After over 1,000 ballots had been solid, YOU the reader ranked your favourite DC and Marvel comedian guide characters from 1-10. I assigned level totals to every rating after which tabulated all of it right into a High 50 checklist. We’re now revealing that checklist for the remainder of November and into December. The countdown continues now…
I used to do type of “biographies” for every of the characters on the checklist, however you recognize what, they’re on the High 100 DC and Marvel characters checklist, so I believe we ought to be working underneath the belief that you simply all just about know the fundamental details about these characters. As an alternative, I am going to simply write about no matter pursuits me concerning the character in query, together with a notable comedian guide second that includes the character.
40. Alfred Pennyworh – 288 factors (5 first place votes)
Launched by Invoice Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson, Alfred initially was a rotund goofy little man. He ultimately grew to become skinny (to tie in with the Batman movie serial of the time).
Up till the Eighties, although, Alfred was somebody that didn’t come into Bruce Wayne’s life till a lot later. It was first the Tremendous Powers cartoon however then most notably Frank Miller’s Darkish Knight Returns and Batman: Yr One which modified this, and it was Miller who established Alfred’s new sarcastic wit, which Miller patterned after the butler within the movie Arthur. Up till this level, Alfred was very a lot simply the loyal servant, providing criticism solely when requested. Now he served as a dissenting voice to Batman’s campaign. His position as Batman’s subject physician additionally expanded. He went from being a personality who constantly appeared within the comics however not often received a lot of his personal plots (though Gerry Conway notably DID add an espionage background to Alfred throughout his run on the Batman titles). Now that he was established as Batman’s important assured, his position has grown significantly.
Of their final common concern of Batman (earlier than transferring on to Batman and Robin after which Batman Integrated), Grant Morrison has Alfred clarify his position within the lifetime of Batman fantastically…
He is positively a novel supporting character. He has been probably the most translated supporting characters in exterior media, as effectively, as whereas Robin comes and goes in Batman’s movie depictions, there’s all the time an Alfred within the films. Lately, he even obtained his personal TV sequence the place we get to see the stuff that he received as much as earlier than he grew to become the Wayne’s butler.
39. Demise – 291 factors (2 first place votes)
Demise is among the Infinite, the group of siblings who symbolize highly effective forces or points of the universe, like, effectively, Demise. Created by Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg, Demise typically stops by to speak together with her brother, Dream, and typically to get entangled in different plot factors.
In a intelligent strategy, Demise is portrayed as a hip younger lady, who is absolutely fairly good.
She typically has fascinating encounters with mortals, which made up the majority of the 2 Demise mini-series (additionally by Gaiman, however with artist Chris Bachalo).
38. Darkseid – 293 factors (2 first place votes)
Darkseid was the primary of Jack Kirby’s notable “Fourth World” characters to point out up in comics, debuting in, of all locations, Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen!
Darkseid is an evil cosmic tyrant who reigns over the dreaded planet, Apokolips.
He’s consistently waging conflict in opposition to the opposite New Gods, who’re a lot nicer than him. He additionally does this very slyly at occasions, just like the traditional “The Pact” the place he units up a peace treaty that includes giving up his personal son, Orion, as a part of a truce that he KNOWS have to be damaged (as a result of he plans on making a situation the place Highfather’s son, Scott Free, could be compelled to flee from Apokolips, thus breaking the deal)….
Darkseid is fascinated with Earth, as a result of Earth comprises someplace the important thing to the Anti-Life Equation, which Darkseid wishes. Various his storylines have concerned his quest for the highly effective equation. Within the traditional Closing Disaster crossover, Darkseid truly succeeded in buying the Anti-Life Equation and, for a time, was even in whole management of the Earth itself!
Darkseid is thought for his Omega Beams, that are laser blasts from his eyes that may hunt down and destroy a goal from numerous distance away.
Darkseid has been featured prominently as a DC villain since Kirby’s Fourth World titles folded, most prominently most likely throughout Jim Starlin’s Cosmic Odyssey and in Levitz/Giffen’s Legion of Superheroes (as Darkseid exhibits up sooner or later).
Within the New 52, invasions of Earth by Darkseid impressed not solely the common New 52 Earth but in addition the New 52 Earth 2. The traditional storyline, The Darkseid Warfare, was the conclusion of Geoff Johns’ future on the Justice League.
37. Mister Miracle (Scott Free) – 298 factors (4 first place votes)
Mister Miracle was a creation of Jack Kirby, as a part of his Fourth World line of comedian books.
Scott Free was the son of Highfather, the chief of New Genesis, however as part of a truce, was swapped with the son of evil Darkseid, chief of Apokolips. Scott grew up on the wretched planet, Apokolips, together with his heritage unknown to him. He ultimately grew to despise Darkseid, and started to insurgent in opposition to the tyrant’s regime (it was right here that he met his future bride, Huge Barda).
Free escaped to Earth (which nullified the truce, simply as Darkseid had deliberate all of it alongside), the place he apprenticed to an escape artist named Mister Miracle (Thaddeus Brown). Brown was murdered, leaving Scott to take up the title and the costume (though refitted with expertise from New Genesis).
Kirby made positive to attempt to work in not less than one wonderful escape into each concern of the sequence (Kirby was influenced by Jim Steranko’s tales of working as an escape artist when he was a younger man. These tales would later encourage Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize profitable novel, The Wonderful Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, as effectively).
Ultimately, Barda escaped as effectively, and the 2 had been ultimately married. Exterior of a short revival within the late Seventies with Marshall Rogers drawing the guide, Mister Miracle was largely in comedian guide limbo for a decade or so. That was modified in 1987 when he grew to become a member of the then-newly rebooted Justice League.
The strategy that Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis took to the character was that Scott and Barda moved to the suburbs and had been attempting to regulate to life on Earth as yuppies. The success of the Justice League sequence led to a spin-off that includes that tackle the couple. Scott additionally continued to be a profitable entertainer together with his escape methods.
After their time within the Justice League ended, Scott and Barda had been largely peripheral characters for the following couple of many years, with Barda’s time within the Birds of Prey oddly sufficient briefly making her the MORE outstanding character of the 2. When the New 52 occurred, it took a number of years earlier than Mister Miracle and Huge Barda lastly confirmed up.
Lately, although, Tom King and Mitch Gerads had a critically acclaimed maxiseries spotlighting the couple, bringing new prominence to Mister Miracle. The sequence opens with Scott making an attempt suicide and the remainder of the sequence offers with the ramifications of that act…
It is an impressed take a look at life, love and psychological well being that redefines the character for immediately.
36. Hawkman – 306 factors (2 first place votes)
Hawkman is a difficult one, as he’s mainly a merger of two heroes who had been fairly distinct for a few years. Fortunately, this 12 months, the votes had been all fairly constant as being only for “Hawkman” as an entire, so I did not have to fret about combining votes for Carter Corridor with votes for Katar Hol (and the all the time troublesome “Carter Corridor ranked in a single spot and Katar Hol ranked in one other spot on the identical checklist” dilemma).
Carter Corridor was created by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville, whereas Katar was created by Fox and Joe Kubert.
The previous was an archaeologist who found an historic steel that allowed him to fly, and found that he was the reincarnation of an historic Egyptian prince. Corridor used weapons from his museum to assist struggle dangerous guys. He was within the Justice Society of America, however Put up-Disaster he would later additionally grew to become a member of the Justice League, as a type of senior adviser.
Katar Hol was a tricky house cop from Thanagar, a world the place folks fly round with pretend wings utilizing mainly the identical steel. Hol was a member of the Justice League of America. He (and his spouse and associate) was kicking ass proper from the get go.
Dig that Joe Kubert artwork! He didn’t do a variety of superhero work, however what he did was wonderful.
After some complicated continuity over time, Carter and Katar merged collectively – forming one Hawkman. However this was kinda bizarre, so he actually went into limbo on the finish of his sequence.
When he returned, within the pages of JSA, Hawkman was simply Carter Corridor. Katar was lifeless, and it was simply Carter Corridor controlling the physique (whereas sharing the recollections of Katar and Carter). So Hawkman was then again to fundamentals – archeology, flying, museums, and large maces.
Right here, James Robinson, Geoff Johns, Rag Morales and Michael Bair present the mixed Hawkman, as he and Hawkgirl talk about the truth that they’re recincarnated lovers who additionally occur to have an area connection to Thanagar…
Within the New 52, Hawkman went by means of an entire bunch of various takes till they lastly settled on simply going again to the tried and true set-up that Geoff Johns had provide you with in JSA, the concept there is only one, reincarnated Hawkman who has lived all kinds of outrageous lives in quite a lot of settings, however basically, is simply an archaeologist who flies and carries an enormous mace.
It has been over 80 years and nobody has actually upgraded that unique character design from approach again when.
