• • Opinion Essay
• September 1, 2021

Five Characters Marvel Midnight Suns Should Add

So with Marvel Midnight Suns, we have another great-looking Marvel game. It’s made by Firaxis, the developers behind XCom, the popular tactical sci-fi role-playing series. They’re known not only for their deep turn-based strategy combat but also for their punishing permadeath and RPG mechanics. While we shouldn’t expect to see permadeath with Marvel superheroes, we can expect to see awesome turn-based combat with them.

Despite its name though, this game does not only have Marvel characters who have served as Midnight Suns. For those who don’t know, the Midnight Suns are a loosely formed group of supernatural and magic-based superheroes. They first got together in Ghost Rider #28 back in August of 1992.

Since then, the name has been revived several times, most famously by Dr. Strange. This game seems to take inspiration from those modern incarnations in terms of its roster. It makes sense considering Dr. Strange’s habit of inviting his Avengers friends, who feel out of place in the magic side of things. 

So far, we have nine announced heroes from the X-Men, Avengers, and The Runaways, with the game confirmed to launch with 12. 

The heroes confirmed for the game are based on the supernatural and magic side of Marvel, and others are not. We should expect the last three of the twelve characters to be a mix, assuming the Hunter isn’t one of the 12.

There are five superheroes I think would fit perfectly on the roster, and would love to see them added.

#1. Elsa Bloodstone (Midnight Suns)

Daughter of immortal monster hunter Ulysses Bloodstone, she was trained from an early age to hunt monsters. To make her tough, as a child her father threw her into a horde of Great White Sharks off the coast of South Africa. Suffice to say, she more than survived. 

For her first monster hunt, she took ten seconds too long to kill a monster and got its blood all over her hair. As punishment, her father refused to let her clean it, letting the blood infect her scalp and turn her blonde hair red.

Elsa Bloodstone, my second favorite Marvel superhero, is a master marksman and prominent enough in martial arts that she can hold off Deadpool and Elektra at one time. She’s a force to be reckoned with, having some super strength and agility, along with some magical defenses against things like vampire bites thanks to the Bloodstone hanging around her neck. 

Being a Marvel game about fighting supernatural forces, Elsa Bloodstone makes more sense than half the heroes on the game’s roster. She’s even served on the Midnight Suns before due to her extensive experience in supernatural monster hunting. She would fit right at home in a turn-based strategy RPG too, considering her reliance on rifles.

#2. Moon Knight (Midnight Suns)

Marc Spector has a long resume as a mercenary, CIA operative, marine, and even a boxer. But most importantly, it was when he stumbled upon the tomb of the Egyptian Moon God Khonshu while near death. This was when he was offered a second chance at life. By becoming Khonshu’s avatar on Earth, he was resurrected with superhuman abilities. 

Upon returning home, he invested his money as a mercenary to make a fortune, and become the crimefighter, Moon Knight. To better watch over people, he developed multiple identities, losing himself in them so well, that in some comic runs he has multiple personality disorder. 

With Moon Knight, we have another Midnight Sun rep, known for his crazed style of fighting and violence. In several comics, it’s seemed as if the madness of his mind can come out to consume those around him with the power of Khonshu. 

Moon Knight could bring not only another supernatural force to the story, but be a true wild card on this game’s roster. While he wouldn’t be the only hand-to-hand fighter on this roster, his magical background could bring something that other melee fighters like Wolverine and Captain America lack. 

Plus, like Elsa Bloodstone, it would be awesome for this game to bring in lesser-known characters.

#3. Black Panther (Avengers)

Now, King T’Challa needs no introduction, everyone knows the Black Panther. There are parts of his origin, particularly his role as King of the Dead, and his connection to the cat goddess Bast, that would let him fill a lot of the same roles as Moon Knight. Basically, he could bring in another supernatural element that could tie in with the themes of this game’s story.

Being that he’s also a melee fighter who relies heavily on gadgets, I doubt we’d see Black Panther and Moon Knight be added to the game. But, if Moon Knight isn’t added, and Firaxis is looking to add another popular Avenger, Black Panther would be a better choice over most mainstream heroes for this game.

#4. L.S.D., Lucy in the Sky, Karolina Dean (Runaways)

But if Firaxis feels it has enough Avengers on the roster, another Runaways rep could be Karolina Dean. This Runaway is also known as Lucy in the Sky and L.S.D. Man, this girl has a lot of names.

This teenage hero is the child of two supervillains, and an alien from the Majesdanian Empire. Like other members of her species, she has solar energy manipulation. This allows her to fly, enter a glowing state of bioluminescence, the ability use energy blasts, forcefields, and flight.

While these powers sound similar to Captain Marvel’s, Karolina could stand out if Firaxis leans into her use of light. As the only character other than Dr. Strange known for making force fields, she could be a defensive character on the roster. This would let her play counter to Captain Marvel. Not to forget that her design is drastically different from everyone else currently on Midnight Suns’ roster. This means she adds much-needed visual and LGBTQ+ diversity to the game. 

Plus, among all the Runaways, as Nico Minoru’s girlfriend, she’ll have an interesting dynamic with a confirmed character. At least more so than other Runaways.

#5. Mirage, Dani Moonstar (X-Men)

Rather than add any one of the awesome classic X-Men, why not introduce an unknown character to a wider audience? Between Kamala Khan in Avengers, and this game having Nico Minoru and Magik, Dani Moonstar would be an inspired choice.

Also known as Mirage, Danielle or Dani Moonstar is a Native American of the Cheyenne Nation. When her powers manifested beyond her control, her place on the New Mutants helped her learn to create illusions. She does this specifically by combining two powers, telepathy and empathetic illusion casting. With them, she’s able to make wide groups of people see illusions ripped from their dreams or nightmares.

After growing into a leader among the New Mutants, she found herself upgraded to a number of other teams. She’s served on the X-Men, X-Force briefly, the Avengers, and was even a Valkyrie. Yes, she was a Valkyrie of Asgard, who brought souls to their designated afterlife after they died. She’s done it all, serving as one of the most experienced and traveled X-Men characters.

Heck, she’s even fought alongside Elsa Bloodstone during Fearless Defenders. First, Dani Moonstar’s illusionary powers would be completely unique on the roster; second, she would be familiar with more than half the game’s current roster. If Firaxis wants to add another X-Men to Midnight Suns, Mirage is the perfect choice.

The Excitement for Midnight Suns Grows

What do you think of my recommendations? Do you think they’re reasonable picks for Midnight Suns, or are some of them pipe dreams? I’m really excited about this game, and can’t wait to play it in March next year. Here’s hoping it doesn’t get delayed.

Sound off in the comments below. Let me know who the last three heroes of Midnight Suns should be.