List of superhero debuts
A superhero (also known as a "super hero" or "super-hero") is a fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest."[1] Since the debut of Superman in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas — have dominated American comic books and crossed over into other media. A female superhero is sometimes called a "superheroine."
By most definitions, characters need not have actual superhuman powers to be deemed superheroes, although sometimes terms such as "costumed crimefighters"[2] are used to refer to those without such powers who have many other common traits of superheroes.
For a list of comic book supervillain debuts, see List of comic book supervillain debuts.
1900–1909
Newspaper comics
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hugo Hercules | 1902 | Wilhelm Heinrich Detlev Körner | Chicago Tribune |
Despite its short run, it is seen as the earliest superhero fiction comic.[3]
Play
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Scarlet Pimpernel | 1903 | Baroness Emmuska Orczy | The Scarlet Pimpernel |
Often cited as perhaps the earliest superhero akin to those to become popularized through American comic books.[4][5]
1910s
Magazine
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Carter of Mars | 1911 | Edgar Rice Burroughs | A Princess of Mars |
| Tarzan the Apeman | 1912 | Edgar Rice Burroughs | Tarzan of the Apes |
| The Night Wind | 1913 | Varick Vanardy[6] (Frederick Van Rensselaer Dey) | Alias the Night Wind |
| The Gray Seal | 1914 | Frank L. Packard | "The Adventures of Jimmie Dale" 1917 book version of 1914 and 1915 stories in People's Magazine |
| The Scarecrow | 1915 | Russell Thorndike | Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh |
| Zorro | 1919 | Johnston McCulley | "The Curse of Capistrano" All Weekly Story |
Novel
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nyctalope | 1911 | Jean de La Hire | L'Homme Qui Peut Vivre dans l'Eau |
1920s
Notable non-superhero characters that influenced the superhero genre
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Creator/s | Media | First appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Red Shadow | 1926 | Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, and Frank Mandel | Play | The Desert Song |
| Buck Rogers | January 7, 1929 | Philip Francis Nowlan | Newspaper comic | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century A.D adapted from the story "Armageddon 2419 A.D." (Amazing Stories, August, 1928). |
| Popeye | January 17, 1929 | E.C. Segar | Newspaper comic | Thimble Theatre |
1930s
Radio
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Shadow (as announcer voice) | 1930 (July 31) | Maxwell Grant (Walter B. Gibson) | Detective Stories |
| Lone Ranger | 1933 (January 30) | George W. Trendle | The Lone Ranger |
| Tonto | 1933 (February 25) | Fran Striker | The Lone Ranger |
| The Green Hornet and Kato | 1936 (January 31) | George W. Trendle and Fran Striker | The Green Hornet |
Pulp fiction
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Shadow (as character) | 1931 (April) | Maxwell Grant (Walter B. Gibson) | "The Living Shadow" The Shadow Magazine #1 |
| Conan the Barbarian | 1932 (December) | Robert E. Howard | "The Phoenix on the Sword" Weird Tales |
| Doc Savage | 1933 (March) | Kenneth Robeson (Lester Dent) | The Man of Bronze |
| Domino Lady | 1936 (May) | Lars Anderson | Saucy Romantic Adventures |
| Moon Man | 1936 (June) | Frederick C. Davis | Ten Detective Aces |
| Zarnak | 1936 (August) | Max Plaisted | "The Plunder Plague" (Thrilling Wonder Stories) |
| Olga Mesmer | 1937 (August) | Watt Dell | Spicy Mystery Stories |
| The Avenger | 1939 (September) | Kenneth Robeson (Paul Ernst) | "Justice, Inc."The Avenger Magazine #1 |
Newspaper comics
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dick Tracy | 1931 (October 4) | Chester Gould | Dick Tracy |
| Mandrake the Magician | 1934 (June 11) | Lee Falk | Mandrake the Magician |
| The Phantom Magician[7] | 1935 (April 15) | Mel Graff | The Adventures of Patsy[8] |
| The Phantom | 1936 (February 17) | Lee Falk | The Phantom |
Other media
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Creator/s | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ôgon Batto (the Golden Bat) | 1930 | Takeo Nagamatsu | Kamishibai (Japanese scroll show) |
| Hugo Danner | 1930 | Philip Wylie | Gladiator (novel) |
Notable non-superhero characters that influenced the superhero genre
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Creator/s | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dick Tracy | 1931 (October 4) | Chester Gould | Newspaper Comic |
| Dan Dunn | 1933 | Norman Marsh | Original Comic Book Character |
| Flash Gordon | 1934 (January 7) | Alex Raymond | Newspaper Comic |
Comic book
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor Occult (Richard Occult) | 1935 (October) | DC | Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster | New Fun Comics #6 |
| Rose Psychic (Rose Spiritus) | 1935 (October) | DC | Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster | New Fun Comics #6 |
| Dinky (later to become one of the two Cyclone Kids, sidekicks to Red Tornado) | 1936 (August) | Dell | Sheldon Mayer | Popular Comics # 7 |
| The Clock | 1936 (November) | Comics Magazine Co | George Brenner | Funny Pages #6 or Funny Picture Stories #1 |
| Sheena, Queen of the Jungle | January 1937 (in Britain, 1938 in USA) | Fiction House | Will Eisner and S.M. "Jerry" Iger | Wags #1 |
| Superman (Clark Kent) | 1938 (June) | DC | Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster | Action Comics #1 |
| Zatara | 1938 (June) | DC | Fred Guardineer | Action Comics #1 |
| Americommando (Harold "Tex" Thompson) | 1938 (June) | DC | Ken Fitch, Bernard Baily | Action Comics #1 |
| Fatman (Bob Daley) | 1938 (July) | DC | Ken Fitch, Bernard Baily | Action Comics #2 |
| Arrow | 1938 (September) | Centaur Publications | Paul Gustavson | Funny Pages vol. 2 #10 (or #21) |
| Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis) | 1938 (October) | DC | Jim Chambers | Detective Comics #20 |
| Wing (DC Comics) | 1938 (October) | DC | Jim Chambers | Detective Comics #20 |
| Namor the Sub-Mariner | 1939 (April) | Marvel/Timely | Bill Everett | Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 |
| The Guardian Angel (Hop Harrigan) | 1939 (April) | DC | Jon Blummer | All-American Comics #1 |
| Batman (Bruce Wayne) | 1939 (May) | DC | Bob Kane, Bill Finger | Detective Comics #27 |
| Wonder Man (Fox) | 1939 (May) | Fox Publications | Will Eisner | Wonder Comics #1 |
| Ma Hunkel and Sisty (later to become Red Tornado and one of her two sidekicks, the Cyclone Kids, respectively) | 1939 (June) | DC | Sheldon Mayer | All-American Comics # 3 |
| The Flame (Gary Preston) | 1939 (July) | Fox Publications | Will Eisner, Lou Fine | Wonderworld Comics #3 |
| Sandman (Wesley Dodds) | 1939 (July) | DC | Gardner Fox, Bert Christman | World's Fair Comics #1 |
| Fantom of the Fair | 1939 (July) | Centaur Publications | Paul Gustavson | Amazing Mystery Funnies vol. 2, #7 |
| Blue Beetle (Dan Garret) | 1939 (August) | Fox Publications | Charles Nicholas | Mystery Men Comics #1 |
| Green Mask (Michael Shelby) | 1939 (August) | Fox Publications | Walter Frehm | Mystery Men Comics #1 |
| Bozo the Iron Man | 1939 (August) | Quality Comics | George Brenner | Smash Comics #1 |
| Invisible Hood | 1939 (August) | Quality Comics | Art Pinajian | Smash Comics #1 |
| Amazing-Man (Centaur Publications) | 1939 (September) | Centaur Publications | Bill Everett | Amazing-Man Comics #5 |
| The Human Torch (Jim Hammond, original) | 1939 (October) | Marvel/Timely | Carl Burgos | Marvel Comics #1 |
| Angel (Thomas Halloway) | 1939 (October) | Marvel/Timely | Paul Gustavson | Marvel Comics #1 |
| Shock Gibson | 1939 (October) | Brookwood Publications | Maurice Scott | Speed Comics #1 |
| Magician from Mars (Jane 6EM35) | 1939 (November) | Centaur Publications | John Giunta, Malcolm Kildale | Amazing-Man Comics #7 |
| Ultra-Man (Gary Concord, Jr.) | 1939 (November) | DC | Jon L. Blummer | All-American Comics #8 |
| Stardust the Super Wizard | 1939 (December) | Fox Feature Syndicate | Fletcher Hanks | Fantastic Comics #1 |
| Samson | 1939 (December) | Fox Feature Syndicate | Will Eisner, Alex Blum | Fantastic Comics #1 |
| Doll Man | 1939 (December) | Quality Comics | Will Eisner | Feature Comics #27 |
| Wizard (Archie Comics) | 1939 (December) | MLJ Comics/Archie Comics | Will Harr, Edd Ashe Jr | Top-Notch Comics #1 |
1940s
Newspaper comics
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Spirit | 1940 (June 2) | Will Eisner | The Spirit |
| Lady Luck | 1940 (June 2) | Will Eisner, Chuck Mazoujian | Lady Luck in The Spirit Section |
| Mr. Mystic | 1940 (June 2) | Will Eisner, Bob Powell | Mr. Mystic in The Spirit Section |
| Invisible Scarlet O'Neil | 1940 (June 3) | Russell Stamm | Invisible Scarlet O'Neil |
| Black Fury/Miss Fury | 1941 (April 6) | June Tarpé Mills | Black Fury |
Comic book
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash (Jay Garrick) | 1940 (January) | DC | Gardner Fox, Harry Lampert | Flash Comics #1 |
| Hawkman (Carter Hall) | 1940 (January) | DC | Gardner Fox | Flash Comics #1 |
| Johnny Thunder | 1940 (January) | DC | John W. Wentworth, Stan Asch | Flash Comics #1 |
| Whip (Rodney Gaynor) | 1940 (January) | DC | John B. Wentworth, George Storm | Flash Comics #1 |
| The Shield (Archie) | 1940 (January) | MLJ/Archie | Harry Shorten, Irv Novick | Pep Comics #1 |
| Comet (Archie Comics) | 1940 (January) | MLJ Comics/Archie Comics | Jack Cole | Pep Comics #1 |
| Fiery Mask | 1940 (January) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Joe Simon | Daring Mystery Comics #1 |
| Captain Marvel (DC Comics) | 1940 (February) | Fawcett Comics/DC | C. C. Beck, Bill Parker (comics) | Whiz Comics #2 |
| Golden Arrow (comics) | 1940 (February) | Fawcett Comics | Whiz Comics #2 | |
| Ibis the Invincible | 1940 (February) | Fawcett Comics | Bob Kingett | Whiz Comics #2 |
| Spy Smasher | 1940 (February) | Fawcett Comics | C.C. Beck, Bill Parker | Whiz Comics #2 |
| Electro (comics) | 1940 (February) | Marvel/Timely | Steve Dahlman | Marvel Mystery #4 |
| Ferret | 1940 (February) | Marvel/Timely Comics | Marvel Mystery Comics #4 | |
| Mister E (Timely Comics) | 1940 (February) | Timely/Marvel | Joe Calcagno | Daring Mystery Comics #2 |
| Laughing Mask | 1940 (February) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Daring Mystery Comics #2 | |
| Spectre (comics) (Jim Corrigan) | 1940 (February) | DC | Jerry Siegel | More Fun Comics #52 |
| Fantomah | 1940 (February) | Fiction House | Fletcher Hanks | Jungle Comics #2 |
| Doc Strange | 1940 (February) | Nedor Comics | Richard E. Hughes, Alexander Kostuk | Thrilling Comics #1 |
| Dynamo | 1940 (February) | Fox Feature Syndicate | Robert Webb | Science Comics #1 |
| Hourman (Rex Tyler) | 1940 (March) | DC | Ken Fitch, Bernard Bailey | Adventure Comics #48 |
| The King (King Standish) | 1940 (March) | DC | Gardner Fox, William Smith | Flash Comics #3 |
| Silver Streak | 1940 (March) | Lev Gleason Publications | Joe Simon, Jack Binder | Silver Streak Comics #3 |
| Dynamic Man | 1940 (March) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Daniel Peters | Mystic Comics #1 |
| Master Man (Fawcett Comics) | 1940 (March) | Fawcett Comics | Master Comics #1 | |
| Woman in Red (comics) | 1940 (March) | Nedor Comics | Richard E. Hughes, George Mandel | Thrilling Comics #2 |
| Robin (comics) (Dick Grayson, original) | 1940 (April) | DC | Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson | Detective Comics #38 |
| Catwoman (Selina Kyle) | 1940 (April) | DC | Bob Kane, Bill Finger | Batman #1 |
| Black Pirate | 1940 (April) | DC | Sheldon Moldoff | Action Comics #23 |
| Master Mind Excello | 1940 (April) | Timely/Marvel | Mystic Comics #2 | |
| Breeze Barton | 1940 (April) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Jack Binder | Daring Mystery Comics #3 |
| Phantom Reporter | 1940 (April) | Timely/Marvel | Daring Mystery Comics #3 | |
| Ghost (Nedor Comics) | 1940 (April) | Nedor Comics | Thrilling Comics #3 | |
| Black Owl | 1940 (April) | Prize Publications | Prize Comics #2 | |
| Skyman (Columbia Comics) | 1940 (May) | Columbia Comics | Gardner Fox, Ogden Whitney | Big Shot Comics #1 |
| Bulletman and Bulletgirl | 1940 (May) | Fawcett Comics/DC | Bill Parker (comics) | Nickel Comics #1 |
| Red Torpedo | 1940 (May) | Quality Comics | Crack Comics #1 | |
| Madame Fatal | 1940 (May) | Quality Comics | Art Pinajian | Crack Comics #1 |
| Black Condor | 1940 (May) | Quality Comics | Will Eisner, Lou Fine | Crack Comics #1 |
| Alias The Spider | 1940 (May) | Quality Comics | Paul Gustavson | Crack Comics #1 |
| Rusty Ryan | 1940 (May) | Quality Comics | Paul Gustavson | Feature Comics #32 |
| Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson & Nabu) | 1940 (May) | DC | Gardner Fox, Howard Sherman | More Fun Comics #55 |
| The Face (comics) | 1940 (May) | Columbia Comics | Mart Bailey | Big Shot Comics #1 |
| Congo Bill | 1940 (June) | DC | Whitney Ellsworth, George Papp | More Fun Comics #56 |
| Scarlet Avenger | 1940 (June) | Harry Shorten, Irv Novick | Zip Comics #1 | |
| Thin Man | 1940 (June) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Klaus Nordling | Mystic Comics #4 |
| Marvel Boy | 1940 (June) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Joe Simon, Jack Kirby | Daring Mystery Comics #6 |
| Fox (comics) | 1940 (June) | MLJ Comics/Archie Comics | Joe Blair, Irwin Hasen | Blue Ribbon Comics #4 |
| Blue Bolt | 1940 (June) | Novelty Press | Joe Simon | Blue Bolt Comics #1 |
| Lash Lightning | 1940 (June) | Ace Comics | Sure-Fire Comics #1 | |
| Raven (Ace Comics) | 1940 (June) | Ace Comics | Sure-Fire Comics #1 | |
| Captain Future | 1940 (June) | Nedor Comics | Kin Platt | Startling Comics #1 |
| Uncle Sam (comics) | 1940 (July) | Quality Comics/DC | Will Eisner | National Comics #1 |
| Green Lantern (Alan Scott, original) | 1940 (July) | DC | Martin Nodell, Bill Finger | All-American Comics #16 |
| The Red Bee | 1940 (July) | Quality Comics/DC | Toni Blum, Charles Nicholas | Hit Comics #1 |
| Neon the Unknown | 1940 (July) | Quality Comics | Jerry Iger | Hit Comics #1 |
| Merlin The Magician | 1940 (July) | Quality Comics | National Comics #1 | |
| The Owl | 1940 (July) | Dell Comics | Frank Thomas | Crackajack Funnies #25 |
| Magno | 1940 (August) | Quality Comics | Paul Gustavson | Smash Comics #13 |
| Black Widow (Claire Voyant) | 1940 (August) | Timely/Marvel Comics | George Kapitan, Harry Sahle | Mystic Comics #4 |
| Red Raven | 1940 (August) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Joe Simon, Louis Cazeneuve | Red Raven Comics #1 |
| Mercury/Hurricane | 1940 (August) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Martin A. Bursten, Jack Kirby, Joe Simon | Red Raven Comics #1 as Mercury, Captain America Comics #1 as Hurricane |
| Airman (comics) | 1940 (August) | Centaur Publications | George Kapitan, Harry Sahle | Keen Detective Funnies #23 |
| Hydroman | 1940 (August) | Eastern Color Printing | Bill Everett | Reg'lar Fellers Heroic Comics #1 |
| Toro (comics) | 1940 (Fall) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Carl Burgos | Human Torch Comics #2 |
| Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications) | 1940 (September) | Gleason Publications | Jack Binder (comics) | Silver Streak #6 |
| Cat-Man | 1940 (September) | Holyoke Publishing | Irwin Hasen | Crash Comic Adventures #4 |
| The Ray | 1940 (September) | Quality Comics | Lou Fine | Smash Comics #14 |
| Firefly (Archie Comics) | 1940 (September) | MLJ Comics/Archie Comics | Harry Shorten, Bob Wood | Top-Notch Comics #8 |
| Atom (Al Pratt) | 1940 (October) | DC | Ben Flinton, Bill O'Conner | All-American Comics #19 |
| Mr. Scarlet | 1940 (Winter) | Fawcett Comics | France Herron, Jack Kirby | Wow Comics #1 |
| Black Hood | 1940 (October) | MLJ Comics/Archie Comics | Harry Shorten | Top-Notch Comics #9 |
| Vision (Timely Comics) | 1940 (November) | Marvel/Timely | Joe Simon, Jack Kirby | Marvel Mystery Comics #13 |
| Red Tornado (Ma Hunkel) | 1940 (November) | DC | Sheldon Mayer | All-American Comics #20 |
| Quicksilver (Max Mercury) | 1940 (November) | Quality Comics/DC | Jack Cole (artist), Chuck Mazoujian | National Comics #5 |
| Target and the Targeteers | 1940 (November) | Novelty Press | Dick Hamilton | Target Comics #10 |
| Justice Society of America | 1940 (Winter) | DC | Gardner Fox | All Star Comics #3 |
| Green Lama | 1940 (December) | Crestwood Publications | Kendell Foster Crossen | Prize Comics #1 |
| Black Terror | 1941 (January) | Nedor Comics | Richard E. Hughes, Don Gabrielson | Exciting Comics #9 |
| Midnight | 1941 (January) | Quality Comics | Jack Cole | Smash Comics #18 |
| Professor Supermind and Son | 1941 (February) | Dell Comics | Popular Comics #60 | |
| Minute-Man | 1941 (February) | Fawcett Comics | Charlie Sultan | Master Comics #11 |
| Black Marvel (Daniel Lyons) | 1941 (March) | Marvel/Timely | Al Gabriele and unknown writer | Mystic Comics #5 |
| Blazing Skull (Mark Todd) | 1941 (March) | Marvel/Timely | Mystic Comics #5 | |
| The Terror | 1941 (March) | Marvel/Timely | Mystic Comics #5 | |
| Captain America (Steve Rogers) | 1941 (March) | Marvel/Timely | Joe Simon, Jack Kirby | Captain America Comics #1 |
| Bucky Barnes | 1941 (March) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Jack Kirby, Joe Simon | Captain America Comics #1 |
| The Patriot (Jeffrey Mace) | 1941 (Spring) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Ray Gill, George Mandel | The Human Torch # 4 |
| Blue Diamond | 1941 (April) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Joe Simon, Jack Kirby | Daring Mystery Comics #7 |
| Thunderer | 1941 (April) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Carl Burgos, John Compton | Daring Mystery Comics #7 |
| Silver Scorpion | 1941 (April) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Harry Sahle | Daring Mystery Comics #7 |
| The Fin | 1941 (April) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Bill Everett | Daring Mystery Comics #7 |
| Starman (Ted Knight) (Ted Knight) | 1941 (April) | DC | Gardner Fox, Jack Burnley | Adventure Comics #61 |
| Doctor Mid-Nite (Charles McNider) | 1941 (April) | DC | Charles Reizenstein, Stanley Aschmeier | All-American Comics #25 |
| Black Fury (John Perry) | 1941 (April) | Fox Feature Syndicate | Dennis Neville, Mark Howell | Fantastic Comics #17 |
| Sargon the Sorcerer | 1941 (May) | DC | John B. Wentworth, Howard Purcell | All American Comics #26 |
| Captain Battle | 1941 (May) | Lev Gleason Publications | Silver Streak Comics #11 | |
| Captain Freedom | 1941 (May) | Harvey Comics | Franklin Flagg | Speed Comics #13 |
| Jester | 1941 (May) | Quality Comics | Paul Gustavson | Smash Comics #22 |
| Young Allies | 1941 (Summer) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Jack Kirby, Joe Simon | Young Allies Comics #1 |
| Doiby Dickles | 1941 (June) | DC | Bill Finger, Irwin Hasen | All-American Comics #27 |
| Twister | 1941 (June) | Novelty Press | Paul Gustavson | Blue Bolt Comics (vol. 2) #1 |
| Hawkgirl (Shiera Sanders Hall) | 1941 (July) | DC | Gardner Fox
Evelyn Gaines |
All-Star Comics #5 |
| Dynamic-Man | 1941 (July) | Dynamic Publications | Dynamic Comics #1 | |
| Whizzer (Robert Frank) | 1941 (August) | Marvel/Timely | Al Avison, Al Gabriele | USA Comics #1 |
| Jack Frost | 1941 (August) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Stan Lee, Charles Wojtkoski | U.S.A. Comics # 1 |
| Rockman | 1941 (August) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Charles Nicholas, Basil Wolverton | U.S.A. Comics #1 |
| Wildfire | 1941 (August) | Quality Comics | Robert Turner, Jim Mooney | Smash Comics #25 |
| American Crusader | 1941 (August) | Nedor Comics | Writer and artist unknown | Thrilling Comics #19 |
| Black Cat (Harvey Comics) | 1941 (August) | Harvey Comics | Al Gabriele | Pocket Comics #1 |
| Blackhawk (DC Comics) | 1941 (August) | Quality Comics/DC | Will Eisner, Chuck Cuidera | Military Comics #1 |
| Miss America (DC Comics) | 1941 (August) | Quality Comics/DC | Military Comics #1 | |
| Blue Tracer | 1941 (August) | Quality Comics | Military Comics #1 | |
| Mouthpiece | 1941 (August) | Quality Comics | Fred Guardineer | Police Comics #1 |
| Firebrand | 1941 (August) | Quality Comics | Jerry Iger, Reed Crandall | Police Comics #1 |
| 711 (Quality Comics) | 1941 (August) | Quality Comics/DC | George Brenner | Police Comics #1 |
| Human Bomb | 1941 (August) | Quality Comics/DC | Paul Gustavson | Police Comics #1 |
| Plastic Man | 1941 (August) | Quality Comics/DC | Jack Cole (artist) | Police Comics #1 |
| Phantom Lady | 1941 (August) | Quality Comics/DC | Arthur Peddy | Police Comics #1 |
| Nelvana of the Northern Lights | 1941 (August) | Hillborough Studios (Canada) | Adrian Dingle | Triumph Comics #1 |
| U.S. Jones | 1941 (August) | Fox Feature Syndicate | Wonderworld Comics #28 | |
| Unknown Soldier | 1941 (August) | Ace Comics | Our Flag Comics #1 | |
| Yank & Doodle | 1941 (August) | Prize Publications | Paul Norris | Prize Comics #13 |
| Johnny Quick (Johnny Chambers) | 1941 (September) | DC | Mort Weisinger, Chad Grothkopf | More Fun Comics #71 |
| Star-Spangled Kid (Sylvester Pemberton) | 1941 (October) | DC | Jerry Siegel, Hal Sherman | Star Spangled Comics #1 |
| Stripesy (Pat Dugan) | 1941 (October) | DC | Jerry Siegel, Hal Sherman | Star-Spangled Comics #1 |
| Shining Knight | 1941 (September) | DC | Creig Flessel | Adventure Comics #66 |
| Captain Flag | 1941 (September) | MLJ/Archie | Joe Blair, Lin Streeter | Blue Ribbon Comics #16 |
| Fighting Yank | 1941 (September) | Nedor Comics | Richard Hughes, Jon Blummer | Startling Comics #10 |
| Lieutenant Marvels | 1941 (September) | Fawcett Comics | C.C. Beck | Whiz Comics #21 |
| Spider Queen | 1941 (September) | Fox Feature Syndicate | Elsa Lesau | The Eagle #2 |
| Captain Courageous | 1941 (September) | Ace Comics | Banner Comics #3 | |
| Destroyer | 1941 (October) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Stan Lee | Mystic Comics #6 |
| Tarantula | 1941 (October) | DC | Mort Weisinger | Star-Spangled Comics #1 |
| American Eagle | 1941 (October) | Standard Comics | Richard E. Hughes, Kin Platt | Exciting Comics #22 |
| Pinky the Whiz Kid | 1941 (Winter) | Fawcett Comics | Otto Binder, Jack Binder | Wow Comics #4 |
| Aquaman | 1941 (November) | DC | Mort Weisinger, Paul Norris | More Fun Comics #73 |
| Vigilante | 1941 (November) | DC | Mort Weisinger, Mort Meskin | Action Comics #42 |
| Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) and Speedy (comics) | 1941 (November) | DC | Mort Weisinger, Greg Papp | More Fun Comics #73 |
| Sandy the Golden Boy | 1941 (December) | DC | Joe Simon and Jack Kirby | Adventure Comics #69 |
| Seven Soldiers of Victory | 1941 (December) | DC | Mort Weisinger | Leading Comics #1 |
| Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) | 1941 (December) | DC | William Moulton Marston, H. G. Peter | All Star Comics #8 / Sensation Comics #1 |
| Liberator (Nedor) | 1941 (December) | Nedor Comics | Writer and artist unknown | Exciting Comics #15 |
| Kitten | 1941 (December) | Holyoke Publishing | Charles M. Quinlan | Cat-Man Comics Vol 1 #10 |
| Captain Marvel, Jr. | 1941 (December) | Fawcett Comics/DC | Ed Herron, Mac Raboy | Whiz Comics #25 |
| Witness | 1941 (December) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Stan Lee | Mystic Comics #7 |
| Wildcat (comics) | 1942 (January) | DC | Bill Finger, Irwin Hasen | Sensation Comics #1 |
| Mister Terrific (comics)(Terry Sloane) | 1942 (January) | DC | Chuck Reizenstein, Hal Sharp | Sensation Comics #1 |
| Gay Ghost | 1942 (January) | DC | Gardner Fox, Howard Purcell | Sensation Comics #1 |
| Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys | 1942 (January) | DC | Sensation Comics #1 | |
| Citizen V | 1942 (January) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Daring Mystery Comics #8 | |
| V-Man | 1942 (January) | Fox Feature Syndicate | V...Comics #1 | |
| Air Wave | 1942 (February) | DC | Murray Boltinoff or Mort Weisinger, and Lee Harris (illustrator) | Detective Comics #60 |
| Stuff the Chinatown Kid | 1942 (February) | DC | Mort Weisinger, Mort Meskin | Action Comics #45 |
| Johnny Canuck (as superhero) | 1942 (February) | [Canada] | Leo Bachle | Dime Comics #1 |
| Dan the Dyna-Mite | 1942 (Spring) | DC | Mort Weisinger | Star-Spangled Comics #7 |
| TNT (comics) | 1942 (April) | DC | Mort Weisinger | Star-Spangled Comics #7 |
| Manhunter (comics) (Paul Kirk) | 1942 (April) | DC | Jack Kirby, Joe Simon | Adventure Comics #73 |
| Manhunter (comics) (Dan Richards) | 1942 (March) | Quality Comics/DC | Police Comics #8 | |
| Robotman (Robert Crane) | 1942 (April) | DC | Jerry Siegel, Leo Nowak | Star-Spangled Comics #7 |
| Newsboy Legion | 1942 (April) | DC | Joe Simon, Jack Kirby | Star-Spangled Comics #7 |
| The Guardian (Jim Harper) | 1942 (April) | DC | Joe Simon, Jack Kirby | Star-Spangled Comics #7 |
| Blue Blade | 1942 (Summer) | Timely/Marvel Comics | U.S.A. Comics #5 | |
| Commando Yank | 1942 (July) | Fawcett Comics/DC | Wow Comics #6 | |
| Phantom Eagle | 1942 (July) | Fawcett Comics | Wow Comics #6 | |
| Web (comics) | 1942 (July) | MLJ Comics/Archie Comics | John Cassone | Zip Comics #27 |
| Genius Jones | 1942 (August) | DC | Alfred Bester, Stan Kaye | Adventure Comics #77 |
| Captain Commando | 1942 (August) | S.M. "Jerry" Iger, Alex Blum | Pep Comics #30 | |
| Liberty Belle (comics) | 1942 (Winter) | DC | Don Cameron | Boy Commandos #1 |
| Airboy | 1942 (November) | Hillman Periodicals | Charles Biro | Air Fighters Comics #2 |
| Kid Eternity | 1942 (December) | Quality Comics/DC | Otto Binder, Sheldon Moldoff | Hit Comics #25 |
| Mary Marvel | 1942 (December) | Fawcett Comics/DC | Otto Binder, Marc Swayze | Captain Marvel Adventures #18 |
| Pyroman | 1942 (December) | Nedor Comics | Jack Binder | Startling Comics # 18 |
| Captain Triumph | 1943 (January) | Quality Comics | Alfred Andriola | Crack Comics #27 |
| Captain Wonder | 1943 (February) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Otto Binder, Frank Giacoia | Kid Komics #1 |
| Canada Jack | 1943 (March) | George Menendez Rae | Canadian Heroes Vol. 1, #5 | |
| Uncle Marvel | 1943 (October) | Fawcett Comics | Otto Binder, Marc Swayze | Wow Comics #18 |
| Miss America (Marvel Comics) | 1943 (November) | Marvel/Timely | Otto Binder, Al Gabriele | Marvel Mystery Comics #49 |
| Magnet | 1944 | Nedor Comics | Complete Book of Comics and Funnies #1 | |
| Grim Reaper (Nedor) | 1944 (May) | Nedor Comics | Author unknown, artist Al Camy | Fighting Yank #7 |
| Lance Lewis, Space Detective | 1944 (July) | Nedor Comics | Mystery Comics #3 | |
| The Bouncer | 1944 (September) | Fox Feature Syndicate | Robert Kanigher, Louis Ferstadt | The Bouncer |
| Yellowjacket | 1944 (September) | Charlton Comics | Yellowjacket Comics #1 | |
| Superboy (Clark Kent) | 1945 (January) | DC | Don Cameron, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster | More Fun Comics #101 |
| Scarab | 1945 (July) | Nedor Comics | Startling Comics #34 | |
| Cavalier | 1946 (April) | Nedor Comics | Sam Cooper | Thrilling Comics #53 |
| Bronze Man | 1946 (July/August) | Fox Feature Syndicate | AC Hollingsworth | Blue Beetle #42 |
| All-Winners Squad | 1946 (Fall) | Marvel/Timely | Martin Goodman (publisher), Bill Finger | All Winners Comics #19 |
| Blonde Phantom | 1946 (Fall) | Timely/Marvel Comics | Stan Lee, Syd Shores | All Select Comics #11 |
| Miss Masque | 1946 (September) | Nedor Comics | Exciting Comics #51 | |
| Princess Pantha | 1946 (October) | Nedor Comics | Art Saaf | Thrilling Comics #56 |
| Namora | 1947 (May) | Timely/Marvel | Ken Bald | Marvel Mystery Comics#82 |
| Judy of the Jungle | 1947 (May) | Nedor Comics | Ralph Mayo | Exciting Comics #55 |
| Black Canary | 1947 (August) | DC | Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino | Flash Comics #86 |
| Moon Girl | 1947 (Fall) | EC Comics | Gardner Fox, Sheldon Moldoff | The Happy Houligans #1 |
| Tawky Tawny | 1947 (December) | Fawcett Comics | Otto Binder, C.C. Beck | Captain Marvel Adventures #79 |
| Funnyman | 1948 (January) | Magazine Enterprises | Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster | Funnyman #1 |
| Golden Girl (Betsy Ross) | 1948 (April) | Marvel/Timely | Captain America #1 (As Betsy Ross); Captain America #66 (As Golden Girl) | |
| Merry, Girl of 1000 Gimmicks/Gimmick Girl (Merry Pemberton) | 1948 (June) | DC | Otto Binder, Win Mortimer | Star-Spangled Comics #81 |
| Sun Girl | 1948 (August) | Marvel/Timely Comics | Ken Bald | Sun Girl #1 |
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Creator/s | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximo the Amazing Superman | 1940 | Russell R. Winterbotham, Henry E. Vallely and Erwin L. Hess | Big Little Book |
1950s
Comic book
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knight (DC Comics) | 1950 (December) | DC | Bill Finger, Dick Sprang | Batman #62 |
| Marvel Boy (Robert Grayson) | 1950 (December) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Russ Heath | Marvel Boy #1 |
| Captain Comet | 1951 (June) | DC | John Broome, Carmine Infantino | Strange Adventures #9 |
| Doll Girl | 1951 (December) | Quality Comics | Will Eisner | Doll Man #37 |
| Phantom Stranger | 1952 (August) | DC | John Broome, Carmine Infantino, Sy Barry | Phantom Stranger #1 |
| Marvelman (later Miracleman) | 1954 (February) | [U.K.] | Mick Anglo | Marvelman #25 |
| Fighting American | 1954 (April) | Prize Group | Joe Simon & Jack Kirby | Fighting American #1 |
| Captain Flash | 1954 (November) | Mike Sekowsky (artist, writer unknown) | Captain Flash #1 | |
| Martian Manhunter | 1955 (November) | DC | Joseph Samachson, Joe Certa | Detective Comics #225 |
| Batwoman (Kathy Kane, 1st ver) | 1956 (July) | DC | Edmond Hamilton, Sheldon Moldoff | Detective Comics #233 |
| Flash (Barry Allen, 2nd ver) | 1956 (October) | DC | Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino | Showcase #4 |
| Challengers of the Unknown | 1957 (February) | DC | Jack Kirby | Showcase #6 |
| Legion of Super-Heroes | 1958 (April) | DC | Mort Weisinger, Otto Binder | Adventure Comics #247 |
| Super Girl (tryout version) | 1958 (August) | DC | Otto Binder, Al Plastino | Superman #123 |
| Adam Strange | 1958 (November) | DC | Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky | Showcase Comics #17 |
| Herbie Popnecker | 1958 (December) | Richard E. Hughes, Ogden Whitney | Forbidden Worlds #73 | |
| Lady Blackhawk | 1959 (February) | DC | Jack Schiff and Dick Dillin | Blackhawks #133 |
| Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) | 1959 (May) | DC | Otto Binder, Al Plastino | Action Comics #252 |
| The Fly (Archie Comics) | 1959 (June) | Archie Comics | Joe Simon, Jack Kirby | The Double Life of Private Strong #1 |
| Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) (Hal Jordan, 2nd ver) | 1959 (October) | DC | Julius Schwartz, John Broome, Gil Kane | Showcase #22 |
| Kid Flash | 1959 (December) | DC | John Broome, Carmine Infantino | The Flash #110 |
Television
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain Video | 1955 (April 1) | Captain Video | |
| Gekko Kamen (Moonlight Mask) | 1958 | Kōhan Kawauchi | Moonlight Mask |
Manga
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astro Boy | 1951 | Osamu Tezuka | Ambassador Atom |
1960s
Comic book
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqualad (Garth) | 1960 (February) | DC | Robert Bernstein, Ramona Fradon | Adventure Comics #269 |
| Justice League | 1960 (February) | DC | Gardner Fox | The Brave and the Bold #28 |
| Captain Atom | 1960 (March) | Charlton Comics/DC | Joe Gill, Steve Ditko | Space Adventures #33 |
| Elongated Man | 1960 (May) | DC | John Broome, Carmine Infantino | The Flash vol. 1 #112 |
| Groot | 1960 (November) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Tales to Astonish #13 |
| Hawkman (Katar Hol, 2nd ver) | 1961 (February) | DC | Gardner Fox, Joe Kubert | The Brave and the Bold #34 |
| Flygirl | 1961 (July) | Archie Comics | Robert Bernstein, John Rosenberger | Adventures of the Fly #13 |
| The Jaguar | 1961 (September) | Archie Comics | Robert Bernstein | The Adventures of the Jaguar #1 |
| The Atom (Ray Palmer, 2nd ver) | 1961 (October) | DC | Julius Schwartz, Gardner Fox, Gil Kane | Showcase #34 |
| Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch (Johnny Storm), The Thing) | 1961 (November) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | The Fantastic Four #1 |
| Ant-Man (Henry Pym) | 1962 (January) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Tales to Astonish #27 |
| The Hulk (Bruce Banner) | 1962 (May) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | The Incredible Hulk #1 |
| Spider-Man (Peter Parker) | 1962 (August) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | Amazing Fantasy #15 |
| Thor (Thor Odinson) | 1962 (August) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Journey into Mystery #83 |
| Doctor Solar | 1962 (October) | Gold Key Comics | Paul S. Newman, Matt Murphy | Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom #1 |
| Wonder Wart-Hog | 1962 | Underground | Gilbert Shelton | Bacchanal |
| Magnus, Robot Fighter | 1963 (February) | Gold Key Comics | Chase Craig, Russ Manning | Magnus Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. #1 |
| Iron Man (Tony Stark) | 1963 (March) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Don Heck | Tales of Suspense #39 |
| Doom Patrol (The Chief, Robotman (Cliff Steele), Elasti-Girl (Rita Farr), Negative Man) | 1963 (June) | DC | Bob Haney, Arnold Drake, Bruno Premiani | My Greatest Adventure #80 |
| Wasp | 1963 (June) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Tales to Astonish #44 |
| Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) | 1963 (July) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | Strange Tales #110 |
| X-Men (Professor X, Cyclops, Angel (Warren Worthington), Beast, Iceman, Marvel Girl) | 1963 (September) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | X-Men #1 |
| The Avengers | 1963 (September) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers | Avengers #1 |
| Sif | 1964 (March) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Journey into Mystery #102 |
| Quicksilver | 1964 (March) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | X-Men #4 |
| Scarlet Witch | 1964 (March) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | X-Men #4 |
| Black Widow | 1964 (April) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Don Rico, Don Heck | Tales of Suspense #52 |
| Daredevil (Matt Murdock) | 1964 (April) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Bill Everett | Daredevil #1 |
| Hawkeye (Clint Barton) | 1964 (July) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Don Heck | Tales of Suspense #57 |
| Teen Titans | 1964 (July) | DC | Robert Haney, Bruno Premiani | The Brave and the Bold #54 |
| Wonder Man | 1964 (October) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Avengers #9 |
| Zatanna | 1964 (November) | DC | Gardner Fox, Murphy Anderson | Hawkman #4 |
| Metamorpho | 1965 (January) | DC | Bob Haney, Ramona Fradon | The Brave and the Bold #57 |
| Hercules | 1965 (June) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Journey into Mystery Annual #1 |
| Wonder Girl (Donna Troy) | 1965 (July) | DC | Bob Haney, Bruno Premiani | The Brave and the Bold #60 |
| Animal Man | 1965 (September) | DC | Dave Wood, Carmine Infantino | Strange Adventures #180 |
| Mighty Crusaders | 1965 | Archie Comics | Jerry Siegel, Paul Reinman | Fly-Man #31 |
| T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents | 1965 (November) | Tower | Wally Wood | T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 |
| Inhumans | 1965 (December) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Fantastic Four #45 |
| Silver Surfer | 1966 (March) | Marvel | Jack Kirby | Fantastic Four #48 |
| Black Panther | 1966 (July) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Fantastic Four #52 |
| Nightshade | 1966 (September) | Charlton Comics/DC | Joe Gill, Steve Ditko | Captain Atom #82 |
| Blue Beetle (Ted Kord, 2nd ver) | 1966 (November) | Charlton Comics/DC | Steve Ditko | Captain Atom #83 |
| Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) | 1967 (January) | DC | Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino | Detective Comics #359 |
| Banshee | 1967 (January) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, Werner Roth | X-Men #28 |
| Question | 1967 (June) | Charlton Comics/DC | Steve Ditko | Blue Beetle #1 |
| Changeling | 1967 (August) | Marvel | Roy Thomas | The X-Men #35 |
| Black Knight | 1967 (December) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, John Buscema | Avengers #47 |
| Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) | 1967 (December) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Gene Colan | Marvel Super Heroes #12 |
| Carol Danvers (a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, Binary, Warbird, Captain Marvel) | 1968 (March) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, Gene Colan | Marvel Super Heroes #13 |
| The Creeper | 1968 (March) | DC | Steve Ditko | Showcase #73 |
| Green Lantern (Guy Gardner) | 1968 (March) | DC | John Broome, Gil Kane | Green Lantern #59 |
| Hawk and Dove | 1968 (June) | DC | Steve Ditko, Steve Skeates | Showcase #75 |
| Red Tornado | 1968 (August) | DC | Gardner Fox | Justice League of America #64 |
| Vision | 1968 (October) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, John Buscema | Avengers #57 |
| Polaris | 1968 (October) | Marvel | Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Werner Roth, Jim Steranko | X-Men #49 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy (1st version) | 1969 (January) | Marvel | Arnold Drake, Gene Colan | Marvel Super-Heroes #18 |
| Havok | 1969 (March) | Marvel | Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Neal Adams | X-Men #54 |
| Falcon (Sam Wilson) | 1969 (September) | Marvel | Stan Lee, Gene Colan | Captain America #117 |
Television
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultraman | 1966 | Eiji Tsuburaya | Ultraman | |
| Captain Nice | 1967 (January) | Buck Henry | Captain Nice | |
| Mister Terrific (Stanley Beamish) | 1967 (January) | Mr. Terrific | ||
| The Mighty Heroes
(Strong Man, Cuckoo Man, Tornado Man, Rope Man, Diaper Man) |
1966 | Ralph Bakshi | Mighty Mouse Playhouse | |
| Space Ghost | 1966 | Alex Toth
William Hanna & Joseph Barbera |
Space Ghost and Dino Boy | |
| Birdman | 1967 | Alex Toth
William Hanna & Joseph Barbera |
Birdman and the Galaxy Trio | |
| Ultra Seven | 1967 | Eiji Tsuburaya | Ultra Seven | Metal Man |
Radio
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalimán | 1963 | Rafael Cutberto Navarro and Modesto Vázquez González | Kalimán |
1970s
Comic book
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunfire | 1970 (January) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, Don Heck | X-Men #64 |
| Valkyrie | 1970 (December) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, John Buscema | The Avengers #83 |
| Squadron Supreme | 1971 (February) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema | The Avengers #85-86 |
| The Forever People | 1971 (February) | DC | Jack Kirby | The Forever People #1 |
| New Gods | 1971 (February) | DC | Jack Kirby | New Gods #1 |
| Orion | 1971 (February) | DC | Jack Kirby | New Gods #1 |
| Mister Miracle | 1971 (March) | DC | Jack Kirby | Mister Miracle #1 |
| Big Barda | 1971 (March) | DC | Jack Kirby | Mister Miracle #4 |
| Man-Thing | 1971 (May) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, Gray Morrow | Savage Tales #1 |
| Swamp Thing | 1971 (July) | DC | Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson | House of Secrets #92 |
| Doc Samson | 1971 (July) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, Herb Trimpe | Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #141 |
| The Defenders | 1971 (December) | Marvel | Roy Thomas | Marvel Feature #1 |
| Green Lantern (John Stewart) | 1971-72 (December/January) | DC | Dennis O'Neil, Neal Adams | Green Lantern #87 |
| Luke Cage a.k.a. Power Man | 1972 (June) | Marvel | Archie Goodwin, George Tuska | Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 |
| Namorita | 1972 (June) | Marvel | Bill Everett | Sub-Mariner #50 |
| Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) | 1972 (August) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, Gary Friedrich, Mike Ploog | Marvel Spotlight #5 |
| Etrigan the Demon | 1972 (August) | DC | Jack Kirby | The Demon #1 |
| Thundra | 1972 (December) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, John Buscema | Fantastic Four #129 |
| Drax The Destroyer | 1973 (February) | Marvel | Mike Friedrich, Jim Starlin | Iron Man #55 |
| Brother Voodoo | 1973 (September) | Marvel | Len Wein, Gene Colan | Strange Tales #169 |
| Moondragon | 1973 (November) | Marvel | Bill Everett, Mike Friedrich, George Tuska | Daredevil (vol 1) #105 |
| Shang-Chi | 1973 (December) | Marvel | Steve Englehart, Jim Starlin | Special Marvel Edition #15 |
| Richard Dragon | 1974 | DC | Dennis O'Neil | Dragon's Fists novel (1974) |
| Punisher (Frank Castle) | 1974 (February) | Marvel | Gerry Conway, Ross Andru | The Amazing Spider-Man #129 |
| Iron Fist | 1974 (May) | Marvel | Roy Thomas, Gil Kane | Marvel Premiere #15 |
| Tigra | 1974 (July) | Marvel | Tony Isabella, Gil Kane | Giant-Size Creatures #1 |
| Deathlok | 1974 (August) | Marvel | Rich Buckler, Doug Moench | Astonishing Tales #25 |
| Wolverine | 1974 (October) | Marvel | Len Wein, Herb Trimpe | Incredible Hulk #180 (cameo last panel), #181 first full appearance |
| Colleen Wing | 1974 (November) | Marvel | Doug Moench, Larry Hama | Marvel Premiere #19 |
| Misty Knight | 1975 (March) | Marvel | Tony Isabella, Arvell Jones | Marvel Premiere#21 #21 |
| All-New, All-Different X-Men (Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Thunderbird) | 1975 (May) | Marvel | Len Wein, Dave Cockrum | Giant-Size X-Men #1 |
| Gamora | 1975 (June) | Marvel | Jim Starlin | Strange Tales #180 |
| Captain Canuck | 1975 (July) | Comely Comix | Richard Comely, Ron Leishman | Captain Canuck #1 |
| Moon Knight | 1975 (August) | Marvel | Doug Moench, Don Perlin | Werewolf by Night #32 |
| Power Girl | 1976 (January) | DC | Gerry Conway | All-Star Comics #58 |
| Star-Lord | 1976 (January) | Marvel | Steve Englehart, Steve Gan | Marvel Preview #4 |
| Hellcat | 1976 (February) | Marvel | Steve Englehart, George Pérez | The Avengers #144 |
| Jack of Hearts | 1976 (March) | Marvel | Bill Mantlo, Keith Giffen | The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #22 |
| Shroud | 1976 (April) | Marvel | Steve Englehart, Herb Trimpe | Super-Villain Team-Up #5 |
| Ikaris | 1976 (July) | Marvel | Jack Kirby | Eternals #1 |
| Captain Britain | 1976 | Marvel | Chris Claremont, Herb Trimpe | Captain Britain Weekly #1 |
| Nova (Richard Rider) | 1976 (September) | Marvel | Marv Wolfman, John Romita, Sr. | The Man Called Nova #1 |
| Sersi | 1976 (September) | Marvel | Jack Kirby | The Eternals #3 |
| Bumblebee | 1976 (December) | DC | Bob Rozakis | Teen Titans #45 |
| Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) | 1977 (February) | Marvel | Archie Goodwin, Jim Mooney | Marvel Spotlight #32 |
| Black Lightning | 1977 (April) | DC | Tony Isabella, Trevor Von Eeden |
Black Lightning #1 |
| 3-D Man | 1977 (April) | Marvel | Roy Thomas | Marvel Premiere #35 |
| Gladiator (Kallark) | 1977 (October) | Marvel | Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum |
X-Men #107 |
| Firestorm | 1978 (March) | DC | Gerry Conway, Allen Milgrom | Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #1 |
| Commander Steel | 1978 (March) | DC | Gerry Conway | Steel, The Indestructible Man #1 |
| Holo-Man | 1978 | Peter Pan Pecords | Vincent A. Fusco, Donald M. Kasen, Barry Van Name, Jason V. Fusco, Donald White, Joseph Giella and Audrey Hirschfeld | Amazing Adventures of Holo-Man #1 |
| Bug | 1979 (January) | Marvel | Bill Mantlo, Michael Golden | Micronauts #1 |
| Solarman | 1979 (January) | Pendulum Press | David Oliphant | Solarman: The Beginning #1 |
| Alpha Flight | 1979 (April) | Marvel | Chris Claremont, John Byrne | Uncanny X-Men #120 |
| Black Cat | 1979 (July) | Marvel | Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard | The Amazing Spider-Man #194 |
| Captain Universe | 1979 (August) | Marvel | Bill Mantlo | Micronauts #8 |
Television
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Chapulín Colorado | 1970 | Roberto Gomez Bolaños | Chespirito (segment: El Chapulín Colorado) |
| Kamen Rider | 1971 | Shotaro Ishinomori | Kamen Rider |
| G-Force | 1972 | Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman (Battle of the Planets) | |
| Six Million Dollar Man | 1973 (March 7) | Martin Caidin | The Six Million Dollar Man movie (based on 1972 novel Cyborg) |
| Super Sentai | 1975 | Shotaro Ishinomori | Super Sentai |
| The Bionic Woman | 1975 (March 16) | Kenneth Johnson | The Six Million Dollar Man (episode: "The Bionic Woman") |
1980s
Comic book
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitty Pryde | 1980 (January) | Marvel | Chris Claremont, John Byrne | Uncanny X-Men #129 |
| Emma Frost | 1980 (January) | Marvel | Chris Claremont, John Byrne | Uncanny X-Men #129 |
| Dazzler | 1980 (February) | Marvel | Tom DeFalco, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern | Uncanny X-Men #130 |
| She-Hulk | 1980 (February) | Marvel | Stan Lee, John Buscema | Savage She-Hulk #1 |
| Mockingbird | 1980 (July) | Marvel | Len Wein | Marvel Team-Up #95 |
| Cyborg | 1980 (October) | DC | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | DC Comics Presents #26 |
| Raven | 1980 (October) | DC | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | DC Comics Presents #26 |
| Starfire | 1980 (October) | DC | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | DC Comics Presents #26 |
| Elektra | 1981 (January) | Marvel | Frank Miller | Daredevil #168 |
| Omega Men | 1981 (January) | DC | Marv Wolfman, Joe Staton | Green Lantern #136 |
| Vixen | 1981 (July) | DC | Gerry Conway, Bob Oksner |
Action Comics #521 |
| Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers | 1981 (November) | Pacific Comics | Jack Kirby | Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #1 |
| Rogue | 1981 (November) | Marvel | Chris Claremont, Michael Golden | Avengers Annual #10 |
| Cloak and Dagger | 1982 (March) | Marvel | Bill Mantlo, Ed Hannigan | Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #64 |
| Rocket Raccoon | 1982 (May) | Marvel | Bill Mantlo, Keith Giffen | Incredible Hulk #271 |
| Monica Rambeau (a.k.a. Captain Marvel, Photon, Pulsar, Spectrum) | 1982 (December) | Marvel | Roger Stern, John Romita, Jr. | The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 |
| New Mutants | 1982 (December) | Marvel | Chris Claremont | The New Mutants, Marvel Graphic Novel #4 |
| The Maxx | 1982 | Comico | Sam Kieth | Primer #5 (as Max the Hare), The Maxx #1 (as The Maxx) |
| Magik | 1983 (December) | Marvel | Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema | Magik (Storm and Illyana) #1 |
| Robin (Jason Todd) | 1983 (March) | DC Comics | Jim Starlin, Max Collins | Batman #357 |
| Lobo | 1983 (June) | DC | Roger Slifer, Keith Giffen | Omega Men #3 |
| Outsiders | 1983 (July) | DC | Mike Barr, Jim Aparo | The Brave and the Bold #200 |
| Katana | 1983 (July) | DC | Mike Barr, Jim Aparo | The Brave and the Bold #200 |
| Beta Ray Bill | 1983 (November) | Marvel | Walt Simonson | The Mighty Thor #337 |
| Atari Force | 1984 (January) | DC | Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas, Ross Andru | Atari Force #1 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | 1984 (May) | Mirage | Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 |
| Blue Devil | 1984 (June) | DC | Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn | Fury of Firestorm #24 |
| Power Pack | 1984 (August) | Marvel | Louise Simonson, June Brigman | Power Pack (Vol. 1) #1 |
| West Coast Avengers | 1984 (September) | Marvel | Roger Stern, Bob Hall | West Coast Avengers (Vol. 1) #1 |
| Femforce | 1984 (September) | AC Comics | Bill Black, Stephanie Sanderson, Mark Heike | Femforce Special |
| Julia Carpenter (a.k.a. Spider-Woman, Arachne) | 1984 (October) | Marvel | Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck | Secret Wars #6-7 |
| Northguard | 1984 | [Canada] | Mark Shainblum, Gabriel Morrissette | New Triumph featuring Northguard #1 |
| Zot | 1984 | Eclipse Comics | Scott McCloud | Zot! #1 |
| Mr. Monster | 1984 | Michael T. Gilbert | Vanguard Illustrated #7 | |
| Firestar | 1985 (May) | Marvel | Dan Spiegle, Christy Marx | Uncanny X-Men #193 |
| Fleur de Lys | 1985 | [Canada] | Mark Shainblum, Gabriel Morrissette | New Triumph featuring Northguard #5 |
| Nagraj | 1986 (January) | Raj Comics | Sanjay Gupta | Nagraj #1 |
| X-Factor | 1986 (February) | Marvel | Bob Layton, Jackson Guice, Josef Rubinstein | X-Factor #1 |
| Booster Gold | 1986 (February) | DC | Dan Jurgens | Booster Gold #1 |
| Savage Dragon | 1986 (February) | Erik Larsen | Megaton #3 | |
| Kilowog | 1986 (June) | DC | Steve Englehart, Joe Staton | Green Lantern Corps #201 |
| Watchmen (Ozymandias, Silk Spectre II, Doctor Manhattan, The Comedian, Nite Owl II, Rorschach) | 1986 (September) | DC | Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons | Watchmen #1 |
| Super Commando Dhruva | 1987 (April) | Raj Comics | Anupam Sinha | GENL #74 Pratishodh Ki Jwala |
| Excalibur | 1988 (April) | Marvel | Chris Claremont, Alan Davis | Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn |
| Battlestar | 1988 (May) | Marvel | Mark Gruenwald, Paul Neary | Captain America #341 |
| The Crow | 1989 (January) | Caliber | James O'Barr | Caliber Presents #1 |
| U.S. Agent | 1989 (June) | Marvel | Mark Gruenwald, Paul Neary | Captain America #354 |
| Robin (Tim Drake) | 1989 (August) | DC Comics | Marv Wolfman | Batman #436 |
| Maxima | 1989 (September) | DC | Roger Stern, George Pérez | Action Comics #645 |
| New Warriors | 1989 (December) | Marvel | Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz | Thor #411 |
| Dawn | 1989 (December) | Sirius Entertainment | Joseph Michael Linsner | Cry for Dawn #1 |
Movies
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoboCop (character) | 1987 | Edward Neumeier, Michael Miner | RoboCop |
Television
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph Hinkley | 1981 (March) | The Greatest American Hero | |
| Firestar | 1981 (September) | Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends | |
| Thundercats | 1985 | Tobin "Ted" Wolf & Rankin/Bass Productions | |
| Silverhawks | 1986 | Rankin/Bass Productions | |
| Tigersharks | 1987 | Rankin/Bass Productions |
Other Media
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| He-Man | 1982 | Mattel | Roger Sweet | Masters of the Universe |
1990s
Comic book
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable | 1990 (March) | Marvel | Louise Simonson, Rob Liefeld | The New Mutants #87 X-Men #201 (January 1986, as Nathan Summers) |
| Gambit | 1990 (August) | Marvel | Chris Claremont, Jim Lee | X-Men #266 |
| Bhokal | 1991 (January) | Raj Comics | Sanjay Gupta | Bhokal #1 |
| Darkhawk | 1991 (February) | Marvel | Tom Defalco, Mike Manley | Marvel Age #97 |
| Deadpool | 1991 (February) | Marvel | Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza | The New Mutants #98 |
| X-Force | 1991 (April) | Marvel | Rob Liefeld | The New Mutants #100 |
| Next Men | 1991 (September) | Dark Horse | John Byrne | Dark Horse Presents #54 |
| Parmanu | 1991 (October) | Raj Comics | Sanjay Gupta | Nagraj and Super Commando Dhruva #1 |
| Bishop | 1991 (November) | Marvel | Whilce Portacio Jim Lee | X-Men #282 |
| Spawn | 1992 (May) | Image | Todd McFarlane | Spawn #1 |
| War Machine | 1992 (June) | Marvel | Len Kaminski, Kev Hopgood | Iron Man #281 |
| Eternal Warrior | 1992 (June) | Valiant Comics | Jim Shooter | Solar: Man of the Atom #10 |
| Jesse Quick (daughter of Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle) | 1992 (August) | DC | Len Strazewski, Mike Parobeck | Justice Society of America (vol. 2) #1 |
| WildC.A.T.s | 1992 (August ) | Image Comics | Jim Lee | |
| Supreme | 1992 (August) | Image | Rob Liefeld | Youngblood #3 |
| Doga | 1992 (November) | Raj Comics | Tarunkumar Wahi, Sanjay Gupta and Manu | Curfew |
| Stormwatch | 1993 (March) | Image | Jim Lee | Stormwatch #1 |
| Gen¹³ | 1993 (September) | Image | Jim Lee, Brandon Choi | Deathmate #Black |
| Hellboy | 1993 (August) | Dark Horse | Mike Mignola | San Diego Comic Con Comics #2 |
| Prime | 1993 | Malibu Comics | Gerard Jones, Len Strazewski, Norm Breyfogle | Prime #1 |
| Static | 1993 | DC | Dwayne McDuffie, John Paul Leon | Static #1 |
| Steel (John Henry Irons) | 1993 | DC | Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove | The Adventures of Superman #500 |
| Bheriya | 1994 (January) | Raj Comics | Dheeraj Verma | Bheriya #1 |
| Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) | 1994 (January) | DC | Ron Marz, Darryl Banks | Green Lantern #48 |
| Purgatori | 1994 | Chaos! Comics | Brian Pulido, Steven Hughes | Lady Death #3 |
| Generation X | 1994 | Marvel | Scott Lobdell, Chris Bachalo | X-Men #318 |
| Starman (Jack Knight) | 1994 | DC | James Robinson, Tony Harris | Zero Hour #1 |
| Jack Flag | 1994 (December) | Marvel | Mark Gruenwald, Dave Hoover | Captain America #434 |
| Astro City | 1995 | Image | Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson | Astro City #1 |
| Mr. Hero the Newmatic Man | 1995 | Neil Gaiman, James Vance, Ted Slampyak | Neil Gaiman's Mr. Hero, The Newmatic Man #1 | |
| X-Man | 1995 | Marvel | Jeph Loeb, Steve Skroce | X-Man #1 |
| The Thunderbolts | 1997 | Marvel | Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley | The Incredible Hulk #449 |
| The Authority | 1999 | Wildstorm/DC | Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch | The Authority vol. 1 #1 |
Movies
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rocketeer | 1991 | Dave Stevens | |
| Meteor Man | 1993 |
Television
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darkwing Duck | 1992 | Tad Stones | |
| The Adventures of T-Rex | 1992 | Lee Gunther & Michael Wehl | |
| Power Rangers | 1993 | Haim Saban | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers |
| VR Troopers | 1994 | Haim Saban | VR Troopers |
| Masked Rider | 1995 | Haim Saban | Masked Rider |
| Beetleborgs | 1996 | Haim Saban | Big Bad Beetleborgs |
| Astralborgs | 1997 | Haim Saban | Beetleborgs Metallix |
| Shaktimaan | 1997 | Mukesh Khanna | Shaktimaan |
| Captain Vyom | 1998 | Ketan Mehta | Captain Vyom |
| Mermaid Man] | 1999 | Stephen Hillenburg | Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy |
2000s
Comic book
Manga/Anime
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saitama | 2009 | One | One-Punch Man |
Movies
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Dunn | 2000 | M. Night Shyamalan | Unbreakable (film) |
| Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) | 2002 | Spider-Man | |
| The Incredibles, Frozone | 2004 | Brad Bird | The Incredibles |
| Catwoman (Patience Phillips, 2nd ver) | 2004 | Catwoman | |
| Sky High students and graduates | 2005 | Paul Hernandez, Robert Schooley, Mark McCorkle | Sky High |
| Krrish | 2006 | Rakesh Roshan | Krrish |
| Zenith Team (Captain Zoom, Concussion, Mega-Boy, Wonder, Houdini, Princess, Marsha Holloway) | 2006 | Adam Rifkin | Zoom |
| John Hancock | 2008 | Vincent Ngo | Hancock |
Television
| Character / Team / Series | Year Debuted | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Phantom | 2004 | Butch Hartman | Danny Phantom |
| Ben Tennyson | 2005 | Man of Action (Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, and Steven T. Seagle) | Ben 10 |
| Garo | 2005 | Keita Amemiya | Garo |
| Heroes | 2006 | Tim Kring | Heroes |
| Kamen Rider Dragon Knight | 2009 | Steve Wang | Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight |
2010s
Comic book
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biały Orzeł (White Eagle) | 2011 | Wizuale (Poland) | Maciej Kmiołek & Adam Kmiołek | Biały Orzeł #1 |
| Soundman | 2012 | BON COMICS | Brian Bondurant | "Power Couple!" (part of Kumate Works anthology) |
| Captain China | 2012 | Excel Comics [China] | Chi Wang & Jim Lai | Captain China #1 |
| Gum Girl (Gabby Gomez) | 2013 | Disney/Hyperion | Rhode Montijo | The Gumazing Gum Girl! Book 1: Chews Your Destiny |
| Natalie Gooch | 2013 | Disney/Hyperion | Rhode Montijo | The Gumazing Gum Girl! Book 1: Chews Your Destiny |
| Kamala Khan (a.k.a. Ms. Marvel) | 2014 | Marvel | Sana Amanat | Captain Marvel #14 |
| Spider-Gwen | 2014 | Marvel | Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez | Edge of Spider-Verse #2 |
| Gwenpool | 2016 | Marvel | Chris Bachalo | Howard the Duck Vol 6 #1 |
| Ninja-Rina | 2017 | Disney/Hyperion | Rhode Montijo | The Gumazing Gum Girl! Book 2: Gum Luck |
| Sol Azteca | 2019 | Disney/Hyperion | Rhode Montijo | The Gumazing Gum Girl! Book 4: Cover Blown |
| The Jaguares (Miguel, Alma, Lucas, and Litza) | 2019 | Disney/Hyperion | Rhode Montijo | The Gumazing Gum Girl! Book 4: Cover Blown |
Manga/Anime
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Might, Deku, Kacchan, Uravity, Ingenium, Shōto, Creati, Froppy | 2014 | Shueisha | Kōhei Horikoshi | My Hero Academia |
Movies
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutthroat, Charge, Shadow, The Wall | 2011 | Jason Trost | Vs | |
| Andrew Detmer, Matt Garetty, Steve Montgomery | 2012 | Max Landis | Chronicle |
Television
| Character / Team | Year Debuted | Company | Creator/s | First Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powell family | 2010 | Ra. One | Greg Berlanti, Jon Harmon Feldman | No Ordinary Family |
| The Cape | 2011 | Tom Wheeler | The Cape | |
| The Thundermans | 2013 | Jed Spingarn | The Thundermans | |
| Kid Danger | 2014 | Dan Schneider, Dana Olsen | Henry Danger | |
| Captain Man | 2014 | Dan Schneider, Dana Olsen | Henry Danger |
firestorm (Ronny Raymond) the flash (2014 TV series)
Notes
- National Periodical Publications v. Empire Comics, New York Court of Appeals, April 21, 1954.
- Per Lawrence Journal-World (March 17, 2006): "'V for Vendetta' is S for Subversive", by Jon Niccum, "The Dark Knight: Batman — A NonSuper Superhero", GameSpot: PS2 Games: Batman Begins Archived 2007-06-25 at the Wayback Machine, Spotlight Comics Annual #2 (May 2002) Archived 2008-06-19 at the Wayback Machine; "The Religious Affiliation of Comic Book Characters: Rev. Dr. Christopher Syn, the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (one of the world's first masked crime-fighters)" (no date), and other sources.
- "William H. D. Koerner". Lambiek Comiclopedia. Lambiek. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-11-17. Retrieved 2006-09-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
References
- Daniels, Les. The Golden Age of DC Comics: 365 Days. New York: H.N. Abrams, 2004.
External links
- Comic Book Timeline
- Guardians of the North
- "The Comic Book Villain, Dr. Fredric Wertham, M.D."
- The Silver Age and the Marvel Age at Web Cite
- The Bronze Age at Web Cite
- The Gimmick Age at Web Cite
- Coville, Jamie. "The History of Superhero Comic Books", "Part 1: Comic Strips Lead to a New Form"
- Evanier, Mark. "News from Me", POV Online, August 26, 2001
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