10 Times Marvel Movies Made Powerful Characters Look Like Total Fools

4. The Chitauri (And The Other) Are Worthless Mooks - The Avengers

In the comics, the Chitauri were introduced for exactly the same reason they were used in The Avengers - as a substitute for the older, more famous Skrulls. The difference though, was that the comics version of the race retained a lot of the Skrull-like powers: they are shape-shifters who mimic their prey's military baheviour to infiltrate and corrupt from within. They're a bit like HYDRA in that respect and they have infiltrated SHIELD before.

In other words the alien race based on the wild ravings of David Icke were no push-over, even if their many attempts at invasion have so far been thwarted.

On the screen, however, the Chitauri are no more than grunts, called on for a third act escalation that turns them into cannon (and Hulk) fodder. They're brainless, mostly powerless and utterly unmemorable, and it's nothing short of a disgrace.

The same goes for The Other - the strange alien who seems to be their leader as well as Thanos' side-kick - who goes from being a super-speed threat who actually seems to frighten Loki in The Avengers, to an idiot who dies for effect in Guardians Of The Galaxy.