Marvel Snap has burst onto the scene in a way that few other mobile games have been able to do in the modern era of gaming. It promised and delivered faster card game matches that range between 2-5 minutes a piece, and also provided a game that's easy to learn and hard to master. Providing this scale of understanding is brilliant because it's welcoming enough to onboard new and/or hesitant players, but has enough depth to retain skilled players looking for goals to reach.
Marvel Snap also happens to have dozens of variant art cards for many of the most popular Marvel characters in the game. Whether players want a Venomized version of Thor, or maybe a glance at what Cyclops would look like in a Noir world, brilliant creatives were commissioned to do just that, and they certainly delivered.
8 Absorbing Man
A common fashion of Noir-inspired stories tends to revolve around the use of stripes, both horizontally and vertically. A character like Absorbing Man who is most often portrayed as a C-Tier villain or lower henchman to a real threat fits the concept of a Noir Marvel universe quite well.
In addition to his working-class background, the fact that he uses a ball and chain as a weapon is the type of simple and brutal approach to violence that is best captured in the low-saturated world of the Noir setting. Artist Patrick Piazzalunga and colorist Valentina Taddeo managed to take a character like Absorbing Man and deliver a desirable piece of art in Marvel Snap, which isn't an easy feat to accomplish.
7 Doctor Octopus
Typically Doctor Octopus is introduced as a passionate scientist simply trying to pursue his research who eventually is corrupted by the desire to overcome his own biological shortcomings. A Noir world at first glance may not gel with this understanding of his origin, but the moment one sees Patrick Piazzalunga and Valentina Taddeo's Noir variant art for Marvel Snap it all starts making a bit more sense.
Doctor Octopus is silhouetted in a brash green suit and yellow tie, an outfit befitting of the setting and likely what he wore in an effort to find funding for his scientific studies and research in a time when shady business and crime were thriving.
6 Agent Coulson
Few things in Marvel translate to a Noir universe easier than S.H.I.E.L.D. and its agents, most specifically Agent Coulson. Hard-boiled defectives simply looking for answers tend to often be the trope-infused heroes of Noir tales. Valentina Taddeo made the Marvel Snap variant art for the agent feel very retro with their coloring of the art.
Thanks to artist Patrick Piazzalunga is sporting a rather wide tie that adds a bit of weight and toughness to his presence. It's never clear what specific approach Agent Coulson will take to get the answers he seeks in an attempt to find the truth, but it's hard to find someone more reliable and steadfast.
5 Cyclops
Fans may still be waiting to see a live-action representation of Cyclops befitting of the character's comic book presence, but artist Gianluca Gugliotta and colorist Giada Marchisio have at least showcased the exceptional leader in an engrossing aesthetic theme. Scott Summers may not be the flashiest in terms of his fashion, but in a Noir painted world he manages to look rather dapper.
Marvel Snap still manages to have his card remain with no abilities, but thankfully there are some situations where his lack of power results in additional strength. That being said, this variant art is excuse enough to slap the famed X-Men into a deck purely to look at it whenever it's drawn in the heat of battle.
4 Professor X
Valentina Taddeo and Patrick Piazzalunga were the colorist/artist pair that was tasked with bringing Professor X into the world of Noir. Marvel Snap is home to dozens of Marvel Comics heroes and villains, with few as beloved and notable as the leader of the X-Men. Espionage is an underrated and often overlooked aspect of the Noir setting but is where Xavier would thrive.
Sure, the art has him in his iconic stylized wheelchair, but it also has the leader of young minds sporting a dapper suit and time-appropriate glasses. It's unclear what he's using his telepathy for at this moment, but given his righteous approach to saving mutants he may be in search of lost and/or damaged souls looking for refuge.
3 Kingpin
Noir is a captivating artistic aesthetic that often focuses on the world of crime syndicates and mob bosses. That's why carving out a Noir variant art card for Kingpin in Marvel Snap must have been a no-brainer decision. In both mass and persona, Kingpin is a large presence, and colorist Giada Marchisio and artist Patrick Piazzalunga brought that to life in a captivating manner.
The expert manipulator and strategist can be seen, brass knuckles in hand, standing over his latest victim as he likely calculates his next move. The unused gun laying on the floor and money floating through the air are subtle details that bring the whole piece together cohesively.
2 Sabretooth
When thinking about which Marvel Comics characters would best fit into the Noir setting Sabretooth of X-Men fame might not be the first to come to mind. Shockingly, the sadistic killer's vibe fits in well as he traverses the city in an oversized coat, with malice and ill-intent in his eyes.
Once again the pairing of artist Patrick Piazzalunga and colorist Valentina Taddeo delivered an outstanding interpretation of what the Marvel universe would look like in a Noir style. Spider-Man Noir introduced this concept to general audiences in the animated feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but it's these glimpses at villainous personalities that go a long way in fleshing out the world.
1 The Punisher
The Punisher generally tends to sport some incredible designs thanks in large part to the amazing original design for the character made by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andrew. Frank Castle is often seen dressed in all black with a stark white skull found somewhere on his attire, and the approach Patrick Piazzalunga and Giada Marchisio took with his Noir variant art in Marvel Snap continued this approach in a clever and thematic way.
The Punisher, in a vintage suit and tie, is firing at incoming enemies under the disguise of a mask featuring his iconic white skull. Nothing screams Noir aesthetic quite like a moody rainy day, and this variant art displays that exact weather beautifully.
Marvel Snap is available on Android, iOS, and PC.