Hornet

Hornet is one of four young heroes who took up identities originally created by Spider-Man, becoming a member of the Slingers alongside Eddie McDonough, Cassie St. Commons, Prodigy, and Dusk. The armored Hornet costume grants its wearer flight and enhanced strength.

Born from the creative spark of Joseph Harris and Adam Pollina, Hornet debuted in Slingers #0 in 1998, arriving at the tail end of the Copper Age when Marvel was reinventing legacy concepts with fresh energy. This Marvel character has kept genuinely compelling company over the years — sharing adventures with the likes of Eddie McDonough, Cassie St. Commons, Prodigy, and Dusk — and has turned up across titles as varied as Contest of Champions II and Deadpool, suggesting a versatility that outlasted the original Slingers run by more than a decade. With a catalog footprint that stretches to 2011, Hornet is one of those hidden-gem characters that rewards the curious collector willing to dig into a corner of the Marvel universe that never quite got its mainstream due.