The Hood

Few Modern Age villains have carved out as memorable a niche in the Marvel Universe as The Hood, who burst onto the scene in 2002 courtesy of the formidable creative team of Brian K. Vaughan and Kyle Hotz. Over more than two decades — a remarkable run for any character — this street-level figure has grown from a debut miniseries into a genuine fixture of Marvel's darker corners, racking up 118 catalog appearances and four key issues that serious collectors will want on their radar. His stomping grounds include some of Marvel's biggest titles — Avengers: The Initiative, New Avengers, and Beyond! — where he shares pages with heavyweights like Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, and Ms. Marvel, making him a recurring presence right at the heart of the action. If you're tracing the evolution of Marvel's criminal underworld through the Modern Age, The Hood is absolutely essential reading.