Favorite Superhero of All Time

**michaeljearley** · 07-18-2008, 01:51 PM

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** · 07-18-2008, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by michaeljearley

...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** · 07-18-2008, 02:10 PM

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** · 07-18-2008, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by michaeljearley

...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** · 07-22-2008, 11:12 AM

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** · 07-22-2008, 01:21 PM

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** · 07-26-2008, 08:06 PM

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** · 08-17-2008, 03:20 PM

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** · 08-21-2008, 11:51 PM

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

**nijineko** · 08-23-2008, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

**hueloovoo** · 12-09-2008, 09:09 AM

Maybe not a lot of people have read him or heard of him, but my favorite superhero of all time is definitely DC's "The Ray." I always was a fan of the obscure heroes, stuff that never really made mainstream, though The Ray did make it into Justice League Task Force for a while before he disappeared. But I loved his attitude, his hints of angst balanced by a sort of dogged determination, and I loved his powers, which rivaled some of the bigger names out there, IMO.

Any other Ray fans out there?

EDIT: Also, Deadpool comes in a close second. Cuz nobody could ever match that mouth of his, and the gleefully insane way he does things. The sheep missile was truly inspired.

**Webhead** · 12-09-2008, 10:02 AM

As for the obscure and mysterious heroes, I've always been partial to the Phantom Stranger. I mean, come on...his origin story was actually 4 different possible origins making even the reader uncertain exactly who he is and where his power comes from. And he's even shown the ability to break the "4th Wall", speaking directly to the reader!

**hueloovoo** · 12-09-2008, 02:21 PM

Breaking the fourth wall is fun now and then, as long as the comic isn't trying to be too serious. I got into the newer series of Green Hornet back in the 90s, and Wonder Man, and Dr. Mirage, and Ninja High School (yeah I know), but The Ray and Deadpool were the best ever. I don't think any of them were into breaking the fourth wall tho, maybe Deadpool, I don't recall for sure.

And alternate possible origins is definitely cool, I haven't read any that did that except a webcomic called "Unicorn Jelly." Really cutesy/funny comic, my favorite of the possible origins for that was: "Everything about a unicorn is steeped in the purest magic. And when a unicorn unwittingly urinated on a mindless evil Jelly, it grew a jelly horn and started to think for itself, questioning its evil ways..."

Needless to say, I like alternate origins.

**Zig** · 12-12-2008, 03:33 AM

I'm a big fan of the anti-heros so the runners up are

Hulk
Deadpool
wolvie
Roshark from watchmen (in prison after throwing boiling soup in a cons face yells "im not locked up in here with you, your locked up in here with me!!")
Punnisher, mike zeck origional mini series best line ever in a comic... he's walking through Rikers in cuffs and the inmates are getting excited saying "its him!" "he's here!" etc and he's thinking "I'm like the hurricane... theres a calm in my eye and I'd like to blow them all away")
Judge Dread
the Killer (wanted)
constantine
grendel

but the all time tops has to be...

Martial Law.
little known of graphic novel now but damn the guy kicked ass, ran around killing the worlds most famous superheroes (who were criminals), was the best graphic I ever read. classic lines "this gun shoots 8 diffrent shades of sh*t, pick a color" and "they say I dont pray for my enemies... I do... I pray they go to hell" and all those lines about how all superheroes are homsexual icons because they save women, children, and dogs..things that can be dominated sexually but never big burly men, etc. god it was funny. plus had a scary costume.. leather nazi SS. suit with a red striped bondage mask and a arms wrapped with red bobwire. ya just gotta see or read it to appreciate. plus had the best master villian of all time (wont spoil it if ya havent read it) and a kick ass nemissis "I am bacteria, I am the lowest form of life... I am a superhero" so many plot twists... damn its good. got bad latter when he teamed up with Pinhead (yeah the cenibite) etc but was good till then.

**Moritz** · 12-21-2008, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by Chi

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

Yeah, but Bats is about the only one who hasn't died, yet.

But they always come back.

We know Jean Grey comes back every other year.

Superman died and split into 8 different characters.

Death sells comics though... and DC has a bullet with Bat's name on it. But he'll be back.