8 More C-List Characters Perfect for Young Animal

Cave Carson returned this week with a new series Cave Carson Has an Interstellar Eye. If you had told us a few years ago that this character would have two series released to critical acclaim, we would likely have laughed. That’s the great charm of Young Animal though. They can take c-list characters with only a cult following or no following at all and transform them into successful superhero series. While Doom Patrol has always been a semi-popular series, the Young Animal imprint has also boosted the likes of Forager and Shade into stardom at DC Comics. It’s the perfect vehicle for seemingly imperfect characters.

That raises the question of what comes next for the Young Animal imprint. As they continue to publish their current series and look for more opportunities, what other DC characters might be ready for a surprising star turn. We’ve sifted through the vaults of DC Comics lore seeking out some of the best C-list characters with the most future potential to answer just that very question. Here are eight of the greatest picks that would be perfect for the future of Young Animal.

Doctor Thirteen

Created by Leonard Starr

First Appearance: Star Spangled Comics #122

This isn’t the first time that creators at DC Comics have attempted to rescue characters from the dustbin of history. As Infinite Crisis was rebooting continuity, writer Brian Azzarello and artist Cliff Chiang teamed up to save some oddities in Doctor Thirteen: Architecture and Morality. It’s a great little series, and one that shows just how much potential can be found in its titular hero. This investigator of paranormal activity and family man can delve into the strangest corners of DC Comics and find ideas long thought forgotten to be explored again in the context of the 21st Century.

Legion of Substitute Heroes

Created by Otto Binder and George Papp

First Appearance: Adventure Comics #306

One of the members of Doctor Thirteen’s team was Infectious Lass, who also belonged to the Legion of Substitute Heroes. This is the group of individuals deemed unready to join the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century. They possess strange powers that don’t easily lend themselves to defending the universe. For example, Stone Boy can transform to stone, but is entirely immobile when he does so. However, they’re a driven group ready to prove their merit any chance they’re given. That optimistic attitude for underdogs could provide a much needed boost to many superhero fans and offer some lessons on making it through dark days.

Ambush Bug

Created by Keith Giffen

First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #52

Ambush Bug has garnered a cult following over the years, even if he never seems to stick around for long. He perfectly imbues the best qualities of his creator Keith Giffen, embracing the strange continuity of superhero comics and getting up to all sorts of antics along the way. There is no better vehicle for commentary on DC Comics today or the long history that led up to this moment. The Bug can already teleport anywhere he chooses, and it only takes a nudge to allow him free travel across the multiverse as well. It would be a great way to see how so many different stories connect without taking any of it too seriously.

The Red Bee

Created by Toni Blum and Charles Nicholas

First Appearance: Hit Comics #1

The Red Bee is usually the butt of jokes about mediocre Golden Age superheroes. His superpowers are limited to a “stinger gun” and a specially trained bee named Michael kept in his belt buckle. This particularly terrible set of powers has captivated the ongoing interest of many top writers. Grant Morrison included the character in his Animal Man run, and James Robinson featured his ghost in Starman. There’s a series waiting to be written about the Red Bee clawing his way out of obscurity (or Morrison’s limbo) and reasserting himself in DC Comics. Whether he succeeds or fails, it’s bound to be a fascinating tale about how old superheroes don’t really die, they just fade away.

Red Tornado

Created by Sheldon Mayer

First Appearance: All-American Comics #3

We’re not talking about the alien android, even though it would be fair to call that character a C-lister too. This is an idea for Ma Hunkel, a working mom who put on long johns and a pot to fight crime in the Golden Age. She’s a true blue collar hero relying almost entirely on gumption to take down bad guys. There’s also the added element of how this obscure hero has become linked to so much lore. Not only is her title adopted by a member of the Justice League, but she became the JSA’s caretaker in her later years. This is a story about unexpected legacies just waiting to be written.

Detective Chimp

Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino

First Appearance: Adventures Of Rex The Wonder Dog #4

Creators keep trying to make Detective Chimp happen at DC Comics, but he has not had much staying power since the cancellation of Shadowpact. The truth is that Detective Chimp isn’t at home in an event like Metal; he needs a place where his oddities can truly shine like in the Young Animal line. Chimp has the ability to tell offbeat mysteries and dig into the history of DC Comics. He has been around long enough to comment on things long before Crisis on Infinite Earths. There’s also an important link to Rex the Wonder Dog and the other animals of DC, offering an important and underused perspective from the animal kingdom.

G’Nort

Created by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis

First Appearance: Justice League International #10

It’s time for a Green Lantern story where the ring can’t solve everything. In spite of possessing the most powerful weapon in the galaxy, G’nort manages to be mostly ineffectual in most of his stories. He means well, but can’t quite connect the dots when solving problems. That doesn’t mean he can’t save the day though. G’nort’s good attitude and unrelenting will make him as great a hero as any of the dogs he resembles. This is one character packed with potential for both laughs and heartwarming turns as he does his best to be a superhero.

Brother Power The Geek

Created by Joe Simon

First Appearance: Brother Power The Geek #1

This character from the co-creator of Captain America only lasted for two issues in his initial series. A mannequin brought to life by lightning, Brother Power was originally a take on the counter-culture, but was very out of touch. His very existence illustrates the gap between youth culture and those trying to understand it. That’s the hook for a great Young Animal series though. A meta-commentary on how this bizarre Raggedy Andy-like creature is used or depicted in modern popular art could form the basis for something very special.