Favorite Superhero of All Time

[Digital Arcanist]

Okay guys,

Who is your ONE favorite hero from any comic book publishing company?

Name the one hero you hold above all others and give one or two sentences as to why you hold this being in such high esteem. If there have been multiple incarnations of this hero (ie. Green Lantern, Flash, Robin) feel free to specify which one you like most.

Let's not get into a discussion of who is better or why did you say that reason instead of another. We can save those for another thread.

I'll kick off the thread:

My favorite hero of all time is the Green Lantern, specifically Kyle Rayner. I like the Green Lantern character because they start out as normal people whose sole ability is their indomitable willpower. I like Kyle more than other other guys because he has the greatest imagination and didn't just fly around with boxing gloves and catcher's mitts like the rest of the Lanterns.

[PhishStyx]

Amazing Spider-Man was the first comic I ever bought, and he remains my favorite super hero mrphty-mmrph years later.

I like Wolverine and Cap and most of the other Marvel guys, and I've grown to enjoy Justice League and Batman.

But Spidey beats 'em all, hands down.

[fmitchell]

As I've posted elsewhere, I never really got into superheroes as a kid. I preferred (what passed for) horror and humor comics.

But if I had to pick one, it would be Batman. Apart from the dark, brooding aspect, the main part I like is that he's human ... not a man from another planet, not the product of weird science, not the wielder of magic or alien artifacts beyond human understanding. Granted, he does have a seemingly limitless supply of cash and a mind and body at the peak of human development. (And an obsession bordering on insanity.) But there's something gratifying about a hero who thinks through problems and uses his wits before his fists.

There's a few others that I feel should get honorable mentions:


She-Hulk, who besides gratifying one or two of my little quirks also uses her brain as well as brawn (at least under some writers). In the latest series, what I've read of it, there are some problems that she can *only* solve as a squishy, fragile human.

Concrete isn't my favorite comic, but I like the aspect of a super-strong and invulnerable guy who'd rather just get on with his life, thank you very much.

The Tick, mainly for playing with and subverting typical comic-book tropes, and for being so darned funny when Ben Edlund was doing it.

Winged Victory, from Astro City, mainly because in addition to fighting crime herself also organizes self-defense training for women ... and whose focus on women has created controversy.

Doctor Manhattan, from the Watchmen, simply because he behaves more like a godlike superhero would.

[Moritz]

1) Green Lantern - Hal Jordon

Actually, most all Green Lanterns are it. I love the concept, normal individual given a device/power, still having mortal weaknesses. Further, living by a code and making a difference.

2) Superman

Just always liked him.

[Olothfaern]

are considered comics then my favorite hero is Unit 01 from Neon Genesis Evangelion who edges out Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell and Vampire Hunter D; If not then I can't really beat Spider-Man (from the comics, not the movies).

[pawsplay]

Batman. He is the superhero who most often faces death. A simple bullet could kill him. He never gives up, which sometimes means putting himself into a situation where he knows he could die.

[shilar]

It's a tie for me between Spiderman and the Green Lanterns. As a former soldier the concept of a group of individuals with the right training, tools and a strong sense of justice kind of resonates. And for spidey take away the powers and throw some weight on him and that was me in high school.
I like heroes I can identify with

[Drohem]

My first favorite hero as a child was the Flash. It turned out later that I found out that his powers in the DC Universe are quite powerful, and that the Flash is very creative in utlizing his powers in various way.

[Malruhn]

I am very drawn to the first Green Arrow, Oliver Queen (Green Lantern SUCKS!!) ;)

But my favorite has to be Spiderman. It was his attitude and quick tongue that won me over. He is SUCH a smart-asssss!!

Plus, his girlfriend has red hair. You GOTTA love that!!

[Digital Arcanist]

I am very drawn to the first Green Arrow, Oliver Queen (Green Lantern SUCKS!!) ;)

But my favorite has to be Spiderman. It was his attitude and quick tongue that won me over. He is SUCH a smart-asssss!!

Plus, his girlfriend has red hair. You GOTTA love that!!


Yeah I wouldn't kick MJ out of bed for eating crackers either.

As for your dislike of Green Lanterns...I'm going to need your home address so I can fly over and deliver my rebuttal in person!!!!:mad:

[Malruhn]

All I can answer to that is *THWIPP!!!* and one of lines that I have based my life upon... from the Green Arrow when the Green Lantern had thought he had died - "Sure I'll give up. Ten minutes after I draw my last breath."

(I only say that about GL because of an inferiority complex!)

BRING IT ON, RING BOY!!

[Mulsiphix]

My all time favorite would have to be Batman. My favorite portrayal would have to be Batman: The Animated Series. This series captured all that made Batman great. He is a regular human and relies on his gadgets and physical strength to accomplish everything. He is honorable and there is science behind just about everything he uses. Now whether that science is practical in real life is another discussion all together but what I enjoyed most was that everything Batman did seemed feasible. His dedication, intelligence, and quick thinking is what made Batman great.

As far as beyond reality super heroes go I would have to say Wolverine. He is still very much human and generally just brawls with all of his enemies. His amazing regeneration allows for him to keep on fighting the good fight long after other super heroes have had their butts kicked thoroughly.

[rabkala]

That is a tough one. I was never a huge comic book guy. I never read the big popular ones like Spiderman, Superman, or Batman. When I was younger I read some X-men, a few Xfactor, Thor, Fantastic 4, Moon Knight and a couple Green Lantern.

My favorite series would have to be X-men. Wolverine is awesome. Rogue is hella powerful.
Thor was different, but what I was looking for at a time.
The Silver Surfer rocked... Fantastic 4 not so much.

I think I would have to go with Moon Knight as an overall hero. He was the most human and probably the most flawed.

[Mulsiphix]

You know a super hero I never got? Aquaman. Now I didn't read the comics but I've seen him portrayed in many cartoons and he always just comes off as... "why? seriously what the *@%@?!"

[rabkala]

You know a super hero I never got? Aquaman. Now I didn't read the comics but I've seen him portrayed in many cartoons and he always just comes off as... "why? seriously what the *@%@?!"
Wonder twin powers activate! {In unison}
Form of a bucket of water!
Form of a flying squirrel!

What's up with that?

Ya, most of the cartoons really shouldn't be mentioned. Just too horrifically bad to imagine.

[Mulsiphix]

A few of the cartoons do stand out though. Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men (1990's version), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1980's version), and a few other gems. The majority are absolutely horrid adaptations though *shutters at the thought*

[Bravo]

gotta go with image's Invincible - great story telling great character great comic great hero!

[GBVenkman]

Captain Cave Man!!!!!!!!!


Somebody should do a build on him.

His mad club skills could own anybody.

Before there was Hercules, there was Captain Cave Man.

[Lev Lafayette]

If I was going to be semi-serious about it I'd say Batman from the Dark Knight returns, or Dr. Manhatten from Watchmen. Or even Green Arrow for his libertarian socialist politics.

But I also quite like characters like Kryto the Superdog, Cerebus the Aardvark and, for entirely different reasons, all the characters from Mouse Guard.

Does Speedy Gonzalez count as a superhero?

[Webhead]

Picking a favorite seems kinda tough as naming only one tends to leave out all the other superheroes that I like each for their own reasons (such as Hal Jordan's GL, Superman (when written well), Captain America, etc.).

But if I had to pick a favorite, there's no denying that it would be Spider-Man. The first comic book I can ever remember reading was an issue of Amazing Spider-Man and it pretty much snowballed from there. That led naturally into reading of more comics and watching all the Spidey cartoons (the '60s series, the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends from the '80s, the rather good animated series of the '90s).

Besides being the first superhero in my memory, the "character" of Spider-Man always struck home with me. Peter was an ordinary, nerdy kid who suddenly had fantastic powers...but he quickly realized that it wasn't a free ride. Having the powers complicated and frustrated his life, sometimes to the point that he wished he could stop being Spider-Man. Striking him with a tragedy such as feeling responsible for the loss of Uncle Ben, for me, transforms the character from "just another guy with powers fighting crime because he can" to "a guy who does it because it is irresponsible not to" which really ties into my feelings about what a super hero is supposed to be. A hero fights because inaction against evil is as bad or even worse than the evil action itself. To do nothing not only permits evil but actively encourages it. And a hero cannot resort to the means of the villainous to achieve his ends or else he becomes a villain himself. It is for these reasons that Spidey always stands out for me. It's about self-sacrifice and seeing beyond the scope of yourself.

"With great power, there must also come great responsibility." --Ben Parker

"We need to be held accountable. We have too much power not to be." --Green Lantern

"We can't give up on the system! The system is what we're fighting for!" --Arthur

[Frobozz]

Ok, maybe not technically a "super" hero, my favorite comic book character of all time would have to be Deathblow from Image comics. Somewhat tragic, somewhat superhuman even if all he is, is human. Some of the best writing I've ever seen in a comic that wasn't a graphic novel.

In Marvel land, either Wolverine or Gambit, though Storm was pretty cool too of the X-Men. I also loved Thor and I have a fondness for Ironman (maybe it's the engineer in me) and am stoked about the upcoming movie. :D

In DC world, hands down Batman. He was the coolest of the cool. The more "Dark Knight" the better. Also his wonderful toys (again, the engineer in me).

[Lev Lafayette]

Besides being the first superhero in my memory, the "character" of Spider-Man always struck home with me. Peter was an ordinary, nerdy kid who suddenly had fantastic powers...but he quickly realized that it wasn't a free ride. Having the powers complicated and frustrated his life, sometimes to the point that he wished he could stop being Spider-Man. Striking him with a tragedy such as feeling responsible for the loss of Uncle Ben, for me, transforms the character from "just another guy with powers fighting crime because he can" to "a guy who does it because it is irresponsible not to" which really ties into my feelings about what a super hero is supposed to be. A hero fights because inaction against evil is as bad or even worse than the evil action itself. To do nothing not only permits evil but actively encourages it

Now you have me thinking. Adolf Eichmann (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eichmann_in_Jerusalem) as a supervillian.

[nijineko]

well, i guess i've gotta admit it. my first favorite superhero was mighty mouse. read all that i could find. then it was battle of the planets (g-force, for the not-in-the-know), then thunderbirds-gotta love that secret base and the equipment! the original not the recent movie....) and so forth. but i'll always have that nostalgic sneaking fondness for mighty mouse.

nowadays? i would have to say the Anything Goes 5. Silverhawk, Toaster Puppy, Chimneysweep, Network, and Purrkitt. they've been my favorites since my late teens-early twenties, i would guess.

[GBVenkman]

well, i guess i've gotta admit it. my first favorite superhero was mighty mouse. read all that i could find. then it was battle of the planets (g-force, for the not-in-the-know), then thunderbirds-gotta love that secret base and the equipment! the original not the recent movie....) and so forth. but i'll always have that nostalgic sneaking fondness for mighty mouse.

nowadays? i would have to say the Anything Goes 5. Silverhawk, Toaster Puppy, Chimneysweep, Network, and Purrkitt. they've been my favorites since my late teens-early twenties, i would guess.


If I'd have to pick my very first hero that I can remember, I'd have to make Pop-eye. I'm thinking of making a Saga one. mwahahaha

[Inquisitor Tremayne]

Batman and Spiderman equally.

Batman for the gritty-ness of everything that surrounds him.

Spiderman because he has some pretty cool powers for a super hero and I've always wanted his powers!

[TheQuestionMan]

TheQuestionMan's Top 5 Favourite Superheroes
1. Starman (Will Payton)
http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Starman_%28Will_Payton%29

2. Darkstar (Ferrin Colos)
http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Darkstars

3. Green Arrow (Mike Grell Years)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Arrow#Longbow_Hunters.2FMike_Grell_Ongoing

4. Captain America
http://en.marveldatabase.com/Steven_Rogers_%28Earth-616%29

5. Invincible
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invincible_%28comics%29


Cheers


QM

[DetCord]

Tough choice.... as a kid I was totaly into Spiderman. Yet now im a grown man, and after seeing the new batman movie I feel myself more drawn towards the Dark Knight and the whole neo- gothic look of the genre...

[SpiffyBananaFoot]

I'd have to go with Batman just because I like a hero that has a little bit of "not so nice" in him.

[Igbutton]

So many heros to choose from and I love so many Batman, Spiderman, GL. But if I have to choose, I pick The Flash.

I was always the hyperactive kid, it always bothered my to have to wait on people who wanted to take their time, the job I have know was meant to be done by 2 people, my boss finds he only needs me.

I'm always looking to do things quicker, make the most of my time, and optimize my routines.

When I was introduced to The Flash I was immediately convinced he had the best superpower. Not just for the crime fighting capabilities but for practical use as well. He could do a job that would take normally take 10 hours in 1, then have the rest of the day to do whatever he liked.

The Flash is my favorite because his power is the power I dream of having.

[nijineko]

i have to admit that i was always fond of The Shadow. ever since my dad gave me the books to read, i've like the style. kinda proto-batman in many ways. even in cannon. ^^

[Thoth-Amon]

i have to admit that i was always fond of The Shadow. ever since my dad gave me the books to read, i've like the style. kinda proto-batman in many ways. even in cannon. ^^
Spiderman comes to mind. Generally speaking, the less superhero powers one has, the more one relies on their wits. So, put me down for Batman as well... but not Robin. Could never stand that character. But in fairness, my judgment may be flawed for i cant get the '60's tv image of Robin out of my head. LOL

Thoth-Amon

[Thoth-Amon]

Okay guys,

Who is your ONE favorite hero from any comic book publishing company?

Name the one hero you hold above all others and give one or two sentences as to why you hold this being in such high esteem. If there have been multiple incarnations of this hero (ie. Green Lantern, Flash, Robin) feel free to specify which one you like most.

Let's not get into a discussion of who is better or why did you say that reason instead of another. We can save those for another thread.

I'll kick off the thread:

My favorite hero of all time is the Green Lantern, specifically Kyle Rayner. I like the Green Lantern character because they start out as normal people whose sole ability is their indomitable willpower. I like Kyle more than other other guys because he has the greatest imagination and didn't just fly around with boxing gloves and catcher's mitts like the rest of the Lanterns.

Hmmm, my favorite comic books heros, if you can call them heros, were Dracula(antihero), and Tarzan (hero to the damsels). I loved these comics. But if they dont count, then Silver Surfer was pretty cool.

Thoth-Amon

[nijineko]

if i had to narrow it down to one... heck, i don't think i can. it would come down to trying to figure out which reason for liking a hero is better than the other reason. and with each reason being different that makes it really hard.

[Valdar]

I love re-imaginings of superheroes and their genres- things that question the assumptions inherited from the comic-book land of the early to mid 20th century.

Top of the list would be Bendis' Ultimate Spider Man- how the Spider Man legend would look if it played out in the 2000s (Genetic spider vs. Radioactive spider, Venom as failed cancer cure rather than thing from space vending machine, etc.)

The rest of the list would be gritty stories like the Ultimates, Supreme Power, Alias (also Bendis, natch), and especially, Garth Ennis' "The Pro" (a story about a hooker who gets superpowers). Also liked his work on Punisher- Ennis is one twisted individual.

Invincible is also a top-notch book, despite the slow start and simpler artwork.

[Webhead]

I love re-imaginings of superheroes and their genres- things that question the assumptions inherited from the comic-book land of the early to mid 20th century.

Top of the list would be Bendis' Ultimate Spider Man- how the Spider Man legend would look if it played out in the 2000s (Genetic spider vs. Radioactive spider, Venom as failed cancer cure rather than thing from space vending machine, etc.)

The rest of the list would be gritty stories like the Ultimates, Supreme Power, Alias (also Bendis, natch), and especially, Garth Ennis' "The Pro" (a story about a hooker who gets superpowers). Also liked his work on Punisher- Ennis is one twisted individual.

Invincible is also a top-notch book, despite the slow start and simpler artwork.

While not specifically a singular "hero", one of my favorite hero concepts is the "Hero Device" from Dial H for Hero and it's follow-up series H-E-R-O that was published a few years ago.

For those not familiar, the device is a solid, round disc that fits in one hand and it has four buttons on its face: "H", "E", "R" and "O". When a person dials the buttons in order, they are temporarily granted a random suite of super powers, complete with costume which are lost when the person dials the device again. They can repeat the process, gaining a new suite of powers and costume each time.

It has been established that other button combinations will work as well, some with much stranger (and more frightening) effects.

Any person can use the device to gain powers, and use of the device does not require or encourage heroic behavior. In fact, at one point in the H-E-R-O series, a serial killer finds the device and gains terrifying power from it.

H-E-R-O is one of my very favorite comics of the last several years and I was sad that it ended so abruptly (after about 22 issues, if I recall correctly). But at least the series went out with a bang and it was a very epic, climactic end indeed. :)

I also read and liked the first 2 trades of Ultimates and the first trade of Supreme Power. Still on the fence about Ultimate Spider-Man. I liked some things about it and disliked others.

[ryan973]

Hymm i have so many favorites. but if i had to pick one and only i would say GREEN LANTERN - Kyle Rainer.

The way he used his ring was just so damn original when compared to the others and he was alwase real for me his vulnerability and self doubt is something usually missing from so many powerful characters.

[Webhead]

Hymm i have so many favorites. but if i had to pick one and only i would say GREEN LANTERN - Kyle Rainer.

The way he used his ring was just so damn original when compared to the others and he was alwase real for me his vulnerability and self doubt is something usually missing from so many powerful characters.

I've always been partial to Hal Jordan, but admittedly I've not read much of John Stewart, Kyle Rainer or...*ugh*...Guy Gardener. :rolleyes:

[ryan973]

Oh i will admit a fondness for Hal even as the Spectre he is very passionate about what he does. I have never really taken to guy gardner, But Kyle rainer in my mind is really the epitome of Green lanterns he is alot ALOT liek Hal but still his own man and i love the fact that he is an artist it makes most of his constructs really interesting when compared to most green lanters with there giant boomerans and boxing gloves.

[GreatMamboChicken]

I agree with many posts that it's hard to pick when different heroes appeal to different aspects.

But it's always been easy for me to say "My favorite superhero is....


...Wolverine."

In the age of everyone trying to be as idealistic as Captain America, there was just this one guy who usually fought for the good guys, but he wasn't nice about it. He wasn't incredibly strong, couldn't blast you from across the room, and always looked like he needed a bath. But once you tangled with him, you knew it was only a matter of time before your insides came out.

He reminds me in many ways of Miyamoto Musashi. A rogue samurai with somewhat skewed ideals, a serene acceptance of his own mortality, and the ability to stand against countless foes.

"I'm the best at what I do. And what I do isn't very nice."

[Webhead]

I agree with many posts that it's hard to pick when different heroes appeal to different aspects.

But it's always been easy for me to say "My favorite superhero is....


...Wolverine."

In the age of everyone trying to be as idealistic as Captain America, there was just this one guy who usually fought for the good guys, but he wasn't nice about it. He wasn't incredibly strong, couldn't blast you from across the room, and always looked like he needed a bath. But once you tangled with him, you knew it was only a matter of time before your insides came out.

He reminds me in many ways of Miyamoto Musashi. A rogue samurai with somewhat skewed ideals, a serene acceptance of his own mortality, and the ability to stand against countless foes.

"I'm the best at what I do. And what I do isn't very nice."

I always liked Wolvie as a counter-point to the rest of the X-Men. They were as responsible for him as he was for himself (the sense of "family" that the X-Men had) and so they had to protect him even from his own rage at times.

Wolvie was best written when it was clear that he was filled with passion and fury, but that he could still bring himself back from the brink at a crucial moment in order to still "do the right thing"...even when his instincts told him otherwise. It showed real depth of character and made him into something greater than a "killing machine". He was also admirable for his sense of devotion. He wouldn't think twice about giving his life to protect his friends or innocents.

Wolvie's not a bad character...he just suffers from bad writers from time to time (just like Superman, Batman, Spiderman and just about every other comicbook character).

I think I could play a good Wolverine in a supers RPG. :)

[Igbutton]

I almost said Wolverine but there is so much resentment towards him atm, I was worried about opening a can of worms. I love him too but appearing in 4 comics series as well as having his own is a bit much.

He does remind me of my favorite anti-hero.

Deadpool.

I can just never get enough of his sadistic, wise-cracking, over-killing style.

[Tomcat1066]

I'm a big Wolverine fan also, mostly because he does what he does and doesn't apologize for it. While the rest of the heroes try to do "good", Wolverine just did what he felt needed to be done. People aren't just good or bad, they're usually somewhere in the middle...Wolverine is like that.

[Webhead]

I'm a big Wolverine fan also, mostly because he does what he does and doesn't apologize for it. While the rest of the heroes try to do "good", Wolverine just did what he felt needed to be done. People aren't just good or bad, they're usually somewhere in the middle...Wolverine is like that.

He had a "hard" side and a "soft" side, even if he tried to hide it from everyone. But you could tell that, deep down somewhere, he genuinely cared about his fellows and believed in sacrificing himself for others.

[Tomcat1066]

No argument there on any count. He's one of Marvel's more interesting heroes on many levels.

[Webhead]

No argument there on any count. He's one of Marvel's more interesting heroes on many levels.

I agree. I think he just ends up getting written a lot by writers who think he's nothing more than a walking blender... :frusty:

[Tomcat1066]

I agree. I think he just ends up getting written a lot by writers who think he's nothing more than a walking blender... :frusty:

Oh yeah. They get hold of this character with incredible depth and instead he's just going to shred stuff. Why not deal with some of the emotional depth to the character!

[Valdar]

I agree. I think he just ends up getting written a lot by writers who think he's nothing more than a walking blender... :frusty:

You might not want to look at Ennis' take on him then =) It's just as simplistic, but the opposite. Off the top of my head, in Punisher stories, Wolverine has been:

--Punched across several states by the Hulk
--Shot in the crotch with a rocket launcher, skeletonizing him from rib-cage to knees
--Had his face scoured clean of flesh, to his adamantium-laced skull, with a shotgun
--Left in wet cement with a steamroller parked on top of him

[Webhead]

You might not want to look at Ennis' take on him then =) It's just as simplistic, but the opposite. Off the top of my head, in Punisher stories, Wolverine has been:

--Punched across several states by the Hulk
--Shot in the crotch with a rocket launcher, skeletonizing him from rib-cage to knees
--Had his face scoured clean of flesh, to his adamantium-laced skull, with a shotgun
--Left in wet cement with a steamroller parked on top of him

Yes, I also dislike the "I can completely regenerate from a finger-nail shaving" take on Wolvie. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Days of Future Past summed it up perfectly for me. Wolvie jumps in front of the sentinel to allow the other X-Men to escape, gets fried by an energy blast at point blank range and collapses to the floor as a smoldering adamantium skeleton. End of story.

[Tomcat1066]

Yep. The idea that Wolverine can be killed doesn't make him less of a bad boy, but actually more IMHO. If he can be killed, but does what he does anyways, then he's risking himself. If he can't be killed, then so what? No risk, Wolverine will survive like always. Ho hum.

Courage isn't the absense of fear, but the ability to overcome it. Without fear, there is no courage. I like my heroes couragous, not immortal.

Maybe that's just me.

[Igbutton]

This is exactly what I was talking about. You start talking about Wolverine and everyone has to pitch in, pretty soon the title of the thread will have to be changed to "Wolverine Chat: Why the brown costume was better." or something.

Not that I would mind all that much he is fun to talk about.

[Tomcat1066]

At least no one is blasting Wolverine. Instead, we're blasting what inept writers have done to/with him.

That's an improvement, right?

Oh yeah, I like Batman too, because he's just a guy who's devoted his life to being a superhero and made himself into more. No special powers or anything, just great big brass ones! (Just to try and get it back on topic ;)).

[Valdar]

This is exactly what I was talking about. You start talking about Wolverine and everyone has to pitch in, pretty soon the title of the thread will have to be changed to "Wolverine Chat: Why the brown costume was better." or something.

Not that I would mind all that much he is fun to talk about.

Yeah, this isn't really a message board for focused discussion- off-topic is ok because as you said, it's often stuff that's fun to talk about.

I second Deadpool as a favorite- you'd think that with all these people getting superpowers, more of them would be absolute jerks. Heck, all it takes is a little message-board anonymity to encourage most people to cut loose- imagine what super powers would do?

It's what made Robert Downey's Iron Man great, and Hancock even remotely watchable. Bendis' take on Purple Man in Alias is another good example- if your power was to make people do what you say, how big of a d*** would you wind up being?

I was really looking forward to this kind of thing with The Irredeemable Ant-Man, but that book didn't even come close. He steals a suit of armor and lies about it, and dumps a girl in a direct, non-weasely fashion because he's tired of the relationship, and that's about it? That puts him at foe-of-the-month level at best.

[Dyser]

To me, this is a bit like asking 'which child is your favorite?' (Fortunately, I don't have children.)

Oddly enough, the characters that get my imagination going the most are the ones I probably had read the least: Dr. Strange, Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner was my favorite), Dr. Fate, the Atom, the Supreme Power universe of characters, the pre-Kirkman Ultimate X-Men characters, etc. I liked the Shift incarnation of Metamorpho in the beginning of the latest Outsiders, as well. Oddly enough, although I don't care for the Superman characters much, I had a soft spot for the last Superboy in the most recent Teen Titans book.

I also always liked the original New Mutants cast, as the majority of my comics were X-Men related, and I've been a bit disappointed that the group of mutants that I grew up with, having been told that they would be the next generation of X-Men, are for the most part tossed aside after the disaster that was Rob Liefeld. Cannonball and Wolfsbane were the only ones that really ever "made it" to the big leagues, and even at that those characters are more or less flat. No one in the business seems to know what to do with them. I really liked Illyana Rasputin and Danielle Moonstar. Karma rapidly devolved into a cycle of repetitive BS where she was alternately searching for or taking care of her siblings. Otherwise I've always liked Madrox and Colossus.

Basically, there are a lot of characters that I like but I don't feel have been handled well, handled well consistently, or I feel have gotten "the shaft." So much so that I can't pick a favorite. If any of several dozen characters that I like was handled well consistently, I could probably identify that character as my favorite. Unfortunately, the characters I seem to like usually wind up suffering from bizarre mischaracterizations, inexplicable personality or power changes, pointless deaths, and so forth so much that I can't.

[agoraderek]

then it was battle of the planets (g-force, for the not-in-the-know


i love the 70's scripts (keee-OP!!!), i HATED the rescripted version in the late 90's...

[michaeljearley]

THANOS rules the universe.

And Poet from Rising Stars.

[Webhead]

THANOS rules the universe.

Yes, but Thanos was most definately a villain and not a hero.

I liked him a lot too, incidentally. ;)

[michaeljearley]

Thanos was both. He did save existence after all. As well as neutralizing The Beyonder.
At the level he played the game, I'd almost say Villian and Hero don't apply.
His intent was always selfish, and he was defiently more evil than good.

It's like the Magento question. While defiently not a hero, and certainly not good aligned, I hesitate to striclty classify them as villians. They often played the villian, but weren't villianous.
Doctor Doom, Strife, Mr. Sinister...these were villians.

[Webhead]

Thanos was both. He did save existence after all. As well as neutralizing The Beyonder.
At the level he played the game, I'd almost say Villian and Hero don't apply.
His intent was always selfish, and he was defiently more evil than good.

It's like the Magento question. While defiently not a hero, and certainly not good aligned, I hesitate to striclty classify them as villians. They often played the villian, but weren't villianous.
Doctor Doom, Strife, Mr. Sinister...these were villians.

Indeed, it's a very blurry, thin line between selfishness and villainy, but there is some distinguishing philosophical arguements.

"I" consider Magneto a villain in the sense that he valued himself and his own ideals to the point that he was willing to dominate all who did not fit those ideals. Case in point, Magneto believed mutants superior to humans. There is nothing inherently "wrong" about his right to believe so, but he becomes "villainous" when he decides to act upon his belief to have humans "treated" as inferior.

Selfishness or close-mindedness becomes "villainy" when it infringes upon the rights of others to lively freely, openly and unharassed.

Magneto may have felt perfectly justified in his own mind...but road to Hell is paved with good intentions...:)

My 2 cents.

[michaeljearley]

Hehe. *Agree*.
However, I have two words that further blur that philosophical line.

Greater Good

[Webhead]

Hehe. *Agree*.
However, I have two words that further blur that philosophical line.

Greater Good

:D

Tricky thing that "Greater Good".

In my experience, the ends do not justify the means...instead, the ends are as important as the means. You must not only have good intentions, you must also resort to good methods to achieve them ("good" meaning to hold utmost regard for and value of all life and liberty even of those who disagree with you).

"Villainous" means to achieve a "good" end is still "villainous".

"Good" means to achieve a "villainous" end is still "villainous".

Only "good" means to achieve a "good" end can create a truly "greater good".

That's why "heroes" never seek to kill the villains, because to resort to a villain's own methods is to become villainous...even if used for the "greater good".

:)

[michaeljearley]

Well, therein lies the perspective.

I personally believe the ends do justify the means, and so I count characters like Thanos and Magneto as not Supper Villians, but something like evil Super Heroes......
Evil Super Heroes........
...

[Webhead]

...and so I count characters like Thanos and Magneto as not Supper Villians, but something like evil Super Heroes......
Evil Super Heroes........
...

Hmmm...interesting...

In this way, would you distinguish an "Evil Hero" from an "Anti-Hero", or would you consider them more-or-less the same thing?

Curious...

[michaeljearley]

No. Punisher is a step up the "hero" board. (but nowhere near as cool)

That comes to intent. Punisher is trying to help everyone by doing bad things.

Thanos and Magneto generally do bad things that help them, and in the process help others as well. (them refering to self as well as group they belong to)

Best example is when Thanos save existence. Either way, Thanos was dead. A true villian would have taken everyone with him. Like Doom. Doom would not have saved existence. He would have perhaps tried to save himself, or his minions, but there's no way he would let Richards come back to life, and himself die.

Perhaps Nobility or Honor could describe it. You can still be a complete "bad guy", but with enough of the above, you become better than a villian.

[Webhead]

...Perhaps Nobility or Honor could describe it. You can still be a complete "bad guy", but with enough of the above, you become better than a villian.

Yeah, I can see that. There are certainly "villains" who have their own code and sense of honor. Not all villainy needs to be strictly corrupting and destructive. Some of the "best" villainy is that which is not completely irredeemable. In short, the villain that you want to hate, but that makes some decisions that you can't totally condone. I would call Thanos actions "heroic" in that he chose the more selfless of the two choices he was given...which certainly makes him a more noble and honorable character than someone like Doom would have been under similar circumstances.

Even villains can have hearts, souls, dreams and desires...the cool ones, anyway. :)

[calico_jack73]

Damn! That is a tough question. When I was younger it would have been one of the legion of long underwear heroes. When I got a little older it would have been Ghost Rider, Deaths Head, or Grendel Prime. Nowadays I'd have to go with John Constantine.

[Webhead]

If the question were "What's your favorite dark superhero of all time", then I'd probably have to say Rorschach. Screwed up in the head though he may have been, he had a sort of spirit and drive that few other "dark" or "anti" heroes have.

A "dark" hero has to be really well told to be appealing to me. I don't generally like "dark" for dark's sake. There has to be some kind of redeeming or pitiable quality to it.

[nijineko]

i've been fond of the original dr. solar, the question, and the original daredevil since those were some of the first comic books i ever read. when i was home sick from school, my dad dragged out all the old comic books he'd saved over the years, and i would get to read them. always made me look forward to getting sick. ^^

[Bearfoot_Adam]

I'm going to have to breeak away from the DC/ Marvel groups here and say Buffy. I've always thought she was an incredible hero who faced insane challenges both as a hero and as a person. She's also been changed by her experiances, not always for the good but still it shows depth.

[Chi]

Batman because he is just an average man no actual superpowers. He has the most chance of dying and most all around normal.

[nijineko]

well, i guess i've gotta admit it. my first favorite superhero was mighty mouse. read all that i could find. then it was battle of the planets (g-force, for the not-in-the-know), then thunderbirds-gotta love that secret base and the equipment! the original not the recent movie....) and so forth. but i'll always have that nostalgic sneaking fondness for mighty mouse.

nowadays? i would have to say the Anything Goes 5. Silverhawk, Toaster Puppy, Chimneysweep, Network, and Purrkitt. they've been my favorites since my late teens-early twenties, i would guess.

i broke away from the marvel/dc crowd from the first! ^^ but there are some that i like among that crowd too.