The Marvel Cinematic Universe has amassed a pretty massive fanbase during their decade-long existence. One of the best things about the superfans is their creative ability to show their love for the material they support. Cosplay is the most popular form of fan appreciation, but some go all out with something more permanent than a costume.
Tattoos have been around for centuries. Nevertheless, they still continue to be used as a form of symbolic body art. For some hardcore Marvel fans, tattoos are a way of showing their love for the MCU in incredibly creative ways. So without further ado, here are 10 MCU tattoos that make you feel like a superhero.
10. The Winter Soldier
The death of Steve Rogers’ best friend in Captain America: The First Avenger was an unexpected, heartbreaking scene. Fortunately, fans were thrilled to see him return as the truly terrifying Winter Soldier. Since that time, Bucky returned to his normal self, was brainwashed back into an assassin, finally got rid of the Winter Soldier, started living in Wakanda as the White Wolf, died, and then came back to life.
However, throughout all that confusing mess, he never let go of his deadly cybernetic arm (not even at Rocket’s request). Therefore what better way to honor the poor soldier than to tattoo his own arm on to your own? This is exactly what Tumblr’s @zayacv did, with an impressive attention to detail that makes it seem as if a large chunk of metal really did replace her upper arm.
9. Marvel-ous
What simpler way to show your appreciation for a brand than sticking its logo on your back. This man definitely thought that was the best option, and, honestly, the end product does look incredible. Instead of simply recreating the minimalistic red and white logo, he went for a more creative route, similar to what we get at the start of every Marvel movie. A familiar hero’s face, in gorgeous detail, fills the inside of each letter.
Now, it is true that this isn’t exactly an MCU tattoo per se, seeing as it features two X-Men (Deadpool and Wolverine, to be exact). However, the colorful logo sprawled across this human back, created by Italian artist Daniele Maiorano, is too awesome to ignore. Also, we probably only have to wait until Phase 5 for the Fox characters to join our beloved Avengers anyway.
8. A worthy tattoo
At a certain point during Endgame, Thor tells the team that lightning is what courses through his veins. Apparently, there is someone else who suffers from a similar condition and this gentleman right here has the tattoo to prove it. The drawing itself is far from incredible. A simple depiction of Thor’s mighty hammer. It’s the technique behind it that grants it a place in this list.
Using a special ultraviolet ink, Long House Tattoo in Denver created what is referred to as a black-light tattoo. These are basically tattoos that are invisible to the eye unless exposed to a black-light. In this case, the black-light transforms a boring-looking hammer on a regular arm, into a lightning-fueled limb, powered by Mjolnir itself.
7. Hail Hydra
While most Hydra agents tend to infiltrate silently as spies and undercover agents, this woman seems willing to show the world exactly where her allegiances lie. This impressive depiction of the infamous symbol that led Steve Rogers to frozen waters, Bucky Barnes to becoming the Winter Soldier, and the corruption of SHIELD stands out from what could have been a bland drawing.
Instead of a simple circular design with a flat image of a squid inside, the artist, Sean Kotnik, created a truly vivid tattoo. The colors and the purposefully blotted image gives it a very three-dimensional look. It’s almost as if the symbol was stamped on to the arm with red blood and black ink.
6. Excelsior!
This tattoo by Anson Eastin is unlike the previous ones. That is, it’s neither 3D, glow-in-the-dark, or sprawled over someones’ back. Actually, it is a very typical leg tattoo. That’s not to say that it isn’t impressive, seeing as the entire limb is covered in hammers, shields, arc reactors, lightning, and… Avengers in general.
However, the one crucial detail that separates itself from the others is a simple handwritten addition to the image. A signature by no other than Stan “The Man” Lee. For a Marvel fan, especially one who enjoys showing his appreciation through his own skin, there is no greater honor than forever carrying an authentic signature by the creator himself. Even more so now that he is gone…
5. I am Iron Man
He had to come up at some point. How could one forget the MCU’s central character, the one that gave birth to it all? Up until Iron Man 3, Tony Stark wasn’t just bound by his suits, but he was also chained to a piece of technology that prevented the shrapnel (from the bombing in Iron Man) from entering his heart.
As is repeatedly mentioned in Far From Home, Tony Stark’s death begun the search for a new Iron Man. This man looks ready to take on the job. This incredible piece of art by Chad Mcdonald looks so real, it’s scary. The pulsing blue light in the center of his chest, plus the added infected veins that surround it gives it a truly vivid look. All he needs is a suit to make use of its power.
4. Comedy bugs
This tattoo (or should I say tattoos) created at Sweety Creepy Tattooatelier are, like the movie itself, funny and small in size. Unlike the serious ultra-realism of the previous entries, this one is based solely on comedy. The image itself is obviously nothing special. All it is is literally two dots, two arrows, and the title of a movie written on two arms. The concept behind it is what makes it so cool.
Not only is it a hilarious poke at the hero’s sizes, but each arm actually belongs to different people. These are two friends/lovers (could be either one really) who used their combined upper limbs to create one sole MCU tattoo. Scott and Hope would love to see this.
3. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
“Hello, can I help you?”. “Yes. Do you think… Would it be possible to transform my entire back into the Avengers: Age of Ultron poster?” Turns out, it is. Instead of going for a simple arm tattoo of his favorite Marvel hero, this man took off his shirt to replace his caucasian back with a mix of blues, reds, greens, and golds.
Iron Man front and center, Captain America above him holding his iconic shield, Thor and Hulk below them, and Black Widow and Hawkeye in the background. In addition to this, the otherwise empty spaces are covered in clouds and lightning, and the subject’s shoulder showcases a group of alien Leviathan arriving from a portal in the sky. No doubt this is a superfan.
2. Snap
Looks like we’re back to ultra-realism again with this unusual, yet awesome tattoo. The Infinity Gauntlet was teased ever since they first mentioned Infinity Stones in the MCU. It wasn’t until a post-credits scene in Age of Ultron that we finally got a quick glimpse of Thanos’ glove, but we still had to wait until Infinity War to see it filled with all six colored gems.
In honor of the Mad Titan, Revelation Tattoo created its very own Infinity Gauntlet, with colored Stones and everything. The supposedly metal screws really do resemble metal screws that are popping out of the skin. The Infinity Stones (especially the Mind Stone right in the middle) bulges off the hand. It’s not a complete Gauntlet, but it looks real enough to wipe out half the universe.
1. Avengers… assemble
This is the simplest, most boring tattoo on the list. Actually, there is no reason why it should even be included. Even a drawing of Groot on someone’s foot is more interesting than this. However, unlike all the other entries, this one is defined, not by the drawing itself, but by its history. Around the time Infinity War was released, the original six Avengers cast each decided to get themselves inked.
All of them (except Mark Ruffalo) got the same symbol tattoed on their body by artist Joshua Lorde. The number “6” is clearly shown, as are the various symbols that represent each Avenger (although, those are a bit harder to identify). Robert Downey Jr is done, Chris Evans is unlikely to return, and the rest will soon follow. Yet, this symbol will remain with them for the rest of their lives, forever making them… The Avengers.
