Now no cheating and saying "My dad" or "my wife". I'm talking real, fictional, make-believe superheroes. And, no, Jesus does not count in this discussion either.
Are you a Superman fan?
Is Spider-Man your ultimate?
Are you more a "Hulk smash" kind of guy?
Does the space-faring Silver Surfer turn your crank?
Is the Dark Knight, Batman, yours forever?
Not everyone out there reads or read comics. But let's face it, these characters are universal now. You don't have to be an afficionado to have a preference.
What about Storm, Wonder Woman or any of the other superhuman women running around the pages of the comics, usually scantily clad and wearing high heels while fighting crime.? Which is your favourite heroine?
And don't cop out with a one word declaration of your favourite. Take a stand! Why are they the bomb? What makes them better than all the others? Is it their funky powers? Is it their cool costume? Is it the character?
Fess up.
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Comments: 77
My fave superhero has always been Wolverine. He's a bad ass with a side order of sarcasm. He's got an Adamantium reinforced skeleton and razor sharp claws that retract for God's sake !! He's got enhanced healing abilities and enhanced sense of smell and hearing. The dude is just plain sick.
Wolverine has his appeal, and I think you will be in the majority here, but I find him overdone. He's one of those heroes who was suddenly ubiquitous and they lost me when they overplayed their hand with him.
note: Jesus isn't fictional.
But mostly because I relate to her.
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
I also liked Green Lantern, who seemed like a normal guy who got picked out by the Guardians -- a Mr. Average turned superhero.
Robert: Another vote for Aquaman, and this time with an explanation. Good one. (And yes, that is why Jesus doesn't count, because he's not fictional--- fabulous furry freak brothers notwithstanding.)
Lune: Thanks for coming back and elaborating. Good reasons, too. Cool powers that come with a price, which makes her human and someone you can identify with.
Elizabeth: Thank you too for coming back and addressing the why part of the question. I'm going with the long blond hair, given that you can't put a finger on it. ;)
Glenna: I guess I'll have to pick for you. (Thanks for making it easy for everyone to get here, if you were fictional you'd certainly be my hero.)
Bijou: Catwoman is a good choice, even though she is a villian. I suppose a villian can be your hero, why not? Yes, she does have sex appeal, that's for sure. Haven't seen the Halle Berry Catwoman, because everybody says it stinks. I usually see all the superhero movies (love The Incredibles) and how bad can it be when you get to see Halle Berry scantily clad? But, I still haven't seen it.
Lloyd: Now you're talkin', good old Benjamin Grimm, aka The Thing. He is definitely cool. I also appreciate your reason for identifying with Superman.
Sarina: The Mighty Thor sure has mystique and sex appeal, but he is not Greek. Thor is a Norse god, along with Odin the All-Father, guys the Vikings believed in. Good choice, none the less. But Thor remains an awesome choice.
Doyle: You do make a strong case for Kal El, the Man of Steel, but you also provide the rationale for the reasons against picking Superman: too powerful. Superman comics got boring because there was no chance he could lose. Making Batman your second choice is funny, given your reasons for choosing Superman first. Despite their close association, they are kind of the antithesis of each other. Superman is an alien/adoptee who grew up on a farm in Kansas, has phenomenal powers and an unambiguous moral code. Batman is a human orphan, son of a millionaire, who grew up in the big, bad city, has no powers at all and operates on the edge of morality. Interesting juxtaposition.
Juan: Another vote for Wolverine! Watch your back, Aquaman. Though I have already argued against Wolverine, I must say I am silently cheering for him if only because the DC comics bunch are leading the pack here. Make Mine Marvel!
Don: But why, why?
Kris: Okay, so I have ignored the fact that Superman is stealing away from Aquaman, Wolverine and the rest of the pack. An honourable mention to Green Lantern (whose magazine in the 1970s was definitely cutting edge) is also pretty cool.
Karen: Again, why? I think I'm going to discount all the votes that don't come with a reason. That will cost Superman two or three anyway.
Heather: Captain Planet? Wasn't that the cartoon character with the voice of Tom Cruise who was supposed to be the big environmental hero? Wow, now that is reaching. Since you didn't give a reason, I'm don't have to count your vote. Sorry.
Sissy-B: Finally, someone chooses Spiderman! I was wondering how long that was going to take. I mean, Spiderman was the first hero who was a teenager, rather than being just like your Dad. He was one of us! (Of course, now I'm older than Spiderman by about 20 years, even though he was at least ten years older than me when he began. Spiderman was by far the most original of them all. Way to go, Sissy!
Nardy: Sorry, Wolverine could not kick Spiderman's butt. Wolverine is tough, fast, deadly with those claws and has a kickass healing power, but Spiderman is faster, stronger, has his spider-sense and just never gives up.
Frank: Well, Superman continues to lead. Wonder Woman beat you up, hmm? I suppose you'd want her to tie you up with that glowing rope that makes you tell the truth. There'd be some interested revelations then, I'm sure.
The best part is that as I grew older, I could enjoy these heros on deeper levels. These comics were written with great depth, history and drama. Sure...it's sci-fi and it's superheros but, I think, they're well done. Each powere had it's drawback, each gift, it's lesson.
When the movies were made, my sons and I went together. I'm not sure which of us enjoyed them more.
(btw Do you remember that the president , in early XMen shows..was a woman? )
:-)
Dark Phoenix/Jean Grey had the power to destroy a universe...I think she could kick Spiderman, Superman's, Wonder Womans, Captain Americas... and anyones...butt.
No contest.
If Dark Phoenix wanted to destroy him, she could have.
The ultimate hero-she sacrificed herself to save the world.
The ultimate act of love...he helped carry out that wish .
Ahhh what a story.
In addition to having a very talented sidekick, the Green Hornet also has a nice car, called Black Beauty, which had plenty of neat gizmos. I liked him because he did not mess around with crime. He was a skilled Fighter, a great shot with his 2 guns, one for knock out gas and the other for Electric shocks. And besides that his strret Name is Britt Read and he is the son of Dan Reid nephew of the Lone Ranger. YEs that was the story line I am not makingthis up.
Don't get me wrong here guys, I have some respect for the webbed one. He's just not my favorite, he's too clean cut, Mr. Whitebread America.
Denise-Marie I don't know enough about Dark Phoenix to intelligently defend myself to that. I remember the scene you're referring to though.
In the back of my closet I still have most of my X-men comics from when I was a kid. I'll have to take a look at them again someday. :-)
April: Green Hornet, eh? You've beaten Heather on the obscure vote, I think. Well, maybe not. Green Hornet was once much more popular than Captain Planet ever was. However, having a sidekick who could kick your butt and eventually out do you in the fame department (Bruce Lee) is a major drawback for any hero.
Virgil: Ah, the Beast. My favourite Beast quote was when someone asked if they were out of the woods yet and Hank McCoy replied: "We haven't even put on our little red riding hood and left for Grandmas house yet. We haven't even seen the woods yet."
Nardy: Um, Spiderman has the proporionate strength of a spider and can lift about 10 tons, Wolverine has the strength of a normal human male his height and weight who engages in intensive, regular exercise. No contest. Same with speed. And Denise-Marie is absolutely right about Dark Phoenix and Wolverine: she let him kill her to save the world.
Susan: Cap is cool, no doubt. That vibranium shield which now graces the set of the Colbert Report is one of a kind. I liked the comic a lot when Cap was partnered with The Falcon and his bird, Redwing.
April: I kind of had you pegged for a Batman kinda girl. Holy rusted metal, Batman! The very height of campy. I loved it when the "scaled" a wall.
The score so far is:
Superman = 4 votes (2 spoiled ballots)
Wolverine = 2 votes
Aquaman = 2 votes
Wonder Woman = 1 Vote (1 spoiled ballot)
Rogue, Catwoman, The Thing, Thor, Spiderman, Jean Grey, Kitty Pryde, The Beast, Captain America, Batman, The Green Hornet = 1 Vote each
Captain Planet, Sailor Moon = (1 spoiled ballot each)
Susann: All the gals! Not that I disagree, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to cast your vote to the wind, since I cannot cast it towards one single hero. ;)
Rory : I guess my Xmen mania shows?. Please, please don't tell all the serious poets in the group I established!
Of course the love triangle of Logan,Jean and Scott was major to the appeal...all that tension....lol. Better than any soap opera!(and I loathe, soap operas)
And yes...Jean handled it with Grace. She was intelligent, beautiful , powerful, and also..humble. She had deep abiding respect for Professor Xavier , and never considered herself more powerful than he was. She understood the delicacy of power, that power was a double edged sword.
It is odd to discuss Xmen with adults. I could actually never discuss it any one...who would expect a woman to be interested?
Until my sons were introduced (by ..moi!): then...boy...I was the "cool" mom! lol.
Oddly- their father could share this, as he only knew Superman,Spiderman,and Batman . I think Spidey and the Dark Knight are terrific characters, and the stories are human and interesting. Superman , being an Alien...never appealed to me.
But the creators get points for starting something good!
The nerds have become cool. You gotta love that!
Rotf!
In reverse order:
Spiderman: As I said earlier, the first superhero, not sidekick, who was one of us -- the kids who read the comics. He went to school, lived with his aunt, had problems speaking with girls and had to live with bullies. But he could kick ass.
Black Bolt: Leader of the Inhumans, has the powers of flight and the ability to manipulate matter at the molecular level and a voice that can shatter mountains (and cannot speak softly, so he is usually mute).
The Silver Surfer: Gifted with incredible galactic powers (greater even than Superman's, which was well illustrated in a cross-ver comic which feature Marvel and DC heroes), but trapped on Earth by his former master, the world-devouring Galactus. The Surfer was just cool.
The Thing: Benjamin Grimm is the most honourable of heroes, a man trapped in a monstrous body he still manages to have more humanity than any ten other heroes. Far too many cool moments to recount.
The Vision: Android created by a robot created by one of the Avengers, sent by his maker to destroy the Avengers he joins them instead. His powers include super-strength, flight, beams of energy (sometimes from his eyes, sometimes from the jewel on his forehead which also is the source of his solar powered energy) and the unique ability to control his density: one moment hard as a diamond, the next able to walk through walls. The Vision has a computer-quick rational mind and a voice like something from beyond the grave. He reminded me of Mr. Spock from Star Trek in ways. The Vision is my favourite hero of all.
Yes, they are all Marvel superheroes.
But I will give Batman honourable mention.
I sold all my x-men to buy cribs for the twins, but that's ok. I'm a DC fan to the core, anyway.
Kyle: Spawn is a good choice (created by a Canadian, just like Superman).
Charles: The only pop culture reference to Isis that I knew of was Boby Dylan's song. Now I know another.
Rita: I remember Underdog fondly, but have no idea about the "stamp set", must have been US postage stamps, eh?
MJ: Chameleon Boy, wasn't he all green and didn't he remain green no matter what form he took?
Apryl: Batman and his utility belt, Batmobile and all the cool stuff in the Batcave. Yes indeed.
Carrie: Mary Jane?? So sweet, so educational, such a dark ending to your comment!
Rory, I believe you're thinking of Beast Boy/Changeling from the Teen Titans, who could become any animal but remained green while doing it. As if nobody would look twice at the green gorilla in the corner. Chameleon Boy (Reep Daggle from the planet Durla) was orange-skinned, with pointy ears and antennae, but took on the authentic colouration of anything he imitated.
Why oh why do I remember all this stuff, but still have to use my fingers for the nine-times table?
:0
Sorry its not fictional - but 'real life' superheros are better ~j
It would be like me asking you what your favourite beverage was and you answering roast beef. I like roast beef, but I don't want to drink it.
Oh come on, just throw it in the blender with a little gravy ...
Namor, The Submariner, the Avenging Son of Atlantis
He is one of my favorites because he's complex, jumping back and forth over that line of villain and hero a number of times. He's often environmentally conscious. He also has nifty powers flight, superstrength, near invulnerability, the ability to imitate fish powers, and underwater breathing without Aquaman's real need to stay in the water.
I was going to try and come up with a reason why Man-Thing or Werewolf by Night or Monster of Frankenstein or Iron Fist were my favorite, but Submariner's a little more mainstream.