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10 Marvel MAX Comics That Went Way Too Far
Marvel Geekdom > Blog > Comics > 10 Marvel MAX Comics That Went Way Too Far
Comics

10 Marvel MAX Comics That Went Way Too Far

Josh
Last updated: 2022/12/14 at 8:25 PM
By Josh Published December 14, 2022
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Especially thanks to the MCU, Marvel Comics have become more popular in recent years. Since Disney is a big part of the MCU’s rise, it’s somewhat logical for many to relate Marvel with children’s entertainment. However, long-standing comic fans know this industry isn’t just for kids. In fact, Marvel has plenty of mature storylines and at one point the Marvel MAX imprint was dedicated to this fact.

Table Of Contents
10/10 Black Widow: Pale Little Spider Sends Yelena On A Morbid JourneyBy writer Greg Rucka, artist Igor Kordey, colorist Christ Chuckry, and letterers Starkings and Comicraft’s Jason. 9/10 Thor: Vikings Is Inarguably One Of Thor’s Most Mature StorylinesBy writer Garth Ennis, artist Glenn Fabry, colorist Paul Mounts, and letterer Dave Sharpe 8/10 Foolkiller: White Angels Mixes Torture & JusticeBy writer Gregg Hurwitz, artist Paul Azaceta, colorist Nick Filardi, and letterer Joe Caramagna 7/10 Alias Deconstructed The Heroine StereotypeBy writer Brian Michael Bendis, penciler Michael Gaydos, inkers and letterers Richard Starking, Oscar Gongora, Wes Abbott, and Cory Petit, and colorist Matt Hollingsworth 6/10 Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather Is Blatantly HomophobicBy writer Ron Zimmerman, artist John Severin, colorist Steve Buccellato, and letterers Richard and Wes from Comicraft. 5/10 War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom EagleBy writer Garth Ennis, penciler and inker Howard Chaykin, colorist Brian Reber, and letterer Todd Klein 4/10 Punisher: The Slavers Is Bloody Among Marvel’s Bloodiest SeriesBy writer Garth Ennis, penciler Leandro Fernandez, inker Scott Koblish, colorist Dan Brown, and letterer Randy Gentile 3/10 Fury MAX Made George Clooney Drop Out Of A FilmBy writer Garth Ennis, penciler Darrick Robertson, inker Jimmy Palmiotti, colorists Avalon Studios, and letterers RS, Comicraft, and Wes. 2/10 The Eternal Is Basically A Sexploitation Sci-Fi FilmBy writer Chuck Austen, penciler Rev Walker, inker Simon Coleby, colorist Dan Brown, and letterer Mike Raicht 1/10 Punisher: The End Is Peak NihilismBy writer Garth Ennis, artist Robert Corben, colorist Lee Loughridge, and letterers Rich and Jimmy from Comicraft


RELATED: 10 Marvel Comics You Shouldn’t Let Your Kids Read

Active since 2001, MAX marked the end of Marvel’s relationship with the Comics Code Authority as the company established its own rating system. Originally its own imprint, MAX is currently Marvel’s ‘mature readers only’ rating. While fans appreciate Marvel giving their adult audience attention, some of the Marvel MAX comics are simply too much.

As an article about adult-oriented comics, this piece discusses mature themes including sexual assault and enslaved people.

10/10 Black Widow: Pale Little Spider Sends Yelena On A Morbid Journey

By writer Greg Rucka, artist Igor Kordey, colorist Christ Chuckry, and letterers Starkings and Comicraft’s Jason.

Yelena speaking with her boss in Marvel MAX's Black Widow: Pale Little Spider

After learning that her beloved colonel died inside a BDSM club, the new Black Widow, Yelena Belova, investigates what happened. This leads her to an underground brothel where she discovers that the man she saw as her father hid some very dark secrets.

Black Widow: Little Pale Spider feels exploitative, as it lingers on characters in sexual bondage, with Kordey’s hyperrealistic art making it harder to digest. Additionally, this story puts Yelena in the uncomfortable position of seeing herself as a sex object. This is particularly insensitive given her apparent asexuality. Overall, this story left a bad taste in many readers’ mouths.

9/10 Thor: Vikings Is Inarguably One Of Thor’s Most Mature Storylines

By writer Garth Ennis, artist Glenn Fabry, colorist Paul Mounts, and letterer Dave Sharpe

Lord Harald Jaekelson as a zombie in thor: vikings

Thor: Vikings pits Thor against one of his darkest antagonists, Lord Harald Jaekelson, a leader Viking from 1000 AD who arrives in New York with his crew of zombies to wreak havoc just like he did in the past. Together with the Avengers, Thor Odinson tries to save New York citizens from this horrific gang.

Thor’s comics aren’t strangers to violence, but Thor: Vikings stand out for how explicit it is, even opening with a close-up of an obvious sexual assault victim. Between Ennis’ knack for morbid topics and Fabry’s raw art, this comic is uncomfortable to even look at.

8/10 Foolkiller: White Angels Mixes Torture & Justice

By writer Gregg Hurwitz, artist Paul Azaceta, colorist Nick Filardi, and letterer Joe Caramagna

Punisher and Foolkiller in front of a bloody painting in Marvel MAX comics

In Foolkiller: White Angels, Mike Trace, aka the Foolkiller, investigates a murderous white supremacist group. The second issue of this five-issue series involves his team-up with the similarly violent Punisher.

Foolkiller: White Angels doesn’t pull any punches. Throughout the comic, the villains use slurs and hate symbols and make jokes about them. It’s a very dark story, even without considering the fact that it’s full of creatively gruesome murders. It’s not transgressive without purpose but it’s still too much for many readers.

7/10 Alias Deconstructed The Heroine Stereotype

By writer Brian Michael Bendis, penciler Michael Gaydos, inkers and letterers Richard Starking, Oscar Gongora, Wes Abbott, and Cory Petit, and colorist Matt Hollingsworth

Alias comic Jessica Jones by David Mack in Marvel Comics

In a 28-issue series, Alias follows Jessica Jones, a former superhero turned private investigator. The series focuses on Jones’ casework but its most famous story involves the Purple Man, who subjugated Jones with mind-control for nearly a year.

RELATED: 10 Marvel Heroes Who Shouldn’t Work Alone

During his time controlling her, Killgrave forced Jessica to bathe him, cut his food, and beg for his attention. He also turned her into a deadly weapon. It’s a traumatic journey, for Jones and her readers.

6/10 Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather Is Blatantly Homophobic

By writer Ron Zimmerman, artist John Severin, colorist Steve Buccellato, and letterers Richard and Wes from Comicraft.

Rawhide Kid pointing at an old man in Marvel Comics

Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather introduced an unconventional gay hero named Johnny Clay to a fairly traditional cowboy story. Marvel’s editors thought they were being quite innovative at the time.

When Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather first premiered, there was very little LGBTQ+ representation in Marvel comics. However, Slap Leather was full of innuendo and jokes about Clay’s sexuality that defined his character. Worse, it turned out that this was somehow a cover identity, and the series ended with the reveal that the Rawhide Kid was straight, removing what little representation the book offered in exchange for a punchline.

5/10 War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle

By writer Garth Ennis, penciler and inker Howard Chaykin, colorist Brian Reber, and letterer Todd Klein

karl's plane during war in war is hell

Phantom Eagle is a Marvel character named Karl Kaufman from the ’60s. 40 years later, Ennis and Chaykin revamped the character for War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle. This five-issue miniseries covers Kaufman’s naivety turning into trauma as he witnesses war’s worst moments.

In the first issue, Kaufman sees a general go into the propeller of his plane immediately before he decapitates an enemy soldier. The series grows darker as Kaufman himself accepts the war and learns to kill without feeling. In the end, the series is a meditation on how easily humanity grows accustomed to violence.

4/10 Punisher: The Slavers Is Bloody Among Marvel’s Bloodiest Series

By writer Garth Ennis, penciler Leandro Fernandez, inker Scott Koblish, colorist Dan Brown, and letterer Randy Gentile

The Punisher's skull logo dyed blood red in Marvel MAX comics

After meeting Viorica, a girl forced into sex work, The Punisher takes it upon himself to punish the perpetrators in a sex slave ring. In order to find them, Frank Castle leaves a bloody trail that attracts the city’s corrupt authorities’ attention.

Punisher’s best comics are hardcore, but Punisher: The Slavers goes extra hard. In only six-issues Ennis manages to touch on taboo topics from sexual assault, infant mortality, government corruption, mutilated corpses, and people who were burned alive. No reader can forget the final fate of the so-called Slavers, whose cruelty was definitely matched by Castle’s.

3/10 Fury MAX Made George Clooney Drop Out Of A Film

By writer Garth Ennis, penciler Darrick Robertson, inker Jimmy Palmiotti, colorists Avalon Studios, and letterers RS, Comicraft, and Wes.

Nick Fury with a sniper rifle in Marvel MAX Comics

Created by Garth Ennis, the poster child for shock value, Fury MAX follows a retired Nick Fury in a personal war against Rudi Gargarin, a former Hydra agent. This comic depicts Fury committing murder casually, even strangling a man with his own intestines.

RELATED: 8 Controversial Comic Book Storylines That Will Never Be Adapted To Film

Ennis considers this comic one of his personal favorites, but at its time it was quite controversial. Stan Lee even condemned its explicit violence. Additionally, it led George Clooney to refuse to portray Fury in a live-action film, since he thought all Fury stories were as violent as this one.

2/10 The Eternal Is Basically A Sexploitation Sci-Fi Film

By writer Chuck Austen, penciler Rev Walker, inker Simon Coleby, colorist Dan Brown, and letterer Mike Raicht

Ikaeden and Kurassus in Marvel MAX's The Eternal

The Eternal reimagines the Eternals if they were inspired by the Bible. Since the Celestials have killed the female Eternals, the males use Deviants as sexual slaves. When one of them, Jeska, uses a device called the Apple to teach herself to speak, a war ensues. Since the leaders can’t see eye to eye about what to do with intelligent women, things get complicated.

The Eternal features both graphic violence and sex throughout its six issues, often combining them as females have no agency as sexual objects. The series has complex lore but little plot, instead resting on misogynistic ideas and raunchy dialogue. The Eternal‘s violence is already too much, but the way this series mishandles its few female characters makes it irredeemable.

1/10 Punisher: The End Is Peak Nihilism

By writer Garth Ennis, artist Robert Corben, colorist Lee Loughridge, and letterers Rich and Jimmy from Comicraft

The Punisher in a burning world in Marvel Comics

A one-shot to end them all, The Punisher: The End sees an old Punisher take revenge on the last billionaires and leaders on Earth for dooming humanity with a nuclear holocaust. Although he ends up dying too, Castle travels through the radiation, making sure Earth won’t have to deal with humans ever again.

Frank Castle never believes in humanity. However, The Punisher: The End takes this to its ultimate consequences. Given the chance to spare humanity, Castle chooses to kill everyone, managing to define what “too far” means in the process.

NEXT: 8 Marvel Comics You Wouldn’t Want Your Parents To Find

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