After the big fights, superheroes need somewhere to go and lick their wounds. Some of the most iconic and well-known superhero bases in comics were created by Marvel, places where their roster of respected heroes could watch over the world, conduct their affairs, and prepare for the next big fight with their intimidating foes. Oftentimes, these bases have become symbols of the heroes they house and a big part of the landscape of the Marvel Universe.
That doesn't mean that they aren't wildly impractical, though. So many of Marvel's most iconic structures make no sense as superhero bases for a variety of reasons.
10 Spider-Man's First Base Was Aunt May's Home
Spider-Man has changed a lot over the years and one of the biggest changes is that he stopped basing himself out of Aunt May's house. While it made sense for him to use it as a base of operation, it was where he lived, after all, it also is one of the places that just doesn't at all work as a base.
For example, creating his web fluid involved mixing together a lot of chemicals. He would have to do all of that in his room, which would mean equipment and weird smells that would pique May's interest. On top of that, the part of Queens she lived in was the suburbs, so there were no tall buildings, meaning no webbing his way home.
9 Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum Puts The City In Danger
Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum is one of Marvel New York's most iconic structures, with its extremely distinctive skylight window. Acting as his home base, the Sanctum contains trophies of his past victories, powerful relics he keeps safe, and his vast magical library where he learns new spells to add to his repertoire.
The problem with the Sanctum is that it contains some of the most dangerous magical artifacts on the planet and is home to many of Strange's most dangerous magical experiments. Its very existence in Manhattan means that the entire city could be put in danger from vast mystical forces if Strange loses control, which does happen.
8 The Open Secret Of Daredevil's Identity Makes Him Using His Apartment As A Base Dangerous
It feels like for a long time now, Daredevil's secret identity has been the kind of "secret" that everyone knows. Matt Murdock has done a really bad job of keeping other people from finding out who he is and that's hurt everyone around him. It's also made his apartment base extremely impractical.
One of the most dangerous criminals on the planet, the Kingpin, likes to target Daredevil every few months. With his identity as well known as it is, this makes him using his apartment as a base extremely dangerous for his neighbors. Kingpin has no qualms targeting others to get to his foes, meaning that Daredevil using his apartment as a base is really risky.
7 The X-Men Used A Bar In Westchester, Harry's Hideaway, As A Base For A Short Period Pre-Krakoa
When Cyclops and Wolverine returned to life, things were very bad for mutantkind. X-Man had zapped the X-Men to another dimension and O.N.E. was rounding up mutants for experimentation and extermination. Cyclops and Wolverine would gather who they could and made their base in Harry's Hideaway, a bar the team frequented in Westchester.
While they waved it away by saying that the X-Men had given the owner a lot of money and tech to protect the bar because of their use of it as a watering hole over the years, it was just strange to see them all living there. On top of that, they used it as a prison for enemies and Dark Beast used it as a lab.
6 The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Has Always Been A Terrible Idea
The Helicarrier is one of those iconic visuals in the Marvel Universe, but that doesn't mean the whole thing isn't a terrible idea. While it would be more practical in the real world, it makes no sense at all in a world of superpowered flying beings and evil super-science organizations with powerful weapons and technology.
The problem comes in the extremely obvious engines, all of which would make for the perfect targets for attack. There are way too many powerful and ambitious villains out there that have the power and resources to easily take down Helicarriers, making them flying death traps for their crew and city wrecking bombs for the people under them.
5 Utopia Was A Bad Idea As A Mutant Base
Utopia was a precursor for Krakoa, a place that the mutant race could live on their own. At the time, nearly all of the mutants left on the planet lived there, which made it quite safe, but the problem is supplying the place. Krakoa can grow everything mutants need. Utopia didn't have that option.
Utopia would have to be supplied from the outside with provisions, meaning it was extremely vulnerable to siege tactics. The fact that it was in US waters means that if the X-Men sufficiently angered the government, they could have blockaded the island and starved the mutants out.
4 The X-Mansion Was Away From Cities But That Didn't Make It Safe
The X-Mansion was Charles Xavier's childhood home, one that he would modify to transform it into a school for mutants. The X-Mansion would become one of mutantkind's most important locations, a place of learning and healing. The problem is that all of their enemies knew where to find them.
The X-Mansion was pretty much a giant target. It has been destroyed multiple times and while its mix of advanced technology and powerful heroes to defend made it viable as a superhero base, it was pretty much the most dangerous school ever and not a fitting place to hold a bunch of children.
3 The Baxter Building Has Other Tenants, Meaning The Fantastic Four Were Some Of The Worst Landlords In New York
The Baxter Building was the classic home of the Fantastic Four, a New York City skyscraper that would inspire other such bases. The Baxter Building was where Reed Richards constructed all of his interdimensional portals and such, which would have been fine if the FF was the building only tenant. They weren't, though.
The Baxter Building was full of other tenants who were in danger every time one of Reed's experiments released a horde of aliens or the building got launched into space by Doctor Doom, which happened a lot. It's surprising anyone paid to stay in the building.
2 Avengers Mansion Was Located Across From Central Park And Put The Most Expensive Homes In NYC In Danger
The Avengers' first home was Avengers Mansion. Once the home to the Stark family, Avengers' Mansion was a landmark in New York City and one of the city's most expensive real estate parcels. That's the biggest problem with using it as a base, as it's highly doubtful the city would allow that sort of thing, even for someone as wealthy as Tony Stark.
Even if the city government had no problems with a giant target for supervillains across from Central Park, the ultra-wealthy landowners all around would, meaning there's pretty much no way Avengers Mansion would exist. Money talks and old talks loudest.
1 Avengers Tower Made No Sense As A Base For So Many Reasons
Avengers Tower has become iconic because of the MCU but it existed first in the comics. The former home of Tony Stark and base of his businesses in New York City, it sort of made sense for it to be Avengers base, as Stark was wont to use his personal property for the Avengers' bases. There are so many strikes against it as a base, though.
To begin with, Stark putting a target on a place that makes him a lot of money is really ill-advised for such a smart person. Next, it's another massive target in a city that gets attacked constantly. Finally, it constantly had add-ons like Sentry's Watchtower or an Asgardian embassy that made the whole thing even more dangerous for tenants and neighbors.
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