DC Comics created the superhero as we know it, and has been putting out some of the best comics of all time ever since. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are the three biggest stars of the DC Multiverse, and would open the door for superheroes like Green Lantern, the Flash, Aquaman, and many, many more. Over the decades, the publisher has created some of the coolest B-list characters ever, many of whom have become household names thanks to adaptations like SuperFriends, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, the DCAU, and the DCEU. There’s an entire ecosystem of characters under these B-list heroes, too, and they are awesome.
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DC has loads of minor heroes, and there are lots of great ones. They’ve filled out teams like the Justice League, the Justice Society, the Legion of Superheroes, and many more, getting readers’ attention and becoming favorites. These seven minor DC heroes are great, and it would be cool to see them more.
7) Earth-Man
Kirt Niedrigh wanted to join the Legion of Superheroes in the 31st century. His powers allowed him to absorb the powers of those around him, and he tried to join the team as Absorption Lad. However, he didn’t make the team and became a racist, hating the aliens who were members of the team when he wasn’t. He would eventually take up the name Earth-Man and get the Legion and all aliens kicked off the planet, creating the Justice League of Earth with other rejected Legionnaires. Superman came to the future to defeat him, and Earth-Man was imprisoned, before being broken out by Superboy-Prime and fighting the Legion again. He ended up joining the Legion begrudgingly and learned to let go of his hatred, becoming an actual hero. He ended up sacrificing himself to save the day, finally becoming the hero that he always wanted to be. Earth-Man had a great character arc and deserves to be more well-known than he is.
6) Karate Kid
The Legion of Superheroes is DC’s greatest teen team and is full of minor heroes that fans love. One of the coolest of them is Karate Kid. Val Armorr is a master martial artist, mastering the fighting arts not just of Earth, but also of multiple alien species. Karate Kid, like many Legionnaires, has traveled through time and battled some of the greatest martial artists of the present day, including Batman. Karate Kid would have beaten the Dark Knight if Batman hadn’t cheated in the fight, showing how tough he really is. Karate Kid is a great character, who’s even had his own solo series in the ’70s, and hopefully the forthcoming Legion reboot will do him justice.
5) Atom-Smasher
The Justice Society of America is a powerful team, and much like the Legion of Superheroes, has an important role in the history of the DC Multiverse. The Justice Society was the first DC superteam, and introduced multiple legacies, including that of the Atom. The Atom didn’t have powers at first, gaining them in battle with the villain Cyclotron, and would eventually become the godfather of Cyclotron’s grandson, Albert. Albert had the power to change his size and super strength, and became the hero Nuklon in Infinity, Inc., a team that was basically the JSA’s Teen Titans. He would eventually join the Justice League and was part of the return of the Justice Society, changing his name to Atom-Smasher to pay homage to his godfather. Atom-Smasher was a favorite of fans of JSA, eventually betraying the team to team up with Black Adam before becoming a hero again. Since then, he’s had a low profile, but his fans are more than ready for his comeback.
4) Ravager IV
The Teen Titans boasted amazing teen heroes, and one of the most unlikely was Ravager IV. Ravager was the daughter of Deathstroke the Terminator; her older brother Grant was the first Ravager. She was obsessed with getting her father to love her, and cut out her own eye to convince her father she loved him and wanted him to train her. She’d fight the Teen Titans before joining them after Infinite Crisis, and became a great member of the team. Ravager IV has shown up a few times in the years since her Teen Titans tenure, but deserves better than she’s gotten.
3) Cyclone
The original Red Tornado was a mom who wanted to clean up her neighborhood. She made friends with the heroes of the JSA and eventually retired. Her children had children, and she became the caretaker of the JSA’s New York City brownstone headquarters in the present day. Her granddaughter Maxine developed tornado powers and she joined the Justice Society as Cyclone, making friends with Stargirl. Cyclone was one of the most fun parts of the post-Infinite Crisis Justice Society, but disappeared after the New 52. She’d show up in the Black Adam movie and the related comics, but really hasn’t been seen very much since. She was a great teen hero, and it’s a shame that DC hasn’t brought her back, especially since they’ve been making the Justice Society more important than ever.
2) Hourman I
The Justice Society is comics’ most underrated team, introducing some of the best heroes ever. Most members of the team have legacy heroes who took up their name, but one of the most overlooked by fans and creators from the team is Hourman I. Rex Tyler created Miraclo, a drug which gave him superhuman strength and durability for one hour. What makes him so interesting is that DC established that he became addicted to his superpowers, and he had to fight his addiction while creating a version of his drug that wasn’t addictive, so he could continue to help save the world. Hourman I is a character that can have numerous amazing stories told about him, and hopefully, one day, DC will hire a creator who can do a drug-addicted superhero in the ’40s and ’50s justice.
1) Red Canary
Sienna was a college student when she learned that Black Canary, one of her favorite superheroes, had died in battle. So, she decided to pay homage to her favorite and became the Red Canary. When Nightwing called for the heroes to assemble at the Hall of Justice during Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, she was there and helped battle against Pariah’s forces, even teaming up with the returned Black Canary. Red Canary has made numerous appearances in anthology books and Green Arrow, but is still waiting for her chance at the big time. Red Canary is an awesome hero, and hopefully, she has a long and fruitful superhero career.
What is your favorite minor DC hero? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
