Night Monkey Joins the Ranks: 14th MCU-Only Character to Debut in Marvel Comics

In simpler terms, a fresh character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has now made an official entrance into the world of Marvel Comics. Although Marvel Studios is renowned for accurately translating its comic book origins onto the screen, the superhero franchise has also dared to innovate, creating unique characters that aren’t part of the original comics. Some of these inventions have become so popular that they have left their mark not only within the MCU but also in the comic books themselves.

This year, a fresh character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to star in its comic book premiere. It’s been unveiled that Tom Holland’s Night Monkey will be included in the upcoming Marvel Comics saga called “Battleworld,” available on shelves as early as September.

As stated on an official Marvel Comics blog, the upcoming Multiversal tale centers around the well-known reality-altering planet from the “Secret Wars” comic series. In simpler terms, characters from various universes will find themselves united on a world made up of different parts, where they will wage their own secret battles for survival.

The world known as Battleworld from SECRET WARS is back! Characters hailing from various universes find themselves in a single realm, where they wage their own secret conflicts to protect their timelines’ existence! The mystery deepens: who or what has constructed this Battleworld, and for what sinister objective? Meet Maestro. Is he an ally, or a threat?

Far From Home,” has been unveiled.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Night Monkey, a freshly minted character, made his debut in Tom Holland’s second “Spider-Man” film. The moniker ‘Night Monkey’ was given due to his unique all-black suit that deviated from the traditional red and blue costume usually associated with Spider-Man.

Marvel Comics’ “Battleworld” is set to hit the shelves on September 24th. This will be a five-issue limited series, penned by “Superior Spider-Man” writer Christos Gage and illustrated by Marcus To from “X-Force”.

The forthcoming comic book venture will emulate the epic saga of the renowned “Secret Wars” event (set to be depicted in the upcoming two-part Avengers films), with shards from diverse universes being melded together to form a horrifying, battle-scarred planet spanning multiple realities. Subsequently, these distinct realms will engage in a struggle for existence, battling each other.

Every MCU-Original Character To Appear in Marvel Comics

Agent Coulson

The first MCU-only character to jump into the comics was Clark Gregg’s Agent Phil Coulson.

In the initial phases of Marvel Studios’ tale-spinning, Phil Coulson made his entrance in the movie “Iron Man”, playing a significant role in shaping the narrative. As Nick Fury’s trusted deputy at SHIELD, Coulson later took charge of his own Marvel Cinematic Universe television series, titled “Agents of SHIELD“.

Later on, Coulson made his first appearance in Marvel Comics, starting with the 2011 series “Battle Scars”. During this storyline, he was stationed alongside Nick Fury’s secret son, Marcus Johnson, working for SHIELD during a massive conflict known as the War of the Serpent. In this battle, the Asgardian entity aimed to cast a shadow of fear over Earth.

Darcy Lewis

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Darcy Lewis quickly became a beloved character among fans, making her debut in the 2011 film “Thor.” Notably, she was specifically crafted for this movie role, with Kat Dennings bringing her to life on screen.

She functions as an intelligent and witty astrophysics intern under Stellan Skarsgård’s character, Erik Selvig. Her MCU journey has been prosperous, with her latest appearance being in Season 3 of the show titled “What If…?“.

In January 2023, I made my debut within the Marvel Comics universe, stepping into the shoes of a character named Darcy, who disguised herself as an undercover journalist. In Steve Orlando’s run of “Scarlet Witch”, I found myself drawn to the enigmatic sorceress after unwittingly associating with the wrong crowd and seeking her assistance for my predicament.

Miss Minutes

Beginning from 2021, Miss Minutes has been causing a stir among Marvel Cinematic Universe fans with her role as the voice of the Time Variance Authority, which travels between realities. Known by the voice of Tara Strong, this lively animated clock made its appearance in the first season of Loki, portraying an AI that maintains order within the TVA, though with a slight quirkiness.

She now serves as a stand-in voice for the Marvel Cinematic Universe Multiverse, often employed across various Marvel Entertainment resources to clarify the series’ various alternate dimensions.

In June 2023, Miss Minutes made a significant debut in Marvel Comics, gracing multiple variant covers for tales centered on the Multiverse. Additionally, she’s been utilized in projects such as Marvel’s continuous “Today in Marvel History” YouTube series.

Kahhori

As a die-hard film fan, it was nothing short of exhilarating to witness Kahhori’s groundbreaking introduction in Season 2 of What If…? within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This young Mohawk hero marked a historic milestone as the first original superhero the franchise has ever created.

She’s a young woman from the Mohawk tribe, who after encountering a lake imbued with cosmic energy from the Tesseract, gains extraordinary abilities and uses them to disrupt the Spanish conquistadors as they colonize her native land.

In November 2024, she earned a solo comic titled “Kahhori: World’s Reshaper“. This standalone comic book issue revisited her origins as portrayed in “What If…?” and navigated different realities to influence the Earth-616 universe.

Layla El-Faouly

In the world of Marvel Comics, Layla El-Faouly doesn’t have a long history, unlike her superpowered counterpart. However, in the first season of “Moon Knight,” portrayed by May Calamawy, Layla became the main love interest for Marc Spector, played by Oscar Isaac.

After she consented to embody the Egyptian deity of women and children, Taweret, she donned the costume of the renowned comic figure, Scarlet Scarab.

Since then, Layla has assumed the Scarlet Scarab alias in the comics, borrowing it from established characters Abdul Faoul and Mehemet Faoul. She first appeared in issue #25 of Moon Knight (Vol. 9), which was published in July 2023, where she was depicted as Marc Spector’s former love interest.

Luis (Ant-Man)

Michael Peña’s character, Luis, plays an essential role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Ant-Man series, appearing in two out of the three Ant-Man movies that have been produced thus far.

The character serves as Scott Lang’s best friend and previous jail companion. Known for his quick wit and affinity for intricate burglaries, these traits have frequently been showcased throughout his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It’s no surprise that Luis has gained popularity among longtime fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, leading to an eventual comics debut. This happened in the “Astonishing Ant-Man” comic series in 2015, where he assumed a role similar to his character in Marvel Studios, working alongside Scott Lang as part of his crew.

Erik Selvig

Through joining characters like Darcy Lewis, Erik Selvig is another figure from the Thor movie that eventually made an appearance in comic books. Stellan Skarsgård portrayed this character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, where he played a distinguished astrophysicist who collaborated with Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster.

In the initial Thor films, Erik played a crucial role. He functioned as a bridge linking the human world with the supernatural inhabitants of Asgard.

In the Marvel Comics of 2016’s “Avengers Standoff: Welcome to Pleasant Hill,” a character from the MCU made his first appearance. However, unlike his portrayal in the films, this version was depicted as Danish instead of Norwegian.

Harley Keener

Initially, spectators might not recall Harley Keener by his name, but upon seeing him, they are likely to recollect who he is without a doubt.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Harley made his first appearance as a character created specifically for the series in the movie “Iron Man 3”. He was the young boy who temporarily sheltered Tony Stark in his family’s garage during an escape. Later, several years passed, and the character reappeared, making a brief visit to Tony Stark’s funeral scene in “Avengers: Endgame”.

In the comic book series “WEB of Spider-Man,” issue #1 from June 2011, Ty Simpkins’ character from “Iron Man 3” made an appearance. This storyline presented him as a different reality version of Tony Stark, crafting his own Iron Man suit and assuming the role of the adolescent hero, Iron Lad – a part Simpkins has expressed interest in playing in future Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

N’Jobu

In the early scenes of “Black Panther”, the character N’Jobu, portrayed by Sterling K. Brown, was introduced to Marvel Cinematic Universe viewers. He was actually the younger brother of King T’Chaka from Wakanda, who met an untimely death at the hands of his own brother following his covert actions in collaboration with the villainous Klaue, facilitating the illegal exportation of vibranium from their native African nation.

Consequently, this situation resulted in the birth of the character Killmonger, who was N’Jobu’s son, and dedicated his entire life to seeking revenge for his father and attempting to seize the throne of Wakanda. (played by Michael B. Jordan)

Initially in the comics, Killmonger’s father remained unnamed, but this only held true until the character of N’Jobu appeared. After the movie “Black Panther” was released, it was revealed that the father of the infamous Marvel villain Killmonger was actually named N’Jobu.

Hunter B-15

As a devoted cinephile, I can attest that the character Hunter B-15 has gained significant recognition, largely due to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Portrayed by the talented Wunmi Mosaku, B-15 serves as the chief of the Time Variance Authority. Known for her proficiency in maintaining order across the timelines, B-15 is not afraid to trim any branch that strays from its intended course.

She made her debut in the first season of Loki, and since then, she’s been featured in various other productions, including Deadpool (scheduled for 2024) and Wolverine.

In Marvel Comics, Hunter B-15 hasn’t explicitly shown up as herself, but it seems that Loki revealed her previous identity as Verity Willis. Verity, a recurring character in Marvel Comics, has been a trusted ally to Loki since 2014.

Sylvie

In the first season of the series “Loki,” Sophia Di Martino made a captivating debut portraying Sylvie, a Loki Variant. This character was exclusively crafted for the show, embodying an intriguing concept derived from the Tom Hiddleston-portrayed God of Mischief in the Multiverse, serving as an alternate reality interpretation.

Initially portrayed as an enemy of Loki, Sylvie gradually transformed into a close ally and possibly something more for the seasoned character. Together with Hiddleston’s character, they combined efforts to protect The Sacred Timeline (for details on Sylvie’s MCU future, check out this article).

Similar to how Hunter B-15 was initially different from his comic counterpart but later became more similar in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Sylvie has a name in common with a character from Marvel Comics, but her on-screen portrayal has evolved to share more traits with the MCU’s version rather than her original comic book representation.

OB

In the second season of “Loki,” Ke Huy Quan appeared as OB (also known as Ouroboros). Initially, he was depicted as a craftsman working for the TVA, providing Loki and his companions with assistance on their journey through various universes.

In the second season of the Disney+ series, OB aided the character played by Tom Hiddleston, known as the Asgardian, with crucial support. This aid included resolving Loki’s issue with time travel and assisting in repairing the Temporal Loom within the TVA.

Ever since making his debut on Disney+, Quan’dun’s Otherworldly Being (OB) has been turning up in the Marvel Comics universe as well. In a fleeting appearance, I caught a glimpse of the OB in issue #1 of WEB of Spider-Man, hinting at its presence within the TVA.

Madisynn

As a dedicated Disney+ viewer, I can confidently say that Patty Guggenheim’s portrayal of Madisynn in the “She-Hulk: Attorney At Law” series truly stands out as one of its most captivating aspects.

In the middle of the initial season of “She-Hulk,” a charming Marvel Cinematic Universe character made an entrance, finding herself in a dreadful situation at the hands of the fearsome dark magician Donny Blaze. Later on, she was seen in court alongside Benedict Wong’s character, Wong, and Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters. Over time, she developed a friendship with Wong.

Her character was then adapted for Marvel Comics in 2024, appearing in What If…? Venom (Vol 13).

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2025-06-21 21:07