Both Marvel and DC have characters, however there are characters that have slipped through the cracks. Characters that have either ended before their time or were simply AHEAD of their time. This is a list of the top five characters I believe deserve more attention in their respective universes.
1: Simon Dark
Gotham City gained a different protector as Steve Niles (writer of 30 days of Night) brought a new hero to the DC Universe. Aided by artist Scott Hampton, Niles produced a brooding mystery as Simon Dark protected the people of the Village (a section of Gotham) while uncovering the events of his origins. The dark tone for the series was set in the opening pages of the first issue when the hero saved a man from being sacrificed. He derives his name from a nursery rhyme popular in Gotham.
Simon Dark is a Frankenstein-like creature that haunts the streets of Gotham City. He has amazing strength, speed, and durability, able to withstand several gunshots and move around normally afterward. He also possesses several magical abilities. Simon Dark had an 18 issue run, starting December 1st 2007 and ended May 1st 2009, and has not been seen within the DC universe since. He also derives his name from a popular nursery rhyme in Gotham
"Lurks in the shadows. Hides in the park.
Simon. Simon. Simon Dark.
If you're good he'll stay away.
If you're bad he'll make you pay.
Lurks in the shadows. Hides in the park.
Simon. Simon. Simon Dark."
Here's hoping with the DC reboot that we will see Mr. Dark make his return.
2: Blue Marvel
Marvel's newest Superman homage. Adam Bernard Brashear, better known as The Blue Marvel, is an African-American superhero who was asked to retire by President Kennedy for the Civil Rights movement. Blue Marvel is forced out of retirement to face his greatest foe and former best friend, Anti-Man. The Blue Marvel's source of power is the energy released from anti-matter. His two biggest feats were punching the Sentry into orbit and knocking him unconscious for several minutes. He also lifted a disabled battleship weighing 100 000 tons and flew it back to port for repair. He also easily stopped a meteorite the size of Arkansas from striking Earth using his great strength. He has also survived a 1 megaton atomic bomb exploding in his hands without suffering any type of damage. He has shown to have energy manipulation powers using his anti-matter. He can release concentrated beams from his hands or an omni-direction blasts throughout his body. He has also been shown to create power shields strong enough to deflect a charging attacks from King Hyperion In a short time, the Blue Marvel has established himself as a premier powerhouse in the Marvel universe.
While I cannot say he is a favorite of mine as Simon Dark is, this is merely due to the simple fact that his 5 issue mini-series did little to make me take any major interest in him. However I am intrigued by his story and I highly believe he should be used more often. With Marvel NOW in full swing I truly hope we get to see more of the Blue Bomber himself.
3: The Creeper
The Creeper has had many versions of his origin, but it all leads to the same thing. Reporter Jack Ryder becoming a cackling, lemon colored, neon green haired, lunatic in a red boa. While The Creeper has held his own series and been a member of The Outsiders and a few other teams, he is not used to his potential. He has the capability to tell wonderful stories in the same vein as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As it stands Creeper has yet to appear properly in the DCnU, but when he does I hope we see a lot more of him in Gotham.
4: Toxin
Patrick Mulligan as Toxin was an incredibly interesting symbiote pair. A cop trying to teach a young symbiote how to be a hero while using it to fight crime had a LOT of potential outside a mini-series. However Toxin has not made much of a splash outside said mini-series aside from Eddie Brock getting the symbiote. Here's hoping to see Pat and Toxin reunited soon!
5: Shang-Chi
Marvel's Master of Kung-Fu. Created during the kung-fu craze of the 70's along side Iron Fist, Shang-Chi has not enjoyed the same amount of attention as the Immortal Iron Fist. Shang has proven himself against many superpowered opponents despite his own lack of powers and relying on his own kung-fu training. He has held his own against Spider-Man and The Thing and managed to walk away. He has sometimes been described as the Bruce Lee of Marvel.
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