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When it comes to being a superhero, you have to take risks. However, for some characters in the Marvel universe, the risks are much higher than for others. Who are the heroes who always put it on the line?
Whether it is putting money on the roulette or deciding to take on a new job, regular humans take risks every day. Usually, these risks don’t put our lives and the whole of humanity on the line. Some superheroes are willing to gamble everything.
For the likes of Thor and Hulk, these risks are minimized due to their supernatural abilities. Others enter the same fights without such a safety net. Here are four Marvel icons that will run into danger no matter the cost.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
Even without the Iron Man suit, Tony Stark is a born risk-taker. He was able to build on his father’s work to turn his inheritance into an empire. He’s probably the Marvel character most likely to be found on online casino games, impossibly beating the odds to win time and time again.
With the suit on, he was willing to risk his life over and over again. This was seen in the films when he flew into the wormhole with a nuclear missile to save New York. And, of course, he ultimately sacrificed himself to save the world.
These risks didn’t always work out for the best. This was shown when he inadvertently created Ultron. A lot of this risk was originally driven by ego until his character arc turned him from a selfish billionaire to a selfless savior.
In Marvel Rivals, that risk defines the character’s playstyle with his range of aggressive tactics. What makes this risk all the more impressive is how Stark remains fully human. It made his gamble all the riskier when compared to his colleagues.
Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange
The story of Stephen Strange starts with a gamble. After losing his surgical career after a car crash, he could have easily felt sorry for himself or made some low-risk moves. Instead, he sought out the Ancient One and got more than he could have ever imagined.
After becoming Doctor Strange, he was happy to constantly take risks to try and restore cosmic balance. This includes being audacious enough to bargain with dark forces and creative enough to manipulate time to protect others.
But much like a bettor analyzing the form guide before making a sports bet, Doctor Strange also knew how to play the odds. This was shown by him looking into fourteen million futures and understanding the sacrifices that needed to be made.
Just as in Marvel Rivals, he had to balance the risk of making spell casts that could have left him wide open. Unlike other heroes that relied on their brute force or protective armor, Doctor Strange knew how to take a calculated yet brave risk.
Natasha Romanov / Black Widow
Throughout the whole of her time in Marvel, Black Widow is just a human surrounded by gods and monsters. Of course, she’s not ‘just’ a human, as her life was dedicated to turning her into a killing machine.
In the game, you have to have the right mindset of being able to make the most of her stealth abilities but without playing it too safely. Natasha always seemingly knows how to control the chaos. Where others may be losing their composure, she stays sharp.
She always showcases the ability to learn from her past mistakes to find redemption. She turns this pain into a strength but does so by taking incredible risks. Despite having the vulnerabilities of a human, her instincts always seem to bring her out on top.
Storm / Ororo Munroe
Storm has the ability to change an entire battle but it’s not without risk. In Marvel Rivals, just like in the comics, the timing has to be perfect. You have to have the courage to let go of control when the moment is right, knowing the consequences can be dire if it isn’t.
Not many Marvel heroes have such a burden with their power. Often, they range from the likes of Hulk having no control to Iron Man having full control. Storm has to foresee the effects of nature and constantly decide whether unleashing her power is worth the risk.
With risk comes courage. Rather than just taking a passive role, Storm has the courage to become a leader. The best leaders know how to make the right moves in the riskiest of circumstances.
The whole Marvel Universe wouldn’t be very interesting at all if there weren’t any risk involved. However, some heroes have to take a much greater risk than others. This often makes their heroics even more impressive and as we’ve seen with a few of these characters, sometimes that risk comes with needing to pay the ultimate sacrifice.
