The Ms. Marvel, she had a three-issue exit strategy - and was delighted when she didn't need it.
The last 10 years have seen Marvel shake up their comic book universe radically, usually through the use of so-called Legacy Heroes. These are superheroes who are inspired by the example of another hero, and so choose to embody the same kind of ideals. Usually young and idealistic, they include the likes of Viv Vision, Nadia Pym's Wasp, Jane Foster's Thor, Miles Morales' Spider-Man, and of course Kamala Khan herself.
So here's our guide to the best new superheroes of the last decade. Some of them are well-known, others less so, but all are well worth knowing about.
16. Death Locket
First up is Rebecca Ryker, the sometimes-hero sometimes-villain who's typically known as Death Locket. Rebecca was just an ordinary girl, and she thought she hailed from an ordinary family - right up until the moment a Deathlok killed her mom in front of her eyes and left her body broken. It turned out Rebecca's father was a major figure in the Deathlok program, and that he'd been targeted by assassins from the future. Becca's father, Harlan Ryker, used his expertise in cybernetics to give his daughter a shot at life as one of his Deathlok test-subjects.
Unfortunately, she caught the attention of the assassin Arcade, who kidnapped her for an insane Murderworld competition in which he pitched super-powered kids against one another. Becca chose the codename "Death Locket," and she found herself going down a dark path for a while, even ing the Young Masters of Evil. She finally switched back to the side of good during the War of the Realms.
15. Gwenpool
Gwen Poole grew up in a universe just like ours and was absolutely obsessed with Marvel Comics. Somehow, in a crazy twist of fate, she got dragged through the Multiverse and emerged in the Marvel universe, and ever since she's been attempting to blaze her own trail. Gwenpool uses her breaking-the-fourth-wall knowledge to guide her through her adventures, and can frequently second-guess plot twists because she's so familiar with all the traditional tropes. Hilariously, she even possesses the ability to jump into the white space between s, using it to escape threats. She's basically Deadpool dialed up to 11, but with a twist.
14. Finesse
Jeanne Foucalt is a fascinating character, a shades-of-grey superhero with the ability to perfectly mimic anything she sees. The powerset is very similar to Taskmaster, and in fact Finesse suspects he may secretly be her father. Finesse was recruited into the Avengers Academy, and she proved to be one of the most fascinating characters, struggling with social situations but always demonstrating ruthless skill. Finesse has always prioritized the acquisition of knowledge over human interaction, and as a result, she struggles to avoid crossing moral boundaries. This proved to be a real problem, as she briefly blackmailed Quicksilver after she deduced some of his lies, and later betrayed her friendship with X-23.
13. Silk
Cindy Moon was introduced during the "Original Sin" event when Peter Parker learned the spider that bit him had granted super-powers to another person as well. Cindy had been found by the wealthy Ezekiel, who feared her existence in this timeline would lead to an interdimensional attack, and as a result, she'd been kept under house arrest in one of Ezekiel's skyscrapers for decades. Spider-Man broke her out, and she swiftly took up the codename "Silk" after her greater natural web-powers.
There was just one complicating factor; Cindy Moon and Peter Parker swiftly realized their bodies produced pheromones that meant they struggled to keep their hands off one another. Silk has become one of the more fascinating heroes of the decade, as she dedicates herself to learning the truth of what happened to her family all these years. There are some reports Sony is considering a Spider-Verse film sequel.
12. Hazmat
One of the most powerful Avengers Academy students, Hazmat's origin story is similar to Rogue's of the X-Men; one day she was making out with her boyfriend when he suddenly collapsed. Intensive study revealed that Hazmat's powers had triggered, releasing a burst of devastating radiation. Unfortunately for Hazmat, her abilities had developed at a time when Norman Osborn was in charge of SHIELD, and as a result, she soon found herself in SHIELD custody and subjected to experiments to boost her powers.
Osborn left Hazmat trapped within a containment suit, her body permanently releasing lethal radiation that would kill almost anyone she got close to. Hazmat has had a tough life, with her relationship with fellow Avengers Academy student Mettle brought to an abrupt end when he was murdered by Arcade. She's recently gained a degree of control over her abilities, allowing her to live outside the containment suit, and currently works with Captain Marvel.
11. Honey Badger
Gabrielle Kinney is a young clone of X-23, and she rejoices in the rather hilarious entertaining codename of "Honey Badger." Irrepressible and overwhelmingly cute, Honey Badger was essentially adopted by X-23, who acts as a mother figure for the child. Gabrielle possesses all the traditional Wolverine powers, although her claws are bone rather than metal, and she keeps a pet wolverine called Jonathan. Honey Badger is currently sadly absent from Jonathan Hickman's X-Men relaunch, but hopefully, it won't be long before she turns up again.
10. Valkyrie
Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie was an absolute stand-out character in Thor: Ragnarok, even if Marvel Studios did chicken out from confirming her as a lesbian by cutting a brief scene. Marvel Comics wasted precious little time introducing this version of Valkyrie into the MCU, with the interdimensional team known as the Exiles crossing her path in an alternate dimension. She's stuck around and is sure to be developed further down the line.
9. All-New X-Men's Cyclops
Brian Bendis' All-New X-Men saw the original five X-Men plucked out of the timestream and brought to the present-day Marvel Universe. There, they essentially evolved into completely different versions of the characters, living in the shadows of their future selves, and ANXM Cyclops was one of the most interesting. He was horrified to learn that his future self appeared to have become a mutant revolutionary, and struggled to work out how to deal with his horrific destiny.
Scott Summers evolved in a fascinating direction, traveling off into space with his father Corsair for his own ongoing, and then spending as much time with the Champions as with the X-Men. Frankly, he was a better fit for the Champions, and the dynamic between Cyclops and Kamala Khan was a particularly touching one. Marvel made a mistake sending the All-New X-Men back to their own time.
8. Robbie Reyes' Ghost Rider
The first new Agents of SHIELD season 4, played by Gabriel Luna. He's currently one of the most powerful of the Avengers, even holding his own against cosmic threats like the Celestials.
7. Cosmic Ghost Rider
From one Ghost Rider to another - and probably the craziest to date! Created by Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw, Cosmic Ghost Rider originates from a timeline where Thanos conquered the universe. In this twisted future, Frank Castle was the last human to survive Thanos' wrath on Earth, and he struck a deal with Mephisto and became the latest host of the Spirit of Vengeance. Driven mad with loneliness, when Galactus came to Earth Castle offered his services as a Herald. So: In short, the Cosmic Ghost Rider has the morality of the Punisher, he's possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance, and he wields the Power Cosmic to boot. Can we say overpowered?
