Drugs and addictions have always been taboo subjects in mainstream comics. After the Comic Code authority banned all storylines related to drugs and substance abuse in the 50s, it took a long time for similar storylines to resurface. But it is still sparsely mentioned in comics by famous publishers. Unlike supervillains, it is also intriguing to see a superhero engaging in such activities.
As modern comics have started to reflect more of the human side of our fictional superheroes, so today we are going to discuss 20 superheroes who are probably stoners.
Talking about weed, substances, and marijuana, we know that drug addiction is a tricky subject to discuss as addiction to substances is a real-life problem. We strongly recommend that those teens below 21 should avoid anything remotely related to such.
#20 Patriot
First Appearance: Young Avengers #1 in 2005
Elijah Bradley, aka Patriot, is one of the core members of Young Avengers and has had a troubled superhero journey. McCoy is also responsible for this as his creation of Mutant Growth Hormone, a drug that grants its user superhuman strength. Elijah used this drug regularly and became a bad example of a superhero.
Bradley’s secret eventually came out, and he became a drug addict. Though he quit the Young Avengers, he later joined them after getting real powers from a blood transfusion from his grandfather, Isaiah Bradley.
Elijah Bradley has already appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and rumors are already swirling around about him being a member of the upcoming Young Avengers Movie. But his stoner part is improbable to appear on-screen.
#19 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
First Appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 in 1984
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a superhero mutant turtles’ team that includes Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael. They all were trained by Splinter, a mutant mouse, with the knowledge of the art of Ninjitsu. Four turtles and Splinter were mutated by a toxic chemical called mutagen.
We have many reasons to believe that Ninja Turtles are the stoner superheroes, as they reside in the sewers of New York City. So, all the substances like marijuana, weed, and similar things are easily available there, and the possibility of taking those is pretty high for them as they were brought in the sewers.
#18 Starfire
First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #26 in 1980
Princess Koriand’r came from the planet, Tamaran and took on the superhero name Starfire. She embraced the people of Earth and became one of the prominent members of the Teen Titans. DC’s purple alien superhero gained massive popularity after the airing of the Teen Titans animated show.
But things did not go that well for her. In the New 52 storyline, Starfire was reintroduced as a drug addict. Red Hood and the Outlaws storyline further proves the claim of Starfire being a stoner as she got high after using alien drugs. Her movements did not indicate it of being a first-time experience.
#17 Ultraman
First Appearance: Superman Supacomic #14 in 1960
The 17th on our list is Ultraman, not from mangas. We are talking about a version of Superman from Earth III. He has all the superpowers of Man of Steel, but it’s quite the opposite.
Earth III’s weirdness is that everyone associated with good is evil, and vice versa. Ultraman is a supervillain in our world who recharges his powers by snorting Kryptonite. Being addicted to Kryptonite, the drawback of his power is that he is always in need of Kryptonite to properly retain his powers and superhuman abilities.
#16 Iron Fist
First Appearance: The Immortal Iron Fist #1 in 2006
Comic book readers know about Danny Rand being the 66th person to hold the Iron Fist title. But we are gonna discuss the 65th person to hold this title, Orson Randall. Orson fought for his country against German soldiers during the first world war and was considered a war hero.
But things were quite the opposite for him. Randall could not bear the horror of WWI and was addicted to opium. He also hated being the Iron Fist, thinking of it as a curse.
Orson was thought to be dead, but he hid in Thailand. There, he became a complete stoner.
#15 Flash Thompson
First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962
Though Flash Thompson is one of the biggest fans of Spiderman, he does not like Peter Parker at all. During Peter’s school days, he was bullied by Flash a lot. But later, Flash befriended Peter during his college years.
Flash joined the U.S. side in the Vietnam War, and his country’s defeat drove him to alcoholism. His alcohol addiction resulted in a car accident which caused his brain damage. Thompson was given the Venom symbiote, became Agent Venom, and experimented with other symbiotes.
#14 Beast
First Appearance: X-Men #1 in 1963
We all know that Dr. Hank McCoy, aka Beast, had a different look when he appeared for the first time in the pages of comics. The Beast was not only one of the founding members of the X-Men but also one of the genius minds inside the X-Mansion.
Our suspicion of him being a stoner comes from his creation through a drug that enhanced his latent mutation. Hank’s doctorate in biophysics helped him create such a serum. But his mutation became permanent when he drank the serum out of fear of being stolen. But before this incident, we suspect him of being a stoner. His iconic blue beast form came after this incident. There are several times when he shared weed with Logan, aka Wolverine.
#13 Morbius
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #101 in 1971
Morbius made his debut as a Spiderman villain but later became an anti-hero. Michael Morbius is a famous biochemist who had a rare blood disease. He tried to cure himself by using vampire bats and electroshock therapy. The process cured his sickness, but he became a regular vampire who was forced to drink blood to survive and was intolerant to light.
In the early issues as a villain, we have seen this sympathetic vampire supervillain lamenting over his addiction to drinking blood. Morbius led an isolated life to stay away from ordinary humans. It is suspected that he became a stoner to handle the temptation of drinking blood.
#12 Nomad
First Appearance: Captain America # 153 in 1968
Several characters took on the superhero name of Nomad in Marvel Comics, and Jack Monroe is the third person to hold that title. According to readers, Jack is considered to be the best Nomad.
Jack Monroe’s comic book journey is not easy, as there are a lot of highs and lows. He was the third Bucky who acted as a sidekick for Captain America. After a massive disagreement, Monroe abandoned his mentor and became Scourge, a notorious serial killer and later a stoner, when his adoptive daughter was taken away by her mother. Supervillain Doctor Faustus took advantage of Jack’s stoner habit and brainwashed him to turn him against his old mentor, Captain America.
#11 Moon Knight
First Appearance: Werewolf by Night #32 in 1975
We all know that Moon Knight is a troubled caped vigilante who brutally fights against crime. Moon Knight initially appeared as a supervillain, but he later turned superhero with three different identities, resulting in split personalities.
Moon Knight’s abusive nature sometimes indicates him being a stoner or drug addict. Our claim became stronger after reintroducing a new version of Moon Knight in 2006. In this version, Marc Spector broke his knees while fighting with his archenemy, Bushman. During his recovery, he kept himself high by using drugs and alcohol.
#10 Red Arrow
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #73 in 1941
DC’s Red Arrow was one of the most arrogant superheroes and did not prefer to be called the sidekick of Green Arrow.
Roy’s addiction was caught by his mentor, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern in Green Lantern #85. Green Arrow’s reaction to this was fierce. Green Lantern and Black Canary helped Roy a lot to get rid of this addiction.
Even though he remained clean for several years, Red Arrow returned to the path of addiction again when his daughter Lian was killed in the 2007 mini-series Justice League: Cry for Justice. So, his stoner personality is an open secret to comic book readers.
#9 The Sentry
First Appearance: The Sentry #1 in 2000
Sentry is one of the strongest superheroes on Earth but has long been forgotten from the memories of other Marvel superheroes.
Bob Reynolds is a hopeless middle-aged addict who tried to steal narcotic substances from a lab. But he accidentally drank the Super Soldier Serum, which granted him “power of one million exploding suns.” Now, we all know Sentry has had a hard time controlling his personality to prevent his evil half, Void. Bob might have taken narcotic substances to suppress his personality even after becoming the Sentry and had a history of being a stoner before getting his superpowers.
#8 Deadpool
First Appearance: New Mutants #98 in 1991
Deadpool is no stranger to brutality. The character has all the attributes of a stoner. Though he is often stated as mentally unstable, it feels like he is being high all the time. Wade breaks the fourth wall, and his conversation between internal monologues gives a stoner vibe.
This Merc with a Mouth is invulnerable to alcohol and other substances due to his healing factor, which means he can smoke cannabis without letting others know.
#7 Gambit
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 in 1990
Gambit is somewhat of an antihero who is probably really pretentious about what strain he smokes and likes to mix it with loose tobacco that he brought over from France. He also wouldn’t be ashamed of hand-rolling a joint in front of his teammates and readers. Gambit’s stoner personality might be influenced by his criminal background and abusive childhood. His romantic companion, Rogue, is no stranger to weed as well.
#6 The Hulk
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 in 1962
Bruce Banner has a strong claim of being a stoner. Bruce turns into Hulk when he loses his cool and has repeatedly tried different methods to calm himself down. There is a high probability that he has tried weed.
If there were ever a superhero in dire need of smoking weed, it is probably the Hulk. Weed can help him a lot when it comes to his anger management issues. Banner has used alternate tactics in the past to diffuse and chill himself out of Hulk smash mode.
#5 Charles Xavier
First Appearance: The X-Men #1 in 1963
Our surprise pick is Charles Xavier from Fox Universe. In the comics, it is shown that Charles had a hard time understanding his abilities. The movie version followed that in X-Men: Days of Future Past, where we saw a broken version of Charles. He was not ready to help Wolverine save the future.
In that world, Charles got depressed after all of his Mutant students left school to join the war, and he could not withstand his telepathic powers, as those did not help him to sleep. Professor became a substance user and gave up all his power by taking special drugs. So, we can confirm that James McAvoy’s version of Professor X was a stoner for some time.
#4 Hourman
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #48 in 1940
Rex Tyler’s version of Hourman ended his superhero career in a tragic manner, and he was one of the first superheroes dealing with drug addiction. Rex discovered a miraculous vitamin that allows him to be faster and stronger within time limitations of one hour. He named this drug Miraclo.
Hourman eventually became addicted to Miraclo and started to enjoy the thrill of beating up goons. At some point, Dr. Fate purged the Miraclo from his blood system as it almost took Rex’s life with the heart attack. The substance led him to retirement, and he always tried to keep his son away from Miraclo. But he sadly failed to do so. The incredible thing about Hourman is that he is one of the first stoner superheroes who showed the superhero’s human side or flaws. DC was surely more progressive in presenting such flaws in these larger-than-life fictional characters.
#3 Iron Man
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #39 in 1963
Tony Stark’s addiction is a massive part of his character arc. Though Tony was never mentioned as an alcoholic in the comics, he is still often seen with a drink in his hand. But Ironman was first mentioned as an alcoholic in the ‘Demon in a Bottle’ storyline. In the comics, Tony turned to alcohol consumption to relieve stress. It is unlikely that he has not used cannabis for his stress relief.
Ironman, being a stoner, has a strong claim on Robert Downey Jr.’s version of the armored avenger. In Ironman I and Ironman II, Tony is shown as a party animal, and the stoner aspect of his personality is also shown in the flashback scenes of Ironman III.
#2 Wolverine
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #180 in 1974
Wolverine is one of the oldest characters from the comics and fought in many battles in the history of human civilization. To avoid those horrific experiences from the battlefield, it is clear that Wolverine is no stranger to substance abuse sometimes. Logan has had his fair share of booze and cigarettes in the comics, and these scenes are shown prominently on the comic’s pages.
Considering his high vulnerability to the substances because of his healing factor, it is likely that weed does not affect him. Unless he smokes a lot of it.
#1 Batman
First Appearance: Detective Comics #27 in 1939
One of our favorite superheroes, Dark Knight, is a superhero without superpowers. His work demands him to stay in his peak physical form to deal with his enemies. Though he has faced some of the most notorious human supervillains, he has also fought some of the biggest superhuman villains like Darkseid and many others.
The suspicion of him being a stoner emerged as he took an unknown performance-enhancing drug in a 1993 comic book issue. Bruce isolated himself for one month to reduce the effect of the drug. Our claim also materialized when Matt Reeves’ Batman took the performance-enhancing drug in the climax scene to fight the goons.
Besides this, Batman experienced the Joker’s laughing gas and Poison Ivy’s botanical mayhem. We are sure he spent some time researching cannabis but probably has an antidote for these substances.
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Honorable Mentions
- Rogue
- Cloak and Dagger
- Thing
- Poison Ivy
- Hellboy
- Allan Quatermain
- Bane
- Elongated Man
- Snowflame
- Nuke
- Mr. Hyde
- Harry Osborn
- Chase Stein
- Spiderman
- Bluntman and Chronic
- Captain America
FAQs
As we are discussing the stoner superheroes, we are going to answer some burning questions searched on the internet on this topic.
Are There Any Stoner Superheroes?
We have already discussed all the stoner superheroes. Though comic books do not promote addiction in any possible way, Watchmen and The Boys comic book series have too many scenes of superheroes being stoners, as both are set in a dystopian world.
Which Superhero Smokes?
Gambit, Hellboy, and Wolverine are frequently seen smoking.
Is Yoda a Stoner?
Yoda is one of the oldest characters in the Star Wars universe and may have tried cannabis at some point. He also spent a solitary life after Palpatine’s rise and probably tried cannabis out of sorrow.
Was Robin Williams a Stoner?
We all know that Robin Williams had an addiction problem, but he never opened up about what kind of substances he took. But in several comedy shows, he jokes about his experiences with marijuana, alcohol, and cocaine. So, he was possibly a stoner, as he hinted many times.
Do Superheroes Do Drugs?
Yeah, we have already discussed all the superheroes who had drugs. From Marvel to DC, many big superheroes had done drugs. But Superheroes from the Boys Comics are open about it.
Marvel and DC are not likely to show our favorite superheroes using or taking drugs. But many other comics like Watchmen and The Boys have made that bold move. Even though, Watchmen comics belong to DC. Drugs and addiction will always be shown as character flaws, but they are human too. So, they also get depressed while fighting against crime all the time. As comic book superheroes get more complex, drugs and weed have started to pop up again on the pages of comics.
Some famous superheroes like Captain America and Spiderman were stoners for a brief moment and were only mentioned in the honorable mentions segment. We have also put some supervillains in that section.
We hope that you have enjoyed our intriguing topic, and feel free to check out more of our excellent articles at averagebeing.
