I Still Want to Know What Happened to These 5 Underused DC Characters

DC Comics has made something of a habit of introducing dozens of new and compelling characters each year. Often, these new characters appear on the sidelines of major events, such as “The Joker War”, often making enough of a good impression that their futures look bright. And then… nothing. There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing an interesting character enter the scene only for them to fade into nothing. These characters deserve better, and frankly, so do DC’s comics fans. It’s discouraging to become invested in somebody’s story only for it to lead nowhere. Instead, we must sit and wonder what happened to these characters. Who knows, maybe they’ll surprise us and appear sometime in the near future.

In many larger universes, major events test-drive new characters, origin stories, and plots and while some of those take off instantly, others simmer more subtly. I understand how it happens, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating when a character makes a mark and then fades away into obscurity. Here are the ones I still wonder about.

1) Bluebird (Harper Row)

Batman sure has a talent for finding talented youngsters. Rather than being blessed with superpowers, Harper Row was born with the gift of electrical engineering. It’s almost intuitive to her, and even as a kid, she would use this ability to fix broken things around the house. During the events of Zero Year, Harper’s life got even harder, as her father left, leaving her in an apartment without power and a little brother to care for. Her story continued in this vein, with Harper largely disillusioned with the idea of change. She certainly didn’t believe that Bruce Wayne would or could sweep in to save people like her. Years later, Harper Row fished Batman out of the water following his battle with the Court of Owls. She saved his life and it ultimately changed everything.

Interestingly, Harper Row didn’t don her mantle of Bluebird for quite some time. She only did it when nanobots were threatening the area, with her tech knowledge making the danger clear to her. Annoyingly, in other words, DC Comics spent a fair amount of time setting up Harper Row’s introduction as Bluebird, and they haven’t done much with her. Currently, she appears to be retired from the vigilante life, and while that may be healthier for her, it’s disappointing for fans who quickly grew invested in her story.

2) Gotham Girl (Claire Clover)

Claire Clover debuted in DC Comics at the same time as her brother, Henry (Hank) Clover, Jr, as they entered the crimefighting world thanks to privilege, buying their way into powers. However, as with anything, there was a catch. Together, they became the heroes they had dreamed of since they were children – Gotham and Gotham Girl. Unfortunately, their crime-fighting days were soon met with tragedy.

The downfall began when a villain known as Psycho Pirate entered the scene to break the powerful siblings. He succeeded, taking Hank over the edge. While the battle was won, Hank used too much of his powers in the process, killing him. The whole thing sent Gotham Girl spiralling, and she might have been lost if not for Batman’s intervention. This is more or less where her story ends, despite how much potential there still is in her story.

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3) Clownhunter (Bao Pham)

Bao Pham is one of many vigilantes inspired by his time in Gotham City. Once upon a time, he was the son of two restaurant owners in Gotham, but his parents were killed by the Joker. The tragedy was enough to place Bao Pham on a new path in life, and Batman’s refusal to put a more permanent end to the Joker further radicalized the young man. From here, Bao Pham became steadily more disillusioned by heroes each time Joker broke free and took more lives.

During Joker War, Bao Pham finally hit his breaking point. He donned his new persona, the Clownhunter, and lived up to that name – hunting and killing any of Joker’s clowns he could get his hands on. His neighborhood loved him for it, while Batman obviously frowned upon his extreme measures. Since then, Bao Pham has made a few appearances, including a quick attempt at taking down Harley Quinn. However, there’s so much left to his story to tell.

4) Circuit Breaker (Jules Jourdain)

Jules Jourdain is one of many characters who gained an origin story during the time of the Lazarus rain. As such, it’s perhaps less surprising that he got lost in the mess. The rain was made from a concentrated version of the goo within the Lazarus pit, and direct contact with it had all sorts of strange effects. For Jules Jourdain, it turned him into a conduit for the Still Force. As such, Jules found he could drain energy from anything or anyone.

Unsurprisingly, Jules Jourdain quickly donned a new mantle to go with his superpowers, going by the name of Circuit Breaker. He would become allies with a few heroes, including The Flash and Aquawoman. However, his story has largely been left unexplored, leaving readers wondering what happened next.

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5) Tutor (Cody Kline)

Once upon a time, Cody Kline was a street artist living in Gotham. We can all guess what will happen next, as is often the case with characters living in Gotham. His story goes downhill quickly from here, as he was first exposed to Scarecrow’s fear toxins, entered into Arkham Asylum for medical care, and put into the hands of Dante, aka Spellbinder. Yeah, that’s a rough origin story, alright!

Cody Kline, now in his Tutor guise, took to creating brainwashing murals all over the city. This put him in the crosshairs of not one, but three Batgirls. He won the first scuffle, but the second confrontation didn’t go his way, getting him and his creator captured and placed in Arkham Tower. While Cody’s story may seem wrapped up, we all know that villains don’t stay where they’re locked up, and given Cody’s origin in Arkham, it could instead become another turning point for the character.