Marvel Comics: 10 Christmas Stories Redditors Love

With holiday season around the corner, the Marvel Cinematic Universe concluded its 2022 run with The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. However, Marvel and Christmas have had a long history with Santa Claus himself being a canonical character!

From Rhino doubling as a Mall Santa to Santa Claus himself fighting the Illuminati, Marvel has published several one-shots and Holiday specials to celebrate the festive spirit in its own eccentric and hilarious ways. With some of these stories being common lore for Marvel fans and others preserved in rare issues they are worth revisiting during this time of the year.

“Daredevil Faces Off With Five Crime Organizations At Once” – Daredevil Vol. 3 #7

Christmas can be so heartwarming of an occasion that even usually brooding heroes like Daredevil can also smile. In this feel-good segue from Mark Waid’s usually introspective comic issues on Daredevil Vol 3, this Christmas special issue dealt with Matt Murdoch aiding a group of blind students in the middle of a snowstorm.

But with the deep snow affecting Daredevil’s advanced radar senses, the kids ultimately display their bravery and save him in a manner reminiscent of the famous train sequence in Spider-Man 2. For Marvel fans like Redditor DaddyDaz, the issue goes down as one of the best Marvel Christmas one-shots with the user even pointing out, how it won “the 2012 Eisner for Best Single Issue”. The whole fatherly dynamic that Daredevil displays and the resilence shown by his young friends only adds further to the familial themes one would expect from a warm Christmas story.

“The Final Curtain” – Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 2 #27

Spider-Man and Christmas go hand in hand and a classic storyline like “The Final Curtain” bears further testimony to this. As even Redditor Fiti99 simply puts it, “Spectacular Spider-Man #27 (2003) is the best Christmas comic I have read”.

The appreciation is justified given the sheer emotional value the single issue carries. It doesn’t take a diehard Spidey fan to understand the impact that Uncle Ben’s demise had on Peter Parker’s evolution as Spider-Man. Set in the course of one mellow Christmas, the dialogue-driven story focuses on Peter constantly interacting with Ben’s spirit, talking about the pressures of his dual life and the aftermath of Gwen Stacy’s death. Ben’s saintly advice perfectly aligns with the Christmas setting and is bound to make readers more hopeful in the end.

Moon Knight: Silent Night

When it comes to Marvel’s single issue Christmas specials, this hyperviolent Moon Knight tale makes for quite an adrenaline-fueled holiday adventure. The hooded vigilante engages in a lethal conflict with a man who attempts to kill a mall store Santa while encountering his own inner demons.

Reddit user atomcrafter mentions it alongside Hellboy: Krampusnacht (another gritty Christmas comic published by Dark Horse) under their Christmas comic recommendations. And Moon Knight : Silent Night does make for a good recommendation as one of the best Moon Knight one-shot comics. The action-driven plot goes down a grittier route while also humanizing its morally complex protagonist, especially when compared to the other wholesome Marvel stories around the holiday season.

“Ice Age” – Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur #37

For readers not looking for too much emotional depth and just some fun-filled wintertime adventures, this Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur comic would offer a light-hearted break. While Moon Girl is not a big fan of the festival, the titular dinosaur is as joyous as ever. Together, the unlikely pair attempt to brighten up the Christmas of a sleepy town only to be accompanied by Santa Claus himself!

As Redditor superschaap81 rightly puts it, “Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur #37 is a cute one-off Christmas story”. From an evil elf controlling an army of snowmen (that obviously yell “Freeze” on catching their enemies) to Moon Girl herself delivering parents and filling in for Santa, the comic’s sheer randomness is delightfully adorable.

“Better To Give…” – Wolverine Vol. 3 #49

Ever imagined Wolverine in a Die Hard-like situation? “Better To Give…” plays around this premise as the adamantium-clawed mutant is shopping in a mall only to find the building hijacked by suicidal members of an elvish cult!

With Die Hard being the perfect action story about Christmas, this indirect tribute succeeds at not just evoking the festive themes but also showcasing the soft side of a moody man like Logan. And another memorable element is the very opening monologue of the issue that satirically plays on arguably the most identifiable Wolverine quotes. As Redditor Darth_Papercut reiterates the line, “Quote from the comic: ‘My name is Logan. Most call me Wolverine. I’m the best at what I do. And what I do isn’t shopping!'”.

“Six Days In The Life Of…” – Hawkeye Vol 4. #6

Set in the days preceding Christmas, this classic issue from Matt Fraction’s run finds Hawkeye teaming-up with Spider-Man, celebrating Kwanzaa with his neighbors, encountering the track-suit Draculas and much more.

With his superheroing duties hardly offering him a chance to celebrate, it is interesting to find how Hawkeye tries his best to catch a break. The snow-covered setting makes goes well with the character’s own solitude, but the celebratory mood offers some optimism for the master archer who even gets to turn Santa for his protégé Kate Bishop. The heartwarming nature of the story has its own dedicated fandom around Christmastime. For Reddit user Zthe27th, reading the story has become an annual event. To put it in their own words, “Every Christmas I read [Hawkeye #6] It’s my favorite comics tradition.”

“Demon” – Uncanny X-Men #143

Bearing elements of both typical and non-traditional Christmas movies, Home Alone has endured as a holiday classic. When it comes to Uncanny X-Men #143, the plot plays out as “Home Alone in the X-Mansion” with Kitty Pryde stuck all alone while the rest of the gang go out for Christmas.

With the mutant being traumatized by unexpected horrors, the comic plays out as a gripping survival tale with some good-spirited merriness in the third act. The comic shows up in discussions about recommendations of both Christmas comics (as seen in catshark19‘s comment) as well as Kitty Pryde recommendations (as seen in RogueEyebrow‘s comment).

Marvel Holiday Special 1991

The first true Marvel Holiday Special, this visionary anthology compiled some of the best Christmas stories with diverse characters ranging from Fantastic Four to Thor and even the Punisher!

From the story of Santa Claus turning X-Men into action figures to even a boy mistaking Ghost Rider to be Santa, the Marvel Holiday Special 1991 has carried several holiday emotions with the most unexpected of storylines. The stories were based on the efforts of some legendary artists and writers including the likes of Walter Simonson and Dave Cockrum. With the talent involved and the classic status, no wonder the comic continues to be read. As Reddit user mondolado says, “I still read it every December.” while others praising the nostalgia value and costume detailing in the comments.

“When Strikes A Gladiator” – Uncanny X-Men Vol 1. #341

Over the past few decades, there have been several iconic X-Men comic book issues that delve into Christmas and the festive spirit. But for Redditor dabbadon, the comic has dual benefits: “Christmas and Cannonball fighting the Gladiator”. The conflict, in fact, features prominently on the cover which is surprisingly devoid of any Christmas art.

The story starts off with most of the team’s youngsters celebrating the season only to focus on Cannonball and his wild adventures on the streets of Christmas-time Manhattan. The much-anticipated duel also leads to new revelations around the true extent of the mutant’s powers. Added to this is a subplot that involves Beast asking his peers for a Christmas dinner (only to get hilariously ignored by the whole team).

“Down And Out In Forest Hills” – The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #314

Christmas means chaos for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man as not only he and MJ get evicted from their home, the wall-crawler must also track down several robberies. The eviction angle which is immortalized by the comic’s iconic cover adds a touch of adulthood to Peter’s character as he begins facing real-world issues.

Also delving into Peter and MJ’s marriage, the story also plays out as an amusing Christmas romance that only goes on to prove that they are one of the best Marvel couples. Even Todd McFarlane’s cover seems to have a fanbase of its own with Reddit user Besurker84 adding, “This is my favorite Todd McFarlane Spider-Man cover; captures everything I love about the character in one image. The corner box art on this issue is adorable.” The aforementioned box features Spidey donning a Santa hat, a fine addition to his red costume!

NEXT: 10 Best Quotes In The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special