10 Terrible Comic Book Covers Marvel Wants You To Forget

Surely that CAN'T be Wolverine?!

Milo Manara Spider Woman
Marvel Comics/Milo Manara

Comic books have been an important media for almost a century, but not every comic book ever made has been unforgettable for the right reasons. There are plenty of books out there that introduced a new character or crossed a line in an innovative or creative way, but for every stellar example, there are thousands of terrible ones sitting in boxes somewhere collecting dust.

Not every book can be worthwhile, but there are some that take the cake as being unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. When it comes to bad books, it's not always about the artwork or the story - many times, it's all about the cover.

Comics book covers are what draw in a reader, and a comic book cover can often be the most memorable part of an entire book. When people think of Amazing Fantasy #15, they don't consider the stories inside, they mostly focus on that iconic front page depicting Spider-Man Swinging through New York clutching a bad guy.

Covers have a lasting impression on fans, which is why some of the worst covers Marvel has done are ones they wish everyone would forget.

10. X-Statix #15

Milo Manara Spider Woman
Marvel Comics

X-Static was the retitled book originally known as X-Force. It fell into the hands of Peter Milligan and Michael Allred as a somewhat less-than-serious look at some of Marvel's stranger superheroes. The book quickly became a way to satirize the celebrity culture running rampant across the planet while still taking the time to pull apart the superhero genre.

For the most part, it worked out rather well. Fans who knew what they were getting into appreciated the social commentary while not taking the material too seriously. The whole thing got a little off the rails when, in 2003, the book relaunched with a resurrected mutant-version of Princess Dianna who had passed only six years previously.

Not only did the cover feature Princess Di in a rather inappropriate pose on the cover, but the story was also titled, "Di Another Day," which really didn't go over well with people who were still mourning the loss of Diana.

In one way, it was nice of Marvel to pay homage to the deceased Princess, while in another way, it was a crass misrepresentation of a recently-deceased public figure many people around the world still mourned and adored. The cover caused controversy and was reprinted with another character design.

Contributor
Contributor

Jonathan is a graphic artist, illustrator, writer, and game designer. Jonathan retired from the U.S. Army in 2017 and enjoys researching and writing about history, science, theology, and many other subjects. He writes for ScreenRant, CBR, NerdBastards, Listverse, Ranker, WhatCulture, and many other sites online. You can check out his latest on Twitter: @TalkingBull or on his blog: jonathanhkantor.com