Marvel has been around long enough to for the comics to go through several shake-ups. Their respected roster of heroes have changed with the times, but that doesn't mean everything from Marvel's past is gone. Sidekicks are a massive part of Marvel's history, even if more than just some never reached their potential.
Sidekicks have been around at Marvel since before the publisher was even called Marvel – and that's a long time. Sidekicks can feel like a relic of the past by design, but Marvel has had its own unique history with the archetype.
10 Outdated: Archaic Ties To Marvel's Golden Age
When people think of Marvel's Golden Age, they mainly just think of Captain America and Bucky. Although these two characters are great, the Golden Age is everything Marvel has tried to move away from since the Silver Age. While concepts like the Invaders have their fans, most of the Golden Age should be left behind.
Sidekicks were all the rage in the Golden Age and Marvel used them just as much as anyone else. Seeing as how Marvel has worked hard to forget just about everything in the Golden Age, it might be time to do the same with their sidekicks.
9 Still Interesting: Bucky Is Proof Sidekicks Have Merit
Bucky is one of the original Marvel sidekicks and his reintroduction into the Marvel Universe proves that there is merit to the concept. Bucky's transformation into the Winter Soldier revitalized the Captain America comics and created a character who has gone on to star in movies and TV shows. Bucky's modern day adventures have proven that sidekicks worth keeping around.
8 Outdated: Marvel's Not Known For Their Sidekicks (And It Shows)
When it comes to sidekicks, most fans can't name too many from Marvel. In fact, most sidekicks in comics are popular because of DC. Beyond Bucky, Marvel doesn't use sidekicks and never really did – preferring team-ups between established heroes.
Marvel seemingly left traditional sidekicks behind years ago, with the last being Silver Age teenage extraordinaire Rick Jones. Marvel barely had a use for sidekicks at their most popular and mostly doesn't now.
7 Still Interesting: Marvel's Newest Sidekicks Are Some Of Their Best
Marvel moved away from the classic, teenage sidekick model a long time ago, instead opting for characters like the Falcon. In recent years, Marvel has actually tried to bring in teenage sidekicks and had some success with them.
From Jubilee in the '90s – who was basically the Wolverine's mascot – to Scout – another a Wolverine sidekick, albeit not Logan's – Marvel has created teenage sidekicks who are among the best in the industry, showing that there's room for them in the Marvel Universe.
6 Outated: There Are Better Ways Of Introducing Teen Heroes
At DC, most of the teen heroes are sidekicks of some kind, with the newest volume of Young Justice doubling down on the concept. Marvel has worked to set itself apart by finding other avenues to bring in teen heroes. One of their greatest success stories is Miles Morales and his story would not have been possible at a publication like DC.
Miles replaced a dead Peter Parker in the Ultimate Universe originally. When he transferred over to the main Marvel Universe, Miles remained his own Spider-Man instead of just becoming 616 Peter Parker's sidekick.
5 Still Interesting: Marvel Sidekicks Are Always Interesting
Doing the unexpected is a lot of fun, so when Deadpool starts hanging out with Bob the Hydra Agent, it's always cool. When Wolverine's younger clone Honey Badger shows up to hang out, it's great. Even when unsuccessful sidekicks like Alpha show up, it's fun. Doing the same thing always gets cliche and breeds indifference. Throwing in sidekicks more in recent years has opened things up for Marvel.
4 Outdated: Great Characters Would Still Be Great If They Weren't Sidekicks
Marvel recently went on a spree of putting new characters in old mantles, giving them a chance to shine. Falcon and Bucky both benefited from this, but there are a plenty of characters who would have been sidekicks anywhere else. The Young Avengers are a perfect example; they seemed like they would just be a bunch of sidekick types, but grew way beyond that.
Ms. Marvel is a powerful young heroine would have probably been relegated to just being Captain Marvel's sidekick at DC; instead, she was given her own book and time to shine. If Marvel went traditional and made her a sidekick, Ms. Marvel never would have become a star.
3 Still Interesting: Sidekicks Add New Layers To Their Heroes
One of the best things about sidekicks, whether they be teenage or otherwise, is what they add to the heroes they work with. Captain America is a great character, but it's hard to find anything in common with him for the reader. This is why writers have given Cap a variety of sidekicks over the years. Not only do they give someone that readers can relate to, they bring out something inside him. Sidekicks show heroes in ways they've never been seen before. Seeing someone mentor their sidekicks is interesting for readers, adding a new dimension to heroes they already love.
2 Outated: Sidekicks Have Outlived Their Purpose
Sidekicks were originally created to give young readers someone they could pretend to be. It was believed that kids would have a hard time relating to adult heroes, so teen heroes were introduced. Robin was super popular, so Bucky was created alongside Captain America and Toro was introduced to the Human Torch's world. Now, kids rarely if ever read comics and with Marvel, they'd rather just watch MCU movies. Sidekicks in the traditional sense aren't really needed anymore, especially at Marvel.
1 Still Interesting: Comics Are All About The Past
Sidekicks are a venerable part of comics and while they have completely outlived their original use, there is always going to be a place for them. Marvel sidekicks may go in and out of vogue, but like anything else in comics, they can always be brought back. Nothing is outdated if the creators can make it work.
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