Marvel has some characters who are paragons of honesty. Heroes like Captain America and Thor are known for always playing things straight with everyone, only pulling out lies and subterfuge when they know they're being lied to. However, not every member of the Marvel Universe believes that telling the truth is a virtue. Many heroes and villains have lied their way through their careers, fooling everyone around them.
It isn't as surprising when Marvel villains lie but some of the baddies are better liars than others. However, it really shocks readers when the heroes engage in this behavior. Some heroes are just as good at deceit as their foes and the Marvel Universe boasts some of the best liars in comics.
10 Sabretooth
Sabretooth is more than just a savage killer. Victor Creed is as cunning as they come, and that's been just as big a factor in his survival as his healing factor. Sabretooth has worked as a spy for decades, so he knows a thing or two about trickery. He's known for lying and tricking his enemies to give him an upper hand in his fights, letting him get in close or get his foes off balance before he goes for their throats.
Sabretooth's best lie was after Wolverine tried to kill him by popping a claw through his brain in the X-Mansion. Sabretooth pretended to be a giant kitty cat, lulled Boom Boom into a false sense of security while also fooling the X-Men, and then made his move. Psylocke was able to keep him from killing Boom Boom, but almost lost her life in the process. Sabretooth is great at small lies or long-term lies that require a lot of thought and acting. He strung Wolverine along for years and he'd do it again if he had the chance.
9 Kingpin
Wilson Fisk fought his way to the top of the New York underworld. Becoming the Kingpin of Crime definitely involved a lot of killing, but lies were just as important. Deception is a key part of being a crime lord, and Kingpin has always excelled at it. He knows when to use force and when to use lies. Kingpin can sell a lie like no one else; part of it is definitely intimidation, but he's also able to fake his way through nearly anything.
Kingpin has been able to use this ability to lie to his advantage many times. Kingpin has convinced others of his sincerity many times over the years. He's even been able to parlay his power to lie into becoming Mayor of New York City, which really says it all.
8 Red Skull
Red Skull is a Nazi and Nazis are known for being liars. Over the many decades of Johann Schmidt's life, Red Skull used his capacity for mendacity to survive everything. Red Skull spent ages in the darkest parts of the world from the end of WWII until the present day. Being a liar was extremely important for his survival, as he avoided justice in every form.
Since everyone knows the Red Skull is a liar, intimidation is important to his lying style. It also helps that he has no respect for the people around him. He deceives his underlings as much as anyone else. Red Skull lies like other people breathe and for some reason, people still believe in him.
7 Chameleon
Chameleon's ability to transform himself into anyone else has made him the perfect assassin and spy. Chameleon is Kraven the Hunter's half-brother and where Kraven concentrated on being the best hunter and killer, Chameleon honed his acting skills. He can become anyone he needs to be, taking on their appearance and personality.
Chameleon is such a master of lies that he disappears into the person he's pretending to be. This has had a detrimental effect on his sanity but not on Chameleon's ability to lie. He may not be much of a fighter, but his ability to lie makes him as dangerous as any other villain out there.
6 Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister is one of Marvel's most brilliant villains, whether he is using his mastery of genetics against his enemies or his way with words. Mister Sinister is known for being a liar, so everyone anticipates his betrayals. However, Sinister's skill is that he can make people think that he's lying about one thing, misdirecting them so they miss the lies that matter.
Mister Sinister has been able to fool people for over a century. As Nathaniel Essex, Sinister's entire life was about unlocking the secrets of the human and mutant genome, but his ability to spin falsehoods is still his greatest tool. While it can come back to haunt him, like in Sins Of Sinister, Mister Sinister's ability to lie has been a huge asset for him.
5 Professor X
Professor X is a man of secrets. This flies in the face of his kindly mentor persona but he's made a habit of lying to his students. Professor X's mutant powers are a great boon for his ability to lie; if he needs to, he can make anyone believe anything he says. Professor X can also edit people's memories, which has allowed him to change a person's reality in order to make them believe anything he wants them to.
The X-Men know just how deceitful their mentor has become but they still trust him. This is Professor X's greatest power. Professor X can be in a room full of people he has lied to for years and they will still look to him for guidance, sharing their secrets with him, and giving him their trust. That's what sets Professor X apart from other liars — everyone will always give him one more chance.
4 Nick Fury
Nick Fury is the definition of shady. Nick Fury led the Howling Commandos during WWII, battling against the Nazis and fighting alongside Captain America and Wolverine. During the war, Fury worked with the OSS, the precursor to the CIA, and joined the latter agency in the 1950s. Nick Fury took very well to the world of black ops and was a shoo-in for leadership of SHIELD when it was established.
Nick Fury was a great spymaster because he had no problems deceiving anyone. Everyone knew that Nick Fury was going to lie to them but they dealt with it because they knew those lies were going to keep people alive. Fury's position as Man on the Wall, the secret protector of the Earth from alien and interdimensional threats, showed how well he lied because no one ever suspected that he had a second job.
3 Odin
Odin was the leader of Asgard for millennia. The head of the Norse pantheon led his people in wars against the Frost Giants, the fire demons, and the dark elves. The people of Asgard are extremely martial, and that makes Odin a military leader as much as anything else. His first job was never telling the truth. He lied to help his armies survive long enough to achieve victory.
Odin has taken his role as a deceiver to heart. Odin has lied to his people for ages, telling himself — and the people who discovered his lies — that it was for the good of Asgard. Eventually, Odin lost the throne of Asgard because no one trusted him any longer. However, for countless years before this, Odin lied and fully believed there was no other way.
2 Mystique
Mystique is a deadly woman, having survived more than a century of deceit and murder. Mystique's shapeshifting abilities are the key to her survival, slowing down her aging and giving her a healing factor. These powers have also played a role in Mystique's lies. Mystique has no problem fighting anyone head to head, but subterfuge and lies are her bread and butter. Mystique's powers have allowed her to become anyone, sneak into everything, and do whatever she wanted.
Mystique is an extremely direct person, willing to go to any lengths to get her way. Lies are just another weapon in her arsenal and Mystique masters every weapon she can. Mystique's powers have allowed her to use lies to make her way in the world, making even her bloodiest dreams a reality.
1 Loki
Loki is no longer the God of Mischief, but that doesn't change just how many years they spent lying. In Loki's time as the God of Mischief, they used lies as their greatest weapons. Loki is quite physically powerful and a master of magic, but they knew Thor would always win in a contest of strength. So, Loki devoted their time and powers to crafting webs of deceit, fooling the rather earnest Thor and his oblivious allies.
Loki has become the God of Stories, leaving their more villainous ways behind, but that doesn't mean they have stopped lying. Stories are just pretty lies, making Loki perfect for this role. Loki may not be trying to conquer Asgard anymore, but they are definitely going to lie whenever they need to.