Kraken

Emerging from the shadows of Marvel's Modern Age, Kraken made a striking entrance in Secret Warriors #2 in 2009, brought to life by the powerhouse creative trio of Brian Michael Bendis, Jonathan Hickman, and Stefano Caselli. This is a character who keeps genuinely dangerous company — sharing pages with Nick Fury, Jake Fury, the deadly Gorgon, Tomi Shishido, and Quake — which tells you everything about the high-stakes espionage world they inhabit. Secret Warriors was one of Marvel's most gripping conspiracy-drenched series of its era, and Kraken is woven right into its intrigue. With only a focused handful of appearances, this is a figure whose impact punches well above their page count.