The Hood’s biggest wins and ultimate downfall.
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The Hood made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to his role in the Disney+ series Ironheart. The crime lord who treats his gang like a family seems like a conflicted villain, and that is something fans of the comic book character already knew. However, in Marvel Comics, Parker Robbins has an even more complicated history than the one shown in the Marvel series. He is someone who rules his gang with kindness, and that makes him the polar opposite of someone like Wilson Fisk. However, as the series has hinted, his hood is demonic, and in the comics, it was Dormammu who was always tempting Parker, eventually turning him into something evil.
For anyone wanting to look into the essential Hood stories from Marvel Comics, there are plenty of places to start. From his early career as an up-and-coming criminal to his tenure as New York City’s new kingpin of crime and his eventual downfall at the hands of an Avenger, here are the best Hood stories everyone should check out to learn more about the Marvel villain.
1) Beyond #1-6 (2006-2007)
Beyond offers readers a different look at The Hood. This is a Secret Wars-style series, with the apparent return of The Beyonder. He brings together a group of Earth’s heroes and villains and orders them to fight to the death. Of these, Parker Robbins is one of the villains brought in. Not surprisingly, he was one of the people who wanted to attack early, but was stopped quickly by Kraven. It was Mac Gargan’s Venom who went wild, though, and promptly went after Spider-Man. Instead, the Hood plays fair with the heroes there, including Hank Pym, Wasp, Medusa, and more. This was a fun story that showcased Parker in a very different light, away from his gang and criminal empire, and allowed him to interact with some of Marvel’s most colorful heroes throughout six issues.
2) New Avengers #33-37 (2007-2008)
The Hood really came into his own in the pages of New Avengers, and he became one of the team’s most persistent villains. This is where he formed his gang for the first time and demonstrated why other villains could trust him as much as they did. The storyline from New Avengers #33-37 sees the aftermath of the realization that Skrulls have infiltrated Earth’s major teams, and this was the perfect time for the Hood to step up and capture power. However, Wolverine soon found out, and that put Hood in the crosshairs of the New Avengers.
3) New Avengers #46 (2008)
This is the issue that changed everything concerning Parker Robbins and his role as The Hood. While Parker has mostly been a villain against the New Avengers in this run, he was also the slightly honorable leader of the criminal underworld, treating them with respect and offering them a place to belong. However, this is also during the Secret Invasion storyline, and Parker just learned about Skrulls. This is a turning point in his growth as a character because he recognizes the need to protect his people, but also acknowledges he is not yet prepared to battle aliens. However, that is when he makes the ultimate decision and demands to know who controls the power behind his hood. That is when Dormammu shows up for the first time, and the Hood’s life changes forever.
4) The Hood: Dark Reign #1-5 (2009)
Most Marvel Comics fans became familiar with the Hood as he attempted to expand his criminal empire, building a gang of supervillains to follow him, and seeking to replace The Kingpin after the latter went to prison. However, anyone wanting to know more about who Parker Robbins is should look to his 2009 miniseries as the perfect starting point. This story shows Parkler at his best and worst, treating his gang with respect and leading them into heists where he treats them like equals. However, he also kills his people to keep secrets and lies to his wife about his criminal activity. The series also showed him trying to control Dormammu when the demon attempted to take over, which helped make the villain much more sympathetic. This series also earns points for being part of Dark Reign, where Norman Osborn incorporated Hood into his Cabal.
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5) Invincible Iron Man #595-600 (2018)
It might seem strange to see the Hood as a villain in the Ironheart Disney+ series. However, he did have a role in her comics in the past. He was part of a significant storyline that spanned from Invincible Iron Man #595 and continued until the final issues in #600. This started during “The Search for Tony Stark” storyline. While Riri Williams was helping look for Tony, the Hood was gunning for Doctor Doom, who was actively working as Iron Man. The amusing thing is that Hood and his gang want to rob Doom and steal his money and gold, and then set their sights on stealing Tony Stark’s company. It is all a side plot that is humorous and fun, offering a little diversion from the overall story of Stark’s return.
6) Hawkeye: Freefall #1-6 (2020)
By 2020, the Hood had mainly become a background character, but he soon retook center stage thanks to Hawkeye. In the six-issue miniseries Hawkeye: Freefall, Hawkeye decided that someone needed to go after Hood and bring him down once and for all. By this time, Parker Robbins was nowhere near the conflicted villain from his early days, and he had become more of a killer, which he had avoided before. This is why Hawkeye infiltrated Hood’s latest attempt to form a gang and initiated a war with the man when he realized that Hood always seemed to slip away without ever being held accountable for his crimes. It was a perfect battle of wits between Hawkeye and Parker Robbins, while a new Ronin has also hit the scene to make things complicated.
7) Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1 (2022)
The Hood lost his hood at the end of the Hawkeye series when Hawkeye bought a demonic bag from Nefaria, and it literally ate the hood, leaving Parker Robbins powerless in more ways than one. In Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond, Robbins showed up at the hospital and took an injured Peter Parker hostage, threatening to kill him if Black Cat didn’t find a way to get his hood back for him. Hood is not a big part of the story, other than being the one who forces Black Cat and Mary Jane into action, but it’s a great story that sees Parker Robbins get what was coming to him one more time.
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