Marvel’s First 10 Superheroes, Ranked by Importance

Superheroes have been around for a very long time. While the modern interpretation of the superhero began when Superman leapt onto the scene in 1939, proto-superhero stories had laid the groundwork for the Man of Steel long before his adventures rocked the world. Once that bubble popped, superheroes started popping up everywhere. Marvel’s predecessor, Timely Comics, naturally wanted in on that action and started pumping out their own heroes within months of Superman’s success. We’ve already taken a look at the first ten superheroes DC created, and today, we’re going to celebrate Marvel’s start and look at Timely Comics’ first ten superheroes and rank them by importance.

To be clear, we are only counting characters who debuted as superheroes, and defining importance as how much impact they had on their era and Marvel’s history as a whole. While the exact definition of a superhero can be debated to the sun and back, for this list’s purposes, we’ll be requiring heroes to have fought crime and possess either a costume or a distinct look of some kind. Secret identities are not required, but are certainly worth extra points. With all that established, let’s dive into the past of Timely Comics.

10) Phantom Bullet

Debut in Daring Mystery Comics #2, December 1939.

Allan Lewis was a Daily Bulletin reporter who was assigned to cover a scientist who had invented a gun that shot ice bullets. Once the bullets melted, it would be impossible to trace the killer. After the scientist was murdered, Allan picked up this new weapon and became Phantom Bullet to avenge his death. Phantom Bullet truly was a passing character, with only two appearances since his debut nearly ninety years ago. His claim to fame is being the first hero to die in costume, depicted in The Marvels Project #2, but beyond that, he had no impact on the Marvel Universe.

9) Mister E

Debut in Daring Mystery Comics #2, December 1939.

Mister E was Victor J. Goldstein, a wealthy sportsman and businessman who changed his name to Victor Jay to hide his Jewish heritage in an anti-semetic world. He grew bored with his lavish lifestyle and decided to fight crime to fill that void, with his archenemy being a man called the Vampire, who unleashed a gas that made people’s hearts explode. Much like Phantom Bullet, Mister E only appeared in a single issue before he disappeared from comics. However, he was one of the stars of the Twelve, a series which saw twelve Golden Age heroes frozen during WWII and awoken in the modern day, ala Captain America.

8) Laughing Mask

Debut in Daring Mystery Comics #2, December 1939.

Dennis Burton was an assistant district attorney who grew dissatisfied with how difficult it was to make convictions stick for the gang element of his city. He decided to take the law into his own hands and donned a smiling Venetian mask to intimidate the criminals he fought. He dealt out bloody justice with his two .45 Caliber pistols. He only appeared in three issues of Daring Mystery Comics before vanishing, but later was one of the twelve Golden Age heroes to star in Twelve. Laughing Mask was one of Marvel’s first murderous vigilantes, but beyond that, didn’t contribute much to the company’s universe.

7) Dynamic Man

Debut in Mystic Comics #1, January 1940.

Dynamic Man was an android built by Professor Simon Goettler, who died after giving his creation life. Dynamic Man was built with incredible power, flight, and senses that he was programmed to use to defend mankind, which he did in his limited handful of appearances. His biggest claim to fame is his role as the main antagonist of the Twelve, where it was revealed that his creator was horribly bigoted, which influenced Dynamic Man to try to purge the world of everything he thought was sinful in the future. Notably, his powers and constant references to being a man built for tomorrow make him Marvel’s first Superman pastiche, even if he turned out villainous in the end.

6) Electro

Debut in Marvel Mystery Comics #4, December 1939.

The robot, not the Spider-Man villain. The brilliant Professor Philo Zog wanted to put an end to tyranny the world over, and to that end, created the mighty robot Electro. Called the Marvel of the Age, Electro would be used to fight crime both domestic and the world over, especially during WWII. He was yet another hero frozen before the events of the Twelve, and while he doesn’t have much impact beyond that and a handful of adventures during that era, there is something to say about Electro being Marvel’s second-ever robotic hero. His design and powers are far more robotic than the original Human Torch’s, which might have helped open the gates for other robotic characters in the future. He’s also definitely made the most appearances of anyone on this list so far.

5) Firey Mask

Debut in Daring Mystery Comics #1, October 1939.

Jack Castle was a doctor who frequently worked with the police, only to be gifted powers over fire and might, and become a superhero. While he told everyone he gained them as a result of the Zombie Master’s zombification ray exploding, he was actually gifted them by a dying gangster, whom he purposefully refused to call an ambulance for, so he could gain his power. Fire Mask was another member of the Twelve, and frequently shows up when other heroes travel back to the WWII era. He’s one of those heroes whose impact isn’t massive, but who would affect some stories if he simply vanished.

4) Phantom Reporter

Debut in Daring Mystery Comics #3, February 1940.

Dick Jones was a civilian reporter who grew tired of criminals escaping the law. He donned his Phantom Reporter identity and set about bringing them to justice. Although he didn’t have many appearances before his disappearance, he has since become the de facto face of Darin Mystery Comics. He was also the protagonist of the Twelve, being the one who embodied the spirit of heroism the best among his compatriots, and carrying on Firey Mask’s powers to better serve the world after his friend’s death. He was the one who remained a hero despite everything, and is still out there right now, doing what’s right.

3) Angel

Debut in Marvel Comics #1, August 1939.

Not to be confused with the mutant of the same name, Thomas Halloway is truly one of the biggest names of the Golden Age. Born and raised in a prison after his mother died in childbirth, he grew up to be a physician who secretly battled injustice as the Angel. He was the premier non-powered hero of the age, using nothing more than his quick wit and extraordinary skills to save the day. He’s one of the faces of this era of Marvel, having also starred in the Marvels Project comic, which depicted the beginning of superheroics. The Angel is canonically the first hero to put on a costume, making him vastly important to everything we know and love about Marvel today.

2) Human Torch

Debut in Marvel Comics #1, August 1939.

Not Johnny Storm, but the original Human Torch, Jim Hammond. He is Marvel’s second-ever superhero, and he quickly established himself as one of their essential characters. He was the first-ever android superhero, bridging the gap between man and machine like nothing else before him ever had, and opening the doors for Marvel to explore this further down the line. His adventures continued throughout WWII, with him canonically being the man to kill Hitler, and even after he faded to obscurity, his impact could be felt in all of Marvel. Heck, the Vision was made from a copy of his body. He’s still active today, and although he’s not nearly as popular now, Marvel literally would not be the same without him.

1) Namor

Debut in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1, April 1939.

Namor the Sub-Mariner was Marvel’s first superhero published. He was the first hero to fly of his own power, the first Atlantean in comics, and the man who pushed Marvel forward through time. He’s the only character on this list who was relevant for nearly his entire publication, even if that involved constantly flip-flopping between hero, villain, and everything in between. Namor is one of Marvel’s most complicated and unlikable characters, especially as he’s evolved, but without him, we wouldn’t have all the incredible heroes that he helped kickstart. Namor has touched every corner of the Marvel Universe in his storied career, and even if you don’t like him, you have to admit that things wouldn’t be the same without him.

Which of these Golden Age heroes is your favorite? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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