Top 10 Favorite Scenes from Marvel Superhero Movies

Summer blockbuster months is upon us and will likely be off to a thunderous start with THOR opening this weekend. I had been excited for this for a while mainly because of Kenneth Branagh’s involvement, that is until the rather cheesy trailers (and the subpar posters) kinda dampened my enthusiasm a bit. But after reading the stellar reviews (currently 91% on RottenTomatoes), I’m really curious to see if it’s indeed a ‘mighty Marvel entertainment’ as the critics say.

In any case, to coincide with the film’s US release this Friday, my hubby and I are revisiting other Marvel features from the past decade and list 10 of our favorite scenes. So, here they are in random order:

1. X-Men – Police Standoff

Just when the good guys think they almost capture Magneto, the tables are turned when Magneto takes control of the weapons of the entire police force. At the core of the X-Men story is the complicated relationship between two former friends Prof. X and Magneto. This very scene shows the contrast of just how far Magneto is willing to sacrifice human lives for his cause and how far Xavier would do to save them. The floating cars being slammed to the ground and the bullets stopping mid-air is just pure geeky awesomeness!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

…

---

2. Iron Man 2 – Race Track Fight/Briefcase Suit

The frenetic Monaco race track scene gets even more electrifying the second Mickey Rourke shows up a Whiplash with his cool cybernetic harness, with the whips coming off the arms. When he slammed Tony’s car and it went flying, the whole theater practically went ‘whoa!’ That scene was just full of crazy action, and as if the manic energy wasn’t already ricocheting through the roof, Pepper Potts frenetically threw the briefcase suit to Tony… and voila! It’s definitely the highlight of the entire movie for me.
;;;

…

---

3. Incredible Hulk – Hulk & Betty

This movie is chock-full of one intense fight after another. So this scene gives us a a chance to get our heart rate down a bit and take things in. It’s a deeply emotional scene with that iconic shot of the Hulk and Betty sitting together on a cliff (apparently this shot is a classic image from the Hulk mythology), and the rain helps set the melancholy mood perfectly.

Betty’s gentleness always does the trick in calming the giant creature and it shows just how much he cares for her and not wanting her to get hurt. He’s not just some hideous green monster, but that within him he’s still a regular Joe… er Bruce to be exact.

…

---

4. X-Men – Logan arrives at School of the Gifted

There are sooo many great scenes in the X-Men franchise, but my hubby insisted to include this one at the School of the Gifted as it’s quite a revelatory scene about Logan/Wolverine’s history, and it’s pretty darn funny as well. “What’d they call you? Wheels?” It’s an inventive and playful introduction to the who’s who of the X-Men which tells you that director Bryan Singer’s not taking this whole superhero thing way too seriously. Wolvey’s always been such a prick and obviously grumpy when he wakes up in a strange place, but it’s his snarly personality that makes him so fun to watch.
…

…

---

5. Spider-Man 2: Awkward Elevator Scene

Speaking of playful scenes, director Sam Raimi’s comedic chops work wonders in various scenes of Spider-man, but this one definitely takes the cake. Just the expression of the stranger going into the elevator with Spidey is priceless, but it just keeps getting better and better. “Rides up in the crotch a little bit, too.” Ha! It’s gotta be a fun day at the shoot filming this thing.
…

…

---

6. Iron Man – Cap. America Shield

The scene is known as the ‘Captain America shield in Iron Man 2 Movie,’ but I actually chose this scene before I even knew about the shield being in the scene! What I like about it is how Tony Stark often talks and scolds his robots, and as he struggles to come out of the suit, Pepper shows up with a bewildered look, “What’s going on here?”  To which Tony replies nonchalantly, “Let’s face it, this is not the worst thing you’ve caught me doing.” Robert Downey Jr.’s mischievous personality is just so perfect for the role!
…

…

---

7. X-Men 2 – Nightcrawler White House Attack/

Given the plethora of mutant characters with various unique abilities, Bryan Singer’s done an excellent job in introducing Nightcrawler in this action-packed scene. The setting itself makes it memorable, but the effects perfectly showcase the mutant’s unique teleporting ability. He fails to assassinate the President, but his “Mutant Freedom Now!” message perhaps won’t be easily forgotten by him and his staff.
…

,,,

---

8. Spider-man – Upside-down Kiss 

Yes, I’m a unabashedly romantic superhero geek. This scene just won’t be complete without at least one kissy-kissy scene 🙂 I love it so much I dedicated an entire post for it. After the many attempts to rescue her, Spidey’s rewarded by this passionate kiss by Mary Jane. Though according to actor Tobey Maguire, the extremely elaborate film shoot is more like a punishment, ahah.
…

,,,

---

9. Spiderman 2 – Train Rescue Scene

My hubby and I agree, this scene in the second installment is perhaps one of the best in the entire franchise. Alfred Molina as Doctor Octoppus is by far one of my favorite superhero villains (I smell another post coming) and his scenes with both Peter Parker and Spidey are the heart and soul of the movie. The fight scene involving a speeding train is downright spectacular it just left us breathless. But it’s the mesmerizing ending of that scene that packs such an emotional punch. After Doc Ock destroys the brakes, Peter uses everything he’s got to stop the train as his mask rips open. When the train finally stops, he collapses in exhaustion and helped by the passengers who finally discovers the hero is really just a boy. Powerful stuff.
///

…

---

10. X-Men 3 – Magneto’s Golden Gate Bridge scene

Another Magneto scene, this time he’s in his most bad-ass. He uses his metal-manipulating powers to rip the end of the Golden Gate bridge from its base and perch it onto Alcatraz to give him access to to give him quick access to that island. According to IMDb trivia, that scene cost $35 mil (a sixth of the film’s budget). As if it wasn’t awesome enough, Magneto’s witty quote seals the deal: “Charles always wanted to build bridges.” Brilliant!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

…

---

Honorable Mention

I’ve mentioned it in this thankful post that I love Stan Lee’s cameos in Marvel movies. He’s the Hitchcock of the comic world as far as cameos go, appearing in various movies based on Marvel Comic characters he helped create. Because of his affable nature, his cameos are a welcome appearance instead of being annoying or indulgent.

…

---

Well, certainly this isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list given the copious amount of film adaptations out there. So please add your thoughts on our picks and feel free to list your own favorite scenes from Marvel movies.