Top 10 Superheroes Not Made By Marvel or DC

Superheroes have been a thriving part of nerd culture ever since Superman smashed onto the scene in 1938. While there are clear examples of what we could easily consider superheroes or proto-superheroes before him, he popularized the idea more than anyone else and kick-started the modern rendition of what a superhero is. DC and Marvel have been the headliners for superheroic adventures and endless storylines for decades, both reinventing the genre and keeping the tradition of it alive. Nowadays, most of their most famous heroes are household names, but the Big Two are far from the only ones with their hats in the superhero game.

Some of the most iconic superheroes in the world have been made by people and companies that have never had anything to do with Marvel or DC. Today, we’re going to take a look at ten of the best heroes who weren’t made by either of the Big Two. To define what we consider a hero, let’s keep it simple. The hero must have a secret identity of some kind, fight against evil, and have either a costume or a distinct look, akin to someone like Martian Manhunter. This list could easily be a hundred entries long, but I hope the ten I’ve chosen resonate with all the superhero fans out there. With all that said, let’s talk about some heroes. 

10) Savage Dragon

This green sensation was one of Image Comics’ flagship series, and he’s still going strong over thirty years later. The Savage Dragon started as an incredibly strong amnesiac battling superfreaks in the Chicago area, and eventually became a hero of multiple worlds. Savage Dragon holds the distinct honor of being the longest-running full-color comic maintained by a single artist/writer, being its creator, Erik Larsen. The Savage Dragon might not be as popular as some of the other heroes on this list, but he has been instrumental in maintaining Image’s continuous success, and he’s more than earned his spot among the top ten.

9) The Spirit

While most superheroes emerged from comic books, the Spirit actually made his debut in newspaper comic strips. Thought to have been murdered but actually placed in suspended animation, ace detective Denny Colt dedicated himself to hunting down criminals that slipped through the legal system. Where comic books were thought of as a children’s medium in the 1940s, the Spirit reached a mature audience with its dark tones and focus on social commentary. His stories have been reprinted dozens of times across various companies. The Spirit is, without a doubt, one of the most important superhero detectives out there. He helped define the genre and the adventures that became standard, and to this day, is one of the most influential heroes there’s ever been.

8) Invincible

By now, everyone knows about Invincible, either through his decade-and-a-half-long comic or his acclaimed TV show. Both titular series follow Mark Grayson on his journey from being the son of the world’s greatest hero to protecting it from all manner of intergalactic threats, and eventually saving the entire universe from the threat of the Viltrumites. While Mark’s story started as a superhero parody, it evolved into one of the freshest takes on the genre in decades. Watching Mark grow from a strong-headed kid to the only man capable of saving the universe is a fantastic journey, and it resonates with countless people around the world. 

7) Hellboy

This half-demon, half-human superhero is the number one guy everyone should call when dealing with the supernatural. This Cambion is the number one hero of Dark Horse Comics, and his battles against Nazis, witches, and every Lovecraftian horror under the sun have captured people’s attention for years. His design is instantly recognizable, with his red skin, filed-down horns, and enlarged stone right hand. He’s a surprisingly gentle giant, with a heart as full of care as it is contempt for Nazis. He’s the best supernatural investigator this side of Constantine, and easily stands as one of the best and most tragic heroes out there.

6) Power Rangers

Based on Japan’s Super Sentai series, the Power Rangers are an ever-changing group of teenage superheroes that defend the world with their Morphers and Zords. The cast cycles almost every season, as does the main threat, but that has just let the team appeal to countless kids in multiple generations. The Power Rangers embody the high action and simple battles against evil that lie at the heart of every superhero story. And I mean, come on, how can you hate giant robots that combine into even bigger robots? Every Ranger has their own merits, but if I had to give this spot to any single Ranger, it would of course go to the legendary Tommy Oliver. 

5) Spawn

As I mentioned above, Spawn is the second of Image’s flagship series that has carried the company since its founding. When the assassin Al Simmons died and went to Hell, he was given the chance to come back as a Hellspawn by the demon Malebolgia. He was reborn as Spawn, the badly burned hunter of all things dark and deadly. Spawn is one of the most iconic and important anti-heroes of all time, and he’s defined what this genre of comics should look like. Spawn has been the face of Image for thirty years now, and he’s not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon.

4) Shazam

While he might be one of DC’s stars nowadays, originally, the Earth’s Mightiest Mortal was created by Fawcett Comics as their answer to Superman. Amongst all of the pastiches that Superman spawned, Shazam is undoubtedly the most successful. Billy Batson was a young orphan when he was chosen by the wizard Shazam to gain the power of the gods and use his marvelous might to protect the world. Billy is one of the purest souls in comics, and his childhood innocence, combined with the wisdom and magic of his powers create one of the most interesting heroes around. He’s risen to prominence that few Superman-alikes ever have, and he definitely deserves that position.

3) Sailor Moon

The Pretty Guardian herself is our number three pick, which she has more than earned with her importance in both the East and the West. Middle-schooler Usagi Tsukino’s life was changed forever when the talking cat Luna told her that she was the reincarnation of the princess Sailor Moon. She founded a whole team of her fellow reincarnates, and together, they battled evil as a superheroine team. Sailor Moon is one of the most important manga and anime of all time, fundamentally changing the shōjo genre and popularizing anime in the West. Sailor Moon herself is one of the most recognizable superheroines in the world, and her impact as a symbol of feminism is nearly as great as Wonder Woman’s.

2) Optimus Prime

Optimus might not seem like he qualifies as a superhero at first, but he definitely fights evil, has a secret identity, and a very distinctive look that also functions as a costume. Optimus is the leader of the Autobots, who have made it their mission to protect the universe from the destructive evil of the Decepticons. The Transformers franchise has been a force ever since its premiere, with Optimus Prime always leading the charge as the selfless, courageous hero who inspires everyone to keep going. Optimus is one of the greatest leaders in all of fiction, and he always has his eyes on creating a better tomorrow where everyone is equal and safe. What’s more heroic than that?

1) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

These four are everything you could ever want in superheroes: ninja, brothers, mutants, and turtles! They started as completely normal turtles, but after being bathed in mutagenic ooze, their sensei and rat father, Master Splinter, raised them to be brothers and warriors to defeat the evil Foot Clan. These half-shell heroes actually started as pastiches of Daredevil, and while his DNA is definitely easy to see, they became sensations all their own. The TMNT combine family drama, humor, martial arts action, high fantasy, and hard sci-fi seamlessly, creating a truly unique experience that embodies everything heroism should. These four turtles have proven themselves to be lean, green, life-saving, butt-kicking machines, and definitely deserve their spot on this list.

So there we have ten of the best non-Marvel and DC superheroes. Once again, this list is the furthest thing from exhaustive, and ranking these heroes is downright impossible. Which other superheroes would you put on this list?

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