History DependingOnTheWriter / MarvelUniverse

!!Franchise/MarvelUniverse

* John Byrne's ComicBook/AlphaFlight were (his protests to the contrary) well-{{Rounded Character}}s with depth and interest. After he quit, they rapidly went to being whiny losers and have never been portrayed consistently since, until they all died [[TheWorfEffect to show how powerful a random villain was]] (and pave the way for Omega Flight).

** It's [[DiscussedTrope discussed]] in ''ComicBook/TheUnbelievableGwenpool,'' where Batroc is depicted as the BadassNormal TeamDad. When [[FourthWallObserver Gwen]] muses on the fact that her book is being cancelled in one of the final issues, she tells a confused Batroc that his future characterization will be up to the whims of different writers going forward. She tearfully says good-bye to her friend, knowing that writers will likely never use this version of him again.
* Gwenpool herself has oscillated on how dumb, competent, and loony she is depending on who's writing her. ''Gwenpool Strikes Again'' pushes this on a ridiculously meta level by having Gwen [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EJ0L0hOWsAM1TlB?format=jpg&name=large pull her past selves from previous appearances]], each one with the art style and personality quirks of their respective runs.
* A common criticism of ''ComicBook/CivilWar2006'' was that the Superhero Registration Act was this. Writers of pro-registration books tended to treat it as being like a driver's license - give your name, pass a few tests, and the government'll leave you alone from now on unless you're looking for protection or want to do your part. Anti-registration books, on the other hand, approached it like a forcible draft, with even teenagers, mutants born with minor powers or conscientious objectors being pulled in and trained to kill, with resistance being punishable by imprisonment without trial in a hellish alternate dimension. In particular, the ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}} Initiative was either a legitimate attempt to help compliant and registered supervillains redeem themselves, or a gang of PsychosForHire being used as attack dogs against people guilty of no crime beyond wanting to be left alone. This left a good chunk of readers confused as to what on Earth Marvel was implying by claiming the pro-registration side were the good guys.
** This is also a problem with ''ComicBook/CivilWarII''. One of the main problems is the characterization of ComicBook/CarolDanvers. Sometimes she's portrayed as a heroine who, despite the moral ambiguity of using a precog to stop potential crimes, is conflicted on if she's doing the right thing and relying on other heroes to help guide her in her path, not wanting to have anything like [[spoiler:the death of War Machine]] happen again. Other times, she's depicted as an authoritarian JerkAss who'd happily detain anyone and everyone who even idly dreams of a crime, making her conflict with [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] seem less like a conflict of morals and more of a morality-based dick-measuring contest.

* Fin Fang Foom's size, intelligence, backstory, and alignment vary wildly between appearances, as discussed [[http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/08/09/365-reasons-to-love-comics-221/ here.]]

* [[WretchedHive Madripoor.]] Whoever is in charge of the island nation can vary as quickly as whoever is writing the story. One moment, Tiger Tyger is in control and pushing through reforms to transform it into a respectable nation. The very next it's right back into a haven for human and drug trafficking and other organized crime under the control of the likes of Viper or Sabretooth, with no explanation of how the regime changed. It's even happened across issues of two different series ''released in the same month''. While it could be handwaved since Madripoor is often fractious, and divided into territories controlled by different individuals with differing goals, (so Tyger's part of the city is a progressive mecca of legitimate business, while Daken's territory makes [[Film/StarWarsANewHope Mos Eisley]] seem quaint) the books rarely actually utilize this, (at least until the gang warring becomes a plot point itself) and applies the current situation across the whole island.

* ''ComicBook/{{Thanos}}'' is a quite odd example of this. Jim Starlin portrays him as a great intellect with professorial dialogue who is greatly aware of the real workings of the universe and intended to make Thanos give up being a villain after ''Infinity Gauntlet'', going from a cosmic destroyer obsessed with Death and mystical macguffins to a morally grey cosmic pilgrim; Ron Marz and Keith Giffen try to stay in line with his post-''Infinity Gauntlet'' characterisation, writing him as a neutral force who acts out of curiosity and self-preservation; Jason Aaron's ''Thanos Rising'', at the other end of the scale, suggests that he's simply a very powerful Serial Killer and even that his initial visions of death [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane were ambiguously hallucinations rather than the real thing]]. Most other writers simply use him as a scary and [[AdaptationalDumbass brutish]] and [[TheBrute thuggish]] cosmic villain.
* ComicBook/UltimateMarvel

** ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen''

* ComicBook/{{MODOK}}’s exact threat factor depends on who’s writing his story. At times, he can be a very big threat to foes, while other times, the fact that he’s a giant head makes him a joke.
** Lampshaded in ''ComicBook/TheUnbelievableGwenpool,'' where Gwen expects to be facing a comical, ridiculous MODOK but finds that she’s facing the much more dangerous version of the character.
* ''Comicbook/TheAvengersJasonAaron'' has the Council of Red, an AllianceOfAlternates of Mephisto, which includes a cartoon pig version that looks very much like a ''Comicbook/SpiderHam'' character. Except ''Spider-Bot Infinity Comic'' has a cameo of Spider-Ham riffing on ''Comicbook/OneMoreDay'' with a cartoon ''bull'' Mephisto. And before ''that'', ''Comicbook/SpiderGwen'' had Spider-Ham say he'd already ''done'' his version of ''One More Day'' and the villain was "Mephistork", who presumably would be a stork. Could be justified since all versions of Mephisto are shapeshifters, but it hasn't actually been addressed.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'''s [[DaEditor J. Jonah Jameson]], editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, gets this treatment when it comes to the reasoning behind his newspaper's anti-Spidey reporting: to some, it's because he's [[GreenEyedMonster jealous of the fact the Spider-Man is more heroic than he could ever be]]; to others, it's just a case of JJ being an [[JerkAss asshole]]. Still others give him a motive that is, on the face of it, reasonable. Even more inconsistent is his personality beyond the Spidey-hate; is he a JerkWithAHeartOfGold to his employees and a decent newspaperman with one unfortunate blind-spot, or is he a BadBoss and a headline-chasing scaremongerer? What's also often is the indecisiveness of how far his hate for Spider-Man goes. Is it exclusive only for Spidey, or does Jameson have a hatred for the entire superhero community in general? One moment he'd be very hesitant to start going after the likes of the Fantastic Four, and the next he's calling Galactus's first appearance a hoax.

* ''ComicBook/{{Thanos}}'' is a quite odd example of this. Jim Starlin portrays him as a great intellect with professorial dialogue who is greatly aware of the real workings of the universe and intended to make Thanos give up being a villain after Infinity Gauntlet, going from a cosmic destroyer obsessed with Death and mystical macguffins to a morally grey cosmic pilgrim; Ron Marz and Keith Giffen try to stay in line with his post-Infinity Gauntlet characterisation, writing him as a neutral force who acts out of curiosity and self-preservation; Jason Aaron's Thanos Rising, at the other end of the scale, suggests that he's simply a very powerful Serial Killer and even that his initial visions of death [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane were ambiguously hallucinations rather than the real thing]]. Most other writers simply use him as a scary and [[AdaptationalDumbass brutish]] and [[TheBrute thuggish]] cosmic villain.

** Lampshaded in ''ComicBook/TheUnbelievableGwenpool,'' where Gwen expects to be facing a comical, ridiculous MODOK but finds that she’s facing the much more dangerous version of the character.

** ComicBook/MilesMorales originates in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel line of books. After the Peter Parker of Earth-1610 died heroically, Miles takes up the Spider-Man mantle to protect New York. However, as the sales figures for Ultimate Marvel continued to drop, it became clear that Miles was the only Ultimate Marvel hero that people were interested in. The solution was to [[{{Transplant}} move Miles and his supporting cast to the main Marvel Universe]] through the cosmic reshuffling of the ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' CrisisCrossover. However, since that point, Miles' relationship with his home dimension has been pretty confusing. Sometimes it's treated as though he has no memories of the Ultimate Universe, or [[AmnesiacResonance traces of memories]], or he knows exactly how he came to be in Earth-616 and [[AngstWhatAngst doesn't find it all that relevant]]. One story even claimed that it was a different person altogether who suffered the DeathByOriginStory. Sometimes his sudden existence is treated as suspicious, other times people act as though Miles [[CosmicRetcon has always lived in the Marvel Universe]]. In his [[ComicBook/MilesMoralesSpiderMan2018 2018 series]] by Creator/SaladinAhmed, the official answer appears to be that Miles ''did'' come from the Ultimate Universe, but only has limited memories of it, while in ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManNickSpencer'' he remembers Ultimate Peter Parker and Ultimate Norman Osbourne in full detail.[[note]]Seen in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #48[[/note]] Note that [[ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour The Maker]] and Jimmy Hudson, other canon immigrants, have no such ambiguity and are openly acknowledged as coming from another dimension.

* A common criticism of ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' was that the Superhero Registration Act was this. Writers of pro-registration books tended to treat it as being like a driver's license - give your name, pass a few tests, and the government'll leave you alone from now on unless you're looking for protection or want to do your part. Anti-registration books, on the other hand, approached it like a forcible draft, with even teenagers, mutants born with minor powers or conscientious objectors being pulled in and trained to kill, with resistance being punishable by imprisonment without trial in a hellish alternate dimension. In particular, the ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}} Initiative was either a legitimate attempt to help compliant and registered supervillains redeem themselves, or a gang of PsychosForHire being used as attack dogs against people guilty of no crime beyond wanting to be left alone. This left a good chunk of readers confused as to what on Earth Marvel was implying by claiming the pro-registration side were the good guys.

** ComicBook/MilesMorales originates in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel line of books. After the Peter Parker of Earth-1610 died heroically, Miles takes up the Spider-Man mantle to protect New York. However, as the sales figures for Ultimate Marvel continued to drop, it became clear that Miles was the only Ultimate Marvel hero that people were interested in. The solution was to [[{{Transplant}} move Miles and his supporting cast to the main Marvel Universe]] through the cosmic reshuffling of the ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' CrisisCrossover. However, since that point, Miles' relationship with his home dimension has been pretty confusing. Sometimes it's treated as though he has no memories of the Ultimate Universe, or [[AmnesiacResonance traces of memories]], or he knows exactly how he came to be in Earth-616 and [[AngstWhatAngst doesn't find it all that relevant]]. One story even claimed that it was a different person altogether who suffered the DeathByOriginStory. Sometimes his sudden existence is treated as suspicious, other times people act as though Miles [[CosmicRetcon has always lived in the Marvel Universe]]. Nowadays, in his [[ComicBook/MilesMoralesSpiderMan current run of comics]] by Creator/SaladinAhmed, the official answer appears to be that Miles ''did'' come from the Ultimate Universe, but only has limited memories of it, while in ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManNickSpencer'' he remembers Ultimate Peter Parker and Ultimate Norman Osbourne in full detail.[[note]]Seen in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #48[[/note]] Note that [[ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour The Maker]] and Jimmy Hudson, other canon immigrants, have no such ambiguity and are openly acknowledged as coming from another dimension.

** It's [[DiscussedTrope discussed]] in ''ComicBook/TheUnbelievableGwenpool,'' where Batroc is depicted as the BadassNormal TeamDad. When Gwen realizes that her book is almost cancelled, she tells Batroc that, once the book is over, his characterization will be up to the whims of different writers. She tearfully says good-bye to her friend, knowing that writers will likely never use this version of his characterization again.
* Gwenpool herself has oscillated on how dumb, competent and loony she is depending on where she is. ''Gwenpool Strikes Again'' pushes this on a ridiculously meta level by having Gwen [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EJ0L0hOWsAM1TlB?format=jpg&name=large pull her past selves from other titles]], each one with peculiar art and quirks.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' 's [[DaEditor J. Jonah Jameson]], editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, gets this treatment when it comes to the reasoning behind his newspaper's anti-Spidey reporting: to some, it's because he's [[GreenEyedMonster jealous of the fact the Spider-Man is more heroic than he could ever be]]; to others, it's just a case of JJ being an [[JerkAss asshole]]. Still others give him a motive that is, on the face of it, reasonable. Even more inconsistent is his personality beyond the Spidey-hate; is he a JerkWithAHeartOfGold to his employees and a decent newspaperman with one unfortunate blind-spot, or is he a BadBoss and a headline-chasing scaremongerer? What's also often is the indecisiveness of how far his hate for Spider-Man goes. Is it exclusive only for Spidey, or does Jameson have a hatred for the entire superhero community in general? One moment he'd be very hesitant to start going after the likes of the Fantastic Four, and the next he's calling Galactus's first appearance a hoax.

** He's consistently depicted as [[InsaneEqualsViolent violent because of insanity]], but the intensity and type of insanity, how it manifests, and the terms other characters apply to him vary by writer as they choose different ways to {{avert|ed trope}} leaving it {{ambiguous|disorder}}. He's been called a "[[HeroicComedicSociopath sociopath]]" for lacking empathy, enjoying violence, and making jokes at inappropriate times. He's had "[[FunnySchizophrenia schizophrenia]]" in the form of hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and constantly [[TalkingToThemself talking to himself]]. These supposed diagnoses [[HollywoodPsych don't keep pace with real-world diagnostic criteria]].

** Reed Richards in particular can completely change from writer to writer; he's the iconic ScienceHero of the Marvel Universe, and his intelligence is rarely anything less than "the smartest man in the world", but how he approaches that intelligence and scientific acumen is what varies. He can be redoubtably heroic or borderline amoral, he can be a man rushing to the frontlines of adventure or a borderline NonActionGuy, he can be reasonably social and friendly while tending to get wrapped in his work or suffering from AmbiguousDisorder so severe it's a wonder he ever leaves the Baxter building. He was also canonically a Korean War veteran before the SlidingTimescale kicked in, and whether or not writers treat him as a veteran ranges heavily. In general, if he appears in another hero's book or a crossover, the chances of him being a full-on MadScientist caricature start ticking up.

* The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk has numerous factors of his character that vary between writers; Whether he's a dumb brute that can only speak in HulkSpeak, a completely mindless monster who can't talk at all, or someone with a fairly average intellect with a somewhat odd speech pattern. Also depending on the writer is the Hulk's power level; while it is in a state of flux depending on his emotional state, some writers have him being knocked out by an average python choking him for less than a minute, and dying from being impaled by a trident when he's previously survived wounds that make that seem like a papercut by comparison. Another significantly variable thing is how goodnatured the Hulk is; he can be basically heroic but bad-tempered, amoral and mostly wanting to be left alone, or a monster ruled by pure id who has done far worse than kill people. Greg Pak's Hulk, for a particular outlier, is a flat-out TechnicalPacifist who subconsciously avoids killing people even in the midst of a rampage. This is somewhat justified by Banner having multiple personality syndrome and there being thousands of Hulks in his mind, but many of these traits have been ascribed to the iconic "Savage" Hulk personality alone.

* The relative goodness of ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} varies. Sometimes he's depicted as heavily mentally unstable, even AxCrazy covered up by a facade of goofiness, whereas at other times, he's a CrazyIsCool anti-hero who would NeverHurtAnInnocent. The ''WesternAnimation/HulkVs'' series kind of splits the difference, having an amusing Deadpool who is also completely malevolent. Possibly justified given the nature of his condition (well, usually): his healing factor is lodged within a brain tumour, which constantly shifts in size, meaning that the contents of his skull are being constantly kicked about.

** ComicBook/MilesMorales originates in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel line of books. After the Peter Parker of Earth-1610 died heroically, Miles takes up the Spider-Man mantle to protect New York. However, as the sales figures for Ultimate Marvel continued to drop, it became clear that Miles was the only Ultimate Marvel hero that people were interested in. The solution was to [[{{Transplant}} move Miles and his supporting cast to the main Marvel Universe]] through the cosmic reshuffling of the ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' CrisisCrossover. However, since that point, Miles' relationship with his home dimension has been pretty confusing. Sometimes it's treated as though he has no memories of the Ultimate Universe, or [[AmnesiacResonance traces of memories]], or he knows exactly how he came to be in Earth-616 and [[AngstWhatAngst doesn't find it all that relevant]]. One story even claimed that it was a different person altogether who suffered the DeathByOriginStory. Sometimes his sudden existence is treated as suspicious, other times people act as though Miles [[CosmicRetcon has always lived in the Marvel Universe]]. Nowadays, in his [[ComicBook/MilesMoralesSpiderMan current run of comics]] by Creator/SaladinAhmed, the official answer appears to be that Miles ''did'' come from the Ultimate Universe, but only has limited memories of it, while in ComicBook/NickSpencersSpiderMan he remembers Ultimate Peter Parker and Ultimate Norman Osbourne in full detail.[[note]]Seen in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #48[[/note]] Note that [[ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour The Maker]] and Jimmy Hudson, other canon immigrants, have no such ambiguity and are openly acknowledged as coming from another dimension.

* The Comicbook/IncredibleHulk has numerous factors of his character that vary between writers; Whether he's a dumb brute that can only speak in HulkSpeak, a completely mindless monster who can't talk at all, or someone with a fairly average intellect with a somewhat odd speech pattern. Also depending on the writer is the Hulk's power level; while it is in a state of flux depending on his emotional state, some writers have him being knocked out by an average python choking him for less than a minute, and dying from being impaled by a trident when he's previously survived wounds that make that seem like a papercut by comparison. Another significantly variable thing is how goodnatured the Hulk is; he can be basically heroic but bad-tempered, amoral and mostly wanting to be left alone, or a monster ruled by pure id who has done far worse than kill people. Greg Pak's Hulk, for a particular outlier, is a flat-out TechnicalPacifist who subconsciously avoids killing people even in the midst of a rampage. This is somewhat justified by Banner having multiple personality syndrome and there being thousands of Hulks in his mind, but many of these traits have been ascribed to the iconic "Savage" Hulk personality alone.

* How about Comicbook/ThePunisher? Generally a good man who's committed to trying to make sure his family's deaths weren't in vain and others don't suffer the same fate? Psychopathic monster who'll kill people for littering or being junkies? A man on a mission with a singular purpose and great at planning? Barely rational gun-toting lunatic?

** Then came ''Born'' from the [[Comicbook/ThePunisherMAX MAX imprint]], which puts a stunning twist on his origin: Not only was it was never about vengeance for his family, he (unwittingly) ''caused'' their murders. What happened was that in Vietnam, he'd grown to love war, both because he was a master of killing and he liked being able to punish wrongdoers. He made a deal with a mysterious unseen entity (the Grim Reaper, according to the author's notes) that once the Vietnam War ended, he could have his own war which would never end...for an unspecified price. It was only after he returned that he learned that the price was his family.
** The last four [[Comicbook/ThePunisherMAX Max]] arcs (Kingpin, Bullseye, Frank, and Homeless) muddle things even further. It turns out that the aforementioned deal with Death was just a possibility, and that avenging his family was still on the table (although that too was only a possibility). Then in Frank, Frank himself denies both explanations and gives the "punishing himself" rationale given by ''previous'' authors (which at the time was mostly an attempt to keep the moral guardians at bay). Bullseye himself lampshades this, spending several ''days'' just pondering the possible origins.

* The teen Vision from ''Comicbook/YoungAvengers'' had the memories of the original Vision, but the writers were unsure how far to take this. ''Young Avengers'' made it clear that the new Vision had his own distinct personality and was [[LegacyCharacter for all intents and purposes a new character]], while ''Comicbook/NewAvengers'' and ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' seemed to indicate [[TheNthDoctor he was essentially the original Vision in a new body]].
** The ''Avengers Assemble'' annual {{Lampshaded}} this by having Comicbook/IronMan and [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]] state that they left the original Vision in storage because [[Comicbook/TheAvengers the team]] assumed the new Vision was just the classic version with an upgraded appearance.

** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': Just how much of a ManipulativeBastard [[Comicbook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] Comicbook/NickFury is varies on who is writing him. His characterization can jump around anywhere from that of a GoodIsNotSoft CynicalMentor, to a WellIntentionedExtremist.

* ''Comicbook/XMen'' examples:
** ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} tends to go from badass leader, to whiny emo-kid, to punchable asshat who treats his women like shit due to his constant infidelity.
*** How powerful his EyeBeams are also varies wildly from book to book, as indicated by their varying effects on Wolverine, who has probably absorbed more full-power optic blasts than anyone alive. They range from as weak as a firm shove, to reducing him to a smoking wreck only saved by his HealingFactor.
** ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} is even worse, as he can be a murder-happy asshole, honorable warrior, fatherly mentor, and the gruff veteran super-hero whose violent nature is a source of conflict within him. His personality being all over the place is par for the course, but combine that with his tendency to be [[WolverinePublicity everywhere at once in various different costumes]]. And his powers aren't even consistent. He goes from taking a gunshot to the stomach and taking a few days to heal to standing right next to Nitro when he goes off and regenerating from only his skeleton in seconds.
** Both Wolverine and Colossus have an actual physical problem in this area: writers can't seem to decide once and for all whether adamantium and organic steel are ''magnetic''... which is ''kind of important'' given who the X-Men's most frequent recurring big bad is. Hell, a major plot point in Wolverine's character arc was having his adamantium ripped out of him by Magneto, leaving him with with a regular skeleton for years (real time), which means any writer who makes it non-magnetic is asking the readers to forget that whole thing happened.
** A minor one for Wolverine is whether or not he can swim. Often he's shown swimming with ease (especially in earlier comics), while other times, it's pointed out that his skeleton would make him ''completely'' unable to swim since his skeleton would make him far too dense to do much in the water other than sink. The reason this is important is because drowning is one of the few surefire ways to kill him, so it's a question of exactly how susceptible to drowning is he?
** One of the worse examples in the X-Men has to be Polaris and Havok. Either they are insane with rage at the treatment of mutantkind, running screaming into the hills to try and live normal lives (their original default personalities BTW), or are being written as the brainwashed pawns of the villain of the week. A controversial moment in ''Comicbook/UncannyAvengers'' had Havok declaring to the public that he despises the "m-word" and wished to be treated just like everyone else. A number of people online pointed out that a statement such as this was ''extremely'' out of character for Havok, who in the past had been shown to be very proud of his mutant heritage.
** In one old X-Men comic, Colossus is shown to be especially weak to Storm's lightning because he's made of metal, the tiniest spark sending him into bouts of pain. Only a few issues later, he takes one of Storm's normal lightning bolts with a smile on his face. Maybe he just became a masochist.
** ComicBook/{{Nightcrawler}}, another member of the X-Men, falls prey to this trope as well. In his initial appearances, he was a [[TheWoobie woobie]] and a case of IJustWantToBeNormal. The next writer turned him into FunPersonified. Later writers have gone with one portrayal, the other, or [[SadClown a combination of the two]]. It also happens with his religion, initially he didn't talk about it much and said it was just a matter between him and God, but some writers make him more devotedly religious, even to the point where he trained to become a priest.
** A storyline from late in Creator/ChrisClaremont's classic run has the team killed and resurrected, which renders the lineup at the time, which included Rogue, Storm, and Wolverine[[note]]As well as Psylocke, Havok, Colossus, Dazzler, and Longshot[[/note]] invisible to cameras, a fact referenced and exploited frequently throughout the rest of his run. This is ''completely'' forgotten by the next writer, and since then, whenever one of the eight shows up, they turn up on camera ''unless'' it's written by Chris himself, who makes references to this trait well into the noughties.
** Another is the use of the word "human" by sympathetic characters -- certain villains draw a bright line, but whether aliens feel the need to specify "humans and mutants" or whether the X-Men themselves refer to "humans" or "non-mutant humans" depends far more on the writer than the characters. Justified since the terms aren't being used scientifically; mutants are a ''subspecies'' of human rather than a separate species. All mutants are humans, but not all humans are mutants.[[note]]Some writers have referred to them as separate species, but if two populations can and do interbreed regularly, as is the case here, they are the same species.[[/note]]
** The portrayal of ComicBook/{{Sabretooth}} is all over the place. He can go from animalistic berserker to calm criminal mastermind ''within the same storyline'', and not in a Jekyll-and-Hyde way. Similarly, his evil tends to vary. Sometimes he's a feared & depraved serial killer that has performed almost every evil act known to man. Other times, he's a edgy bad boy. And in some [[{{Flanderization}} extreme cases]], he's a juvenile frat-boy type that people find annoying.
** Many comic-book villains alternate between NobleDemon and baby-eating psycho depending on who's writing them (Dr. Doom and Magneto being the most obvious). It's very strange to see ComicBook/{{Magneto}} go between being Creator/ChrisClaremont's WellIntentionedExtremist Magneto and Creator/GrantMorrison's parody [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] drug addict Magneto. Which is why Grant Morrison's Mags [[{{Retcon}} officially wasn't him]]. And afterward Magneto (written by Chris Claremont) commented "Why would anyone think I was capable of that?"
** Comicbook/{{Mystique}} tends to be a pretty big victim of this especially whenever she is with her children Rogue and Nightcrawler. Is she an AntiVillain who has a genuine, if twisted, love for her children and is a dark MamaBear? Or is she a complete sociopath who cares nothing for them and only [[AbusiveParents uses them when necessary]] before ultimately discarding them sometimes [[OffingTheOffspring lethally?]]
** James Proudstar, AKA Warpath, has an interesting case of this regarding his powers. Sometimes, he's a nigh-invulnerable Colossus-type fighter who can stand up to the Juggernaut for several minutes. Sometimes he's weaker, but still growing stronger. He tends to always have superhuman senses, but sometimes he's on the level of a feral mutant like Wolverine, and sometimes he's at Superman levels where he tracks down snipers by the sound of their heartbeats. He also tends to have superhuman speed, but he's varied between Spider-Man levels of speed and reflexes and flat-out being faster than the speed of sound. Sometimes he can fly, sometimes he can't. And recently he gained a Wolverine-level healing factor, though he might not have that anymore. Poor Warpath has NewPowersAsThePlotDemands but it is ''never'' beneficial for him.

** Mary Jane and Felicia's personal relationship can vary wildly between writers. At times the two cannot stand each other as love rivals for Peter, with various writers playing up one or the other based on their preferences. Other times they get along like good friends who are more than willing to mutually tease Peter and help the other out in their personal lives.

** ComicBook/MilesMorales originates in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel line of books. After the Peter Parker of Earth-1610 died heroically, Miles takes up the Spider-Man mantle to protect New York. However, as the sales figures for Ultimate Marvel continued to drop, it became clear that Miles was the only Ultimate Marvel hero that people were interested in. The solution was to [[{{Transplant}} move Miles and his supporting cast to the main Marvel Universe]] through the cosmic reshuffling of the ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' CrisisCrossover. However, since that point, Miles' relationship with his home dimension has been pretty confusing. Sometimes it's treated as though he has no memories of the Ultimate Universe, or [[AmnesiacResonance traces of memories]], or he knows exactly how he came to be in Earth-616 and [[AngstWhatAngst doesn't find it all that relevant]]. One story even claimed that it was a different person altogether who suffered the DeathByOriginStory. Sometimes his sudden existence is treated as suspicious, other times people act as though Miles [[CosmicRetcon has always lived in the Marvel Universe]]. Nowadays, in his [[ComicBook/MilesMoralesSpiderMan current run of comics]] by Creator/SaladinAhmed, the official answer appears to be that Miles ''did'' come from the Ultimate Universe, but only has limited memories of it, while in ComicBook/NickSpencersSpiderMan he remembers Ultimate Peter Parker and Ultimate Norman Osbourne in full detail.[[note]]Seen in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #48[[/note]] Note that ComicBook/TheMaker and Jimmy Hudson, other canon immigrants, have no such ambiguity and are openly acknowledged as coming from another dimension.

** ComicBook/MilesMorales originates in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel line of books. After the Peter Parker of Earth-1610 died heroically, Miles takes up the Spider-Man mantle to protect New York. However, as the sales figures for Ultimate Marvel continued to drop, it became clear that Miles was the only Ultimate Marvel hero that people were interested in. The solution was to [[{{Transplant}} move Miles and his supporting cast to the main Marvel Universe]] through the cosmic reshuffling of the ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' CrisisCrossover. However, since that point, Miles' relationship with his home dimension has been pretty confusing. Sometimes it's treated as though he has no memories of the Ultimate Universe, or [[AmnesiacResonance traces of memories]], or he knows exactly how he came to be in Earth-616 and [[AngstWhatAngst doesn't find it all that relevant]]. One story even claimed that it was a different person altogether who suffered the DeathByOriginStory. Sometimes his sudden existence is treated as suspicious, other times people act as though Miles [[CosmicRetcon has always lived in the Marvel Universe]]. Nowadays, in his [[ComicBook/MilesMoralesSpiderMan current run of comics]] by Creator/SaladinAhmed, the official answer appears to be that Miles ''did'' come from the Ultimate Universe, but only has limited memories of it, while in ComicBook/NickSpencersSpiderMan he remembers Ultimate Peter Parker and Ultimate Norman Osbourne in full detail.[[note]]Seen in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #48[[/note]] Note that ComicBook/TheMaker and ComicBook/JimmyHudson, other canon immigrants, have no such ambiguity and are openly acknowledged as coming from another dimension.

** The the last four [[Comicbook/ThePunisherMAX Max]] arcs (Kingpin, Bullseye, Frank, and Homeless) muddle things even further. It turns out that the aforementioned deal with Death was just a possibility, and that avenging his family was still on the table (although that too was only a possibility). Then in Frank, Frank himself denies both explanations and gives the "punishing himself" rationale given by ''previous'' authors (which at the time was mostly an attempt to keep the moral guardians at bay). Bullseye himself lampshades this, spending several ''days'' just pondering the possible origins.

* The relative goodness of ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} varies. Sometimes he's depicted as heavily mentally unstable, even AxCrazy covered up by a facade of goofiness, whereas at other times, he's a CrazyAwesome anti-hero who would NeverHurtAnInnocent. The ''WesternAnimation/HulkVs'' series kind of splits the difference, having an amusing Deadpool who is also completely malevolent. Possibly justified given the nature of his condition (well, usually): his healing factor is lodged within a brain tumour, which constantly shifts in size, meaning that the contents of his skull are being constantly kicked about.

** None of this compares to [[ComicBook/DoctorDoom Victor Von Doom]]. Dr. Doom is swung back and forth from being a baby-eating psycho, to practically being an AntiVillain more noble and courageous then Reed Richards, and everything in between. In particular, the way he runs his country comes under fire from this -- does he make it a complete utopia with happy, contented citizens, or is it just a facade the citizens put on because Doom will kill anyone who disagrees, and Doom himself only cares for them as a master would care for his pet? [[ArmedWithCanon Writers almost always wind up disagreeing with one another about Doom's correct portrayal and declare stories they don't approve of to have been Doombots instead.]] Mark Waid [[Quotes/DoctorDoom doesn't believe]] that Doom has any nobility to him while Creator/WarrenEllis, Creator/RogerStern, David Michelinie, Creator/JimShooter, Creator/JonathanHickman among others believe he ''is'' genuinely noble and can be genuinely heroic in some situations, someone who believes that since he should take over the world and rule it, it is also his obligation to protect it. Creator/JackKirby, Doom's co-creator believes that Dr. Doom is a tragic figure who thinks only in extremes.

** Creator/GarthEnnis' take, as a sadistic torturer who enjoys killing for its own sake. [[''ComicBook/ThePunisherWelcomeBackFrank'' Tricking a crime boss]] into following him into a polar bear enclosure and riling them up to attack her because he is unarmed? Okay, proactive self defense. Kicking same crime boss, who was an elderly woman and is now a quadruple amputee, into a house fire? Well...

* ComicBook/{{MODOK}}’s exact threat factor depends on who’s writing his story. At times, he can be a very big threat to foes, while other times, the fact that he’s a giant head makes him a joke.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' 's [[DaEditor J. Jonah Jameson]], editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, gets this treatment when it comes to the reasoning behind his newspaper's anti-Spidey reporting: to some, it's because he's [[GreenEyedMonster jealous of the fact the Spider-Man is more heroic than he could ever be]]; to others, it's just a case of JJ being an [[JerkAss asshole]]. Still others give him a motive that is, on the face of it, reasonable. Even more inconsistent is his personality beyond the Spidey-hate; is he a JerkWithAHeartOfGold to his employeees and a decent newspaperman with one unfortunate blind-spot, or is he a BadBoss and a headline-chasing scaremongerer? What's also often is the indecisiveness of how far his hate for Spider-Man goes. Is it exclusive only for Spidey, or does Jameson have a hatred for the entire superhero community in general? One moment he'd be very hesitant to start going after the likes of the Fantastic Four, and the next he's calling Galactus's first appearance a hoax.

* ''Comicbook/XMen'' example: