I was just tinkering with a rough list of major superheroes, ranked by financial status—Richest at the top, poorest at the bottom, and who goes where at points in between—and was wondering if anyone could help me out.
Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark, both billionaires who own major corporations, would probably be at the top of the list, though I don’t know if there are any exact numbers on their wealth. But I’m wondering…who are the POOREST superheroes?
This isn’t counting characters who don’t have a lot of “wealth,” but who don’t really need it. (Like gods, sorcerers, space-pirates, guys from futuristic societies where they don’t use money anymore, etc.)
Anyway, so far I’ve come up with—
Spider-Man seems to be somewhere in the lower-to-mid middle class. (Except the current movie Spider-Man, who looks like he might use food stamps.)
Rorschach, from The Watchmen, lives in a flophouse.
…And at this point, my brain just locks up. (Chalk it up to a lack of sleep.) Who else am I forgetting?
If I recall, Power Man and Iron Fist, back in the '70s Marvel comics, used to be lucky to walk away from their adventures with enough money to split a pizza.
For a while, after they both lost their considerable fortunes, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold were living in UN-subsidized housing and living from Justice League International paycheck to paycheck. Of course, they weren’t opposed to product endorsements (Booster in particular), taking on odd jobs, or “borrowing” League funds to start their own island casino. Of course, that last one didn’t end well for them.
Last I read, Spider Man was a teacher. That’s pretty much a hands down winner for poorest.
Nova, of the New Warriors, had a job delivering pizzas.
Rage, of the Avengers first and then the New Warriors, lived with his grandmother until her death.
Now that I think about it, most of the New Warriors were poor. The only exceptions were Night Thrasher and Namorita. Most of them were college students though.
During Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil, Matt was living in a homeless shelter run by Nuns. To be perfectly fair, though, he was rich before that and rich again later.
In the short-lived DC comic Resurrection Man, Mitch Shelley was a homeless guy. No costume or nothing, just the ability to come back from the dead with a new power each time.
Later on, he got so caught up with adventuring, that he seemed to mostly live off of stuff given to him when he got caught by the baddies, but he never did get any money.
I don’t know, I vote for Swamp-thing or Man-Thing from DC and Marvel respectively – they live in a swamp are cut off from society and the only green they have grows on them.
For just people, there’s Ragman who runs a junk yard or 2nd hand store or some-such not a wealthy occupation. Peter Parker and Luke Cage/Iron Man had running gags about being poor, but they always seemed to have somewhere to live.
That’s all I’m coming up with for now – oh, Deadman – he’s dead, he ain’t even got no body as they say 'round here.
Nomad (Jack Monroe) spent at least part of his superhero career wandering around the country. He always seemed to have enough for diapers, though, AFAIK.
I’d lay odds on the Morlocks, before the Massacre, living below subsistence level.
Smax from TOP TEN lives in a trailer on cinderblocks.
I’d put my money on the Crossbreed from ASTRO CITY. No cite, but since they live like monks doing good works and proselyzing, they probably have a vow of poverty.
Cloak and Dagger may not need to eat, but IIRC their shelter is a contribution from the church.
Apollo and Midnighter were homeless for two years, living on the streets of America. Also Jack Hawksmoor runs around barefoot with no fixed address and thrives on toxins and pollutants, which makes him ass-out poor or pretty rich, depending.
Mad Hettie from SANDMAN has been homeless since the Victorian era.
D-Man, aka Demolition Dunphy, was once a professional wrestler, but now is a homeless man of the ‘lives squatting under the streets’ variety. Most recently seen in the Avengers.
Bruce Banner has spent most of his time as a homeless wanderer, & when the Hulk, often lives like an animal in the deserts of the American Great Southwest.
The Silver Surfer has his Board, & nothing else. Not even clothes! :eek:
