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Superheroes

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Teams
Alter–Egos
Batman
Superman
Spider–Man
Captain Marvel
Buck Rogers
Flash Gordon
Others

Superheroes

See also The Marvel Cinematic Universe.

First Appearances

Wikipedia lists hundreds of characters on its List of superhero debuts page – not all of whom might be thought of as superheroes in the normal sense. (Some are included because they have influenced the superhero genre in some way, or otherwise contributed.)

The following table lists those who are mentioned elsewhere on this page, or elsewhere on this website – and also one or two that fall into the "influence or contribution" category.

1902Comic strip in the Chicago Tribune Click to show or hide the answer
1903Stage play  Click to show or hide the answer
1912Story in The All–Story Magazine   Click to show or hide the answer
1919Novel The Curse of Capistrano – serialised in All–Story Weekly magazine  Click to show or hide the answer
1929Syndicated comic strip   Click to show or hide the answer
1929Thimble Theatre comic strip   Click to show or hide the answer
1930Detective Story Hour (radio programme) Click for more information  Click to show or hide the answer
1931Syndicated comic strip   Click to show or hide the answer
1932The Phoenix on the Sword – story in Weird Tales magazine  Click to show or hide the answer
1933Self–titled radio show   Click to show or hide the answer
1934Comic strip syndicated by King Features Syndicate   Click to show or hide the answer
1936Self–titled radio show   Click to show or hide the answer
1938Action Comics #1 Click for more informationDC Click to show or hide the answer
1939Detective Comics #27 DC Click to show or hide the answer
1939Marvel Comics #1 Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1940Self–titled comic book series, #1 DC Click to show or hide the answer
1940Whiz Comics #2 DC Click to show or hide the answer
1940Detective Comics #38 DC Click to show or hide the answer
1940Batman comic #1 DC Click to show or hide the answer
1940Silver Streak #6 Gleason Click to show or hide the answer
1941Self–titled comic book series, #1 Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1941More Fun Comics #73 DC Click to show or hide the answer
Click to show or hide the answer
1941All Star Comics #8, Sensation Comics #1 DC Click to show or hide the answer
1956Detective Comics #233 DC Click to show or hide the answer
1960The Brave and the Bold #28 – team Click for more informationDC Click to show or hide the answer
1961Self–titled comic book series, #1 – team Click for more informationMarvel Click to show or hide the answer
1962Tales to Astonish #27 Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1962Self–titled comic book series, #1 Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1962Amazing Fantasy #15Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1962Journey Into Mystery #83Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1963Tales of Suspense #39DC Click to show or hide the answer
1963Strange Tales #110Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1963Self–titled comic book series, #1 – team Click for more information Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1963Self–titled comic book series, #1 – team Click for more information Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1964Tales of Suspense #52Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1966Fantastic Four #48Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1966Fantastic Four #52Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
19742000 AD magazine #2IPC Click to show or hide the answer
1977Incredible Hulk #180Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
1980Nutty (comic – parody) #1 Click to show or hide the answer
1981"Minicomic" with associated character figures Click for more informationMattel Click to show or hide the answer
1984Self–titled comic book, #1 – team MirageClick to show or hide the answer
1984Masters of the Universe "minicomic" Click for more information MattelClick to show or hide the answer

Teams

Iron Man, The Wasp, Thor, the Hulk, Hawkeye, The Vision, The Scarlet Witch, The Giant Man: all are, or have been, members of Click to show or hide the answer
Cyclops, The Beast, Iceman, Angel and Marvel Girl were the original Click to show or hide the answer
Wolverine, Jane Grey and Storm have all been members of Click to show or hide the answer
Mr. Fantastic, The Human Torch, The Thing, The Invisible Woman Click to show or hide the answer
The Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and The Green Lantern are Click to show or hide the answer

Alter–Egos

Arthur Curry Click for more information Click to show or hide the answer
Bruce Wayne Click to show or hide the answer
Natasha Romanova Click to show or hide the answer
Steve Rogers: after taking the Super Soldier serum, turned into Click to show or hide the answer
Billy Batson Click to show or hide the answer
Selina Kyle Click to show or hide the answer
Scott Summers (often serving as the "field leader" of the X–Men) Click to show or hide the answer
Matt Murdock (blind attorney) Click to show or hide the answer
Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West, Bart Allen Click for more information Click to show or hide the answer
Oliver (Jonas) Queen Click to show or hide the answer
Prince Adam of Eternia (Masters of the Universe) Click to show or hide the answer
Dr. Bruce Banner: (when angry) mutates into Click to show or hide the answer
Johnny Storm Click to show or hide the answer
Susan Storm Click to show or hide the answer
Tony Stark (genius inventor, consummate playboy, CEO of Stark Industries and a chief weapons manufacturer for the US military) Click to show or hide the answer
Reed Richards (scientific genius) Click to show or hide the answer
Dick Grayson Click to show or hide the answer
Norrin Radd (an astronomer from the planet Zenn–La) Click to show or hide the answer
Peter Parker Click to show or hide the answer
Clark Kent Click to show or hide the answer
Ben Grimm Click to show or hide the answer
James Howlett Click to show or hide the answer
Diana Prince Click to show or hide the answer

Batman

First appeared in Detective Comics #27, March 30, 1939; drawn by Bob Kane, scripted by Bill Finger Click to show or hide the answer
Bruce Wayne is Click to show or hide the answer
Dick Grayson is Click to show or hide the answer
Bruce Wayne's mansion Click to show or hide the answer
Batman's home city Click to show or hide the answer
Psychiatric hospital that serves the above Click for more information Click to show or hide the answer
Gotham City is supposed to represent Click to show or hide the answer
Batman's (and Bruce Wayne's) tireless butler, assistant and confidante Click to show or hide the answer
Gotham City police chief – an important ally of Batman Click to show or hide the answer
Enemy of Batman whose secret identity is Selina Kyle; played by Eartha Kitt (among others) in the 1960s TV series, and by Michelle Pfeiffer in the film Batman Returns (1992) Click to show or hide the answer
Villain who uses the name Edward (E.) Nygma; played in Batman Forever (1995) by Jim Carrey Click to show or hide the answer
Villain whose real name is Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot; played in the 1960s TV series by Burgess Meredith, and in Batman Returns (1992) by Danny de Vito Click to show or hide the answer
Creator of Batman (Detective Comics, 1939) Click to show or hide the answer
Played Batman in the 1989 film, and in Batman Returns (1992) Click to show or hide the answer
Batman in Batman Forever (1995) Click to show or hide the answer
Played Batman in the 1960s TV series Click to show or hide the answer
Played Robin to Adam West's Batman Click to show or hide the answer
Played by Cesar Romero in the 1960s TV series, and by Jack Nicholson in the 1989 film Click to show or hide the answer
Bruce Wayne's "love interest" – played in the 1989 film by Kim Basinger Click to show or hide the answer

Superman

Created in 1933 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, when they were students at Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio Click to show or hide the answer
Superman's birthday Click to show or hide the answer
Superman's home planet Click to show or hide the answer
Substance that destroys Superman's powers Click to show or hide the answer
Superman's name on Krypton Click to show or hide the answer
Superman's father Click to show or hide the answer
Superman's mother Click to show or hide the answer
Clark Kent's home town Click to show or hide the answer
City where Clark Kent lives and works, and in which the stories are set Click to show or hide the answer
Clark Kent's girlfriend Click to show or hide the answer
Newspaper on which Clark Kent is a reporter Click to show or hide the answer
Clark Kent's editor at the Daily Planet Click to show or hide the answer
Daily Planet photographer who idolises Superman Click to show or hide the answer
Superman's arch enemy – played in the 1978 film, and two of its three sequels, by Gene Hackman; in Superman Returns (2006) by Kevin Spacey, and in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) by Jesse Eisenberg Click to show or hide the answer
The only substance or material that Superman's X–Ray vision doesn't work through Click to show or hide the answer

Superman was killed off in 1992, only to return three months later as four different characters, in four separate storylines that would soon become very confusing indeed. Those four characters were:

Click to show or hide the answer
Click to show or hide the answer
Click to show or hide the answer
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Spider–Man

Creator of Spider–Man; makes a cameo appearance in each film Click to show or hide the answer
Spider–Man's powers result from being bitten by a Click to show or hide the answer
Newspaper at which Peter Parker works Click to show or hide the answer
The Scorpion, Dr. Octopus, The Hobgoblin, The Green Goblin, The Lizard, The Rhino, Electro and Venom are enemies of Click to show or hide the answer
Peter Parker's love interest – played in the movies (2002, 2004, 2007) by Kirsten Dunst Click to show or hide the answer
Affluent New York suburb that Peter Parker lives in Click to show or hide the answer

Captain Marvel

Magic word used by Billy Batson to change into Captain Marvel Click to show or hide the answer
Creator of Captain Marvel Click to show or hide the answer

Buck Rogers

First appeared in Amazing Stories magazine, 1928, in the novella Armageddon 2419 AD by Philip Francis Nowlan. First name Anthony (but see below) Click to show or hide the answer
Syndicated newspaper cartoon strip (… in the 25th Century) 1929–67, revived 1979–83
Radio series 1932–47 – said to be the first sci–fi radio programme
12–part film serial produced in 1939 by Universal
Played by Gil Gerard on TV, 1979–81: William "Buck" Rogers is a space shuttle commander who is "frozen in space" for 504 years following a gas leak, and awakes to find Earth under threat from the spaceborne armies of the planet Draconia

Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon's arch–enemy Click to show or hide the answer
Planet ruled by the ruthless tyrant Ming the Merciless Click to show or hide the answer
Flash Gordon's female companion Click to show or hide the answer
Brilliant scientist who creates a rocket and forces Flash and Dale Arden to come with him to the planet Mongo, and fight against Ming the Merciless Click to show or hide the answer

Others

British parody superhero: began as the star of the comic Nutty, 1980–5, moved to the Dandy when Nutty folded; also appeared in the Beano, and in a 1983 BBC animated series. Alter ego of Eric Wimp (an ordinary schoolboy living at 29 Acacia Road, Nuttytown/Dandytown/Beanotown) in the comic strip, or Eric Twinge in the BBC series. Voiced by Graeme Garden; Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke–Taylor voiced other characters Click to show or hide the answer
A modern version of the Lone Ranger, to whom he is related Click to show or hide the answer
Masters of the Universe: defends Eternia (the planet at the centre of the Universe) and the secrets of Castle Grayskull from the evil forces of Skeletor Click to show or hide the answer
Pepper Potts (played in films by Gwyneth Paltrow) is the love interest of Click to show or hide the answer
Formidable law enforcement officer of Mega City One: first appeared in 1977 in the British comic 2000 AD; subsequently played on film by Sylvester Stallone (in 1995) and Karl Urban (in 2012) Click to show or hide the answer
First name shared by Bruce Wayne's mother and Superman's adoptive (Earth) mother Click to show or hide the answer
Crime–fighting vigilante: best remembered in a 1930s American radio series (some episodes of which were voiced by Orson Welles), introduced by the line "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" Click to show or hide the answer
He–Man's twin sister Click to show or hide the answer
Came to Earth in the service of the "planet devourer" Galactus, but was persuaded back to the side of good by the Fantastic Four Click to show or hide the answer
Arch–enemy of He–Man (a muscular blue humanoid, with a purple hood over his yellow bare–bone skull) Click to show or hide the answer
Fantastic Four member: famous for his battle cry "It's clobberin' time!" Click to show or hide the answer
Commonly associated with the X–Men: real name James Howlett, commonly known as Logan; his skeleton is reinforced by adamantium Click to show or hide the answer
First appeared 1919; real name Don Diego de la Vega; a fictional nobleman in Spanish California; name is Spanish for 'Fox'; left a letter Z (slashed with his sword) as his signature Click to show or hide the answer

© Haydn Thompson 2017–23