Summary
- Rob Liefeld, controversial comic book figure, created iconic characters for Marvel Comics like Deadpool and the Cable-led X-Force.
- Lesser-known Liefeld creations like Phantazia, Absalom, and Vanessa Carlyle have also made an impact in the Marvel Universe.
- Characters such as Feral, Stryfe, and Domino have memorable storylines and serve as a lasting legacy for Liefeld's work in comics.
A polarizing figure in the comic book industry, Deadpool aka Wade Wilson. However, there is a whole slew of famous characters who owe their existence to Liefeld, and that's not even counting the iconic characters he created when he was with Image Comics.
From the always memorable X-Force characters to diabolical villains, these Liefeld creations have remained notable within the Marvel Universe, even 30 years after their inception in some cases. Liefeld is a huge figure in the comic book industry, many critics have been open about their opinions on his use of proportions in his work, such as with one particularly infamous Captain America drawing. However, Liefeld's Marvel characters have survived the test of time.
10 Phantazia
Debuted in X-Force #6 (1991) by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld
A powerful mutant, Phantazia has the ability to control electromagnetic energy. She has weaved in and out of Marvel's stories over the years, disappearing for periods of time before rearing her head again. Most known for her rivalry with the X-Force, she also was a member of Magneto's Elite Guard. As part of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, she has gone up against the toughest of the tough, like Spider-Man. An interesting villain who has served with some of the most notorious villains of Marvel in different evil organizations, she is a Rob Liefeld character of note, but is probably not the most persistent in readers' minds.
9 Absalom
Debuted in X-Force #10 (1992) by Fabian Nicieza, Rob Liefeld and Mark Pacella
Absalom is a member of the Externals, a subspecies made up of mutant immortals. Each member of the Externals represents abstract ideas like corruption, hope, fortitude, or in Absalom's case, despair. The Externals have the basic goal of controlling the policies and economy of the Earth, which they attempt by manipulating events on the planet. The Externals are basically what every paranoid conspiracy theorist thinks is the reason behind every world event. Regardless, Absalom, as well as the other Externals, was memorable for having unique text bubbles; Absalom's text bubbles had black fringe, an example of Liefeld's special and unique artistic vision.

"I Am Retiring from Deadpool": Deadpool Creator Rob Liefeld Announces He's Retiring from Character with 1 Last Story
Thirty-three years after introducing the character as an adversary of Cable, Rob Liefeld is "retiring from Deadpool" following one final story.
8 Garrison Kane
Debuted in X-Force #2 (1991) by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld
Transformed by the Weapon X program with Wade Wilson, Garrison Kane was given cybernetic arms and became a cyborg. Kane is a big part of Cable's Six Pack group, and has fought alongside Domino, Grizzly, and Hammer. Much like Liefeld and Nicieza's most famous co-creation, Deadpool, Garrison is a mercenary who was retired for a time before working for Weapon X. While he may not be as well known today as he was in the '90s, Kane had his own action figure and was a playing piece in a HeroClix board game, showing that he had a legacy, albeit not as long-lasting as others.
7 Feral
Debuted in New Mutants #99 (1991) by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld
Feral is a mutant with catlike powers such as claws and a prehensile tail who also possesses super senses, agility, strength, and a regenerative healing factor. Volleying between superhero and supervillain territory, Feral has been a member of a number of teams, including the New Hellions, the Morlocks, and X-Force. Feral is often regarded as one of the best female characters in Marvel Comics, noted as someone who deserves to be in the MCU. Likewise, she has frequently been said to be one of the powerful of X-Force, enduring in reader's memories.
6 Stryfe
Debuted in New Mutants #87 (1990) by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld
Stryfe is a clone of Nathan Summers, the son of Cyclops and the Goblin Queen whom readers know better as Cable. A villain with a bit of a confusing origin story, Stryfe was raised by Apocalypse. But when Apocalypse attempts to transfer his own consciousness into Stryfe, Apocalypse's aide, Ch'vayre, disrupts the process in order to save Stryfe, resulting in the death of Apocalypse. Finding out that he has been a clone of Nathan Summers all along drives Stryfe nearly insane and sets the stage for a clone-sibling rivalry between the Nathans. Being one of Cable's most notable adversaries and being forever intertwined with him due to his origin story, Stryfe remains an important part of Cable's story, as well as those of Deadpool and the X-Men, resulting in a villain who has maintained a consistent presence for decades.
5 Shatterstar
Debuted in New Mutants #99 (1991) by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld
Shatterstar is the mutant son of pop star-superhero Dazzler and the artificially created humanoid Longshot. Living on Mojoworld, Shatterstar competed in Hunger Games-esque televised battles, instilling in him multiple talents including martial arts, swordsmanship, and strategy. However, his upbringing also surrounded the young Shatterstar with violence, causing him to feel out of his depth when on Earth as a member of the X-Force. Interestingly, the character has undergone major changes since his inception in the early '90s. Beginning as a guarded macho asexual warrior who struggles to acclimate to Earth, he later becomes an extroverted, pansexual, swashbuckling warrior. As a result, Shatterstar has been a source of LGBTQIA+ representation for Marvel.
4 Vanessa Carlysle
Debuted in New Mutants #98 (1990) by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld
Vanessa Carlysle, who also goes by the name Copycat, is a mutant born with the power to shapeshift. In her first appearance, she infiltrates the New Mutants by posing as Domino. One of Deadpool's most well known romantic partners, Vanessa is one of the great loves of his life. As a result, quite a few of Copycat's stories involve Deadpool, whether it be in a romantic setting or as fellow mercenaries. The inclusion of Vanessa Carlyse in the immensely popular Deadpool movies as well as her on and off relationship with Wade Wilson in the comics have made sure that she is a lasting character.
3 Rikki Barnes
Debuted in Heroes Reborn #½ (1996) by Jeph Loeb and Rob Liefeld
Another character with a complicated backstory, Rikki Barnes is the granddaughter of Bucky and Peggy Barnes in the pocket universe subconsciously created by Franklin Richards, usually referred to as Counter Earth. Being born into a completely different universe, Rikki has pivoted back and forth between realities, coming to the Earth-616 continuity, where she becomes Nomad. Given her tendency to travel between realities and the fact that she is reincarnated into other universes after each death, she has had many interweaving stories throughout Marvel, fighting against (and alongside) icons like Captain America, Cable, Doctor Doom, and Molecule Man, just to name a few.
2 Domino
Debuted in X-Force #8 (1992) by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld
Receiving her powers of luck through a secret government experiment, Domino was an original member of the Cable-led group, the Six Pack, before eventually becoming part of X-Force. She is a mercenary who has ed the ranks of the X-Men for a time while also being a longtime love interest of Cable's. Along with Cable and Deadpool, Domino has had an enduring legacy due to her exciting storylines, like when she tracked down the Punisher with Silver Sable and Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Moreover, her appearance in multiple media has made her a character that even non-comics fans can recognize, thanks to her appearances in X-Men: The Animated Series and her role in Deadpool 2, where she is portrayed by Zazie Beetz.
1 Cable
Debuted in New Mutants #86 (1985) by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld
Nathan Summers, the man who would become known as Cable, first appears as a baby in Chris Claremont and Rick Leonardi's Uncanny X-Men #201 in 1985. However, it is not until 1989's New Mutants #86 by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld that he truly becomes the character fans know and love today. Nathan is the child of Cyclops and the Goblin Queen Madelyne Pryor, who is infected with a techno-organic virus by Apocalypse. He is sent to the future, where the only hope of curing him awaits. He survives and is trained to kill Apocalypse, making him a brilliant fighter and strategist in combination with his telekinetic and telepathic powers.
Traveling back in time, he forms the Six Pack and becomes the leader of the new Mutants before reshaping them into X-Force. He would go on to become a prominent member of the X-Men as well. Cable has been in multiple Marvel projects outside the comics, including X-Men: The Animated Series and the X-Men '97, as well as appearing in a number of video games and as one of the main characters in Deadpool 2. His frequent adventures with Deadpool and his prominence within the X-Men have helped solifidy Cable as the most enduring contribution Rob Liefeld has made to Marvel Comics.