Draft for 2011 Comic Vine Top 100 Superheroes list (with nomination reasons)
Just a draft...
List items
-
Alan Moore’s Homage to Will Eisner’s The Spirit, by recreating the spirit of the way Eisner’s The Spirit played with shapes in the environment, Alan Moore would again push sequential narratives. Most famously with the Greyshirt tale in the Tomorrow Stories #2 "How Things Work Out;” which was a mulit-decade tale in which the story could be read horizontally across and vertically down.
-
She is almost like Alan Moore’s Barbarella. She is a strong female lead in a futuristic setting. Moore would play upon the space pulp feel with Jonni at times being compromising in ways that would remind some Wildstorm readers of Catlin Fairchild.
-
What Superman is to DC Comics, John Constantine to Vertigo, Static is the face of Milestone and the voice of the minority.
-
Alan Moore’s female silhouette character reimage. Alan Moore has been criticized for his pornography. Cobweb is a character where he and his wife Melinda Gebbie played on woman’s ability to sell sex. Cobweb would be shown many times in visual silhouettes that would classically as sexy for pulp.
-
Take the best elements of Arthurian legend ( noble King who rules a mythic Kingdom, & founds a band of honored warriors), blended with a bit of Greek mythology, set your adventures both above & below the high seas, & you get the most underrated character in DC's entire line.
-
They broke the mold when they created Plastic Man. The blue print for elastic characters, though not one that followed can hold a candle to the original. Despite the character's roots in humor comics, never forget that his is a classic tale of redemption. An oily dirtbag, upon gaining super-powers, turns over a new leaf & dedicates his life to aiding the innocent, & opposing evil.
-
The original living weapon. If there's any justice in this world, this character will be revived in a Vertigo series as a psychological espionage thriller that explores the American military/industrial complex, our cultural love of weapons, & the deep isolation a man who can't touch anything without destroying it would have to feel.
-
The perfect marriage between cheesecake & super-heroics. Phantom Lady has survived the long decades since the character's inception by being published by nearly a dozen different comic's companies. Arguably the template for "Good Girl" super-heroines, Phantom Lady obviously resonates with the public, as publishers have seemed to line up to keep the character in print.
-
A beautifully classic costume design( which DC keeps f***ing up every time they recreate the character), a great set of super-powers, a suitably preposterous origin, & he can travel within a shaft of light. I'm not ashamed to admit it... I love The Ray. I wish DC did, too.
-
A dead boy, taken to soon, is given the opportunity to live out the years he rightfully should have had, & as a consolation prize for the mix-up, he's given the ability to call forth any literary, historical, or mythological figure to aid him in doing good deeds. DC Comics clearly doesn't know what to do with him, allowing Kid Eternity to lapse into obscurity. It's a real shame, too. You could literally tell any kind of story with a high concept character like Kid Eternity.
-
Alien Spy. Traitor to the Empire. Champion of Earth. Protector of the Universe. Cancer victim. There's never been a more fully realized hero's journey in comics. Space Opera has rarely been done better.
-
Dave Stevens' classic retro hero. Blending equal parts pulp comics & Saturday morning matinees, The Rocketeer is a loving homage to a bygone era, whose every adventure just bleeds nostalgia.
-
An Immortal warrior named Lukasz has his soul put in a Woman's body, Gaining various mystic powersin the process.
-
Son of a Crime Lord, Nick lone battles crime as Solitaire and has a super healing factor.
-
Young Kevin Green becomes Prime by projecting an organic 'liquid flesh' material from his torso to become the Ultraverse's most powerful Hero.
-
A unique thinking muck monster, that melts people and cannot be killed
-
A female version of Prime with a sword and sorcery twist
-
Topaz was a warrior Queen from the extradimensional matriarchal realm and a member of Ultraforce
-
Alec Swan has a special gun and no powers, a great great series
-
A slightly superpowered Batman type who's powers require that he never sleep
-
The Thing is one of the most loved characters in the Marvel Universe, appearing in more comic books than even legends like The Hulk or Thor! On top of that, he has been on over ten superhero teams, and has proven time and time again that everyone will love him for years to come. One more fact: He is the most well known and most people's favorite Fantastic Four member
-
The Spirit was so great that the most famous comic book award, The Eisner Award, was named after the writer of The Spirit, Will Eisner. The Spirit influenced a lot of dark characters you see today, Punisher, Sin City, and more. Adding on to inspirational things The Spirit did, many comic creators say that The Spirit were part of the reason that they got into the comic book business. Much of what is seen in the comic book world in terms of storytelling and techniques today can be traced back to The Spirit’s original work, which spanned over a decade. Spirit's detective skills are unmatched, along with his knack for getting the ladies. If that wasn't enough, he was one of, if not the first, character in comics to respect black people and treat them equally. So next time you see a comic featuring someone like Punisher, remember that The Spirit helped make these things possible.
-
Come on. It the Hulk. One of Marvel's flagship characters, The Hulk is also the only Marvel character that had a successful live action tv series and one of the few to have a good vidoe game based around them. Even without other media, The Hulk is a legend. Hulk has been in over 3000 comics, and fought the best Marvel had to offer
-
The only Dell comic book character that survived for quite a long time back in the 1940's, Midnight also is in more comics than the other costumed characters published by Dell.
-
Mighty Mouse: Mighty Mouse was the first real animal superhero and is arguably the greatest. He was the first major animal superhero, predating such greats as Krypto the Superdog and Underdog. Heck, Mighty Mouse did everything an animal hero could do first. Super Stength and flight? Sorry Krypto, Mighty Mouse did it first. Damsel in distress? Underdog, eat your heart out. Somewhat Public Domain? Not even close, Hoppy the Marvel Bunny. Heck, Mighty Mouse was even the first animal to parody The Dark Knight Returns, a whole 10 years before Darkwing Duck no less! As you can see, Mighty Mouse deserves to be on the Top 100 for those reasons alone.
-
Before anyone laughs, I should let you know that Tarzan has been in a lot of comic books. The original Tarzan series actually lasted from 1948 all the way to 1977! That is over 20 years of Tarzan goodness. His books became so poopular that Marvel and DC both bought it and Tarzan even got his own Manga. The Tarzan comic strip began in 1929, making it older than Superman or even The Lone Ranger!
-
How could you not love this detective? Every thing about his comic screams awesome. The bright colors, great cast of villains, and overall coolness of Dick is one of the reasons why people still remember Dick Tracy. The award winning Warren Beatty movie based on Dick Tracy didn't hurt his popularity either. If that wasn't enough, Dick Tracy has brought inspiration and parodies to a variety of famous tv shows and comic books, including The Tick and Looney Tunes.
-
Flash is one of the first and greatest sci fi characters of all time, let alone one of the first comics. Along with that, he is getting new life thanks to Alex Ross's Zeitgeist comic, so expect to see more of him in the future. Last but not least, he has an awesome Queen song about him
-
The Green Hornet may have been the headliner but in many ways Kato was even more of a hero, Kato inspired an entire generation and through his exploits in print and screen helped usher in a unique and misunderstood culture to the United States.
-
The classic anti-hero; soldier, husband and father. After surviving the horrors that man can commit he returns home safe only to lose his family in a senseless tragedy, he fought and bled for the country that could not give his family justice so he takes it upon himself to do what others could or would not do.
-
In truth the Unknown Soldier was a single man in the original comics but in reality he was the embodiment of every unknown soldier of wars past, the history books may be filled with the names of fighting men who accomplished greatness but you don't always read or hear about the nameless grunts that sacrificed themselves to complete a mission or save a fellow soldier. Every issue the Unknown Soldier appeared in reminds the readers that while we don't always know the names of these heroes we will always know what they have done for generations to come.
-
Similar to the Unknown Soldier Sgt. Rock embodied the ideal soldier, the born leader, the type of person that could give parents and wives hope that their sons and husbands might make it home to them. Sgt. Rock was in no way perfect, he lost men, he was only human but he cared for all of the men under his command and did his best to do right by them, in the midst of war sometimes the only thing you can depend on is the man leading you.
-
Doc Savage has been featured in just about every type of media imaginable, one of the earliest mystery men he was a jack of all trades and may have been the inspiration of many other every man type heroes that we still know and love these days.
-
Another every man type character that had greatness thrust upon him, while making the best of the situation he has to come to terms with his new role in life while forgetting about everything he left behind.
-
While not as well known or popular as his father Korak also defended his jungle home from whatever dangerous he came across. Korak's introduction brought the adventures of Tarzan to a whole new generation and while Korak's popularity has faded he helped keep his father from being fogotten.
-
Zorro is a classic hero that uses his families wealth and prestige to help those around him and fight the injustices against his fellow citizens. The idea was not new when Zorro was created and he has since been duplicated but the original classic hero still has not been forgotten.
-
One of the first female superheroes and for a time one of the most famous. Though her Fawcett history has mostly been phased out it still persists with her at DC. She has been used a fair amount recently but is presently waiting a new spin
-
What would be considered probably the most prominent female African-American character in comics. Has a long publication history (and once wore a disco inspired outfit). Also been in movies
-
Served as inspiration for Doctor Manhattan in the Watchmen, but also has a strong publication record in his own right. He was the most popular character at Charlton and since moving to DC has been a member of the Justice League, including its leader for a while
-
The Silver Age Wonder Girl has done much to remain relevant in recent DC stories. She has always played a large role in the Teen Titans, but also played a large role in the wave of crossovers at DC (52 and Countdown)
-
Another Charlton hero that made the jump to DC when it was purchased. He maintained a successful publishing run at Charlton before becoming a mostly secondary character at DC. Also featured prominently in Justice League Unlimited
-
Despite Fawcett's general lack of creativity in making characters, Freddy has a long publication history, was at a time among the most popular comic book characters in existence. Since joining DC his exploits are not as monumental but he is still around and has been a member of the Teen Titans
-
A relatively recent character and member of the Green Lantern Corps. She brings a maturity and intelligence to the role of a female character which is less common in comics. Major player in some of the biggest crossovers as of later (Sinestro Corps War, Blackest Night)
-
Less popular among the Charlton characters (though she was the only major female character). Her transition to DC was not as successful but she has been in the Suicide Squad and Shadowpact
-
You don’t often get a character who is both the ultimate hero and villain of his piece. Ozymandias saves his world but, in doing so, becomes a terrible monster. In many ways this makes him the perfect statement about superheroes in the Post-Modern world. We don’t believe you can save the day without doing something horrible. Some will argue that the man has no personality, but his superiority complex, arrogance, and the weight he carries his decision with make him very real to me. Like Alexander the Great, he tries to unite the world with violence.
-
The Alan Moore/ Neil Gaiman run on Miracleman may go down as one of comic book’s greatest hidden treasures. Though it’s questionable whether or not Marvel can reprint that material, it will be a shame if they can’t. Miracleman’s series is possibly the first, great superhero deconstruction story. One of his personalities is a demi-god who strides among the heavens and has a supernatural glow. The other is middle-aged, pudgy, and worried that his wife loves his other self more than him. The character later asks the serious question of how a hero can rule over a people without becoming a tyrant. Read this series if you haven’t already.
-
Say what you want about Dave Sim’s politics (I’m not a fan of them either), but he did something brilliant with Cerebus. He gave us a cynical review of the history of western civilization using an aardvark parody of Conan the Barbarian. Cerebus himself is more than meets the eye, though. Yes, he’s a barbarian who cynically believes that life is struggle and battle and that anyone who tells you different is selling something. If you look at his life arc, though, he starts off as an ambitious conqueror; becomes a tool of the state; turns bitter and hateful; wins all his greatest victories; and retires a pudgy, cranky old man. Basically, Cerebus is the journey of the male ego through western civilization. All young men start off as ambitious conquerors and, if we’re lucky, we go out tired and stuffy. Well done, Dave.
-
I really love Jane. In Grant Morrison’s run on Doom Patrol, we see her go through the stages of coming to terms with the sexual abuse perpetrated by her father and her own schizophrenia. Everything about Jane comes off as real and fragile to me. The fact that she can only seem to get close to a man who can’t love her physically (Robotman) is fitting. Her Scarlet Harlot personality is the stage when she starts to believe that she deserved what her father did to her so she becomes aggressive and lewd to take power over it. She’s arguably the most capable member of that Doom Patrol since she seemed to solve most of their major problems. Then there’s the final issue of Morrison’s run which… Well, just read my review. Crazy Jane is a beautiful, unique character in comics and deserves to be on this list.
-
Larry Marder’s Tales of the Beanworld is so underrated and unknown that it’s not even fair. Its main character, Beanish, is an artist who makes his living in the surreal garden of Beanworld by using the four realities (or the four most common shapes used in Beanworld’s art) to create his “Look See Shows.” The series is a fun meditation on artistic creation and the importance of imagination. Beanish was probably the most unique character to be published by Eclipse and the imprint would have been poorer without him.
-
Chuck Dixon gave Eclipse a legacy link to the Golden Age with his revamp of Airboy. The original heroes’ son takes the mantle and continues the fight against forces that threaten the world. He even dates his good, old dad’s cryogenically frozen girlfriend (talk about awkward). He’s definitely my favorite aviation hero.
-
Unlike most other female detectives, Ms. Tree can hold her own with Dick Tracy, Mike Hammer, and all the other best hard-boiled gum shoes. She can use deductive reasoning or a carefully aimed shot to solve a problem. She also didn’t shy away from controversial issues or the grim cases. Her character was so charming she was picked up by many different publishers after Eclipse went under.
-
Not only was the Destroyer Duck series done by two of my favorite creators, Steve Gerber and Jack “King” Kirby, but it was also done to spite Marvel Comics. Gerber was in the middle of a lawsuit with Marvel over the ownership of Howard the Duck who Gerber created in the early 70’s. The Destroyer Duck series was written to raise funds to continue this lawsuit. The plot of the book even reflected the main grudge of the court case. Destroyer Duck was out to get vengeance for his little buddy who was killed by an evil corporation. Destroyer Duck acted as a gun-toting antihero for Eclipse and an effective protest against the two-company domination of the comic book industry.
-
First of all, Guy is us. What I mean by that is as a kid he read comic books. He lived in a fantasy world that took him away from his abusive father. Guy is not perfect. He acts like a real person with his imperfections. He's not afraid of getting upset. Living by his own rules. Using his power's for his own benefits. He's not afraid to call Superman out on how lame he is. (he is great for that alone.) Guy has tons of faults just like we all do and yet he acts on the side of right. He cares deeply about the people that are close to him like Ice and Kyle. He even has a permanent bond with characters like Booster Gold and Blue Beetle. You see what is great about Guy is despite his flaws he does what is right. the world is a better place because he is in it. Guy Gardner is real! Second, if your read the original appearance of Guy you know that he was suppose to get the ring but Hal was chosen as he was closer to Abin Sur who was close to death. In the same book it was established that Guy literally lost his destiny to be the greatest Green Lantern. He was robbed by fate. He lost his fiancé in a similar twist of fate. Then he suffered multiple concussions that scarred his mind. None of it stopped he from being a hero. He had his Green Lantern ring taken away and and that didn't stop him. He got Lobo to take him to OA where he fought the soul of Sinestro and won. Then his yellow ring went out and he still fought on as a hero. Guy Gardner would fight with nothing more than a stick. He does what ever it takes. America loves and underdog and he is it.
-
Booster is flawed. He made a mistake as a young man that lead to another that lead to another that lead to another. Somehow through luck misfortune and a series of bad decisions Booster became a hero. Booster is all about money. He sells his image, he is always trying to make a fast buck, he dates supermodels and he is completely self absorbed...or is he. When it comes down to brass tacks Booster always shows what he is really made of. Wouldn't we all want to make a buck off our powers. Hell, I know I'd rather do that than work at my current job. So why are we so quick to dog the hero. When Blue Beetle couldn't find anyone to support him on his last mission Booster was there. He has countlessly put the betterment of others over his own. Sure Booster wants to make some money we all do, but when it comes to fighting for what is right he is always there. Booster Gold is Real! Lastly, Booster does his best deeds completely unknown to the rest of the world. Due to another twist of fate Booster is doomed to hide his greatest triumphs to literally save the lives and well beings of other. Booster didn't just save a world or the universe Booster saved the mutiverse! More than once! Booster also had two self titled series one lasting for 25 issues the other for 49 issues and would be still be going if not for the relaunch. There are not too many characters that have that kind of run. Check out my list if you don't believe me. Booster Gold is truly great.
-
Ragman is a very unique character, and I am actually shocked that he is not more highly regarded. Ragman literally wears a suit of evil souls. Each rag is a soul of some monstrous being. Like the woman who punished her kids by forcing their hands in boiling water or a particularly crew Nazi at the Warsaw Ghetto. Ragman is virtually shunned by the main hero class because of his power to steal souls in unapealing and yet the souls have a chance for redemption still. As they live in the purgatory of the rag their souls still have a chance to be free by helping the Ragman do right. He is a walking prison designed to rehabilitate souls.
-
This Blue Beetle is the original Fox Feature Syndicate Superhero. His name was Dan Garret with one t. Not the Dan Garrett with two t's that came later. This is the Dan Garret who was then Blue Beetle in 1939. One of the first Superheroes ever! He had his own radio show before television. It would be like watching the Blue Beetle on television today. He was tremendously popular and was destined for success. His first self titled series lasted 60 issues, an extremely rare accomplishment. He was on the same level and guys like Superman and Batman. So, why is Blue Beetle looked over today. Well, Fox Feature Syndicate was sold to Holyoak Comics and Holyoak was sued by DC over the character of Wonder Man. Holyoak was always struggling and went out of business. Things were dry for a long time meanwhile Batman and Superman are still being sold every month. Dan came back in the 1960's but as Dan Garrett with 2 t's. He was not the same hero and it was another blow. It was this failing that lead to the hero Ted Kord as Blue Beetle.
-
Samson is based directly from the Samson of the Bible. Now that is epic. As a direct ancestor of the biblical Samson, Samson has all the same powers and weaknesses from birth just like biblical ancestor. He was given even more power by an Eastern holy man who prayed for God to bring forth a champion to battle evil. Samson also becomes one of the Big 3 in Fox Comics. They even had a comic for a very short time called The Big 3. This is not unlike Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman in the DC Universe. How cool would the comic world be if only Fox had not sold out to Holyoak?
-
Flame, Samson and Blue Beetle were the Big 3. The Flame coming out only two months after Batman, and three months before the Jim Hammond Human Torch. So let's put it in perspective. The Flame could control the heat and size of fire as a superpower. He used a hand held flame thrower in this manner. He could also teleport to any place that had fire. He would quite often appear in the midst of a nemesis' darkest and most protected lair from a simple match being struck. Bullets would vaporize before even getting to him. Flame was also the man. Winning the hearts of women he rescued. Not just Lois Lane for example. Flame also had the Flame Boat, Car and Plane. The Flame also had a sidekick but not a little boy. Instead Flame Girl was a full grown woman. She was more of an equal. Especially for 1941.
-
Who is Rulah you ask? Well Rulah is an aviator who crashes in Africa. The crash was so bad it destroyed all her clothing. Interested yet? She then makes a modest outfit out of the skin of a dead giraffe. As she survives alone in the wilderness she sees a tribe of Africans who were being manipulated by an evil Queen Nurla. She also kills a striking Cobra by stabbing it in the head mid strike. Nurla would send Africans to their death. Not being deterred Rulah saves the tribe from her manipulation. She then saves the tribe from a man eating leopard with nothing more than a crude knife. At this point she is made Queen of the tribe thus getting the name Rulah. What makes her a superhero you ask? Well Rulah eventually gets a chance to go home and chooses to stay in Africa and becomes the protector of all those who live there. Please vote for Rulah. She is more than deserving.
-
Fantomah was the first female superhero and should be on the list for that alone. That is right the first female superhero. The first! What you might say? I thought is was Wonder Woman? Nope, she first appeared in December 1941. Was it the Phantom Lady? No again, she first appeared in August of 1941. Well it has to be Ma Hunckle she has been around forever. Well, that might be true but she did not become a superhero until November 1940. Lady Luck? Sorry, June 1940. Well then it has to be the Woman in Red. I mean she came out in March 1940. Yes, yes she did but Fantomah came out one month earlier in February of 1940. You may or may not like Fantomah but give her the respect due and vote for her on this alone. Fantomah was an ancient Egyptian princess who was a beautiful woman living as the protector of Africa. Fantomah was omnipotant. She could take out Superman with a thought, and would if motivated. Remember when lame-o Superboy/man-Prime took out all the DC heroes because anyone that could actually do something was oddly missing? Fantomah could have taken him out like a poo through a goose. Fantomah was creative as well like having men being sucked into the ground and haveing lions literally rain down from the sky to attack para-shooters.
Load Comments