Best new characters (So Far) from Marvel's Secret Wars!

We are on the verge of the third week of Marvel's Secret Wars and, man, have we been put on a wild ride! Doom is god. The Thor Corp are his army. Dr. Strange is playing sheriff of Battleworld and all hell is on the verge of breaking loose. It is Marvel at its best.

Now, I could pull out all of the main characters of the books like Old Man Logan or the various characters brought back from an innumerable alternate realities. But I thought I'd delve a little deeper and bring to you the top ten coolest characters introduced in the last two weeks of Secret Wars comics. Most of these are supporting characters and may never been seen again. In fact, I know some of them die in the process of the current story. So enjoy while you can.

Honorable Mentions:

Just a few that were cool, but didn't make the list:

Punisher/Dr. Strange (Pictured above); Stephen Strange is dead and inhabiting the body of Frank Castle. Nuff Said. Oh, that an phantasmal oozies!

Arcade made an appearance in Planet Hulk #1

Several Thors; most of which we don't know. But I have seen Beta Ray, of course, and a Magneto and Groot Thor. What is cooler than that?

10) First character to catch my eye, was the 'hero' of WHERE MONSTERS DWELL. Karl Kaufman is a character pulled right out of the old adventure movies. The bi-planes and dress make it a period piece and the writers get the feel spot on. He is the typical flyboy scamp. The hero that isn't a hero, but will be the hero when needed. But, being an old school fan, I find the background of this character quite intriguing.

The cover of the comic boasts 'the Phantom Eagle flies the savage skies'. And, at first glance, you wouldn't think anything about that. But, being the old school Marvel man that I am, that name got my attention. And rightfully so. Karl Kaufman aka the Phantom Eagle is an old school World War I character created by Gary Friedrich and the late Herb Trimpe. Debuting in MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #16 in 1968, Kaufman was a skilled pilot in 1914 who got caught up in the war effort as a fighter pilot.

I have to say that I'm ecstatic to see Marvel pull from its pre-63 heroes. I think it's about time to showcase what Marvel built on before the Avengers revolution.

9) Next comes a character making not much more than a cameo. Baby sitting the gamma radiated baby for Old Man Logan in the first issue is none other than Luke Cage's baby girl, Danielle Cage. We don't see hide nor hair of any powers, but it's just great seeing the strength of character you'd expect from a Cage.

8) Next up is a duo from INFERNO. It's more of a splash finale shot of two of my favorites from that whole storyline. The Demon N'ASTIRH has won. And Colossus is on a yearly quest to free his sister from the demon's grip. The story follows Colossus, but the couple that made the impact was the appearance of Madelyne Pryor with Alex Summers under her control. THIS is what made me excited about the next issue as Pryor is one of those characters that is iconic of that time. She's also one we haven't seen for a while!

7) Making another short appearance in AFORCE but really had me sitting up was a certain THOR. This particular Thor was executing a policing action for his God Doom. What is cool about Secret Wars and the usage of the Thor Corp is that you see several variations that you haven't seen anywhere else. This particular Thor is Sam Wilson sporting wings and looking amazingly cool.

6) One comic which I've already reviewed that has particular potential is AFORCE. When introduced, I was sure we were in for a real commercial for Feminism and nothing more. I was SO wrong. But, I digress...read the review. I can't pull out one particular member for this is a team book in word and deed. But definitely watch for the new member of Marvel Universe (seen on the final splash page) to make a real impact.

5) Debuting in SECRET WARS 2099 #1 was yet another Captain America. But, Roberta brings a real individual feel to the stars and stripes. Somehow she has separated the alter ego from the costumed hero. She has a look like she may be a descendant of Sam Wilson, The Falcon, as she uses what looks like a hologram version of the red wings. I can't wait to see where this is going. The team dynamics promises train wrecks in the near future.

4) Starting out, Atillan Rising showed us action in 'Greenland' aka Hulk country. Why? I'm sure we'll learn more as it goes. But it's the team that got my attention. Especially a rebel named simply G-Man! Debuting in Ghost Rider Vol. 1 #33, Jason Aaron's undead G-Man; the old school gangster Ghost Rider made quite a buzz not only heading up the rebels, but taking on a pack of Thors without flinching!

3) Making a quick appearance in Planet Hulk#1 but leaving me wanting to know more is the enigmatic Red King. This Red Hulk doesn't look anything like the alter ego of Thunderbolt Ross from the main Hulk comics. So, I'd expect him to be someone totally different which is par for the course in Secret Wars. Placing close to this Hulk is the big brain Mr. Green showing up at the end. Needless to say, I'm locked on Planet Hulk.

2) The biggest surprise to me next to AFORCE was the SECRET WARS INFINITY GUANTLET comic. And an even bigger surprise was the main character; one Anwen Bakien. When I saw where they were headed, I was sure it was just all about marketing diversity, but Marvel did good with this one. (Should I really expect anything less?) Anwen is young and adventurous and missing her mother who just happens to be part of the Nova Corp. If you're a Marvel fan, you know where this is going. And don't worry. You'll be reading about young Anwen for a long time to come. Especially after she scraps with Thanos himself.

1) Probably since they first debuted the cover of Planet Hulk #1, I have absolutely loved this version of Captain America. Fighting in the the 'Killiseum' against a pack of Wolverines and riding a freakin' Devil Dinosaur, how can this guy not be super cool. He can't stand Doom even though he's at god status. And he's STILL loyal to Bucky. If you haven't picked up a copy of this comic, DO IT!