The November 11th premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been taking the world by storm, and it's no surprise to loyal fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With so many hit films in the franchise, Marvel has developed a winning formula, revolving around humor, action, and beloved characters.
While Wakanda Forever had fewer instances of humor than its predecessors, it still hit the ball out of the park with Okoye roasting Riri. Yet, this isn't among the best instances of Marvel humor. There have been some harsh burns in the Avengers movies that can make audiences crack up laughing.
"Puny God."
Hulk - The Avengers
The The Avengers mocking humanity and its heroes, it was great to see Hulk smash him.
Of course, Hulk couldn't let a moment like that go by without comment. After destroying Loki, Hulk immediately called him a puny god. It completely roasted the comparatively weak Loki, who had just described his superiority. The quote made an already funny scene genuinely hilarious.
"Given That It’s A Stupid-Ass Decision, I’ve Elected To Ignore It."
Nick Fury - The Avengers
When the World Security Council tried to convince the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. that they needed to bomb Manhattan, Nick Fury showed them just how much he cared about their opinions. Fury can best be summed up as a stubborn authoritarian who knows what he's doing, so a council of civilians trying to get him to nuke New York City was unacceptable.
Yet, rather than just refuse them, Fury decided to outright roast them. Outright calling their decision stupid and insulting them to their faces, Fury not only managed to intimidate, but he also showed how funny he could be. There's a reason this quote is so memorable a decade after the release of The Avengers.
"Make A Move, Reindeer Games."
Iron Man - The Avengers
It was clear that Loki took a great deal of pride in his helmet. The golden curved horns give him an intimidating look, while also showing just how little he cared for human fashion or wants. So, when Tony Stark mocked his helmet, it definitely hit hard.
In the middle of one of Loki's best scenes, he was verbally cut down just like he was about to be physically cut down. With his horns being compared to a reindeer's, he found himself at a loss from the start. Considering that it is also related to Iron Man insulting Thor later in the movie, it is even a way to force a comparison between the brothers.
"There Are Always Men Like You."
Old Man - The Avengers
In the same scene as Tony roasting Loki, he was also roasted by a powerless old man in . After all, when he forced humanity to kneel and proudly proclaimed that they deserved to be under authoritarian rule, the man stood tall and said he wouldn't kneel to men like Loki.
Loki, the owner of a fierce superiority complex, refused to acknowledge the comment, arguing that no one was like him. Yet, while it wasn't funny, the old man's roast clearly proved that Loki was little more than another monster and another dictator. If even a regular and defenseless human being could stand up to him, Loki was nothing.
"Doth Mother Know You Weareth Her Drapes?"
Iron Man - The Avengers
It seems that Tony Stark really didn't like the typical Asgardian fashion sense. After all, right after insulting Loki's helmet, he was already mocking Thor's armor and even his cape. It's somewhat surprising, given that other quipping heroes could have referred to Tony's tin can of a suit, but it's also likely that Tony would have made that joke first.
It's one of the MCU's funniest insults for a reason. It showed off just how little Tony cared about gods fighting on Earth, and it also showed his arrogance. Far from a man to be intimidated, he could mock gods without care. What was even more impressive was that he got away with it.
"I’m A Huge Fan Of The Way You Lose Control And Turn Into An Enormous Green Rage Monster."
Iron Man - The Avengers
Bruce Banner's story is horrifically tragic. Having been corrupted by an experiment gone wrong, he is forced to transform into an uncontrollable monster every time he loses control over his anger. It's a painful story that utterly ruined Bruce's entire life. It's also a joke to Tony Stark.
The fact that Tony was so flippant about Bruce's underlying and oppressive trauma is oddly funny. That he could see Bruce, shrug, and insult him showed that he didn't care that Bruce was able to destroy the Helicarrier. Bruce could have easily snapped then, but Tony just didn't care. It's why Tony is so beloved, but it also shows his arrogance.
"I Was Born Yesterday."
The Vision - Avengers: Age Of Ultron
While it's always funny to see a hero roasting a villain or another hero, it's also funny to see a hero roasting themselves. When Ultron accused Vision of being overly naive, the Vision decided to crack a joke, describing the literal fact that he was born yesterday.
It was as funny as it was accurate. After all, it's easy to sum Vision up as a boring secondary character, but he has a brilliant sense of humor and doesn't mind being the butt of jokes. It also showed that he was as intelligent as he looked and that he wouldn't be intimidated by monsters like Ultron.
“Get Lost, Squidward.”
Iron Man - Avengers: Infinity War
Thanos and the Black Order were existential threats to the survival of the entire universe. When they were done, half of all life in the universe would be gone. They were the root of a fear that had Tony screaming at night, and they were everything that he was fighting against. So he called one of them "Squidward."
The fact that Ebony Maw actually did look like Squidward made the roast relevant, but the underlying tension within Tony made it an even more impressive one. He managed to smother his fear and face the alien with ease. He knew how to set aside his worry until later when there was time, and it's why Tony was such a great hero.
"So He's An Idiot?"
War Machine - Avengers: Endgame
The opening sequence of Guardians Of The Galaxy instantly made fans fall in love with Peter Quill. There is nothing better than watching him dancing on the surface of an alien world, singing into little alien creatures like microphones, and then charging off to battle. War Machine, of course, disagreed.
After going back in time to see Quill dancing, War Machine, unfortunately, didn't have the ability to hear the music playing. So he was instead treated to Quill dancing to nothing on an alien planet. There has never been a swifter takedown of a character's entire legend than War Machine watching Quill dancing. That's why it was perfect.
"He's Pi**ed. He Thinks He Failed. Which, Of Course, He Did."
Rocket Raccoon - Avengers: Endgame
Empathy is something that Rocket Raccoon typically struggles with. After all, he was a tortured raccoon-like creature with cybernetic enhancements and extraordinary intellect. It can be difficult for him to connect with people. So, when Thor was down for the count, Rocket cut him down to size.
When he could have offered Thor sympathy and comfort, he instead reminded everyone around him that Thor had, in fact, failed. It was a brutal comment, but it was also so incredibly Rocket that it's hard to disagree with him. Still, it tore Thor to pieces.
