Who is the most successful character to 'Go Solo'?

[Daymare]

This is a tricky topic because in the mind of any fan of any character that character is recognizable. Also, almost any character of the bigger ensemble casts (e.g. Avengers, X-Men) are recognizable on their own. Most do not have the support for a solo title because the character almost has to be redefined and that is almost like trying to launch a new character.

Anyway, I would throw Cable into the discussion. While he was the biggest part of the whole New Mutants to X-Force transition his solo stories have always stood apart.

Cable is a good pick. He had such a storied history (future which is his past which is a fluid future). That seems to be the hook. Did the character have a history before coming to the team they are associated with? For the solo to be successful or last long enough their has to be a hook, or they need to leave the team they are in to grow a future.
Great pick.

[Daymare]

Fancy a wager? I bet Storm's new solo series will surpass (in no. of issues) all previous (as in not current) Hawkeye solo series and Black Widow's previous series. What should our terms of victory be?

I do not bet but if I were to place a wager it would have to include the current series as there cannot be caveats on how many issues his current series will last. Besides, if they are doing something franchise changing coming up leading to next summer, most likely all solo efforts will end or be "Now'd" with new #1's as they dull the impact of the line when a reboot is happening and they are major players in the scheme of things. Therefore it would not be an accurate barometer.
As we have seen time and time again, the quality of a book does not equal sales and actual good writers and artists cannot always keep a character afloat. If the brilliant Thor:God of Thunder run is only staying for a 25 issue run this book could be terrible and still last 25 issues. I am not saying it will not last for a while, but it will not last. Great for the fans of the character that someone is giving Storm a shot at another series as her limited series in the past did not sell well. I am not a fan of the character any longer and truthfully have become less of one seeing how people react and respond over her. You will never see me shedding literal tears over a 6 page preview of the series unless I was out of meds and needed to see my therapist, but that is just me.
If you love it, keep on loving it, if you dislike it, keep on disliking it. No one is right or wrong when it comes to a ficticious world or how you spend your dollars.
Thank you for asking for the bet though, maybe someone else will play.

[JediMindTrick]

I do not bet but if I were to place a wager it would have to include the current series as there cannot be caveats on how many issues his current series will last. Besides, if they are doing something franchise changing coming up leading to next summer, most likely all solo efforts will end or be "Now'd" with new #1's as they dull the impact of the line when a reboot is happening and they are major players in the scheme of things. Therefore it would not be an accurate barometer.
As we have seen time and time again, the quality of a book does not equal sales and actual good writers and artists cannot always keep a character afloat. If the brilliant Thor:God of Thunder run is only staying for a 25 issue run this book could be terrible and still last 25 issues. I am not saying it will not last for a while, but it will not last. Great for the fans of the character that someone is giving Storm a shot at another series as her limited series in the past did not sell well. I am not a fan of the character any longer and truthfully have become less of one seeing how people react and respond over her. You will never see me shedding literal tears over a 6 page preview of the series unless I was out of meds and needed to see my therapist, but that is just me.
If you love it, keep on loving it, if you dislike it, keep on disliking it. No one is right or wrong when it comes to a ficticious world or how you spend your dollars.
Thank you for asking for the bet though, maybe someone else will play.

I agree with you. I'm not going to bet either but I don't see Storm lasting that long. First issue sales will high and Storm fans will be dancing but subsequent issues will drop like a rock and it will be in the 20 or 30 thousands by issue 4 and at cancellation range by issue 10. Those who like her REALLY like her but they won't be enough unless each buys 30 copies of each and every issue.

[Punisher007]

IDK, I could see her series doing well. I don't think that it will be a HUGE seller, but I could see it being one of those books that has consistently decent numbers. I've been hearing a lot of people wanting a Storm book for years, and the reaction to what's been released thus far has been overwhelmingly positive.

[Vic Vega]

Wolverine. He's the only X-Men member who can support longer running solos and be seen as something other than as an "x-men member". Every other X-Men (and yes I'm including Storm) is like OP said, known to be a "team character". Only Wolverine broke that mold. It's hard to break it. Sure there are popular X-Men members but they'll always be known as that, whereas they'll never be at the solo level Wolverine is. He doesn't need the X-Men to be a successful solo guy.

You are forgetting about Deadpool(unless Xforce doesn't count for some reason).

Cable came VERY close.

His first series ran for 107 Issues and it was only cancelled as a result of some weird inter office politics involving either Marvel's impending bankruptcy or the possiblity that Lifeld would sue for the rights to Cable or both.

I've yet to hear a good explanation for the switchover to the Soldier X title.

If they hadn't cancelled it the first time, no doubt it would still be running now in some form.

Retailers value stability over all else.

[RLAAMJR.]

The answer is Wolverine.

Storm is just starting with her ongoing this month so I hope ti will sell well and last long.

I did hear Rocket Raccoon's ongoing doing well but perhaps it's still too early to add his name.

So the answer is only Wolverine.

However, I don't think a character needs to have his own ongoing to be an A-list character. I believe Storm (especially Storm because she's second (Wolverine is first) among X-men appearing on different comics every month and Storm and Wolverine are the main posters from X-men 1-3, sort of in DoFP, also Wolverine and Storm are popular in fighting games like UMVC3) and Cyclops are A-list characters, due to consistent appearances in cartoons, merchandises, movies, video games, comics, etc.

The A-List characters of Marvel for me are: Spider-man, Wolverine, Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Storm and Cyclops.

I did not include Professor X because he has not constantly appeared in comics, video games , etc.

I think Rogue is more consistent but she needs more consistency in video games and movies ( a cameo in DoFP and we may not see her in x-men: apocalypse ) and merchandises ( I usually see Storm and Jean on shirts, etc)

Mystique is very popular in movies but hasn't been in comics, less in video games and cartoons due to her being a villain in nature.

Magneto is usually a villain so he may be very popular but there are some periods which we don't always see him in comics and not seeing much in cartoons because villains don't always appear on every episode.

So if I have to to add 3 more characters to consider an A-list, it's going to be Jean, Rogue and Magneto.

[cranger]

You are forgetting about Deadpool(unless Xforce doesn't count for some reason).

I was not sure whether to mention him as I could not recall if he was considered part of the ensemble cast of X-Force or just a recurring guest star role. For the same reason I did not mention Punisher. Even Cable I questioned because even though he started out with New Mutants and then X-Force he was really introduced as a solo character, in a sense, and always stood out.

[Hellion]

I'd say the Magneto ongoing is killing it. Never would've pegged a Magneto solo as an option from Marvel, but they tried it out and it appears to be doing well sales-wise. I consider it to be the best X-book out there right now. I hope it continues to garner critical and financial success.

Personally, I've never been big on solo books. Maybe it was because I was weaned on classic team books like the Claremont Uncanny X-men and New Mutants. For me to go out a buy a solo, it's got to be a character and a premise that I'm interested in to the point of spending extra money outside of what I dish out for my favorite team books.

[L.R Johansson]

Rocket Raccoon might just be one example.

He's actually VERY similar to Wolverine in some regards... Debuted in Hulk, during a longer-running storyline, where he was introduced with an entire CAST of characters, and an entire own mythology and enemies. Quite fascinating stuff, when you read it. He got by with guest-appearances, had an iconic 80's mini-series ( Mike Mignola on art), and then... dissappeared for a long time.

But eventually he, like Wolverine, joined a team - and that team then got a BIG push ( much like the X-men), and an All-new sort of cast, and took off. And now they've got a big block-buster movie coming out, and the whole fanbase is abuzz about it.

ENTER: Rocket Raccoon's solo-book. Which appears to be a smash-hit.

Even disregarding the promo-deal, the book still has orders over 120 000!

So, Rocket Raccoon, is the new Wolverine. Who'da' thunk' it?

[L.R Johansson]

And finally... the journey complete...

[pageturner]

Wolverine started out as a "guest" in a Hulk issue, then spent 13 years (1975-1988) solely part of a group, them got a solo series...

yeah this he got an mini or two and then several solo books. pretty much the only book he has not had is a Wolverine and type team-up book. Love him or hate him I don't think any character has gone from team to solo to his degree of commercial success.