Characters That Would Make Good Vanguards In Marvel Rivals

There are many heroes and villains in Marvel Rivals, but many have noticed that the number of available characters in the Vanguard class is much smaller than the Duelists. Thankfully, the game is live-service and, much like Overwatch, is going to be adding more heroes in the future.

Regarding Vanguards, NetEase Games is far from limited in terms of potential characters. The Marvel universe is stuffed with various iconic and esoteric characters who can not only fit the role, but would also provide unique powers and visuals to stand out from others on the roster.

8 Count Dracula

Vampiric Powers Would Make The Count Stand Out

• First Appearance: The Tomb of Dracula #1
• Creators: Gerry Conway, Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan

Marvel Rivals has very few mystical characters, such as Doctor Strange, but Count Dracula could be a way to fix that. Not only could NetEase Games develop an interesting interpretation of Dracula’s red armor, but also give players the chance to play as a vampire with special abilities, from siphoning blood for healing or increasing his strength to controlling swarms of bats.

Dracula could be equipped with deadly claws or his famous sword as a melee weapon. He could form large wings to attack with or defend himself as a large shield, while raising the dead, or use his power of blood manipulation and hypnosis to disorient the enemy team.

7 Colossus

The Metal Brother Of Magik With A Heart Of Gold

• First Appearance: Giant-Size X-Men #1
• Creators: Len Wein, Christ Claremont, Dave Cockrum

Since Magik is in the game, it would only be fair to add her brother Piotr, AKA Colossus, as another mutant for Marvel Rivals. Colossus is a massive man made of metal, which would make him ideal for taking hits for his team while dealing a large amount of damage.

One of Colossus’ lesser-known abilities is being forced to unleash a powerful wave of energy when he reverts to his normal form. This could be one of his passive features for when he is defeated, forcing enemies to retreat to not take damage. It could also be an ability that can be activated, resulting in a lot of damage, but his normal state is much weaker than his metallic one.

6 Sandman

Using Sand To Storm Through Enemies

• First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #4
• Creators: Steve Ditko, Stan Lee

There are many ways Sandman can be treated in Marvel Rivals thanks to his unique powers. The character could be a giant humanoid construct of sand walking around, or he could be Flint Marko, taking on sand-made forms for defense and offensive abilities as he pushes toward the objective.

Being a famous Spider-Man villain, Sandman is also capable of forming various weapons from his body, from hammers to giant spikes. These could be abilities for even the main attack, while sandstorms and other attacks could be used to blind or daze players in the match.

5 The Thing

Before The Hulk, There Was Ben Grimm

• First Appearance: The Fantastic Four #1
• Creators: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee

If any of The Fantastic Four are in consideration, Ben Grimm needs to be introduced as The Thing. This is a character that was the definitive strongman of Marvel for a long time, even before the Hulk, whom he had fought in the past. Ben is made of rock, which makes him have natural armor to do in battle.

Before he was The Thing, Ben Grimm was a baseball player and that could be implemented into his abilities, such as grabbing and crafting a ball-like projectile from the environment and throwing it. He also has enhanced senses, which he could probably use to help detect enemies through walls, in case there is any flanking.

4 Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan Can Embiggen Herself Into A Tank

• First Appearance: Captain Marvel #14
• Creators: Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Jamie McKelvie

Even though she is not a massive hero, Ms. Marvel is easily a tank due to her signature Embiggening powers. She can grow tall and form massive fists with her elastic abilities, resulting in super strength that would make her able to deal and take damage.

It would also bring novelty to see a hero like Ms. Marvel, who is smaller in stature, take on the Vanguard role, which is usually a massive character like Venom. Additionally, Ms. Marvel could also feature the crystalline energy powers featured in more modern comics and, most specifically, the Marvel Cinematic Universe to create more abilities or give her a main shooter attack.

3 Black Knight

Players Would Love And Hate The Ebony Sword’s Abilities

• First Appearance: The Avengers #47
• Creators: Roy Thomas, John Buscema

Black Knight may have no inherent powers, but his bond with the Ebony Blade turns him into a deadly warrior that could terrorize Marvel Rivals players as an overpowered character. With the sword, Black Knight could swing it about to slash his enemies as expected, but he can control it thanks to its bond, such as throwing it like a projectile and summoning it back to him as an example.

In the comics, the Ebony Blade is capable of many other things: resurrection, feeding off its victims, mystical transportation, and absorbing many forms of attacks. All of which are ripe material for Marvel Rivals abilities and passive perks, even if it might turn Black Knight into an overpowered character in the Vanguard class.

2 Luke Cage

The Definition Of A Damage Sponge For Marvel

• First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1
• Creators: Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, John Romita Sr.

There are many Team-Up abilities in Marvel Rivals based on comic book partnerships, and since Iron Fist is on the roster, adding Luke Cage could make for a Heroes For Hire ability. Luke Cage, sometimes known as Power Man, is a bulletproof hero, which makes him an obvious choice for a Vanguard as he stomps his way to the objective.

Luke Cage is known for talking his enemies down, which could lead to abilities such as nerfing a targeted enemy’s damage output. He also has a powerful regeneration factor, allowing him to heal from nearly any injury, which could be implemented as an ability or a passive.

1 Captain Marvel

The Powerful And Unstoppable Cosmic Avenger

• First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes #13
• Creators: Roy Thomas, Gene Colan

With cosmic beams, flight, and indestructibility in her arsenal of superpowers, Captain Marvel is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel universe. She’s taken on villains like Thanos and blasted through asteroids that would have killed most heroes, and she would be perfect for defending her team and the objective in Marvel Rivals.

Many can compare Marvel Rivals to Overwatch and, in that regard, Captain Marvel could be the equivalent to Reinhardt. She can absorb damage and then charge forward with her Binary state to tackle enemies, even if it exposes her, either distracting the rest or destroying her opponents in the process.