Superheroes and Super Villains Who Use Guns

Guns? Superheroes with guns? Super Villains with guns? Should they even have guns or should they be banned? Growing up, superheroes did not have guns, they used their fists to fight and they used their willpower to fight with those fists. Then Iron Man came along and he fights with his fists, but also with gunfire every now and again and with other forms of fighting with machinery. Falcon also sometimes uses forms of fire or gunfire but does fight with his fists every now and again. There are some superheroes that use the ability to have both – most of them, of course, have military backgrounds. But, even with the military background, should superheroes use guns or super villains?

What Does Superheroes Using Guns Mean?

Daredevil does not use guns, he uses his fist and he is legally blind. Superheroes such as Black Panther, though, do use guns. And, Black Panther has been around a long time. But, at the same time he is known for using anything that requires armed and unarmed combat. Villains such as the Punisher do use guns and do use force by any means possible. Then again, he is a villain and villains have more control over what they use for that villainry. Superheroes are meant to be perceived as good guys, someone who saves the world the right way and that is why they tend to use fists a lot of the time. Villains are meant to be perceived as bad, automatically, so when they use guns we see that as something that is ‘the norm.’ Some of the anti-heroes also use guns, because they are that borderline of both the hero and the villain.

Deadpool's Gun Instructions
Deadpool’s Gun Instructions

Should guns be used? Could that be the reason why millennials are mostly anti-guns when it comes to the political sense? Superheroes had fists when the millennial age was around in the 90’s and nowadays with the generations after us, they tend to use more guns as well as the baby boomers. The baby boomers had guns in TV shows and actions films that led them to believe that it was the norm. But, the millennials do not have much of that. So, what makes a superhero that uses a gun special? What makes them better than Captain America who does not use guns? There may not be much of anything that makes them better. The fight is not a fight when one has a gun and the other does not. Because, ultimately, you have a winner and it will be the superhero or villain with the gun. Human Torch throws fireballs, would you deem that as something that also uses other tactics to win? Despite him being an awesome character.

Superheroes and Super Villains Who Use Guns

Rocket Raccoon
Rocket Raccoon

First and foremost, Rocket Racoon – who is a prime supporter of using guns in any way shape or form. Granted, he is a raccoon so does he have the ability to defend himself without the gun? That is a question for anyone who enjoys Rocket Raccoon. Should Rocket use guns in order to defend himself as a superhero, he is with one of the most popular superhero groups Guardians of the Galaxy who stand for good and not bad. Do guns represent bad or do they represent different things depending on who is using the weapon? That latter could suffice more so than any of the other rhetorical questions because if a good guy is using a gun it would mean that they were using it for good, as opposed to the opposite. So what do we make of that? Should we say, as readers, no guns universally – or break it up between villains and heroes?

Earth 616 War Machine
Earth-616 War Machine

War Machine also uses guns as well, the super sidekick of Iron Man. How are we supposed to feel about that? Considering he was made for and by the government, it would seem ‘right’ that he would use guns. If you use this as a political standpoint, the government would give War Machine guns because of the fact that he needs to be on his defense at all times. And, what defends better than a gun, according to the government? But, War Machine also has automatic targeting – so, that alone give him more leverage than Rocket Raccoon depending on how good Rocket Racoon is at aiming.

Crossbones
Crossbones

We all know the use of guns when it comes to villains, but Crossbones is a good example of that. In Winter Soldier and Civil War, Crossbones uses different methods of guns and explosives. You don’t seem to think anything of that because he is a villain. He is supposed to be the bad guy, so for certain generations or for certain readers they don’t deem that as something that is weird or out of place. The villain is supposed to seem like the bad guy and that is what a gun does to that particular character. It is different seeing someone like War Machine using guns, you don’t really recognize it until you see he is using them. He is one of the good guys, one of the biggest good guys and it is weird that he would use violence in a manner such as using guns to defend himself. Rocket Raccoon was a mercenary before he was a good guy, so you can’t really say anything about Rocket.

Hellboy
Hellboy

Hellboy is another interesting example of a superhero who uses guns, but he also has a resistance to injury and a healing factor. So, in this instance would you approve of Hellboy using guns? Why would he, in particular, need to use guns for defense? This is one of those superheroes that you don’t really know how to go about because at the same time he can never really die, so why does he need guns? It’s that thin line. Gun control for superheroes all around, even ones tho don’t need it or for no one to use guns as far as superheroes go and only villains have that ability.

There is also Cable who uses guns as well as Deadpool. Cable is a character who has used guns since he was created. But, then again, Cable also uses any defense mechanism needed in order to eliminate his opponent. Cable has never been a character who has wanted to use just his fists, that is not the kind of superhero he is. By the time he was a superhero he was fairly older in age it seemed (he might’ve not been) but he has grey hair. Based on how his age appears to be, would it be safe to say he needs guns to protect himself as well as others he is fighting for? It is that thin line again. The use of guns with superheroes and who should and should not use them or have the ability to get them. Should they all be trained to use them? Yes. But should they?

Cable and Deadpool
Cable and Deadpool

Deadpool being a mercenary, of course, he would use a gun in every instance. He is known to be a huge anti-hero in the world of Marvel and he plays by his own rules. So, telling Deadpool not to use a gun would be like telling Ant-Man to stop being so tiny. He is going to do it no matter what and no matter how he gets a hold of it. Should Deadpool use guns? It depends. He is a hero, but he is also a villain. So, based on that it’s another thin line. He also has that healing factor, so does he deserve to use one? If he has the ability to heal himself in a matter of hours or days, why should he be able to carry a gun?

Should Superheroes and Super Villains Use Guns?

Deadpool
Deadpool

That is the question that needs to be answered. There are superheroes that use guns and there are some that don’t and that just depends on how their character development has progressed and where they have came from. Most superheroes that use guns did not just start using guns, they have used them since the beginning. But that blurred line of should superheroes use guns or strictly just villains is a question that has a difficult answer. Politically, even, that goes to show that bad people should be able to use guns and not good people? So, the answer to that question can be answered in a lot of different ways. How would you answer it?

What do you think? Leave a comment.

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41 Comments

  1. Wonder Woman’s lasso rocks!

    • wonder womans lasso is cool but it doesnt really have real power behind it G.R. chain is a weapon with serious power behind it being wrapped in chains that burn with the fires of hell not fun being tied up by a woman in a skimpy outfit who wants me to tell the truth ill survive

  2. Red hood robin was a beast with guns.

  3. danielle577

    Interesting how the fairly easy binary between who should and who should not use guns isn’t as easily distinguishable as first assumed.

  4. Munjeera

    For superheroes, no guns please. If they really are superheroes, by definition they shouldn’t need guns.

  5. Turnbull
    1

    10. Shocker’s Vibro-Shock Gauntlets
    9. Mr. Freezes Freeze Ray
    8. Green Goblin’s Arsenal
    7. Merlyn’s Bow
    6. Scarecrow’s Fear Toxin(thanks CFk)
    5. Ock’s Arms
    4. Loki’s Staff
    3. Winter Soilder’s Arm
    2. Mandarin’s Rings
    1. Infinity Gauntlet

  6. Everything Batman would be the greatest super power of all

  7. Using your imagination to create things is pretty rad so, essentially, Green Lantern-esque powers are the best.

  8. My super power would be to teleport so I could visit my family more often. We’re so spread out across the globe and I miss them! Either that or fly super fast.

    • January
      0

      My super power would be “infinite knowledge” aka. the ability to get the answer to any question I could ever think of. I’d then be able to know how to defeat and outsmart any opponent.

  9. Can we have a full list of characters with guns?

    • hellboy
      1

      Off the top of my head…

      Penguin uses unbrella guns.

      Arsenal (Roy harper, the original speedy) gave up bows in favor of real firepower.

      Crimson Avenger uses a pair of cursed pistols.

      Vigilante is a modern day cowboy.

      Jonah Hex is an old school cowboy.

      Guy Gardner, currently a green lantern was known as Warrior for a while, and was able to produce guns out of his body.

      Deadshot is an ace marksman and always uses a gun of one type or another.

      Mr Freeze and Captain cold use freeze guns.

      Firefly and Heatwave use flamethrower guns.

      Mirror Master uses a weird sort of Mirror gun.

      Maxwel lord can often be seen with a pistol, although I don’t recall him using it much apart from the time he shot Blue Beetle in the brain.

      Red Mask (resurected Jason Todd) has no problem with using a gun and killing gotham’s criminals.

      I am sure I am forgetting one or two really obvious ones but there is a variety of gun use throughout the comics.

    • I’m going with either of this guys: Deadshot, Rocket stinkin’ Raccoon or The Godd*mned Punisher

  10. Glennie
    1

    Great analysis of the moral code, which had a great influence on me growing up.

  11. Bra4Her
    1

    nice post, good job

  12. I’d vote for the Green Lanterns power ring. The ability to fly and to conjure anything physical (in green of course). He could conjure a train that he could smash you with or a big weapon to shoot you with.

  13. Interesting, thanks!

  14. Joker uses a gun, Two Face uses a gun, Calander Man uses a gun. etc. They are all great characters.

    • But like with the Joker he does use a gun but I wouldn’t say it was his main weapon… But I take your point, a lot of them use guns.

  15. Necoler
    1

    Judge Dread.

  16. I don’t understand why you are saying The Punisher is a Villain. He’s an anti-hero if anything just like Deadpool but as, if not more, serious as Cable. The Punisher isn’t even considered a Super till much later in the comics where he’s specifically given guns that can never harm innocents. If anything he’s basically a non-super version of Ghost Rider and later a much more over powered Ghost Rider with literally divine guns. His edge up on people with actual super powers, when he has none, is that he is willing to play dirty and bring out the literal big guns when needed.

    The Punisher isn’t a Hero but he is nowhere near a villain. The term vigilante exists for a reason and not using that, or even anti-Hero, and calling Frank Castle or any other version of The Punisher a villain is a disservice to the character.

  17. Tigey

    Supheroes and guns? They don’t need no steenkeen’ guns.

  18. Lauren Mead

    I prefer super heroes that don’t use guns, because it leaves room for more interesting narratives.

  19. I do not think gun use is bad. Super hero’s fight for entertainment, and most people do not say things like using gun are bad. They only watch the movies for the special effects. In most movies no one really dies when it comes to guns, or if they do people know that the death happens in a gruesome way.

  20. Very nice way of taking a hot political topic and incorporating it into an article about comic books. Personally, I think superheroes should be allowed to use to guns by all means. If they are fighting crime and said enemies may be wielding a gun or some other projectile associated power why wouldn’t the hero also use a gun to combat the evil. Especially, if the hero is at a disadvantage in the distanced combat area I believe they most certainly should use a gun to fight crime more effectively. Superhero comics are an obviously, overtly fictional form of entertainment, so superheroes portrayed with guns should be taken lightly in my opinion.

  21. More often than not when these characters are using guns it’s against other characters that guns aren’t really effective against, which takes their threat from kill to hinder. And if we’re supposed to sympathize with a hero or anti hero who uses guns to kill the target is often painted as despicable and that deserved it.

  22. Mirenalex
    0

    Awesome……

  23. Lillian
    2

    “Villains such as the Punisher do use guns and do use force by any means possible”

    Um… WHAT? He’s a good guy; It’s called being an anti-hero. Who wrote this completely deluded article?

  24. I see no problem with superheroes using guns…as long as that hero isn’t Batman

  25. Punisher isn’t a villain, get it right. He serves punishment to those who have abused and oppressed innocent people. Couldn’t really ever see him being a villain. He’d be 1000x worse in that category. He’s more of an anti-hero persona than anything. His style of justice just so happens to lean toward execution in a lot of cases. He has been known to nonlethal in just as many cases.

  26. The punish isn’t a villain he’s just an anti hero

  27. I Love deadpool

  28. Using guns, even with a healing factor, could help eliminate the risk faster. If Wolverine shot the guy who was killing people, he would stop the threat faster, and potentially save more lives. It makes no sense why it wouldn’t be okay to use guns.

  29. One thing that can be said about guns is that it makes the comic slightly more realistic in that the superhero looks less like an unrealistic omnipotent overman.

  30. i think its 100% ok for any hero, antihero, or villian to use a gun. Even hulk! a large gun would eork for him but im not saying any comic character SHOULD use guns. im just saying there is nothing wrong with it

  31. Ricky Moore
    0

    From the point of view of the logic of combat, guns are better defense and ways to incapacitate dangerous villains than a lot of powers. Body armor is always necessary as well, unless you’re invulnerable, and if you go up against multiple armed people without body armor you will die. I do not believe any superhero without great physical powers world survive all those guns shot at him, it’s simply not humanly possible and makes it impossible for me to take the scene/character seriously. It is irresponsible not to use a firearm to dispatch dangerous enemies when it’s the best option, and it usually is. I really don’t care about character development, your personality isn’t bullet proof. Anyone who wasn’t Superman or at least Spider-Man would be dead, and I’m not going to read a story that doesn’t even make sense by its own internal logic. I’m not going to watch Black Widow beat up 300lb men, either. It’s dumb, it looks dumb, and I dislike the demographic who wants yass kweens and fears guns. All superheroes should wear Iron Man armor regardless of their powers, and I am more likely to read that comic than the degenerate trash they’re publishing these days.

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