Any fan of Marvel Comics has a lot to be excited about lately. There have been a number of movies and television series on the way from the house of ideas, but there are also multiple video games to play coming soon. One of them is Marvel Cosmic Invasion, a side-scrolling brawler that brings multiple Marvel Comics heroes and villains together against a common galactic threat. The game is coming out December 1, 2025, for both consoles and PC, and will let comic book fans team up to take down tons of bad guys in from the Marvel Universe.

But as Marvel Cosmic Invasion gets closer to releasing, the Marvel Universe has dabbled with brawler video games for many years before. Some iconic arcade games and home releases had Marvel fans duking it out with multiple thugs and saving the day many times over. These games brought the colorful visuals, action-packed excitement, and phenomenal references to everyone who loves being within the world of Marvel Comics. Here are 5 iconic Marvel brawlers you'll want to play before Marvel Cosmic Invasion comes out.

X-Men (1992)

Come to me, my X-Men

In the early 90s, arcades and home consoles saw the release of multiple titles that were based on Marvel Comics characters. One of the biggest franchises to be part of this were the X-Men, one of the most legendary super teams of all-time. Arguably, the most famous video game release based on the team was the X-Men arcade game from 1992. There were multiple versions of the cabinet, which allowed for multiple players to team up together as their favorite X-Men hero and fight together against waves of enemies. The larger machine that most people remember allowed for up to six players at a time, allowing the entire X-Men team to get in on the action.

What made X-Men so memorable wasn't just how unique the arcade cabinet was, it was also how faithful it was to the comics, as well as a brief animated TV show. The game is largely based on the Pryde of the X-Men cartoon that aired before the iconic 90s X-Men animated series that most people remember in the 90s. While the designs for characters is a little different, the core of the franchise is the same, including the powers and personalities of all the characters included. The game allowed players to use everyone's mutant powers loosely while fighting, allowing for tons of great effects and sounds to play out on screen. Unfortunately, the X-Men arcade game has not seen many official re-releases on current-day hardware, making it somewhat difficult to play today. A version of the game was released on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in 2010, but has since been removed from digital stores.

The Punisher (1993)

I hit 'em, and they stay down

Marvel Comics in the 90s were experiencing a growing trend of darker interpretations of heroes and anti-heroes on the rise. Stories got more grim, and certain iconic characters from the Marvel Universe found their stride in the eyes of comic fans everywhere. One character that grabbed everyone's attention was The Punisher, a vigilante who fought criminals in the aftermath of his family's death. But unlike many heroes people had come to know, The Punisher wasn't afraid to get a little gritty and dish out enough pain to those who did wrong. The popularity of the character and his stories eventually led to his own comic series, as well as an arcade game by Capcom in 1993.

The Punisher is an arcade game that puts players in the role of Frank Castle as he fights the many thugs and assassins under the employ of The Kingpin. Although it's a one-man war on crime for him, the game also allows a second player to team up as Nick Fury, the director of Shield. Together, they can use an assortment of weapons and their fists to beat down enemies and eventually take down Kingpin. The Punisher was another game made by Capcom at the time, following a number of other hits that the company had been releasing in arcades. This relationship between Capcom and Marvel Comics would eventually lead to some of the biggest video game releases of all-time, such as the Marvel vs Capcom series of fighting games. The Punisher arcade game was also included in the release of the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, despite not being a fighting game like the other titles included.

Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage

Let there be Carnage

By the time 1994 arrived, the popularity of Marvel Comics in avenues outside comic books themselves was staggeringly high. Multiple animated series were being produced, and tons of video games based on Marvel heroes had been released. One web crawling hero had garnered so much popularity that his video games on both the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo were immensely popular among fans. Chief among these releases was Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage, a challenging side-scrolling brawler that had players controlling both Spider-Man and Venom as they battled Cletus Cassidy, better known as Carnage.

The game is known for its visuals and incredibly good soundtrack. The cutscenes are panels pulled straight out of the Marvel Comics storyline that it is based on, which includes appearances from many Marvel heroes that team up with Spider-Man. While the experience is mostly single-player, unlike other Marvel brawlers, there is no shortage of superhero team-ups in it. While playing as Spidey or Venom, other heroes like Firestar, Captain America, Iron Fist, and others can be summoned to offer a helping hand. The boss battles against many of the big villains from the Maximum Carnage story are also a big part of the experience, especially with how challenging they were for everyone. While Maximum Carnage was the game that most people remember, there was also a sequel to the game that played very similar, titled Spider-Man and Venom: Separation Anxiety. While the story is different from Maximum Carnage, the gameplay is nearly identical.

Captain America and The Avengers

Earth's mightiest heroes

When it comes to classic heroes from Marvel Comics, there are very few that are more iconic than The Avengers. A superhero team-up of characters from throughout the Marvel Universe that combine to make one of the greatest teams in comic book history. It was inevitable that there would be video games based on the team, even though its various members would have games based on their own adventures. One of the best games to feature Earth's mightiest heroes was Captain America and The Avengers in arcades from 1993.

Much like the X-Men arcade game from the year prior, Captain America and The Avengers had two versions released in arcades. One allowed up to four players to team up together as each of the team members in the game, while the other only had two-player cooperative play. Each character that can be controlled has their own projectile that is unique to them, such as Captain America's shield or Iron Man's energy beams. But all of them can fight with their fist and other items they can pick up during the game's many stages. Different Marvel villains like the Red Skull and Ultron make appearances as boss fights, while other Marvel heroes like Namor and The Wasp also appear to help out players. Captain America and The Avengers was released in arcades first, but also had console ports for the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, as well as portable versions on the Nintendo Game Boy and the Sega Game Gear.

Spider-Man: The Video Game (1991)

With great power, comes great responsibility

Alongside other Marvel heroes that were appearing in arcade brawlers, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man also had a game of his own. Spider-Man: The Video Game was released for arcades in 1991 by Sega, and featured an assortment of other Marvel characters that teamed up with Spider-Man. The game could be played alone or with up to four players at a time, with each one taking control of a different hero. Spider-Man could join forces with Namor the Submariner, Hawkeye, and The Black Cat. The four of them set out to stop The Kingpin and Doctor Doom from using mystical artifacts and causing all types of havoc.

Gameplay is pretty similar to other brawlers at the time, with each player controlling a hero and using their unique abilities to fight enemies. There are 16 levels spread across four acts, with each section having multiple Marvel villains to fight against. Some of the biggest Spider-Man villains to show up include Doctor Octopus, Venom, Electro, The Lizard, Green Goblin, Scorpion, and Sandman. Everything culminates into a showdown with both The Kingpin and Doctor Doom. As one of the earlier Spider-Man games to release, Spider-Man: The Video Game had a positive reception among players and comic fans alike, becoming a highly successful arcade release alongside other Marvel games at the time.

Play on true believers

Comic fans love diving back into the Marvel Universe and seeing their favorite heroes and villains clashing in epic battles between good and evil. The many games we see released over the years allow us to take control of the action and immerse ourselves in the excitement of following these iconic characters. As Marvel Cosmic Invasion gets set to arrive on consoles and PC, it may be a great time for Marvel fans to revisit some of the classic brawlers that led up to its arrival. There's no shortage of adventures and bad guys to battle for true believers that have followed this universe for decades. And it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.