# So then, the 52 worst DC Comics Characters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073 "2006-06-01T21:32:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![B\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@B\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B_Soup)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/41 "2006-06-03T18:14:19Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > I personally despise the Penguin, and no matter what you tell me, you’re not going to change my mind. What if the Penguin were treated less campy, like a crime boss? In \*The Batman Adventures[\I] he was a nightclub owner with underworld connections. Ditch the umbrella gimmicks and he could work. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/42 "2006-06-03T18:51:41Z")
> [@B Soup](#): > > I think you have to look at Robbie Reed in the same way you do the Marvel Family - fun stories for a younger audience. They were pretty good in a goofy sort of way. > > Now, some of the other characters mentioned were MEANT to be taken “seriously”, but turned out lame. Well, when they came out, I was just entering my teens, and it seemed a pretty silly idea to me even then. And the intended audience at the time seemed to be the same as any other DC comic. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/43 "2006-06-03T19:04:41Z")
The Earth 3 heros Gucci Gorilla Impregnable Girl The Rash Lungfish Breatharian & Macrobot Ubermom ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/44 "2006-06-03T19:04:56Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Phil Foglio’s wonderful four-issue run of **angel and the Ape** , which featured **the Inferior Five** have redeemed all those characters in my eyes. Agreed. Neither of the Phil Foglio DC mini-series I have are going to be sold as I liquidate my comics. And take that back about Tenzil! He’s GREAT! (Okay, his power is kinda lame… But he’s a great character!) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/45 "2006-06-03T20:02:38Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > And take that back about Tenzil! He’s GREAT! (Okay, his power is kinda lame… But he’s a great character!) Tenz’s power is _silly_, not lame. Big difference. Same goes for Chuck. Both were exceptionally useful at points. Tenz was, IMO, the best comic relief character in an otherwise serious book, ever, and Chuck was one of my favourite characters ever - he wasn’t a comic relief character, but he was a lot of fun, and he _had_ a lot of fun. I shan’t make any nominations for the thread, since I can guarantee I’d step on someone else’s favourite character (as sever of mine have been stepped on - I’d count fully a third of the characters mentioned in my top 20, several top 10.), and I’m always afraid to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/46 "2006-06-03T20:29:34Z")
Vibe, the break-dancin’ chicano who was once a member of the Justice League. ---
**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:** [June 4, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/47 "2006-06-04T01:12:35Z")
Hell, if Neil Gaiman can redeem Prez, **any** character can be redeemed. Other than the Gaiman/Sandman version, though, Prez was incredibly lame – a cheap pandering to the “groovy teen” audience. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/48 "2006-06-04T01:34:26Z")
The Hall of the Justly Forgotten Lucy Lane – What does God need with a starship? What does Lois need with a sister, particularly one she didn’t see that often. Pete Ross – You’d think “the only human who knows Superman’s secret identity” might at least be an interesting premise to explore. You’d be wrong Proty – The Legion already had Chameleon Boy to handle its shape-shifting requirements. At least the blob of protoplasm got to have a heroic death and save Lightning Lass. Unfortunately, that led to the even more redundant Proty II. Mon-El – He looks like Superboy. He acts like Superboy. He has the same powers as Superboy. But he’s vulnerable to _lead!_ ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/49 "2006-06-04T02:13:13Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > The Hall of the Justly Forgotten > > Mon-El – He looks like Superboy. He acts like Superboy. He has the same powers as Superboy. But he’s vulnerable to _lead!_ :dubious: You realise he was a major character within the Legion continuity for 42 years, yes? THE major character in Legion continuity for 18 or so. And has currently gone unused for barely two. He’s far from forgotten, and if he were, it wouldn’t be justly, as a far more interesting character than Superboy ever was, even before he became Valor. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/50 "2006-06-04T02:54:18Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > **I-Ching** (the white-costumed, non-superpowered Wonder Woman’s sidekick) Chinese Kung Fu master take exception to being called Wonder Woman’s “sidekick.” Diana was the student, I-Ching was the master. Since I actually like a lot of these characters, I guess I’ll blow off this thread. Except to say, they use some characters way too much, & sometimes they write the good characters so badly they become stupid characters. Worst characters in recent DC Comics? Um… Batman The Joker Lex Luthor Alex Luthor Superboy (one of) Superman (one of) Hal Jordan Maxwell Lord Jean Loring Deathstroke etc…? Some of whom have been written reasonably well at some point, by somebody else. Well, reasonably well for comics. Don’t blame the characters, they’re just inanimate squiggles. Blame the writers, blame editorial. Oh, there are some, though, who probably should be deleted from continuity: **Terry Long** , aka Marv Wolfman **reality-warping villains invented for giant idiotic crossovers** , in general ---
**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:** [June 4, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/51 "2006-06-04T03:30:13Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Mon-El – He looks like Superboy. He acts like Superboy. He has the same powers as Superboy. But he’s vulnerable to _lead!_ But that was cured, so he’s even more powerful than Superboy – no weakness. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/52 "2006-06-04T06:58:21Z")
Vartox was certainly the goofiest-looking (He was apparently based on Sean Connery’s character in **Zardoz** ). Certainly had the ugliest costume–after Connery, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/53 "2006-06-04T17:31:12Z")
American readers are doubtless unfamiliar with him, but my vote goes to [Marvelman](http://www.marvelman.freeservers.com/page3.html) , the insipid British publication, which ran in the 50s. It was the result of a legal sidestep, when Fawcett’s [Captain Marvel](http://www.marvelman.freeservers.com/page6.html) , which had also run in the UK, folded under pressure from DC, who claimed it was a ripoff from Superman. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/54 "2006-06-04T17:55:30Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > American readers are doubtless unfamiliar with him, but my vote goes to [Marvelman](http://www.marvelman.freeservers.com/page3.html) , the insipid British publication, which ran in the 50s. It was the result of a legal sidestep, when Fawcett’s [Captain Marvel](http://www.marvelman.freeservers.com/page6.html) , which had also run in the UK, folded under pressure from DC, who claimed it was a ripoff from Superman. And is now fondly remembered for Alan Moore’s grounbreaking work on the character. Redeemed. if we don’t hold the legal hell he’s been languishing in for the last couple of decades against him, that is. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/55 "2006-06-04T22:59:49Z")
[Brother Power: The Geek](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Power_the_Geek) Hippie-era hero (a dressmaker’s dummy dressed up then zapped by lightening) as if written by Art Linkletter (or, if you don’t remember him, try Bill O’Reilly). I had issue #1 (it only lasted 2 issues). Funny thing, while finding a link to show y’all, I noticed this in the wikipedia entry: > [@](#): > > The character was revived briefly in the 1990s, first in a short story by Neil Gaiman in Swamp Thing annual #5, … :eek: This is like Frances Ford Coppola remaking “Plan Nine From Outer Space.” ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/56 "2006-06-04T23:11:23Z")
Gaiman’s Brother Power story was positively brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Clam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@Happy\_Clam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Clam)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/57 "2006-06-04T23:39:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Worst characters in recent DC Comics? Um… > Batman > The Joker > Lex Luthor > Alex Luthor > Superboy (one of) > Superman (one of) > Hal Jordan > Maxwell Lord > Jean Loring > Deathstroke > etc…? OK, I’ll bite. I can see everyone else (especially Batman, with the recent _All-Star Batman and Robin_), but how in the name of Bob Kane do you make the Joker into a lame character?! He’s the single most effective and interesting comic-book villain ever created (no, but you’re all _wrong_, see). He and Batman have a dihctomy that is unmatched by any other hero-villain pairing in the DC universe. He has a great gimmick and a massive archive of fascinating ideas just waiting to be mined. He’s creepy! How did they manage to screw up the Joker? ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/58 "2006-06-05T00:24:06Z")
> [@Happy Clam](#): > > OK, I’ll bite. I can see everyone else (especially Batman, with the recent _All-Star Batman and Robin_), but how in the name of Bob Kane do you make the Joker into a lame character?! He’s the single most effective and interesting comic-book villain ever created (no, but you’re all _wrong_, see). He and Batman have a dihctomy that is unmatched by any other hero-villain pairing in the DC universe. He has a great gimmick and a massive archive of fascinating ideas just waiting to be mined. He’s creepy! How did they manage to screw up the Joker? He’s just listing off all the characters involved in the recent Mega-Crossover in DC, Infinite Crisis. Joker’s role is small but very, very memorable: [spoiler]"You’ve made a lot of mistakes. You underestimated Superman. Superboy. Me. But your biggest mistake? You didn’t let the Joker play." [/spoiler] Highlight of the series, if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Clam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@Happy\_Clam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Clam)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/59 "2006-06-05T00:36:31Z")
What was the context of this…thing said by the Joker (I can’t call it a line. That implies coherence and rationality)? ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073/60 "2006-06-05T00:53:58Z")
> [@Happy Clam](#): > > What was the context of this…thing said by the Joker (I can’t call it a line. That implies coherence and rationality)? Actually, Luthor said the line, regarding the Joker. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-the-52-worst-dc-comics-characters/359073.md?page=4)