Earlier today, Capcom announced Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, a new iteration of this year's popular brawler that promises to add 12 new fighters (six from each side) to the already beefy roster. The first four characters were revealed by Capcom, as Strider, Firebrand (from Ghosts 'n Goblins), Ghost Rider, and Hawkeye will be joining the fight. Even though the eight remaining characters were reportedly leaked -- with Frank West (from Dead Rising), Phoenix Wright, Nemesis (from Resident Evil), and Vergil (from Devil May Cry) from the Capcom side;   Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, Nova, and Rocket Raccoon from Marvel -- we're hoping Capcom planted a few red herrings, as we've built our own (mostly) fresh dream roster.

 

Frank West (Dead Rising)

According to Marvel vs Capcom 3 Producer Ryota Niitsuma, the developers were dead set on getting Dead Rising protagonist Frank West into his second consecutive fighting game crossover (his first being Tatsunoko vs. Capcom), but had to nix the ass-kicking photojournalist due to the extra work required to accommodate his presence. Ultimate MVC3 is all about extra work, so hopefully we'll get West, equipped with the many bizarre weapon mash-ups he'll be creating in this fall's Dead Rising 2: Off the Record.

 

Sissel (Ghost Trick)

Sure, there's a fair chance that Phoenix Wright will be joining the Capcom side come October, but really, what can he actually do in a fight? Yell "OBJECTION!" really loud? Throw books at opponents? If we had to choose one of developer Shu Takumi's famed creations, we'd choose Sissel from Ghost Trick. He has crazy supernatural powers, amazing style, and, as players of the DS game will attest to, gorgeous animation. And really, if we're not going to get another iteration of this unique series, we'd like to have some of this cool cat's bizarre backstory explained.

 

Vanessa Z. Schneider (P.N.03)

The great thing about Capcom's crossover games is that the company will sometimes highlight characters that may never get another starring role again (we like to call this "The Racing Ryo" effect). As one of Capcom's ill-fated GameCube exclusives, P.N.03 failed to make much of a mark in the marketplace, but the unique style of the game won't ever be forgotten amongst hardcore fans. Vanessa embodied everything that was strangely appealing in the game - she had a signature look, amazing weaponry, and unforgettable animation. All of those make her a prime candidate for a fine fighting game revival.

 

Edward Falcon (Power Stone)

It's bad enough that three of Capcom's experimental fighting franchise of the late 90s (Rival Schools, Star Gladiator, and Power Stone) have gone the way of the dodo. What's worse is that none of these fighting games have a single character on Marvel vs. Capcom 3's roster. While it's tough to pick from the dozens of worthwhile warriors populating the three games, we're going to pick Power Stone's cover boy, Edward Falcon. For one thing, the Power Stone franchise is slightly more visible in today's gaming scene, thanks to the PSP release of the Power Stone Collection. Additionally, Falcon's Power Stone transformation gives the character a very Iron Man-esque moveset, which would make for some interesting repartee between the two robot-suited fighters.

 

Nightcrawler

This Germanic manic mutant would absolutely decimate his competition in MvC3. Nightcrawler would fit right into the brawler's line-up using his ludicrous speed and teleportation to air combo his way to victory. While Nightcrawler doesn't have the vast muscular prowess of his other Marvel brethren he could still manage to hold his own in the ring. Sure, he may look like a blue monkey, but just wait until you see him in action. Unfortunately, Nightcrawler's incomparable mutant powers and lack of mainstream appeal (thanks a lot, Alan Cumming...) is most likely what would put the nail in his digital coffin.

 

Gambit

Good ol' Remmy would show the crew at MvC3 some Cajun love as this card-wielding, quip-spouting X-Men vs. Street Fighter vet would make for the perfect long-range addition to any team. Not only does Gambit possess immense long-range potential, his skill with a Bo Staff isn't half-bad either. Remmy LeBeau possesses the merits for a skilled competitor (and an intriguing character possibility) for the MvC world.  Gambit's set of unique signature moves and interesting combo chains would make for an interesting brawler, sadly Gambit's unrecognizable Cajun charm may not be what Nitsuma and co. are looking for.

 

Moon Knight

While Deadpool may be the deranged funny guy of the Marvel crew, he's by far not the looniest of the bunch. No, such an undesirable award must be given to the Split Personality king, Marc Spector. Spector's trained boxing ability would certainly come in handy when he's going a few rounds against the likes of Ryu and Akuma of Capcom fame. Plus, there's always you could start the match with Spector thinking he's someone else, think of the competitive capabilities! Moon Knight's Khonshu-endowed competence is a force to be reckoned with, but with his lack of Avenger status, Spector doesn't seem to have the pull he once did.

 

Invisible Woman

Sue Storm could be the coup de gras for the Marvel team. Possessing a plethora of psionic powers that literally twist space and matter, the Invisible Woman has the ability to be the ultimate third (wo)man to any great MvC3 team. Wielding both the power of force fields and the power to disrupt any objects current velocity, Storm would bring a new meaning to the words "combo breaker." While it's not surprising that Storm doesn't make the top of most wanted character lists, her possibilities in the hyper-competitive realm of MvC3 would be nearly limitless. Plus let's face it, the overly-masculine fighter could use a few more femme fatales to fill out its ranks.