15 Best Marvel Mexican Superheros & Villains (Ranked)

Best Marvel Mexican Superheroes And Villains

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Despite the superhero genre commonly being presented as predominantly a white-male genre, Marvel Comics does a good job of keeping their characters as diverse as possible. There are a plethora of characters from all backgrounds, including the Hispanic/Latin American regions.

Most of the Marvel Comics take place in the United States, and due to its diverse society, it’s logical that there are many Mexican characters in Marvel Comics as well. Without further ado, here’s a ranked list of the 15 best Marvel Mexican superheroes (and villains) of all time. Enjoy!

15. Antonio Rodriguez (Armadillo)

You probably didn’t even know there’s a guy in Marvel Comics actually known as Armadillo. And, yes, he looks like one, too. His name is Antonio Rodriguez, and he is of Mexican descent, born in San Antonio, Texas. 

His wife, Maria Bonita Rodriguez, became terminally ill with an undiagnosed disease, and when all options were drained, Antonio turned to a criminal scientist, Dr. Karlin Malus. Malus agreed to treat Maria if Antonio agreed to be a test subject for him, ultimately turning him into the Armadillo.

Armadillo fought the Avengers on occasions and even became a pro-wrestler before serving time in the supervillain correctional facility known as the Vault. His powers were superhuman strength and incredible durability due to his exoskeletal armor.

14. Bonita Juarez (Firebird)

Another character of Mexican descent is Bonita Juarez, born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. One day, she was walking across the New Mexican desert when a huge ball of cold, extraterrestrial fire hit the ground right before her feet. The alien radiation caused Bonita to develop new energy-manipulating powers, becoming the Firebird.

Her powers, as it seems, made Juarez immortal and gave her the ability to summon massive amounts of energy, especially thermal, that can reach over 5000 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2800 degrees Celsius. Also, when she concentrates all her power, the energy Firebird channels radiates over 100 feet around her in the shape of a huge bird.

13. Maria De Guadalupe Santiago (Silverclaw)

Silverclaw isn’t really Mexican but rather originates from a country called Costa Verde in Central America. However, it’s an epic character worthy of inclusion on the list. Maria was a Kamakeri, who were a group of simple people that were humble and worshipped ancient gods. 

Her father studied the ancient beliefs and pantheon and took Lupe into the mountains, where she developed superpowers and became known as Silverclaw, Daughter of the Volcano God. She later joined the Avengers., and her awesome powers include shapeshifting into animals native to rain forests and jungles, like jaguars, anacondas, monkeys, sloths, pumas, cheetahs, etc.

12. La Lunatica

La Lunatica doesn’t belong to Earth-616, but rather Earth-928, but is such an intriguing character that needed to be included on the list. She is a mutant who was born in Mexico but was kidnapped by the Theatre of Pain while still very young. They used her powers for fun and tortured her every step of the way. They also gave her the name La Lunatica – the crazy one.

Luna, as she was called later, after breaking free and joining the X-Men, had the ability to pull out one’s darkest, most painful memories to torture them with them and show it to others. It’s incredible that La Lunatica turned good after living through such a horrible life, serving a sadistic group of psychopaths.

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11. Maria Vasquez (Tarantula)

Maria Vasquez, aka Tarantula, was born and raised in New York to a Mexican father, Fernandez Vasquez. After her sister was killed in the Stamford incident, Maria decided to use her brilliant intellect and martial arts skills to become a superhero and avenge her sister. It only got more serious when her father was also killed by a group of ninjas while visiting her sister’s grave.

Tarantula worked as a member of the Heroes for Hire and didn’t really have superpowers. However, Maria was a brilliant mind, an expert martial artist, an incredible detective, and a marksman. I love the character, but I am a bit biased, as I absolutely love Heroes for Hire.

10. Humberto Lopez (Reptil)

Humberto Lopez was also born and raised in the United States, but both of his parents were Mexican. They were also both paleontologists, so Berto grew up fascinated by dinosaurs. One day, when visiting an archaeological dig with his parents, Berto found a Fossilized Amulet that gave him mysterious powers.

He realized that the Fossilized Amulet gave him the ability to turn into prehistoric animals – dinosaurs – which he’d one day have to protect. Later, his powers were augmented with Pym Particles. Reptil was also a member of the Avengers Academy, where young superheroes were trained, much like the Xavier Institute for young mutants.

9. Gabriel Cohuelo (Velocidad)

Gabriel Cohuelo, aka Velocidad, grew up with rich parents in Mexico City. Right between high school and college, his mutant powers activated and were noticed by the X-Men using the Cerebro. Psylocke and Dr. Cecilia Reyes came to investigate, but Gabriel was moving so fast that he couldn’t even be seen with the naked eye.

After joining them, Velocidad realized he wasn’t actually superfast – he was a time manipulator. He could slow down time around him incredibly while remaining unphased by the slowdown himself – making it appear he’s running incredibly fast, but in reality, everything around him moved incredibly slow.

8. Víctor Hernan Álvarez (Power Man)

We all know Luke Cage as the Power Man, but another Power Man appeared in New York who later became a member of the Avengers Academy, the Mighty Avengers, and the New Avengers. Victor Hernan Alvarez was born in Harlem, NYC, but is of Mexican descent. 

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After Bullseye detonated a building where Vic and his father were, Victor absorbed fragments of a visor that allowed him to absorb the chi force of 107 souls that died in the blast, including his father. Vic became the new Power Man and learned that he could absorb chi to amplify his powers and abilities incredibly.

They include skill mimicry, energy absorption and manipulation, memory condition, and more.

7. Anya Corazon (Araña)

Believe it or not, there are three Mexican Spidey versions on this list, and the first one is Anya Corazon, aka Araña. She was introduced in 2004 Amazing Fantasy #1. She has somewhat of a different power set, as does every Spider-Man version, but she grew a large fanbase thanks to her awesome personality. 

The Spideys are all from different timelines, too but worked together many times before. Miles Morales might be the most popular Latino Spider-Man, especially after the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but Anya is one of the coolest.

6. Julio Esteban Richter (Rictor)

Rictor is a very cool character, originally from the X-Factor series in the 1980s. He is a Mexican mutant who can project destructive blasts and waves of seismic energy – simply put, he can cause massive, directed earthquakes on a whim. Despite debuting and thriving during the X-Factor series, his best storyline came during the House of M.

Back then, Rictor lost his powers and struggled with depression for it, not feeling like himself anymore. He learned how to battle through and actually continued being a hero, even without his superpowers. I loved that he eventually got the powers back and learned who he is without them, embracing his identity to the fullest, including his bisexuality.

5. Miguel Santos (Living Lightning)

Miguel Santos, aka Lightning, or Living Lightning, is an American of Mexican descent living in Texas. His father, Carlos, died as a member of an extremist group called Legion of Living Lightning while trying to gain control of the Hulk. After Carlos’ death, Miguel broke into the group’s facility and accidentally turned on one of the machines that turned him into living energy.

Miguel was dazed and confused and actually fought the West Coast Avengers at first, but later got a hold of his situation and actually joined the team. His spectacular powers allow him to reach speeds just below the speed of light, and, in his true form, he is nothing but a pure, sentient, living energy.

Living Lightning is almost invulnerable, being harmed only by magic or psionic attacks. He also has complete electrokinesis, including electricity projection, electric blasts, force fields, electronic manipulation, astral projection, etc.

4. Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man 2099)

The second Mexican Spidey on this list was actually the first Mexican Spidey ever to appear in Marvel comics. Miguel O’Hara first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #365 as an alternative version of Spidey from the future – specifically, the year 2099.

He had quite similar powers to Peter Parker but amplified with the progress of technology throughout the years in the future. I loved this version of Spider-Man, although there are objectively cooler Spideys out there. It also kind of bothers me that he goes by Michael O’Hara now.

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3. America Chavez (Miss America)

Miss America is one of the newer teenage characters in Marvel Comics but was already made popular with her inclusion in the MCU in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. America is not technically Mexican, as she basically grew up in another dimension with two mothers, who both had superpowers of their own.

Still, America’s powers top them by a mile. She can easily open inter-dimensional portals between universes, can fly, has super strength, extreme durability, and more. After her mothers sacrificed themselves to save an entire dimension, Chavez was forced to grow up from a girl to a superwoman in a heartbeat.

I actually liked the inclusion of the character in the MCU despite not being the biggest fan of the new Marvel teenage heroes. America is a breath of fresh air and really has awesome powers. I can’t wait to see what’s next for the character in the MCU, as well as the comics.

2. Miles Morales (Spider-Man)

You knew this fellow had to be near the top of the list. Now, don’t get me wrong. For me, Peter Parker is Spider-Man, and he’ll always be the best Spider-Man. However, Miles Morales comes in as a close second. The character is brilliantly well-written and has some epic storylines that rival some of the best Spidey stories to date.

His powers are quite similar to Peter’s, as we could see in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. What separates Morales from other Spider-Man versions is his personality, intelligence, kindness, and heritage that celebrates much-needed diversity in Marvel Comics, seeing that Miles is a Black Latino character. Who else can’t wait for Spider-Verse 2?

1. Robbie Reyes (Ghost Rider)

Last but not least, Robbie Reyes is by far the best Marvel Mexican superhero ever. Or anti-hero? Whatever you consider Ghost Riders to be, Robbie is probably the best version of the Spirit of Vengeance behind the original, Johnny Blaze.

Instead of the classic Ghost Rider motorcycle, Robbie drives his baby – a 1969 Dodge Charger that’s an absolute beauty to watch, especially when it goes up in flames. Oh, and did I mention that Robbie is the only Ghost Rider not bonded with a spirit of Vengeance, but rather with a spirit of his dead uncle, who was a Satanic serial killer?

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So, to satisfy the evil spirit’s thirst for blood, Robbie chooses to kill the vilest, crooked people on Earth. Gabriel Luna’s portrayal of Robbie in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. made the character popular worldwide.

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