Least favourite superhero?

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by Kas

Superman, because he's too over-power and has less charisma than a potato, in my opinion.

So, a year ago, I'd have agreed with this. Post-Crisis Superman, as well as the character as depicted in pretty much any television or movie adaptaion, is a terrible bore. Still hate him.

However, they've been doing great, great things with him in the New 52. His passion for journalism is finally getting a spotlight, and he's a young, realistic guy with energy and integrity. I love every single issue of New 52 Superman, by any writer, I've read.

I've also recently discovered Golden Age Superman, which is a joy. I think it's truly only the middle incarnation of the character that feels so dull. And boy, does he ever.

Originally Posted by Leo656

Probably Spawn. But you could chuck all the 90s Image characters who weren't The Maxx in there, they were all equally useless.

Will no one defend the indefensible?

I kind of hate to admit it, but I have a huge soft spot for Spawn. Yes, he's a poster-child of '90s excess and Todd McFarlane is a child. However, there's always been a sense of tongue-in-cheek indulgence in the character, and most of his series that I've read, that I just can't hate. A little re-visioning and he wouldn't even feel out of place in something like the DC Universe. For all he embodies an abysmal era of comics, he's quintessential superhero wackiness, just with a slightly (even intentionally goofy) darker edge.

Characters I still can't get into, though? Most of the Marvel lot outside Spider-Man and the X-Men, unfortunately. The entire Avengers crowd just leaves me yawning on concept.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Cipher

So, a year ago, I'd have agreed with this. Post-Crisis Superman, as well as the character as depicted in pretty much any television or movie adaptaion, is a terrible bore. Still hate him.

Superman: TAS had an excellent Superman characterisation, as well as the best Lois and Luthor too.

[Leo656]

Lois was OK, but her character didn't really grow or evolve that much, since the focus of the show wasn't as much on the Lois/Clark relationship. But it was good for a relatively "static" version of Lois. I really like Teri Hatcher's version on "Lois & Clark".

You just can't convince someone who doesn't like Superman what there is to like. They find him one-dimensional and boring for the exact same reasons I find Wolverine one-dimensional and boring, albeit from the opposite direction (and I do like Wolverine, but frankly for all the love he gets there really isn't much to him). They'll always claim there's no conflict or pathos in Superman's stories, which is nonsense, BUT the character has at times been very badly mishandled which gives critics a lot of ammo, as like with any character that's been around that long, there's a lot of junk to sift through to get to the Good Stuff, and some people could be justified in their apathy if they have only seen some of the weaker areas of the mythology.

But ultimately people like what they like and that's that. I'm the biggest Superman mark in the world but I kinda quit trying to convince people. Superman's one of those things you're totally into or totally not, with very little middle ground.

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by Leo656

You just can't convince someone who doesn't like Superman what there is to like. They find him one-dimensional and boring for the exact same reasons I find Wolverine one-dimensional and boring, albeit from the opposite direction (and I do like Wolverine, but frankly for all the love he gets there really isn't much to him). They'll always claim there's no conflict or pathos in Superman's stories, which is nonsense, BUT the character has at times been very badly mishandled which gives critics a lot of ammo, as like with any character that's been around that long, there's a lot of junk to sift through to get to the Good Stuff, and some people could be justified in their apathy if they have only seen some of the weaker areas of the mythology.

What I've discovered is that I like Superman just fine. Quite a bit, even.

There's just a solid 20-30 years of interpretations I can't stand.

[RaphaelsIsolation]

Ironman, easily. He relies on a suit that has crazy capabilities.

Over-rated.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

I have to say Supes or Bats. Both seem just entirely too one-note to me, not in terms of powers or personality, but because of their very backgrounds. One is morbidly obsessed with the death of his parents and meting out "justice" (read- revenge) against the criminal world at large, the other is just "too perfect" in terms of morality- and this coming from small-town middle America, which I know from experience the kind of people who live in such towns usually are anything BUT morally upright- especially to
THAT degree. I just can't see a real person being that perfect and ethical(Supes), or having that kind of completely psychopathic need to punish wrongdoers(Bats).

[Leo656]

Superman's a very deliberate modern-day metaphor for Jesus. Which is why I get annoyed with the "he's unrealistically perfect and do-gooding" argument. So was Jesus, as he's been traditionally depicted. That never stopped anyone from liking him.

"Final Crisis" ended up being a very good explanation of Superman's importance to not just the DCU, but fiction. He's not a "real person", he's an archetype. He's unstoppable, because that's his purpose. He does the right thing, because that's what he does. He's honest and noble, because people are supposed to be and he represents the best of us. It seriously doesn't need to be any deeper than that. As explained in FC, he's heroic and noble and the symbol of all that's good because that's entirely what he was created to be.

Granted, that storyline rests heavily on the conceit that these are all, in fact, fictional characters and stories, and Superman was intrinsically designed to be "The Greatest Of All". All things being equal, I find it inspiring. Someone who could do anything at all chooses to be Superman. "Choose" being the key word. That choice, I think, is what makes him so interesting, the fact that only HE would do what he does with the power he has. It's an important piece.

I find it harder to defend Batman, although I do love him, but as I've often pointed out to people who think he's pretty much perfect, there's a lot "wrong" with him. He's broken, borderline psychotic. At root, his motivations for being a hero are a child's revenge fantasy taken to unhealthy extremes. If this guy really existed, he'd be in a padded cell. I'm often forced to point out to people just why the concept of Robin is so important to the mythology: He represents the kid inside Bruce that died with his parents, the reminder of his humanity, the actual noble reason why he became Batman, to try and keep what happened to him from happening to anyone else. Without Robin, odds are great that Bruce would long ago have snapped and started tossing bad guys off of rooftops head-first.

It's why even though I love Batman as a character, when people say he's the super-hero character they'd most want to be, I find it unsettling. He has, literally, the sh*ttiest life of anyone who ever (fictionally) lived. Why anyone would want to step in his shoes makes no sense to me. He has a cool car, but really, what good does that do? Everyone he even says hello to ends up dead...

[Gin Rummy]

Originally Posted by RaphaelsIsolation

Ironman, easily. He relies on a suit that has crazy capabilities.

Over-rated.

I agree. I have no clue why he's so popular. A superhero is only as good as his villains, and aside from maybe The Mandarin, Ironman's is all junk. (Any hero whose rouges gallery contains Stilt Man instantly stinks.)

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I find it harder to defend Batman, although I do love him, but as I've often pointed out to people who think he's pretty much perfect, there's a lot "wrong" with him. He's broken, borderline psychotic. At root, his motivations for being a hero are a child's revenge fantasy taken to unhealthy extremes. If this guy really existed, he'd be in a padded cell

That's probably why I like Batman the most. He is extremely close to becoming a villain himself, but he tries to still be best he can be and save as many lives as he can, before he possibly becomes insane to the point of no return.

[blindturtle02]

Oh you should really read the book Batman and Psychology. Haven't started it yet but from what the book jacket says, sounds like it's going to be a great read.

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

Originally Posted by blindturtle02

Oh you should really read the book Batman and Psychology. Haven't started it yet but from what the book jacket says, sounds like it's going to be a great read.

I'll take a look at that. Seems very interesting.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Originally Posted by Gin Rummy

I agree. I have no clue why he's so popular. A superhero is only as good as his villains, and aside from maybe The Mandarin, Ironman's is all junk. (Any hero whose rouges gallery contains Stilt Man instantly stinks.)

Stilt Man is a 3rd (or possibly fourth) tier villain who has also fought Spider-Man, Daredevil, and several others. I wouldn't even count him as an Iron Man villain. He's just a low-level crook with a gimmick, much like Trapster. Try setting the bar a little higher next time when discussing IM's villains. Stane and MODOK are better examples.

Iron Man's popularity has more to do with his "real" persona outside the suit. He's what everyone wants to be- rich, famous, influential, and popular. He has a little black book of women's numbers rivaled possibly only by Johnny Storm's, he has enough money to personally fund the entire Avengers team as well as a multi-billion dollar business empire, and he has at one time or another had the ears of presidents, not to mention he personally supplies the weapons and tech for SHIELD.

All that being said, he's also heavily flawed. He's arrogant, an alcoholic, a bit chauvinistic, and has an ego bigger than the SHIELD helicarrier. He's also a womanizing and self-important prick at times. But in spite of that, he's also a hero, and has done probably more for the superhero community at large in Marvel than any other hero. (excluding possibly Cap.) He was largely responsible for the MU's Superhero Registration Act, helped spearhead the effort to stop the Secret Invasion, and has even been acting Director of SHIELD itself!

[CyberCubed]

The worst superheroes are all those third and fourth tier DC and Marvel superheroes who still exist despite being nothing more than background fodder or stale characters that should have died off in the 70's and 80's.

[Leo656]

I kinda like Iron Man. I think he's the exception to the "A hero is only as good as his villains" rule. He himself comes off far more interesting than his villains, due to all his character flaws. He's like a more real-world version of Batman.

Granted, my exposure to the character has always been more from the films, but I've read a few of the books. He's ok.

[shuriken]

Fantastic four
I really tried to like them but Sue is too dumb and Reed is too much of a dick for me to really like them. Grimm and Johnny are ok, but overall not a fan.

Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite
Just two generic superheroes that show up every once in a while in the DC Universe and pretty much do nothing.

Jubilee and a lot of the New Mutants. Terrible powers with terrible outfits.

[Shark_Blade]

Superman

Never fond of him.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Shark_Blade

Superman

Never fond of him.

Try watching Superman: TAS. The Bruce Timm Superman is plenty likeable.

[blindturtle02]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Superman: TAS had an excellent Superman characterisation, as well as the best Lois and Luthor too.

Damn straight, Cubed. Damn straight. I wish it had lasted another season. It had an ok run but left me wanting more. Justice League and JLU were great followups. We got to see what became of Hardcastle, results of Superman's brainwashing by Darkseid, etc. Wish they'd revisit the DCAU one last time via their DC animated original movies. Still wanting to know more about the Near Apocalypse of 09.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by blindturtle02

Damn straight, Cubed. Damn straight. I wish it had lasted another season. It had an ok run but left me wanting more. Justice League and JLU were great followups. We got to see what became of Hardcastle, results of Superman's brainwashing by Darkseid, etc. Wish they'd revisit the DCAU one last time via their DC animated original movies. Still wanting to know more about the Near Apocalypse of 09.

It didn't really matter that S:TAS ended at only 54 episodes, simply because almost all the plotlines and villains continue directly into Justice League. Luthor/Brainiac/Darkseid are major villains in JL as are the others like Parasite, Metallo, Livewire, Toyman, Bizarro, etc.

[ToTheNines]

Can't really pick a least favorite... there's so many whack ones.

Definitely hate Vibe lol. Captain Atom isn't a "lame hero", but he's a total dick. I loved when Superman beat the holy mother **** out of him in JLU.

From Marvel, I don't really care for Black Panther. He's so boring. Also don't get why a bunch of people are clamoring for a Doctor Strange movie. I watched the animated one not too long ago and it's not that cool.