Greatest 12 Characters of the 1970's

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

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 top dozen characters to first appear in comics between the years of 1970-1979.  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.   

New Stuff  
At first I did not think the 1970's would be so influential but with characters like Wolverine, Punisher and Johnny Blaze it can easily be said the 1970's had a great impact comics today.

Here is the past list 
Greatest 12 Characters  of the 1960's  
Here is the next list
Greatest 12 Characters  of the 1980's

List items

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  1. Ghost Rider (Blaze)

  A revamped western character Johnny Blaze changed hell forever in 1972 in Marvel Spotlight #5. It is had to believe the impact he had not only the Marvel Universe but all Comics.

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  2. Jonah Hex

  In 1972 Jonah Hex smashed the views of westerns in the issue All-Star Westerns #10. He is perhaps the last of the great western characters to influence comics for the future. For a western hero of the 1970's he has seen a lot of things and met many of today's greatest DC Comic's heroes like Batman, Ragman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern's.

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  3. Red Sonja

  Conan the Barbarian had been around for decades by the 1970's It was in 1973 when Red Sonja came out of the Conan series with Conan the Barbarian #23. After that she has gone on to be a great character in her own right.

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  4. Wolverine

  For only being around since 1974 in Incredible Hulk #181 Wolverine cannot be denied as one of the greatest characters in comics. This is only amplified by the short amount of time he has been around.

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  5. Punisher

  The Punisher can be great or suck depending on who the writer is but one thing that cannot be denied is the impact he has made in comics since his debut in the Amazing Spider-man #129 in 1974. After Punisher spawned a world of more violent vigilantes who are not afraid to kill.

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  6. Travis Morgan

  Just like Hex is for western characters Travis Morgan did for fantasy characters. He is perhaps the last greatest character for fantasy comics to this date. In 1975 Warlord made a huge splash after his first issue in DC First Issue Special #8. He quickly got his own series that went for 133 issues.

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  7. Moon Knight

  First seen battling a werewolf in Werewolf by Night #32 in 1975, the Moon Knight is a character who has continued to gain more fans every year.

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  8. Nova

  In 1976 Nova first appeared in A Man Called Nova #1. He has gone on to be one of the greatest heroes to come out of his decade.

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  9. Judge Dredd

  Judge Dredd is an unique comic character who got his start in 1977. He first was seen in 2000 AD #2.

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  10. Luke Skywalker

  The film Star Wars debuted in 1977. This had a huge impact first on the movie world and then in comics themselves. Hundreds of comics that take place in the Star Wars Universe have been made since that time along with six motion pictures three made for television films and a a rage of television series. With such a huge range of characters from this first film it was hard to pick only one character. I settled on just two getting the face of the two sides with Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

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  11. Darth Vader

  The film Star Wars debuted in 1977. This had a huge impact first on the movie world and then in comics themselves. Hundreds of comics that take place in the Star Wars Universe have been made since that time along with six motion pictures three made for television films and a a rage of television series. With such a huge range of characters from this first film it was hard to pick only one character. I settled on just two getting the face of the two sides with Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

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  12. Rom

  Staring in Ron #1 in 1979 Rom was a comic character based on a toy. Not bad for humble beginnings.