Concepts and Characters (Top 10)

[Redhead.xls]

Originally posted by Superskrull

10) Sailor Moon (no really) - she's a whiny immature kid who'd literally kill herself to help others

Happy to hear that! Last time Excel was in America I got the impression Sailor Moon wasn't popular any more. And a lot of fans think she's lame.

Seems the Reluctant Hero isn't popular any more. But why should heroes be born smart and strong and fast? Ordinary people can do heroic things too.

[Eidolon]

First post on the new boards and I try a top ten list. Oh well, in no particular order of preference:

 

1) Superman: the first, the template; ultimate power without ulimate corruption

 

2) Captain Marvel: Superman knockoff but with the idealism of a child and a connection to mythological gods, all by saying a magic word

 

3) Thor: the ultimate mythic figure with the ultimate mythic weapon

 

4) Captain America: ordinary man whose courage and ideals earn him the respect of kings and gods, plus a really cool shield

 

5) Batman: another ordinary man with the respect of gods but with a higher "coolness" factor and who uses his brains more than his brawn

 

6) Daredevil: his origin story left him blind and he still became a superhero, "Man Without Fear" indeed

 

7) Wolverine: brought the "tough guy" hero to a whole new level; first hero not afraid to do BODY damage

 

8) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: flawed heroes taken from classic literature; great concept

 

9) Powerman and Iron Fist: best friends who come from about as different of worlds as possible and still be from the same planet; I just like these guys even though they've never really been written that well

 

10) Silver Surfer: noble and powerful hero traveling the universe on a shiny board and wielding power cosmic, but with the destruction of many civilizations on his conscience

 

honorable mentions to Spidey, Colossus, Thing, the JSA (first team?), and the basic concept of the Crossgen Universe (all genres of comics with a unifying thread...when will they explain those wacky sigils?)

[Storyteller]

Ironically enough, I was working on a top ten list of my own (for my personal benefit) just this week. Excellent timing! One thing that surprised me, but only a little, was that no non-Marvel character made my top ten. I knew I had a bias, but I didn't know how big it was! There are some excellent non-Marvelites that were up for consideration (DC's Hawkman, Aquaman, and most of the pre-Crisis Legion of Super Heroes) but just got edged out into the Top 20 realm. Had I chose to include villains, or anti-heroes, the Hunter Rose Grendel would have placed in my top 3, Ozymandias would be in my top 10, and Lobo might've placed, but I stuck to Heroes to keep this more concise (have I been concise? )

 

Some Marvelites that were just pushed out the top 10 are DD, the Panther, and Thundra (whom I've just always dug for some oddball reason!) and supervillains like Thanos and Doom.

 

Without further adieu:

 

10) The Black Widow: Redheaded Russian spy in a tight black costume. 'Nuff Said!

 

9) Namor: As physically powerful as anyone on Earth, and the arrogance and rage of a king!

 

8) The Ultimate Hulk: When PAD put this guy together (Brains, Brawn, and Attitude) it was one of the coolest runs I can remember in comics.

 

7) Valkyrie: The ultimate woman warrior, with a mythical past to boot. She puts it all together for me in one package.

 

6) Adam Warlock: Starlin's classic tragedian. The old stuff is still his best stuff.

 

5) Iron Man: The self-made man who can walk with gods. Tony has always had a slightly hidden chip on his shoulder that, when it comes out, is supreme Iron Man.

 

4) Goliath: I'm a Pym fan, and this is his second best persona for me. I just like the look of giants among men, and he was my first exposure to that (way back when I was a wee lad...)

 

3) Yellowjacket: Just trumps Goliath as the best Pym Persona of all time. I'll take him humble but self-assured (as in the original Nefaria trilogy) or as Jackass who Married Jan. The best costume ever, IMHO.

 

2) The Swordsman: One of those guys who just stuck with me (and my flair for the tragic hero is really showing now!) and whom I'll always dig. The costume, the weapon, the attitude, and a skill at something that was second to none. All of it worked for me.

 

1) Mar-Vell: The only constant in my 30 years of comic book life is that A) My favorite superhero changes every few years, and Whoever it is is second to Mar-Vell. He embodies all the things one can define as 'Hero' and mixes in elements like a great look and a tragic ending to add to his legend. Still the best after all these years...

 

Note: Genis is cool, too, but he's no Marv (any more than Wally is Barry or Kyle is Hal ).

 

That was fun. Thanks for the forum!