History AlternativeCharacterInterpretation / MarvelUniverse

* GalactaDaughterOfGalactus: InUniverse, Gali views her "daddy" Galactus as a callous, world-eating monster. She desperately wishes to remove herself from her father's shadow and overcome her base urges to consume everything in her path, though the Tapeworm Cosmic makes this very challenging. [[spoiler:However, Galactus's surprise appearance at the end of the comic seems to favourably change her opinion of him, as he informs her that the "Tapeworm Cosmic" is actually a foetal form of another nascent cosmic entity developing inside her; in other words, she's pregnant. She considers the possibility that Galactus does have some fatherly compassion after all.]]

* ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}: a HeroicComedicSociopath who tries to be a better person? Or a VillainProtagonist who can't change anything about himself?

* ComicBook/DoctorDoom has been portrayed as everything from a WellIntentionedExtremist noble villain to a sadistic brutal CardCarryingVillain, [[DependingOnTheWriter depending on who was writing the story at the time.]]
** What kind of psychology is required to create so many [[ActuallyADoombot Doombots with so many conflicting personalities]]?
* ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'' during his time as a surgeon is always shown as the biggest, most selfish jerk possible. But Creator/BrianKVaughan's ''the Oath'' miniseries implied that maybe he was this way because he couldn't cope with his inability to save everybody, and instead of getting emotionally invested, he had chosen to distance himself from his patients, becoming a greedy, uncaring jerk in the process.

* This [[Website/FourChan /co/]] [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/c9ab86ed11fb0bd78aa0291cb9ff1726/tumblr_mfww8nnSBr1qg8am1o1_1280.png post]] has suggested the idea of J. Jonah Jameson as a SecretSecretKeeper who is tough on Spider-Man in order to motivate him to keep working harder in defending the city. Other interpretations:
** Jameson is a huckster, and the ''Bugle'' is a borderline-tabloid, which he uses for his anti-Spidey crusade regardless of facts.
*** Or even the reverse: Jameson is a huckster, and the ''Bugle'' is a borderline-tabloid, ''but'' his feud with Spider-Man is greatly exaggerated just to sell a lot of papers.
** Jameson is the ButtMonkey, just there for comic relief.
** Jameson is a good, honest newspaperman, and the ''Bugle'' is a good paper, he just happens to have a bug up his butt about Spidey.
** Jameson is a psychopath who has commissioned the creation of lethal anti-Spidey robots, and he should be in jail.
** Jameson is a rugged idealist who believes that Spider-Man has a duty to protect the people of New York, and he runs his anti-Spidey crusade to ensure that he'll ''never'' be able to selfishly use his powers for wealth or fame.
* Canon Example: ComicBook/MoonKnight. Obsessive Abraham Van Helsing style werewolf hunter, [[BadassNormal costumed vigilante]], [[CaptainErsatz Batman parody]], agent of a spirit of vengeance, [[TheCape super hero]], [[TheAtoner mercenary looking for redemption]], just a puppet of Khonshu, and [[AxCrazy schizophrenic sadist]] are just some of his many possible variants, all of whom are canon portrayals. His [[SplitPersonality alters]] are subject to this too: Steven Grant is either reasonable, intelligent and sophisticated or a shallow billionaire playboy, while Jake Lockley is either a gruff but sociable NiceGuy who keeps Moon Knight grounded or easily the most brutal, violent and terrifying of his personalities.
* ComicBook/ThePunisher. Many comics portray him as being just a jaded, cynical man who wants to make absolutely, positively sure that the criminals he stops aren't going to wind up in a CardboardPrison to break out again and commit crimes like the one that killed his family. Some other interpretations paint him closer to a SerialKiller who's using criminals as an acceptable target to vent his bloodlust; these see his actions as more like bloody murder than vigilantism. The second interpretation greatly pleases some fans and infuriates others to no end.

*** Case in point - he's portrayed as a lunatic more commonly when he's co-starring with other heroes like Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}. In his own book, he's shown in a more positive light.
*** His more extreme stories in ''Comicbook/ThePunisherMAX'' are not canonical with the main Marvel Universe.

** When Colossus took the lethal Legacy Virus antidote that would kill its host body while releasing a cure into the atmosphere, thus curing anyone with the Legacy virus anywhere in the world, was it a HeroicSacrifice to save the world? Or, given that he had lost his family and seen his former girlfriend move on with her life, was it a suicide gussied up to look noble? After Colossus became the new Juggernaut, a new alternate interpretation surfaced - that he has a self-destructive messiah complex that forces him to always bear all the pain and suffering there is to bear.

** ComicBook/{{Apocalypse}}: A mutant tyrant that has no desire but to kill everyone he deems inferior to him? A misguided man with [[PhysicalGod incredible powers]] and a broken heart still using a creed that should've died out 5,000 years ago? [[VisionaryVillain A villain who wants to destroy society so that it can start over with strong leadership so that they can avert the ''real'' Apocalypse together?]]

* ComicBook/FantasticFour

* Franchise/SpiderMan: Battle-hardened self-taught warrior using a combination of wit, intelligence, strength, and bitter experience to become a dangerous foe? Or young, inexperienced, naive newbie who can't keep his mouth shut? Even the writers aren't sure.

* ''Franchise/XMen'':
** Is ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} just a wuss who's occupying space until [[SpotlightStealingSquad Wolverine can save the day]], or is he the Creator/MarvelComics equivalent of Franchise/{{Batman}} with EyeBeams? Is his behavior since Creator/JossWhedon's run a case of finally getting rid of BadassDecay and living up the the reputation of leader he was supposed to be or did he simply [[TookALevelInJerkass take a level in jerkass]]? In a post AVX Marvel world, is he a tarnished hero seeking redemption, or just a big damn bigot who doesn't care who he hurts anymore?

* Canon Example: ComicBook/MoonKnight. Obsessive Abraham Van Helsing style werewolf hunter, [[BadassNormal Costumed vigilante]], [[CaptainErsatz Batman parody]], agent of a spirit of vengeance, [[TheCape super hero]], [[TheAtoner mercenary looking for redemption]], just a puppet of khonshu, and [[AxCrazy schizophrenic sadist]] are just some of his many possible variants, all of whom are canon personalities.

** In his review of ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'', [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] paints a chilling picture of Spidey as an irresponsible hypocrite who suffers from a severe case of AesopAmnesia, hurts his friends and loved ones under the guise of "something more important came up as Spider-Man" and making excuses for himself, never taking the time to make any long term plans in life (he has no life insurance for starters) and never made any plans to help his family if the very real possibility of him getting killed in action were to occur. (In fairness, Linkara does bring up that a huge part of the problem stems from how the writers and [[ExecutiveMeddling Marvel editorial]] seem to adamantly refuse to [[NotAllowedToGrowUp let Peter Parker grow up and act his age]], and part of his rant is his own personal jaded perspective.)

** Even writers started to pick sides in this one - Creator/GregRucka has repeatedly stated that he dislikes the interpretation of Frank as crazy.

** Jameson is a rugged idealist who believes that Spider-Man has a duty to protect the people of New York, and he runs his anti-Spidey crusade to ensure that he'll ''never'' be able to selfishly use his powers for wealth or fame.