Marvel Rivals did what very few players thought was possible, dethroning the king of hero shooters, Overwatch, nearly overnight while making millions of new fans. Even more impressive, the game made fans of Marvel at a time when superhero fatigue has never been higher. This surge in popularity is thanks in no small part to the incredible character designs featured in the game, faithfully yet creatively reimagining timeless heroes and villains in a way that made even relatively unknown characters popular.
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If there is any franchise out there that could give Rivals a run for its money, it would be DC Comics, if for no other reason than the fact that it has just as large a roster of potential playable characters to choose from. Many of these characters, though they have respective popularity within the comic book community, could explode in popularity if an audience were only introduced to their iconic powers, personalities, and stories through a sleek Rivals-style redesign.
Of course, we all know the obvious choices for a DC Comics hero shooter roster. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash: obvious, popular picks that are well known even outside of the comic book space. However, there are tons of lesser-known DC characters still deserving of the spotlight in this hypothetical game.
7. Razer
Originally a soldier on his home planet of Volkreg, Razer became a Red Lantern after discovering his wife’s murder. Over time, he became an ally of the Green Lanterns, developed an unlikely romance, and underwent a phenomenal redemption arc that ended with him becoming the first half Blue, half Red Lantern, empowered by equal parts hope and rage.
Introduced in Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Razer was one-half of a show-stealing duo who captured the hearts of fans, becoming so popular that both characters became canon in the comics, much like the story of Harley Quinn. Razer’s redemption arc was shockingly well written and surprisingly romantic, and his understandably edgy personality and backstory mixed with his lover boy tendencies create an incredibly “don’t get too close to me, I’ll hurt you” character that would easily rake in fans, if only his character had more exposure.
In a hero shooter, Razer would easily fall into a DPS or duelist role, with his smaller frame and Red Lantern powers screaming “damage dealer.” However, his ability to tap into the powers of the Blue Lantern ring could also give him a surprisingly supportive playstyle, perhaps empowering allies or offering some shielding as his rage tears through the backline.
6. Aya
Once an artificial intelligence program designed to aid the Green Lantern Corps, Aya acquired a body of her own and developed sentience and independence. Driven by her newfound emotions, particularly love, Aya uses her capabilities as an android as well as her ability to manipulate Green Energy to assist her teammates in battle.
The second half of the aforementioned duo, Aya was also introduced in GL:TAS where her shockingly well-written romance with Razer helped the two to steal the show away from its titular main character. Her character arc as a machine that learns to feel and love resonated with fans so much that it propelled her into comic canon alongside her beloved Razer.
It’s hard to argue for Aya being anything other than a support character. As an A.I. designed to assist the Lanterns, she was literally built to support the team, a role she later takes on willingly out of her own care for the people around her. Using the power of Green energy to heal or shield allies could be a very creative take on a healer, and it would be a shame if this hypothetical game didn’t give Razer and Aya some kind of team-up ability.
5. Deadman
Once a circus acrobat, Deadman was murdered in the middle of his act by a mysterious assassin, only to find himself revived by a deity to take revenge on his killer. Half ghost and half acrobat, Deadman has the unique combination of phantom intangibility, possession, invisibility, and the ability to do sick flips and kick really high.
One of the more interesting takes on an undead or ghost hero, Deadman is an underrated comic character who deserves his time in the public eye. His design, though pretty simple, is instantly recognizable and honestly, wouldn’t need a whole lot of changes to be popular with gamers.
As a duelist-type character, Deadman could find himself with a high-risk, high-reward play style, using invisibility or the power to walk through walls to get into the enemy backline and then using his acrobatic martial arts to try and take down the enemy in melee range. He could perhaps even gain the ability to take over another character’s body, taking control of their actions for a short time (a brief window almost every player would certainly use to jump off the map).
4. Midnighter
One of DC’s grittier “heroes,” Midnighter is a brutal, violence-obsessed vigilante who is often depicted covered in gallons and gallons of blood. Honestly, this character, with his self-admitted “love for violence and killing,” wouldn’t be out of place as a satirical parody of Batman in The Boys.
In a hypothetical DC hero shooter, Midnighter could serve the same role on the roster as Rival’s The Punisher: a violent anti-hero duelist that the rest of the team disagrees with on a moral level, but who they have to begrudgingly team up with to get the win. However, this blood-soaked duelist would probably be more of a melee character, as in the comics he’s more at home with hammers, power drills, or his bare knuckles than he is with an arsenal of firearms.
3. Solomon Grundy
Perhaps better known than some of the other characters on this list, Solomon Grundy is a Gotham-born former socialite who, born on a Monday, christened on Tuesday, and married on Wednesday, eventually took ill on Thursday, got worse on Friday, eventually died on Saturday, and was buried on Sunday. Only then to resurrect as an absolute tank of a zombie who regularly tussles with Batman, and has even found himself portrayed in two different live-action TV shows.
This first obvious choice for a tank or vanguard on this list, Solomon Grundy, screams “I’ll soak up your damage.” He’s huge, muscular, and moreover, undeniably undead, with knives literally in his back to show that he won’t easily be taken down. With super strength, regeneration and undead immortality, Grundy could easily serve as a hard-hitting titan who will passively heal up if left alone, or could even get away with having a resurrection ability.
2. Etrigan
A lesser-known but visually distinct DC hero, Etrigan is a demon straight out of hell. Created by the legendary Jack Kirby, Etrigan is often depicted overcoming his violent urges to team up with superheroes like Batman, thanks to his pact with the human Jason Blood. What’s more, the orange-and-horned demon frequently speaks in rhymes, which would just be so fun to see in-game.
Another solid pick for a tank or vanguard character, Etrigan could weaponize his demonic strength (and visually identifiable wide frame) to protect his team from bullets and backline bandits. What’s more, his pact with Jason Blood could be used to give the game a “D.Va” type character, who swaps to a smaller, weaker form after his health drops.
1. Klarion, The Witch Boy
A young Warlock from another dimension, Klarion weaponizes the mystical arts to do the occasional villainy, a lot of trickery, and sometimes even serves as an anti-hero. One of DC’s most iconic magic-wielding characters, a hypothetical DC hero shooter simply would not be complete without him.
Easily falling into the support class, Klarion could use his mastery of the arcane to assist his allies while playing dreadful pranks on the enemy. A sure fragile character, Klarion could trade great power for low mobility, making him a priority target for his team to defend against backline bombers like Deadman.
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Courtesy of Ubisoft
