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Greatest 12 Characters of the 1900's

Who is on this list, what this list is about and how they got on the list!

 Cowardly, Indeed
 Cowardly, Indeed
Synopsis 
This is one of a set of lists I made showing a progression of the greatest characters in a heroic style throughout time. Focusing for the most part on one decade at a time. The heroes that we know and love today were inspired by heroes before them. Some are even real people who moved into folklore. Before comics there were pulp magazines. Before that there was dime novels and before that was the penny dreadfuls. There were many others as well like Gothic novels, story papers and yes even a real novel.   

The List  
This is a list of the greatest 12 characters to appear between the years of 1900 and 1909.  These would be characters who will go on to be the biggest influences in comics either directly or indirectly.  In other words these will become great inspirations to future comic characters and stories. Right now they are in order of year. 

 My Time is Now
 My Time is Now
 
New Stuff
Lyman Frank Baum's characters are featured heavily here.  Before you dismiss this out of hand these stories offer more than a casual fan could ever realize.  Oz has a thick full world with tremendous heroes and villains.  If you have ever been acquainted with the Dark Side of Oz you will know what I am talking about.  You may be a fan of the big Hollywood musical but to see what the characters really were and have become you may become a bigger fan.  If you were not a fan.  Than looking into this kind of stuff will change your mind.  Also, note that I could not add every character form the books as there were to many.  I even merged the trinity that is the Tin Woodsman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion.

Here is the past list 
Greatest 12 Characters of the 1890's 

Here is the next list 
Greatest 12 Characters of the 1910's

List items

  • The Wicked Witch of the West has been depicted many different ways from her first appearance in the Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900. Most recently in the play Wicked she is given a prequel to her original appearance about 100 years later.

  • I could not waste three different spots for each of the three character the Tin Woodsman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion. They all deserve their own spot but I wanted a broader list so, I merged three here.

    Many people don't know that the Tin Woodsman was originally a man who was attacked by an enchanted axe that chopped off his limbs one by one. Each time he lost a limb he had it replaced and soon became the Tin Woodsmen.

    The Scarecrow of Oz in more than a brainless idiot and is considered to be the wisest man in Oz. He has even been a ruler of Oz.

    The Cowardly Lion is really very brave and in the books is not really cowardly at all. He is one of the main three friends that Dorathy befriends in the first Oz book. The Lion, Woodsman and Scarecrow all first appeared in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900.

  • Dorothy Gale was based of Alice from Alice in Wonderland. She continually visits a world were people can be cut into pieces by magic, and evil needs to be conquered. She first appeared in the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 1900.

  • Selwyn Cavor is based off of Cavor form the First Men in the Moon this is also his first appearance. He was given his first name in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He was one of the stars in the first space exploration novel ever.

  • Peter pan was originally written in a novel for adults. He first appears in the Little White Bird in 1902 He is later made famous in the 1904 play called Peter Pan. Disney completely cleaned him up in their film Peter Pan in 1953. Now Zenescope entertainment has made his a very dark character.

  • The Scarlet Pimpernel first appeared in a play called the Scarlet Pimpernel in 1903. He is one of the first heroes ever to have a secret identity.

  • Sebastion Moran is an enemy of Sherlock Holmes and first appears in The Adventure of the Empty House written in 1903. Sherlock even faked his own death to trick him.

  • Hopalong Cassidy was named after Butch Cassidy. He first appeared in Bar-20 novel in 1904. At first he was a darker character who ended up with a clean cut image once he was transferred to film.

  • Jack Pumpkinhead was created to scare a witch and was brought to life by the same Witch. He first appeared in The Marvelous Land of Oz 1904. He is also believed to be the inspiration for Jack Skelington from a nightmare before Christmas.

  • Captain Hook is a cross between Captain Ahab and Long John Silver. Next to Long John Silver he is probably the most recognizable Captain and he has Ahab's obsession. Unlike Peter Pan Captain Hook did not appear until 1904 in the play Peter Pan.

  • The Cisco Kid started off as a cruel outlaw in a 1907 story the Caballero's way. After that he became a hero.

  • In the Le Fantôme de l'Opéra in 1909 the "Opera Ghost" made his first appearance. He has been depicted with many different looks but he is always disfigured. Sometimes it is only a scare and other times he looks like a Hollywood monster.
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