Marvel Comics has created an expansive, incredible universe filled with some of the most iconic characters and beloved stories. There are countless pages of comics for fans to enjoy but every now and then, a single panel stands out in our memories. Whether it’s the incredible artwork, a major reveal or moment in a story or even just a really funny line from one of Marvel’s more comical characters, some comic panels just deserve to be recognized.
With that in mind, I want to take a look at some of my favorite comic panels. Each week, I will select one panel from a new Marvel comic as a “New Favorite” and one panel from an older comic as a “Classic Favorite” and provide some context as to why those two panels are so great. Sometimes I might get a little loose with what I consider a “panel,” because comics tend to play by their own rules. But at the end of the day, we’ll have two glimpses of two great Marvel comics, one old and one new.
So without further ado, here are my picks for this week’s top Marvel Comics panels:
Classic Favorite: “House of M #7” (2005)
Writer: Brain Michael Bendis
Artist: Olivier Coipel
So simple. One character. Three little words. “No more mutants” is one of the most memorable Marvel Comics quotes because of the incredible impact it had and the awesome power it displayed. Wanda Maximoff, also known as the Scarlet Witch, almost erased an entire species from existence with those three little words in what is one of the most iconic X-Men storylines.
Wanda is one of the most powerful characters the Marvel Universe has to offer, but she’s never exactly been what you would consider stable. In the “House of M” story arc, she creates an alternate reality and takes all of your favorite heroes with her. That is, until she becomes infuriated with the idea of being a “freak” and utters the aforementioned phrase. The result is a return to the natural timeline with the number of mutants being reduced from millions to hundreds.
This is such an important moment in marvel history because it shows just how powerful the Scarlet Witch really is. There are a lot of powerful characters with various magical abilities in the Marvel Universe, but this moment shows that Wanda is right up near the top of that list. It also means she can’t really be fully trusted by either the Avengers or the X-Men.
New Favorite: “S.W.O.R.D. #1”
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Valerio Schiti
Bonus two-for-one here! With all of the big, crazy, cosmic, interdimensional, galaxy-ending kinds of stories constantly going on in Marvel Comics, it’s nice to simplify things and just marvel (see what I did there?) at the incredible powers of a classic character ever once in a while.
That’s exactly what’s happening here as Cable is blown away by the abilities of Magneto. Ol’ Mags is visiting the new S.W.O.R.D. station to oversee what exactly is happening there on behalf of the Krakoan council. All the while, he’s also using his magnetic powers to move the space station. That blows Cable’s mind, as you can see by his facial expression.
But what really wins me over in this panel, is Magneto’s response. Magneto is known as such a serious character with huge goals always on his mind. So for him to make such an easy quip in response to Cable’s shock and awe is hilarious. It’s also a reminder of just how powerful Magneto is, with how effortlessly he is literally moving a space station with his mind while multitasking.
You can check out “S.W.O.R.D. #1” now.
Be sure to check back next week for more of my favorite Marvel Comics panels.