10 DC Characters Who Inexplicably Became A-Listers

DC Comics created the two most popular superheroes ever, Superman and Batman, and the rest of the world stood up and took notice. They are the blueprint and over the decades, DC has created even more all-time greats. There are some characters who were always destined to be A-listers, but there are others who could have gone either way. They’re likable enough, but they don’t seem like they’d ever be stars. These characters debut, seem pretty alright, and then suddenly become the biggest characters around. It starts well enough, and then one day it feels like the entire world has shifted.

We all know how it goes. One day, they’re a cool background or supporting character mostly, and the next thing you know they are all over Hot Topic. These 10 DC characters became A-listers out of nowhere, going from tag-alongs to superstars.

10) Green Arrow

Green Arrow is one of DC’s most storied vigilantes, but that’s in 2026. However, decades ago, it was a different story. Oliver Queen was one of many Bruce Wayne-alikes, except he was Robin Hood. He was popular enough, had his place in the anthology books of the day, but that was it. He disappeared in the ’50s, came back in the ’60s and was just kind of there until Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams took the character and made him into, well, a character. Since then, he’s become an icon, faded away, and then came back out of nowhere as an A-lister in the year 2000. You just can’t keep Ollie down.

9) Raven

Raven being popular doesn’t seem surprising right now, but if you look at the evolution of the character, the fact that she worked so well is surprising. Raven was the ultimate outsider with secrets, which is always a winning combination, but eventually, all of that was revealed and we sort of got the same Raven for years. Go back and read Raven in New Teen Titans. She’s honestly kind of an unpleasant character, and not the cute outsider she has been played as. You can’t even really say sex appeal; she was completely covered and her early George Perez design was kind of unattractive. However, one day, the Teen Titans cartoon changed her and now everyone has cosplayed as her at least once in their lives.

8) Peacemaker

So, Peacemaker is a weird one because as far as it goes, he is definitely an overall A-lister, because of the excellent Peacemaker series, but he’s not all the way there in the comics. However, he’s gotten a million times more spotlight than ever. For years, he was the least popular of the Charlton characters, to the point he was dying in big battle scenes, and then suddenly appeared again because no one cared enough to check if he was actually dead. Then the show gave him a reason to come back and since then, he’s played a role in numerous stories and had some Black Label series’.

7) Swamp Thing

Swamp Thing was created in the ’70s, when horror comics became in vogue again. He was a standard swamp monster, but eventually, not even the talent of Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson could keep him successful, which is saying something. He would get another series in the early ’80s, and a young man from Northampton, England would start writing him. Alan Moore was a nobody to most American fans, but he made Swamp Thing into a superstar overnight. We all know the rest of the story, and now the muck-encrusted mockery of a man is a legend.

6) Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn has become one of the greats, with it being said that DC corporate considers her on the same level with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. She first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series, where she was a cool sidekick to the Joker. She quickly became a popular enough recurring character, and would make her comic debut. She was never anyone’s favorite in the ’90s; she was popular, but she wasn’t mega-popular yet. However, the 21st century would change all of that. She became a Hot Topic hero along with Deadpool, and then Margot Robbie played her in Suicide Squad, and now we’re just living in a Harley Quinn world.

5) Jimmy Olsen

Jimmy Olsen is one of the biggest success stories ever. He was always going to be somewhat popular because of his association with Superman, but it’s doubtful anyone thought when they first created him that he would become popular enough to helm a series that lasted for years, or that he would become a fan favorite in the way he has. Just look at 2025’s Superman; Jimmy not only played a key role, but suddenly became a beloved character (partly because of his performance by Skylar Gisondo) for so many. Even in a world where kid sidekicks were a big deal, his success is something.

4) Lois Lane

Lois Lane is an undeniable icon but, much like Jimmy, the fact that she got as big as she did is something of a surprise. When she first appeared, love interests were background characters and that was it. They didn’t, say, get their own long running series or become the B-character in one of the bestselling comics of all time. Lois has done everything that a comic character can and has become a character everyone knows. How many other superhero love interests does everyone know that aren’t also superheroes (oh yeah, Lois has been a superhero as well as Superwoman)? Lois is honestly on the level of Superman, and the fact that’s the case is honestly shocking.

3) Martian Manhunter

Martian Manhunter could have been one of many sci-fi characters that appeared in a back-up story in Detective Comics that just sort of faded away. J’onn J’onnz was a Martian pulled to Earth, a shapeshifter who decided to protect his new home. The character worked for readers and creators, and he was made a part of the Justice League. Since then, he’s become synonymous with the team and has somehow been one of the longest tenured members. Add in the recent success of the fantastic Absolute Martian Manhunter, and he’s on top in a way he hasn’t been in ages.

2) Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is one of the greatest heroes ever, but let’s be real for a second: the fact that she’s gotten to where she is right now is shocking. She was a basically a feminist icon in the ’40s, with healthy dollops of bondage and queer subtext. Those old Wonder Woman comics have a heaping helping of fetish to them and they were mainstream. It’s honestly wild that she was what she was in a time when what she was wasn’t really shown to the world in the way she was. There are plenty of scantily-clad female superheroes from the Golden Age that had a lot of bondage in them that you’ve never heard of, but Wonder Woman was able to do that at a mainstream level and survive in a time when that didn’t happen.

1) Dick Grayson

Dick Grayson is the first Robin and he was always going to popular. However, he was always the back half of “Batman and…”. He helped found the Teen Titans, but even there, he was just one of many. New Teen Titans became the biggest book at DC and he became even more popular, but he was still in an ensemble. Then, one day, Nightwing got his chance at a solo book and fans loved it. Then he got a solo series. Since then, he’s been almost constantly published in a solo book and is usually in a team book of some kind too. Dick Grayson has been Batman, more than once, and it’s a beloved period of Batman adn Grayson. Dick being popular isn’t that surprising, he was always popular. However, Dick being popular as a solo superstar wasn’t a lock. He’s graduated and it’s awesome.

Who’s your favorite inexplicable DC A-lister? Leave a comment in the comment section and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!

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