Captain Marvel (Carol Susan Jane Danvers)

Few names carry as much weight in the Marvel Universe as Captain Marvel, and this iteration — born in the pages of Spider-Man: Red-Headed Stranger in 2009 under the hands of Fred Van Lente and Barry Kitson — arrived squarely in the thick of the Modern Age, when Marvel's street-level and cosmic corners were colliding in spectacular fashion. With 31 catalogued appearances spread across Dark Avengers, Ms. Marvel, and The Amazing Spider-Man, this Captain Marvel moves in genuinely elite company — sharing pages with Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, and the ever-menacing Norman Osborn. Three of those appearances have earned key-issue recognition, making them worth a second look for any serious collector. Fifteen years of presence in the Marvel catalog is no small thing, and for fans who love the intersection of big personalities and high-stakes storytelling, this is a character well worth tracking down.