* Constantly Evolving Roster: Marvel's character roster is constantly expanding and changing. New characters are introduced all the time, and some characters disappear or are re-introduced in different ways.
* Different Definitions of "Character": What constitutes a character is subjective. Does a one-time villain count? Does a recurring character in a specific series count? Does a variant of an existing character count (like different Spider-Man suits)?
* No Official List: Marvel doesn't publish a definitive list of all its characters.
However, we can provide some estimates:
* Thousands of Characters: There are definitely thousands of characters in the Marvel universe.
* Marvel Database: The Marvel Database (also known as the Marvel Wiki) is a fan-run website that catalogs Marvel characters. It currently lists over 17,000 characters. This number is constantly growing and likely underestimates the total.
So, while we can't provide a definitive answer, it's safe to say that there are thousands upon thousands of characters in Marvel Comics.