Falcon: “Captain America and Falcon: Madbomb” by Jack Kirby
The King of Comics is most famous as an artist, but he’s also a capable storyteller. This definitive Captain America story established Falcon as an undisputed hero in his own right. A villain has absconded with “madbombs,” psychic devices that can drive crowds of people insane. Ready to bring down the nation on its 200th birthday, Cap and Falcon partner up, kicking off the best years of the heroic duo. Jack Kirby helped create Captain America in 1941, and he uses his unparalleled comic-making mojo to make Falcon the sort of hero he wanted to see in the 1970s.
Gamora: “Annihilation: Conquest” by Abnett and Lanning et al.
The second of two epic cosmic wars that establish the Guardians of the Galaxy, “Annihilation: Conquest” shows Gamora at the top of her game. That’s kind of a weird statement — she spends most of this story under robotic mind control working for the bad guys. But in doing so, you understand exactly what makes her The Most Dangerous Woman in the Galaxy. And when she gets freed from that robot control? Things really escalate from there. This story is great, and showcases Gamora at her most deadly.
Ghost Rider: “Ghost Riders: Heavens On Fire” by Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi
There have been many hosts for the Xarathos, the Spirit of Vengeance. Though a creature of Hell, Xarathos follows a strict code, one that often brings the Ghost Riders into conflict with both the forces of Heaven and Hell. This comic brings together multiple Ghost Riders, and they’re going to need to work together if they are going to stop a renegade angel, a troupe of Satanists, and the literal anti-christ. If the best Ghost Rider comics look like they were found on the side of a van, this is the best Ghost Rider comic.
Groot and Rocket Raccoon: “Rocket Raccoon” by Skottie Young and Jake Parker
When you’re writing about an angry talking space raccoon, you’ve gotta keep your sense of humor. But you’ve also got to take your hero seriously. This solo series does both, throwing Rocket into the silliest of adventures while remembering that at his core, he’s kind of a sad character. What do you want out of Rocket Raccoon series? This story has got it. There are some seriously wacky bad guys in this, not to mention Rocket’s ex, who is an otter. You’ve got bombs. You’ve got lasers! You’ve got explosions and theft and heists. And at the center of it all, you have the unbreakable friendship between a Raccoon and a tree.
Hawkeye: “Hawkeye” by Matt Fraction and David Aja
A modern classic that changed comics forever, “Hawkeye” is based around one simple question. On a team with leaders like Captain America, jokesters like Spider-Man, and badasses like Captain Marvel, what makes Hawkeye special? The answer is, not a whole lot. In this comic, Hawkeye lives in a crappy apartment in Brooklyn. He adopts a dog. He fails to set up his home entertainment system. He never does buy a coffee mug, so he just drinks his coffee right out of the pot. He’s kind of a loser. But in showing us his days off from Avenging, he’s never been a more interesting character.
Hulk: “Immortal Hulk” by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett
Over the years, Bruce Banner has been killed a lot of times. This is a comic so he always comes back. But what if there’s more to it than that? This series explores Hulk’s apparent immortality. By day, Bruce Banner is killed by some injustice. At night, the Hulk rises again to mete out righteous and horrifying vengeance. Despite being one of the most recent series on this list, this is an old-school horror comic, and its filled with mind-bending mythos and dramatic irony in equal measure.
Continue on to the next page to see more of our favorite comics from the characters of MUA3…