When it comes to the world of comic books, few have withstood the test of time. Those would be Marvel and DC, and due to their exceptionally long runs, it is no wonder that both comic labels have had to reach far into the depths of creativity to come up with new comic characters over the years. While some of those creative characters have certainly been successful, others have been deemed downright odd. Generally, the oddest ones have met their end when writers determined that readers found them just too bizarre, but some have managed to stick around for years. If you are a comic reader, then chances are, you have seen a few of these characters. Here are some of the oddest comic characters ever created in the Marvel Universe.

Swarm/Fritz von Meyer

While the idea of a super villain-cum-swarm of bees does not necessarily sound that bizarre at first glance, there is much more than meets the eye with this character. Invented in 1977, the villain is essentially a swarm of bees that take on the form of a man. According to Marvel, when the swarm killed a scientist named Fritz von Meyer, his psyche was translated over to them. Yet, this is no ordinary swarm of bees; this is a swarm of bees with the thought processes and soul of a Nazi scientist.

Maggot

In keeping with the bug theme, Maggot may take the cake in the ‘most disgusting’ category. As it turns out, Maggot has slugs living in his stomach that digest food and provide him with nourishment. As far as superpowers, this means he can eat just about anything. Additionally, he has super energy and strength. Maggot was introduced in 1997, and thankfully, he did not stick around very long.

The Asbestos Lady/Victoria Murdock

Now, we all know how dangerous asbestos can be, and that it causes numerous cancers. However, this is only a recent dicovery. Hence, when Marvel created this character in 1947, the asbestos was simply an afterthought. “The Asbestos Lady” wears a fireproof outfit that just happens to be lined in asbestos, and also throws balls of fire. Ironically, she eventually passed away from cancer in 1990, after wearing that asbestos for many years.

Lockjaw

The truly bizarre part of this character has little to do with his superpowers. Lockjaw is a bulldog that has jaws of steel. Once he bites down on an enemy, he does not let go. He also has the ability to teleport. So far, a teleporting bulldog does not seem that odd, but in the comic book world, there is always an origin story. There is always a history behind each character’s powers. Yet, there is no such reason behind Lockjaw. In fact, he has no origin story at all. What’s more, no one really knows where he came from and why he was there in the first place.

Ego

Just what was Ego? It is a little hard to pinpoint. Possibly, he was a living, thinking evil planet. He may have been an evil force living among the plants. Marvel never attempted to explain his origins or his reason for being, probably since he does very little except suck energy from stars and plot. Not very impressive for a comic book super villain. Ego was mysteriously introduced in 1966, and just like many other bizarre characters, he did not last very long.

There have been numerous odd and unique characters throughout comic book history. Many of them have been long forgotten, probably a good thing considering just how odd many of them actually are.