For DC Comics, the 1990s produced some of the most renowned characters and stories in the company’s history. Stories like “Batman: Knightfall” and “The Death of Superman” showed our favorite heroes at their lowest points before rising again. Many new sidekicks and legacy heroes were introduced to revamp long-established characters, making them more appealing to ’90s audiences. The 1990s were also well-known for their overly edgy anti-heroes, who were often clad in black leather and had no qualms about taking a life. Some DC Comics writers embraced these tropes, while others rejected them in favor of classic superhero morality and justice.
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Overall, the ‘90s were a time of shocking storylines, dark anti-heroes, and new legacy heroes, when every story was a dark epic, and DC introduced new characters to continue the legacy of some of DC’s greatest heroes.
10) Stargirl
Debuting in 1999, Courtney Whitmore was a teenager who discovered that her new stepdad, Pat Dugan, was a retired Golden-Age superhero called Stripesy. She went through Pat’s belongings and found the Cosmic Converter Belt, which belonged to her stepdad’s old partner, Star-Spangled Kid. The belt gave Courtney the powers of super-strength, flight, and energy projection. With this belt, she became the new Star-Spangled Kid. To ensure that she was safe, Pat built a giant suit of armor and renamed himself S.T.R.I.P.E to follow her into battle. Together, the pair joined the new Justice Society. When the latest Starman, Jack Knight, retired, he passed the Cosmic Rod to Courtney to continue his legacy. The Cosmic Rod increased Courtney’s powers, and she renamed herself Stargirl.
9) Question
Introduced in 1992 as a Gotham City beat cop, no one expected that much from Renee Montoya. However, her ingenious skills of deduction quickly earned her a promotion to detective, and she worked alongside Batman for many years. In 2006, Renee was approached by the original Question, aka Vic Sage, a superhero detective who wore a mask that made it appear as though he didn’t have a face. Vic was dying of lung cancer and wanted Renee to continue his legacy. He chose Renee because of her tenacity, compassion, and detective skills. The pair formed a close bond, and when Vic died, Renee honored her friend’s wish and donned the mask. As the new Question, Renee is one of the best detectives in DC Comics and fights to protect the streets of Gotham.
8) Batgirl (Cassandra Cain)
The daughter of two assassins, David Cain and Lady Shiva, Cassandra was trained since birth to be the ultimate weapon. She debuted in 1999 and the only thing she was taught was how to kill. Her parents didn’t even teach her how to read or speak because they considered it to be a waste of memory. Despite her perverted upbringing, Cassandra still had a natural sense of empathy. She killed her first man at the age of eight and was so traumatized that she ran away from home. Nine years later, Cassandra saved Commissioner Gordon from her assassin father. Grateful for Cassandra’s help, Barbara Gordon, aka Oracle, took Cassandra in as her ward. Barbara taught her how to read and write and eventually gave Cassandra her blessing to become the new Batgirl. Batman adopted Cassandra as his daughter, and she joined the Bat Family. To distance herself even further from her birth parents, Cassandra took on the alias of Orphan. Although she was raised knowing nothing but violence, through her will and strength of character, Cassandra was able to shape a different life for herself and become part of a loving family.
7) Mr. Terrific
Introduced in 1997, Michael Holt, aka Mr. Terrific, is the world’s third-smartest man. Michael was a self-made genius, billionaire inventor, and Olympic gold medalist. However, none of that mattered when his pregnant wife Paula, who was a great humanitarian, died in a car accident. To honor her memory, Michael drew inspiration from the legacy of Golden-Age hero Terry Sloane, aka Mr. Terrific, to become a superhero. Taking on the name of his predecessor, Michael used his vast wealth and technological expertise to construct the T-Spheres. These small drones follow Michael’s every command, and can fire lasers, explode, and create force fields. Michael has utilized his strategic abilities to serve as a leader for both the Justice Society and the Terrifics. Mr. Terrific is a hero dedicated to helping the world and making it a fairer place for everyone.
6) Wonder Girl (Cassandra Sandsmark)
Introduced in 1996, Cassandra “Cassie” Sandsmark is the third person to bear the name Wonder Girl. Cassie’s mother, Dr. Helena Sandsmark, was an archaeologist and a good friend of Wonder Woman. Cassie was a huge fan of Diana. Since she wanted to become Diana’s sidekick, she stole several mystical artifacts from her mother, including the Sandals of Hermes which gave her the power of flight and the Gauntlets of Atlas, which gave her superhuman strength. With these tools, Cassie was able to help Diana fight monsters like Decay and a clone of Doomsday. Zeus, Cassie’s father, was so impressed by her bravery that he bestowed her with the powers of flight and super strength, so she didn’t need the sandals or gauntlets anymore. Although initially resistant, Diana eventually agreed to become Cassie’s mentor. As a result, Cassie soon became a core member of both Young Justice and the Teen Titans. A loyal and virtuous hero, Cassie is one of Diana’s closest friends.
5) Static
Virgil Hawkins, aka Static, was introduced in 1993 under Milestone Comics, an imprint of DC Comics that celebrates Black comic book writers and artists. Virgil was just a teenager when he accidentally got caught up in a local gang war. The cops arrived and used an experimental new tear gas to try to quell the chaos. However, the gas gave Virgil electromagnetic powers. With these abilities, Virgil can fire bolts of electricity, manipulate metal, fly, and create force fields. As the superhero Static, Virgil uses his powers to protect the innocent and eventually joins the Teen Titans. Virgil quickly became Milestone Comics’ most recognizable hero thanks to his witty banter, charm, and creative use of his electrifying powers.
4) Steel
Inspired by Superman after he died fighting Doomsday, John Henry Irons became the superhero Steel in 1993. Since he had no powers of his own, John utilized his engineering skills to construct a suit of armor that granted him enhanced strength and the ability to fly. He also wields a giant sledgehammer. Placing a giant “S” on his suit’s chest, John protected the innocents of Metropolis in Superman’s absence. He wasn’t the only one, as three other “Supermen” also appeared attempting to inherit Superman’s legacy: Superboy, Eradicator, and Cyborg Superman. However, John was unique as he only cared about helping others and didn’t have ulterior motives. When Superman returned, John became one of his closest allies and friends. Even though he’s just a human, Steel represents the heart, heroism, and determination of the Man of Tomorrow.
3) Superboy (Conner Kent)
When Superman died, Lex Luthor saw the perfect opportunity to hijack his nemesis’ legacy. In 1993, Luthor unveiled Subject 13, aka Superboy, a clone made up of Superman and Luthor’s DNA. Superboy was incredibly arrogant and a glory hound, but he still cared about helping people. After Superman returned and Superboy discovered his origin as a clone, he was humbled and cut all ties with Luthor. Since Superboy had no real name or identity of his own, Superman gave him the Kryptonian name Kon-El. In contrast, Jonathan and Martha Kent gave him the human name of Conner Kent. Now the adoptive brother of Superman, Conner is a loyal and courageous member of the Super family.
2) Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
In 1994, under the influence of Parallax, the physical embodiment of fear, Hal Jordan exterminated the entire Green Lantern Corps before going on a galactic rampage. Following this awful episode, the last surviving Guardian of the Universe, Ganthet, travelled to Earth and bestowed the last remaining Green Lantern ring onto the struggling cartoonist Kyle Rayner. As the last Green Lantern, Kyle protects the universe while forging creative and fun constructs like mechas and monsters. Kyle rebuilt the Corps from scratch, defeated Hal, and even resurrected many fallen Green Lanterns. Kyle’s adventures didn’t stop there, as during the events of Blackest Night, Kyle learned to master and harness the colors of all the different Lantern Corps. This mastery turned him into the White Lantern, which gave him complete control over life itself and made him the most powerful Lantern in existence. Ultimately, feeling overwhelmed by his immense powers as the White Lantern, Kyle eventually relinquished them and became once again the fun-loving member of the Green Lantern Corps.
1) Harley Quinn
Ever since her debut in Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, Harleen Quinzel has been one of the most beloved villains/anti-heroes in comic book history. She was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, where she fell in love with her last patient: the Joker. Brainwashed by his charm and manipulation, Harleen donned a clown costume and broke him out of Arkham. She became his loyal sidekick and (sort of) lover, but Joker never reciprocated her affection. Quite the opposite, he was cruel and violent with her. Eventually, she was done with his abuse and struck out on her own to be an independent villain. Over time, as she became a core member of groups like the Suicide Squad and the Gotham City Sirens, Harleen began to use her insane antics for good. She has even teamed up with Batman on a few occasions to help protect Gotham City. However, Harley Quinn is still a violent lunatic who teeters on the line between heroism and villainy.
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Image Credit: Marvel Comics
