You’re walking down one of Gotham City’s many dark alleys, clutching your valuables when you sense a presence behind you. A mugger? Maybe something worse—the city has been suffering through a veritable plague of enhanced criminals, maybe it’s one of those ghoulish guys and gals? Could it be the dreaded Penguin? Maybe you’ll get driven into a fear-driven madness by Scarecrow? You pray it isn’t the most feared of all the city’s enemies…The Joker. Nope, it’s just some guy in a Snowman suit who can produce blue-hued frozen precipitation from his top hat. Phew! Batman deserves a night off anyways. Let’s take a look at the worst villains in comic book history, (then take a look at the worst super heroes!)

10 Real-Life Inspirations For Comic Book Characters

10 Asbestos Lady

First Appearance: Human Torch Comics #27, 1947

We start off with an, (albeit poorly named), villain who isn’t half bad! She burns, burns, burns but never burns herself. Fire has a weapon is common in both heroes and villains in various comic book universes but it how an individual (mortal/non-super) human avoids becoming a smoky, crispy pile of bones is rarely alluded to. Asbestos Lady addressed this potential plot hole—asbestos-lined suits for her and her minions! Couple of problems though—COPD, asbestosis, ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.

It’s hard to think of a villain who is more ‘of their time’ than Asbestos Lady. ‘Betamax Boy’, perhaps? Or, maybe, a baddie called something racially insensitive like ‘The Mandarin’…oh, wait.^[1]

9 Egg Fu

First Appearance: Wonder Woman #157, 1965

Speaking of good ole’ racial insensitivity—enter, Egg Fu. If Humpty-Dumpty had always seemed a bit weird and unsettling to you, why not add in some casual racism? Perhaps Egg Fu was designed to solve Chairman Mao’s blundering during the ‘Great Leap Forward’. So the ‘Four Pests’ campaign (amongst other missteps) cased the death of tens of millions of people? No problem, let’s all tuck into the biggest omelette mankind has ever seen. Thanks, communism!

This diabolical chicken period looks a lot less anti-Asian nowadays but he still seems to be a giant, cybernetically enhanced egg.^[2]

8 Codpiece

First Appearance: Doom Patrol #70, 1993

Hey, men, have you ever been told that you aren’t tall enough? Hurts doesn’t it? You do know what people really mean when they say that, right? They’re talking about your junk! I know—doesn’t it make you just want to invent a set of power armour that includes an ‘Inspector Gadget’ style wang-enhancing section below the belt? No? Just this guy, then.^[3]

7 Rainbow Creature

First Appearance: Batman #134, 1960

This unimaginatively-named monster combated the bat in a South American republic plagued by a wannabe dictator named Diaz. This evil authoritarian has enlisted the help of a primeval creature born from a volcano that is made from four coloured bands, each giving the monster a power that reflects each hue—blue makes things extra cold, red is capable of making things very hot, yellow…turns things to mist and green, as you would expect, turns enemies into two-dimensional, flattened cut-out versions of themselves. Batman managed to trick this festive beast into using all its powers at once which makes it disintegrate, thus saving the South American nation from its insurgent rebel tormentors, returning the citizenry to living under (probably) their even worse current dictator. Gracias, caped crusader.^[4]

6 Blue Snowman

First Appearance: Sensation Comics #59, 1946

This is not the comic book version of that most terri(ble)fying of movie monsters, Jack Frost, the killer snowman, this is the ever-so-impressive foe of Wonder Woman. His powers and/or abilities? How about a corncob pipe that fires icicles? How about a hat that produces snow, and not just any type of snow, blue snow? Yeah, this dude is lame. How lame, you ask? Try reading this premise from ‘All-new Batman: The Brave and the Bold’ #8 without immediately washing your eyes with acid—Blue Snowman crashes the marriage between Batman and Wonder Woman along with a host of evil-doers which include such formidable foes as Amoeba Man, Angle Man, Crimson Centipede, Fireworks Man, Mouse Man, and Paper-Man. *shudder*^[5]

10 Comic Book Heroes Who Could Theoretically Exist

5 Armless Tiger Man

First Appearance: Marvel Mystery Comics #26, 1941

Read the entry title again. Armless. Tiger. Man. And, boy, is he evil! Like many antagonists from this era, he is a Nazi. But not any old jack-booted supremacists, oh no! He has the ferocity of a tiger! And no arms.

Eric Hertz worked in a factory where, because he was probably terrible at his job, both his arms get ripped off by one of the terrible machines. Did he get a fat cheque from the government? Did he file a lawsuit against his company for millions? Nope, he learned how to use his feet and mouth, got his strength enhanced to superhuman levels and embarked on a luddite campaign of wrecking for his Nazi masters. In Wakanda, trying to secure vibranium for the Nazi war effort, The Armless Tiger Man gets shot in the head and sent straight to…Hades, where all dead Nazis go, I guess. In Hades, amongst the Greek Gods, Armless Tiger Man keeps getting his butt kicked by Pluto (uh…that’s Roman Marvel, not Greek), Zeus and Hercules. Guy can’t catch a break.^[6]

4 Snowflame

First Appearance: New Guardians #2, 1988

Colombia. Land of Gabriel García Márquez, one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. Land of arepas and patacones and arroz con coco and a whole cuisine that tantalises. Land of outstanding natural beauty, from the Andes to the Amazon. And, of course, land of cocaine-fuelled super villains.

Snowflame’s vital stats are interesting—his special abilities are mostly the norm (superhuman strength, pyrokinesis, increased speed), but one power is quite unique—cocaine touch. This dude is so wired on the old marching powder that touching him is enough to get wired. His main weakness? Well, he’s addicted to cocaine…seriously addicted. His equipment? Grappling hooks? Hi-tech weaponry? Robot howler monkeys? Nope, it’s cocaine. COCAINE!!!! Aaaargh! This tweaking tormentor pledges his allegiance to, you guessed it, cocaine, proving to be the narcotic’s servant and living embodiment of its, um, will (?) Thank goodness he gets defeated by the ‘New Guardians’, after which, I assume, they had a real party over his corpse—waste not want not (probably not though, he’s back in a new web comic!)^[7]

3 Turner. D. Century

First Appearance: Spider-Woman #33, 1980 (yes, that’s 1980, not 1908)

Who doesn’t love a pun? What’s that, almost everyone hates puns? Somebody should have mentioned that to the Marvel writers back in the 80’s. One panel even addresses this; regarding his marvellous moniker a character quips “…calls himself…ready for this? Turner D Century! Corny…Real corny”. Yeah no ****, Sherlock!

But his cheesy name is the least lame thing about him—that would be his raison d’être. Turner’s dad was a chauffeur to a stuffy millionaire in San Francisco at the turn of the century (19th to 20th). When Turner, originally named Clifford F Michaels, is orphaned he is taken in by the millionaire and raised as his adopted son. What does he learn from his surrogate dad? To hate the way good manners have gone out f fashion. Turner goes on a rampage using his flamethrower umbrella and flying bicycle and a magical horn that has the power to kill people under the age of 65…how rude! At least this insufferable evil-doer foreshadowed the rise of hipsters—a 1900’s inspired, moustachioed loser from San Francisco who utilises modernised versions of outdated tech? Freaky stuff.^[8]

2 Ruby Thursday

First Appearance: The Defenders #32, 1976

Some say the human brain is like a powerful computer network. Nobody says the face is like a powerful computer network. This ‘classic’ foe has replaced her head with, ugh, ‘a mass of organic circuitry’ inside a small, plastic head. Her mission? Get the rest of the human race to adopt a small, plastic head. Chilling. A special one shot series called ‘ I heart Marvel’ celebrating Valentine’s Day, 2006 included Ruby Thursday in a relationship with fellow bad guy ‘Answer’. Seriously.^[9]

1 Spider Man

First Appearance: Whiz Comics #89, 1947

‘But, wait, Spiderman isn’t a villain! Spiderman doesn’t suck, how dare you!” Ok, OK, settle down Mary Jane. This is Spider Man, not Spiderman, the subtle gap is all important. One is a wise-cracking web-slinger and saviour of New York city on many an occasion, beloved by many. This entry is about the other, far less impressive comic creation.

He has the same tech-enhanced abilities as Peter Parker’s alter ego, but that suit! He must be baking. What is it, gorilla fur? If looking like a giant tarantula was his goal, he may want to consider covering his wicked-witch-from-Snow-White-face. Without a mask he looks like he should be holding up a sign for ‘Web-tacular Hotdogs at Jimmy’s! 4 for $5’^[10]

10 Of The Most Offensive Superheroes In The History Of Comics

About The Author: CJ Phillips is an actor and writer living in rural West Wales. He is a little obsessed with lists.

Since 1934, DC Comics has been producing great comics with incredible superheroes who are pitted against some of the toughest villains. Here we are going to list down the 10 greatest DC comic villains:

10. Great Evil Beast

At number 10 position in the 10 greatest DC comic villains lies the Great Evil Beast. Also sometimes known as the Great Darkness or the Ultimate Darkness, the Great Evil Beast is a cosmic entity. Devoid of any kind of light, it came to being when a group of madmen who called themselves Brujería decided to contact the Great Darkness but something went wrong and the furious Great Evil Beast awoke.

It wasn’t aware of its existence before and upon waking up, it was dazzled and confused. It soon learned about the concept of good and evil. The realm of the Great Darkness is called the Sunless Sea or the Shadowlands.

See also: Top 10 Forgotten Princesses Adapted in Comics

9. Imperiex

Created by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill Imperiex made its first appearance in Superman (vol. 2) #153 in 2000. In the form of energy, the Imperiex lives inside a gigantic humanoid set of armour. He is somewhat of a god-like figure who destroys and recreates universes.

Among his several abilities he has superhuman strength, durability, stamina and can create black holes that he uses to suck up universes. In the crossover “Our Worlds at War”, Imperiex appears as the main antagonist.

8. Darkseid

At number 8 position in the 10 greatest DC comic villains lies the Darkseid – a super villain created by writer-artist Jack Kirby. He debuted in the Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 in 1970. He rules the planet Apokolips. Modelled after Adolf Hitler, Darkseid’s ultimate goal is to conquer the universe.

He was even dressed after Hitler’s fashion and world of Apokolips was more or less based on Nazi Germany. His primary power is a form of energy called the Omega Beams which is capable of eradicating all things at sight. Only three superheroes are considered worthy match to Darkseid, namely, Orion, Doomsday and Superman. The Darkseid has appeared in a number of television series, films, video games, etc.

7. Anti-Monitor

The Anti-Monitor was the primary antagonist in the miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. The Anti-Monitor has almost a human-appearance with big features, wide mouth and luminous eye socket. When he was destroyed by the Supergirl he took an unstable form which gave us a peek into what Anti-Monitor really is.

He is a mass of energy held by his armour that he called his “Life Shell”. One of the most formidable foes in the DC Universe, the Anti-Monitor is of a vast size, with unimaginable strength extraordinary durability and has the capability of destroying entire universes. After dying, he again returned in the Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 in 2007.

See also: Top 10 Sexiest Female Comic Book Characters

6. Neron

At number 6 position in the 10 greatest DC comic villains lies Neron. Created by Mark Waid and Howard Porter, Neron first appeared in 1995 in Underworld Unleashed #1. His place of origin is hell and therefore he falls into the Demon species. He has a number of nicknames – “Wishweaver”, “Lord of Lies” and the “King of Hate”.

His job is to persuade people into giving up their souls in exchange of their greatest desire. His special powers are his superhuman strength, telepathy, teleportation, shapeshifting and mastery of maleficium. He is usually drawn to pure clean souls with an intense desire to control and corrupt them.

5. General Zod

General Zod is one of Superman’s arch enemies. Created by Robert Bernstein and by George Papp, General Zod made his debut in Adventure Comics #283 in 1961. He too was born in Superman’s home planet of Krypton and was a warlord there. He exhibits similar super power to that of the Superman.

When he was in Krypton he attempted to take over the planet by building an army of his own clone. He posses cool powers like great strength, speed and power of endurance. He also has incredible vision power. In the latest Superman film Man of Steel (2013), General Zod was played by Michael Shannon.

See also: 10 Greatest Marvel Comic Villains

4. Paragon

At number 4 position in the 10 greatest DC comic villains lies Paragon. Created by Kurt Busiek and Chuck Patton, he first appeared  in Justice League of America vol. 1 #224  in 1984. In the first face-off with the Justice League of America, Paragon squashed them but later the Red Tornado and Green Lantern managed to take him down.

A recurring opponent of Superman, Paragon’s initial goal was to eradicate weak people which just meant three fourth of the whole human population. Among his superpowers, he can duplicate the physical and mental abilities therefore can copy superhuman powers.

3. Amazo

Created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, Amazo debuted in The Brave and the Bold #30 in 1960. Amazo originally started as a one-off story but soon became a recurring villain of the Justice League of America. He is an android created by a mad scientist, Professor Ivo obsessed with the concept of immortality.

Later Amazo reincarnates over and over. His greatest power is the power of duplication of superheroes strength like that of Superman or the speed of Flash. He also ends up duplicating other abilities of the original Justice League of America. Amazo has regularly appeared in several animated television series, video games etc.

2. Nekron

At number 2 position in the 10 greatest DC comic villains lies Nekron. Created by Mike W. Barr, Len Wein and Joe Staton, Nekron appears as a super villain in Green Lantern comics. He first appeared in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps (vol. 1) #2 in 1981.

Nekron hails from a place adjacent to Hell, called the Dead Zone. He himself is an embodiment of death and has got unlimited power. He grows without limit, raises the dead, kills with a touch and is devoid of soul. In the “Blackest Night” story published between 2009 and 2010, Nekron was the primary antagonist.

See also: 10 Inspirations Behind Comic Book Supervillains

1. Parallax

Parallax is a super villain created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 3, #48 in 1994. Parallax’s primary weapon is with fear and mind-control. He is so powerful that he has in the past managed to take control of Spectre, Wonder Women and Superman.

The only way to beat him is to overcome fear.  Parallax has no true physical form and is really an evil energy that feeds off people’s fear.

Related

Every comic book enthusiast has their favorite character. When it comes to comics snagged for the big screen, nothing makes fans quite as happy as when a characters’ importance as portrayed in the comic universes is mirrored in the movie. Studios who nail the results are raking in the cash, especially now that countless DC and Marvel films are released every year.

The result? A lot of comic book characters are being given their 15 minutes of fame. Batman, Captain America, Iron Man—the movies produced for these classic characters have packed a punch at the box office. Even lesser-known superheroes like Starlord have been a hit. 

Unfortunately, some superhero characters aren’t given their well-deserved due and are practically unidentifiable from their canon. And fans aren’t having it. 

It could be a lack of canonical knowledge by the writers, creative liberties gone wrong, or less screen time than they deserve. Either way, it’s an issue that’s affected even the largest production companies. Here are the top 10 comic book characters that were poorly represented in the movies. 

10 Maria Hill in Marvel’s “Avengers” Series

There are many errors in the “Avengers” movie series that twisted the logic of the original story. Some of these slips were relatively small while others will make you wonder if filmmakers paid any attention at all.

In the comics, Maria Hill is part of SHIELD’s top-ranking officers and a divisive director. She’s ambitious, motivated, and aggressive—always ready to do what it takes to take care of the world. This part of her personality often brought her into war with other heroes.

In the film, Hill acts as a second-in-command who blindly follows every command, practically manipulated by Fury. Marvel should have let her powerful personality shine, just like in the comics. Her role wasn’t as well embraced in the film as it deserved.

9 Mandarin in “Iron Man 3”

Many comic book fans hate Mandarin for his characterization not being anywhere close to the comic book character. We realize that Aldrich Killian is the movie’s archrival, as shown by Guy Pearce, but his status of being Iron Man’s main enemy wasn’t depicted in Iron Man 3.

Instead, the movie made him seem to be a different character—more like a confused drug addict and a mysterious terrorist, which may have been controversial. The Mandarin we now know is just a bland character represented by an unaware actor, while the guy behind the scenes is totally different.

8 Lex Luthor and Doomsday in “Dawn of Justice”

Many fans were unmoved by “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” The illogical plot and inconsistent characterization received a lot of criticism.

Typically, Lex Luthor is portrayed as a master manipulator with well-defined goals. Yet in the film, Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex throws away a long-standing characterization. Even his head looked completely different from how he’s supposed to look, forgoing his traditional bad-guy baldness for long locks. The story was highly exaggerated and couldn’t even be compared to real life.

It’s pretty evident that Doomsday wasn’t well-placed in the film either. Why would Superman decide to fight in space? To spare human lives, of course. The worst part is when Doomsday falls from space and effortlessly lands in between two metropolises. Yeah, right.

7 Ben Affleck’s “Daredevil” and Jennifer Garner’s “Elektra”

We have to ask: did Ben Affleck have zero interest in playing Daredevil? Because he didn’t make much of an effort. Daredevil is the most basic and one-dimensional translation of Frank Miller’s lawyer-turned-blind-vigilante. So much wasted potential. In all honesty, the movie represented Matt Murdock’s character respectfully. But the movie was generally dull and unexciting.

And while Jennifer Garner is a good actress, many critics claim that Elektra’s material and direction were all over the place. Like Affleck, Jennifer was honest in press interviews, claiming that she thought the movie was bad. She also said that she only did it because of her contractual commitments to the franchise.

6 Bean in “Enders’ Game”

Originating from the Orson Scott Card book, Enders’ game was later translated into a comic book character in 2008. Bean was among the last of Ender’s friends at Battle School, helping Ender with the Dragon Army and a team member of Ender’s as they fought against the buggers. Unfortunately, he wasn’t well-developed in the movie, especially compared to the comic book character.

It’s clear from the canon that Bean was a factor in Ender’s victories as he ranked number two in Battle School. The two supported each other on several occasions. Besides that, the only students who got represented well in the movie were Petra Arkanian and Bonzo Madrid, making everyone else nothing more than a shadow as in the comics.

5 Halle Berry in “Catwoman”

Many actresses have done so well with Catwoman since the ’60s. In the original TV series of “Batman,” Eartha Kitt and Lee Meriwether played her role to pure purr-fection. But how about Halle Berry?

Even Halle Berry agreed with the general public when she showed up for her Razzie Award for Worst Actress for her “Catwoman” film. It was a bad performance, but not because Halle Berry didn’t take her role seriously. It was probably due to the poor characterization of Catwoman. Almost everything about her changed in the movie. Even her name, Selina Kyle, was changed to Patience Phillips in Berry’s version. Ultimately, she failed to depict the DC character in many ways.

4 Venom in “Spiderman 3”

After the first two successful movies in the trilogy contributed to creating superhero films as cinema essentials, “Spiderman 3” failed to live up to standards. It became more of a flopped attempt to give some characters an edge.

Journalist Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote, combine to become Venom, Spiderman’s greatest antagonist and arguably one of the most iconic comic villains. Eddie Brock is portrayed as a heavily built guy in the comic characters with a bad attitude, perfectly matching his personality.

Brock’s visual appearance on-screen hardly showcases the true comic book character. His metamorphosis is underdeveloped in the film, making his transformation into venom untrue to this character.

3 Deadpool in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

In the initial parts of the movie, Ryan Reynolds took a role in “X-Men Origins” as Wolverine, well-played as depicted in the comic book character. His general demeanor was partly to the source material for a wise-cracking impolite assassin—a pretty good start.

Then in the final act, Deadpool’s personality and classic physique were changed to entirely something else. Deadpool is the Merc with the mouth (as he should) but, after he made his transformation, Deadpool was without a mouth.

His lips were practically melted shut. They also stole powers from Cyclops. He never had the mutant powers of teleportation and Cyclops’s eye beams that he later possessed in the film. His iconic traits from the comic book characters weren’t portrayed. Talk about straying from the canon. 

2 Bane and Mr. Freeze in “Batman and Robin”

“Batman and Robin” is largely considered one of the worst comic book movies, and loads of its criticisms are well-earned. In the comics, Bane is supposed to be a genius tactician and an outstanding fighter, built with muscles. Big muscles.

The stories are about Bane overpowering Batman in all aspects—physically, mentally, and emotionally—with a well-executed plan to accomplish his goal. Yet in the movie, he looks like a big chubby guy with way too many painted-on veins. It’s safe to assume that the creators never read any of the comic book counterparts, or they just decided to create their own altogether. He ought to have matched the character of Batman both intellectually and physically. 

This was close to a slap in the face of every fan of the comic book character. And, of course, we can’t forget about the hilarious Mr. Freeze. The original sub-zero scientist was a devious genius whose frozen bones were practically the secret to eternal youth. Portrayed in the film by Arnold Schwarzenegger, this laughable bank robber in a cryo-suit was a far cry from his memorable terminator-esque style. 

1 Galactus and Doctor Doom in “Fantastic Four”

From the low-budget movie in 1994 to the 2015 “Fant4stic” disappointment, all its film adaptations have, in some way, altered the comic book characters. Through all four movies, even after Marvel sold its film rights to “The Fantastic Four,” none of them has yet managed to get the characters just right. The pacing, acting, the story, and the special effects have all been interfered with.

Doctor Doom was turned into a strange-looking creature that resembled Silver Surfer—with much less personality. He’s undoubtedly the character comic book fanatics love to hate. It would have been more interesting to watch what Doctor Doom would turn out to be if they hadn’t messed with his character.

When translating the Marvel characters who unleash a swirl of emotions on the screen, we can’t forget Galactus. His traditionally daunting appearance deserved more than just their derisory weak depiction of an enormous giant in purple armor. We have to wonder how no one caught that before the film finished. You’d have to know something was missing in your film if a cloud in space is your villain.

We all know comic books have had a massive influence on pop culture. Fans can find their favorite superheroes and supervillains plastered on t-shirts, mugs, stickers, toys, posters, and hundreds of other kinds of merchandise. But what are some unexpected — or even shocking — things that were inspired by comic books? This list highlights ten unique examples of just how far the popularity of comics can reach.

Top 10 Famous Paintings That Inspired Horror Moviemakers

10 Cars

Comic Book characters are famous for having incredibly stylish modes of transportation that exemplify coolness. Wonder Woman flies through the skies in an invisible jet. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ride through New York in their Party Wagon van. Ghost Rider terrorizes criminals while on his Hell Cycle. And of course, Batman famously zips through Gotham City in his batmobile, batplane, batcycle, and batsub. Whether by land, sea, or air, superheroes use their trusted vehicles to help them fight crime and save lives.

It turns out comic books have also influenced real-life transportation for people looking to up their coolness factor. Car customization is a beloved process among vehicle owners, and several have chosen their favorite Marvel and DC characters to give a visual punch. Numerous car owners with money and creativity have fully customized their automobiles to honor iconic superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Captain America, Iron Man, The Hulk, Wolverine, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Aquaman. And it’s not just heroes who get immortalized on car frames; villains like The Joker, Mystique, and Two-Face have also been immortalized in full-body car customizations. Even motorcycles can get the same fan treatment, with some having been converted to pay homage to Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, Groot, and The Punisher.

9 Pizza

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles aren’t the only superheroes associated with pizza! Comic book fans visiting Florida can visit Ormond Beach’s Gotham City Pizza. This aptly named food spot offers customers a comic-themed experience consisting of decorations and dishes that pay homage to beloved heroes and villains. The menu stars nearly two dozen signature pizzas, each themed around a popular comic book character. There are traditional pizza styles such as the Boy Wonder (cheese), the Avenger (pepperoni), the Hulk (variety of meats), the Poison Ivy (veggies), the White Queen (no tomato or marina sauce), and the Cowabunga (Hawaiian style). Bolder pizzas include the Caped Crusader (sirloin, grilled onion, alfredo sauce, mozzarella), the Wolverine (barbecue), the Phoenix (chicken and ranch in hot sauce), and the Gotham City (supreme style). And, of course, the Clown Prince of Crime gets his very own zany Joker pizza topped with ranch, bacon, and French fries. Who knew evil could taste so delicious?

8 Guns

Guns are very much a hotly debated topic in modern times. For devoted gun owners who also carry a love for comic books, weapon customization can involve iconic visuals of a beloved superhero or notorious villain. The Oregon-based company Cerakote specializes in manufacturing ceramic coatings for firearms. Their website showcases a gallery of highly themed guns featuring colors and images associated with iconic comic book characters. The displayed weapons include handguns, shotguns, rifles, and revolvers that are themed after figures like Captain America, Batman, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, Dead Pool, Harley Quinn, Black Panther, and the Joker. These customized coatings don’t make guns look less dangerous, but they do make them more colorful.

7 Flowers

Weddings, birthdays, showers, parties, or any other celebratory events that benefit from flowers can be uniquely enhanced by the vibrant visuals of comic books. Superhero fans can opt for a creative alternative to real flowers: paper flowers made out of hand-cut comic book pages. Companies like Paper Flowers by Nicky in England take pages straight out of comics and turn them into paper flowers to be made into custom bridal bouquets, boutonnieres, wreaths, roses, floral arrangements, and hair combs. Superhero fans who want long-lasting keepsakes, or want to avoid allergies, can indulge in the whimsical look of faux flowers and colorful heroes.

6 Wedding Rings

While we’re on the topic of special days, comic book fans can enhance getting married even more by getting specialty wedding rings. Companies like Staples Jewelry in Kentucky give options for customizable wedding bands for Grooms who want to express their love for both their spouse and comics. Staple Jewelry’s website advertises three wedding bands inspired by DC superheroes. The first listed option is their Green Lantern ring, a black-base band mixed with elements of green emeralds, an optional centered flat stone setting, and a custom Green Lantern logo engraved on the inside. There is also an option to choose a yellow gemstone for Grooms desiring to display affection for Green Lantern’s notorious supervillain Sinestro. The company’s second superhero-themed option is their Superman ring, a band highlighting red rubies in honor of Clark Kent’s red kryptonite class ring from the hit series Smallville; an optional large “L” can also be engraved on a band to represent the man of steel’s Legion ring. The third listed ring is one inspired by the visual look of the Flash; the gold band is decorated with red detailing and a lightning bolt symbol prominently featured in the center. Nothing says eternal love like superhero jewelry!

5 Sermons

Holy sermon, Batman! Since most comic book stories are rooted in the traditional good vs. evil theme, it shouldn’t be surprising that superheroes have made their way into churches. In recent decades, pastors have preached sermons from the pulpit that are meant to inspire their congregations through blending stories straight from the pages of the Bible and comics.

The Billings Gazette, Montana’s largest newspaper, interviewed pastors about examples of their holy approaches to comics. A Kentucky-based pastor centered The Fantastic Four in sermons about the importance of family and supportive relationships; the pastor also discussed Superman as a symbolic Messiah-like figure who comes to Earth to save humanity (an obvious comparison to Jesus Christ). A preacher in Tennessee incorporated Spider-Man into his sermons on the responsibility that comes with power (the power of being a follower of Christ). Similarly, a children’s minister in Michigan taught a six-month Batman-themed series in a church room decorated with painted murals of Gotham City. His topics included sin is no joke (the Joker), the Devil is a two-faced liar (Two-Face), God never tricks us (the Riddler), and Christians need to rely on God just like Batman relies on others (Robin and Batgirl) to help him save the world. For these pastors and their congregations, God and Jesus are the ultimate superheroes.

4 Healthcare

Pastors aren’t the only people teaching lessons inspired by comics. The visual storytelling style of comic books has inspired medical professionals to innovate ways of teaching information and sharing meaningful stories. An exhibit at the United States National Library of Medicine showcases a method known as “Graphic Medicine”. Graphic Medicine, similar to graphic novels, uses comics to tell stories within a book format. Interestingly, these health-themed comics are not just for children or families. Medical school professors and students are utilizing medical comic books in creative ways for learning knowledge and expressing experiences from the perspective of patients, physicians, and med school students. Comic books and medicine seem like a perfect marriage of two worlds built on heroes who save lives.

3 Illegal Drugs

This entry is the darkest one on the list. The popularity of comic books influences drug dealers who peddle illegal substances. Police and families worry about the rise of the drug MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy) and its reshaping into colorful images of beloved fictional characters. A 2009 Seattle Times article reported on authorities discovering highly themed Ecstasy pills being sold by street dealers. The tablets were manufactured to look like the iconic cartoon figures Snoopy and the Simpsons and the well-known comic book characters Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Reported sightings of these Ecstasy pills in various states verified their nationwide spreading. According to the Seattle Times article, dealers purposefully market these types of fun-themed pills to minors and promote them as lighter candy-like drugs, despite the products actually containing little to no Ecstasy and secretly being mixtures of dangerous substances. Dealers who use beloved comic book characters to trick minors into ingesting illegal drugs laced with harmful substances are just some of our real-life villains.

2 Scientific Names for Species

Scientists possess the superpower of officially naming new species they discover. This process has led to numerous scientific names inspired by famous real and fictional people, including beloved comic book characters. Several examples can be highlighted. Ninjemys oweni (named after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is an extinct species of horned turtles in Queensland. Two species of Iranian spiders are named Filistata maguirei and Pritha garfieldi in honor of two actors who famously portrayed Spider-Man (Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield). Similarly, Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman inspired scientists to name an Australian wolf spider species Tasmanicosa hughjackmani. Batman directly influenced the labeling of a catfish species named Otocinclus batmani. And just last year, a group of researchers in Australia named five newly-discovered species of assassin flies after the iconic Marvel figures Black Widow, Loki, Thor, Deadpool, and the recently deceased comics creator Stan Lee.

1 Courtroom Trials

Ever since comic books became popular in America during the mid-1900s, lawyers have frequently argued their purpose and influence in courts of law. Those arguing for censorship and regulation of comics have brought numerous cases before judges and juries in the last 100 years, ranging from district court levels to the United States Supreme Court. Benchmark cases involving arrests or lawsuits have argued if the creation and distribution of mature comics is either obscene material harming America’s youth or art protected under the First Amendment. Despite prosecutors having argued that comic books are inherently geared towards children (no matter the adult content), important rulings have consistently upheld the freedom of artistic expression and declared that efforts to protect young people from obscene material should not infringe on the constitutional rights of adults. The history of these arguments in courtrooms across America paved the way for society’s modern-day acknowledgment that the colorful pages of comic books can sometimes be filled with violence, gore, sex, offensive language, and provocative themes. It can be controversial, but it’s not illegal.

Just since the year 2000, when the original X-Men movie premiered, there have been well over 100 live-action movies and television series that featured comic-book-inspired superheroes. Then there are the countless animated movies and television series since then. And yet, the opposite is not true.

Very few of these shows have impacted the comics, and fewer still create characters that become a part of the comic canon. Such rare characters are called canonical immigrants. Here are 10 characters that started out in other mediums but ultimately became recurring characters in comics.

Related: Top 10 Worst Comic Supervillains

10 Batgirl (DC: Batman titles)

For comic book historians, April 14, 1954, was a watershed moment. That was the day Fredric Wertham published Seduction of the Innocent, a warning that the overt violence and hidden references to sex and drugs in comics could encourage criminal activities in kids. While not the moral screed it is often portrayed, a 2012 study of Wertham’s evidence found that he falsified and twisted data to fit his theories. A week after Seduction’s publication, Wertham appeared before the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency which was televised. Wertham told the committee and America that comics were more of a threat to youths than Hitler had been to the world. People panicked, and parents across the nation began canceling subscriptions and throwing comic books in the trash. That summer, 15 comic book publishers went out of business, and the surviving publishers launched the Comics Code Authority to rescue their reputations and sales.

Sales for Detective Comics—better known as DC comics—also took a hard hit after Wertham claimed Superman was a fascist, Wonder Woman was a lesbian, and Batman and Robin were gay lovers. In 1956, to repudiate the latter claim, DC introduced a love interest for Batman in the guise of Kathy Kane, who, like Batman’s alter ego, had inherited a fortune and, like Robin’s alter ego, was a circus performer. And she was also combating crime as Batwoman. In 1961, feeling Robin—who had for 20 years been perpetually a teenager—was left out, DC introduced Betty Kane, a niece of Kathy’s, as Robin’s love interest. Betty also idolized Batwoman and designed her own costume and gadgets to become Bat-girl (with a hyphen). But Bat-girl never caught on, and when the legendary editor Julius Schwartz took over as head of the Batman titles in 1964, he dropped Bat-girl along with other Bat-Family members such as Bat-mite and Bat-hound.^[1]

In 1966, the live-action Batman series debuted on television, and its success re-sparked interest in the Batman titles and may have even saved them. But by the third season, the show’s ratings were dropping, and producer William Dozier—who was also the narrator—came up with an idea to add a female hero to the show to appeal to female viewers. Dozier went to Schwartz, asking him to develop a female character who was the daughter of an already established character, Commissioner James Gordon. Schwartz—along with Gardner Fox, creator of Justice Society and Justice League of America—took that idea and created Barbara Gordon, a librarian by day and Batgirl by night. Artist Carmine Infantino created her look.

But the ABC executives needed to be convinced Batgirl was needed in the show, so Dozier created an eight-minute short where Batgirl rescued Batman and Robin from the villain Killer Moth. Batgirl was not allowed to punch Killer Moth because that was too un-lady-like. She instead became a kicker. Dozier then asked Schwartz to introduce Batgirl in the comics to create a buzz for the upcoming season of Batman. So Batgirl appeared first in Detective Comics #359 (January 1967), but only after she was created for television. Since then, several women have worn Batgirl’s cowl, and she is a regular in the Batman titles. She has now and then been given her own title, and work has already begun on a Batgirl movie.^[2]

9 Firestar (Marvel: X-Men titles

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends was a Saturday morning cartoon series that debuted in 1981 on NBC and ran for three seasons. It went in an unusual direction by placing Spider-Man’s alter ego, Peter Parker, as a college student at Empire State University with two roommates who are also superheroes: Iceman (Bobby Drake) and Firestar (Angelica Jones). The producers originally wanted a fire and ice theme in Spidey’s roomies and wanted Iceman from the X-Men and the Human Torch (Johnny Storm) from the Fantastic Four. But Universal Studios had optioned the Human Torch character for a potential solo project that ultimately never happened. As a result, the Human Torch could not be used by anyone. So the producers created their own character with the ability to manipulate microwave radiation to fly and shoot flames from her hands.

Some of the names the production toyed with initially were Heatwave, Firefly, and Starblaze. One of the writers, Dennis Marks, christened Firestar’s alter ego—Angelica Jones—after an old girlfriend. In the show, Firestar is identified as a former X-Men along with Iceman, but when her backstory was fleshed out in the comics, she is initially trained as a Hellion at the Hell Fire’s Club. One of her earliest missions was to fight against the X-Men. Later she joined the New Warriors, where she became a hero and was even given her own comic-book miniseries.^[3]

8 Jimmy Olsen (DC: Superman titles)

It’s hard to imagine Superman or his alter ego Clark Kent without his BFF Jimmy Olsen, but Jimmy has sat out a portion of Superman’s 83-year history. It’s true that just months after Superman’s introduction in the summer of 1938, Action Comics #6 had an anonymous young man with red hair and freckles arrive in Metropolis staring dreamily at a billboard that declares the city is the “Home of Superman!” He muses, “I’m going to get a job and live in Metropolis. Gee, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I met Superman! But I won’t have that luck.”

Later, DC would retcon that character to be Jimmy Olsen. But in reality, the character wasn’t introduced until Olsen became a cub reporter for the newspaper The Daily Planet during the April 15, 1940, radio program The Adventures of Superman. The radio serials relied almost entirely on conversations and sound effects to tell the story, and Jimmy Olsen—and The Daily Planet’s head editor Perry White–were created as conversation foils for the program. Jimmy became so popular, his comic book persona was introduced in the November/December 1941 issue of Superman #13.

After a few more appearances, Jimmy Olsen disappeared from the Superman titles for most of the 1940s, considered the Golden Age of comics. But in 1952, Olsen was resurrected in the television series Adventures of Superman, and interest in the reporter/photographer reignited. In 1954 and lasting nearly 20 years, Olsen had his own title called Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen. Perhaps the title was best remembered for the issues where Olsen was transformed into everything from a monster-sized turtle, a genie in a bottle, a human porcupine, a six-armed octopus (a sextapus?) and Elastic Lad, an early version of Elongated Man. In this title, readers were first introduced to Darkseid, the New Gods, and the cast of characters in the Fourth World.^[4]

7 Phil Coulson (Marvel: Avengers titles)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) encompasses to date 25 movies, more than a dozen television series, and a handful of podcasts. And what actor has had more screen time than any other? That’s right, Clark Gregg playing Agent Phil Coulson. Introduced in the first MCU movie—Ironman (2008)—he appeared in four more movies, two straight-to-video shorts, one web series, and all 136 episodes of ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Gregg’s Coulson had a small and easily forgettable part in Ironman annoying Pepper Potts and Tony Stark before helping them thwart Obadiah Stane’s plans to murder them. But Gregg made the most of his role. Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury didn’t appear until the post-credit scene of that film, and both he and Gregg appeared in the sequel Ironman 2 (2010).

A year later, it looked as if the MCU was finally going to be launched with the release of Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger before the release of an Avenger movie in 2012. But the script for Thor was scrapped just weeks before principal filming, and writers Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz were tasked with quickly writing a new screenplay. While piecing together the story, Miller and Stentz decided that they needed S.H.I.E.L.D. to be involved. But Samuel Jackson was still negotiating his contract to play Fury, and with time growing short, they turned to Gregg’s Coulson. This led to a pivotal role in Avengers (2012) and the lead in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. beginning in 2014.

Coulson had become so popular with the first two Ironman movies that he appeared in comic books for the first time in issue #6 of the 2011-2012 series Battle Scars that delved into Nick Fury’s backstory. Coulson was an Army Ranger serving in Afghanistan, fighting alongside and saving the life of Marcus Johnson, Nick Fury’s son. In the comics, Coulson was given the responsibility to work with superhumans because he collected their memorabilia and studied their strengths and weaknesses. This made him exceptionally gifted in dealing with challenging personalities such as Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Wade Wilson (aka Deadpool).^[5]

6 Sakura Kasugano (UDON: Street Fighter titles)

It may not seem so remarkable that Sakura Kasugano did not originate from comic books. After all, if you know who she is, you most likely encountered her in one of the many other mediums she has appeared in, specifically a Capcom Street Fighter game from 1994 onward. In 2017 when Street Fighter turned 30, Capcom polled fans to see who was the most popular out of the 109 playable Street Fighters they’d introduced both in the mainline games and spin-offs. After more than 150,000 votes, Sakura topped the list. Her boyfriend and mentor Ryu, considered the protagonist of the Street Fighter series, only made 9th place. Of the dozen original characters from the first Street Fighter arcade game, Sagat was 7th, Ken 15th, Gen 30th, Adon 33rd, Eagle 60th, Retsu 69th, Geki 80th, Birdie 87th, Joe 96th, Mike 99th, and Lee 100th.

Sakura’s creator Akira Yasuda gave her an unusual look, a Japanese schoolgirl uniform with a mini-skirt, sailor blouse with a yellow scarf tied in front, red sneakers and red combat gloves, and a white headband Ryu gave her. Her personality was also made to be relatable to a young audience, as she was a teenager and awkward, yet skilled in Ryu’s “Shotokan” fighting style. She has appeared in at least 21 different video games, almost all of them as a playable street fighter. She has also appeared in anime and American animated television productions. She was a lead character in a straight-to-home video live-action movie, the subject of a manga series, and appeared in at least 70 issues of Street Fighter comic book titles.^[6]

5 Rocksteady and Bebop (IDW Comics: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles titles)

Of all the villains the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) face, Shredder and Krang are the most formidable. But the most beloved are the giant warthog and rhinoceros Bebop and Rocksteady. When Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman created and published the first TMNT comics in 1984, it was inspired by characters such as Marvel’s Daredevil and the New Mutants, along with Frank Miller’s Ronin, and the self-published comic about an anthropomorphic aardvark named Cerebus. For instance, the turtles—like Daredevil—have a Ninjitsu mentor, their archenemy was the Foot (a play on Daredevil’s the Hand), and are mutated by a mysterious liquid in a container that fell off a truck. While a parody, the story in that first comic was adult, featuring dark subjects such as the beating of a girlfriend, revenge, drug and arms smuggling, and murder. There was little room for comic relief characters such as Rocksteady and Bebop.

In 1987, while negotiating with Playmate Toys for a line of toys based on TMNT, Eastman and Laird were asked to develop more characters for the line. Laird developed Bebop and Rocksteady for them, something he would soon regret. Bebop was named after a form of jazz music, Rocksteady after a type of Reggae music. The next year, the animated Saturday morning series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered, geared more for kids, the storyline tweaked to be more light-hearted. And Bebop and Rocksteady were made to be deeply stupid, inept, and goofy. This made them a fan favorite for everyone but Laird. His animosity toward the characters was part of why they did not appear in the second 1991 TMNT movie. Instead, a mutated gray wolf (Rahaz) and alligator snapping turtle (Tokka) were introduced. Bebop and Rocksteady made their first comic book appearance in 1988 when the title was published by Archie Comics. In 2011, the titles moved to IDW Comics. ^[7]

4 Isis (DC: Shazam titles)

Like Thor in Marvel comics, Isis is based on an ancient god, in this case, an Egyptian one, daughter of the earth god Geb and sky goddess Nut, sister to the gods Osiris, Seth, and Nephthys. Isis married her brother Osiris (the Egyptian royals did that a lot), but their brother Seth killed Osiris out of jealousy and later cut Osiris into itty, bitty pieces. Isis resurrected Osiris into a sort of Egyptian zombie, reassembled her husband’s various pieces—except his penis—and kept them together by wrapping him in bandages like a mummy. She then coupled with this penis-less zombie/mummy (yeah, don’t know how that worked) and gave birth to another god, Horus. Not only could she resurrect the dead, but she could also transform into birds or animals.

Fast-forward a few millennia to September 6, 1975, when producers at Filmation introduced a brand new female superhero for the second half of the live-action Shazam!/Isis Hour as part of CBS’s Saturday morning line-up (it was only during syndication that her show was renamed The Secrets of Isis). Her debut made her the first female live-action television superhero preceding The Bionic Woman by four months and Wonder Woman by seven. The show featured a high school teacher who found an amulet during an archeological dig that gave her the powers of the legendary god. It lasted two seasons and 22 episodes with a few cross-overs to fight alongside Captain Marvel in Shazam!. She appeared in comics for the first time in Shazam! #25 (Sept-Oct 1976) and garnered her own series shortly after. But she was not as popular as hoped, and aside from a few appearances in animated programs, Isis disappeared from all forms of media by the early 1980s.

Isis was reintroduced in 2006 as part of DC’s massive reboot, 52. This time she was an Egyptian slave delivered to the anti-superhero Black Adam, the despotic ruler of Kahndaq, a fictional country situated on the Sinai Peninsula. After they married and Isis softened Black Adam’s temper, she was killed in a battle, the first of many times she would take a dirt nap, then be resurrected. She has also appeared in a 2010 episode of Smallville, on Legends of Tomorrow in 2016, and is expected to appear in the movie The Black Adam, scheduled to be released in 2022.^[8]

3 Luis (Marvel: Ant-Man titles)

The MCU has been responsible for creating a number of supporting characters for their movies and television shows, with Phil Coulson only one of them. There’s astrophysicist Dr. Erik Selvig, a character played by Stellan Skarsgard and introduced in Thor (2011). He went on to play a pivotal role in The Avengers (2012) and appeared in Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). His intern Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), was also created for Thor and appeared in Dark World and the series WandaVision (2021). There’s also the precocious kid, Harley Keener (Ty Simpkins), in Ironman 3 (2013) and Senator Stern (Gary Shandling) in Ironman 2 (2010) and Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014). Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. introduced several characters such as Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), Raina (Ruth Negga), and Gideon Malick (Powers Boothe). But one supporting character has fans clamoring for more of him: Luis from Ant-Man (2015).

Luis, unfortunately, has not been given a last name, but Michael Peña’s portrayal with his infectious smile and his running gag where he tells a long, convoluted story to convey a simple premise has made the character unforgettable. His popularity was such that Luis has already appeared in some Ant-Man titles beginning with Astonishing Ant-Man #1 in 2015. There’s been speculation that Luis might be given a superhero role in the coming Ant-Man 3, something Peña has been campaigning for since Ant-Man 2. ^[9]

2 X-23 (Marvel: X-Men titles)

Writer Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost created X-23 in 2003 for the animated series X-Men: Evolution. Billed as a more youthful Wolverine, Laura Howlett is Wolverine’s clone developed by HYDRA to be the perfect assassin. But the DNA sample they collected from Wolverine was damaged, and genetic variations—including the sex of the clone—were administered. HYDRA isolated and abused Laura to repress her emotions and deprive her of morals, trained her in killing techniques, and like Wolverine, strengthened her claws—two in each hand and one in each foot—with indestructible adamantium. Premiering in an August 2003 episode, she became so popular that by December of that same year, X-23 made her debut in comics, NYX #3.

Since then, X-23 has appeared in well over 2,000 issues of X-Men titles, becoming Wolverine’s daughter figure, fighting alongside him and eventually replacing him. Her popularity was such that it was inevitable she would find herself on the big screen. It happened in 2017 in Hugh Jackman’s final film as Wolverine, Logan. An X-23 solo film has been planned, but with Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, returning X-Men and Fantastic Four to Marvel Studios, the plans are still uncertain.^[10]

1 Harley Quinn (DC: Batman titles)

Arguably among the most popular female comic book characters of all time, Harley Quinn certainly does not fit the typical mold of a comic book character, hero or villain. She’s existed less than 30 years, yet her character has more depth than characters who’ve existed twice that. She is, after all, insane, a murderess, and is gleefully—and I do mean gleefully—unscrupulous. She makes interesting choices in lovers: on the one hand, the homicidal eco-terrorist Poison Ivy (yes, her writers acknowledge that Harley and Ivy have more than a friendship); on the other hand, the psychotic mass murderer Joker who relishes abusing her. And, like the Joker (and, for that matter, their nemesis Batman), she has no real superpowers (at least most of the time, she doesn’t). Except maybe that she is joyfully unpredictable, making her—in a word—fun.

No one is more shocked at Harley’s popularity than the people who pieced her together. That began way back in 1987 when the actress Arleen Sorkin was playing the recurring character Calliope Jones on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. Calliope was a loud, flighty woman with a “Noo-Yawk” accent, and Sorkin was always coming up with ideas to make her character fresh. After attending a screening of the comedy Princess Bride, Sorkin went to the Days of Our Lives showrunners to ask if they could have a bedtime story dream sequence with kings and queens in medieval clothes. They agreed and dressed Calliope as a court jester and had her roller skate into court to cheer up the royals with lame jokes and a quarter moon imprinted on the back of her underwear.

Fast-forward to 1991, when writer Paul Dini was a freelance writer working on scripts for Batman: The Animated Series set to air on Fox Kids. Dini and Sorkin had been college friends, and Sorkin had sent Dini a VHS tape of her favorite Days of Our Lives bits, including the court jester scene. Dini was working on a script that featured the Joker and wanted an interesting character to play one of the villain’s henchmen. Dini remembered that in the 1960s’ live-action Batman, the Joker, Penguin, and Riddler all had henchwomen and thought it might be the direction he wanted to go. Sick and at home one day, Dini popped Sorkin’s tape in his player, and when he came upon the court jester scene, he began to make connections. The Joker was inspired by playing cards, as were the male and female versions of the Harlequin. It seemed a natural combination, and Harleen Quinzel—Harley Quinn—was born.

Bruce Timm gave Harley her look. Harley was supposed to be a one-off character appearing in just one episode—“Joker’s Favor”—but Timm threw himself into researching harlequin costumes and developed the black and red outfit with ruffles, the two-pointed Jack-in-the-Box cap with pompoms at the tips of the two tails. Sorkin was asked to voice Harley, and she used a combination of Calliope and Ellen Green’s depiction of Audrey in the musical The Little Shop of Horrors to form the voice and personality. To get the right pitch and accent, she practiced singing “Adelaide’s Lament” from the musical Guys and Dolls. When Dini saw the animation paired with Sorkin’s voice, he knew they had something special, especially when Mark Hamill agreed to voice the Joker. The dynamic between Hamill’s and Sorkin’s characters convinced the writers to bring Harley back for more episodes.

Harley made her comic book debut the next year in The Batman Adventures #12, a comic in DC’s Animated Universe. As her popularity grew, she was brought over to the mainstream DC universe and written as a much darker, more tragic character. She became darker still when she joined the Suicide Squad, and it was as a member of that team that she finally hit the live-action big screen in Suicide Squad (2016), subsequently appearing in Birds of Prey (2020) and Suicide Squad 2 (2021).^[11]

In the world of comic book collecting, there are a few holy grails—the first appearances of Superman (Action Comics #1, 1938) and Batman (Detective Comics #27, 1939) and the birth of the Marvel universe (Marvel Comics #1, 1939) chief among them. Their value comes not only from being the origins of the superhero genre but also from their extreme rarity.

That makes it all the more incredible that some lucky people have found these valuable books stashed away in their homes. You’d probably be more likely to win the lottery than to have these sitting around your house, but check your attic anyway. Let’s take a look at ten times that extremely rare and valuable comic books were found in an unsuspecting home.

Related: Video: 10 Comic Book Heroes Who Could Theoretically Exist

10 Superman Saves the House from Foreclosure

In 2010, a married couple in the American South was in a financial crunch. They had taken out a second mortgage on their home to start a new business, which had failed in the economic turmoil we now know as the Great Recession. Behind on their payments, the bank was ready to foreclose. With their hearts breaking, they started packing up in preparation for losing their home and having to move. While looking for good packing boxes in their basement, they stumbled across a handful of comic books. Most were unexceptional, but one was a find that would change their lives.

It was a copy of Action Comics #1, the 1938 comic that introduced Superman to the world. The couple, who chose to remain anonymous due to expected windfall from their stroke of luck, contacted comics auction house ComicConnect, who helped them get the book sold. Graded a 5.0 (Very Fine/Good) by the experts at Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), the lucky couple’s Action #1 ended up selling for $436,000. Superman was able to add saving a home from foreclosure to his already impressive resume.^[1]

9 Priceless Treasures Saved from the Trash

In early 1977 in Boulder, Colorado, Chuck Rozanski took a phone call at this Mile High Comics store that would change his life—and the field of comic book collecting. A realtor called to say he was trying to sell a house, but a large collection of comics needed to be disposed of immediately. Once Rozanski made his way to the home, he was shown a basement completely filled with stacks of comics—and he had to take all of them if he wanted to make a deal.

The collection had been assembled by Edgar Church, a commercial illustrator who bought nearly every American comic book published between 1937 and 1957 in an effort to help him keep up with the trends in his field. Church’s family wanted the comics gone as soon as possible so that they could sell the home. It seems most of the comics were looked at once, had a date penciled on them, and were then stored away. The result is what CGC calls “the most remarkable collection of vintage comic books ever discovered.” Featuring all the key issues of the era in some of the best conditions that have ever surfaced, the Edgar Church/Mile High Collection set the modern standards for grading and pricing rare comic books.^[2]

8 The Action Comics #1 Used as Insulation

In 2013, contractor David Gonzalez and his wife Deanna purchased a fixer-upper home in Elbow Lake, Minnesota, for $10,100. While knocking down a wall, he found that newspapers had been used as makeshift insulation. Amid the newspapers was an unbelievable find—a copy of Action Comics #1. The home had been built in 1938, the same year that the first Superman comic hit newsstands.

While not in mint condition, it’s still such a rare, valuable, and iconic book that it was bound to fetch a handsome sum. Unfortunately, an argument over the book’s value between Gonzalez and a relative led to the back cover being ripped off. That took the condition down from an estimated CGC rating of 3.0 to a 1.5. “That was a $75,000 tear,” said Stephen Fisher of ComicConnect after the comic sold for $175,000.^[3]

7 The Previously Unknown Comic Book

The massively successful comic book and movie studio we know today as Marvel has its roots in a company known as Timely Comics, founded in 1939. In the fall of that year, Timely published Marvel Comics #1, featuring Marvel characters still in print today, such as the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner. Timely eventually evolved into Marvel Comics, and it was accepted that their legacy had started with Timely’s Marvel Comics #1. That was until a previously unknown comic was discovered in the home of an art studio head in 1974.

Lloyd Jacquet was the head of Funnies, Inc., the studio that provided the artwork for Timely’s comics in 1939. Upon his passing in 1974, his heirs prepared an estate sale, and they found among his possessions six copies of the previously unknown Motion Pictures Funnies Weekly #1. Once it was discovered that this comic had the same Sub-Mariner story that ran in Marvel Comics #1, it threw into question the history of Marvel. What was this book, and where did it come from? It turns out it was to be a giveaway at movie theaters. Once that idea went nowhere, the included stories were eventually sold to Timely for use in their early comics. Probably the rarest comic book ever found in a home closet, it’s also an important document of early Marvel history.^[4]

6 Nicolas Cage’s Comic in the Storage Unit

Despite it being the most valuable comic book in the world and extremely rare, with only about 100 copies known to exist still, Action Comics #1 keeps showing up in the strangest places. This copy was technically not found in a home, but where you keep things that don’t fit in your house.

In 2011, a beautiful copy showed up in an abandoned California storage unit. The person who bought the unit’s contents at auction immediately knew there was something up with this lucky find. After some investigation, it was determined to be the copy stolen from actor Nicolas Cage in January 2000.

Cage is an avowed fan of Superman and comics in general. At one point, he had two holy grails in his collection—pristine copies of Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #27, the first appearances of Superman and Batman, respectively. Both were stolen from his house on January 21, 2000. Although he had sold the rest of his comics collection in the interim, he wanted his copy back when it resurfaced in 2011. Since his insurance company had covered the theft, it’s unclear if he was ever reunited with it. The “storage unit” Action Comics #1 went up for auction in 2011. However, it’s unknown if the seller was Cage, his insurance company, or the winner of the storage unit auction.^[5]

5 The Allentown Pedigree

CGC recognizes outstanding collections of vintage comics that were originally purchased at newsstands and preserved by the original owner as “Pedigree Collections.” As of this writing, CGC has only granted the title to 61 collections. One of the most prized pedigrees was literally found in a closet, having sat there, forgotten for decades. Everyone has heard a story about a great comic book collection that Mom threw away, but what if Mom had actually boxed them up and saved them?

That’s the story behind the Allentown Pedigree, named for the Pennsylvania town where they came from. The original owner, who remains anonymous, had purchased a mere 135 comics in his youth. In that relatively small collection were several key issues such as Detective Comics #27, Marvel Comics #1, Captain America #1, and Batman #1. This places the collection’s origins from 1939 to 1941, when the original owner’s mother boxed them up and put them in the closet, where they remained undiscovered until 1987. At that time, two comics dealers purchased them. Even though the collection has been broken up and sold to many different owners over the years, the Allentown Pedigree is still recognized today as one of the highest-graded collections of Golden Age comics.^[6]

4 Treasure in the Hoarder House

We’ve all seen the houses of hoarders on TV, and it’s safe to say most of us would not want to go in to find out what’s in there for ourselves. In 2017, Rene Nezhoda, owner of a thrift store in the San Diego area, decided it was worth entering a Los Angeles-area hoarder house because of the collectibles purported to be inside. His efforts paid off, as the house was indeed filled with rarities of all kinds, including some very desirable 1960s comic books.

The treasures among the trash included a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of Spider-Man and one of the most valuable Silver Age comic books. There is a video of Nezhoda in a hazmat suit, working his way through many comic books and other valuable collectibles—and some other artifacts of a hoarder house. “There were also rats and rat poop,” Rene said. “I’ve bought a lot of collections and houses in my life, and I have never been overwhelmed, but this house makes me overwhelmed.”^[7]

3 The $3.5 Million Closet Find

In 2011, Heritage Auctions put up for sale an incredible collection of 345 vintage comic books that ended up selling for $3.5 million. Amazingly, they had only been recently unearthed from a closet, where they had sat for decades. After the death of his great-aunt, Michael Rorrer of Oxnard, California, traveled to her Virginia home to help settle her affairs. It was there, in a basement closet, that he found the long-forgotten comics.

Among the collection were several key issues, including Action Comics #1, Detective Comics #27, and Batman #1. They had originally belonged to his great-uncle, Billy Wright, who originally bought them over a nine-year period. So impressive was this batch of comics that CGC made it one of the newest additions to its distinguished Pedigree Collection list. The Billy Wright Pedigree is a potent reminder to always check basements and closets for any treasures that may be hiding in your family’s homes.^[8]

2 Batman in the Attic

For most homeowners, the prospect of bats in the attic would be a big problem. But when the bat in question is the iconic Batman, in his rare and extremely valuable first appearance, it’s a reason for celebration. In 2007, a Pennsylvania man was cleaning out his attic when he stumbled upon a near-mint copy of Detective Comics #27, the comic that introduced the Caped Crusader to the world. He then sold the book to Todd McDevitt, the owner of New Dimension Comics.

McDevitt said he had been saving up since 1986 for when a really rare and valuable comic came through his shop. Reports following the 2007 sale said McDevitt was keeping his enviable find in a bank vault. It’s unknown if he has since sold it, but with copies of Detective #27 now going for as much as $1.5 million, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had put it up for auction since then.^[9]

1 The Promise Collection

The newest CGC Pedigree Collection is one of the largest, with over 5,000 Golden Age comics. It also has one of the most touching origin stories. It concerns a pair of anonymous brothers, known only as Robert and Junie. In the early 1950s, Robert was drafted into the Army to fight in Korea. Junie, his younger brother, soon followed and enlisted in the Army as well. Junie asked his brother for one thing—that if he didn’t make it home, he wanted Robert to take care of his comic book collections. Robert promised that he would. Sadly, Junie was killed in combat at age 21. Robert kept his promise, boxing up all the comics and storing them in the attic of their family home. And there they were forgotten about.

Nearly seven decades later, the comics were rediscovered in the attic. Realizing the enormity of Junie’s collection, the family transferred them to protective plastic bags while creating a catalog of its contents in a spreadsheet. In honor of Robert’s vow to his brother, CGC gave the pedigree the Promise Collection name. In 2021, some of the collection started to make it to the auction market, with the phenomenal condition of nearly all the books attracting major attention from collectors.^[10]

Extreme body transformations are one of the worst-kept secrets in Hollywood. Now that comic book-based movies dominate the cultural zeitgeist, casting larger-than-life actors requires a little more than a few pushups and good lighting.

Christian Bale showed how black coffee, one apple, and one can of tuna per day could take him from Batman shape to dangerously emaciated within a span of four months. Matt Damon, Jared Leto, and Matthew McConaughey are no strangers to jumping up and down the scale for movie roles. In the superhero genre, there’s nowhere to go but up. Up the food intake. Up the supplements. Up the muscle. When millions of dollars and the future of major franchises are at stake, everyone has got to look the part.

Some stars credit chicken, broccoli, and clean living for their muscly makeovers. Others have admitted to more…say…intense methods to achieve peak cape shape. It may have been either keto and CrossFit or dehydration and deadlifts. These ten devoted actors pushed their bodies to another level by whatever means necessary.

Related: 10 Comic Book Moments That Drew Unwanted Controversy

10 Chris Hemsworth: Thor

Fitness has always played a part in Chris Hemsworth’s life. In earlier roles like Star Trek and Cabin in the Woods, Hemsworth was in good shape, but not god shape.

Hemsworth stated, “In the comic strip, Thor looks to be around 500lb, so obviously that wasn’t my goal.” He added that he wanted to “look the part and be as powerful as strong as I could while still maintaining that element of agility.”

Hemsworth enlisted the help of personal trainer Michael Knight (not the one from Knight Rider) to push him into true superhero shape. When asked about Hemsworth’s workout regimen, Knight reported that the routine was split into two parts; “The first was a bodybuilder-type protocol focused on high-weight, low-rep moves designed to pack on maximum size, while the second was total-body circuits designed to shift his excess fat while maintaining muscle.”

Hemsworth stated that he ate a protein-heavy diet and used monitored dehydration to make his muscle fibers pop. His trainer has gone on record as saying that he wouldn’t recommend his Thor diet and exercise regimen to others as it is not a sustainable model.^[1]

9 Henry Cavill: Superman

Unlike Kal-El, Henry Cavill is but a mere human. His transformation for Man of Steel required heaps of calories, exercise, and mental grit. Early in his acting career, Cavill’s physique could be described as “slim fit.” This was fine for his roles in The Tudors and Immortals, but it wouldn’t cut the mustard as Superman.

To achieve a believable Kryptonian body, Cavill turned to Mark Twight, the man who whipped the cast of 300 into fighting shape. Cavill trained up to two-and-a-half hours a day, four to five days a week. To pack on muscle and help with exercise recovery, Cavill consumed around 5,000 calories each day. This was largely meat, vegetables, and protein shakes. He has owned up to enjoying some pizza and other cheat meals during the grueling six-month process.

Utilizing bodybuilding and CrossFit workouts, Cavill packed on 18 pounds of muscle while keeping his body fat below 10%. Results like this would be nigh impossible for the average Joe. Cavill has openly stated that while steroids were an option, both he and Mark Twight were dead set against it. When asked why he took the tougher route, Cavill said, “To take a shortcut to that place is nothing that Superman would do.”^[2]

8 Chris Evans: Captain America

Apparently, Chris Evans used to skip leg day. As his fitness trainer Simon Waterson stated, “He just trained his biceps, and his chest, and his abs, and that was it. He could do a lot of pushing exercises but not a lot of pulling exercises. So he didn’t deadlift, he didn’t do many pull-ups, he didn’t have very overdeveloped legs.”

Since Waterson didn’t have a vial of super-soldier serum in his back pocket, he opted for a workout plan that would not only build muscle but also even out lagging body parts. Waterson claimed that they used a combination of heavy lifting and dynamic circuits, focusing on both “the aesthetic and the athletic.”

Evans’s diet leaned heavily on protein, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and supplements. In an interview, Evans reported, “Supplement-wise, I used a bit of glutamine, whey protein shakes, branched-chain amino acids, then 500 mg of Omega-3, 6, and 9 fatty acids.”^[3]

Based on Evans’s physique throughout the Marvel films, it appears he really can do this all day.

7 Hugh Jackman: Wolverine

Rather than showing up to the set of X-Men in Wolverine shape, Jackman’s physique gradually became more savage throughout the first three films. He reached his peak condition 13 years after his first appearance as the clawed mutant.

Jackman had been more of a song and dance man before being cast in X-Men (2000). He was by no means in bad shape, but his shirtless scenes were kept to a minimum. That went out the window by the time production began on 2013’s The Wolverine. In preparation for The Wolverine and Logan (2017), Jackman recruited fitness expert Dave Kingsbury.

Like others on this list, Jackman consumed mass amounts of meat, fish, vegetables, rice, and oatmeal. One key element, according to Kingsbury, was carb cycling. Jackman ate carbohydrates before 3:00 pm on training days and essentially eliminated them every other day. Supplement-wise, Jackman used pre-workout, creatine monohydrate, carnitine, and branch-chained amino acids. Hugh’s workout plan was as regimented as his diet. Kingsbury put Jackman on a four-week weightlifting program focused on progressively higher weight the first three weeks and lighter weight the fourth.

While the details were intricate, the exercises themselves weren’t. Jackman stuck to mostly bench press, pull-ups, squats, and deadlifts…everything a growing boy needs.^[4]

6 Chris Pratt: Star Lord

During his Parks & Recreation days, Chris Pratt looked as though he could be a guardian of the donuts, but not the galaxy. To become Star Lord, Pratt utilized both a fitness trainer and a nutritionist to boost his body from flab to fab.

Dr. Phil Goglia overhauled Pratt’s diet to contain “clean” food and supplements. Pratt reported supplementing with whey protein, a testosterone booster, branch chain amino acids, and fat burners. Although Pratt was trying to drop body fat, his overall caloric intake was increased to complement his intense training regimen.

Pratt worked with ex-Navy SEAL Duffy Gaver to put those calories to work. Pratt spent five months putting in four to six training sessions each week. He utilized a bodybuilding training style by focusing on different muscle groups each session. The results spoke for themselves: Pratt dropped over 60 pounds (27 kilograms) while adding lean muscle to his physique.

While his weight has fluctuated somewhat since Guardians of the Galaxy, he has managed to avoid slipping back to his Andy Dwyer bod.^[5]

5 J.K. Simmons: Commissioner Gordon

J.K. Simmons has starred in two major superhero movies but has never played a superhuman. That didn’t stop him from going to shred city in preparation to play James Gordon in 2017’s Justice League.

The 61-year-old Whiplash star brought on esteemed trainer-to-the-stars Aaron Williamson to build him into the grizzled police commissioner. Williamson said in an interview with Business Insider, “He wants to have some ‘beefing’ guns to show people that he is just not that guy that does Farmers commercials.”

Williamson put Simmons on a two-workout program and mapped out a muscle-bulking meal plan. Three to four days per week, Simmons would ride his bicycle to the gym before warming up with 15 minutes of cardio. Workout #1 focused on chest/back/shoulders, and Workout #2 was all arms and abs (as evidenced by the Instagram pictures he posted then).

Simmons’s diet was like others on the list: Lean meat, veggies, oats, and a few squares of dark chocolate as “cheats.” Considering he wouldn’t have to display his new body in Justice League, the effort he made was impressive… even if he was skipping leg day.^[6]

4 Kumail Nanjiani: Kingo

Kumail Nanjiani put in the extra effort on his way to becoming Kingo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Chase the pain” was the Silicon Valley star’s training mantra.

Nanjiani trained five days a week for the year leading up to shooting Eternals. The bulk of this was with trainer Grant Roberts. He spent the first six months bulking. Utilizing “old school” lifts and electric stimulation devices, Nanjiani focused purely on gaining size.

Next was a “sculpting” phase. This involved classic bodybuilder workouts, drop sets (weight goes up as the reps go down), and cable machines to achieve maximum muscle growth. Nanjiani ate four meals a day, with one cheat meal per week. His diet consisted mainly of eggs, chicken, rice, fish, avocados, and protein bars. In addition, he used a simple supplement stack of pre-workout, whey protein, vitamins, and cod liver oil.

Nanjiani has no plans to test his new physique out in a boxing ring or MMA cage. When asked if he felt he was now more intimidating, he stated, “Not at all. These muscles are useless. They’re decorative.”^[7]

3 Brie Larson: Carol Danvers

“Nine months of training really does some stuff to your body.” Truer words were never spoken by Captain Marvel star Brie Larson. The actress had already attained a lean, sinewy physique for her role in the film Room. But prepping to play Carol Danvers required taking her baseline to the next level.

Larson worked with trainer Jason Walsh of Rise Movement to get her body in Marvel shape. Walsh told Men’s Journal that Larson’s routine focused on mobility work, activation work, and then primary strength exercises. Walsh said, “That could be a squat aspect, bilateral exercises, unilateral moves, hip-hinge work, and a lot of hip thrusting and posterior chain work. Then we’d do circuits of secondary exercises—basically everything other than those primary moves.”

This included a deadlift, back and biceps routine, and a squats, glutes, and legs routine. For her diet, Larson started eating paleo before moving into a “clean food” diet or high protein and low carb food. She supplemented her training with creatine monohydrate.

The grind to get in Carol Danvers shape yielded one unexpected outcome: Larson reached her goal of being able to perform one-armed pull-ups.^[8]

2 Tom Holland: Spider-Man

It’s fortunate for Tom Holland that Peter Parker isn’t built like Thor Odinson. Holland had just been required to lose weight for his previous film, leaving him just six weeks to transform his svelte figure into that of the agile web-slinger.

With the help of trainer George Ashwell, Holland added an impressive 15.5 pounds (7 kilograms) of muscle to his 5’8″ (173-meter) frame. Because time was of the essence, Holland worked with Ashwell every day of those six weeks.

His routine focused on compound movements and functional exercises. This would help Holland fill out the Spidey suit a bit while improving movement and agility. This required stretching, deadlifts, incline bench presses, dips, bear crawls, dumbbell thrusters, renegade rows, chin-ups, and running. For recovery, Holland spent 30 minutes on the massage table after each session.

To keep body fat low while building muscle, Ashwell put Holland on a “two-fist” bulking plan. That meant that each meal eaten contained two fist-sized portions each of protein, carbs, and greens. For supplementation, he kept it simple, using collagen, Omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins. For the third Spider-Man film, he also incorporated muscle stimulation devices into his workouts.^[9]

1 Natalie Portman: Jane Foster/Mighty Thor

When Natalie Portman throws herself into film roles, she takes it to the next level of dedication. She shaved her head for V for Vendetta and emaciated herself for her role in Black Swan.

Now that she is taking up the mantle of Thor, another radical body renovation was necessary. This time, the goal was to pack on lean muscle. Portman generally stays fit by running and practicing “Gyrotonic” exercises (Imagine a blend of yoga, tai-chi, and gymnastics).

Trainer Naomi Pendergast worked with Portman for four months before shooting, then all through production. Regarding her preparation for the latest Thor film, Portman has been tight-lipped about her actual routine. She did reveal to Vanity Fair, “We did a lot of weight training and a lot of protein shakes—heavyweight training that I haven’t ever done before.”

Portman has been a vegan or vegetarian since she was nine years old. To fuel her workouts, she took in a lot of iron-rich veggies, fruit, almond milk, leafy greens, oatmeal, and pasta. Her supplement regimen was simple: Vitamin D and a monthly Vitamin B-12 shot.

When asked by television host Andy Cohen if she had a workout plan like co-star Chris Hemsworth’s, Portman said, “Yes, I am training, and I’m in so much pain. Like, I’m not good at this.” Good or not, the results have spoken for themselves. She is worthy.^[10]

Seduction of the Innocent was the title psychologist Fredric Wertham chose for his 1954 book. No, it wasn’t a romance or an erotic thriller. It was an exposé of a product dangerous to the mental health of adolescents everywhere—or so he insisted. His target: comic books that he regarded as violent and risqué. These scandalous periodicals, he claimed, encouraged delinquency among their juvenile readers by exposing them to sex and violence. When facts and other evidence didn’t support his theory, he twisted them to fit.

Despite the preposterous character of his charges, his claims alarmed parents, teachers, and politicians. They also led to the voluntary self-policing of the comic book industry, as publishers began to censor their titles so their contents would be approved by the Comics Code Authority (CCA), created in 1954 by the Comics Magazine Association of America.

Surprisingly, even after publishers abandoned their voluntary participation in the censorship program, some of them, including the industry’s biggest and best known—Marvel Comics and DC Comics—continued to censor their own titles.

The ten comics on this list were deemed too hot to handle. As a result, they were censored by their own publishers.

10 King Conan

The second issue of Volume 2 of Marvel Comics’ King Conan (2022) showcases a new character, the scantily dressed Matoaka. Both her name and her costume—a brass breechcloth, a brass bra, and matching neck rings—offended Native Americans. The image both “sexualized” Powhatan’s daughter and appropriated Native American culture. Matoaka was the “private name” by which the historical Pocahontas chose to be called; Pocahontas was a nickname.

The character’s origin also offended Native Americans. According to the fictional Matoaka’s backstory, she was exiled from her South American homeland after she fell in love with an explorer from another land. She then revealed to him the location of her country’s treasure, which led, in turn, to the rape and the pillaging of her own country. In a Twitter comment, Kelly Lynn D’Angelo, a Native Haudenosaunee writer, summed up another related reason for the disgust she and other Native Americans felt. “The sexualization of a real young girl that was r*ped and killed affects our murdered & missing indigenous women TODAY.”

The comic book’s editor, Jason Aaron, apologized for the comic’s depiction of the character. To atone, he announced he would donate his pay for the offending issue to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center and promised that the “character’s name and appearance [would] be adjusted for the rest of this mini-series and in all digital and collected editions.”^[1]

9 DC Giant-Sized Superman

Walmart inked an exclusive contract with DC Comics to sell reprints of original stories, some of which are collected in DC’s Giant-Sized Superman, issues 9 and 10 (2018–2019). However, mindful of its shoppers, Walmart insisted that some changes be made to the original artwork by the late Michael Turner, finding some of his female characters’ manner of dress a bit suggestive.

The “material” of Artemis’s thong-style bodysuit, latex by the looks of it, worn in an issue of Superman/Batman, was extended to cover her hips, lower buttocks, and upper thighs. In a Supergirl from Krypton reprint, Superman lifts Artemis aloft as he chokes her. The choking survives in the censored version of the comic book cover, but Artemis’s original costume does not. Again, its “material” has been extended, this time to cover an expanse of her upper thighs.^[2]

8 Heroes in Crisis

If choking was found acceptable, so, apparently, was the depiction of a dead or dying villain bleeding onto the floor. On the cover of issue 7 of the Heroes in Crisis series (2019), Poison Ivy lies prone on a mat, bleeding from the side of her head and from a slashed wrist. As Andrew Rodriguez points out, after the image was “leaked online somehow, DC retracted the cover, changing it because five people thought that the image of Poison Ivy was too sexy.”

Her exposed cleavage was objectionable; her bleeding was not. In the revised version of Turner’s artwork, her costume is extended to cover her offending bosom. Oddly, in the process, her costume’s trademark green color turned blue, and the floor mat vanished. The blood beneath her head is now concealed by her hair, and the blood around her wrist has been made to resemble a strand of red ribbon.^[3]

7 Miracleman

The first issue of Miracleman (2014) was flagged for revision after Alan Moore took over the comic’s authorial duties in 1982, transforming the protagonist into an antihero who became involved in more sinister adventures during the rest of the series’ run. When Marvel Comics gained ownership in 2009, the company’s editor announced the need to make a few changes to the comic’s digital edition.

In the end, two versions of the comic were released, the original and the censored. The former was made available under a 17+ age restriction as Miracleman: Parental Advisory Edition #1 (2014). The reason for the brouhaha? One of its characters had dared to bare their buttocks. In the censored version, underpants have been added.^[4]

6 Spider-Woman

When Milo Manara, the well-known illustrator whose drawings tend toward the erotic, posed her in a variant cover for the 2014 issue of Spider-Woman, issue 1, the title character became sexualized. Leaning forward on her hands and knees, her legs apart, the female wall-crawler creeps over the edge of the top of a building, several skyscrapers behind her, suggesting the height of her apparent climb. Her familiar costume, rendered in pastel colors, is more pink and light peach than its standard red and gold.

Although her suggestive posture implies movement, the type of action it is intended to imply is open to interpretation. Enough members of the public saw the possibility of lewdness in Manara’s depiction to protest, and Marvel’s editor-in-chief Axel Alonso, responded with both an apology, explaining that the variant cover was for a limited edition of the comic book meant for collectors. For that reason, the company was okay with retaining the image of Spider-Woman as the artist saw her. Manara’s version of the character was sold at auction to a collector who paid $37,000 for the privilege of owning it.^[5]

5 Batman

The first issue in the Batman: Damned series (2018–1019), which appeared in the company’s adult-oriented DC Black Label imprint, shocked readers with its full-frontal nudity. The Caped Crusader appears from the waist down, his nakedness apparent but with details hidden by a dark shadow falling across him in one panel. The only hint of his penis is a few lines, visible despite the shadow, which outline a part of the organ. Based on the feedback the company received from the comic book hero’s fans, DC’s powers-that-be concluded that nudity is not appropriate, even for their mature line of comics.

Future printings of the issue will not include so much as a glimpse of Batman’s genitals, and the digital version of the comic, like those of the printed version, will replace the offending panel of the story with one in which the shadow blocks out all offending parts of his anatomy. Censoring the image was the right call to make, DC admitted, since Batman’s exhibitionism didn’t really add anything to the story.^[6]

4 The Authority

The Authority was originally published by WildStorm, which was owned by AOL/Time Warner from 1990 to 2018, the same company that owned DC Comics during this time period. It was fairly frequently targeted for censorship by DC. Writer Mark Millar and artist Frank Quitely’s inclusion of several characters that were parallels to counterparts in DC’s titles caused much of this censorship. Censored panels were either revised or replaced altogether with new drawings.

In one case, Apollo and Midnighter, it had been implied, might be gay. Their sexuality had never been made explicit, though, until Millar left no doubt that the pair were lovers by allowing them to kiss in issue 27. DC is likely to have censored this act out of concern that Apollo and Midnighter—as characters that paralleled Superman and Batman—might suggest to fans that there was a same-gender relationship between the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader, which could damage the sales of their titles. A similar reason might have led DC to censor an image of the Engineer, Hulk’s Authority counterpart, flipping off her adversary’s dead body. In the printed version, the British “two-finger [Victory] salute” replaces the Engineer’s raised middle finger.^[7]

3 Batman/Catwoman

The cover of the seventh issue of Batman/Catwoman (2021) was criticized for its depiction of its protagonist’s bloody face and hands. With the bodies of masked police officers in riot gear heaped and tumbled behind him, Batman clutches one of the fallen by the collar, lifting him from the ground as he stares in anger at the face of the unconscious cop. Against the blue-gray pile of his fellow officers, who are also badly beaten and unconscious, the black silhouette of Batman’s cape and cowl, like his red face and hands, make a stark and dramatic contrast.

Oddly, the revised version of the cover is, if anything, more lurid than the one it replaces. The picture itself is the same. The differences are that the blood does not entirely cover Batman’s face and hands, making him seem masked and gloved. The crimefighter’s face is more visible, as are his hands. The sight of them reveals him to be a man of flesh and blood, rather than a dark, depersonalized avenger.

In the original cover’s illustration, not a single drop of blood has splattered the limp, unconscious body of the police officer whom Batman lifts from the ground or any of his fellow officers. In the censored version, he, like Batman, is bloody, his blood revealing his vulnerability as a victimized human being. In this case, the censorship of the original image results in a much more dramatic and sympathetic portrayal of both Batman and the fallen police officers, showing the humanity beneath their respective costumes and uniforms.^[8]

2 Dark Knights of Steel

The limited series Dark Knights of Steel (2021–2022), set in an alternate universe to that of Earth’s, unfolds a complex, convoluted plot. Part of it involves Superman’s sister Zala-Jor-El’s avenging the death of Superman’s father, King Jor-El, after Green Man assassinates him at the behest of King Jefferson. Her vengeance takes the form of her own killing of the king’s son before she embarks on a murder spree, during which she kills the alternate universe’s Metal Men with a fury of which only she is capable.

Her slaying of Gold is especially brutal: she thrusts her left arm through him so fiercely that her hand, emerging through his back, is covered in and drips his blood. To censor the extreme violence of the drawing, a sound effect, “RNNGH,” was added to cover her bloody hand.

The same tactic is employed in a subsequent panel, a different sound effect concealing the emergence of the ship’s spar through Jefferson’s abdomen. As Ben Sockol observes, in writing about these censored panels, Zala-Jor-El, unlike her brother, isn’t bothered by moral scruples concerning the commission of acts of violence in the interests of personal vengeance.^[9]

1 Punisher

Originally, Punisher was depicted as an unscrupulous, murderous vigilante. In 1974, when he made his debut, and for the last two decades of the twentieth century, such a character was not altogether unacceptable. Crime, including murder, was on the increase, and drug abuse was rampant. The fact that Punisher was himself a victim of crime also made him sympathetic. As times changed, the antihero became an increasingly unfavorable and less bankable character. The Punisher’s weapon of choice, an M16 automatic rifle, also puts him at odds with a growing number of people concerned about gun violence, as does his oft-demonstrated willingness to kill his adversaries.

In 2021, Marvel began seeking to “reboot” the character by adding horns and tusks to the white skull logo he wears on his black shirt to make it resemble the Japanese demon known as an oni and by having Punisher fight his battles without the aid of his trusty M16 rifle or other guns. His fans may not be on board with these censorious revisions. Screen Rant’s senior writer Francesco Cacciatore, for one, is not convinced that Marvel’s modifications of the character’s costume and character will succeed. The company’s efforts to make Punisher more appropriate for today ignore the fact that “the character, as he was originally conceived, is simply not suitable for these times.”^[10]