100 FAVORITE COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS
80 - 61
I have yet to read all of Sin City yet at this writing, but I would be dammed if the series' most rightfully well-received character was not going to make an appearance here. Of course I mean Marv. Like a number of you out there, my introduction to this lovable lug as well as Sin City in general was through the most faithful comic book movie adaptation in history, being Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller's collaboration. In that respect, Mickey Rourke's Marv is the same Marv from the books. Far as the City of Sin goes, I rather like the villains the best over all, Kevin and Yellow Bastard specifically. Still, Marv is an exception and probably the funniest character in it. Mr. Frank Miller himself said that his inspiration for him was to be "Conan in a trench coat"; just a massive beast who could be swinging axes and pillaging the loins of women if living in the barbarian age. Nothing not to love about that.
The Helena Bertinelli Huntress is sort of a more badass version of Batgirl or even Batman himself. The similarities are quite noticeable. Both Bertinelli and Bruce Wayne witnessed their parents, (or in her case, her entire family), get murdered in front of them, plus both vowed to whoop a whole lot of bad guy ass when they reached adulthood. Bertinelli's vendetta was even more personal than Wayne's and she originally complied not at all to Bats "no kill policy". Eventually, Huntress settled down into a role with the Birds of Prey along with Barbara Gordon (Oracle) as well as Black Canary. She has pretty much always been on the side of good, be it the more troubled and traumatic side. Her various costumes have run the gamut of sexy to ridiculous, but they hardly ever venture into practical. Then again, whose costume really does?
Out of the consistently-appearing League of Extraordinary Gentlemen characters, I would call Orlando the best or at the very least, certainly the most interesting. Like everything that appears in the League Universe, Orlando is based off of previously established literary sources, in this case several. Chief among them is Virginia Wolf's Orlando: A Biography, though a handful of famous and lesser known characters with the same name also creep into the League Orlando. An ageless, sexless immortal whose gender changes involuntarily every few decades, who loves nothing more that fucking everyone he/she has ever met. This includes many upon many upon many lovers throughout the centuries. Having been around so long, he/she is also learned a thing or two about kicking some ass as well as tapping it and Orlando is a self-described "world's finest warrior".
Essentially a big angry dude who likes to smash things, (a premise Stan Lee was clearly comfortable with using), Cain Marko the Juggernaut has quite a bit more interesting touches to his credit. First off, he is Professor X's step-brother because why would he not be? Secondly and as many people, including the writers of the third X-Men movie, are unaware, he is not a mutant. The entire source of his earth-shattering, mountain-breaking abilities comes from the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, powered by said deity. He got lumped into the X-Men arc due to his linking with Charles Xavier, where he has stayed ever since. Regardless of his origin, Cain Marko is about as powerful as any earthbound hero can possibly get as the Juggernaut. Invincible and untouchable, he can laugh at Thor when getting attacked by Mjolnir, does not need to do basic staying alive things like eating, breathing, or sleeping, and can plow through absolutely anything continuously when fully charged up. He is a guy you do not want to fuck with basically, but unfortunately, he most always wants to fuck with you.
I have a theory that comic book colorists get bored really quickly with using yellow, black, and brown and therefor this explains why we have such an alarmingly large amount of redheaded comic book characters out there. Specifically women characters because hey, boobs are fun. Yet I digress. Russian spy turned full-time S.H.I.E.L.D member cum Avenger Natalia Romanova has one of the better origin stories out there. Pretty much bound for switching sides from the beginning, Romanova's shady and criminal past has consistently come back to bite her in the ass ever since, long after she has turned into one of the most fully competent and admirable "normal" heroes in the Marvel Universe. "Normal" meaning no superpowers, just the type of fighting skills, weaponry expertise, and straight-up ninja shit dominance that a human can master.
Having a super villain whose super power is "time travel" might sound a bit "buh?" on paper, but it is actually wickedly awesome where Kang the Conqueror is concerned. Upon discovering Doctor Doom's time travel technology, 30th Century born Nathanial Richards immediately travels back to Ancient Egypt to rule as a Pharaoh until ultimately getting defeated by the Fantastic Four and later the West Coast Avengers. So right there, having a character that was born way into the future, traveling way back in time, and then eventually terrorizing the present with gadgets and the know-how from every technological age ever, that is the stuff of greatness. Kang has continued to be one of the uppermost Avengers and FF villains, with almost limitless tricks and schemes of ruling humanity and the cosmos. He is also yet another one to rock some purple in his bomb-ass costume.
Plants are hardly the most formidable weapon one could think of to give a super villain. I guess someone had to use the idea though. Who would have thought that a redhead who first debuted all the way back in 1966 would be in it for the long haul. As one of Batman's main rogues,and the second most prominent female one, Dr. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy has emerged as the supreme Eco-terrorist in all of comicdome. Growing murderous plants and poisonous toxins to rid the world of us despicable humans for decades now, as well as being a mutant/plant hybrid of sorts herself, Ivy also works her seductive mojo by using her sexuality and hummina hummina looks to get what she wants. A feminist super villain to be sure, she has grown more threatening and relevant through the years, all Uma Thurman portrayal-ness aside.
Alan Moore's interpretation of H. G. Well's Invisible Man Griffin is pretty much the most hilariously and wickedly evil one perhaps ever committed to paper. Hawley Griffen, (the first name is taken from a non Wells source, an actual Edwardian wife murderer Hawley Crippen), appears very little in only the very first League of Extraordinary Gentlemen volume and arc. Or should I say "does NOT appear", har har? Anyway, Griffin is basically a completely vile sociopathic rapist who more than creeps out the rest of his reluctant League members to the point where eventually Mr. Hyde simply has enough after catching Griffin in the act and does away with him in the single best moment thus far from any of the League books. It is a stupendously disturbing and laugh-out-loud finale and as much as I love the Universal Monster Invisible Man film, this has got to be the best thing said character has ever appeared in.
Skrull
warrior Kl'rt, (better known as Super Skrull), may be the most
perfectly constructed arch villain in history. Handpicked and augmented
by the Skrull empire to become a personal living weapon against Earth's
Fantastic Four, Kl'rt was simply given all four of the FF's superpowers
to utilize at his leisure. It is like the Red Skull saying "Fuck it, I
want a Captain America super soldier serum enhanced body too" and oh
wait, that totally happened didn't it? Anyway, Super Skrull is
actually far more powerful in each particular FF talent, as well as
still being a shape-shifting Skrull with hypnotic abilities. Because comic books though, he is still constantly thwarted in his attempts to destroy
the FF, despite his clearly defined superiority. Must be a strength in numbers thing in the Fantastic Four's favor then.
71. DEADPOOL
This is my sole inclusion on this list that Rob Liefeld had a hand in creating so worry not, no more pouch-covered/anatomy challenged heroes or villains with tiny feet shall be present. Credit where it is due though, everybody loves Deadpool. Yet another mutant spawned from the same Weapon X program that pimped-out both Wolverine and Sabbertooth, Deadpool's regenerating ability rather takes Wolverine's own to a comical extreme. Deadpool Wade Wilson, (which sounds like a cartoon character's name already), is literally invincible. This guy has gotten incinerated and decapitated and just as quickly as his body has been reduced to nothingness, he simply regrows a new one and continues his wise-cracking ways. Which is the other thing that he is most famous for, basically being an R-rated Spider-Man that works out his stand-up material in mid-battle. He is one of the few Marvel characters to break the fourth wall as well, his tomfoolery knowing no bounds.
70. LUCIFER
I kind of have two versions of Satan on this list, both Marvel's and DC/Vertigo's. The Neil Gaiman "created" Lucifer Morningstar debuted in the greatest comic book series of all time Sandman in 1989. A supporting character adrift a slew of supporting characters in said book, this blonde and dashing Lord of Darkness played majorly in the best Sandman arc ever, where he abandons Hell permanently to retire on Earth, eventually settling into the roll of a lounge pianist for the HELL of it, (get it?). In sharp contrast to many an interpretation of the Great Deceiver, Gaiman's Lucifer resembles not at all a monstrous, horned demon or even just a creepy dude with fiery eyes. Instead, he is a tall, wickedly handsome Aryan-esque figure, still all imposing and at the core of it, still evil. He is also very much Milton-influenced; proud, arrogant, and just as a former angel would be, omnipotently powerful.
69. HENRY PYM
I will be the first to admit that Ant-Man is pretty fucking stupid, but Giant Man/Goliath is pretty awesome. Original Avenger Henry "Hank" Pym was both, as well as guy-who-can-fly Yellowjacket for a period. Though I have never understood the need for a solo Ant-Man series or even more the soon to be unleashed solo Ant-Man movie, Pym seems far better suited as a supporting character to the Avengers when not in his Giant Man form. I believe the nine-hundredth and forty-second genius scientist in the Marvel Universe, Pym created Ultron who therefor ultimately created Vision. His "Pym particles" growth manipulation technology has been utilized by many, including both Janet Van Dyke and Clint Barton, (Wasp and Hawkeye respectively). Speaking of the Wasp, he and Van Dyke were married for decades and eventually Pym snapped and smacked her around which therefor makes him a wife-beater. The lesson being that nobody is perfect I suppose.
68. BLADE
Besides Count Dracula himself, the best thing that the excellent Tomb of Dracula title from the 70s ever produced was the vampire hunter Blade. The fact that Jim Brown was an inspiration for the character just adds to the existing awesome tenfold. Blade was a supporting player in Tomb, occasionally teaming up with Quincy Harker's gang of fearless vampire killers yet for the most part, he went solo on his own personal vendetta against the undead. Blade's origin as a half-breed whose mother was bitten by Deacon Frost while pregnant and therefor rendered Blade himself with all the plus sides to vampirism, (super-strength, invulnerability), as well as the plus sides to being human, (sunlight = not death), makes him not only one of the best comic book characters, but also one of the best in all of contemporary vampire lore. Plus Sesley Wipes is awesome.
67. BARBARA GORDON
As if there already were not enough stupendous things to love about the 1960s Batman TV show, the creation of Batgirl Barbara Gordon simply would not have happened at least the way that it did without said program's producers asking for a female protagonist to join the Batman and Robin team. Thus Commissioner Gordon's librarian by day/crime-fighter by night daughter was born. Of course for anyone who has continued to read comics past the 60s and that show's eventual demise, it is well known that Babs Gordon underwent a serious character reworking down the road. For that we have none other than comics finest mad wizard author Alan Moore to thank. By the hand of the Joker in Moore's The Killing Joke one-off, Gordon's Batgirl became no more and eventually would resurface as Gotham's best and foremost wheelchair-bound technological mastermind Oracle. Which then gave way to Birds of Prey of course. So, much good things.
66. JOHNNY "NNY" C.
I really wish that I have read more non-superhero independent comics thus far, so when the day comes that I have, perhaps I will revise this list. For the moment, two of the best graphic novels I HAVE read are Jhonen Vasquez's Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Sqee respectfully. The main antagonist of the former is Johnny C, you guessed it, a homicidal maniac. Johnny has murdered possibly thousands of people, including pretty much every single person that has annoyed him if only for a brief moment. After torturing and mutilating them, he then paints his house with their blood to keep an evil monster out. All the while, he gives ranting monologues and never, ever gets caught or even gains the authorities attention. This happens even when he is going on a murder spree in broad daylight out in public. The humor is incredibly dark and disturbed of course and incredibly hilarious as well.
65. MOON KNIGHT
The more I read about Marc Spector, the more I dig him. I always thought Moon Knight just looked cool, but it was not until I actually read some stuff with him that I realized how kick-ass he is. "Batman with a personality disorder" is a good starting point to describe him, yet there is a whole lot more going on than that. A former mercenary, Marine, C.I.A. member, boxer, and at one point Hollywood producer of his life story, Marc Spector has been much besides a costumed crime-fighter. He has also been pretty nucking futs the whole time. Spector's mental instability is either the effect of or cause of his alleged Egyptian-moon-god Khonshu-enhanced powers and in more recent years, he has gotten so far off his rocker that he thinks he is Wolverine, Captain America, and Spider-Man in any given situation. Through it all, he is still an Avenger and on the side of good. He also still looks cool.
64. CYCLOPS
No character believes in the ideals of Professor Charles Xavier more than Scott Summers, which even includes the Professor himself. As Cyclops, Summers was and has remained the X Men's clear-cut field general and second/occasionally first in command. Summers is dedicated to the X-Men's cause more than any mutant alive or dead and he is pretty much the atypical "good guy" where all mutant related arcs are concerned. I still find it slightly amusing that despite the character's iconic standing, he actually has one of the dumbest and certainly most impracticable mutant abilities in the Marvel Universe. Uncontrollably shooting lasers out of ones eyes sounds more like a deranged side-effect from some alien encounter or mad scientist experiment in a horror movie that would almost certainly spell near instantaneous death than anything else. Instead, it was carefully contained by Prof. X and so long as the visor or sunglasses stay on, all is well and good I guess.
63. VENOM
The premise for what would become Venom is pretty damn solid, being an alien symbiote who requires a human host and then grants them with superpowers. The fact that the symbiote is evil and therefor usually seeks out such like-minded hosts has made the character of "Venom" a villain since day one. Well technically Spider-Man was the first character to come in contact with the gooey alien substance that changed his red and blue suite to a more bad-ass black and white one. Yet after discovering what the substance was, it was wisely discarded. Only of course to find its way to the longest serving Venom host and most well known, Eddie Brock. As I have said before, I like arch enemies who are mirror images of their hero counterpart. In this regard, an evil alien monster Spider-Man is just a wickedly awesome idea. The fact that S.H.I.E.L.D. itself ranks the symbiote as one of the human races very greatest threats certainly means serious business as well.
62. LEX LUTHOR
Outside of Gotham city, DC probably does not have a more popular super villain in its roster than Superman's arch-foe Lex Luthor. The hairless baddie has been everything from a generic mad scientist, to an industrialist, white-collar criminal, to even the President of the United States, (figure that one out). All the while, he generally plots his every move to the tune of ridding the world of that Kryptonian in blue Superman. Every super villain ever created seems to be a certifiable genius, Lex certainly serving and even helping establish the stereotype since the character is almost eighty years old now. My favorite treatment of him so far has been the one in Mark Millar's outstanding Superman: Red Son one-off, where he brilliantly and very subtly twists Luthor into the stories' hero. Ultimately, it is a test to the character's staying power that a mere meglomaniacal human with zero super powers can remain a threat while sticking around so long, constantly opposed to the ways of the god-like Superman. Hats off indeed.
61. PROFESSOR X
I did not mean to put two bald chaps right next to each other, but here we are. Probably the most important mutant in the entire Marvel Universe, Professor Charles Xavier is not only the entire reason that the X-Men exist, but he is also mutant-kinds truest and noblest savior. Arguably the most powerful telepath on earth, Prof. X's mutant ability could have made him the single most dangerous villain of all time. Instead of getting inside of everyone's head and making them all wear pink tutus and build pyramids in his honor, he has instead used it to build the Cerebro computer, locate, recruit, and train every mutant he can, and unwavering preach the peaceful co-existence of both the homo-sapient and homo-superior species. As impressive as his powers and certifiable genius are, writers have constantly found ways to limit his abilities, such as Magneto's helmet per example. Yet Xavier's importance is undeniable still. Originally, Stan Lee simply liked the idea and the challenge of putting a superhero in a wheelchair, but as is the case with many of his humble intentions, further greatness has followed the Professor throughout all the years since.
This is my sole inclusion on this list that Rob Liefeld had a hand in creating so worry not, no more pouch-covered/anatomy challenged heroes or villains with tiny feet shall be present. Credit where it is due though, everybody loves Deadpool. Yet another mutant spawned from the same Weapon X program that pimped-out both Wolverine and Sabbertooth, Deadpool's regenerating ability rather takes Wolverine's own to a comical extreme. Deadpool Wade Wilson, (which sounds like a cartoon character's name already), is literally invincible. This guy has gotten incinerated and decapitated and just as quickly as his body has been reduced to nothingness, he simply regrows a new one and continues his wise-cracking ways. Which is the other thing that he is most famous for, basically being an R-rated Spider-Man that works out his stand-up material in mid-battle. He is one of the few Marvel characters to break the fourth wall as well, his tomfoolery knowing no bounds.
I kind of have two versions of Satan on this list, both Marvel's and DC/Vertigo's. The Neil Gaiman "created" Lucifer Morningstar debuted in the greatest comic book series of all time Sandman in 1989. A supporting character adrift a slew of supporting characters in said book, this blonde and dashing Lord of Darkness played majorly in the best Sandman arc ever, where he abandons Hell permanently to retire on Earth, eventually settling into the roll of a lounge pianist for the HELL of it, (get it?). In sharp contrast to many an interpretation of the Great Deceiver, Gaiman's Lucifer resembles not at all a monstrous, horned demon or even just a creepy dude with fiery eyes. Instead, he is a tall, wickedly handsome Aryan-esque figure, still all imposing and at the core of it, still evil. He is also very much Milton-influenced; proud, arrogant, and just as a former angel would be, omnipotently powerful.
I will be the first to admit that Ant-Man is pretty fucking stupid, but Giant Man/Goliath is pretty awesome. Original Avenger Henry "Hank" Pym was both, as well as guy-who-can-fly Yellowjacket for a period. Though I have never understood the need for a solo Ant-Man series or even more the soon to be unleashed solo Ant-Man movie, Pym seems far better suited as a supporting character to the Avengers when not in his Giant Man form. I believe the nine-hundredth and forty-second genius scientist in the Marvel Universe, Pym created Ultron who therefor ultimately created Vision. His "Pym particles" growth manipulation technology has been utilized by many, including both Janet Van Dyke and Clint Barton, (Wasp and Hawkeye respectively). Speaking of the Wasp, he and Van Dyke were married for decades and eventually Pym snapped and smacked her around which therefor makes him a wife-beater. The lesson being that nobody is perfect I suppose.
Besides Count Dracula himself, the best thing that the excellent Tomb of Dracula title from the 70s ever produced was the vampire hunter Blade. The fact that Jim Brown was an inspiration for the character just adds to the existing awesome tenfold. Blade was a supporting player in Tomb, occasionally teaming up with Quincy Harker's gang of fearless vampire killers yet for the most part, he went solo on his own personal vendetta against the undead. Blade's origin as a half-breed whose mother was bitten by Deacon Frost while pregnant and therefor rendered Blade himself with all the plus sides to vampirism, (super-strength, invulnerability), as well as the plus sides to being human, (sunlight = not death), makes him not only one of the best comic book characters, but also one of the best in all of contemporary vampire lore. Plus Sesley Wipes is awesome.
As if there already were not enough stupendous things to love about the 1960s Batman TV show, the creation of Batgirl Barbara Gordon simply would not have happened at least the way that it did without said program's producers asking for a female protagonist to join the Batman and Robin team. Thus Commissioner Gordon's librarian by day/crime-fighter by night daughter was born. Of course for anyone who has continued to read comics past the 60s and that show's eventual demise, it is well known that Babs Gordon underwent a serious character reworking down the road. For that we have none other than comics finest mad wizard author Alan Moore to thank. By the hand of the Joker in Moore's The Killing Joke one-off, Gordon's Batgirl became no more and eventually would resurface as Gotham's best and foremost wheelchair-bound technological mastermind Oracle. Which then gave way to Birds of Prey of course. So, much good things.
I really wish that I have read more non-superhero independent comics thus far, so when the day comes that I have, perhaps I will revise this list. For the moment, two of the best graphic novels I HAVE read are Jhonen Vasquez's Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Sqee respectfully. The main antagonist of the former is Johnny C, you guessed it, a homicidal maniac. Johnny has murdered possibly thousands of people, including pretty much every single person that has annoyed him if only for a brief moment. After torturing and mutilating them, he then paints his house with their blood to keep an evil monster out. All the while, he gives ranting monologues and never, ever gets caught or even gains the authorities attention. This happens even when he is going on a murder spree in broad daylight out in public. The humor is incredibly dark and disturbed of course and incredibly hilarious as well.
The more I read about Marc Spector, the more I dig him. I always thought Moon Knight just looked cool, but it was not until I actually read some stuff with him that I realized how kick-ass he is. "Batman with a personality disorder" is a good starting point to describe him, yet there is a whole lot more going on than that. A former mercenary, Marine, C.I.A. member, boxer, and at one point Hollywood producer of his life story, Marc Spector has been much besides a costumed crime-fighter. He has also been pretty nucking futs the whole time. Spector's mental instability is either the effect of or cause of his alleged Egyptian-moon-god Khonshu-enhanced powers and in more recent years, he has gotten so far off his rocker that he thinks he is Wolverine, Captain America, and Spider-Man in any given situation. Through it all, he is still an Avenger and on the side of good. He also still looks cool.
No character believes in the ideals of Professor Charles Xavier more than Scott Summers, which even includes the Professor himself. As Cyclops, Summers was and has remained the X Men's clear-cut field general and second/occasionally first in command. Summers is dedicated to the X-Men's cause more than any mutant alive or dead and he is pretty much the atypical "good guy" where all mutant related arcs are concerned. I still find it slightly amusing that despite the character's iconic standing, he actually has one of the dumbest and certainly most impracticable mutant abilities in the Marvel Universe. Uncontrollably shooting lasers out of ones eyes sounds more like a deranged side-effect from some alien encounter or mad scientist experiment in a horror movie that would almost certainly spell near instantaneous death than anything else. Instead, it was carefully contained by Prof. X and so long as the visor or sunglasses stay on, all is well and good I guess.
The premise for what would become Venom is pretty damn solid, being an alien symbiote who requires a human host and then grants them with superpowers. The fact that the symbiote is evil and therefor usually seeks out such like-minded hosts has made the character of "Venom" a villain since day one. Well technically Spider-Man was the first character to come in contact with the gooey alien substance that changed his red and blue suite to a more bad-ass black and white one. Yet after discovering what the substance was, it was wisely discarded. Only of course to find its way to the longest serving Venom host and most well known, Eddie Brock. As I have said before, I like arch enemies who are mirror images of their hero counterpart. In this regard, an evil alien monster Spider-Man is just a wickedly awesome idea. The fact that S.H.I.E.L.D. itself ranks the symbiote as one of the human races very greatest threats certainly means serious business as well.
Outside of Gotham city, DC probably does not have a more popular super villain in its roster than Superman's arch-foe Lex Luthor. The hairless baddie has been everything from a generic mad scientist, to an industrialist, white-collar criminal, to even the President of the United States, (figure that one out). All the while, he generally plots his every move to the tune of ridding the world of that Kryptonian in blue Superman. Every super villain ever created seems to be a certifiable genius, Lex certainly serving and even helping establish the stereotype since the character is almost eighty years old now. My favorite treatment of him so far has been the one in Mark Millar's outstanding Superman: Red Son one-off, where he brilliantly and very subtly twists Luthor into the stories' hero. Ultimately, it is a test to the character's staying power that a mere meglomaniacal human with zero super powers can remain a threat while sticking around so long, constantly opposed to the ways of the god-like Superman. Hats off indeed.
I did not mean to put two bald chaps right next to each other, but here we are. Probably the most important mutant in the entire Marvel Universe, Professor Charles Xavier is not only the entire reason that the X-Men exist, but he is also mutant-kinds truest and noblest savior. Arguably the most powerful telepath on earth, Prof. X's mutant ability could have made him the single most dangerous villain of all time. Instead of getting inside of everyone's head and making them all wear pink tutus and build pyramids in his honor, he has instead used it to build the Cerebro computer, locate, recruit, and train every mutant he can, and unwavering preach the peaceful co-existence of both the homo-sapient and homo-superior species. As impressive as his powers and certifiable genius are, writers have constantly found ways to limit his abilities, such as Magneto's helmet per example. Yet Xavier's importance is undeniable still. Originally, Stan Lee simply liked the idea and the challenge of putting a superhero in a wheelchair, but as is the case with many of his humble intentions, further greatness has followed the Professor throughout all the years since.
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