Nathan Spencer

Star of Bionic Commando, Spencer's bionic arm is begging for an appearance in a proper fighting game where he can snag, swing, and toss opponents as a counterpart to Spider-Man and Omega Red.  He's also known to carry an impressive arsenal of standard rifles, rocket launchers, and Super Joe's trusty machine gun, any of which could easily be appropriated.  While a super move that involves blowing his opponents heads to gory bits seems obvious, I'd prefer a more technological attack: summoning a swarm of Polycraft to take out the trash.  Of course, it goes without saying that I'm talking about the classic Bionic Commando Rearmed version of Spencer and not the brooding dreadlocked version that he became in his later years.

Phoenix Wright

The team behind the upcoming Tatsunoko vs Capcom tried to work Ace Attorney extraordinaire Wright into the action, but couldn't find a way to make it happen effectively.  Perhaps he could find a place to show off his combat skills here armed with the power of "Objection!"  While more appropriate for a judge, I'd like to see a super move that involves a giant gavel.  If SonSon can summon a giant cane to smoosh her foes, why can't Wright pound his opponents with the judicial hammer?

Ada Wong

Joining fellow Resident Evil alum Jill Valentine in the fighting franchise, this spy has a knack for searching for samples of the G-virus and the Las Plagas parasite.  Why not use those for the basis of her attacks?  She could summon the zombies and the Ganados to chew on opponents or, for simplicity's sake, just pull out a gun and start shooting. 

Dante

This Devil May Cry hero has more than enough combat moves and experience to make the cut in a future Marvel vs Capcom engagement.  The inclusion of his twin handguns Ebony and Ivory are a natural for his special attacks, but his collection of swords should be reserved for his super moves.  Frankly, given how suited he is for the experience, I'm surprised that Dante has appeared in any Capcom fighting game yet.

Marvel

Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler

Joining the fight for the X-Men, this agile acrobat could bring a variety of flips and kicks to his attack set, plus his teleportation skills would be a great way to frustrate opponents.  A basic character on the surface, proper control of his melee skills would make him a powerful weapon in the right hands.  Maybe he could even do a little fencing (either with his hands or his tail).

Katherine "Kitty" Pryde / Shadowcat

While skilled in hand-to-hand combat, her phasing powers are what make her of interest here, as she could allow enemy projectiles and physical attacks to pass through her body without causing any damage.  Filling the role of a more defensive character, winning with Kitty Pryde involves playing defense just as much as offense.  Summoning her loyal pet dragon Lockheed to roast foes with fiery breath makes for a strong finish of a super attack.

Donald Blake / Thor Odinson

How do you fight against a god?  Thor's hammer Mjolnir would have to be an integral part of his attacks, plus there's always his ability to control elements of storms to fall back on.  His super move has to be his Warrior's Madness state in which his strength increases tenfold.  I envision a flurry of superpowered attacks that is, for most characters, indefensible once the first blow connects.

Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk

Combining the raw power of the Hulk with the speed of Rogue, She-Hulk could be a deadly force with physical attacks in the right hands.  Moreover, her day job non-heroing attorney skills could give her an "Objection!" lawyer power of her own to act as a Marvel counterpart to Capcom's Phoenix Wright.  Following on from her ability to break the fourth wall of the comic books, her super move could be as simple as causing the previously unseen "page" to turn, trapping her opponent temporarily and causing heavy damage due to being caught in the fold.

Charles Xavier / Professor X

As leader of the X-Men it seems as if Charles Xavier would have made it into one of Capcom's X-Men/Marvel fighting games by now, although I suppose it's not very politically correct to show superbeings attacking a man in a wheelchair.  However, considering that the professor is capable of amazing psychic and projection powers, why not show the real professor on the sidelines in his chair as projecting a physical non-paralyzed version of himself to stand against opponents?  His super move could involve him attacking his enemy's mind, causing him or her to stagger backwards in pain before falling to the ground.  There's a certain elegance in Xavier's fighting style defeating opponents without ever physically laying a hand on them.

Here Comes A New Challenger!

The Japanese version of Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter contains an extra character not found in other versions of the game: Norimaro, a special character created by Japanese comedian Noritake Kinashi.  Wikipedia explains:

He portrays a nerdish, cowardly schoolboy-type guy armed with a camera; who throws common school items, mini-Gouki dolls, and plushies as projectiles; and would attempt to ask for his opponent's autograph mid-battle (can be seen when the player presses the START button during a match). He uses the comical "Ultra Variety Private Memories" Super attack, which has him throwing a massive amount of school supplies and other objects.

Norimaro is an interesting idea for a gag character, but I can't see him appealing to international audiences.  I do like the idea of a comical character standing against the likes of Captain Commando and Venom though, so let me throw this at you:

Stephen Colbert

While at first this seems wildly out of left field, Colbert actually has a history with the Marvel universe.  He teamed up with Spider-Man for a brief adventure in The Amazing Spider-Man #573 and he owns Captain America's shield (which he would presumably use in battle).  Armed with truthiness and wørds, Colbert would make quite the formidable opponent.  Transforming into his own super awesome spectacular ultra-spy creation, Tek Jansen, for his super attack move wraps things up nicely, but if that is too over the top, then he could simply nail his opponent during the interview portion of the fight.

But Wait, There's More!

What's this now?  The Walt Disney Company is buying Marvel Entertainment (and it's many characters and franchises) for $4 billion?  Follow on to the next part of this article as characters from the Disney empire join the wish list.

(Capcom images via Capcom.  Marvel images via Marvel and Marvel Database.  Stephen Colbert image via Los Angeles Times)