You know that feeling when you're soaring over a digital Manhattan as Iron Man and you suddenly realize you’ve spent three hours doing absolutely nothing but flying through rings? That is the magic. Honestly, the LEGO Marvel Superheroes guide to 100% completion is less of a manual and more of a lifestyle choice at this point. Even though the game dropped way back in 2013, people are still obsessed. It’s the vibe. It’s the humor. It’s the fact that you can play as a hot-dog-vending Stan Lee.
The Character Grid is a Lie (Sorta)
Most people look at that massive grid of 150+ characters and think they need to unlock everyone immediately to progress. You don't. In fact, trying to "catch 'em all" before you finish the main story is a recipe for burnout. You're basically gated by abilities. You’ll see a shiny silver object and realize, "Wait, I don't have a character with explosives yet." It’s frustrating.
The real trick to any LEGO Marvel Superheroes guide worth its salt is prioritizing "Utility Characters." Forget your favorites for a second. You need a telepath like Jean Grey or Magneto for the purple studs. You need a big fig like Hulk or Thing for the green handles. And you absolutely, 100% need a character with gold-melting heat rays. Human Torch is your best friend early on. He’s fast, he flies, and he cuts through gold locks like butter.
Manhattan is the Real Main Character
The levels are fine. They’re scripted, they have the funny cutscenes, and they give you the basic bricks. But the open-world Hub? That’s where the game actually lives. Manhattan is packed with 250 Gold Bricks, and finding them is a chaotic mess of parkour, racing, and helping random citizens who have zero business being in a superhero game.
💡 You might also like: Why Batman Arkham City Still Matters More Than Any Other Superhero Game
The Flying Race Nightmare
Let's be real: the flying controls in the original LEGO Marvel are... touchy. If you're trying to hit those aerial races near the Helicarrier, you’re going to fail. A lot. It’s not just you. The physics engine treats Iron Man like a caffeinated hummingbird.
Pro tip: Switch to a smaller flying character like Wasp if you’re struggling with the hitboxes on the rings. The smaller the character model, the less likely you are to clip the edge of a ring and lose your momentum. It sounds like a placebo, but it actually works because of how the game registers "passing through" the checkpoint.
The Red Brick Economy
If you aren't using the x2, x4, x6, x8, and x10 multipliers, you’re playing on hard mode for no reason. These are found via DeadPool’s missions in the Helicarrier. You need Red Bricks. Without them, buying the expensive characters like Galactus or even just the high-end vehicles becomes a soul-crushing grind.
📖 Related: Will My Computer Play It? What People Get Wrong About System Requirements
Wait, did you know the multipliers stack?
They do. If you have all of them active, your stud count increases by 3840x. One purple stud suddenly becomes worth millions. You can buy the entire roster in five minutes. To get these, you usually have to find Deadpool's hidden collectibles within the bonus levels (the ones marked with a gold brick icon on the map). Some of these levels, like the one in the Daily Bugle or the circus, are actually better than the main campaign missions. They have more personality.
Glitches, Gaps, and Getting Stuck
Look, Traveller's Tales makes great games, but they are buggy. You will get stuck in a wall. A character will fail to trigger a scripted event. A Gold Brick might just... not appear.
👉 See also: First Name in Country Crossword: Why These Clues Trip You Up
If a character icon is showing on your map but they aren't there, it’s usually because of the time of day or a prerequisite mission. Some characters only appear after you’ve helped someone else on the other side of the map. It’s a chain reaction. For example, you can't just find Black Panther; you have to do a series of missions involving his cat. Yes, a cat.
How to Actually Hit 100% Without Losing Your Mind
If you want that elusive Platinum trophy or 1000 Gamerscore, you have to be methodical. The LEGO Marvel Superheroes guide to finishing the job requires a specific order of operations:
- Finish the Story: Don't worry about collectibles yet. Just get through the 15 main levels.
- The "Free Play" Sweep: Go back into the levels. Use a guide for the Minikits because some are hidden in ways that defy logic.
- The Hub Cleanup: This is the long haul. Do the races first to get them out of the way. Save the "Stan Lee in Peril" moments for last because they're the most fun.
- The Big Purchase: Once you have the x10 multiplier, buy everything.
The game is a masterpiece of fan service. Whether it's the way Spider-Man webs up enemies or the specific sound effect of Captain America's shield clanging off a wall, the detail is wild. It’s why we’re still talking about it years after the sequels came out. The sequels are bigger, sure, but the first one has a soul that’s hard to replicate.
Actionable Next Steps for Completionists
- Check the Helicarrier Interior: Many players forget there are missions inside the ship, not just on the deck.
- Toggle the Map Filters: Manhattan gets cluttered. Turn off everything except "Gold Bricks" to see what you've missed in the sea of icons.
- Use the Character Customizer: If you need a specific combo of powers (like flight + tech + explosions), just build a custom hero. It's often faster than switching between three different Avengers.
- Input Cheat Codes (If you must): If the grind for the Stud Magnet or the Minikit Detector is too much, there are classic "Extras" codes that still work in 2026. They don't block trophies/achievements, so use them if you're short on time.
- Prioritize the "Attract Studs" Red Brick: It’s the single most important quality-of-life upgrade in the game. It saves you from jumping into pits just to grab a silver coin.
Go back to the Helicarrier, talk to Nick Fury, and get that 100% counter moving. It’s worth it just to see the tiny little fireworks display at the end.