The 39 characters of Marvel vs Capcom 3

Chun-Li

First Appearance: Street Fighter II (Arcade)

Probably the most well known and popular woman in fighting games, Chun-Li and her insanely huge legs began her life as a street fighter during her crusade against Shadaloo. An experienced Interpol agent, her hatred for Shadaloo boss M. Bison began when the would-be dictator murdered her father, which apparently happened on a Tuesday. After Bison's defeat at the hands of the world warriors, she still works to better society in her day job, though she continually returns to road combat, putting her lightning kicks to good use.

Crimson Viper

First appearance: Street Fighter IV (Arcade)

Unlike other World Warriors who throw fireballs and stretch their limbs with supernatural ability, Viper uses a fancy techno suit to enhance her considerable martial arts skills. These Iron Man-esque add-ons let her charge punches with electric power, pound the ground with superhuman strength or set her legs aflame, plus enable her to leap higher than any of the other characters (well, before they were all exaggerated for MvC’s hyperactive play style). She’s gained a sizeable following since SFIV released, partially because her fighting style is unlike any other Street Fighter character (which makes her hard to predict when compared to other longtime SF fighters), and partially because she’s a super hot MILF. Bonus fact: Viper was created in 2009, making her the newest character in the entire roster.

Dante

First Appearance: Devil May Cry (PlayStation 2)

Born from the union of a rebellious demon and a human woman, Dante lives to exterminate demons and has become very proficient at it. With incredible strength, speed and fighting skills, Dante dispatches devils easily, and he’s even better when using his trademark guns Ebony and Ivory, plus he’s well versed in most close-combat weapons (his sword Rebellion is pictured above, which indicates it’s his weapon of choice in MvC3). His inherited devil powers give him the “Devil Trigger” ability, which are devastating special moves dependant on the weapon in hand. Though a continually popular character, Dante’s about to get a rather intense redesign in his next game, a prequel simply titled DmC.

Deadpool

First Appearance: New Mutants #98 (1991)

Spider-Man aside, most Marvel characters take themselves pretty seriously. Deadpool, on the other hand, is like a murderous mirror version of Spidey, a man who kills with glee, spouts a one-liner and makes off in a hail of bullets. In addition to expert-level marksmanship, he also has a hyperactive healing factor that almost makes him completely impervious to harm. Naturally that ability doesn’t come into play in MvC3, but his devil-may-care attitude and incessant mouthing off (usually breaking the fourth wallin the process) is in full effect ; for example, his level 3 ultra combo has him ripping the life meter off the top of the screen and using it to beat the crap out of the other team.

Doctor Doom

First Appearance: Fantastic Four #5

The fools on earth may not understand it, but Victor Von Doom was born to lead them. A Gypsy from the fictional Eastern European country Latveria, Doom's brilliant intellect brought him to the greatest schools in America, until a freak accident (which he blames on Reed "Mr. Fantastic" Richards) scarred his face. He left academia, studied the dark arts, made an advanced metal suit, conquered Latveria, and planned his revenge on the infernal Richards. On top of a powerful mechanical ensemble that’s on par with most anything Tony Stark can create, he's also the second best sorcerer on Earth, and can invent nearly anything. Though normally the foe of the Fantastic Four, sometimes his plans bring him in conflict with all of Marvel’s heroes, and woe be to those that challenge the might of Doom!

Dormammu

First Appearance: Strange Tales #126

An elder god of the nether realm, Dormammu has tried to invade our reality on occasion, which over the centuries brought him into contact with earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. Power-wise he’s almost without limits, but thanks to the various bindings and sanctions created by Doctor Strange, he trapped in his spirit realm, rarely directly threatening earth. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t bestowed a fraction of his power on earthly agents, like the Wand of Watoomb thief Mordo, or would-be kingpin of super-powered crime The Hood, but only in special case, like a crossover videogame, does he fight his own battles.

Felicia

First Appearance: Darkstalkers (Arcade)

Raised by a nun until her foster mother’s untimely passing, Felica dreams only of stardom and a singing career. She has the grace, agility and claws that fit her catwoman species, with body language that comes off as more cat than human. Though she’s cast as a more cute character when compared to Darkstalkers’ femme fatale Morrigan, it’s hard to ignore Felica . It helps that she's one of very few fighters who battle nude, as everything she's "wearing" just seems to be conveniently placed hair.