Which superhero is, to quote a phrase, the best at what they do?
Who’s saved the most lives, caught the most criminals/supervillains, caused the least collateral damage, etc, etc.? Who would I want to call if my life is in danger? Who’s success rate is greatest? Who’s died the least number of times (because they do have a tendency to die, bless them)?
Who is the greatest/best/most successful superhero?
Most of the ones involved with saving the universe I guess. I’d put Thor up there because he saves the MU from all sorts of mayhem (none of which ever seems to affect the rest of the Marvel Universe :rolleyes: ). Dr. Strange would be up there as well.
In the DC Universe, Superman is usually looked up to as the paragon, the peak, the superhero everyone else likes and respects and wants to be like. Most of the still-active members of the Justice Society of America, the original hero team from the 1940s, are also well-respected, such as the Golden Age Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Golden Age Flash (Jay Garrick), and Wildcat (Ted Grant), who taught many heroes – including Batman – how to box.
In the Marvel Universe, everyone looks up to Captain America, and most people think highly of Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) and the rest of the Fantastic Four, and Iron Man (Tony Stark).
Seems to me Mighty Mouse has the cleanest record. Evil always punished, innocence always protected, no bystander casualties, etc.
Given the number of rodents whose demise he prevented, Mighty Mouse is responsible for the loss of countless dollars in foodstuffs and property, not to mention the rodent-vectored diseases he helped to foster.
Tragically, “Mr. Clean” was busted sniffing a mysterious performance enhancing crushed herbal powder in the 1980s in an infamous Ralph Bakshi episode.
To counter Lou’s cite of Superman, I offer his rival Captain Marvel. Possiby even more thoughtful than Superman about not causing/cleaning up collateral damage and I’m pretty sure the Big Red Cheese has never been killed off. (Well. Crap. I just remember DK2. Okay, let’s all continue to ignore that.)
As antiheroes go, the Punisher is the most effectively uncompromising and impalactable… to the best of my knowledge he has never killed an innocent or hurt someone who was not a criminal or in his way (other superheroes) or his target. But the collateral damage he causes is waaaay over the top, especially since Garth Ennis started writing him. His success rate in killing scum is near 99%. In that, he’s the best at what he does.
Wolverine should probably make the list. He says it enough.
There was a Mike Baron-scripted story in the late 80s where the demon Belasco taunted Punisher by saying “Hey Frank! Do you know how many innocents you’ve accidentally killed? I’ll give you a hint: It’s more than ten and less than a hundred!”
In the same story, Jigsaw got away alive. Again. It’s good to have recurring villains, but I never got why this one kept getting away alive.
A taunting demon is your cite that the Punisher’s killed innocents? And Mike Baron?? Yeah, um, I’m gonna need another cite. Preferably a Garth Ennis, Chuck Dixon or Doug Moench story at least.
As a comic book outsider, I have to wonder how can beat out Superman. He has had an unbroken run as a top Superhero since near the beginning of Super Heros. Capt Marvel had a long Hiatus and Capt America was a near non entity at times.
Isn’t Superman the measuring stick for “Super” Heroes?
Jim
Batman is prepared to be the greatest.
Or at least the grimmest.
And most determined.
This guy is the greatest. He’s so bad he scares himself.
If one of the criteria is “saved the most lives” then attention must be paid to Barry Allen’s Flash. In Crisis on Infinite Earths he single-handedly saved the populations of five universes.
Aquaman is very good at not drowning.
Plastic Man is th’ shizznit.
Pure power and potential wise, it’s just about all going to be DC with Superman leading the pack.
Captain America is the man when it comes to determination and inspiration. His shield has carried his deeds and legend into just about every future Marvel has come up with.
Personally, I lean towards the heart and soul characters like Spider Man and Wolverine. They reach down deep and find what they need to do the right thing. I’d take either of them when the fit hits the shan.
He ain’t got nothin’ on Ambush Bug.
In which incarnation is he the greatest? As Classic AB, Mitsubishi, or Amber Butane?
