If you want to start an instant debate with a fellow comic book or super hero fan, just ask them for their list of the greatest super heroes of all time. It doesn’t matter how many, as even a top five or top 10 is bound to spark some friendly disagreements.
We know because we’ve done it ourselves. Sifting through the immense number of great super heroes created over the last 75 years or so is an immense task — one that’s too big for a single person. So we tackled it by committee, asking each of the writers and editors here at Bam Smack Pow, the editors of FanSided’s Batman and Spider-Man sites and one special guest to help craft a consensus of sorts.
The process was simple: list the top 30 greatest super heroes of all time in your personal order. Each person was allowed to be the final judge on what criteria were to be used, but they were asked to consider things like longevity, relevance at the time of their creation and today, influence on other heroes and impact in other forms of media. Then we assigned each vote a point value in inverse order to its place on that person’s list (30 points for 1st, 29 points for 2nd, etc.) and tallied up all the points to create the top 50 list you’re about to read.
(Read More -> 50 Greatest Super Villains in Comic Book History)
We also wanted staffers to write about heroes they felt passionate about in defense of their places on the list — or in some cases, arguments for why they should be higher! The result is something that we hope will give you something to debate with us and among yourselves, because there’s no right answer to this particular question. Only an answer that you might feel is more right than someone else’s.
With that in mind, please enjoy Bam Smack Pow’s list of the 50 Greatest Super Heroes in Comic Book History.
Next: No. 50: The true nuclear man
50. Dr. Manhattan
(Write-up by Dean McKnight, Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
Starting off our list at number 50 is the real American superman himself, Dr. Manhattan. When physicist Dr. Jon Osterman is accidentally caught in a radiation chamber, he loses his human body but gains god-like knowledge and the ability to see and manipulate the smallest components of matter itself. He can also grow or shrink to any size and multiply himself to multitask on anything he needs to do.
With his new skills, Manhattan aids in the invention of countless new technologies (including the atom bomb), assists in the U.S. victory in Vietnam, and serves as a perpetual warning against the actions of the Soviet Union in the Cold War. But these are not the reasons he deserves a spot on this list. Dr. Manhattan earns his position in the 50 Greatest Heroes because, although he has lost his ability to understand humankind and its emotions, he goes against his own infallible logic by willingly taking the fall for inhuman crimes that he did not commit, ultimately ending the nuclear arms race and uniting the world in peace.
By challenging everything that the comic book world knew about power and responsibility, this blue-skinned hero with a hydrogen head symbol helped to make Alan Moore’s Watchmen the only graphic novel on Time Magazine’s list of the “All-Time 100 Greatest Novels.”
Next: No. 49: A hero to call their own
49. Northstar
(Write-up by Matt Conner, Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
Northstar is a great hero, not from who he is but for his representation of Marvel’s changing comfort with diversity. When he was created by Claremont and Byrne for Canada’s Alpha Flight team, he was an arrogant professional skier with an uncomfortable attachment to his dissociative twin sister, Aurora. He was fastidious and catty — like Namor with a sense of style — and he would rather be doing almost anything except use his powers (flying really fast) for good. For several years, he was just the difficult team member who could save the day but needed a strong leader to finesse him into it. But as the Alpha Flight title moved on, we met his special male friend, and he developed an unexplained cough, and for a few months, it really looked like Marvel was going to have their first HIV-positive superhero at a time when thousands of gay men were dying and could have used a little hope. Comic legend tells that editorial got cold feet, and what was going to be his public outing became an Asgardian storyline where Northstar and Aurora were revealed to be half-elves and suffering from some kind of Elf disease.
Years later, Scott Lobdell was able to publicly out Northstar as a gay man, again using the plot point of HIV. In this story, drunken Major Mapleleaf attacks a nursery because there’s an HIV-positive baby in it, and Northstar rescues the baby and explains that he did so because, in a double-page spread and all capital letters and jagged 90’s lines, “I AM GAY!!” It was over-the-top, ridiculous, and it suggested that only homosexuals could have the human decency to care for the infection of an innocent human life, but it was a landmark. And it wasn’t mentioned again for years.
Most recently, in Astonishing X-Men 50, Northstar married his partner, Kyle, and the couple remains together today. This time around, Marvel promoted the event for months via house ads and wedding invitations. Much like American culture at large, Marvel’s comfort with the LGBT community has gone from dismissive to provocative to accepting, and they managed to do this with a flawed, funny, realistic character. Thank you, Marvel, for Northstar. A great hero that allows thousands of people to look at a mainstream comic and say, “That’s me!”
Next: No. 48: A hero who truly beat the odds
48. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Even though she’s really only come into her own over the last decade or so, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that Carol Danvers would end up in a position where she’d be the first female Marvel super hero to earn a movie of her own. She’s certainly tough enough, with superhuman strength and durability, energy projection and flight all parts of her arsenal. As if she needed more awesome qualities, she’s an expert pilot and experienced in the spy game to boot.
Captain Marvel’s most impressive power, though, might be sheer persistence, because even by the standards of a super hero, Danvers has been through some stuff. First she was impregnated against her will by Immortus’ son in a storyline so repugnant it later had to be retconned away. The fix wasn’t pleasant either, as she had her powers and memories stolen by Rogue, and it took a long time, both in the Marvel sense and in the real world, for her to work her way back to the big time. Even after joining the Avengers, writers had her face down in alcoholism, which may have been a natural progression of her personal struggles but still seemed like a cruel twist for someone who already had her share.
Most of that is behind her now. If “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” applies to comic book heroes, then Captain Marvel is Exhibit A. An example of dealing with adversity and emerging as a stronger person. It’s telling that Marvel admitted that the fan outcry for Avengers people most wanted to see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in subsequent outings were her and Black Panther. T’Challa has been a fixture in the team’s lore for decades, but Danvers has truly come into her own in recent years. It’s probably also a commentary on how Marvel doesn’t have an obvious big name female hero to call upon like DC does with Wonder Woman, but Captain Marvel is worthy of the honor.
Don’t be surprised if she’s much further up lists like these ten years from now. She’s got that kind of potential.
Next: No. 47: Everyone's favorite furry elf
47. Nightcrawler
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
In the post-Grant Morrison X-Men world, there are plenty of mutants who really would be feared and hated by a world they’ve sworn to protect. Even the most kind-hearted folks would get a little weirded out seeing some of the students roaming the halls of the Jean Grey School these days.
Back in the day, though, most of the X-Men looked pretty normal, as even Cyclops could pass for a regular guy who just happened to really like red lenses. Kurt Wagner was the exception, and given the hand that his mutation dealt him, no one would have blamed him at all for being bitter.
When one of the words most often used to describe him is “swashbuckling,” you know that didn’t turn out to be the case. Heck, Nightcrawler even fought with a sword and incorporated some pirate elements into his costume for a time. Clearly, this is not a man who’s going to be moping around. Or brooding for that matter. Without turning this into a Cyclops bash-fest, Scott Summers can have that role too.
That’s not to say it’s all been fun and games with Kurt — he is one of the X-Men, after all, and fate has a way of smacking them around on a regular basis — it’s just that he didn’t let some messed up family situations or a little thing like dying keep him down for very long.
Bonus points to Nightcrawler for having his own sound effect too. Not many heroes have trademark onomatopoeia, but when you hear the “BAMF,” you can be pretty sure it’s Kurt. That’s almost good enough to get him into the top 50 on its own.
Next: No. 46: More book smart than common sense smart
46. Beast
(Write-up by Matt Conner, Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
A founding member of the X-Men, Hank McCoy was ostensibly the lowest-powered one. His mutant ability was that he had big hands and feet, and could jump around and swing from pipes and say, “Oh, my stars and garters!” a lot. And to this day, that remains his mutant power. Sure, he’s brave to rush into battle with Magneto when the worst he can do is shove his bare feet into his helmet, but if it had stopped there, he wouldn’t have seen any space on this 50 Greatest Heroes list.
Beast’s greatness comes from his intellect, his attitude, and his history of stupendously stupid choices. From an intelligence standpoint, he is often lumped in with Reed Richards and Tony Stark as one of Marvel’s brain trust, and this earned him the Mutant Delegate seat at Jonathan Hickman’s secret Illuminati table. When the X-Men have major battles, Beast’s role is usually that of tech support, cobbling together machines like that power suppression headband to take out the Dark Phoenix. Yes, the headband melted in two panels, and Dark Phoenix then wiped out the team and flew off to eat a planet, but it was still a decent idea, and he gets some credit. Readers who follow Hank McCoy get to feel good about liking school, about getting good grades, about occasionally quoting Shakespeare to a crowd that tilts their heads in response. Beast is telling kids to stay in school and to stop bullying the smart ones. That’s great.
His attitude is also something that marks him. Despite significant tragedies — like disfiguring transformations and the dogged inability to get Jean Grey to even notice him — he still makes the kind of one-liners that appeal to Spider-Man fans. During his time on the Avengers, he was best friends with Wonder Man and often instigated buddy-comedy adventures in the margins of bigger cosmic fights. He even spent quality time on the silly Californian Champions team. He’s encouraging readers to look at the bright side, and that’s sorely needed when most books are about violence and loss.
But his greatest heroic quality is his ability to keep going despite a pathological self-destruct button. In Amazing Adventures 11, he was working for a chemical company and distilled the chemical cause of mutation. When he overheard his bigot boss making plans to fire him as a means of preventing more mutants on this planet, the super genius opted to drink his own formula to … keep it safe. And it turned him into that blue furry monster we later saw as Kelsey Grammer in the X-Men movies.
Decades later, his body started to break down, and he used a time machine to pull the original X-Men out of the 1960’s so his younger self could fix him, and in so doing, he pretty much broke all the Marvel Universe space-time continuum in some way that Bendis keeps trying to convince us is a big deal, even if the implications have yet to be described. That’s right, kids — don’t be afraid to drink your science fair project. And as long as you’re really serious, it’s okay to endanger the lives of everyone who has ever and will ever live! And in this, he shows us readers that heroism isn’t about avoiding mistakes. It’s about taking responsibility for the ones you’ve made and doing what you can to make them right again.
Next: No. 45: More unique than her name would suggest
45. Spider-Woman
(Write-up by Matt Conner, Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
In the early decades of super hero comics, it wasn’t uncommon to see female versions of popular male heroes. These were generally similar characters and power sets, but they had a pair of X chromosomes, and kids enjoyed the little diversity they’d get.
Spider-Woman was an exception. Her origin story had nothing to do with Spider-Man’s. His is pretty simple: a nerd at a science exhibit gets bitten by a radioactive spider and gets some powers. For Jessica Drew, in her original appearance, she was a spider that had been evolved into a woman. This angle was quickly retconned away to a story about a young girl who was poisoned by the radioactivity of the mountain on which she lived, and the High Evolutionary saved her by combining her DNA with that of a spider. She developed an ability to glide on silk wings, zap people with a bioelectric venom (yeah, I love her, and I don’t get that spider-power, either), and release automatic pheromones that make people kind of uncomfortable around her (THAT was a great touch. Even people who aren’t that afraid of spiders still tense and watch when one crawls across their steering wheel, and it gave her this unique social standing that alienated comic readers can understand).
Later, terrorist group HYDRA got their mitts on her. They brainwashed her into thinking that Viper was her mother, and that she needed to kill Nick Fury. It was bonkers. Her series ran fifty issues with barely any mention of Spider-Man. She fought all kinds of creepy supernatural baddies like Gypsy Moth and the Brothers Grimm. Sometimes she was a bounty hunter or a private detective. After Carol Danvers escaped her multidimensional rapist, Jessica was her only support.
Decades later, Bendis brought her on board his Avengers relaunch. Since then, she has maintained a high profile as someone who can join the Black Widow for spy adventures or go on a date with Hawkeye. She’s currently headlining a new solo series as part of the Spider-Man family of titles, and it is noteworthy that this is the first time since 1977 that she has been even casually defined by her male counterpart. Spider-Woman represents the powerful idea that men and women are different in ways that don’t simplify to “Men do this; women do the opposite” or “Men do this; women do the same thing but backwards in heels.” Spider-Woman does her own thing, she does it well, and that’s heroic.
And yes, as Bendis has said in an Avengers book, she DOES have the best hair in comics.
For more Spider-Woman news, rumors and opinion, visit Whatever a Spider Can.
Next: No. 44: Comic writers' favorite monkey wrench
44. Scarlet Witch
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
There’s just something about Wanda Maximoff. Her mutant power isn’t to make synthezoids and beings of pure ionic energy fall in love for her, though both of those things happened. There’s a divisive aspect to her for many fans too, kind of a split love/hate reaction similar to the one John Cena gets when he steps into a WWE ring.
Maybe it’s because she’s been partially responsible (though not in her right mind) for some pretty bad events. Things like, say, cutting the mutant population down to triple digits, or helping to invert the nature of the Avengers and X-Men so they all act like nihilistic narcissists. Again, not all the fault of the Scarlet Witch, but also not possible without her powers being perverted in some way.
Let’s talk about those powers, because they’ve changed a lot over the years. Originally they were able to make highly unlikely events occur — like Taylor Swift actually showing the world her belly button. Writers added more and more facets to them under the catch-all concept of chaos magic, to the point where an argument can be made that she’s one of the most powerful (and dangerous) heroes on this list if operating at her full potential.
But hey, the Hulk is dangerous too, and plenty of folks still love him. Lost amid all of this is the fact that Wanda has been a stalwart member of the Avengers, serving more than one lengthy stint on the team. The general public is going to see more of her in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and probably more Marvel movies after that. Will they be smitten like Vision and Wonder Man? We’ll have to wait and see.
Next: No. 43: Tough in the courtroom and in a fight
43. She-Hulk
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
She-Hulk could easily have been the laziest cash grab in Marvel history. “Hey, let’s turn Bruce Banner’s cousin into a female version of the Hulk thanks to a blood transfusion! Then we’ll just have her smash stuff and watch the money come rolling in!” The temptation was probably strong, since it’s generally accepted Stan Lee and John Buscema created her simply so the producers of The Incredible Hulk couldn’t beat them to it.
Happily, things took a different course since Jennifer Walters first went green back in 1980. By that I mean she became a fully realized character in her own right, one whose work as a lawyer was often as important (and given an equal focus in her stories) as her crimefighting efforts. To paraphrase what she once told Tony Stark, She-Hulk might beat you up, but Walters the attorney could absolutely destroy you.
Another great aspect of She-Hulk is her versatility. She can be played straight as a member of the Avengers or Fantastic Four, or to more comedic effect with the kind of fourth wall-breaking humor that people would more readily associate these days with Deadpool. It helps that she actually has a sense of humor, something that not all super heroes have in abundance.
And yes, She-Hulk has raged out and smashed stuff on occasion like another Green Goliath. It wouldn’t be a whole lot of fun if she didn’t.
Note: as far as I know, she never showed up and ripped up anyone’s X-Men comics either.
Next: No. 42: The sentinel of the spaceways
42. Silver Surfer
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Is the non-human who displays more humanity than us now something of a cliche? Quite possibly, but the Silver Surfer did it first, or at least near the beginning, and it’s become something of a recurring theme for him even when he’s mucking around in the affairs of cosmic beings in strange and distant parts of the universe.
As much as Norrin Radd has tried to play it off like that part of him died when Galactus first transformed him into a herald, his actions have shown that isn’t the case. He’s always put the needs of others first, from sacrificing himself in exchange for the safety of his true love and his homeworld during his origin, to turning on Galactus to help save Earth in one of the most famous Fantastic Four arcs of all time.
He’s almost like Marvel’s Superman in a way; a supremely powerful being from another world who nevertheless would make the ultimate sacrifice for us. The Surfer is easily his equal in nobility, and depending on your views on how the Power Cosmic would fare against the Last Son of Krypton, it’s possible he could take Superman in a fight.
The thing is, there wouldn’t be one unless there was a very good reason. Though he has been shown to have a temper — again, another very human quality — he doesn’t throw down just for kicks. And we somehow made it all this way without talking about that visual: a shining, silver-skinned man riding a surfboard through space. It could have turned to cheese so easily in the wrong hands, but thanks to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it turned into a classic instead.
Next: No. 41: He defines current events
41. Luke Cage
(Write-up by Steve Lam, Bam Smack Pow Site Expert)
To not have Power Man in a ranking of the Greatest Superheroes would be silly. And it would basically nullify the validity of this overall list. Why? Think about it. This list isn’t just about who’s the most powerful (although Luke Cage is pretty strong), has the best gadgets, or is the most famous. It’s also about the impact a character has had on our collective consciousness and society as a whole.
Luke Cage was created during an era when Blaxploitation films were rising in popularity. However, the character resonated so well with audiences that he continued to find success in his own series—even after the fad had ended.
Luke wasn’t just a side character who would fade into the background. He joined forces with the best of them: Spider-Man, Iron Fist, Daredevil, and the Avengers. In fact, he would later become a founding member of the re-formed Avengers team.
Most recently, Power Man has been brought to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Netflix series Marvel’s Luke Cage. Starring Mike Colter as the titular hero, the series reinterpreted the origins of the character—and it worked perfectly.
Like Luke Cage’s comics in the past, the Netflix series brought to light many social issues facing African-Americans today. However, guided by Marvel Studios’ storytelling prowess, none of it became too preachy. It did, though, help to solidify the character as one with a true inner struggle trying to help Harlem. His journey from ex-cop, convict, fugitive, and superhero has mesmerized audiences everywhere.
If you want more live-action Luke Cage, look no further than next year’s Marvel’s The Defenders—where he’ll be fighting the good fight next to Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and The Punisher. To that, we say, “Sweet Christmas!”
Next: No. 40: Maybe size doesn't matter
40. The Atom
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
If all you see when you look at the Atom are his shrinking powers, you’re focusing on the wrong part of what makes him great. Think of Ray Palmer as the DC Universe’s version of Bill Nye the Science Guy, someone other heroes can call upon when they have a science or physics-related situation. Where a baseball team has a designated hitter, the Atom is like the Justice League’s designated thinker.
That’s important, because not every problem can be solved by punching. For those that can, the Atom is no slouch, thanks to the clever twist that he can control both his size and mass. A one-inch super hero isn’t very threatening, but that same tiny do-gooder packing the full force of his normal strength when smacking you in the face is something else entirely.
Like several other DC heroes, the Atom is also a legacy character, so if your tastes run more toward Al Pratt or Ryan Choi, it’s all good. We haven’t seen any version show up in the New 52 (except for a female who turned out to be a spy for the Crime Syndicate of another Earth), but you can almost bank on the idea that one will show up eventually.
If not, there’s always TV, where Ray Palmer is already making an impact as a recurring character on Arrow. It remains to be seen if a tiny Brandon Routh is in the cards, though it’s good to know that the name of this classic costumed identity is going to live on in some form.
Next: No. 39: Daughter of a demon
39. Raven
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Was I a little surprised that Raven was the Teen Titan to make this list? A little bit, yeah. If anyone was going to make the cut, I figured it would be Cyborg (even though he’s a Justice Leaguer these days), Starfire or Beast Boy.
People do like females with a dark side, though, and it doesn’t get much darker than having a demon dad who wants to conquer Earth and remake it in his image. Some heroes have skeletons in their closets; Raven’s is practically overflowing with bones.
That she’s turned out to be a hero instead of a constant threat to the Earth says a lot about her, as well as her bond with the Titans. The Justice League gave her the Heisman pose when she approached that team for help, forcing her to turn to DC’s teen heroes when she had nowhere else to go. When she’s in her right mind, she certainly has a cool power set, one that sets her apart from almost every other super hero out there.
Those powers are part of her appeal, for sure, as is the goth chick persona fans of animation know from Tara Strong’s portrayal of Raven on Teen Titans Go! I’m still calling her inclusion on this list an upset, but I’ve talked myself into seeing how it could happen. There’s no one else quite like her.
Next: No. 38: Underestimate her at your own risk
38. Invisible Woman
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Though most fans would likely agree that there’s still some work to be done when it comes to the portrayal of females in super hero comics, we have made some progress since their earlier days. As evidence, I invite you to go back and re-read early issues of Fantastic Four, where Sue Storm was treated poorly at times and outright condescended to by Reed Richards at others.
Contrast that to the savvy, powerful Invisible Woman we have today and it’s impossible not to see (no pun intended) the difference. It helps that her abilities were expanded and refined, from merely disappearing from sight to projecting force fields. This is a hero who can pull her weight in battle, no mean feat when her teammates include the Human Torch and the Thing.
She’s also more than capable of keeping up with her super-smart husband, which is something not too many people can say. A devoted mother? Yep, she’s that too.
So let’s sum up here: powerful, smart and caring, it’s fair to say that Susan Richards is one of the most well-rounded characters in the Marvel Universe, something that heavyweights like Doctor Doom and Namor have noticed and admired. That she’s the lowest ranking member of the Fantastic Four on this list isn’t a reflection on her, but rather recognition that every member of the Marvel’s first family is a pretty amazing character in his or her own right — despite what Marvel currently seems to think.
Next: No. 37: The heart and soul of the X-Men
37. Jean Grey
(Write-up by Christina Roberts, Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
Let’s forget about X-Men: The Last Stand. Let’s pretend that first trilogy was only two movies and that Jean Grey’s future on the silver screen is still ripe with promise and glory, portraying a pretty good match for her comic book namesake with that glorious tease of more to come down the road.
And then ignore the movies completely and go right to the source material.
As one of the founding members of the X-Men, Jean Grey contributes a lot to the X-Men storylines, and even putting “a lot” in front of that neither justifies nor encompasses everything she’s done. Her bloodline alters the future and the past on multiple occasions. You can’t even really say there’s an X-Men team without her in it. I mean, really: in an alternate reality, her son, Nathaniel Grey, is known as X-Man.
She’s Charles Xavier-lite with telekinesis on the side. She’s one of just a handful of Omega-level mutants because of how much power she can wield. She has the potential to be so much more than what she’s ever been, and that’s not even talking about the Phoenix or the Dark Phoenix. Ignore the pointless love triangles. Ignore the stupid stuff that doesn’t matter (though it brings a certain amount of fun and campiness to it all). Jean Grey can kick ass and take names, either as part of a team or on her own.
And anyone who can put up with Scott Summers deserves to be in the top 50 on a list of greatest super heroes.
Next: No. 36: Has stolen a few things, including Batman's heart
36. Catwoman
(Write-up by Amanda Chrisman, Caped Crusades and Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
As a major Batman villain, you might be surprised to see that Catwoman holds a slot on this list of the greatest heroes. However, Catwoman does indeed have a long history of on-again, off-again stints of heroism that has earned her this spot. She couldn’t be placed any higher on the list due to her criminal history, though she is far from the only hero with a criminal past (one she often falls back into). And unlike the Hulk, who is not always portrayed as a hero either, Selina is fully in control of her actions when she returns to criminal activity.
Catwoman, even at her most criminal, was never the type to put innocent lives in undue jeopardy — she has never held the city of Gotham hostage nor plotted to kill all of its inhabitants like most Batman villains — and has been known to protect the innocent even when she is firmly on the wrong side of the law. In fact, sometimes her criminal activity has been a side effect of efforts to protect big cats and the environment.
Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne have long been romantically entangled in comics, movies and TV shows. Some fans even argue that she is Batman’s true love, as she is the one woman who consistently learns of his identity in every new incarnation, and usually Bruce chooses to tell her, unlike lovers like Talia al Ghul who always have to find out through other means.
Historically, a few of Catwoman’s super hero stints were the result of her relationship with the Dark Knight. But her acts of heroism are no less honorable or important during her periods as Bruce’s girlfriend or wife, for it is his trust in her that allows Selina to see the good in herself.
For more Catwoman news, rumors and opinion, visit Caped Crusades.
Next: No. 35: Not the answer, but ...
35. The Question
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
If any hero on this list got a major bump from appearing in an animated series, it would have to be Vic Sage. As the Question, he played a major role on Justice League Unlimited, helping to expose a plot against the League and proving that paranoia is warranted when people really are out to get you.
Not that the Question wasn’t already a pretty interesting character in comics alone, because he was. Just, um, not one for kids. We’re talking about a guy whose early stories had a heavy philosophical bent, was more interested in rooting out government corruption than stopping bank robbers, and later used hallucinogens to have cities talk to him. Sage had a less than heroically ideal manner of treating the bad guys too, not always killing them but certainly not going out of his way to save them in times of danger either.
The Question’s most obvious impact is probably his influence on another character a little further down on our list. It’s no secret that Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons wanted to use the heroes DC acquired from Charlton in Watchmen. When they were told they couldn’t, they came up with their own, thinly veiled takes on the same characters.
Thus, Rorschach is like the Question taken to his logical extreme. That, plus his unexpected cartoon stardom, warrants his inclusion here.
Next: No. 34: An Image original
34. Spawn
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
It’s definitely possible to create your own super hero from scratch, set up shop somewhere other than Marvel or DC and find success. Building an entire multi-media empire around that character? That’s a lot tougher, which makes what Todd McFarlane did with Spawn that much more impressive.
Of course, McFarlane had a pretty sizable advantage over anyone trying to do the same thing when he first helped found Image Comics, and that’s his already established superstardom as an artist. He was arguably the hottest penciller in the world when he created Spawn, which meant the character itself didn’t necessarily have to be the best for it to sell a lot of comics.
Is that a slam on Spawn, the super hero? Not exactly, as there were some fun concepts involved. The idea of being given powers from Hell but trying to use them for good wasn’t a completely original one, but it still worked. One of my favorite parts was the timer on his powers that decreased every time he used them, though that was later dropped. As for those abilities … well, if you can tell me exactly what they were without looking them up, you’re a bigger Spawn fan than I am.
That’s not really the point anyway. The visual appeal of Spawn was undeniable, both in terms of McFarlane’s art (and later, Greg Capullo’s, as well) and that costume, which was very much 90s but managed to transcend its time and become something that was easily recognizable. It also can’t be argued that the character was popular enough to spin off into movies, animation, toys, video games, and pretty much everything you can put a super hero into. For a creator-owned super hero property, that’s an amazing accomplishment, and Spawn is still kicking around in comics to this day.
Next: No. 35: The ageless secret agent
33. Nick Fury
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
We’re stretching the definition of super hero just a bit for Mr. Fury, but maybe not as much as you think. If there was nothing “super” about Nick, he’d have given up the good fight after his Howling Commandos days. Thanks to the Infinity Formula, he’s been able to keep up his super spy act well into the 21st Century.
That’s a good thing, because it’s hard to envision the Marvel Universe without him. I’m not talking about in combat, though Nick can certainly handle himself there, but as the guy who knows all the answers and has planned for every contingency. When the super heroes can’t figure out what’s going on, or they simply need a place to lie low, it’s Fury who they call.
Recent revelations stemming from Marvel’s Original Sin series suggested that he played an even more active role in safeguarding the Earth than originally suspected, serving as the “man on the wall” to fend off extraterrestrial and interdimensional threats without the world even knowing about them. This expansion of his job to be like James Bond meeting the Men in Black would seem ridiculous for almost anyone else, yet strangely fitting for the man with the eyepatch.
Adding to his high profile, Samuel L. Jackson has made the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Fury into a household name. He may not fly, shoot lasers out of his eyes or toss cars around — at least not without some high-tech help — but we’d say Nick Fury is plenty super enough for our purposes.
Next: No. 32: Proof that good things can come from hell
32. Hellboy
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Here we go, stretching the definition of a super hero again. And while it’s true that there aren’t many super heroes who are actually demons summoned from Hell by Nazis, you can only deal with the origin you have written for you. If nothing else, Hellboy is the ultimate argument for nurture over nature, as simply being brought up like a normal person ended up making him one, or at least as much like a person as someone sporting the Right Hand of Doom can be.
That good start made Hellboy care enough for humans to help protect them from all manners of supernatural and paranormal enemies,. Without him, the particular Earth in which his Dark Horse comics stories are set would have been overrun by some unspeakable horror a long time ago. He might also bring it about himself, however unwittingly, thanks to that right hand, but it’s hard to argue that the best way to make sure it doesn’t get used to bring about the end of everything is to make sure it’s somewhere he can keep an eye on it — and at the end of his right arm is one of those places.
Like Spawn, who also made our list, Hellboy is able to hang with the creations of Marvel and DC as a peer largely due to the vision of one artist, in this case Mike Mignola. Without his uniquely stylized work, it’s hard to see him catching on to the point where he’d end up the subject of multiple Guillermo del Toro films, yet that actually happened.
I promised myself I’d make it the whole way through this without any “he made hell cool” jokes, even if Hellboy himself would probably appreciate a joke (though a better one) at his expense. He may not fit the mold of a super hero, or even a standard demon mold for that matter, but he’s earned his way into this group.
Next: No. 31: The forgotten Justice Leaguer
31. Martian Manhunter
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
One of the real shames of the New 52 relaunch of the Justice League was the removal of the Martian Manhunter as one of its founders. It’s cool that DC wanted to get Cyborg onto the team, but a League without J’onn J’onzz? That’s bordering on blasphemy.
In both comics and animation, J’onn had established himself as the tactical link that enabled the League to perform at its best. Thanks to his telepathic gifts, his fellow heroes never needed to rely on technology to stay in contact with one another, and with Martian Manhunter delivering orders right into their brains, it was easy to see what an important cog he had become.
I almost wrote that J’onzz served as their backup muscle too, but that would be selling him short. Thanks to a ludicrously deep pool of super powers, he was like Superman, the Vision, Mr. Fantastic and Professor X rolled into one. That made it extra silly that his one weakness, fire, was such a common one, but without that he probably wouldn’t even be fun to write.
And sure, the Martian Manhunter is still around, and he’s even got a Justice League of his own now, in a sense. It simply shouldn’t have come to that, as except for Marvel’s Hawkeye with the Avengers, it’s hard to think of any hero as devoted to a team as J’onn was to the pre-New 52 League. He deserved better.
Next: No. 30: A hero even before he became a man
30. Superboy
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Did Superman have costumed adventures as a youngster, or did he only don the famous ‘S’ symbol for the first time once he left Smallville? DC has gone back and forth on that point over the years, but there’s no denying that the idea of a Superboy is popular enough that fans react warmly to it whenever it pops back up.
The original Boy of Steel inspired the creation of the Legion of Super-Heroes, which was a noteworthy bit of comic book history in and of itself. Later versions of Superboy turned out to be clones, either of Superman himself or, in the case of Conner Kent, created by mixing some DNA from Superman with some from Lex Luthor.
There was even an evil Superboy, as the crazed Superboy-Prime turned into a villain the likes of which the DC Universe had rarely seen during Infinite Crisis. Fittingly, it took a heroic sacrifice by one Superboy to stop the one gone awry.
But let’s not focus on the bad, as memorable as it might be. If every journey to adult heroism had to begin somewhere, it’s only right to assume that in some versions of the Superman story, Clark Kent would want to put his powers to use for the greater good as soon as he discovered them. That’s why Superboy has made it to TV multiple times, and as a concept, he’s one that’s going to keep returning to the forefront at some point as long as there’s a Man of Steel in print.
Next: No. 29: King of his own country
29. Black Panther
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Anyone who watched the Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes animated series knows exactly how cool Black Panther is, as that show had one of the best portrayals of T’Challa to date. Here was a guy who was smart enough to defeat all of Tony Stark’s automated defenses and computer security, a formidable combatant and a snappy dresser thanks to his simple but cool costume. He was a valuable and loyal member of the team, but when his homeland of Wakanda was threatened, his duty to his country came first.
T’Challa is a complicated guy in the comics, but that’s as good a way to sum him up in a nutshell as any. He was a pioneer as the first black super hero for either Marvel or DC, and Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did a good enough job with him that he’s still very much in the picture today. Black Panther has recently been seen as the conscience of sorts to the Illuminati, though it appears a dark fate might be in store for Wakanda next year.
Only DC’s Aquaman and fellow Illuminati member Namor (now a sworn enemy after the events of Avengers vs. X-Men) might truly understand the tug of war Black Panther experiences between the needs of his people and the proverbial greater good. It’ll be interesting to see if Marvel can translate that quality to his solo movie as well, as without it, there’s less to help him stand out from the crowd.
Still, real Black Panther fans will no doubt agree with Chadwick Boseman, the rising star who will play him on film, when he said that neither Iron Man nor Captain America should expect that T’Challa will easily side with one or the other since he is “kind of his own guy.” Sounds like he already has a handle on the most essential part of the role.
Next: No. 28: The (stretchy) man with the plan
28. Mr. Fantastic
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Nerds take heed: sometimes the brainy guy does become the hero and get the girl.
The thing with Reed Richards is that even though he knows a lot of things, there’s no way he could have foreseen becoming the leader of a famous group of super heroes and ending up with the woman of his dreams, one who also happens to be a super hero. As miscalculations go, the uncharacteristic one he made about the flight that turned he and his friends into the Fantastic Four turned out to be a pretty good one — except for Ben Grimm, of course, but it’s to Reed’s credit that he’s never stopped trying to figure out a way to free him from a life stuck as the Thing.
There’s probably a lesson in there about the need for the guy with the stretchable body to be resilient. It’s actually a really cool super power too, when you think about it. Certainly not as showy as the Human Torch’s pyrotechnics or as powerful as his wife’s force fields, but it allows him to tackle problems creatively the same way he does with his nearly unparalleled brain.
Longtime fans also know that while Reed worships at the altar of intellect, he’s not a slave to it. Threaten his family, his world or his entire reality and he’s capable of doing the passionately heroic thing even if it’s not the optimal path to a solution. And when he tips a little too far toward being cold and scientific, he’s always got the rest of the FF to steer him back on course.
Next: No. 27: The Merc with a Mouth
27. Deadpool
(Write-up by Roger Lee, Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
So who, or what, is Deadpool? For those of you not overly familiar with this character, he is a human mercenary who now possesses a healing factor that was implanted in him by the Weapon X program (the same outfit that gave Wolverine his adamantium skeleton and claws). At the time that the healing factor was given to him, Deadpool (real name: Wade Wilson), was dying of cancer. The healing factor keeps him alive, but it also enables the cancer to remain in his body (i.e. the cancer gained a healing factor along with the rest of his body). This has caused his skin to be horribly disfigured and the constant pain this causes is one reason for his insanity. One interesting, and rather fun aspect of his insanity, is that Deadpool’s mind at times reaches a point of true clarity, and he realizes that he, and everyone he knows, are just fictional characters in a comic book.
As a comic book character with a healing factor, Deadpool is basically unkillable. This enables him to get into all sorts of trouble. While he has been rejected for membership by nearly every superhero team from the Avengers to the X-Men, Deadpool often does team up with other heroes. He has a particular affection for Spider-Man, and always looks forward to teaming up with the wall-crawler (though Spidey would often rather not).
Created in 1991 by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared as an assassin in New Mutants #98. His job at that time was to kill mutant team leader Cable. While he failed at that (Deadpool does not kill good guys, as a rule) he and Cable later developed a working relationship and often team up. The name Wade Wilson that Liefeld and Nicieza came up with for Deadpool, is a take-off of the DC Comics character Deathstroke, whose name in the comics is Slade Wilson. After creating Deadpool, Liefeld and Nicieza realized the character they created bore a lot of similarities to the existing DC character Deathstroke, and decided to name him Wade Wilson as a joke.
Deadpool has also featured in his own video game and is reported to be up for his own solo movie as well. One thing’s for sure: Wade Wilson is one of a kind, and the rest of the Marvel Universe prefers it that way.
Next: No. 26: Gotham City's other protector
26. Batgirl
(Write-up by Amanda Chrisman, Caped Crusades and Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
Like Batman’s other sidekick, Robin, there have been multiple people to wear the cape and cowl of Batgirl. By my estimation there have been three Batgirls, but she is no less important to Gotham City, and comic books, than Robin.
If you are familiar at all with Batman and his cast of characters, you probably know of the original Batgirl, Barbara Gordon. Daughter of Police Commissioner James Gordon, Barbara has often been written as very interested in becoming a police officer, but her father does not want that life for her and refuses to allow her on the force. As such, Barbara turns to vigilantism to satisfy her desire to fight crime and better the city she calls home.
Barbara may have been the first, but the identity of the woman behind the mask isn’t really as important as what she represents. Batgirl has been a very popular super hero for much of her existence. As Batman’s female counterpart and sidekick, she shows all of us that we can be heroes too, and that comics aren’t just for boys.
Fighting crime is no easy task for anyone, especially in Gotham, but Batgirl has always made it look both thrilling and rewarding. Batgirl, like all the women on this list, is a very important hero, and an example to girls everywhere. She is just as capable as Batman and Robin at both solving and fighting crime. Never portrayed as anything less than an equal to the Dynamic Duo, this young woman has earned Batman’s respect just as Robin has. Winning the trust of a hero like Batman is a pretty special accomplishment for this equally special woman.
For more Batgirl news, rumors and opinion, visit Caped Crusades.
Next: No. 25: Just a guy with a bow among legends, gods and monsters
25. Hawkeye
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
You have to have a pretty large set of grapefruits to take on the kind of threats the Avengers encounter on a regular basis armed with nothing more than a bow and arrow. What Hawkeye lacks in raw power, he makes up in skill and chutzpah, and his enduring loyalty to the Avengers in all their many incarnations have more than earned him the right to call himself one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes — and one of our 50 Greatest as well.
For starters, Hawkeye is much more than an archer, able to turn just about anything into a weapon, even under extreme duress. He’s an expert hand-to-hand combatant as well, which the world found out during the time he went full ninja as Ronin (a role that was supposed to go to Daredevil, which would have made a little more sense) with the New Avengers. If leadership counts as a super power, he’s got that too, serving as the head of the West Coast Avengers for a lengthy period of time.
Perhaps more importantly, Hawkeye has a sense of right and wrong that is as fully formed as any you’ll find. You can count on him to do what’s right regardless of what other people think or what the personal cost might be for him. That’s gotten him into trouble, occasionally of the serious variety, but he always manages to emerge from those situations more or less unscathed.
Does Clint Barton have some issues? He’d be the first to tell you he does, including problems with relationships (particularly of the romantic variety). Is he prone to moments where he lapses into self-doubt, wondering if he really is just “a guy with a bow” fighting with and against beings with incredible power? His stint as Goliath tells you that’s true too.
Regardless, you know that Hawkeye is going to take aim at whatever lies in front of him and he’s going to figure out a way to hit the target more often than not. Hopefully Marvel lets Jeremy Renner show off Clint’s talent for quips as well, something fans who only know him from the movies have yet to see so far.
Next: No. 24: Every list of super heroes needs a super spy
24. Black Widow
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Hey, it’s an Avenger with her own theme music! In reality, we’re pretty sure Iggy Azalea didn’t write that song about Natasha Romanoff (or Natalia Romanova, if you want to get technical), but if there’s a Marvel heroine currently deserving of one, it’s probably her.
Beautiful and deadly is always an entertaining combination, and it’s one that helps give Black Widow her unique niche in the Marvel Universe. It’s probably fitting that she landed on this list adjacent to Hawkeye, as his origin is intertwined with hers, and both were initially on the wrong side of the law before finding their true calling as Avengers.
And while you might not think that someone trained as a Russian spy and assassin would make a great leader for a team of super heroes, Natasha has tons of experience heading up the Avengers that says otherwise. As a battlefield tactician, she’s second only to Captain America, and coming in behind Steve Rogers in anything is no cause for shame. Though her background has caused her to be no stranger to shifting loyalties, Black Widow has earned the trust of her fellow heroes, putting her life on the line time and again without nearly as many superhuman gifts as so many others.
She’s really the closest thing there is to a female James Bond, even if her missions tend to be a little more fantastic than those carried out by 007. There’s a definite place among super heroes for a super spy, and Black Widow is the best one out there.
Next: No. 23: Goddess, mutant and leader, all in one
23. Storm
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
We spend a lot of time trying to figure out who is the closest thing Marvel has to Wonder Woman. Maybe it’s Captain Marvel because of her powers, or Black Widow due to her Scarlett Johansson-enhanced high profile. Here’s a thought: maybe it’s Storm.
Hear me out on this one. Diana Prince is a product of the gods, while Ororo Munroe was once worshipped as a god. Both heroes have tons of raw power, albeit channeled in very different ways, yet they’ve both gone through spells where they’ve had to fight the good fight without their superhuman gifts. They’ve even both been portrayed by famous actresses in other forms of media, with Storm actually one-upping Wonder Woman’s Lynda Carter TV stint with multiple movies featuring Halle Berry.
That’s probably as far as I can take the analogy, but it’s time for anyone who doesn’t already think of Storm as one of Marvel’s premier female heroes to think of her in that vein. She’s served as leader of the X-Men on numerous occasions, earned leadership of the Morlocks on another, and even served as an Avenger for a brief period of time. When Steve Rogers went looking for Black Panther to rejoin the fold, he took a look at the team’s roster at the time and suggested his then-wife because the group needed more power, which speaks for itself in terms of her ability to control the weather.
She’s had more than her fair share of ups and downs, but that’s not atypical for any of Marvel’s most famous mutants. Except for Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey and Wolverine, it’s hard to say there’s a more quintessential X-Man than Storm, and if Marvel ever finds the right way to have her catch on as a solo act, one gets the feeling that the sky is the limit.
Next: No. 22: Comics' most powerful cousin
22. Supergirl
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Sometimes as comic book fans we simply get too caught up in the details, things like which parts of continuity are in effect and which stories are canon and which aren’t. It’s possible for a character to be both viable and successful even if those typically comic book things are a mess, and Supergirl is proof.
I say that because there’s not even one definitive version of this hero, yet she’s still held in high regard. For some people, the “real” Supergirl is Superman’s Silver Age cousin Kara Zor-El, who gave her life (while rocking a very 80s headband, no less) saving both Kal-El and pretty much all of reality from the Anti-Monitor in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Younger readers might consider Peter David’s Linda Danvers version to be the genuine article, while my kids know only the white-shirted Kara In-Ze from Justice League Unlimited. Naturally, there’s a New 52 Supergirl too, different from all the ones who came before.
Usually, this is the type of thing that drives fans crazy, but it hasn’t hurt Supergirl all that much. There’s something enduring about a female with powers like Superman who also sees our world from a younger and even more optimistic perspective. Those qualities don’t apply to every Supergirl since there have been so many of them, but one thing they all have provided Superman with is a sense of family, whether it be real or just because they both wear the red ‘S.’ And since the Man of Steel is in many ways the ultimate loner, that’s important.
Supergirl has already made it to film, TV and animation, so she’s demonstrated staying power. No matter how many changes DC makes to her, there’s always going to be a place for a Girl of Steel.
Next: No. 21: With one magic word ...
21. Captain Marvel (Shazam)
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Whether you call him Captain Marvel or Shazam, there’s a timeless quality to the World’s Mightiest Mortal that never goes away, even as the more innocent time that gave birth to him constantly shrinks in the rear-view mirror. Then again, maybe that’s exactly why we need him around.
I shouldn’t need to explain why the idea of a boy being able to turn into an adult super hero just by calling out a magic word is a powerful one, because minus powers granted by the gods, it’s one that has been explored over and over again in pop culture. How many comics fans wished they were bigger at some point growing up? I’d venture to say nearly all of them.
The best part about Captain Marvel’s original Golden Age adventures is that their lighthearted tone meant Billy Batson never had to deal with the downside of being an adult, at least outside of being played for laughs. More recent attempts to portray this dilemma in a more realistic fashion simply highlight how difficult it is to separate the character from its roots. The Captain Marvel-Stargirl relationship in JSA, while handled well, was fraught with peril, to say the least.
Yet there’s value in the thought that Captain Marvel is even more inherently good than Superman — certainly, it’s what made his reveal as the chief antagonist in Kingdom Come so shocking — and DC would be wise to not give up on trying to utilize that strength even in the 21st Century. Like others on our list, Billy is getting a shot at the movies in the not too distant future, so time will tell if modern audiences will be able to connect with him.
Next: No. 20: The Master of the Mystic Arts
20. Doctor Strange
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
It’s a testament to the strength of this character concept that the good Doctor ranks this high without nearly as bright a spotlight on him as so many others on this list. Maybe it’s because themes of magic and grappling with unseen forces are as old as human civilization itself, but there are plenty of other magic-using heroes, so a lot of the credit has to fall to Stephen Strange himself.
His appeal begins with one of the best origin stories in all of comics. A cocky, prideful surgeon, Strange was a broken man after an accident left him no longer able to practice medicine. He needed to hit rock bottom before building himself back up and learning the mystic arts from the Ancient One, lending an unusually human touch to a person who would otherwise be the most unrelatable of characters.
Few Marvel heroes have as well defined a niche as Doctor Strange either. If there’s a world or universe-threatening menace, you call Avengers Tower first … unless that menace is fueled by magic, in which case your first stop needs to be the Sanctum Sanctorum, and quickly.
Strange’s enemies are as varied and compelling a bunch as there are, even if they might not be as well known as the rogues’ galleries of other heroes. Hopefully Marvel can bring the proper tone and sense of wonder to his upcoming movie, because if he can make this much of an impression operating from the relative shadows, just think how big Doctor Strange can become with more of a push behind him. The pitch-perfect casting of Benedict Cumberbatch certainly shouldn’t hurt.
Read more on this year’s developments in the Doctor Strange movie.
Next: No. 19: Flame on!
19. Human Torch
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Other heroes represent the kind of person you wish you would be if you suddenly acquired super powers. Johnny Storm, on the other hand, is the type of hero you probably would be if your first flight into outer space ended with you able to burst into flames without hurting yourself and fly around in a visually dazzling manner.
The Human Torch is the rock star of superhumans; someone who’s got no use for a secret identity because he wants the world to know exactly who he is and what he can do. There’s no doubting his heroic nature — as he kind of, sort of, made the ultimate sacrifice in the comics not too long ago — but Johnny would be lying if he didn’t admit that he’s in it for the adulation and not just saving the world.
If you think about it, that’s a much more realistic motivation than someone who’s incredibly selfless just because. Even though we’re all taught that good deeds should be done for their own inherent value, what’s the harm in getting the credit for them too?
Credit Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for matching powers and personality perfectly for the Human Torch as well. You’d probably be recommended for counseling if you admitted as a kid that you wanted to be like Johnny Storm, but having abilities as showy as his is pure wish fulfillment. If the rumors of Marvel shelving the Fantastic Four for a while are true, this is the member to watch for breakout solo stardom. You heard it here first.
Next: No. 20: No joke, the king of the seas
18. Aquaman
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
I might be dating myself a bit with this reference, but Aquaman has a little bit of the Rodney Dangerfield syndrome going on. It’s been awfully tough for him to get respect, even though he’s one of the most powerful and regal (as in, he’s really a king) super heroes on the DC roster. Even in his most recent revamp at the hands of Geoff Johns, there was a bit of a running joke about how he was a running joke.
Defenders usually point out how he could go toe-to-toe with the most powerful Justice Leaguers and give them a good fight or turn into apologists for his ability to “talk to fish.” They shouldn’t have to, though, as Arthur is a character with a richness and complexity that goes far beyond his power set. Like others on this list, he takes fantasy elements and presents them in a relatable manner thanks to his Atlantean heritage. Who hasn’t felt torn between two very different worlds or felt pressured to accept a legacy that might be unwanted?
It’s easy to forget that Aquaman is also a leader, shepherding the Justice League through a period when most of its heavy hitters had left the team. Sadly, the “Justice League Detroit” era also helps contribute to his reputation, and he ended up handing the reins to Martian Manhunter due to trouble at home.
This is probably a good place to mention that despite the fact that it’s composed of two superhumans born of mythical undersea races, the Aquaman-Mera relationship always struck me as one of the more realistic ones in super hero comics. They love, they argue, they sometimes call it quits for a bit, but they eventually find their way back to each other. That’s something that happens in real life, minus the super powers.
Maybe his upcoming shot at the movies — starring Jason Momoa, not Adrian Grenier/Vincent Chase — will get Aquaman some of the props that are rightfully his. If so, he could be moving up this list in the future, and that would be nice to see.
Next: No. 17: The ever-lovin', blue-eyed one
17. The Thing
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Any time people talk about the early years of Marvel Comics and how the company helped propel the industry into the Silver Age, there’s inevitably a discussion of how its heroes had problems normal people faced, or even had powers that were as much curse or blessing. Ben Grimm was the epitome of that trend as far as I’m concerned. Sure, Bruce Banner turned into a gamma-powered beast when he got angry, and Tony Stark was forced to wear his chestplate at all times. But Bruce could at least transform back, and you knew it was a matter of time before medical science cured Tony. Poor Ben simply got the shaft.
Did he let this cruel twist of fate ruin him? Nope. The Thing has constantly put himself in harm’s way during any number of world-endangering threats, somehow remaining a lovable underdog despite his great strength and rocky hide. Maybe it’s because he didn’t back down when the deck was stacked against him, like in his legendary series of battles against the Hulk.
Other writers have continued to hand him bad luck, like the promise of cures from Reed Richards that never seem to pan out for long, or the time when it seemed like the Human Torch stole his girlfriend while he was off-world (she turned out to be a Skrull). Ben has been framed for murder, turned into a vessel for an ancient Asgardian evil and beaten down more times than anyone could count, but he just keeps getting back up.
That’s true heroism, even if it comes in a package that isn’t the sexiest.
Next: No. 16: Laughing in the face of fear
16. Daredevil
(Write-up by Matt Conner, Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
Daredevil has long been a champion of the person with disability, as a man blinded during a childhood attempt to save a life who developed RADAR senses and used them to become an acrobat and martial artist. When he is written well, readers learn what the world is like without sight, and he demonstrates heroism by not only accepting his differences in ability but finding ways to enjoy and use them.
But the blindness isn’t his major defining characteristic. Along with She-Hulk, he is one of the few lawyers in Marvel’s superhero pantheon. While this is sometimes at odds with his vigilante status, it demonstrates his commitment to honing his mind. When children are reading Daredevil comics, they’re getting to imagine leaping off rooftops and swinging from flagpoles, but they’re also getting to try on careers for size. Most secret identity jobs feel like hassles keeping the hero from doing his work: Clark Kent mainly used his Daily Planet job to find out where Superman was needed; Peter Parker sold pictures to the Bugle to pay for web fluid. Matt Murdock is a lawyer because he values the law. Because he is willing to use his mind to protect the innocent from more than just a mugging, to make sure the burglar Spider-Man webbed to a lamppost actually stays behind bars. Again, apart from She-Hulk, there are very few superheroes who help people think about realistic job choices and the way that they can use their professional calling to make a difference.
(Read More > See where Kingpin ranks among the 50 Greatest Super Villains)
For me, as a psychiatrist in my day job, Matt Murdock’s mental health is his most heroic feature. Many readers of comics have experienced depression. It’s a common mental illness, and yet it’s rare to see on the page. Ever since Frank Miller’s defining run on Daredevil’s book, this hero has been the best example of depression a reader can get. Writer after writer, Matt gets built up to be knocked down, and he responds differently every time. Dating Matt Murdock starts the clock until you get a sai jammed through your chest, or you develop a career in drug-fueled pornography, or you get locked in a psych ward for the rest of your life, or you commit suicide (I swear, these have all happened to his girlfriends).
Under Miller, he processed his loss with sadness, then anger and vengeance. Under Bendis, he bravely took a chance on loving again and paid attention to his public interface with his community. Under Andy Diggle, he became a ninja drunk on power who killed his archenemy and built a feudal Japanese prison in the middle of New York. Under Mark Waid, he has tried a strategy of denial and recently saw that give way to a strategy of being authentic with the people who love him. Apart from the drunken ninja thing, most people with some history of depression can imagine these strategies with varying realism. The fact that he hasn’t stopped yet, that he chooses to live in a world where he may lose everything AGAIN, and continues to honor his commitment to protecting the innocent. That people still want to see him on Netflix even after the Ben Affleck movie version. All that makes Daredevil one of the greatest and most enduring heroes Marvel has.
Next: No. 15: From sidekick to super hero
15. Nightwing
(Write-up by Amanda Chrisman, Caped Crusades and Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
Everyone’s favorite sidekick, Robin, has the number 12 spot on this list, and for very good reason. Not only is Robin the mold for the pre-teen/teenage sidekick, there have been so many heroes to use the name Robin that every Batman fan has a favorite — be it Jason or Tim, Dick or Damian, Stephanie or Carrie. But Richard Grayson, the original Robin, is the only one to earn his own spot on this list at number 15 as his second alter ego, Nightwing.
At first, Bruce and Dick made an excellent team as Batman and Robin, but as Dick grew up and went through puberty, the differences in their personalities became apparent. Eventually, things became so difficult between them — with Bruce treating Dick both like a child and a lackey, not really allowing him to live his own life — that the two had a major falling out. Dick quit being Robin and moved out of Wayne Manor, away from Gotham entirely. In the city of Bludhaven, Dick became a police officer during the day and the vigilante Nightwing at night.
(Read More > See where Two-Face ranks among the 50 Greatest Super Villains)
Richard was of course trained by the world’s greatest detective and had been fighting crime from the tender age of nine, which as you can imagine gave him quite the leg up on the police force. Many Batman fans regard Dick as the best Robin, but he really came into his own as Nightwing, when he was finally out of Batman’s shadow.
Though he spent years training under the man, Nightwing is a very different hero than Batman. Where Batman has always been a dark and brooding, often silent crime fighter, Dick is a colorful and witty hero, quick to smile and always with some quip or joke even in the middle of a fight, and that is why he has always been a popular super hero.
Next: No. 14: A man with a powerful dream
14. Professor X
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
Charles Xavier was blessed with some amazing mental gifts, but precognition, the ability to see the future, wasn’t one of them. Instead, he was guided by a dream, one of a better world where humans and mutants could coexist peacefully.
That same dream has been the roadmap for his creation of the X-Men, his school for “gifted” youngsters (now named in memory of Jean Grey) and many of the actions he’s taken over the years. It’s an idea that’s so powerful that it’s survived numerous challenges from the likes of Magneto and others who believed it impossible, persisted even when some (I’m looking at you, Cyclops) had given up on it, and indeed, outlived the man himself.
Professor X has overcome some scrutiny for his choices and some retroactive additions to his personal history that cast him in a slightly less flattering light than before. But that’s par for the course for almost any benevolent father figure. It’s pretty clear that without his efforts, those looking to fan the flames of human-mutant distrust and hatred would have succeeded a long time ago.
(Read More > 30 fun facts about the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer)
So without Xavier and his dream, there’s not only no X-Men, but it’s possible there are smoldering ruins where big parts of the mainstream Marvel Earth used to be. He’s a figure so beloved by those closest to him that even the hint that some part of his consciousness is still alive has made people do seemingly crazy things to try and save it.
It should be mentioned that he’s made a successful transition to movies as well, with both Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy playing him. The professor might be dead in the comics, but his legacy and his big screen persona both live on.
Next: No. 13: Making archery cool since 1941
13. Green Arrow
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
A funny thing happened to this hero who was created as a Batman knock-off mixed with Robin Hood. As he stuck around, Oliver Queen became his own man, with a distinct point of view that wasn’t lost despite numerous reinterpretations. Along with Marvel’s Hawkeye, Green Arrow has defied the odds and helped turn the crimefighting archer into a bona fide super hero archetype.
One thing that has helped the Emerald Archer reach that point is that he’s been as adaptable as the Dark Knight. You can use him in gritty, street level stories like Mike Grell did in The Longbow Hunters. Dennis O’Neal and Neal Adams utilized him to good effect in the 70s to tackle socially relevant issues of the time, playing off his good friend Green Lantern for some political and philosophical examination. Yet he’s still not out of place alongside the Justice League, where he was a reliable member for long stretches of time, punctuated by the occasional falling out.
(Read More > 30 fun facts about the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer)
Oliver has been filthy rich, practically penniless and all points in-between. He’s been bearded and clean-shaven, and Kevin Smith even brought him back from the dead. None of it has stopped him from firing arrows (sometimes of the boxing glove variety) at the people he felt deserved it. His popularity has transcended the comic book medium as well, making him a standout character in the Justice League Unlimited animated series and the star of the current dean of live action super hero TV shows.
Not too shabby for a modern day Robin Hood. Just save the jokes about the Arrow-Plane and Arrow-Car, okay?
Next: No. 12: Much more than just a sidekick
12. Robin
(Write-up by Eric Chrisman, Caped Crusades Editor)
Robin is often seen as the butt of jokes in Batman, but in reality, Robin is just as necessary to Batman as Batman is to Gotham. The world always needs a Batman, so it follows that a Robin is needed as well.
Regardless of the version, the Boy Wonder actually fills several roles. First and foremost, Robin is Batman’s connection to his humanity. Nobody has a connection to Batman like the various Robins have had. We’ve seen this repeatedly, as when Batman works solo for long periods of time, he often becomes more withdrawn and reckless with no one to look after and mentor.
(Read More > 30 fun facts about the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer)
The mentoring leads into the second role, someone to be the next Batman. The Dark Knight is human; he ages, he even dies sometimes. He’s well aware he needs someone to take up the mantle, but Batman obviously needs someone he trusts implicitly to take over. That kind of trust takes years to build, especially with someone like Batman, and that’s where Robin comes in. Granted, most Robins haven’t gone on to become Batman, but they have become great protectors of their own cities and great heroes in their own right.
But Robin is also us. As kids, we’d do just about anything to fight alongside Batman, possibly eventually be Batman. That’s what Robin represents: the part of all of us that looks up to Batman as the ultimate hero.
For more Robin news, rumors and opinion, visit Caped Crusades.
Next: No. 11: You called down the thunder ...
11. Thor
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
If we had done this list at the beginning of the decade, Thor would have been in the top 20 maybe. Now the God of Thunder is knocking on the top 10, and he’s got Marvel Studios to thank for taking him from “the guy with the hammer, the lightning and the funny helmet” in the minds of the general public to someone synonymous with the Avengers, even though he’s been that way in the comics forever. And Chris Hemsworth doesn’t even wear the helmet most of the time.
It sounds crazy to say this about a character who is an honest to goodness Norse god, but Thor works because you actually can identify with things he experiences. There’s the dysfunctional family drama, including a dad who doesn’t always give you what you want and a half-brother with whom you have a love-hate relationship. There’s a need for fellowship and camaraderie even though there are circumstances that necessarily make you an outsider, torn between conflicting duties. Plus there’s the knowledge that someday you’ll have to be the king of your people, and the natural tendency to wonder if you’ll be up to the task.
(Read More > See where Loki ranks among the 50 Greatest Super Villains)
Okay, so maybe that last one isn’t something we understand (and if you do, congrats your highness!). Thor is still a fantastic character thanks to his power, his courage and his sense of righteousness, not to mention the fact that it’s nearly impossible for talented artists to make him not look really damn cool in action. When he shows up in the middle of a story, there’s a sense that business is about to pick up, as Jim Ross might say. Him showing up here means only the truly iconic heroes are left ahead of him on this list.
Next: No. 10: You might actually like him when he's angry
10. Hulk
(Write-up by FanSided CEO Adam Best)
Instead of whisking you away to Planet Hulk, or getting nostalgic about Lou Ferrigno’s body-painted biceps, let’s examine the Hulk’s importance to the super hero landscape. He’s only 10th on this list because, honestly, Bruce Banner/Hulk isn’t the greatest leading man. His solo movies flopped, and his old TV show is about as dated as anything that’s ever aired on television. When he plays by himself he’s predictable. He’s trying not to be angry. He’s angry. The beat goes on …
In a modern day context, however, imagine the Avengers, or even the Marvel Cinematic Universe, without the green gamma giant. Impossible. Without his presence, you have a bunch of calculable movie stars packed into tech and tights, sometimes tech n’ tights together. You know what the Hulk is? He’s the Ol’ Dirty Bastard of Marvel’s Wu-Tang Clan. He’s the bright green pair of socks that throw an interesting and unforeseen wrinkle into a sharp, yet conventional, suit-and-tie look. He’s the jalapeno in your breakfast scramble.
(Read More > 30 fun facts about the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer)
You couldn’t make jalapenos the main ingredient in any meal. Really hard to pull off. But jalapenos will make almost any meal infinitely more exciting. Hulk is the same way. His somewhat unexpected battles with everyone from Hercules to The Thing to Sandman to Wolverine to even fellow Avengers (Thor and Iron Man) are among the most explosive in comic history.
The Hulk might not be the best super hero of all time, but he’s arguably the most exciting, even if mostly in smaller doses. For that he deserves his lofty spot in the top 10.
Next: No. 9: No evil shall escape his sight
9. Green Lantern
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
If you’re looking for a super hero prone to introspection or even something as simple as looking before he leaps into danger, you’ll have to seek him elsewhere. When you give one of the most powerful weapons in the universe to a test pilot, you end up with Hal Jordan, destined to become the greatest Green Lantern thanks to his uncanny ability to look fear in the face and shrug it off.
It’s easy to see why some people think the idea of Green Lantern is silly, but there’s something powerful in its core concept. It’s the idea that you can conquer anything that might scare you through sheer determination that is applicable to real life. The message was something I latched onto as a kid as a very dow-to-earth lesson, even though Hal’s enemies and adventures were anything but.
(Read More > 30 fun facts about the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer)
The great thing about the Green Lantern mythos, other than the way Geoff Johns expanded upon it to include the other colors of the emotional spectrum, is that there’s inherently room in it for different kinds of characters. Don’t like the guy who trusts his gut to get him through dangerous situations? You’ve got John Stewart if you prefer a cooler, more calculated approach, Kyle Rayner if you want a more creative hero who thinks with his heart, and Guy Gardner to add a little of his own brand of spice. There’s strength in numbers with the Green Lantern Corps, both figuratively and literally.
Yes, Warner and DC bombed when they tried bringing all of these ideas to the big screen (I told my friends I’d cry if the Ryan Reynolds movie sucked, then managed to avoid a spectacle by just refusing to see it with them), but Green Lantern still ended up in our top 10. If that doesn’t speak to the triumph of willpower, I don’t know what does.
Next: No. 8: The best there is at what he does
8. Wolverine
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
There’s nothing about Wolverine’s enduring popularity that makes much sense. By all rights, there’s no way a short, Canadian mutant with a surly disposition and an unorthodox view on the question of using lethal force should end up as a member of nearly all of Marvel’s super hero teams — sometimes all at the same time — let alone one of Marvel’s most instantly recognizable characters and the star of both team and solo movies.
It’s not even that he’s accessible to new fans, given his insanely complicated backstory. Nor is he relatable in any way except the most basic urge to occasionally lash out and slash through obstacles in front of us.
So what gives Logan the undeniable “it” factor that he possesses? Visual appeal certainly helps: the claws, those costumes, that signature hair. His mutant healing factor is also a perfect match for his personality and fighting style, as there’s nothing that makes a vicious fighter known for his periodic berserker rages scarier than knowing that you won’t be able to stop him since he’ll just shrug off any wound you deal him.
(Read More > 30 fun facts about the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer)
We’d be remiss not to think that Wolverine’s inherent violence is part of his appeal, but what that says about us is a topic better suited for a longer, separate discussion. The fact is that even though he’s willing to cross a line that others can’t or won’t, he doesn’t do it without necessity, and there’s value in having someone around who will make the difficult decisions involving that line. Even the Avengers warmed up to that idea eventually.
Like a number of other heroes on this list, Wolverine could have been a one-dimensional, almost throwaway character, but he was fortunate enough to end up in the hands of writers who turned him into a notably layered person and one of the staunchest defenders of Charles Xavier’s dream. Sometimes it pays to be both lucky and the best there is at what you do.
Next: No. 7: The fastest men alive
7. The Flash
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
With the exception of Usain Bolt and a relative handful of men throughout the years, none of us know what it’s like to be the fastest human on the planet. Super-speed might be a pretty simple power, but it’s one that speaks to something primal in all of us. Who wouldn’t want to open up to a full sprint and find that you could outrun jets?
That alone would be enough to make the Flash an all-time great, but DC also made him the foremost example of a legacy hero. Whether you grew up with Jay Garrick, Barry Allen or Wally West, there was a Flash for you, and all of them were fantastic characters in their own right.
(Read More > 30 fun facts about the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer)
Add in an instantly memorable (if somewhat gaudy) color scheme, one of comics’ most colorful casts of recurring villains in the Rogues and the fact that Allen gave his life in truly poignant fashion during the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, and you’ve got the recipe for a top 10 super hero. It’s just taken the general public a while to catch up — pun intended — with that train of thought.
If anything, the Flash is also a character whose peak popularity could still be ahead of him. His TV series on The CW is off to a very promising and well-regarded start, and he’s going to get his turn in the movies before the end of this decade. The next generation of super hero fans is likely to have more than ever claiming the Fastest Man Alive as their favorite, and it’s about time.
Next: No. 6: The do-it-yourself super hero
6. Iron Man
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
More than any other super hero, Iron Man is the one that could be you. Though to be honest, that’s only true if you were, in the now immortal words of Robert Downey Jr., a “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.”
While we may not have Tony Stark’s brains, money or cool toys, he’s relatable in other ways. He’s battled health problems and wrestled with serious addiction. On more than one occasion, he’s done things he lived to regret simply because of his certainty that he was in the right. That razor sharp wit and unflappable exterior mask some deep-seated insecurities, to be sure.
As I’m fond of pointing out on this very site, Tony can even be a flat out jerk at times. His heart is always in the right place, but if there’s a hero who proves the adage about what paves the road the hell, it’s Iron Man.
(Read More > 30 fun facts about the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer)
Despite all those intriguing qualities and the merchandising gimmick to beat all others in the form of his ever-changing armor, Iron Man spent decades stuck just below the cutoff point for A-list super heroes. It took a gamble by Marvel Studios and the perfect casting of Downey to boost him up to the next level, but now it’s impossible to think of the Marvel Universe in any form of media without a prominent place for the Armored Avenger.
And trust me, Tony wouldn’t have it any other way.
Next: No. 5: First among female heroes
5. Wonder Woman
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
If we’re playing word association, and someone says “female super hero,” Wonder Woman is going to pop into your head 99 percent of the time. She’s simply that iconic, a deserving status considering that she alone is a peer to Superman and Batman in the pantheon of DC Comics characters.
Yet somehow Princess Diana still seems underrated at times. It might be due to the fact that no one has ever figured out a way to turn her into a motion picture success, though part of the reason is that no one has really tried — something Warner Bros. is at last setting out to rectify. Undoubtedly, it’s also because when she’s poorly written, Wonder Woman comes off like a female Superman clone, albeit one sans cape and with a magic lasso.
In the hands of creators who really understand her, Wonder Woman shows off multiple attributes that might at first seem contradictory. She’s tough but compassionate, beautiful without becoming overtly sexual, and a warrior serving the cause of peace. And what other character (besides Marvel’s Thor) is as home in a story with gods and deities as she is in the modern world fighting alongside the Justice League?
(Read More > 30 fun facts about the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer)
That’s why it never really made sense to me when anyone says Wonder Woman won’t work as the star of her own movie, or that she’s somehow become less relevant over the decades. There’s absolutely nothing that has changed her status as the premiere heroine in comics, and someday, hopefully soon, she’ll get her time to shine on the big screen as well.
Oh, and if someone could just work in that sweet 70s theme music from the Lynda Carter TV show, that’d be great.
Next: No. 4: Man out of time, hero for all time
4. Captain America
(Write-up by Roger Lee, Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
Captain America is one of Marvel’s oldest and perhaps best known characters. He is the most central character in Marvel’s rich stable, with a history going back to 1941. He was a comic book hero to kids and soldiers during World War Two, a Commie-smashing patriot in the 1950s, and the first new member of the Avengers in the 1960s. In the time since his famous re-introduction to the Avengers (in Avengers #4 in 1964), Cap has appeared in cartoons, video games, two made-for-television movies in the 1970s, a 1990 theatrical movie, and of course, the Avengers and Captain America movies put out by Marvel Studios in the 21st century. Our favorite Star-Spangled Avenger, the one and only Sentinel of Liberty himself, Captain America, is #4 on our list of the 50 Greatest Super Heroes of all time.
Captain America’s origin during World War II is pretty well-known from both the comics and from the movies: Steve Rogers attempted to volunteer for the military, but due to his weak physical condition, the military rejected him. However, Rogers was selected to take part in a secret government experiment, which attempted to create a new, powerful ‘super-soldier’ that would enable the American military to overpower the Axis. His selection for this experiment was based on the fact he was so physically frail. The government wanted to clearly see if their new scientific process could truly transform anyone into physical perfection. A Nazi saboteur killed the project’s lead scientist, but he was too late to prevent Rogers from turning into a peak physical specimen. The government gave him the red, white, and blue uniform and a shield, dubbed him “Captain America,” and the rest, as they say, is comic book history.
The identity of Captain America has undergone many changes over the years, and other men have worn the costume and wielded the shield. As part of the explanation to why there was a Captain America in the post-war period of the 1940s and 1950s, Marvel retconned those stories to show that men other than Steve Rogers were impersonating him as Captain America. There were three men who posed as Captain America in this time period. William Naslund and Jeff Mace took up Cap’s identity. Naslund did so at the urging of President Truman after the disappearance of the real Cap. After Naslund died in action in 1949, Jeff Mace, took his place as Captain America. He eventually retired, and a third man, William Burnside, a mentally unstable fan of Cap, took over the mantle in the 1950s.
(Read More > See where Red Skull ranks among the 50 Greatest Super Villains)
In the 1970s, in the wake of the Watergate scandal, a dispirited Steve Rogers quit being Captain America, instead assuming a new identity as Nomad. At this point, three other men briefly tried out for the job, but all failed, with the last of the three, Roscoe Simmons, being killed by Cap’s arch-enemy, the Red Skull.
In 2007, Marvel Comics shocked the world by killing Captain America. His place was taken this time by his old sidekick, Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. The Winter Soldier. Eventually, Rogers re- appeared, as almost no one in comics really dies for good, and he again assumed the mantle of the Star-Spangled Avenger.
As anyone paying attention to the current Captain America comic books is aware, the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, has again retired from active superheroing, with his current replacement being Sam Wilson, the superhero also known as the Falcon. How long Sam Wilson serves as the new Captain America is anyone’s guess, but with the immense popularity of Captain America in current movies, video games, and, of course, in Marvel Comics, the original Sentinel of Liberty will always be around in one form or another.
Next: No. 3: Spins a web, any size ...
3. Spider-Man
(Write-up by Daniel Wood, Whatever a Spider Can Editor)
Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can! Can he top our list of the 50 greatest super heroes? No he can’t. Unfortunately, our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has just fallen short — which is coincidentally why Spider-Man is one of the most enduring and loved super heroes around.
Peter Parker is the titular underdog to whom everyone can relate. Almost always, he finds himself up against insurmountable odds, but he never gives up and always manages to save the day. Let’s not forget that this is a character who has essentially sacrificed his own well being, and has lost almost everyone close to him, all so that he can live up to the lifelong lesson that “with great power comes great responsibility.”
Spider-Man is at the forefront of several of the greatest storylines in comic book history, with the iconic “Death of Gwen Stacy” ushering in a new darker, more realistic era for comic books. He currently finds himself battling an evil threat aided by hundreds of different versions of himself. If that doesn’t show people what an important character he’s been, then nothing will.
He’s teamed up with just about everyone ever in the comic book world from the Avengers and the X-Men to the Fantastic Four. Recently, he was used to help the new Ms. Marvel comic, and next year he’ll be cropping up alongside the Inhumans. Essentially, Spider-Man is the social butterfly of the Marvel universe, making wherever he is, and whoever he’s with, better as a result.
(Read More > See where Green Goblin ranks among the 50 Greatest Super Villains)
It’s also easy to overlook that Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films were also bringing super heroes to the big screen way before Marvel started forming their master plan with the Avengers. To this day, they remain some of the most successful comic book movies ever to grace our movie screens (though the less said about Sony’s current Amazing Spider-Man films, the better!).
But the biggest reason why Spider-Man has to be in the top three (and probably should be top) is simply because he is the most profitable super hero in the world. There isn’t a young child around that hasn’t had some sort of Spider-Man merchandise; whether it be a Spidey costume, a Spider-Man toy, or something else altogether, there’s no denying that Spider-Man is everywhere and that’s because he’s (almost) the best!
For more Spider-Man news, rumors and opinion, check out Whatever a Spider Can.
Next: No. 2: Look, up in the sky ...
2. Superman
(Write-up by Steve Lam, Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
Superman. Clark Kent. Kal-El. The Man of Steel. The Last Son of Krypton. The Man of Tomorrow. The Metropolis Marvel. The Big Blue Boy Scout. No matter what name he goes by, people everywhere (in our reality or in fiction) can immediately identify him. The first comic book superhero, and the granddaddy of all of them, his emblem is the second most recognizable symbol in the world — with the Christian Cross being first. Superman was created to be the ideal embodiment of the best humanity has to offer — a standard so high that even striving for it would be a noble cause in and of itself.
Coming in at #2, Superman’s only faults for not coming in at #1 is the clichéd statement ,”He’s just too perfect.” A character devoid of conflict and any inherent darkness, the Man of Steel has always been a storyteller’s bane (and yes, that was a pun directed at a certain Dark Knight). However, his character biography is probably closer to more modern-day Americans than some may initially think.
(Read More > See where Lex Luthor ranks among the 50 Greatest Super Villains)
Born on the dying planet Krypton and sent to Earth by his parents, Superman is the ultimate immigrant. Though his Smallville home life was filled with support and love by his adoptive Earth parents, his childhood and adolescence were marked by awkwardness and being an outcast. Always hiding his abilities from his peers, Clark would come to understand that his powers and abilities had a higher purpose. Armed with strong morals and a never-ending drive to help humanity, Clark donned the alter-ego of Superman: a beacon of hope and the de facto protector of all life.
So say all you want about Superman being over-powered or boring. One thing’s for sure, when he’s in action, it’s usually the greatest and most amazing spectacle you’ve ever seen. The overall consensus may be that Superman is #2 — for now — but in my mind, he’ll always be #1 — the greatest and most awesome being who ever lived!
Next: No. 1: I shall become a bat
1. Batman
(Write-up by Skip Harvey, Caped Crusades Editor)
Batman wasn’t the first modern super hero. Nor is he the strongest or most powerful.
Batman is, however, the greatest super hero of all time.
Super heroes ring true in our culture is because they are our modern mythology, allegories for some of the most immortal human tales. Superman is Moses, sent in a reed basket to save a people in need. Spiderman is Job, forever punished no matter the good he does. The Hulk is Jekyll and Hyde, the struggle and fear of the anger we can’t control.
One of the reasons Batman stands out even against such classic tropes is because he represents a part of us that has never been articulated before.
(Read More > See where the Joker ranks among the 50 Greatest Super Villains)
Batman is a man — just a man — who was created out of the evil men do. He didn’t seek revenge or retribution. He didn’t repeat the sins of the people who wronged him. Instead, Bruce Wayne devoted his life to fulfilling the complete potential of a human being in hopes of preventing the same tragedy befalling anyone else. He’s sacrificed his wants, spending his vast fortune on philanthropy and tools to fight crime. He sacrificed his needs, never being able to live a normal life with loved ones. He became the world’s greatest detective, strategist, warrior and scientist without special abilities because he truly believes he is the only person willing to do what it takes.
As Batman, Bruce Wayne IS Justice. He’s what all superheroes fight for and what all innocent victims deserve. For this reason, Batman will always matter and always be important. There will always be a need for justice to trump revenge, and there will always be a need for Batman.
For more Batman news, rumors and opinion, check out Caped Crusades.
Next: 50 Greatest Super Villains in Comic Book History
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