3. Professor Martin Stein
When Victor Garber first showed up on The Flash as Professor Martin Stein, we couldn’t have known the wonderful journey that awaited all of us – and neither could he. The gentle-but-firm professor bonded with Barry Allen over time travel and became a superhero when he merged with Ronnie Raymond (and later Jefferson “Jax” Jackson) to become Firestorm, and that would serve him well when he joined the Waverider crew on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
On Legends, Stein was like a fish out of water at first, unsure what to make of the eclectic line-up of outcasts and misfits that stood before him. But he didn’t let that stop him from sharing his wisdom (or his opinion) with anyone and everyone who needed to hear it, and he quickly realized that he too was one of those misfits. From his lovely bond with Firestorm partner Jax to his endearing friendships with Sara and Mick, he was responsible for so many of Legends‘ finest moments in its early seasons.
Martin Stein was, in many ways, the heart of Legends. The episode after his death solidified that. He may have been out of his element, but he was loved by so many people. Irrespective of whether you were a hero or villain, you had a friend in the Professor, and that meant he understood more about being a Legend than most.
Oh Professor, we miss you so much.