Marvel Comics has always been innovative in their character development. Inhuman origins, Mutant DNA, cosmic connections, and other magical, mythical, and monstrous transformations have all led to the creation of some truly bizarre individuals. However, the source material is home to many more truly bizarre ideas that have remained true through the generations.
Many of these actors have made multiple appearances throughout comic book history. Most of them aren't necessarily leading figures, and it's unlikely that a titular run will be awarded to them anytime soon. However, these heroes and villains continue to be entertaining every time they appear. Many have carried over from a bygone age of a team-up/antagonist of the week attitude that had resulted in throwing everything at the wall and seeing what would stick.
Elf With A Gun
Melf was named for obvious reasons by Steve Gerber and Sal Buscema in the 1975 Defenders #25. The origins of the odd figure were never revealed, but the antagonist's concept left a lot to be desired.
Melf was tragically killed by a truck and was later executed unceremoniously. Before Relf, Melf's nephew, appeared in Spider-Man Team-Up #5 in 1996, and the name somehow lives on. Now Hrelf, the great nephew of Melf, has sparked the story of the wholly fictional Elf With A Hrocket launcher in Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #37.
Bliss!
When the X-gene first comes into play, mutants emerge in all shapes. No one can control how the human body could evolve, but Bliss is one of those designs that might best be left on the drawing board. The member of the Morlocks first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #261, released in 1990.
Bliss, who's real name was never revealed, has never been a major character in the X-Men comics, but has appeared on a handful of occasions to protect Madripoor, to accept Utopia, and to demonstrate a smidgen of loyalty to Mutantkind. However, her technique is quite bizarre. Bliss attacks her enemies with her secondary face. It's honestly grotesque in its execution and isn't likely to warrant a cinematic adaptation
Silly Seal and Ziggy Pig
When it comes to toonified animals, Marvel has always leaned on comedy characters. Throgg, Howard the Duck, and Spider-Ham are three obvious examples, but those are all characters that have become familiar to viewers. In Krazy Komics #1, the duo appeared as part of separate adventures in 1942.
Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal have been brought back into the modern canon through occasional appearances, though Silly was too stupid to fully participate in. Until recently, Marvel Unlimited gifted them a special run where Ziggy tried to deceive the world into rejecting the Pet Avengers, a scheme that Silly was too lazy to fully contribute to.
Living Eraser
The Living Eraser is certainly one of the most bizarre designs from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The alien was born into a Dimension Z costume in 1963. The suit was a vibrant purple and white outfit, typical of the time.
The Living Eraser acted like the main stationary item, removing parts of his victim one arm movement at a time. Generally, the artist was removing random elements from the page and re-creating new ones each time. Despite 26 issues across history, Cutza hasn't made much of an impact in recent years.
Thursday is Ruby Thursday.
Ruby Thursday was originally imagined by Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema, and Jim Mooney to be released in the 1976 film The Defenders #32. The character's actual name, Thursday Rubinstein, is quite interesting, although her real name may be somewhat off-putting.
Ruby Thursday's ruby orb has remained a fixture of her design right into the modern era, perhaps because of the character's potential to enact any number of weapons. She has discovered that there are no shortages of tasks for her head to complete, but it has never sinned more plainly.
The Big Wheel
The Marvel Universe has a long history of seeing villains developed that haven't fully thought out their tactic. While Daredevil is a strange but effective adversary in itself, Spider-Man has had to face someone even stranger. Marv Wolfman, Ross Andru, and Mike Esposito are some of the most well-known actors in The Amazing Spider-Man #183.
The massive wheel in which Weele fought in was equipped with a variety of rifles, missiles, and other weapons, but in reality, Big Wheel was mostly used to do battle. A second antagonist could have been even less successful than the first, but that didn't make him a myth.
Doop!
Doop is a super weapon among the X-Men that nobody seems to know about. The little green creature was created for X-Force #116 in 2001, but has since been a member of many teams, including the X-Statix, which has its fair share of out-there personalities.
Doop isn't exactly clear what he is, though the floating goo is incredibly powerful, with magical abilities, strength, and a slew of other abilities. In many ways Doop is terrifying, because the true potential of the X-member has never been explored by mankind. Yet everyone can understand him, and that's one of the least strange things about Doop!
Armless Tiger Man
Armless Tiger Man, who has his real name Gustav Hertz, was created as part of Marvel Mystery Comics #26 in 1941. Paul Gustavson devised the concept, who had lost his arms in a mechanical accident. Armless Tiger Man was used by the Nazis to sabotage the United States' technology.
Hertz was forced to learn how to maneuver his feet effectively, often with a knife comfortably held between his toes. His teeth had been filed into fangs... Perhaps there is room for a comeback, but a bright yellow onesie likely won't be the best option.
From Hellcow to Jeff the Shark, Marvel will never cease to come up with unusual characters to weave into their stories. The beauty of reading through this classic literature is that there is a wealth of hidden designs that may surprise readers at any unexpected moment. That's why it's always worthwhile to revisit forgotten faces.