We here at the FAN are some pretty big fans of comic books, as if our weekly articles over comic books didn’t hammer that home enough. However, so are the fine fans of…er….FAN over at the official FAN forum. In honor of the record breaking dominance of The Avengers, I have decided to make an article about the results of a recent fan vote on the forum where the participants voted on their Top 30 favorite superheroes, as well as their Top 30 supervillains, which I will cover in a separate article. In addition to listing the results, I’ll give a brief description of each hero, delving briefly into their pasts and their powers. Due to the nature of the voting, there are a few ties. You can see the full results here.
30) John Stewart
John Stewart was selected by the Guardians of the Universe to be the backup Green Lantern for space sector 2814 after the previous backup Lantern, Guy Gardner, was seriously injured. Prior to being selected by the Guardians, Stewart was an architect and a U.S. Marine sniper. As a Green Lantern, Stewart wields the green ring of Willpower and can use it to summon energy constructs of anything he imagines, something his architect past greatly helps with.
29) Reed Richards/Sue Storm
Reed Richards was just a normal, albeit genius, man until taking an unscheduled test flight in a spacecraft of his design. During this test flight, Richards was exposed to high levels of cosmic radiation. This gave Richards the powers of elasticity, meaning he can stretch his body to great lengths as well as shape-shift his body into countless forms. His elasticity also makes him nigh immune to electricity as well as blunt force attacks, stabbings, and being cut. Richards would go on to be a founding member of the Fantastic Four and he took up the moniker Mr. Fantastic.
Sue Storm is Reed Richard’s lover, and later wife. She was also normal until she went on Reed’s fateful test flight. As a result of her exposure to the cosmic radiation, Sue gained the power of invisibility, and this was reflected in her moniker, the Invisible Girl, later on changed to the Invisible Woman. Sue eventually was given the power to project invisible force fields, a decision that changed her from a perennial damsel in distress into one of the premiere heroes in Marvel’s roster.
28) Barry Allen/Luke Cage
Barry Allen is a forensic scientist who gained powers one night when he was preparing to leave work when a lightning bolt shattered a case full of chemicals, spilling them all over Barry. This resulted in giving him the ability to run faster than the speed of light. Barry took up the title of The Flash, the moniker of his favorite childhood comic book hero, Jay Garrick, who also had speed-based powers. Barry would eventually be revealed to be the source of the Speed Force, the force that powers many of DC’s speed-based superheroes. He also has complete control over every molecule in his body, and can travel through time.
Luke Cage was born Carl Lucas. Cage was sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. In exchange for parole, he underwent an experiential procedure that was meant to generate immunity to all illnesses, only for it to give Cage skin as hard as steel and heavier, stronger muscles. After Cage broke out of prison, he changed his name and began working as a “hero for hire”. Luke Cage also has used the moniker Power Man. Thanks to the procedure he underwent, Cage gained superhuman strength and stamina, as well as accelerated healing.
27) Johnny Storm/Martian Manhunter
Johnny Storm is the younger brother of Sue Storm. His sister managed to get him aboard Reed Richards’ test flight, thus also exposing him to cosmic radiation, granting him powers. Johnny’s powers reflect his brash, hotheaded nature, as he can take on a fiery form that grants him flight. He also has pyrokinesis, allowing him to manipulate nearby fires, In addition, he can absorb heat energy and fire into his body without harming him. Johnny would take up the moniker of the Human Torch.
J’onn J’onzz is a Green Martian that was brought to Earth via a teleportation beam built by Dr. Saul Erdel. The shock of J’onn’s arrival kills Dr. Erdel, leaving J’onn stranded on Earth. He decides to take up a human identity as John Jones, a detective. Eventually, J’onn reveals his Martian nature and takes up the moniker the Martian Manhunter. J’onn has an extensive list of powers that rangers from superhuman strength, speed, and endurance to shapeshifting, telekinesis, invisibility, and intangibility.
26) Tim Drake
Tim Drake was the son of Jack and Janet Drake. Tim was born into the same social class as his eventual mentor, Bruce Wayne. After turning 9, Tim was able to deduce the identities of Batman and the first Robin. Several years later, Tim would approach Batman in the aftermath of the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin. Eventually Batman would take Tim under his wing and make him the third Robin. Tim would later on take on the moniker of Red Robin. Tim Drake doesn’t have any superpowers, but makes up for it by being an excellent athlete, a master martial artist, and a genius detective, as well as using a wide arsenal of weapons and gadgets.
25) Rorschach/Storm
Rorschach was born Walter Joseph Kovacs. He began fighting crime after reading about the murder of Kitty Genovese. Early on in his crime fighting career, Rorschach was mentally stable and left criminals beaten, but alive. Later on, Rorschach suffered a severe mental shift, growing more cruel in his work. Often killing the criminals he encountered. Rorschach gained his moniker from his trademark mask that has a mixture white and black heat and pressure-sensitive viscous fluids between layers of latex. The result of this unique fabric is a constantly shifting image that is reminiscent of the Rorschach ink blot test. Rorschach does not have any powers, but is a great street fighter and amateur boxer and is great at improvising weapons.
Storm was born Ororo Munroe. She is the mutant daughter of N’Dare, the princess of a tribe in Kenya, and David Munroe, an American photojournalist. Her parents died when she was six. Storm is the current queen consort of the African country Wakanda, a result of her marriage to the Wakandan king, T’Challa, better known as the superhero Black Panther. Storm’s moniker comes from her mutant powers, which in addition to weather manipulation, grant her multiple powers which include flight and resistance to the effects of the weather and extreme temperatures.
24) The Spectre/Green Arrow
The Spectre is God’s spirit of vengeance, seeking out criminals, more specifically murderers, and performing judgment on them, often in cruel and ironic ways. The Spectre needs a human host to help carry out his divine duties. The host is always a human who has died. Over the years The Spectre has had three prominent hosts, Jim Corrigan, a hard-boiled cop, Hal Jordan, the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps, and Crispus Allen, one of the few good cops in Gotham City. The Spectre is arguably the strongest known being in existence in the DC universe, capable of nearly any feat.
Oliver Queen is a billionaire playboy by day, and crime fighter under the moniker of the Green Arrow by night. He dresses in a similar style to that of the English folk hero Robin Hood, and invents a wide variety of trick arrows that, in combination with his master archery, martial arts, and swordplay skills, he uses to fiercely defend Star City, a city he also use to be mayor of. Despite originally being simply an archery-based clone of Batman, Green Arrow would go on to develop into his own character after teaming up with Hal Jordan, the primary Green Lantern for space sector 2814.
23) Hal Jordan
Hal “Highball” Jordan was a test pilot for Ferris Aircraft, a company ran by his lover, and eventual foe, Carol Ferris. Jordan is selected by the ring of the dying Abin Sur to become the new Green Lantern for space sector 2814. Thanks to his power ring, Hal is able to summon energy constructs of whatever he imagines. Hal would eventually become possessed by the entity of Fear, Parallax, causing Hal to become a villain under the same name until he sacrificed himself to save the Earth. After his death, he would serve as the host of The Spectre, until he was brought back to life.
22) Rogue
Anna Marie is a mutant from Mississippi. She would take on the moniker of Rogue. Her main mutant power is the ability to absorb the memories, skills, and powers of others through skin to skin contact. This power of hers’ has the potential to be fatal in some cases. It is because of the nature of her powers that she believes them to be a curse. For most of her life, her powers prevented her from making physical contact with others, including her on and off love interest Gambit, but she eventually gains control over them. Occasionally, Rogue is also presented as having super strength and the power of flight.
21) Booster Gold/Gambit
Michael Jon Carter was a showboat from the 25th century. He blew his bright future as a football player when his gambling addicted father convinced Michael to bet on games he played in and then throw them. Michael was eventually caught and became a night watchman at a museum in Metropolis. He spent his time studying the displays about the superheroes and villains from the past. With the help of a security robot named Skeets, Michael stole many hero artifacts, specifically a power suit that grants him super strength, wrist blasters that allow him to shoot force blasts, a flight ring, a visor, and a force field belt. He then took up the name Booster Gold and used a time travel sphere to travel to the 20th century. Though originally presented as a joke character that few of his peers respected, Booster Gold has been revealed to have one of the most important roles in the DC universe, as he now watches over the time stream of the DC universe, becoming a hero whose heroics would go unnoticed by those around him, but would be celebrated in the future for his sacrifices.
Remy LeBeau is a mutant from Louisiana. He uses the moniker of Gambit. His primary mutant powers deal with potential and kinetic energy in objects. He can change the potential energy in an object into kinetic energy, causing the object to explode. Gambit can also accelerate an object’s kinetic energy instead of converting its potential energy. The main subject of his charging of potential energy is his trademark playing cards, which he can throw with deadly accuracy. The main subject of his kinetic acceleration is his similarly trademark Bo staff, which results in him delivering powerful blows with it. Gambit also has a hypnotic charm power that allows him to exert subtle influence over sentient beings.
20) She-Hulk
Jennifer Walters is a criminal defense lawyer and the cousin of Bruce Banner, the human form of The Incredible Hulk. Jennifer gained her powers when she was shot by operatives of crime boss Nicholas Trask. Bruce happened to be in town on that day, and as they had the same blood type and had familiar DNA, Bruce donated some of his Gamma Radiated blood to Jennifer. Bruce’s blood combined with Jennifer’s anger transformed her into the She-Hulk when the mobsters came to finish off the job. She-Hulk’s powers are similar to the Hulk’s, but at a reduced level. Her transformed state is also less like a monster and more like a green-skinned Amazon. Eventually Jennifer gains control over her transformation into She-Hulk. In addition to the powers she shares with the Hulk, she use to be presented as being able to break the fourth wall, though she still occasionally makes references to this power of hers’.
19) Power Girl
Kara Zor-L is the counterpart of Supergirl from DC’s Earth-Two. She is the first cousin of Earth-Two’s Superman, Kal-L. She became a permanent resident of Earth-One following the destruction of Earth-Two. Kara’s secret identity is Karen Starr and her hero moniker is Power Girl. Her powers mimic those of other Kryptonian heroes, meaning she has super strength, speed, endurance, agility, and hearing, as well as a healing factor, freeze breath, flight, and multiple vision powers.
18) Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson was a member of the family of acrobats called the Flying Graysons. He witnessed his parents being murdered by a mafia boss. Dick is eventually taken in by Batman and becomes the first Robin. Eventually Dick would go on to be a solo-hero under the name Nightwing. He also has took up the Batman moniker when Bruce couldn’t perform the duties of Batman on two occasions. Dick uses his martial arts and acrobatic skills in combat in tandem with his tactician skills and his wide arsenal of high-tech equipment to fight crime.
17) Captain Marvel
Billy Batson is a teen that was selected by the powerful wizard Shazam to be the champion of good. Whenever Billy says Shazam’s name, he is hit by a magical bolt of lightning that transforms him into an adult superhero, called Captain Marvel, with six main abilities. He is granted the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlus, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury.
16) Beast/Deadpool/Silver Surfer
Dr. Hank McCoy is a mutant. He was one of the first members of the X-Men. He has a genius-level intellect and his mutation has granted him an animal like physiology, super strength, speed, stamina, agility, durability, senses, and dexterity as well as a healing factor. Reflecting his animal like appearance and abilities, Hank operates under the moniker Beast.
Wade Wilson, the Merc with a Mouth, is a fourth wall breaking mercenary. He was granted his most prominent power, an accelerated healing factor, by the Weapon X program. However, this accelerated healing of his has had major consequences on Deadpool. When his powers kicked in, it caused the cancer he had at the time to rapidly spread across his body, resulting in massive scar tissue that has disfigured his appearance, despite his healing abilities. It has also made him mentally instable, which is the cause of his infamous fourth wall breaking.
Norrin Radd was an astronomer on the planet Zenn-La. In exchange for sparing his homeward from destruction, Radd became the herald of the cosmic being Galactus. Galactus would then give Radd a portion of his Power Cosmic, which changed Radd’s appearance and granted him great power, and a surfboard-like craft on which Radd would travel at speeds faster than that of light. As a result Norrin Radd would become forever known as the Silver Surfer. The Silver Surfer would then travel the stars looking for new planets for Galactus to eat. His travels would take him eventually to Earth, where the Silver Surfer would end up betraying Galactus to save the planet. As his punishment, Galactus exiled the Silver Surfer to Earth. By wielding the Power Cosmic, the Surfer has superhuman strength, endurance, senses, and the ability to absorb and manipulate the universe’s ambient energy for a variety of effects. The Surfer can also navigate through interstellar space, dimensional barriers, and hyperspace, as was as travel through time.
15) Wally West
Wally West is the nephew of Iris West, the girlfriend and later wife, of the second Flash, Barry Allen. During a visit to the Central City police laboratory that Barry worked at, the same accident that gave Barry his powers happened again, this time bathing Wally in the lightning-charged chemicals, granting Wally powers connected to the Speed Force. Wally initially donned the identity of Kid Flash, dressing in an outfit similar to his uncle’s. After Barry Allen died, Wally became the third Flash. Thanks to his access to the Speed Force, Wally has super speed, can explode objects by vibrating through them, and can travel through time.
14) Daredevil
Matt Murdock is a lawyer who lived in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in New York City as a child. One day he was blinded by a radioactive substance that falls from an oncoming truck. After his father, a boxer, is killed for not throwing a fight, Murdock seeks out revenge against his killers as a hero named Daredevil. Daredevil is often called the Man Without Fear. Despite popular belief, Daredevil’s power isn’t that he is simply just a blind man who can see again. While he is blind, his other four senses have become superhumanly strong and sensitive. For example, his sense of hearing is so strong he can hear the Hulk coming from four blocks away. He is also a master martial artist, gymnast, and acrobat, and he fights with a billy club of his own design.
13) Hellboy
Hellboy, whose real name is Anung Un Rama, is a demon that was summoned from Hell to Earth as an infant in 1944 by Nazi occultists. He was discovered by a group of Allied Forces that included Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, the founder of the BPRD. Hellboy works for the BPRD and helps them fight the creatures that go bump in the night. To appear a little more human, Hellboy files his demon horns down to their signature stumps. His powers include immunity to fire, superhuman strength and endurance, a healing factor, longevity, his invulnerable Right Hand of Doom which is made of stone, and extensive knowledge of the supernatural and the capability to understand magical languages.
12) Wonder Woman
Diana is an Amazon princess from the island of Themyscira. She is the daughter of Queen Hippolyta. When she was an infant, she was blessed by each of the Greek deities. In the human world, Diana uses two names, her hero name, Wonder Woman, and her secret identity, Diana Prince. Diana has superhuman strength, speed, agility, and endurance, can fly, is resistant to magic, and is highly trained in hand-to-hand combat. She also wields indestructible bracelets and a golden Lasso of Truth that forces those bound by it to tell the truth. She also has access to an arsenal of magical weaponry, some of which was forged by the Greek god Hephaestus himself. Diana is arguably the most popular and iconic superheroine in comics.
11) Nightcrawler
Kurt Wagner is a mutant. Kurt’s mother is fellow mutant Mystique and his father is the demonic warlord Azazel. Kurt was raised in a Bavarian circus by Margali Szardos. From birth he had physical mutations which included blue skin, two-toed feet, three-fingered hands, yellow eyes, and a prehensile tail, giving him a demonic appearance. His primary mutant power is teleportation, a power that emerged with puberty. In addition, Kurt can stick to walls, blend into shadows, and is a skilled close-range fighter utilizing martial arts and fencing. The moniker Kurt operates under is Nightcrawler and is a popular member of the X-Men.
10) Thor
Thor Odinson was born in Asgard as the son of Odin and Gaea. To teach Thor humility, Odin placed Thor into the body and memories of Donald Blake, a human doctor. Thor and Blake can switch back and forth who is in control of Blake’s body. Thor is one of the founding members of The Avengers. Thor is not immortal, needing to periodically eat the Golden Apples of Idunn to sustain his extended lifespan. He is physically the strongest of the Asgardians. Thor is also nigh invulnerable to physical injury. As the Norse god of Thunder, Thor holds power over the various aspects of storms, such as lightning, rain, and wind. Thor’s legendary hammer, Mjolnir, grants Thor flight, in addition to a conduit through which he can focus his weather manipulation powers, such as shooting lightning from the hammer, or spinning it to cause tornados. Thor can also throw and subsequently call back Mjolnir. Mjolnir is an extremely heavy weapon that can only be lifted by those deemed worthy enough to wield the hammer.
9) Cyclops
Scott Summers is a mutant, a founding member of the X-Men, and is the leader of the X-Men. He is the son of Corsair, the elder brother of fellow mutants Havok and Vulcan, the father of Cable, and the husband of both Madelyne Pryor and Jean Grey. Scott operates under the moniker of Cyclops, coming from the visor he wears when in costume. His primary mutant power is a concussive optical blast that he can manipulate the strength and size of. However, hpis optical blast continuously projects from his eyes when they are open and unprotected. As a result, Scott wears specially made ruby quartz eye glasses when out of his costume, to protect others from his optical blast.
8) The Thing
Ben Grimm is the good friend of Reed Richards and a founding member of the Fantastic Four. While not as smart as Reed, Ben is still smart in his own right, earning multiple advanced degrees in engineering in college. Ben would then become a pilot in the military, and eventually an astronaut for NASA. Thanks to an agreement made in college, Reed gets Ben to be the pilot of his spacecraft on the test flight that exposed Reed Richards, Sue Storm, and Johnny Storm to cosmic radiation. Ben was also exposed to the cosmic radiation, turning him into the Thing, granting him a tough, rock-like skin, and incredible superhuman strength, stamina, and durability.
7) Incredible Hulk
Dr. Bruce Banner is a physicist who was changed into the Hulk as a result of being exposed to massive amounts of Gamma Radiation when he was caught in the blast of a Gamma bomb he invented. Severe emotional triggers, such as anger, fear, and grief will cause Banner to transform into the Hulk. The Hulk is a founding member of the Avengers. The Hulk is capable of incredible feats of strength and durability, with his strength being directly proportional to the amount of anger the Hulk is feeling at the time. He is immune to diseases and viruses, has a healing factor, resistant to mind control, can leap vast distances, and can breathe underwater.
6) Wolverine
Logan is a mutant and an iconic member of the X-Men. Born James Howlett in Canada, he eventually adopts the name Logan. Logan participates in both World War I and World War II. Sometime after WW2, Logan is forced against his will into the Weapon X program where he is experimented on. Logan escapes from Weapon X and begins working for the Canadian government as Wolverine. Wolverine joins the X-Men after the creator of the X-Men, Charles Xavier, erases Wolverine’s mind after Wolverine was sent to assassinate Xavier. Wolverine’s main mutant powers are his incredibly strong healing factor, which is arguably the strongest one in the Marvel universe, and his retractable razor-sharp bone claws. As a result of being in the Weapon X program, Wolverine’s skeleton, including his claws, is covered with the indestructible metal alloy Adamantium. He also has superhuman senses, strength, stamina, and longevity.
5) Superman
Kal-El is the son of Jor-El, a scientist from the planet Krypton. As an infant he was rocketed off of Krypton moments before the planet’s destruction. Kal-El landed in the state of Kansas on Earth, where he was found and adopted by Jonathan Kent and his wife Martha Kent. They gave Kal-El the name Clark Kent. From a very young age, Clark showed signs of super powers, which he would fully use in adulthood for the benefit of mankind as the superhero called Superman. Superman works at the Daily Planet newspaper in Metropolis under his Clark Kent identity. As a Kryptonian, Superman gains a large amount of superpowers from being exposed to the energy of Earth’s yellow sun. He gains superhuman strength, speed, stamina, invulnerability, freeze breath, super hearing, flight, and multiple vision powers.
4) Captain America
Steve Rogers use to be a frail man, until he was used as a test subject in the Super-Soldier project, where he was injected with the Super-Soldier serum. The serum, combined with the stabilizing Vita-Rays, transforms Rogers into a nearly perfect human with peak strength, agility, stamina, and intelligence. The American government uses Rogers as a patriotic superhero to counteract the Red Skull and the Nazi party. They supply Rogers with a patriotic uniform, a bulletproof shield, a firearm, and the codename of Captain America. Eventually, Captain America’s shield is replaced with a new one forged from an alloy of steel and vibranium that would become his signature weapon to this day. During a mission in World War II, Captain America becomes encased in ice in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic, only to be revived decades in the future where he proceeds to join the Avengers, while also having to adjust to the modern day around him.
3) Iron Man
Tony Stark is a womanizing billionaire playboy, industrialist, ingenious engineer, and the owner of Stark Industries. For most of his career, Stark built weapons for war, making a wealthy living off of armed conflict. This all changes when he is kidnapped in a foreign country and suffers a severe chest injury. His captors try to force Stark into making weapons of mass destruction, but he instead creates a powered suit of armor that saves his life and allows him to escape. He calls himself Iron Man and uses this powered suit to fight crime. In the process he changes his views on building weapons for the military. Over the years, Stark has built a wide range of Iron Man suits, many serving specific purposes, such as his Hulkbuster suit, designed specifically for defeating the Hulk in combat. His suits usually grant him flight and his main form of offense comes from his suits’ repulsor rays and arsenals of missiles.
2) Batman
Bruce Wayne is a billionaire playboy, an industrialist, and a philanthropist. As a child, he witnessed his parents being killed by a mugger. He swore to seek revenge on criminals as a result. He would proceed to spend many years mastering many forms of martial arts, while also honing his stealth and detective skills. Bruce would then don a bat-themed outfit and arsenal of gadgets and vehicles, taking on the name Batman. He has no true superpowers, instead using his training and gadgets to fight crime. Much like Iron Man, Batman has a variety of specialized suits for different situations. While Batman’s greatest tool is his mind, he is at least partially prepared for most situations thanks to the contents of his utility belt. He works tirelessly to maintain justice in the highly corrupt Gotham City, but he cannot do this task alone. So he takes on many proteges throughout the years who primarily work under the monikers Robin and Batgirl. Many of whom have gone on to establish themselves as heroes in their own right.
1) Spider-Man
Peter Parker was a nerdy, unpopular teenager in New York City until one day he was bitten by a radioactive spider while at a science exhibit. The spider bite granted Peter the agility and proportionate strength of a spider. In addition, it gave Peter the ability to climb up walls and a precognitive Spider Sense, alerting him to oncoming danger. Peter uses his knack for science to create a pair of wrist-mounted web-shooters that allows him to fire a strong adhesive webbing also of his own design. He dons a spider-themed costume and becomes Spider-Man, using his powers initially for monetary gain. However, Peter makes a fatal mistake when he lets a thief get away as the thief would later rob and kill his Uncle Ben. After that event, Peter becomes a crime fighter, though it proves to be difficult for Peter to juggle his life as Spider-Man and his life as Peter Parker.
And there you have it, the Top 30 Superheroes according to the fans of FAN. Stay on the lookout for the eventual companion article recapping the Top 30 Supervillains according to the fans of FAN.