10 Alternate Universe Characters That Were Better Than The Original
8. Spider-Man Noir
An alternate reality story often isnt about changing the character, but changing the world they live in. Marvel Noir introduced a new spin on many of the best known Marvel characters by fusing them with popular elements of pulp fiction and film noir. This generally involved less bright spandex and more sepia tones, as well as an increase in violence and general grimness.
Spider-Man Noir was actually very similar to his mainstream counterpart. He was still Peter Parker, still a photographer, and still had most of his normal abilities and web-shooters. The only thing that didnt carry across was the wall-crawling, presumably because its hard to appear sufficiently brooding while clinging to the side of a building. He also wore a black trench coat and carried a gun, which is how you know that the character was meant to be all grim and gritty.
While Spider-Man remained largely the same, the world around him was drastically altered. The Goblin became a shady crime lord who was being blackmailed by a drug-addled Ben Urich while simultaneously trying to take over the Daily Bugle. Aunt May became a socialist activist, allowing for a healthy dose of political commentary. Felicia Hardy, meanwhile, was a classic femme fatale and the owner of the Black Cat nightclub. Watching Spider-Man navigate his way through a world that was essentially a James M. Cain novel, complete with speakeasies, murder and Long Goodbyes was immensely entertaining precisely because they left the main character as unchanged as possible.