5. Maggott
Alias: Japheth
While the disgusting alias leaves a lot to desired, it isn’t his title that wins him a trip to the weirdest marvel characters. No, it is his superpowers that rank him at number 5. Well, technically not his superpowers, but his parasitic slugs that live in his stomach. The slugs replaced his digestive system and could practically eat through any substance. After feeding the slugs would reenter his stomach and give him nourishment. Wow, what a great power. He is going to totally pick up chicks with that. Of course there is more to Maggot, simply having worm-like creatures eat for you isn’t cool enough for the X-men, in which he first appeared in issue #245 (1997). As with most odd characters their powers make little sense, much like the character themselves. His body would be supercharged with strength and stamina and invulnerability after the slugs fed and passed their energy on to him. Oh, and just to keep it really bizarre, he would also turn blue for no reason. Not the best work of co-creators Scott Lobdell and Joe Madureira for Marvel.
4. Hellcow
Alias: Bessie
This is one of the few Marvel characters introduced with Swiss origins as Bessie was presented as a cow hailing from Switzerland. Appearing for the first time in 1975 in the fifth issue of the ‘Giant Sized Man-Thing’ Bessie was introduced as a vampire. Perhaps, it was the blending of a vampire theme with an innocent looking cow that turned-away most readers. Further, what surprised many was Hellcow’s obsession with finding Dracula to seek revenge on him. The character was doomed from the very beginning and eventually the Marvel creators handed it an early death when a wooden stake was put through its heart – by none other than Howard the Duck.
3. Doctor Bong
Alias: Lester Verde
Yet another Howard the Duck villain, which means Howard is responsible for almost one third of this list. Doctor Bong is not a real doctor or even a doctor who just has a doctorate degree, but more of a mental patient who should be seeing a doctor. He has no superpowers, but has a good knowledge of genetics and has transformed animals into sentient, humanoid being to serve his evil will. Not so intimidating, right? Well, while striking his bell-shaped head with is ball-shaped hand he can produce sonic vibrations that can do a lot of really cool stuff. Like what? Well, they can produce concussive force to bend steel, create a sonic barrier for protection and, of course, can transport him by triggering a teleportation device. Yeah, um, right. He can also do other things that also make no sense, but thankfully he as not shown up again since his original appearance in Howard the Duck #15. Notice how good I was to not use any drug related jokes with a name like Bong. But it just goes to show you can make a bong from anything, even a super villain.
2. The Asbestos Lady
Alias: Victoria Murdock
Debuting as a part of Marvel’s Captain America Series (number 63) in 1947, the Asbestos Lady’s real name was Victoria Murdock. She was presented as a scientific genius and sister of Captain America’s arch rival, ‘Killer’ Murdoch. She built herself a fireproof costume that was lined with asbestos. She could throw balls of flame, while her suit protected her. With her tightly clad bodysuit, pouting lips and blonde hair, most folks would have thought that she could become a permanent fixture as Captain America’s blonde nemesis. Somehow, it just didn’t work out and the character was removed in the an obvious manner — in early 1990, she succumbed to carcinogenic growth, probably stimulated by her own asbestos-infused bodysuit.
1. Lockjaw
Alias: Sparky
Introduced in 1965 as a part of The Fantastic Four series, the name was perfectly created for this oddest of Marvel animal creations. Lockjaw’s biggest strength — his jaws made of steel that once clamped on an enemy, were impossible to breakaway from. One reason that might have contributed to Lockjaw’s lack of success was that his origin was never quite clear. Readers just couldn’t understand whether Lockjaw was a bulldog with superpowers or a mutated dog wherein super-abilities, such as teleportation, had been artificially infused by the Terrigen Mist. At one point it was told that he was a human who had been mutated into a dog, but that storyline has since been buried.
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