credit: MCU
Marvel comics feature quite a few themes that have been embraced over the years, but family is one of those that has been difficult at times since the lives of superheroes and villains have been tumultuous enough to make it clear that having a family is not an easy thing.
Well, to be fair, it’s not always easy in the real world either, but in the comics, the stakes are upped in a way that can’t be adequately described at times. However, there are individuals that somehow make it possible to believe in the sanctity of family and the idea that a person who helps to save the world can also be a great parent.
There are plenty of parents in the Marvel Universe that are absolutely horrible or are, at best, little more than figureheads that can say they had a child but are not capable or fit enough to raise them. But then again, there are those who manage to not only help save the world, but seek to make it a better place by raising their children to understand why they do what they do, and how to make the world better by dint of belonging to it.
With that in mind, here are five of the best fathers in the Marvel Universe.
5. Reed Richards
credit: MCU
There’s no doubt that many would argue with this entry since Reed Richards is a super genius and a hero, but he’s also been extremely absentminded at times and has even been a bit neglectful to his family now and then.
His issue is that he spends way too much time on one invention or another and doesn’t spend hardly any time when it comes to paying attention to his children. But at the core of his being, Reed is a good person who knows the value of raising his kids to know right from wrong, and who cares deeply about his family. It’s necessary to remind him to lift his head from his equations sometimes, but he does care about his loved ones.
4. Odin
credit: MCU
If there were arguments with Reed Richards, it’s easy to think that some folks would have a huge issue with calling Odin a good father, especially since in Norse legends he wasn’t all that great of a person to start with. But as flawed as he might be, according to many, he’s still a powerful figure and a being who cares deeply about his sons, no matter how flawed they’ve been shown to be.
Thor has come a long way until he was made into a goofball yet again, while Loki might have actually shown real growth. But up until his end in the MCU, Odin might have been flawed, but he had a great deal of love for his sons and the type of wisdom that would be smart to learn from.
3. Scott Lang
credit: MCU
Sure, Scott was brought in as a criminal and not a very good dad, apparently, but the fact is that the moment he was seen interacting with his daughter, it became obvious that he was every bit the good dad, or at least tried to be.
While on house arrest, he was able to come up with multiple ways to entertain his daughter, not to mention interact with her on a very personal level, so it’s not tough at all to think that this guy genuinely loves his kid.
Scott might make a few questionable decisions, but the fact is that when he’s trying to do the right thing he’s often thinking of his daughter and the impact it will have on her. Now that’s how a father needs to be sometimes.
2. Clint Barton
credit: MCU
It’s not tough at all to see how some folks would say that Clint is a negligent and terrible father, but those who would say so might have their own issues to figure out. In reality, Clint isn’t a perfect father since thanks to his job he’s likely away from his family more than he cares to be.
But at the same time, when he is around them, he appears to be a very loving father that enjoys watching his kids succeed and will be there for them through thick and thin when all is said and done. Not only that, but when he was testing the theory of time travel, he almost didn’t want to come back after hearing his kids’ voices. He might be kind of the bad boy of the Avengers, but he’s a family man without any doubt.
1. Tony Stark
credit: MCU
For a while, Tony Stark was kind of a miserable human being in the MCU since he drank too much, partied too much, and needed a few very hard slaps to his senses to wake up and be a decent person. But once again, Endgame showed the depth of his character as his interactions with his daughter made it clear that he’d changed in a very big way, even if he hadn’t changed all the way.
It brought to mind that Tony Stark was always bound to be a sarcastic man with several character flaws. But one of the best things about being a dad is that you don’t have to be perfect all the time, you simply have to be there. Like it or not, Tony’s daughter is one of his main priorities and changes his character for the better.