102-770: Calamity King ( E. Davis Ester ) is a superhero from the 30th century in the DC Universe . He first appeared in Adventure Comics #342 (March 1966), and was created by Edmond Hamilton and Curt Swan . He possesses the ability to cause bad luck and attempted to join the Legion of Super-Heroes , but was rejected due to lacking full control over his powers. Calamity King appears in the Legion of Super Heroes episode "The Karate Kid", voiced by Alexander Polinsky . The Canterbury Cricket , also known as Jeramey Chriqui ,
204-595: A successful franchise which pioneered the Kyodai Hero subgenre where the superheroes would be as big as giant monsters ( kaiju ) that they fought. The kaiju monster Godzilla , originally a villain, began being portrayed as a radioactive superhero in the Godzilla films , starting with Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964). By the 1970s, Godzilla came to be viewed as a superhero, with
306-541: A bigger scale by fashioning a costume and calling herself Catwoman . As time passed, she and the Caped Crusader became notable adversaries, but it would also be converted into a sort of relationship, with Batman sometimes saving Catwoman from a villain or both of them working together against said villain. It conflicts with Batman's morals to love a girl that's known for being a criminal. This would end up having Catwoman become more of an antihero as of late, serving as
408-705: A book entitled Business Zero to Superhero . In 2014, he received a cease and desist from DC and Marvel who claimed that his use of the term superhero would cause confusion and dilute their brands. He was offered a few thousand dollars in settlement to change the name of his book, but he did not concede. A few days prior to the scheduled hearing at the Intellectual Property Office in London, the companies backed down. A similar scenario occurred when comic book creator Ray Felix attempted to register his comic book series A World Without Superheroes with
510-627: A cold gun similar to that of Captain Cold . The first version is an unnamed man who worked for Golden Glider before being killed by him after he was possessed by Eclipso . The second version is an unnamed man who fought Wally West as the Flash twice. After being dragged into the beam of his cold gun, Chillblaine escaped from police custody and planned to enact his revenge during the New Year's Countdown before being defeated by West. The third version
612-589: A constant ally to the Bat-Family and other heroes of Gotham. Cerdian is an infant in the DC Universe . The character, created by Dan Jurgens and Steve Epting , first appeared in Aquaman (vol. 5) #63 (January 2000). Cerdian is the son of Tempest and Dolphin . He is not seen after Infinite Crisis and is confirmed to have died during that event in Titans (vol. 2) #15 (September 2009). Charybdis
714-693: A decorated officer in the United States Air Force who would become a costumed superheroine herself years later. In 1975 Shotaro Ishinomori 's Himitsu Sentai Gorenger debuted on what is now TV Asahi, it brought the concepts of multi-colored teams and supporting vehicles that debuted in Gatchaman into live-action, and began the Super Sentai franchise (later adapted into the American Power Rangers series in
816-537: A larger one. Another important event was the debut of Mazinger Z by Go Nagai, creating the Super Robot genre. Go Nagai also wrote the manga Cutey Honey in 1973; although the Magical Girl genre already existed, Nagai's manga introduced Transformation sequences that would become a staple of Magical Girl media. The 1970s would see more anti-heroes introduced into Superhero fiction such examples included
918-449: A letter column of the pulp magazine Thrilling Wonder Stories , the word superhero was used to define the title character of the comic strip Zarnak , by Max Plaisted. In the 1930s, the trends converged in some of the earliest superpowered costumed heroes, such as Japan's Ōgon Bat (1931) and Prince of Gamma (early 1930s), who first appeared in kamishibai (a kind of hybrid media combining pictures with live storytelling), Mandrake
1020-523: A multimedia franchise that used footage from Super Sentai . Internationally, the Japanese comic book character , Sailor Moon , is recognized as one of the most important and popular female superheroes ever created. The first use of the word "super hero" dates back to 1917. At the time, the word was merely used to describe a "public figure of great accomplishments." However, in 1967, Ben Cooper, Inc., an American Halloween costume manufacturer, became
1122-423: A profound effect on Japanese television . 1958 saw the debut of superhero Moonlight Mask on Japanese television. It was the first of numerous televised superhero dramas that would make up the tokusatsu superhero genre. Created by Kōhan Kawauchi , he followed up its success with the tokusatsu superhero shows Seven Color Mask (1959) and Messenger of Allah (1960), both starring a young Sonny Chiba . It
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#17327917815921224-505: A promiscuous manner. Through the overdeveloped bodies of the heroes or the seductive mannerisms of the villains, women in comic books are used as subordinates to their male counterparts, regardless of their strength or power. Wonder Woman has been subject to a long history of suppression as a result of her strength and power, including American culture's undoing of the Lynda Carter television series. In 2017's Wonder Woman , she had
1326-577: A publishing agreement with DC Comics that allowed them to introduce a line of comics that included characters of many ethnic minorities. Milestone's initial run lasted four years, during which it introduced Static , a character adapted into the WB Network animated series Static Shock . In addition to the creation of new minority heroes, publishers have filled the identities and roles of once-Caucasian heroes with new characters from minority backgrounds. The African-American John Stewart appeared in
1428-757: A secondary character of the Green Hornet media franchise series since its inception in the 1930s. ). Kitty Pryde , a member of the X-Men, was an openly Jewish superhero in mainstream American comic books as early as 1978. Comic-book companies were in the early stages of cultural expansion and many of these characters played to specific stereotypes ; Cage and many of his contemporaries often employed lingo similar to that of blaxploitation films, Native Americans were often associated with shamanism and wild animals , and Asian Americans were often portrayed as kung fu martial artists . Subsequent minority heroes, such as
1530-406: A single source." DC and Marvel have continued to expand their commercialization of the "superhero" mark to categories beyond comic books. Now, the two publishers jointly own numerous trademarks for figurines (see Spider-Man, Batman), movies, TV shows, magazines, merchandise, cardboard stand-up figures, playing cards , erasers , pencils , notebooks , cartoons , and many more. For instance,
1632-513: A skull-faced creature with superpowers to fight evil; she debuted in Fiction House 's Jungle Comic #2 (Feb. 1940), credited to the pseudonymous "Barclay Flagg". The Invisible Scarlet O'Neil , a non-costumed character who fought crime and wartime saboteurs using the superpower of invisibility created by Russell Stamm, would debut in the eponymous syndicated newspaper comic strip a few months later on June 3, 1940. In 1940, Maximo
1734-406: A suit not unlike the swimsuits in the T.V. show Baywatch . The sexualization of women in comic books can be explained mainly by the fact that the majority of writers are male. Not only are the writers mostly male, but the audience is mostly male as well. Therefore, writers are designing characters to appeal to a mostly male audience. The super hero characters illustrate a sociological idea called
1836-596: A very good reason - he was the robot, not a living being trapped inside it. Carapax later returned, steam-powered and capable of withstanding technological attacks, as part of a group formed to take out Jaime Reyes (the third Blue Beetle). Carapax is defeated when the Blue Beetle makes a crack in his shoulder and throws one of his own missiles into it. Frankie Carbone is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Frankie Carbone
1938-512: Is "a figure, especially in a comic strip or cartoon , endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime", and the Merriam-Webster dictionary gives the definition as "a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person." Terms such as masked crime fighters, costumed adventurers or masked vigilantes are sometimes used to refer to characters such as
2040-690: Is a superhero appearing in DC Comics . The character first appeared in Flashpoint : The Canterbury Cricket #1 (August 2011), created by Mike Carlin and Rags Morales . Chriqui first appeared in the Flashpoint timeline, where he was a University of Kent student and conman in Canterbury, England . When Wonder Woman and the Amazons invaded England, Chriqui took cover inside a church. When
2142-483: Is a supervillain associated with Aquaman. Created by Peter David and Martin Egeland, he first appeared in Aquaman (vol. 5) #1 (August 1994). Charybdis and his wife, Scylla, are international terrorists who attempt to kill Aquaman . When Scylla is killed, Charybdis is driven mad by grief. He uses his ability to suppress metahuman abilities to defeat Aquaman and attempts to absorb his powers to himself. However, he
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#17327917815922244-442: Is a fictional character who typically possesses superpowers or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero ; typically using their powers to help the world become a better place , or dedicating themselves to protecting the public and fighting crime . Superhero fiction is the genre of fiction that is centered on such characters, especially, since
2346-699: Is a minor character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . The character, created by Cary Bates and Irv Novick , first appeared in The Flash #270 (February 1979). Lyle Corley was a serial killer who uses circus clown gimmicks in Central City , and a minor enemy of the Flash . The Clown is also partly responsible for the tragedy behind Hunter Zolomon / Zoom (due to Eobard Thawne 's manipulations) before being killed. Clownhunter
2448-455: Is a mobster who works for Sal Maroni and his family. Frankie Carbone appears in Gotham , portrayed by Danny Mastrogiorgio. This version is a close friend of and second-in-command to Sal Maroni who is later killed by Oswald Cobblepot . Carcharo is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is a member of Helix and cousin of the second Wildcat who
2550-421: Is a motorcycle-riding hero in an insect-like costume, who shouts Henshin (Metamorphosis) to don his costume and gain superhuman powers. The ideas of second-wave feminism , which spread through the 1960s into the 1970s, greatly influenced the way comic book companies would depict as well as market their female characters: Wonder Woman was for a time revamped as a mod-dressing martial artist directly inspired by
2652-600: Is a patient at the Helix Institute for Youth Rehabilitation. Joseph Carver is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . He is a scientist who worked on experimenting on the Speed Force as a member of Black Hole . Joseph Carver appears in the sixth season of The Flash , portrayed by Eric Nenninger . This version is the leader of Black Hole, the CEO of McCulloch Technologies, and
2754-544: Is a website satirizing the sexualized portrayal of women in comics by recreating the same poses using male superheroes, especially Marvel's Hawkeye . In 1966, Marvel introduced the Black Panther , an African monarch who became the first non- caricatured black superhero. The first African-American superhero, the Falcon , followed in 1969, and three years later, Luke Cage , a self-styled "hero-for-hire" , became
2856-557: Is an unnamed man. He and his henchmen robbed a bank. The Flash informed Jay Garrick , Impulse , Johnny Quick , and Jesse Quick about his different fights with the previous people that went by the Chillblaine name. They helped the Flash defeat Chillblaine and his henchmen. The fourth version is an unnamed man who was tracked down by John Fox and Linda Park when the latter was filling in for Wally West. John and Linda learned that Chillblaine worked with Golden Glider before killing
2958-532: Is arguable that the Marvel Comics teams of the early 1960s brought the biggest assortment of superheroes ever at one time into permanent publication, the likes of Spider-Man (1962), The Hulk , Iron Man , Daredevil , Nick Fury , The Mighty Thor , The Avengers (featuring a rebooted Captain America , Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man , Quicksilver ), and many others were given their own monthly titles. Typically
3060-483: Is neither mentally unwell nor corrupt and is a trusted ally of Batman . Growing up in the harsh environment of Gotham City, Selina Kyle was only able to survive on the streets through her seductive charm and skills as a petty thief. Later on, into adulthood, she worked in the East End as a hopeless dominatrix, until she saw Batman in his early days fighting crime. Seeing him inspired her to take her thieving skills to
3162-604: Is stated to be a member of Knights, Inc., the United Kingdom 's sanctioned superhero team. Carapax the Indestructible Man is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is an enemy of the Blue Beetle . Conrad Carapax was an archaeologist who had once been the rival of Dan Garrett (the first Blue Beetle). He went to Pago Island alone in search of whatever it
List of DC Comics characters: C - Misplaced Pages Continue
3264-492: Is the daughter of chemist Brian James who worked with Roy Lincoln in making a liquid that can open any lock. After her father was killed in a raid on his laboratory, Gloria learned that Lincoln is the Human Bomb and gained superpowers after attempting to recreate the formula that gave him his powers. However, she was unable to control her powers and was forced to wear a special suit to control them. Subsequently, she acted as
3366-521: Is the granddaughter of known Court of Owls grandmaster Sebastian Clark. She led the Court of Owls in their mission to get revenge on Joker for his use of their Talons. Cressida Clarke appears in Gotham Knights , portrayed by K.K. Moggie. This version was planted into Bruce Wayne 's life by becoming his attaché and keeping an eye on his adoptive son Turner Hayes when Bruce is busy. The Clown
3468-551: Is unable to control his new ability to communicate with fish and falls into a pool of piranhas, fusing with them and becoming Piranha Man . Doris Chase was Adrian Chase 's wife. The character, created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez , first appeared in The New Teen Titans #29 (March 1983). Doris was killed (together with their two children) by a bomb meant for Adrian, planted at the direction of mob boss Anthony Scarapelli; this trauma caused her husband to become
3570-506: Is uncommon, the USPTO will grant joint ownership in a mark. For example, in the case Arrow Trading Co., Inc. v. Victorinox A.G. and Wegner S.A. , Opposition No. 103315 (TTAB June 27, 2003), the TTAB held that when "two entities have a long-standing relationship and rely on each other for quality control, it may be found, in appropriate circumstances, that the parties, as joint owners, do represent
3672-614: The Black Canary , introduced in Flash Comics #86 (Aug. 1947) as a supporting character. The most iconic comic book superheroine, who debuted during the Golden Age, is Wonder Woman . Modeled from the myth of the Amazons of Greek mythology , she was created by psychologist William Moulton Marston , with help and inspiration from his wife Elizabeth and their mutual lover Olive Byrne. Wonder Woman's first appearance
3774-535: The Emma Peel character from the British television series The Avengers (no relation to the superhero team of the same name), but later reverted to Marston's original concept after the editors of Ms. magazine publicly disapproved of the character being depowered and without her traditional costume; Supergirl was moved from being a secondary feature on Action Comics to headline Adventure Comics in 1969;
3876-527: The Lady Liberators appeared in an issue of The Avengers as a group of mind-controlled superheroines led by Valkyrie (actually a disguised supervillainess ) and were meant to be a caricatured parody of feminist activists; and Jean Grey became the embodiment of a cosmic being known as the Phoenix Force with seemingly unlimited power in the late 1970s, a stark contrast from her depiction as
3978-706: The New York Times and The Colbert Report , and embraced by anti- Islamophobia campaigners in San Francisco who plastered over anti-Muslim bus adverts with Kamala stickers. Other such successor-heroes of color include James "Rhodey" Rhodes as Iron Man and to a lesser extent Riri "Ironheart" Williams , Ryan Choi as the Atom , Jaime Reyes as Blue Beetle and Amadeus Cho as Hulk . Certain established characters have had their ethnicity changed when adapted to another continuity or media. A notable example
4080-588: The Vigilante . Doris Chase appears in Arrow , portrayed by Parveen Dosanjh. This version is killed by Simon Morrison posing as Adrian. Angela Chen was created by Alan Burnett , Paul Dini and Bruce Timm , first appearing in Superman: The Animated Series episode "The Last Son of Krypton". She is based on Cat Grant and is voiced by Lauren Tom . Angela was a fast-rising star of
4182-671: The X-Men 's Storm and the Teen Titans ' Cyborg avoided such conventions; they were both part of ensemble teams, which became increasingly diverse in subsequent years. The X-Men, in particular, were revived in 1975 with a line-up of characters drawn from several nations, including the Kenyan Storm, German Nightcrawler , Soviet / Russian Colossus , Irish Banshee , and Japanese Sunfire . In 1993, Milestone Comics , an African-American-owned media/publishing company entered into
List of DC Comics characters: C - Misplaced Pages Continue
4284-399: The " male gaze " which is media created from the viewpoint of a normative heterosexual male. The female characters in comic books are used to satisfy male desire for the "ideal" woman (small waist, large breasts, toned, athletic body). These characters have god-like power, but the most easily identifiable feature is their hyper sexualized bodies: they are designed to be sexually pleasing to
4386-831: The 1930s, in American comic books (and later in Hollywood films , film serials, television and video games ), as well as in Japanese media (including kamishibai , tokusatsu , manga , anime and video games). Superheroes come from a wide array of different backgrounds and origins. Some superheroes (such as Spider-Man and Superman ) possess non-human or superhuman biology or use and practice magic to achieve their abilities (such as Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel ) while others (for example, Iron Man and Batman ) derive their status from advanced technology they create and use. The Dictionary.com definition of "superhero"
4488-568: The 1970s as an alternate for Earth's Green Lantern Hal Jordan , and would become a regular member of the Green Lantern Corps from the 1980s onward. The creators of the 2000s-era Justice League animated series selected Stewart as the show's Green Lantern. In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Miles Morales , a youth of Puerto Rican and African-American ancestry who was also bitten by a genetically-altered spider, debuted as
4590-458: The 1980s, superhero fiction centered on cultural, ethnic, national, racial and language minority groups (from the perspective of US demographics ) began to be produced. This began with depiction of black superheroes in the 1960s, followed in the 1970s with a number of other ethnic-minority superheroes. In keeping with the political mood of the time, cultural diversity and inclusivism would be an important part of superhero groups starting from
4692-409: The 1980s. In the 1990s, this was further augmented by the first depictions of superheroes as homosexual. In 2017, Sign Gene emerged, the first group of deaf superheroes with superpowers through the use of sign language . Female super heroes—and villains—have been around since the early years of comic books dating back to the 1940s. The representation of women in comic books has been questioned in
4794-561: The 1990s). In 1978, Toei adapted Spider-Man into a live-action Japanese television series . In this continuity, Spider-Man had a vehicle called Marveller that could transform into a giant and powerful robot called Leopardon, this idea would be carried over to Toei's Battle Fever J (also co-produced with Marvel) and now multi-colored teams not only had support vehicles but giant robots to fight giant monsters with. In subsequent decades, popular characters like Dazzler , She-Hulk , Elektra , Catwoman , Witchblade , Spider-Girl , Batgirl and
4896-604: The Amazing Superman debut in Big Little Book series , by Russell R. Winterbotham (text), Henry E. Vallely and Erwin L. Hess (art). Captain America also appeared for the first time in print in December 1940, a year prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese government, when America was still in isolationism . Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby , the superhero was the physical embodiment of
4998-800: The American spirit during World War II. One superpowered character was portrayed as an antiheroine , a rarity for its time: the Black Widow , a costumed emissary of Satan who killed evildoers in order to send them to Hell —debuted in Mystic Comics #4 (Aug. 1940), from Timely Comics , the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics . Most of the other female costumed crime fighters during this era lacked superpowers. Notable characters include The Woman in Red , introduced in Standard Comics ' Thrilling Comics #2 (March 1940); Lady Luck , debuting in
5100-478: The Avengers) with her brother, Quicksilver. In 1963, Astro Boy was adapted into a highly influential anime television series. Phantom Agents in 1964 focused on ninjas working for the Japanese government and would be the foundation for Sentai -type series. 1966 saw the debut of the sci-fi/horror series Ultra Q created by Eiji Tsuburaya this would eventually lead to the sequel Ultraman , spawning
5202-639: The Birds of Prey became stars of long-running eponymous titles. Female characters began assuming leadership roles in many ensemble superhero teams; the Uncanny X-Men series and its related spin-off titles in particular have included many female characters in pivotal roles since the 1970s. Volume 4 of the X-Men comic book series featured an all-female team as part of the Marvel NOW! branding initiative in 2013. Superpowered female characters like Buffy
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#17327917815925304-667: The Bug, to sink the ship. When he tried to commandeer the Bug itself, Carapax was sent hurtling into the Atlantic Ocean , where he sank without a trace. Unfortunately for the Blue Beetle, Carapax simply walked along the ocean bottom until he surfaced in Metropolis . He and the Blue Beetle battled again, but the Blue Beetle fired a missile through a crack in Carapax's outer shell, igniting his power source and blowing up his body from
5406-633: The Daily Planet and also hosted the popular TV news show "Metropolis Today". In the Prime Earth continuity of comics, Angela Chen first appeared as part of The New 52 and DC Rebirth in Justice League of America : Vixen Rebirth #1 by Steve Orlando , Jody Houser and Jamal Campbell . She appeared in the comics as a talk show host. Cherry Bomb is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She
5508-495: The Dark Knight and brought them to an abandoned area of Arkham Asylum . Freed from his restraints, Ghost-Maker offered Bao the opportunity to kill Quinn without Batman's intervention, hoping to prove the Dark Knight his point. Though he planned to go through with it, he relented after Quinn apologized for her actions. Bao then left the asylum whilst they confronted Ghost-Maker. Superhero A superhero or superheroine
5610-404: The Human Bomb's sidekick before being kidnapped by the Time Masters. In the present, she is rescued by Stargirl and brought to the present day. Subsequently, she and Ladybug are taken under Phantom Lady 's wing as she plans to have them join the Freedom Fighters . Chillblaine is the name of different supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . Each version has
5712-535: The Joker waged war on Gotham , leading an endless army of criminals to attack Gotham. After watching some of his men burn down a comic book store, Bao finally decided to take matters into his own hands and became the Clownhunter . Using a baseball bat with a batarang attached to the end, he patrolled the Narrows and killed roughly twelve of Joker's men during the war. With the aftermath of Joker's defeat, Batman confronted Boa at his room. Having heard that he'd been forced to fight his parents zombified bodies during one of
5814-415: The Magician (1934), Olga Mesmer (1937) and then Superman (1938) and Captain Marvel (1939) at the beginning of the Golden Age of Comic Books , whose span, though disputed, is generally agreed to have started with Superman's launch. Superman has remained one of the most recognizable superheroes, and his success spawned a new archetype of characters with secret identities and superhuman powers. At
5916-461: The Spirit , who may not be explicitly referred to as superheroes but nevertheless share similar traits. Some superheroes use their powers to help fight daily crime while also combating threats against humanity from supervillains , who are their criminal counterparts. Often at least one of these supervillains will be the superhero's archenemy or nemesis . Some popular supervillains become recurring characters in their own right. Antecedents of
6018-445: The Sunday- newspaper comic-book insert The Spirit Section June 2, 1940; the comedic character Red Tornado , debuting in All-American Comics #20 (Nov 1940); Miss Fury , debuting in the eponymous comic strip by female cartoonist Tarpé Mills on April 6, 1941; the Phantom Lady , introduced in Quality Comics Police Comics #1 (Aug. 1941); the Black Cat , introduced in Harvey Comics ' Pocket Comics #1 (also Aug. 1941); and
6120-408: The USPTO. Felix is one of many who argue that the term "superhero" has become generic (see discussion below). Felix's mark is currently abandoned, but he has stated that he intends to fight against DC and Marvel for use of the term. In 2024, Superbabies Limited managed to obtain a default judgement and cancel the "super heroes" trademarks as genericized, except for the animation pictures mark. This
6222-413: The Vampire Slayer and Darna have a tremendous influence on popular culture in their respective countries of origin. With more and more anime , manga and tokusatsu being translated or adapted, Western audiences were beginning to experience the Japanese styles of superhero fiction more than they were able to before. Saban 's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers , an adaptation of Zyuranger , created
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#17327917815926324-420: The West as Astro Boy , was published. The series focused upon a robot boy built by a scientist to replace his deceased son. Being built from an incomplete robot originally intended for military purposes, Astro Boy possessed amazing powers such as flight through thrusters in his feet and the incredible mechanical strength of his limbs. The 1950s saw the Silver Age of Comics . During this era DC introduced
6426-461: The archetype include mythological characters such as Gilgamesh , Hanuman , Perseus , Odysseus , David , and demigods like Heracles , all of whom were blessed with extraordinary abilities, which later inspired the superpowers that became a fundamental aspect of modern-day superheroes. The distinct clothing and costumes of individuals from English folklore , like Robin Hood and Spring-Heeled Jack , also became inspirations. The dark costume of
6528-419: The archetypical hero stock character in 1930s American comics, superheroes are predominantly depicted as White American middle- or upper-class young adult males and females who are typically tall, athletic, educated, physically attractive and in perfect health. Beginning in the 1960s with the civil rights movement in the United States, and increasingly with the rising concern over political correctness in
6630-434: The church was bombed by an Invisible Jet , Jeramey connected with a cricket , and emerged from the wreckage as a giant cricket. With his new abilities, he leads the Ambush Bugs , an insect-themed resistance group, though all but him die in a battle with the Amazons. He later joins Lois Lane 's Resistance. The Canterbury Cricket was adapted into the mainstream DC Universe in the " Watchmen " sequel " Doomsday Clock ". He
6732-413: The comic-strip characters Patoruzú (1928) and Popeye (1929) and novelist Philip Wylie 's character Hugo Danner (1930). Another early example was Sarutobi Sasuke , a Japanese superhero ninja from children's novels in the 1910s; by 1914, he had a number of superhuman powers and abilities. The French character L'Oiselle , created in 1909, can be classed as a superheroine. In August 1937, in
6834-534: The companies filed a trademark application as joint owners for the mark "SUPER HEROES" for a series of animated motion pictures in 2009 (Reg. No. 5613972). Both DC and Marvel also individually owned trademarks involving the "super hero" mark. Notably, DC owns the mark " Legion of Super-Heroes " for comic magazines and Marvel owns the mark "Marvel Super Hero Island" for story books, fiction books, and children’s activity books. DC and Marvel have become known for aggressively protecting their registered marks. In 2019,
6936-552: The companies pursued a British law student named Graham Jules who was attempting to publish a self-help book titled Business Zero to Superhero . Much academic debate exists about whether the "super hero" mark has become generic and whether DC and Marvel have created a duopoly over the "super hero" mark. Conversely, DC and Marvel hold that they are merely exercising their right and duty to protect their registered marks. The following trademarks were or are registered jointly with MARVEL CHARACTERS, INC. and DC COMICS: As mentioned,
7038-537: The context of the stories, Christina Chiles had been working on a cyber battle suit modeled after a cat and decided to test it against Catwoman, who had broken into the lab in which Christina worked. Despite the powers the suit gave her, Christina (now Cyber-C.A.T.) was beaten by Catwoman. Infuriated at her loss, Cyber-C.A.T. began a personal vendetta against Catwoman. As Catwoman managed to elude her, Cyber-C.A.T. became more and more fixated on tracking her down. Another confrontation with Catwoman resulted in failure because of
7140-418: The debut of Shotaro Ishinomori 's Skull Man (the basis for his later Kamen Rider ) in 1970, Go Nagai's Devilman in 1972 and Gerry Conway and John Romita's Punisher in 1974. The dark Skull Man manga would later get a television adaptation and underwent drastic changes. The character was redesigned to resemble a grasshopper, becoming the renowned first masked hero of the Kamen Rider series. Kamen Rider
7242-401: The end of the decade, in 1939, Batman was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger . During the 1940s there were many superheroes: The Flash , Green Lantern and Blue Beetle debuted in this era. This era saw the debut of one of the earliest female superheroes, writer-artist Fletcher Hanks 's character Fantomah , an ageless ancient Egyptian woman in the modern day who could transform into
7344-593: The fights, Clownhunter berated the Dark Knight for destroying their bodies and for not killing the Joker directly. In response, Batman told him to give up the vigilante path and gave him the contact details of Leslie Thompkins , warning him that he'd be arrested if he killed any more of Joker's thugs. Sometime afterwards, Clownhunter tracked down Harley Quinn and planned to murder her for her involvement with his parents' murder. As he prepared to attack, Batman subdued him. However, another vigilante called Ghost-Maker subdued
7446-515: The first black superhero to star in his own series . In 1989, the Monica Rambeau incarnation of Captain Marvel was the first female black superhero from a major publisher to get her own title in a special one-shot issue. In 1971, Red Wolf became the first Native American in the superheroic tradition to headline a series. In 1973, Shang-Chi became the first prominent Asian superhero to star in an American comic book ( Kato had been
7548-454: The first entity to commercialize the phrase "super hero" when it registered the mark in connection with Halloween costumes. In 1972, Mego Corporation , an American toy company, attempted to register the mark "World's Greatest Superheroes" in connection with its line of action figures. Mego Corporation’s attempted registration led Ben Cooper, Inc. to sue Mego Corporation for trademark infringement. Due to its financial struggles, Mego Corporation
7650-521: The help of Catwoman's rival, the She-Cat. Cyber-C.A.T. made one final attempt on Catwoman's life, but Catwoman had received her own suit of armor, which gave her powers on par with Cyber-C.A.T.'s, and finally destroyed the armor. Christina was taken into custody by the agency she worked for because of her unauthorized use of its technology. Cressida Clarke is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Cressida Clarke
7752-540: The husband of Eva McCulloch . He encountered resistance from Team Flash and CCPD before being killed by Mirror Monarch. Aaron Cash is a corrections officer and one of Arkham Asylum 's most respected security guards. Aaron Cash was created by Dan Slott and Ryan Sook and first appeared in Arkham Asylum: Living Hell #1 (2003). His hand was bitten off by Killer Croc and he sports a prosthetic hook in its place. Unlike many of his colleagues, he
7854-479: The hypothetical heteronormative male audience. Villains, such as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy , use their sexuality to take advantage of their male victims. In the film versions of these characters, their sexuality and seductive methods are highlighted. Poison Ivy uses seduction through poison to take over the minds of her victims as seen in the 1997 film Batman and Robin . Harley Quinn in 2016's Suicide Squad uses her sexuality to her advantage, acting in
7956-470: The idea of a masked avenger and the superhero trope of a secret identity . Over the next few decades, masked and costumed pulp fiction characters such as Jimmie Dale/The Grey Seal (1914), Zorro (1919), Buck Rogers (1928), The Shadow (1930), and Flash Gordon (1934), and comic strip heroes such as the Phantom (1936), began appearing, as did non-costumed characters with super strength , including
8058-495: The inside. During the Underworld Unleashed storyline, Carapax was approached by the demon Neron . He refused Neron's offer of power in exchange for his soul. After the Blue Beetle's death, Carapax confronted Superman and the new Firestorm . His body had been rebuilt by extraterrestrials and provided with a new power source. Firestorm had to be persuaded not to vaporize Carapax's supposed armor by Superman for
8160-467: The latter, complete with a domino mask and a cape, became influential for the myriad of masked rogues in penny dreadfuls and dime novels . The vigilantes of the American Old West also became an influence to the superhero. Several vigilantes during this time period hid their identities using masks. In frontier communities where de jure law was not yet matured, people sometimes took
8262-467: The latter. John and Linda tracked down Chillblaine to an aquarium where they fall into his trap before defeating him. Captain Cold later tracks Chillblaine down and kills him to avenge his sister's death. Christina Chiles , a.k.a. Cyber-C.A.T. , is a supervillain in the DC Universe . The character, created by Jim Balent and Doug Moench , first appeared in Catwoman (vol. 2) #42 in 1997. Within
8364-606: The law into their own hands with makeshift masks made out of sacks . Vigilante mobs and gangs like the San Diego Vigilantes and the Bald Knobbers became infamous throughout that Old West era. Such masked vigilantism later inspired fictional masked crimefighters in American story-telling, beginning with the character Deadwood Dick in 1877. The word superhero dates back to 1899. The 1903 British play The Scarlet Pimpernel and its spinoffs popularized
8466-478: The likes of Batwoman in 1956, Supergirl , Miss Arrowette , and Bat-Girl ; all female derivatives of established male superheroes. In 1957 Japan, Shintoho produced the first film serial featuring the superhero character Super Giant , signaling a shift in Japanese popular culture towards tokusatsu masked superheroes over kaiju giant monsters. Along with Astro Boy , the Super Giant serials had
8568-764: The magazine King of the Monsters in 1977 describing Godzilla as "Superhero of the '70s." In 1971, Kamen Rider launched the "Henshin Boom" on Japanese television in the early 1970s, greatly impacting the tokusatsu superhero genre in Japan. In 1972, the Science Ninja Team Gatchaman anime debuted, which built upon the superhero team idea of the live-action Phantom Agents as well as introducing different colors for team members and special vehicles to support them, said vehicles could also combine into
8670-470: The mark in connection with comic books, and were granted the mark by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 1981. In the years leading up to the assignment of the mark, both DC and Marvel battled to register various trademarks involving the phrase “superhero.” However, DC and Marvel quickly discovered that they could only register marks involving the phrase "superhero" if
8772-432: The new Spider-Man after the apparent death of the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker . Kamala Khan , a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who is revealed to have Inhuman lineage after her shapeshifting powers manifested, takes on the identity of Ms. Marvel in 2014 after Carol Danvers had become Captain Marvel. Her self-titled comic book series became a cultural phenomenon, with extensive media coverage by CNN ,
8874-623: The pages of several popular superhero titles from the late 1950s onward: Hal Jordan 's love interest Carol Ferris was introduced as the Vice-President of Ferris Aircraft and later took over the company from her father; Medusa , who was first introduced in the Fantastic Four series, is a member of the Inhuman Royal Family and a prominent statesperson within her people's quasi-feudal society; and Carol Danvers ,
8976-420: The past decade following the rise of comic book characters in the film industry (Marvel/DC movies). Women are presented differently than their male counterparts, typically wearing revealing clothing that showcases their curves and cleavage and showing a lot of skin in some cases. Heroes like Power Girl and Wonder Woman are portrayed wearing little clothing and showing cleavage. Power Girl is portrayed as wearing
9078-406: The phrase referenced their own company or a character associated with their company. As a result, DC and Marvel decided to become joint owners of the "superhero" trademark. Although many consumers likely see DC and Marvel as competitors, the two comic book publishing giants are allies when it comes to protecting the trademark "superhero" and variants thereof. Although joint ownership in a trademark
9180-419: The power of a god, but was still drawn to a much weaker, mortal male character. This can be explained by the sociological concept "feminine apologetic," which reinforces a woman's femininity to account for her masculine attributes (strength, individualism, toughness, aggressiveness, bravery). Women in comic books are considered to be misrepresented due to being created by men, for men. The Hawkeye Initiative
9282-520: The public, and policing unauthorized uses. However, misuse by the public alone does not necessarily cause a trademark to become generic if the primary significance of the term is still to indicate a particular source. Some legal experts argue that, like the once-trademarked terms "aspirin" and "yo-yo," the term "superhero" now primarily refers to a general type of character with extraordinary abilities, rather than characters originating from specific publishers. In keeping with their origins as representing
9384-612: The superhero supergroups featured at least one (and often the only) female member, much like DC's flagship superhero team the Justice League of America (whose initial roster included Wonder Woman as the token female ); examples include the Fantastic Four 's Invisible Girl , the X-Men 's Jean Grey (originally known as Marvel Girl ), the Avengers ' Wasp , and the Brotherhood of Mutants ' Scarlet Witch (who later joined
9486-410: The term "SUPER HERO" trademark is at risk of becoming generic. Courts have noted that determining whether a term has become generic is a highly factual inquiry not suitable for resolution without considering evidence like dictionary definitions, media usage, and consumer surveys. Trademark owners can take steps to prevent genericide , such as using the trademark with the generic product name, educating
9588-421: The two companies also own a variety of other superhero-related marks. For instance, DC owns "Legion of Super-Heroes" and " DC Super Hero Girls " and Marvel owns “Marvel Super Hero Island" and "Marvel Super Hero Adventures." DC and Marvel have garnered a reputation for zealously protecting their superhero marks. As noted above, one of these instances included a man by the name of Graham Jules, who sought to publish
9690-611: The weakest member of her team a decade ago. Both major American publishers began introducing new superheroines with a more distinct feminist theme as part of their origin stories or character development. Examples include Big Barda , Power Girl , and the Huntress by DC comics; and from Marvel, the second Black Widow , Shanna the She-Devil , and The Cat . Female supporting characters who were successful professionals or hold positions of authority in their own right also debuted in
9792-591: Was created by James Tynion IV and Jorge Jiménez in Batman vol. 3 #95 Bao Pham is an American-Vietnamese vigilante living in the Narrows, who witnessed his parents' brutal deaths at the hands of the Joker at age twelve. As he grew up and watched the Clown Prince of Crime's body-count rise, he came to believe Batman wasn't going far enough and that the criminal needed to die. Five years after his parents' death,
9894-464: Was experimented on as a child and transformed into a shark hybrid. Maria Montez and her sister, the experiments gave the child of Maria's sister shark -like characteristics. After a drowning attempt by his mother, Carcharo survived in the oceans where he gained the ability to control sharks. Carcharo appears in the Stargirl episode "Frenemies – Chapter Eight: Infinity Inc. Part Two". This version
9996-609: Was in All Star Comics #8 (Dec. 1941), published by All-American Publications , one of two companies that would merge to form DC Comics in 1944. Pérák was an urban legend originating from the city of Prague during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in the midst of World War II . In the decades following the war, Pérák has also been portrayed as the only Czech superhero in film and comics. In 1952, Osamu Tezuka 's manga Tetsuwan Atom , more popularly known in
10098-466: Was that Garrett was searching for. He instead found Dr. Jarvis Kord 's top-secret laboratory which had a gleaming 12-foot-tall (3.7 m) robot standing silently in the corner of the huge chamber; the robot came back online when it had sensed his approach. Carapax donned a strange helmet he found in the wreckage and attempted to activate the robot, but the machinery malfunctioned which zapped him where he stood. Although his body had died, Carapax's mind
10200-495: Was transferred to the robot at the instant of his death. He was now an Indestructible Man trapped on Pago Island. He murdered the crew of the ship that had brought Lieutenant Max Fisher to Pago Island to investigate Garrett's death in the hopes to use the vessel to escape, but Ted Kord (the second Blue Beetle) had followed Fisher to Pago to protect the island's secret. The Blue Beetle saved Fisher's life and therefore came into direct conflict with Carapax. The Blue Beetle used his ship,
10302-404: Was unexpected as Marvel and DC had filed a motion to extend time to answer. There is an ongoing debate among legal scholars and in the courts about whether the term "superhero" has become genericized due to its widespread use in popular culture, similar to terms like "aspirin" or "escalator" which lost their trademark protection and became generic terms for their respective products. Some argue
10404-467: Was unwilling to defend itself against Ben Cooper Inc.'s suit. As a result, in 1977, Mego Corporation jointly assigned its interest in the trademark to DC Comics , Inc. ("DC") and Marvel Comics ("Marvel"). Due to the financial prowess of DC and Marvel, Ben Cooper, Inc. decided to withdraw its trademark opposition and jointly assigned its interest in the "World's Greatest Super Heroes" mark to DC and Marvel. Two years later in 1979, DC and Marvel applied for
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