9) The Defenders
Forget the group of street-level heroes you know from Marvel’s Netflix series, the traditional comic book version of the Defenders is very different. While Daredevil, Luke Cage and Iron Fist (though not Jessica Jones) have all served on their roster at one time or another, the team is usually for the outsiders and the anti-heroes of the Marvel universe.
First forming in 1971, the founding members of the Defenders were Doctor Strange, Hulk and Namor the Sub-Mariner, with everyone from Silver Surfer to Spider-Man to Howard the Duck joining them later on. Unlike the more straight-laced Avengers, with all their pretty boy heroes, the Defenders were a much more volatile team, made up of misfits with abrasive personalities. Besides that, in its heyday the comic was known for its satirical edge and offbeat humour.
The team has taken several different forms over the years, some more memorable than others, but the Defenders have always been the anarchic younger brothers of the Avengers, and for that we love them.