As someone who’s been writing comics for decades, Grant Morrison has added so many new and creative characters to the DC Universe. As a huge, and I mean, huge Morrison fan (a Morri-stan, if you will), I love practically their entire library. The stories they’ve put out into the world are so creative and diverse. One minute you’ll be reading a story honoring obscure comic book history, the next you’ll be reading a meta meditation on the relationship between the author and the characters they create. And when it comes to characters, Morrison has some doozies.
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Thanks to Grant (as well as their talented collaborators), the DC Universe has gotten some truly fascinating additions. Doom Patrol alone introduced a muscly hunk who could bend reality by flexing and a sentient street that doubled as a safe haven for outsiders. Meanwhile, their Batman run introduced twisted monsters like Professor Pyg and the insidious Doctor Hurt. Morrison has contributed a lot to the DC Universe, but what are some of their best creations? It’s hard to pick just a few, but read on to discover 10 of the best DC characters plucked straight out of Grant Morrison’s imagination.
10. The Atom
In collaboration with Gail Simone, Morrison introduced Ray Palmer’s successor, Ryan Choi. Much like his predecessor, Ryan is a certified genius and has a knack for the sub-atomic sciences. As the Atom, Ryan uses a belt that contains a White Dwarf Star fragment, allowing him to shrink down to impossibly small sizes. While the Atom has struggled to be as big a hero as some of his colleagues, Choi is an incredibly important member of the Justice League. In fact, he was part of the project that helped put heroes’ powers back in order after the end of Absolute Power.
9. Professor Pyg
Grant Morrison spent years on the Bat-Epic, and arguably, one of the best things to come out of it was Professor Pyg. Inspired by the Pygmalion tale, Lazlo Valentin is a former Spyral agent who was driven insane by drugs he’d been developing. He formed a criminal syndicate known as the Circus of the Strange and began making twisted henchmen known as Dollotrons. What’s so fascinating is that Pyg takes elements of traditional Batman villains (unusual gimmick, bizarre compulsions, etc) and plays them completely straight, creating one of the most horrifying Batman villains in modern comics.
8. Beryl Hutchinson
Speaking of the Bat-Epic, Morrison also introduced a plucky hero who ended up becoming a huge fan favorite. Beryl Hutchinson was the latest incarnation of Squire, the United Kingdom’s Robin, who worked alongside the Knight. Beryl was an incredibly fun and capable sidekick, but her time as the Squire came to an end when her mentor was killed in Batman Inc’s war against Leviathan. However, Beryl decided to carry on the Knight legacy by becoming the latest hero to bear the mantle. To this day, she does her mentor proud by protecting the UK as he did.
7. Prometheus
We all know Grant Morrison was great at writing Batman, but they also did an amazing job writing the Dark Knight’s most extreme opposite. Prometheus is one of the most brutal and most effective ‘Anti-Batman’ villains around. Not only does he have an origin that serves as a twisted mirror of Bruce Wayne’s, but Prometheus is just as smart and capable. His most infamous claim to fame is how he broke onto the Watchtower and managed to defeat every single member of the Justice League. Prometheus is a terrifying villain, but he was damn fun to read.
6. Danny the Street
If you have no clue just how wild and weird Morrison’s Doom Patrol run was, Danny the Street should give you some idea. As the name implies, Danny is a sentient street that travels from place to place, looking out for anyone in need of shelter. Over the years, Danny has evolved (and devolved) into multiple forms, becoming a brick, an ambulance, an amusement park, and even the entire world. But no matter what form, Danny will always try to provide a home for any outsiders who have nowhere else to go.
5. Simon Hurt
Simon Hurt is a curious case because, technically, he was created as an extremely minor character in the Silver Age. But Morrison revisited the character, turning them from a bit character to one of the most devious criminal masterminds Bruce Wayne has ever faced. Simon Hurt is actually one of Bruce’s ancestors, a man who extended his life through contact with the Hyper-Adapter. Hurt eventually led the underground organization, the Black Glove, a criminal cult dedicated to the destruction of Batman. Hurt was an incredible antagonist and, in my opinion, one of the best Batman villains in years.
4. Flex Mentallo
Flex Mentallo, aka the Man of Muscle Mystery, is quite possibly the best example of Morrison’s love of meta storytelling and superhero comics. In-universe, Flex was a fictional comic book character who managed to come to life. Flex’s main power is Muscle Mystery, meaning that he can alter reality in various ways depending on which muscle he flexes. He’s been with the Doom Patrol off and on in the years since Morrison’s run. But it’s always a treat seeing him. I mean, who could hate an uber-positive hunk who can literally change the world just by flexing?
3. King Mob
Would you honestly be surprised if I told you that Grant Morrison wrote themselves into a comic? Well, King Mob isn’t exactly Morrison, but he’s not, not Morrison either. King Mob is the leader of the Invisibles, a secret cadre of investigators who specialize in chaos magick. Mob embodies all the cool and weird things we love about Morrison, a subversive, confident, outside-the-box thinker who is just incredibly cool. I know self-inserts get a bad reputation, but King Mob is just such a fun character; it’s kind of hard not to like him.
2. Crazy Jane
I’ve talked about a lot of Doom Patrol characters that Morrison created, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Crazy Jane. Jane was one of the few new characters they added to the team, but she fit in perfectly. Jane, aka Kay Challis, is a young woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder, having well over 60 separate personalities. And when she was impacted by the Dominator’s Gene Bomb, every personality developed a different superpower, practically making Crazy Jane a one-woman army. Jane has come a long way since she joined the Doom Patrol, and now serves as its leader.
1. Damian Wayne
I really can’t think of a character that Grant Morrison introduced that has as big or as consistent a presence in the DC Universe as Damian Wayne. Damian is the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul, and for the past couple of decades or so, he’s been serving as the latest Boy Wonder. Raised in Talia’s League of Assassins, Damian was very rough around the edges when he became Robin. But he’s softened considerably as part of the Bat-Family, though he’s just as capable as he was when he first showed up on Bruce Wayne’s doorstep.
What DC Comics character created by Grant Morrison is your favorite? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
