Ever have that friend who only calls you when they need something, then are never respectful when you need help of your own? That’s what it’s like being a Marvel vs. Capcom character who’s only used for their assist. Characters like Captain Commando, Tron Bonne, Haggar, Colossus and countless others feel the pain of being relegated to the final character slot (or always getting picked in Colossus’ case) to have their assist spammed relentlessly - and their players all but admitting defeat when it comes down to that last character.
Today, we here at Twin Galaxies, along with some help from the fighting game community, would like to finally give these characters their moment in the spotlight and thank them for all the help they’ve given us over the years.
Colossus - Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes
The first over-powered assist in Marvel history, Colossus was the go-to helper for many high-level players throughout the original Marvel vs. Capcom game. Since he was able to be used FIVE times (where most assists can only be used three - six times) and provided such a powerful assist, (a super-armored, full-screen charge attack) he was chosen quite often, as shown in the video above. Colossus is so good, the Shoryuken MvC wiki said of him, “ I hate this guy. I really wish Capcom left him out.” Luckily for them, once Colossus became a playable character in games, he never reached the top of the mountain like his assist from Marvel vs. Capcom.
Captain Commando - Marvel vs. Capcom 2
The titular character of his own 1991 scrolling beat ‘em up and a former mascot of Capcom, Captain Commando brings one of the best assists of all time with him to Marvel vs. Capcom 2. His “Captain Corridor” sees him smash the ground and summon a pillar of blue energy. This move is a godsend for players, as I speak from personal experience. Captain Corridor is a “get-off-me” button, a combo starter, an anti-air, and a zoning tool all in one. It’s really an incredible move, even if Commando himself isn’t anything special. Like r/salty user Big_D--k_Tyson said, “I love those guys who pretend to be Commando players but are free as sh-- when they actually have to use him and not his assist.” It’s been almost two decades since we’ve last seen the Captain, though we can always go back to MvC2 and relive his wonder years.
Tron Bonne - Marvel vs. Capcom 2
The second representative on this list from Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has to be Tron. Her most famous assist is actually a glitched version of her crouching MP. The move hits three times for 15 damage each, much more than the normal version of the move, making it a great offensive or defensive tool. However, she is generally useless when played solo, making her a perfect addition for this list. The fact that her assist is just a super-powered version of one of her basic attacks really speaks volumes.
Mike Haggar - Marvel vs. Capcom 3
The Mayor of Metro City himself, Mike Hagger, made his first Versus series appearance in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and immediately found himself thrust into the “low-tier guy with a high-tier assist” niche pretty quickly. Haggar’s Lariat has a high level of invincibility and as such, makes it act similar to Captain Commando’s Captain Corridor in use. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 champion Nicolas “KaneBlueRiver” Gonzales used Haggar on his team, and the strengths of the assist became apparent during his Evolution 2012 championship run. When speaking about his team, KBR said that Haggar’s lariat assist provides “defensive power” that will allow him to slowly grind down his opponents.
Haggar’s weaknesses as a character were on full display during KBR’s Evolution 2016 grand finals set against Chris G. While Kane is able to mount a respectable offense when his entire team is alive, it’s when Haggar is alone that he truly struggles. Now, I’ll admit it’s not an excuse, but sometimes you’re simply faced with a bad matchup that is difficult to overcome, like in this case. Like the old idiom goes, “Make your bad matchups your good ones” by practicing and studying them. After all, we’ve personally seen some patientHaggars mount impressive comebacks in the past.
No doubt some readers might looking for Sentinel, Juggernaut, Rocket Raccoon, and Psylocke on this list. Obviously, Sentinel’s appearance in Marvel vs. Capcom was limited, but he went on to be the best character in Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and in the first version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3. For that reason, we left him off as a good all-around fighter.
Juggernaut was a great assist in both Marvel vs. Capcom and Marvel vs. Capcom 2, but while he was a moderately-used character, he still stands no chance against the top characters in the games. Rocket Raccoon has seen use at high levels in both versions of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. He’s currently strong enough in Infinite that both Gilbert "Punisher" Matos and Dominique “SonicFox” Mclean used him extensively on their teams in the MvC: Infinite Kumite in Tennessee Finals. It’s hard to call characters that fit so extensively into pro playstyles low-tier. Lastly, Psylocke was a character often used for her assists, but was still a strong character in Marvel vs. Capcom 2 who was even able to compete with characters like Magneto, Storm, Sentinel, and Cable in the right hands. See for yourself what she’s capable of below.
These days, with new fighting games and new patches in games come new possibilities for all characters, but don’t feel like you have to wait to make a character you like yours. Let your character be a great assistant to the main event, but don’t forget to learn them to a point where they can be a threat when their time comes, because it will. And if you’re not ready to play them to their and your best when it’s their time in the fight, whose fault is that?
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