the rigourousness of the comedian ’s story . While the offspring itself is more known for the story ’s controversy , this cover art should n’t have sensationalized the seriousness of Starfox ’s supposed crime .
2Mighty Thor #700 - The Stan Lee “DNA Hand Stamp” Variant
Jason Aaron, Walter Simonson, Russell Dauterman, Daniel Acuna, Matthew Wilson, Dave Stewart
This effect ’s controversy actually has nothing to do with the cover artistic creation , but the real overlay itself . In addition toRise of the Black Panther # 1(2018),the first prints of this specialized concealment ofThor # 700werestamped with Stan Lee ’s signatureusing ink control the prolific comic writer ’s blood . While the construct is sure unique , this publicity move became far more sinister afterthe abuse and use of Lee by those confining to himcame to light .
While not every Marvel story is as sensitive as it should be , this Avengers comic completely passed a line that we should never forget .
3NFL SuperPro #6 - A Marvel Crossover Nightmare
Buzz Dixon, Jose Delbo, Mike DeCarlo, Evelyn Stein, Rob Tokar, Ron Frenz, & Joe Sinnott
TheNFL SuperProseries is one ofMarvel ’s most notoriously awful hard currency - grab opportunities . This limited - run series featured an NFL player - turn - superhero and his generic struggle for sportsman - themed judge . This particular progeny featured a storyline where NFL SuperPro faced off against a band of frosting - skate criminals that only an American football superstar could defeat . However , these acrobatic bandits were nothing short of an insensitive mockery of the Hopi , a aboriginal American tribe with historical ancestor in Central America and modern Arizona .
The baddie feature in the story each depicted an overly simplified exaggeration of sacred Hopi icons . These glass - skating daemon were considered deeply offensive as theymisrepresented the Hopi people and culture as nonsensically wild . In response to the release of the comic , the Hopi Tribal Council demand that Marvel straightaway hark back the issue completely . While Marvel did comply with the tribe ’s demand , thousands of military issue stay in circulation follow the caller ’s prescribed callback . honestly , everything about theNFL SuperProseries was a offense to begin with , so it ’s not surprising that this half - broil concept turned into a full - fumble catastrophe .
4Spider-Woman #1 - The Milo Manara Variant
Dennis Hallum, Greg Land, Jay Leisten, Frank D’Armata, Marry Hollowell, Milo Manara
It is a deeply inauspicious truth that men and women do not get adequate representation in most comics . The comic book industry has traditionally been a male - dominated bailiwick , and because of that , comics have often suffer from the oversaturation of the “ male regard , ” oft send women in overtly implicative airs or sexualized poses by nonremittal . But thisSpider - Womanvariant cover activated even casual critics , receive harsh criticism upon its departure for havingplaced Jessica Drew in an evidently significative posemeant only to accentuate the heroine ’s body .
A new romance is bug for Peter Parker , leaving fan with one incinerate question : which golden dame will capture Spider - Man ’s pith this meter ?
While this is not the only slice of comic art that places a well - respected female character in a hyper - sexualized pose , it helped kick offa new movement of fan artists who sought to call out these problematic habits . Artists across the internet begin redesign other sexualized comic covers with male hero to highlight how ridiculous the “ male gaze ” had become in women ’s internal representation in art and media . While there was a impregnable push to have this variant screen remember , Marvel only update the cover with an added statute title ( seen above ) and an apologia for the " mixed subject matter " it sent to fan .
5The Sensational She-Hulk #40 - Because “You Demanded It”
John Byrne, Glynis Oliver
alas , She - Hulk has often been an light character for artists to play for a sexy laugh . Jennifer Walters is one of Marvel ’s more sexually plainspoken character and has long been known to be a frequent flirt . However , there is a scarily fragile ancestry between allowing She - Hulk to be her sensually complimentary self , and using the hero to push the lines of womanly discomfort . scads ofShe - Hulk ’s earlier comicsoften put the quaternary - wall - breaking hero into provocative berth whereWalters was left plead with the artist or readerto allow for her to return to her heroics .
6Heroes for Hire #13 - The Cover We Still Can’t Believe Exists
Zeb Wells, Clay Mann, Terry Pallot, Brad Anderson, Sana Takeda
Another entry that meet major backlash for its crude and suggestive tones , this cover art was quickly slammed for its apparent alikeness to a particular character of Japanese adult art get it on for boast sexualized tentacle . Misty Knight , Colleen Wing , and Black Cat are depicted with their costumes bursting unresolved , uncover as much of the characters ’ segmentation and bodies as Marvel would mayhap have allowed . However , it ’s the characters ’ obvious veneration of their predicament thatmakes this Sana Takeda nontextual matter more than typical risible victimization .
The heroes are trapped and bound as tentacled foreign forces involuntarily remove the women ’s wearable . Misty Knight has already been harmed by her surplus - terrestrial captor , as all three woman recoil in fear of the animate being ’s touch . In any other setting , this may have been fine in the artist ’s “ individual ” collection , but it probably should have beenquestioned by Marvelbefore the issue went to photographic print .
7Squadron Supreme TPB (1997)
Written by Mark Guenwald; Cover Art by Alex Ross
This uniquely macabrepiece of Marvel controversyisn’t specify to the cover art , but unsettlingly apply to the entire first printing process of theSquadron Supremetrade paperback book . When the serial ’ author Mark Gruenwald snuff it away , as part of his dying wishes , Gruenwald quest that his ashes be mixed with the ink for the craft ’s first printing . While poetic to think Gruenwald can roost within his life ’s body of work , not every comic reader felt the same way after they first pulled a drained valet ’s ashes from local comical workshop .
Gruenwald is far from the only individual to have mixed his deoxyribonucleic acid with his work , let alone on this list , but that does n’t mean this practice needs to become a usual one . In the business deal paperback ’s foreword , Gruenwald ’s widow woman left a line joking that her hubby “ threw himself into his work”and that it was an honor to be able to merge the creator with his most prized creation . Admittedly , the construct is admirable and strangely heartwarming , even if it is absurdly ghastly .
8X-Statix #15 - The Princess Diana Cover
Peter Milligan, Mike Allred, J. Bone, Laura Allred
X - Statixwas intended to be a satirical comedy serial publication to playfully mockmost other 10 - Men comics . Most of the team ’s power were forestall by horrific drawbacks which the series often played off for joke . However , it ’s not the back breaker - barfing and super - tender heroes that garnered tilt , but the comprehension of the late Princess Diana . Only six years after the fertile royalty ’s tragical death , Princess Diana was officially recognise as a Marvel mutant .
In the original story , Princess Diana had return to life as a ghost and was to serve alongside X - Statix as a leading member . While the serial itself is an intentionally satiric one , not everyone was as pleased when the deceased pop - culture icon appeared posthumously alongside Marvel ’s other odd mutant heroes . tilt soon begin , andMarvel quickly replace Diana with an solely unexampled character . fortuitously , Marvel has since avoided the use of a deceased individual ’s similitude without any attack to seek commendation from the folk .
These Marvel comics transcend traditional tragedy to tell a greater chronicle meant to displume lecturer in . Be warned , these stark stories are depressing .
9Marville #1-7 - A Naked Marketing Gimmick
Bill Jemas, Mark Bright, Paul Neary, Rodney Ramos, Greg Horn
Even without this comedian ’s concealment art as grounds , Marvilleis critically remark as one of Marvel ’s uncollectible serial publication of all time . In 2002 , Marvel Comics ’ frailty president , Bill Jemas , made a bet with writer Peter David to see who could make the best comedian . Bill Jemas’sMarvilleseries was advertised as a satirical play on the comic Good Book diligence ’s most frequent tropes . However , most of the series ’ tarradiddle feature low - quality , nonsensical plots , that often specify to pull together shock economic value but for the sake of being talked about .
To be honest , after study even a exclusive page of this serial , it becomes clear what the real role of theMarvilleseries actually was . Every issue ’s cover artistic creation sport a mostly - naked carmine - headed womanhood who has nothing to do with the series ' plot . Realistically , it ’s safe to feign Jemas knew embellish the covers to entice curiosity would be one of its biggest appeals , but at the end of the 24-hour interval , all it becomes is an exploitative gimmick to make up for its writing .
10Amazing Spider-Man #601 - The Immortal Mary Jane Cover
Mark Waid, Mario Alberti, Andres Mossa, J. Scott Campbell
As proof that not every controversial piece of artwork is well forget , the cover art render Mary Jane ' leave behind ' as Peter Parker swing into natural process might really be artist J. Scott Campbell ’s most celebrated , infamous , or in any cause , discussed . Embodying almost all antecedently mentioned aspects of the ' male regard , ' Mary Jane ’s cleavage , midriff , attitude , and expression are far from the most offensive on their own … but together , this simulacrum of Mary Jane went on to become one of the most discussed , debated , referenced , and even reimagined .
The cover prowess forAmazing Spider - Man#601 is n’t die to be forgotten , as it remains one of the most actively referenced , both outside of and among Marvel Comics creatives . artist have pay protection to the prototype withdifferent explanations for Mary Jane ’s odd posture , fans have taken it upon themselves to ' ready ' Watson ’s appearance , and J. Scott Campbell evenrecreated the cover with a ' married lifetime ' spinfor Marvel ’s newUltimate Spider - Mancomic series . Further proving that for some disceptation , the account has yet to be finished .
