# Are there any British superheroes with superpowers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 27, 2004, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764 "2004-12-27T11:32:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/21 "2004-12-27T16:46:11Z")
As an aside: Marvel’s Union Jack II (Brian Falsworth) was a British gentleman who took a super-soldier serum much like Captain America’s. He became a masked hero alongside his close friend, Roger Aubrey aka Destroyer, who had obtained powers after being captured and experimented upon by Nazis. The two even traded identities a couple of times. Just a few years ago, Brian and Roger were effectively “[outed](http://www.gayleague.com/gay/characters/display.php?id=57)” when Roger referred to Brian as “my lo-- my friend.” ---
**Author:** ![confessorknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@confessorknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/confessorknight)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/22 "2004-12-27T17:09:37Z")
Wildstorm comics did run a short lived series by the name of “The Establishment” which featured an entirey British superteam in the mode of their titles “The Authority” and “The Monarchy”. The team consisted of characters who were basically analogues of famous TV characters with the team leader being called “Jon Drake” not unlike the secret agent immortalised as Number 6 in “The Prisoner”. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/23 "2004-12-27T17:24:34Z")
Thermoman from the TV show, “[My Hero](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0233084/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9bXkgaGVyb3xodG1sPTF8bm09b24_;fc=6;ft=20;fm=1)” ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/24 "2004-12-27T18:50:20Z")
There was also a Falsworth sister (Jacquline IIRC) in the mix of the Invaders, a speedster who went by the code name Spitfire. If you want to expand “British” to include Ireland, Scotland, Wales etc. then there’s Shamrock from Marvel and Jack-o-Lantern from DC, both Irish. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/25 "2004-12-27T18:56:16Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > If you want to expand “British” to include Ireland, Scotland, Wales etc. then there’s Shamrock from Marvel and Jack-o-Lantern from DC, both Irish. And don’t forget Bono! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/26 "2004-12-27T18:56:29Z")
Danger Mouse! His only superpower being that he was a mouse who could talk, drive, etc. But that’s pretty impressive, for a mouse. And of course his sidekick the talking hamster Penfold. ---
**Author:** ![Beltane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@Beltane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beltane)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/27 "2004-12-27T19:55:25Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > There was also a Falsworth sister (Jacquline IIRC) in the mix of the Invaders, a speedster who went by the code name Spitfire. > > If you want to expand “British” to include Ireland, Scotland, Wales etc. then there’s Shamrock from Marvel and Jack-o-Lantern from DC, both Irish. Well if you are going to open up Ireland and Scottland then you ge Banshee, Siren, Wolvesbane, and probably several more as well ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/28 "2004-12-27T22:22:39Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > When you say “British superheroes,” do you mean characters based in Britain, characters created by British creative teams, or both? Marvelman fits the bill on all counts. > > I guess it’s a confusing question because British comics tend to either reprint American comics or come from a wholly different tradition (like _Beano_). In the 70s, British creators started creating British characters for titles like _2001 AD_, and in the 80s these creators started writing and drawing American comics as well. > > Most British characters created by British creators for British audiences are not superpowered, but some are. Marvelman and all derivative characters, Axel Pressbutton, Big Ben (“The Man with No Time for Crime”), etc. Some non-powered characters in the superhero mold include Judge Dredd, Dan Dare, Strontium Dog and Halo Jones (as well as James Bond and Harry Potter; you have to split a lot of hairs to exclude these two). Johnny Alpha from 2000 AD {aka Strontium Dog, although in reality he was only one of many: Strontium Dogs were mutant bounty-hunters exiled from earth} did have “paranormal” powers - a form of X-Ray vision, the ability to read minds and impose his will on others - but probably wasn’t strictly a superhero: when it came down to it, he mostly relied on bashing or shooting people. Nor was Rogue Trooper, although he was a genetically engineered super-soldier: his abilities were mostly limited to being able to breathe the poisoned air on the planet on which he fought, and being extremely good at killing people. And neither wore capes. The “no cape” policy of 2000 AD was quite intentional: they deliberately shied away from American-styled “superheroes”, in an editorial effort to try not to be a pallid imitation of Marvel or DC: previous British comics of the late 60’s and early 70’s had often “photocopied” American superheroes {for example, publishing house D C Thompson’s The Cobra was very obviously a poor man’s Spiderman}, and transplanted them into an English setting - the results were usually obviously derivative and very jarring. Judge Dredd, who became 2000 AD’s most successful and well-known character, was most definitely not superhuman, even though the strip was set in a post-apocalyptic America: he was just extremely tough and mean - and far from being just a futuristic Dirty Harry. The strip had a lot of political and social satire, as well as a healthy dose of black or absurd humour, and Dredd and the Judges were often shown in a negative light. I think America never quite “got” Judge Dredd, despite repeated efforts to launch him there. But I digress. This “no caped avengers” policy changed somewhat with Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s Zenith series of the late 80’s and early 90’s, and that strip was more a commentary on the whole superhero concept, similar to Watchmen: although Zenith definitely had super-powers {flight, super-strength, psychic abilities}, he wasn’t a caped crime-fighter with a secret identity; instead he was a brattish, egocentric and not particularly bright popstar, whose mask and costume were part of his stage get-up. He never fought crime, but was {extremely} reluctantly dragged in to combat the Elder Gods and their various acolytes, and he shirked his responsibilities whenever possible, being more concerned with reviving his fading music career. An excellent strip, and well worth searching out: I’m pretty sure it’s available in graphic novel format - it was deliberately kept to only four books rather than as an on-going series. Other than that, the only one I can think of is Nemesis the Warlock, whose powers, although strong, were magical rather than “super”: he was an horned and cloven-hooved alien {who may or may not have been the devil, or at least a demon} with diabolical powers - levitation, mind-control, a mastery of black magic - who headed the alien resistance struggle against the fanatical despot Torquemada, who led mankind in a religious crusade to exterminate all aliens from the universe and thus establish racial purity. The humans were the evil villains and the aliens were the heroes - a Pat Mills script, as you may have guessed. Again an excellent strip, with some beautiful Kevin O’Neill artwork, and definitely worth reading: Books One to Four are pretty much essential, although after that it grew a little repetitive, with some dodgy artwork. Hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/29 "2004-12-27T22:47:47Z")
Do the Brits in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen count? Daniel hoping that searching the thread for “league” is adequate protection against repeating another poster ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/30 "2004-12-27T23:26:48Z")
Don’t forget Jack Staff and assorted cast, quite a nice little comic. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/31 "2004-12-28T04:32:30Z")
Oh, and there’s the Shining Knight, formerly of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/32 "2004-12-28T12:14:50Z")
Thanks for that - I’ve never heard of the majority of that lot. I do remember the 2000ad people though - and from memory although it was a British comic (and in places a mighty fine one) the heroes in it weren’t British per se - eg Nemesis was some kind of magician from no particular place and Judge Dredd lived in Mega City (clearly meant to be American). So what i’m after is a superhero with superpowers who speaks like a British person and lives and works in Britain. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/33 "2004-12-28T12:23:12Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > …and Judge Dredd lived in Mega City (clearly meant to be American). Mega City One was the eastern seaboard, from the border of Canada down to the tip of Florida. Mega City Two was California, and Mega City Three was still known as Texas, and took up a good portion of that former State. The rest of the country was a Nuclear Wasteland - The Cursed Earth. Anyway, pay attention to **Case Sensitive** ’s reference to _Zenith_ which had many very British superheroes, ranging from English and Welsh through to Irish and Scotland and back again. It was an extremely cool and original series. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/34 "2004-12-28T12:50:55Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Do the Brits in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen count? > > Daniel > hoping that searching the thread for “league” is adequate protection against repeating another poster Yes. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/35 "2004-12-28T13:23:16Z")
Thermoman from [“My Hero”](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0233084/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9bXkgaGVyb3xodG1sPTF8bm09b24_;fc=6;ft=20;fm=1). ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/36 "2004-12-28T13:51:05Z")
not forgotten the dearly missed fat slags, with their superwomen bedroom prowess [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3759970.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3759970.stm) ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/37 "2004-12-28T19:09:40Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Thermoman from [“My Hero”](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0233084/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9bXkgaGVyb3xodG1sPTF8bm09b24_;fc=6;ft=20;fm=1). You’re repeating yourself, Chuck, but Thermoman is actually Ultronian, though based in Britain. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/38 "2004-12-28T20:26:30Z")
There were a couple I vaguely recall, from the comics of my youth (mostly the _Valiant_, if that rings any bells with anyone.) Louis Crandall, the “Steel Claw”, had a prosthetic hand (hence the name) with all sorts of neat gadgets built into it, plus he could turn invisible, so I think he counts. So does Tim Kelly, who travelled through time and space in the company of a blatant “Doctor Who” ripoff, and had a magic amulet called (if memory serves) the Eye of Zoltec, which made him indestructible. There might well be others in the same vein, but I don’t know - my mum threw out all my old comics (even though I told her I was keeping them for a special purpose). Sigh … ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/39 "2004-12-28T20:36:04Z")
How about Lara Croft? Maybe not super, but definitely enhanced. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764/40 "2004-12-28T20:48:13Z")
If we’re allowed regular books as well as comics, then the entire cast of [Temps](http://science-fiction-reviews.com/book/Temps.html) definitely counts. Even their super powers are appropriately British 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-british-superheroes-with-superpowers/281764.md?page=3)