ManaByte said:
What do you mean "duh?"
I'll get these two right off the bat since they need no descriptions. V and Rorschach. Both driven by women they've never met. Both never compromise.
Peter Parker, the Amazing Spiderman. The first superhero with a real sense of humanity. People could relate to his troubles, be they women or money. He was just a brat who didn't have much but his smarts and his aunt and uncle's love. Well, it wasn't until that his blood was irradiated that he soon became filled with pride and an overwhelming sense of arrogance. It was that same pride that allowed his uncle to be killed. He, like Batman, more than any other superhero, shares that incredible sense of unwillingness to give up when the odds are stacked against him. One of Stan's greatest works that he didn't jack from Kirby.
Bruce Wayne/Batman, the Dark Knight. His dedication is beyond real and it's impossible for the everyman to relate to a billionaire, but somehow, through pain and tragedy, he does. For me, ever since
The Dark Knight Returns, he's become a great, larger-than-life character. People like to say he buys his superpowers and that it's his mind that gives him and edge. I see it ass his will and his anger towards crime, his slight jealousy towards other superheroes with superpowers. He hates guns because they take all of the work out of killing someone. It should take work, in his mind. It should've been difficult to kill his parents, he thinks. He's a really scarred and messed individual. I think someone like him can exist, like Pete, only with not as much money or smarts.
Logan, the Wolverine. Another character that I really started loving more after Frank Miller baptized him in the blood of the Hand. Yeah, I'm just going to go ahead and act as if Logan still doesn't have an origin. He hates killing animals. To him, doing in a human's a lot easier. He rationalizes it by considering who's more innocent. Animals usually are. heh, logan, what a hippie. I love that he's everything in a man that women would usually hate, but with him, it's an attraction. He's 5'2. He's canadian. He's hairy as hell (shaves with his claws), and has a nasty violent streak. The catch is, he has a very sensitive heart. He's a longer with a large extended family and there's always a daughter figure that he plays father to. Kitty, Jubilee, and from the movie, Rogue. He's like an animal that's convincing himself he's human. The only thing shinier than his claws is his heart.
Bruce Banner, the Incredible Hulk. The creature is driven by rage. Yeah, we all know that. But it was also the naivete' of Banner that had borne him. I really love the childish nature of the hulk and the marred innocence that's tied to it. One thing I wish the movie would have gotten down was that his father was more physically abusive rather than just a mad scientist. Far fewer kids can relate to that. And how his intelligence to anger ratio works, each entity's hatred for each other... it's the best parts of psychology in one body. And how calm he gets when they mention Betty. I love it.
Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfer. The herald of Galactus. It's pretty much Jesus' sacrifice turned into a cold life of servitude. Dude became the harbinger of fricken death: Galactus' herald. When he slowly starts to regain his "humanity" through Alicia Masters' insight, he remembers his planet and he remembers his love, the reason he sealed his fate, Shalla Bal. Now, he's just fated to surf the galaxies forever and alone, searching for an impossibility. His appearance throughout the Infinity Gauntlet really sold me on his character. I also really love what Ross did with him in Earth X. Finally reunited with his love, they became the Silver Surfers. It was tragic yet beautiful how soon they met their end. "TO ME, MY BOARD!"
Namor, the Submariner. Prince of the sea. What I really liked about him was that he was like the Hulk, to an extent. When he'd surface, he was like Banner in the sense that you wouldn't know if he would be your ally or your enemy. A really troubled bipolar soul. Also, he gets points for winning over Sue Richards.
There's still Thor, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, the Flash, MAG-FRIKKEN-NETO!Wonder Woman, and bunch of others. I could keep going on because Marvel, by nature, wrote so many heroes born of tragedy or vile trickery, but I'll let someone else with a finer pen (or better typing
). DC and others still have a few others, though. Let's keep on hearing it folks.
