From having a bit too much health to powerful abilities that are already menacing the multiplayer servers, Marvel Rivals does feature characters that have the community grumbling. Thankfully, as it is a live-service game, there are opportunities for NetEase to make changes through updates in the future.
Venom
Extra Symbiote Armor Makes Him Near Impossible To Defeat
Class: Vanguard
Difficulty: 3/5
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #300
Venom is the prime example of a tank and DPS character fusion, able to charge in and deal a lot of damage fast in a match. Like most Vanguard classes, he has a lot of health already, but at any point, he can use his Symbiotic Resistance ability to grant him an extra 100 health points to keep him going. He can even survive some ultimate attacks thanks to the extra health.
The powerful attacks and other abilities turn the playable version of Venom into a force to be reckoned with, such as plummeting down on enemies and swinging faster than Spider-Man. Additionally, his standard attack has a surprising range for a melee attack, all of which turns him into the ideal Vanguard for distracting the enemy team while the rest focuses on the objective.
Iron Man
Unlimited Flight Turns Iron Man Into A Sniper
Class: Duelist
Difficulty: 2/5
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #39
As expected, Iron Man is armed with his trusty repulsors in his gauntlets, missiles, and chest beam like most versions of the character. His attacks can hit anyone at seemingly any range, which makes him a danger to anyone because of his ability to fly without any limitations.
Amid an intense battle, Iron Man can easily hide high in the air, launching repulsor blasts and energy beams akin to a sniper attack. It wouldn’t be so bad if Iron Man didn’t have the fastest movement out of all the airborne characters, even without his bonus ability to jet off at great speeds to avoid any possible attacks.
Squirrel Girl
She Lives Up To Her Reputation As Unbeatable
Class: Duelist
Difficulty: 1/5
First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes #8 (Vol. 2)
Many characters from the Overwatch roster can be compared to Marvel Rivals characters and Squirrel Girl is no different. Squirrel Girl is essentially an analog of Junkrat, featuring a main attack to lob projectiles that explode after a second or on impact of an opponent.
Unlike Junkrat, Squirrel Girl’s main attack is far more precise and with better range to make Squirrel Girl take out an opponent far across the map. Additionally, she can unleash a stampede of squirrels that can devour foes in seconds, which is technically comic-accurate since Squirrel Girl took on Thanos and won in the past.
Jeff The Land Shark
The Best Shark Dog Is Also A Menace To Enemies
Class: Strategist
Difficulty: 2/5
First Appearance: West Coast Avengers #6
On the one hand, Jeff The Land Shark is considered the cutest character in the game as he is a tiny shark that looks and moves like a puppy. On the other hand, however, Jeff is a Strategist character who sprays water and launches bubbles that heal teammates, arguably having the fastest healing abilities in the game.
Jeff can also heal himself, simply by swimming under the surface of any floor. While he is not invincible while swimming, his small dorsal fin is a challenge to hit, since he moves faster in this mode. Then there is his ultimate attack, which allows him to swallow all teammates and enemies whole. If positioned correctly, he can launch his enemies off the map for multiple kills at once.
The Punisher
Guns, Guns, and More Guns
Class: Duelist
Difficulty: 1/5
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #129
In the early betas of Marvel Rivals, The Punisher became a notoriously brutal character to go up against. On top of an assault rifle and a shotgun that deal tremendous damage, the Punisher also has access to an armored turret that can wipe out an entire team without even being an ultimate attack, making him a perfect character for beginners.
There is humor to be found in a human character like Frank Castle defeating gods and aliens with Earthly firearms, but that’s also part of the fun. However, Punisher does have one otherworldly weapon in the form of an exosuit decorated with multiple guns as his ultimate attack, which has already made players run in terror whenever he unleashes it.
Peni Parker
The Strongest Of The Spider-People
Class: Vanguard
Difficulty: 3/5
First Appearance: Edge of Spider-Verse #5
Wearing her SP//dr mech suit as one of many Spider-Verse heroes, Peni Parker has heavy cannons that mow through enemy health fast, even large ones like Venom. That’s not what makes her overpowered, though, that honor goes to her Spider-Mines, which she can lay many out onto the map as traps combined with her cannons that make her a nightmare for players.
Peni Parker also features a Spider-Nest, which has multiple functions: sending out drones that attack opponents within range, giving Peni the ability to heal over time, and enhancing her speed. It all results in Peni Parker being a constant barrage of abilities that can turn the tide of an entire battle.
Cloak & Dagger
Healing Or Damaging Can Lead To A Powerful Game Of Swapping
Class: Strategist
Difficulty: 3/5
First Appearance: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #64
Having two characters in one makes Cloak & Dagger a bit technical with a lot of experimentation needed to learn their controls. Dagger is all about healing and supporting the team her abilities with minimal damage against enemies, while Dagger can drain an opponent’s health in seconds, stun them with his cape, and make allies invisible.
When a player learns how to bounce between Cloak & Dagger, swapping between healing and damage properly to balance the two playstyles, it can feel like playing a two-person army. As a result, Cloak & Dagger are the ideal Strategist character for those who want to balance healing and damage.
Iron Fist
His Hands Are A Weapon In Every Way Possible
Class: Duelist
Difficulty: 4/5
First Appearance: Sword Master: Warriors Of Three Sovereigns #1
Duelists are supposed to focus on unleashing damage, but Iron Fist has quickly gained a reputation as a character the community loves and despises at the same time. Given that the character is an elite martial artist, he features fast and powerful combos that can be used in midair or on the ground, fitting his Iron Fist moniker, but he takes it even further with wall running and self-healing.
With the Dragon’s Defense ability, Iron Fist absorbs attacks from his foes and redistributes them with Yat Jee Chung Kuen as a rapid-fire barrage of attacks that can demolish nearly every character on the roster. Following up the barrage with his healing ability is enough to allow Iron Fist to potentially go an entire match without being eliminated.
