2. Uncle Ben Parker - Spider-Man
The best kind of supporting character looms large over the series, influences events and can change the direction of what happens next. As the catalyst for events that starts Peter Parker's journey from schoolboy to Spider-Man, his tragic uncle Ben encapsulates this description perfectly. Ben's murder may have triggered Peter's vigilantism, but it was his morality and stoicism that hallmarked Spider-Man's crime-fighting methods. He is frequently referred to in flashback throughout the comics, and his influence and presence loom large. Ben is probably the ultimate patriarchal figure in the Marvel universe. In a list dominated by strong women and sidekicks who were adept enough at crime-fighting to become superheroes in their own right, there is only one character who I would consider totemic enough to be considered the ultimate supporting character, though. Turn the page to find out whom...