6 DC Characters Who Have Become Unlikely Fan Favorites

Not every character from the comics is quite so lucky as others, such as Superman or Wonder Woman, who have the good fortune of being a household name seemingly overnight. Some start out created more as a source for material, and not as a character meant for continuity, while others become overshadowed by a more popular counterpart of theirs. Some, even in DC comics history, spend years twisting in the winds of obscurity before these same DC characters are finally recognized for their potential by the very people who have the means to do something about it. Most of the time that means entering them into the mainstream and, in turn, leads to them becoming beloved characters that fans want more of.

Her are six once hated, if not entirely dismissed, DC characters who went on to become fan favorites.

6) Booster Gold

Known in the DC Universe and beyond for his self-promoting, self-aggrandizing, and even self-centered personality, Booster Gold was once not quite as popular as he is today. In fact, the very character himself was actually meant to be disliked as a part of his creation. Dan Jurgens, the creator of Booster Gold, had explained, for example, that when Booster was created, in 1986, he was modeled after the “Greed is Good” ethos at the time, developing a character that was less motivated by ideals of justice, but commercialism. Over time, however, the character became more well-rounded in his stories. Nowadays, he’s less so a parody of soulless commercialism and more a well-intention, if not often misguided, superhero with a heart of gold that’s not even minted. 

5) The Riddler

As one of Batman’s longest-standing adversaries, the Riddler has naturally undergone numerous changes to his character over the many years that the Batman comic has remained in active publication. Part of this, as one can imagine, is the resulting fluctuations in popularity that Riddler’s faced over the years. Back in the day, when his genius level IQ became downplayed by a sporadic and down-right goofy persona more fitting for a character like Creeper than Riddler, the character found himself a bit on a low with fans. However, and in recent years especially, Riddler has undergone a renaissance with his popularity, not the least in part because of his recent portrayal by actor Paul Dano, in the 2022 film, The Batman. Other stories, such as “The War of Jokes and Riddles” added further influence and has helped with a revitalization of the perception that Riddler is the Moriarty to Batman’s Sherlock Holmes. Here’s hoping to see more brains than spandex this time around.

4) Guy Gardner

Today, Guy Gardner is the brash, wise-cracking Green Lantern of Sector 2814, whose popularity has reached new heights as of late, undoubtedly thanks to his recent appearance in the recent Superman movie, but this wasn’t always the case. When Gardner debuted back in 1968, he wasn’t even a Green Lantern yet, instead serving as an alternate for Hal Jordan should the latter ever need his help, though even that would become contested for Gardner later, too. He would continue to be put on the back burner in 1971, when John Stewart came into his own as another of Earth’s Lanterns, and, really, it wouldn’t be until the 1980s when things would begin to change for Gardner. By then, his quick witted and roguish personality would come to the surface, allowing his popularity to grow to new heights. Now, he’s finally become not only one of the most well-known Green Lanterns from Sector 2814, but one the most well-known Green Lanterns of all time from the DC Universe itself.

3) The Question

Much like Booster Gold, the Question experienced a resurgence in 2004 when Justice League Unlimited spotlighted him in a series of memorable stories, cementing his status as a fan favorite alongside characters like Rorschach, from Watchmen. Originally debuting in 1967, the Question spent years in relative obscurity, even within the world of comics. It wasn’t until around the 1980s that he began to develop a distinctive identity (ironic, considering his disguise), something that would later only become amplified by his appearance in the DCAU. In recent years, speculation about his inclusion has increased, due to, at the very least, the inclusion of Renee Montoya in the latest Harley Quinn movie. Now with James Gunn at the helm of DC’s live action world, time will only tell if Question will become included into the mix as well.

2) Hawkgirl

When it comes to Hawks in the comics, it was Hawkman that was the most prominent figure in the comics, until, like with several other characters from this list, the tides began to shift, due to the DCAU. In that particular space, it was instead Hawkgirl, specifically Shayera Hol, who took center stage as a Thanganarian representative in animated series like Justice League and Justice League: Unlimited. Shayera herself became a prominent figure at this point with her staunch involvement in the first series, especially, when she became a crucial element to the Justice League’s series ending. Past this, however, the character’s cannon became convoluted to the point that DC has written in at least two versions of Hawkgirl, whose involvement in the overall universe differs depending on which Hawkgirl is in the mix. Nevertheless, because of her early exposure to the mainstream, through the DCAU, Shayera still remains a fan-favorite.

1) Lobo

Finally, and ending this list, is the one the only, Lobo. The Main Man, himself. Yes, while it would appear that Lobo has always been a fan-favorite, this was far from the case at first for “he who devours your entrails and thoroughly enjoys it.” Instead, Lobo was created with parody in mind, resembling a similar energy to that of the creation of Deadpool, who was meant, at first, to just be a parody version of the DC character Deathstroke. However, like Deadpool, Lobo came into his own in the early 90s, and later skyrocketed into mainstream popularity thanks to his appearances in DCAU productions like Superman: The Animated Series. From there onwards, Lobo became less of a character for material or parody and more of a character that had real potential that has even extended to the big screen. He’s a lot of fun in comics, too.

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