The Biggest Red Herrings In Marvel Comics

Things aren't always what they appear to be in the Marvel Universe. Many heroes wear masks, and illusionists like Mysterio, Mastermind, and Fantomex run rampant, making reality a matter of perspective. Deaths are also far from final. Do you miss a major (or not-so-major) character who has recently been killed off? Chances are, they'll be back in a few years –- or in some cases, even a few months, complete with an explanation revealing they never actually died in the first place. Plot twists and revelations can be similarly undone, debunked, and subverted. Not into a storyline's current trajectory? Stick around long enough, and it'll be erased faster than you can say "Xorneto." 

We call these acts of misdirection red herrings. Whether they're planned, improvised, or created retroactively, they're as plentiful as superheroes themselves in the pages of Marvel Comics. Here are some of the biggest the House of Ideas has ever dreamed up, from the Sentry's phony origin story to the truth about the Winter Soldier.

In a decade full of shocks, twists, and red herrings, 1996's "Onslaught Saga" managed to feature one of the era's most famous acts of misdirection: The apparent death of many major Marvel heroes. In "Onslaught: Marvel Universe" #1, the Fantastic Four, Bruce Banner, and all active Avengers drain the uber-powerful Onslaught, who has become a being of pure energy, by rushing into him and disappearing. This weakens his "body" enough for the X-Men to finish him off. Even Doctor Doom takes part, but not by choice — he's tackled into Onslaught by Iron Man.

With that, the Marvel Universe's A-list heroes appear to take their final bow, leaving behind less trusted figures like the X-Men, Spider-Man, and the Hulk, who Onslaught split from his human alter ego. It is eventually revealed, however, that those who gave their lives to stop Onslaught have actually been rescued by Franklin Richards, who transports them all to a miniature universe where he "reboots" them. From 1996 to 1997, said heroes starred in the "Heroes Reborn" line of titles, going on new adventures with no memory of their past lives in the mainstream Marvel Universe ... until Franklin, Spider-Man, and the Hulk wind up there themselves. They promptly bring everyone home, save Doctor Doom and Thor, who get there in more roundabout ways.

Captain America is one of the most iconic Avengers around, not to mention one of the most famous superheroes period. Killing him off seems unthinkable ... or at least, it did until 2007's "Captain America" #25. In this issue, Steve Rogers gets shot by two weapons: A sniper rifle fired by Crossbones, and a handgun wielded by a mystery shooter. His death changes the Marvel Universe forever.

It doesn't take long, however, for this series to reveal that a whole lot of red herrings are present in Captain America's supposed death scene. One involves the identity of the mystery shooter: Agent 13, aka Sharon Carter, who's been manipulated by Doctor Faustus. The biggest red herring of all, however, is Steve's "death." 2009's "Captain America: Reborn" series reveals that Steve became adrift in time upon being shot, due to the unique nature of the gun Sharon used. A wild time travel adventure ensues, from which Steve eventually returns home.

The character known as Xorn is a bundle of red herrings unto himself. It all begins when Magneto is attacked by a giant Sentinel fist in 2001's "New X-Men" #115. The very next issue reveals that Magneto (along with millions of other mutants) has died in a Sentinel attack on Genosha. This seems to be further corroborated in "New X-Men" #132 when a handful of X-Men discover what appears to be a recording of Magneto's last words to his doomed island nation.

Yet this all turns out to be a carefully orchestrated series of red herrings designed to trick the world into believing Magneto is dead. As the "truth" of his demise sinks in, Magneto befriends the X-Men under the guise of Xorn, a mutant whose face is obscured by a helmet. He reveals himself in "New X-Men" #146, and proceeds to defeat the X-Men and take over New York City. His reign of terror ends when Wolverine beheads him in "New X-Men" #150.

That death, however, turns out to be a red herring too. When Magneto reappears in the first two issues of 2004's "Excalibur," he explains that the person who Wolverine killed was an impostor. Subsequent retcons reveal that Xorn is, in fact, a real person, who comes to reside on the mutant island Krakoa in 2019's "House of X" #1.

While chasing Trevor Fitzroy in the future, Lucas Bishop finds the X-Mansion's underground levels in 1992's "Uncanny X-Men" #287. He also discovers a decades-old recording of Jean Grey claiming a traitor attacked the X-Men, and that "Professor Xavier — was the first to die." Desperate for answers, Bishop goes to see his old employer, LeBeau. An elderly man, many call him "the Witness," as he's the last person to have seen the X-Men alive. Yet the Witness is uncooperative.

When Bishop travels to the present, he meets Gambit, who he begins suspecting is a younger version of the Witness. Believing he's put two and two together, Bishop accuses Gambit of betraying the team in the future. While he's talked down by his teammates, he warns Gambit he'll be keeping him under close watch.

Despite Gambit and the Witness' similarities (including sharing the name "LeBeau"), Bishop is ultimately proven wrong. 1996's "Onslaught X-Men" reveals that the video of Jean Bishop saw in the future had degraded to the point that key dialogue was missing, including lines revealing that Xavier wasn't killed by the X-Traitor, but betrayed the X-Men himself as Onslaught. Furthermore, 2001's "Gambit and Bishop" portrays the Witness as Gambit's mentor, while Bishop himself becomes an X-Traitor, nearly killing Xavier at the end of the "Messiah Complex" storyline.

Shortly before his 2000 debut, the Sentry was promoted in "Wizard" #105 as a recently unearthed '60s creation of  Stan Lee and artist Artie Rosen, whose passing was announced two issues earlier. In keeping with this theme, the character is portrayed in his first miniseries, 2000's "The Sentry," as a long-lost hero, who wipes all memory of his existence to avoid unleashing his monstrous alter ego, the Void. With only one other comic allegedly to his name — 1961's "Startling Stories" #1 — "The Sentry" seemed like a great second chance for this obscure, Superman-ish character. There's just one catch: Almost nothing "Wizard" said about the character's creation is true. 

Not only is the Sentry not a Stan Lee creation, Artie Rosen never existed. Moreover, Marvel never published a 1961 "Startling Stories" issue featuring the Sentry. It was all a massive red herring, put together by Marvel Comics and "Wizard" to drum up interest in the character, whose true creators are Paul Jenkins, Rick Veitch, and Jae Lee. Even Stan Lee was in on it, as was legendary comics artist John Romita Sr., who drew the Sentry concept art featured in "Wizard" #105. The ruse's mastermind? Marvel's then-editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, who got the red herring rolling a year earlier by sending well-wishes to the supposedly-ill Rosen in the letters page of "Daredevil" #9.

Traditionally, sculptor Alicia Masters dates Benjamin J. Grimm, aka the ever-lovin', rock-skinned Thing of the Fantastic Four. But when Grimm decides to stay on the planet Battleworld at the end of 1985's "Secret Wars" series, Alicia accepts Ben's choice. She soon finds love again with the Human Torch, aka Johnny Storm. But Alicia and the Thing don't quite break up before Ben heads to Battleworld (although the subject does come up). This new relationship leaves the Thing fairly distraught when he returns to Earth — especially after Johnny and Alicia decide to get married.

But this marriage isn't meant to last. "Alicia" turns out to be a red herring — or rather, a green one. She's really a Skrull named Lyja, chosen to spy on the Fantastic Four on behalf of her empire. But while "Alicia" is phony, Lyja's love for Johnny is genuine. Ultimately, she sacrifices her life to save his while the Fantastic Four rescue the real Alicia from Lyja's fellow Skrulls in 1991's "Fantastic Four" #358. Happily, Lyja's "death" also ends up being a red herring, and she's since reappeared on a number of occasions.