The Best of the Best Superheros
Sentry: “It’s over, Clark. There is no happy ending. Not for you. Not for me. Not for anyone else… in The Void.”
Death Battle “Superboy-Prime vs. The Sentry” (Season 13, Episode 6)
Superboy-Prime: “Haven’t you ever read a comic book, you big freaking nerd? [breaks free] There’s always a happy ending.”
I love superheroes. When the world’s on fire and people can only talk about how to make it worse, superheroes offer an escape into better worlds. Places where the villains can be stopped. Worlds where those given great power use it to help others. Stories where at the end of the day, everything will be all right.
After five hundred superhero backstories, reviews, secrets, and top 5s, I think it’s time to talk about my ten favorite superheroes. The ones that inspire me or that I relate to. They are the ones I think of when talking about superheroes. So come along. Let’s find out who they are.
Scene Select
#10 Shazam/Captain Marvel
Played By: Zachary Levi, Rob Lowe, Jeff Bennett
Universe: Fawcett Comics, DC Comics
[All adults have disappeared from Earth and kids are in danger]
Young Justice “Misplaced” (Season 1, Episode 19)
Billy: “Wait. If I say [my magic word], I’ll become an adult and maybe disappear forever! Captain Marvel may have the Courage of Achilles, but Billy Batson… has the courage of Billy Batson. SHAZAM!“
The Hero: Billy Batson was an orphan who was summoned to the Rock of Eternity. The wizard Shazam wanted Billy to become his Champion and fight evil. The wizard gave Billy the powers of several gods and a Biblical king to become the superhero Captain Marvel. All he has to do is say “Shazam!”
Captain Marvel protected Earth-S with the Marvel Family, ranging from his sister Mary Marvel to talking tiger Mr. Tawky Tawny. He was brought into the DC Universe after real world lawsuits and renamed Shazam. This expatriated hero found success as part of the Justice Society of America.
Why Them?: Captain Marvel can live out every kid’s dream. Who hasn’t dreamed of becoming the most powerful being on Earth and stopping bad guys? While he has literal godlike power, Captain Marvel is still an ordinary kid. He gets scared, makes mistakes, but has a sense of innocence that many adults lose. Billy Batson doesn’t question morality or get lost in context, he does the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.
#9 Superhero: The Thing
Played By: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Michael Chiklis, Chuck McCann
Universe: Marvel
The Thing: “These two strangers have a chance now. A chance at a home. Chance at a better life. And all I need to do is not give up on them. All I gotta do is not die. So I guess I can’t die. I’m the immortal Thing. Put up ya dukes.”
Empyre
The Hero: Ben Grimm was an Air Force pilot whose best friend, Reed Richards, convinced to help hijack a prototype rocket. Alongside the Storm siblings, they reached outer space and were mutated by cosmic radiation. Ben received a larger dose and became a golem. He called himself The Thing and joined his friends in forming the Fantastic Four.
The Thing struggled with his appearance, often seeking ways to cure his mutation. Ben found love with blind sculptor Alicia Masters, who taught him to love himself. He became a face for the superhero community, teaming-up with almost every hero. Alone or with his family at his back, The Thing’s always ready to step up when it’s clobberin’ time.
Why Them?: The Thing’s early stories made him self-doubt personified. Surrounded by friends and adoring masses, he always felt alone and unworthy. Many of us have felt the same. But eventually, through those we love and those who love us, we learn to see past our flaws.
#8 Superhero: Saint Walker
Voiced By: Phil Morris, Sam Riegel
Universe: DC Comics
Walker: “Follow me, brothers! Follow the Blue Lantern! Even if you lose hope, I have enough for us all! Now fight and believe! ALL WILL BE WELL!”
Green Lantern: New Guardians #9
The Hero: Bro’Dee Walker was an alien whose sun was dying. He learned that a messiah was prophesied to appear on a mountain and climbed it with his family. They died to help him reach the empty summit. Walker raged against his gods until he saw his reflection and realized that he was the messiah he had sought.
Walker returned to his people and convinced them to believe, his restored faith summoning the first Blue Lantern ring. He fixed the sun and was declared a Saint. Saint Walker began travelling through space to create the Blue Lantern Corps.
Why Them?: Hope is easy to lose. We’re constantly bombarded by how doomed the world is. Saint Walker was much the same. He was brought to his lowest point with a backstory that Marvel used to create Gorr the God Butcher. But he held onto hope and emerged stronger for it. If he can, why not us?
#7 The Phantom Stranger
Voiced By: Peter Serafinowicz, Kevin Conroy, D. B. Woodside
Universe: DC Comics
Batman: “Who the devil are-?!”
Batman: Gotham Adventures #33
Phantom Stranger: “Not a devil at all, Bruce Wayne. Merely a stranger drawn here by your sorrow.”
The Hero: The Phantom Stranger is an enigmatic man who appears when people are at a crossroads. No one knows what he is. Some claim he’s an angel who refused to take a side in the war between Heaven and Hell. Others mark him as the last survivor of the previous universe, a repentant Judas Iscariot, or The Wandering Jew.
Whoever he is, The Phantom Stranger has some of the DC universe’s strongest magic. He acts as a Horror Host observing desperate people while musing about humanity and the world. Unlike Rod Serling’s narrator in The Twilight Zone, The Phantom Stranger often reaches into the stories to offer advice or assistance.
Why Them?: Everyone needs help sooner or later. Many choose to put their faith in religion. The Phantom Stranger doesn’t declare himself a god, but he acts like one should. He’s a Good Samaritan who offers people a chance at salvation, but won’t force them to obey, even if that leads to their damnation. A god who respects mortal agency. If there is some higher power out there, wouldn’t it be nice to know that they’re unconditionally on your side?
#6 Spider-Man
Played By: Tom Holland, Tobey Macguire, Andrew Garfield
Universe: Marvel
[Doctor Doom is losing control of his stolen godlike powers]
Spider-Man: The Animated Series “Secret Wars” (Season 5, Episode 11)
Doctor Doom: “Do you take me for a fool? Who amongst you has ever wished to give up their powers?!”
Spider-Man: “I have. Because I’ve learned time and time again that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. And that’s a responsibility even you can’t run from!”
The Hero: Peter Parker was an unlucky teen genius living with his aunt and uncle. He was bitten by a radioactive spider and gained superpowers. After being stiffed by a promoter, he allowed a criminal to go free who murdered his Uncle Ben. Peter swore to protect others as Spider-Man.
Spider-Man’s early years were tumultuous. He was hunted by the police, armies of supervillains rose to kill him, and his fiance Gwen Stacy was murdered. Spider-Man slowly earned a good reputation in the hero community and is remembered long after his death as the greatest champion of the Heroic Age.
Why Them?: Life is going to happen no matter what we do. You might be a firefighter or a sales clerk, but you still have to deal with household maintenance, bills, and social drama. Spider-Man does as well, often screwing up as he juggles heroics and his personal life, but he gets back up and deals with it, same as any of us.
#5 Ms. Marvel
Played By: Iman Vellani, Kathreen Khavari, Aliza Vellani
Universe: Marvel
Ms. Marvel: “So it’s gonna be that kind of Wednesday. Okay, Kamala, run it down. Time travel or an illusion. Or a time illusion? Probably just time travel. You totally got this.”
Giant-Size X-Men #1 (2025)
The Hero: Kamala Khan was a superhero fangirl that was exposed to the Terrigen Mist. It awoke her Inhuman ancestry and made her a shapeshifter. Kamala saved people while disguised as her idol, Captain Marvel, and decided to become a superhero dubbed Ms. Marvel.
Ms. Marvel began making waves with several superhero team-ups while building a rogue’s gallery. She joined the Avengers and became Captain Marvel’s protege, but quit over ideological differences. Ms. Marvel gathered many younger heroes to form her own superhero team: The Champions.
Why Them?: I’m a superhero fanboy and make no bones about it. Chances are there’s a franchise you adore. Ms. Marvel is one of the rare characters where an uberfan is written to laugh with nerds instead of at them. It’s part of her character alongside empathy, courage, and a handful of flaws as she finds her way in the world. In many ways, Ms. Marvel’s stories are a modern version of the earliest Spider-Man tales.
#4 Superhero: Ruby Rose
Voiced By: Lindsay Jones
Universe: RWBY
[A god has offered Ruby a chance to be reborn as someone better than she is]
RWBY “Of Solitude and Self” (Season 9, Episode 10)
Ruby: “What happens… if I choose me?”
The Blacksmith: “Then maybe that girl is enough.”
The Hero: Ruby Rose is a bright-eyed young girl accepted into Beacon Academy to become a monster-slaying Huntress. She became the leader of Team RWBY, working alongside runaway heiress Weiss, ex-terrorist Blake, and her older sister Yang to investigate terrorism exploiting monsters.
Team RWBY couldn’t prevent Beacon from being destroyed and began travelling the world to stop the culprit. Ruby discovered an ancient conspiracy to destroy the world and was worn down by many compromises made to protect others, even falling into depression and suicidal ideation. She came to terms with her trauma and now marshals all of Team RWBY’s allies for a final stand against the Grimm Queen Salem.
Why Them?: Ruby Rose is what would happen if a young superhero was thrust into a High Fantasy series. She’s an idealist who thinks she can save everyone with her friends and a sniper rifle/scythe hybrid. Ruby slowly sees that the world isn’t like the fairy tales she loved and breaks herself trying to make things better.
Many of us can relate. But where we might fall, she found the strength to accept her flaws and move forward. Ruby can’t save our world, but she can be a beacon to guide the way.
#3 Batgirl
Played By: Leah Lewis, Tati Gabrielle, Ella Jay Bosco
Universe: DC Comics
Cassandra: “Without focus you have nothing. And that’s what you always wanted me to have: nothing. But you never asked what I wanted. I wanted to read! I wanted to talk! I wanted a father! I wanted a family! I wanted to belong somewhere!“
Batgirl #8 (2008)
The Hero: Cassandra Cain was the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva. She was raised from birth without language so that she would become the ultimate assassin. Cassandra committed her first murder at 8 years old, then fled her father and made her way to Gotham City.
Former Batgirl Barbara Gordon found Cassandra and began teaching her to read, eventually revealing her past and helping Cass become the new Batgirl. She discovered her parentage and struggled with her purpose as a living weapon. Batgirl eventually broke through her mental blocks and became a true hero.
Why Them?: There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to do something most people can do easily. I can’t work a smartphone to save my life. I’d bet a lot that there’s something you can’t do. It’s easy to empathize with Batgirl, the best fighter in the DC Universe who needed messages read to her and was nearly mute. But she overcame her limitations in time, as all of us can.
#2 Superhero: Superman
Played By: David Corenswet, Christopher Reeve, Jack Quaid
Universe: DC Comics
Clark: “You think I sit around like you and Lex just… worrying about who’s strongest? There are 10 billion people on this planet, and all they want is to see their friends, tuck in their kids, wake up next to someone they love. That’s all I want. So tell me: what’s wrong with you?”
My Adventures With Superman “The Return” (Season 3, Episode 10)
The Hero: A baby was rocketted from the dying world Krypton to Earth, where he was adopted by the kindly Kent family. Clark Kent slowly developed superpowers as his body fed on solar radiation. He became Superman as an adult and fought to protect anyone in trouble.
Superman became the heart of the superhero community. He helped create The Justice League, fought off godlike villains, died to stop the invincible Doomsday, and resurrected a year later. Whenever something’s going wrong, Superman is always the first into the fray.
Why Them? Come on, it’s Superman. The guy whose picture should be next to the word “hero” in the dictionary. He is a modern-day knight-errant with the power of a god. He cares for everything from universes to squirrels. More than a paragon, Superman is the ultimate good guy.
#1 The Doctor
Played By: David Tennant, Ncuti Gatwa, Jodie Foster, and a lot more
Universe: Doctor Who
Thirteen: “You’re scared?”
Doctor Who “Reality War” (Episode 8 Season 41)
Fifteen: “Terrified.”
Thirteen: “Don’t go in fear. Go with that lovely smile.”
Fifteen: “I just wish we had longer.”
Thirteen: “May we always wish that.”
The Hero: The Doctor is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Repulsed by an arrogant society, they stole a spaceship/time machine hybrid called The TARDIS and began travelling across reality with their granddaughter, Susan.
A pair of human teachers discovered the TARDIS and were kidnapped by The Doctor, who learned empathy and humanity from them. The Doctor began protecting Earth and other worlds they arrived on, backed up by a found family of Companions.
Why Them?: The Doctor is the ultimate protagonist. They can travel anywhere in time and space. They’re comfortable dealing with armies of heavily-armed pepper pots or waging war on capital-g Gods. Kill The Doctor and they’ll change their form with Regeneration, allowing them to be any race, color, or identity. The Doctor is a character with truly limitless story-telling potential.
Didya Get All That?
It’s been a helluva ride these past 500 articles. Here’s to 500 more.
Jared Bounacos has written for Movie Rewind since 2016.
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