The future is a place of endless possibilities, from idealistic utopias to horrific dystopias. Whatever the future may bring, though, people can rest easy knowing that the next generation of heroes will be there to protect the innocent. Some of these heroes travel to the past to meet the superheroes of the present, while others stay in the future. DC and Marvel have used alternate timelines and possible futures to be able to tell many incredible stories and introduce new and exciting characters. Whether they are completely original or the inheritors of a mantle, they are characters who continue the legacy of superheroes.
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From DC to Marvel, these are the greatest superheroes of the future.
10) Cosmic Boy
In the 30th century, the Legion of Superheroes is the most outstanding team in the universe. One of the three founding members of the Legion, Rokk Krinn, aka Cosmic Boy, was appointed their leader. Rokk is a member of an alien race known as the Braalians, who have magnetic powers. With his mastery over magnetism, Cosmic Boy is one of the most powerful heroes of the 30th Century. He can be overly serious at times, but with his natural leadership skills and love for his comrades, he is still a dynamic and compelling leader of the Legion.
9) Rip Hunter
Leader of the Time Masters and guardian of the timestream, Rip Hunter is one of the greatest time-travelling heroes in DC Comics. Born in the 25th century, he invented a time machine called the Time Sphere, which allows him and his friends to travel to any point in the timeline. Hunter has no powers of his own. Instead, he relies on futuristic weapons and gadgets to fight. While his real name had been lost, it was eventually revealed that Hunter is the future son of the time-traveling superhero Booster Gold.
8) Iron Lad
Nathaniel Richards was a younger version of the 30th century villain Kang the Conqueror. He traveled back in time in the hope of avoiding his awful fate. He took on the name Iron Lad, and he assembled the first Young Avengers and became their leader. Sadly, despite his best attempts to fight fate and even killing his future self, Iron Lad accepted his destiny to become Kang to preserve the timeline and save his friends. Since then, Nathan has acted as both a hero and a villain, forever a prisoner of fate.
7) Impulse
Bart Allen, known as Impulse, is the grandson of Barry Allen from the 30th century. Like his grandfather, Bart can tap into the Speed Force, making him one of the fastest beings in the DC Universe. He traveled back in time to meet his hero grandfather. After he went to live in the past, Impulse had to learn to control his brash and impulsive nature. He became one of the founding members of Young Justice and took on the mantle of Kid Flash. He would even become the Flash for a short time. And although he has become Impulse once again, he is still the brave boy who is willing to grow to become a better hero, just like his grandfather.
6) Saturn Girl
A founding member of the Legion of Superheroes, Saturn Girl is one of the most iconic heroes of the 30th century. Irma Ardeen is an alien from the planet Titan, and like the rest of her kind, she possesses powerful telepathic abilities. Even amongst her people, she is still considered one of the most powerful telepaths in the universe. With her kind and open personality, she is often considered the heart of the Legion. One of the earliest popular telepaths in comics, Saturn Girl was a trailblazer for future telepathic heroes, such as Professor X and Jean Grey.
5) Bishop
Bishop was born in an alternate timeline 80 years into the future, where Sentinels ruled the Earth. As a mutant with the ability to absorb and redirect energy, Bishop became a key member of the resistance against their robot overlords. He would eventually find a way to travel back to the past, where he would team up with the X-Men to prevent this awful future. Since then, Bishop has hopped between the past and present on numerous occasions to serve as a member of the X-Men in both timelines.
4) Spider-Man 2099
Miguel O’Hara is a Spider-Man with the attitude of Batman. In the year 2099, Miguel was a scientist who worked on creating a new Spider-Man. He would gain spider-like abilities after a botched attempt to cure himself of a deadly addiction. However, while he has the basic super-strength and agility of the original Spider-Man, Miguel also has a whole new set of powers that make him unique. He has retractable claws, enhanced vision, and organic spider webs that he can shoot from his wrists. He also has a pair of fangs that allow him to inject a sedative into his opponents, paralyzing them. While this Spider-Man may be less of a goofball, he is still no less of a hero.
3) Cable
The son of Cyclops and Jean Grey, Nathan Summers was infected with a deadly techno-organic virus as a baby. Scott and Jean sent Nathan 2,000 years into the future in the hopes that a cure would be found by then. Sadly, the future Nathan was sent to be a hellish dystopia run by Apocalypse. Growing up in this post-apocalyptic future, Nathan became the rebel and hero Cable. On top of a cybernetic arm and eye that enhanced his strength and senses, his mutant heritage made him one of the most powerful telepaths and telekinetic in all of Marvel Comics. While he may have been born in the present, Cable became the hero of the future.
2) Booster Gold
While Booster Gold may have started as a selfish and greedy joke of a hero, he has since become one of the greatest superheroes in the DC Universe. Hailing from the 25th century, Michael Carter was a security guard who stole a bunch of superhero tech and costumes from a museum. The suit and tech he stole gave him superhuman strength, flight, and an impenetrable force field. He then used a time machine to travel back in time and become a hero. Booster Gold mostly became a hero to become rich and famous, earning him a bad reputation amongst the superhero community. Over time, however, he would become a more selfless hero. Booster Gold became a guardian of the timestream, protecting the past, present, and future.
1) Batman Beyond
In the near future, after Bruce Wayne had become too old to be Gotham’s protector, he would pass the mantle off to a new, younger hero: Terry McGinnis. After the tragic death of his father and discovering the Batcave, Terry became Bruce’s protégé. Instead of donning the original cowl, Terry was given a state-of-the-art batsuit that enhanced his strength, speed, and gave him the ability to fly with wings and rocket boots. As the new Batman, Terry has to balance being a superhero with having a normal life as a high schooler. This balance helps make Terry a more compassionate hero than his brooding predecessor. With his advanced suit, emotional maturity, and the greatest mentor ever, Terry has truly earned the legacy of Batman.
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