After over 1,000 ballots had been forged, YOU the reader ranked your favourite DC and Marvel comedian e book characters from 1-10. I assigned level totals to every rating after which tabulated all of it right into a Prime 50 checklist. We’re now revealing that checklist for the remainder of November and into December. The countdown continues now…
I used to do form of “biographies” for every of the characters on the checklist, however you realize what, they’re on the Prime 100 DC and Marvel characters checklist, so I believe we needs to be working below the idea that you just all just about know the fundamental details about these characters. As an alternative, I will simply write about no matter pursuits me concerning the character in query, together with a notable comedian e book second that includes the character.
30. Donna Troy – 422 factors (8 first place votes)
Within the late 50s, author Robert Kanigher, within the pages of Surprise Girl, had determined to provide Surprise Girl the identical strategy that Superman was given on the time with the Superboy collection, by telling tales of when Surprise Girl was a toddler (Surprise Tot) and a younger woman (Surprise Lady).
These tales proved to be fairly widespread (so widespread that, by 1965, there could be points the place Surprise Lady’s identify could be bigger than Surprise Girl’s on the title of the comedian), so Kanigher’s subsequent step was, within the early 60s, to start to inform “unattainable tales” the place there could be a team-up of Surprise Girl, herself as a toddler, herself as a woman, and her mom…
A couple of years later, Bob Haney then added Surprise Lady to the roster of the newly fashioned Teen Titans (Robin, Child Flash and Aqualad had had a team-up by Haney and Bruno Premiani a couple of points earlier and it had achieved nicely sufficient that it received a sequel in Courageous and the Daring #60, with the heroes now changing into an official workforce)…
Clearly, Surprise Lady shouldn’t have been capable of be a part of the Teen Titans, as she was only a youthful model of Surprise Girl. Nonetheless, within the comics of the period the place Haney was creating the Titans, Surprise Girl’s comedian lengthy stopped making references to Surprise Lady being something however Surprise Girl’s teen sister. She interacted with Surprise Girl as if she had been her teenage sister and actually, it could be utterly unfair to anticipate Haney to know these information when he was casting Teen Titans.
Surprise Lady was a significant character on the workforce within the early years, however she remained simply “Surprise Lady” till Marv Wolfman coined a reputation for her in Teen Titans #22, the identical difficulty Wolfman had her provide you with a brand new costume…
Nonetheless, when Disaster on Infinite Earths modified DC’s continuity in order that Surprise Girl didn’t arrive from Themyscira till fashionable occasions, then that threw Surprise Lady’s origin for a loop as soon as extra. She could not very nicely have been a longtime Teen Titan if Surprise Girl was solely displaying up now, proper? So her origin was modified in order that she was impressed by the Titans of delusion, along with her new identify changing into Troia…
As Surprise Girl’s origins have modified over time, Donna Troy has returned to being an Amazon and/or Surprise Girl’s sister, however she’s saved the identical fundamental identify and star sample of her Troia arrange, solely going by merely Donna Troy and rocking usually a way more simplified model of the Troia outfit.
29. Kyle Rayner – 460 factors (10 first place votes)
Kyle Rayner, created by Ron Marz and Daryl Banks, was simply a mean struggling Los Angeles artist when an odd little man got here as much as him outdoors a bar and gave him one of the highly effective weapons in the entire universe.
For fairly a time, Kyle was the final Inexperienced Lantern within the universe, given the duty to hold on for the complete Inexperienced Lantern Corps legacy. Kyle quickly discovered that being a hero got here with a worth, as his girlfriend was murdered by a authorities agent on the lookout for Kyle’s energy supply.
The truth is, Kyle had three notable girlfriends within the previous Submit-Disaster DCU, all of whom had been killed at one level or one other. Fortunately, two of them a minimum of, Donna Troy and Jade, later returned.
Very early on, Kyle was regularly pressured to show himself in opposition to Hal Jordan, the best Inexperienced Lantern ever, who had gone mad and grow to be the villainous Parallax.
Kyle quickly received the grasp of being a superhero, becoming a member of the Titans after which the Justice League of America, the place he served with distinction.
When the Inexperienced Lantern Corps had been lastly reborn, Kyle was honored as being the torchbearer for the Corps. He was additionally given a NEW duty, the “Ion” energy. Nonetheless, after getting possessed by Parallax himself, he returned to being a Inexperienced Lantern, one of many high members of the Corps.
Ultimately, Kyle discovered himself answerable for a bunch of beings who represented the varied energies of the lantern spectrum (Inexperienced, Yellow, Crimson, Indigo, Blue and Orange) and Kyle turned the one being to have the ability to put on ALL the rings. He then turned a form of White Lantern himself, however ultimately tried to separate off the facility, in order to not drive himself loopy from having TOO a lot energy. Throughout this time, he additionally developed a relationship with Carol Ferris.
Kyle performed a significant position within the Tom King Omega Males collection, as he was seemingly murdered by the group at first of the collection, however in actuality they faked his loss of life after which secretly recruited him to affix their ranks.
Kyle made his means again to the Inexperienced Lanterns ultimately and was as soon as once more a significant member of the Inexperienced Lantern Corps, the place he stays to this present day.
28. Raven – 464 factors (8 first place votes)
Proper from the beginning, when Marv Wolfman and George Perez launched her after they debuted the New Teen Titans, Raven was a captivating character in how she was cut up between good and evil. She was the daughter of Trigon, one of the evil beings in any dimension, however she had herself a fantastic capability for good. There was all the time that pull in direction of the darkish aspect that precipitated her to query herself all through her life. In an early New Teen Titans story, Raven pledged herself to her father in trade for him leaving Earth alone and we see how horrible it’s to be round such a nasty man, the place each try she makes to do some good is countered by his evil…
A giant deal in these early problems with the New Teen Titans was ensuring that the varied characters all had not solely distinct personalities, however personalities that might play nicely off in opposition to each other. Wolfman described it as such:
Raven was shy and introverted and located it troublesome to speak in confidence to others. Starfire was outgoing and pure, lusty emotion. Surprise Lady, as soon as once more, was straight within the center. The identical type of triangle was created for the fellows. Robin, later Nightwing, was the level-headed and succesful chief who, as a result of he was saved on a good leash by Batman, typically felt insufficient for the duty at hand. He additionally had a have to show himself to Batman. As a result of everybody in his life had died on him, Changeling believed he had little or no to supply anybody and lined it up with an outward bravado. Cyborg was a logical scientist sort who rejected that strategy to grow to be an offended younger man. Nightwing’s logical lifestyle and anger towards his “mother or father” was shared by Cyborg whereas his emotions of inadequacy had been shared by Changeling. Cyborg and Changeling had additionally been bodily altered by their mother and father, and that helped convey them collectively.
The characters had been created so they might play off one another, however they had been nonetheless solely phrases on paper. They wanted to have actual life breathed into them. That occurred when George Pérez got here onto the scene.”
All through her historical past, writers have discovered numerous story mileage out of getting Raven flip evil after which ultimately return to regular. She has additionally died and been reborn and, like numerous the Teen Titans, has been form of de-aged over time to the purpose the place she is now a young person within the comics.
Like many of the different Teen Titans, although, one of many greatest issues for her has been her utilization on the cartoon collection Teen Titans after which Teen Titans Go, the place she was a extra toned down model of that good/evil dichotomy. As an alternative, the angle they went with was making her form of a sarcastic being that the followers have actually gone for in an enormous means.
She’s the straight individual that the entire different Titans’ ridiculousness is performed off of (whereas, in fact, nonetheless sustaining that weird demonic father scenario).
Raven has grow to be an enormous favourite amongst youthful followers and DC has capitalized on that with an acclaimed younger adults graphic novel that includes the character…
The Garcia books have grow to be main hits, making Raven much more of a breakout character.
27. Booster Gold – 480 factors (1 first place vote)
Created by Dan Jurgens, Michael Jon Carter was dwelling a dead-end life sooner or later when he determined to steal some artifacts from a museum he was working at and journey again in time to the twentieth century to grow to be a superhero.
Utilizing the artifacts, Carter customary himself a superhero go well with, full with a drive discipline, flight and laser beams. Initially that means to call himself Goldstar, he by chance answered his nickname Booster (from when he performed soccer) and whereas making an attempt to vary it to Goldstar, as a substitute received tagged with the identify Booster Gold.
Booster was obsessive about wealth and fame, utilizing his superhero powers to make him cash. His creator, Jurgens, defined to CBR a couple of years again concerning the preliminary attraction of the character:
I assumed he’d match the DCU as a result of he was completely different than most anybody else he had. He was additionally of the time, in that celeb tradition was being elevated by means of issues like Folks Journal and Leisure Tonight. Issues had been altering a bit, and I all the time thought that, like athletes, film stars and extra, {that a} hero may play that to his benefit.
He ultimately joined Justice League Worldwide, the place he turned good associates with Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle. The 2 males had various money-making schemes, together with their notorious on line casino plot…
“Blue and Gold” was highly regarded with the followers and at one level, they had been one of the in-demand pairings at DC Comics.
Years later, when Blue Beetle was investigating some dangerous occasions, Booster went to assist his good friend, however was incapacitated, so was unable to be there when his good friend, Ted, was murdered by Maxwell Lord, a person that Ted and Booster thought was their good friend (and the organizer of Justice League Worldwide).
Booster then helped Rip Hunter mainly save the complete multiverse, and was then tasked with changing into a watchdog over well-known superheroes, touring by means of time to ensure that no dangerous guys kill heroes earlier than they BECOME heroes. To take action, Booster needed to stay nameless, so nobody knew what he was doing (and thereby draw consideration to it). Because of this, Booster Gold – the person who loves fame, may inform nobody that he was one of many best heroes on Earth. Throughout this time, he had a very painful journey the place he tried to sort things that he WASN’T supposed to vary, like Barbara Gordon being shot. Every time it went horribly fallacious, as time would not let him repair it…
A couple of years again, Booster Gold was caught up in some bother throughout Heroes in Disaster, but it surely was good to see that since Blue Beetle is as soon as once more alive within the DC Universe, the Blue and Gold workforce has reformed, and so they stay devoted associates to one another, particularly in Booster’s time of want (the place he was suspected of probably murdering a bunch of harmless superheroes at a superhero trauma rehab heart).
26. Poison Ivy – 496 factors (7 first place votes)
Poison Ivy is an odd little duck. Launched by Robert Kanigher, Sheldon Moldoff and Joe Giella, she first appeared as a standard criminal, only one with a fantastic deal extra aptitude than most…
Quickly she developed into extra of an skilled in toxins and stuff like that. Type of just like the Captain America villain Viper.
She additionally gained an origin and a reputation (Lillian Rose) from Gerry Conway that Neil Gaiman later retconned for the cooler Pamela Isley origin, which continues to be round to this present day (examine that on this previous Deserted an’ Forsaked).
Over time, she gained plant powers and that made her a a lot cooler villain and I believe helped her reputation a ton. Right here she is utilizing her powers in No Man’s Land, taking revenge over Clayface, who had imprisoned her for a time…
Lately, she has taken on extra of an anti-hero position. Her relationship with Harley Quinn has been a significant focus of her character over time, as nicely.
Ivy has been a significant character in various media diversifications of the comics, along with her relationship with Harley Quinn originating within the Batman: Animated Sequence, as their friendship was a significant a part of various episodes. It has solely grown deeper within the years since, because the romantic subtext was allowed to lastly grow to be textual content, and their romantic relationship is now a significant focus of numerous their tales collectively.
As well as, the entire “ecological warrior” facet of the character has aged nicely for her in a time of local weather change, so Poison Ivy is known as a character form of constructed for the trendy era.
