Until Marvel strengthens their testing program, ALL Marvel characters have to be suspected of using performance-enhancing super formulas. It’s wrong to single out Nick Fury, Black Widow and Barry Bonds.
Remember in the 80s and early 90s when DC was claiming every superhero had some form of the “metagene” in them, it was declared that Batman’s meta power was the power of detection?
Good list. Miffed that Green Arrow didn’t make the list or at least get a tie with Hawkeye!
@PraxJarvin Oh i do remember that. That was weird. I always liked the term Meta though and DC hasn’t used it in years, or if they have I haven’t noticed it.
@josh — on the surface and based on the time frame he was created in there are pretty obvious comparisons. I’m sure over time he’s evolved into his own thing.
I always like how Batman is “powerless” but all the powered heroes in the JLA are afraid of him. Never makes any sense, but is always awesome nonetheless.
@MisterJ You could easily populate this list entirely with Batman and the people he has trained! And I’d put Dick Grayson at the top arbitrarily, because when you make a list you can play favorites
When I saw the list I immediately thought of “Phantom Reporter” from the Twelve…not that he should be on the list (no way), but talk about chutzpah, this guy literally just walked around with a domino mask on…and that’s about it. Yup, he was awesome.
@Urthona God that series needs to get finished because out of everything JMS has written that series hooked me the quickest and held me interested until it went on hiatus
I saw this list and though: ”There’s going to be some argument on 2 & 3″ and sure enough, there is. I think if you have to think about whether they have powers or not it’s okay to put them on this list.
The only thing supernatural (or, rather, super-scientific) about Nick or Natasha is the slowed aging. Neither of them are at peak human efficiency the way that Steve Rogers is (who technically also has no powers) and either would only beat Steve in a fight by being sneakier or more ruthless than him.
Tony Stark got disqualified the minute Extremis hit him. While the virus isn’t in him anymore, he’s still physically changed by it so that he IS Iron Man. The suit is literally under his skin.
Bucky got disqualified the minute he got the robot arm.
Does Dc’s the Stranger have any powers? What are they? I rember him looking alot like the question!(yeah, I know wikipedia is my friend) Dr. Strange? Baisically, he memorizes incantations from a book!
After reading through all the omnibuses currently out there, I would say Jack Knight would be somewhere on my list. Can’t wait for that last Omni so I can see how his story finishes.
@Josh wha!!??! ye don’t like Punisher? I’ve always put him in the Jessie Custer category. Maybe it’s the way other people have written him over the years. He used to have a sense of humor in the 90s, now whether his creative MOs fits your definition of humor….
Find us on Facebook
Graphicly - Upload Once. Distribute Everywhere.
Follow us on Twitter
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Some rights reserved.
I thought Nick Fury had some kind of second rate super soldier serum in him.
@ActualButt PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!
@ActualButt It’s just a formula that helps him live longer, I don’t think it adds any kind of healing factor or enhanced physical attributes.
Awesome list.
Tony Stark might start drinking again because of this snub.
Of course Batman is at the top of the list… as it should be. What about Iron man?
@ActualButt: I think that Fury only had a youth serum, so no powers just younger.
@Latimagic Tony Stark can suck it.
@josh oh snap!
Never aging is a power.
@josh …is that his power now? Good point.
I think 1-5 should all be Batman in his various costumes.
No Punisher? Or did his movie legacy leave a bad taste in y’alls mouths?
@josh I’m still laughing! “Tony Stark can suck it.”
Aww, Jimmy Corrigan didn’t make the list (he’s a superhero).
Hawkeye should be #2. The real snub here is Bucky.
Otherwise, good list, Josh.
@NaveenM Is Punisher really a superhero? I think he’s a mass murdering vigilante. Also, I don’t like him.
@Thursday Bucky’s kind of a Mary Sue though isn’t he? Plus he has a robot arm which in my book counts as a power.
5 just isn’t long enough to cover non powered heroes. Where’s Green Arrow? The Punisher? Iron Man, Ted Kord, Booster Gold…
Didnt Black Widow get some soviet super formula?
Until Marvel strengthens their testing program, ALL Marvel characters have to be suspected of using performance-enhancing super formulas. It’s wrong to single out Nick Fury, Black Widow and Barry Bonds.
Didn’t Batman get some sort of anger/guilt-persistence formula or something?
Remember in the 80s and early 90s when DC was claiming every superhero had some form of the “metagene” in them, it was declared that Batman’s meta power was the power of detection?
Good list. Miffed that Green Arrow didn’t make the list or at least get a tie with Hawkeye!
@PraxJarvin Oh i do remember that. That was weird. I always liked the term Meta though and DC hasn’t used it in years, or if they have I haven’t noticed it.
Robin / Nightwing / Dick-Bats also got snubbed. I dig The Question being on the list, so “Bye-bye Hawkeye!”
@RoiVampire Bucky was a superhero long before he got the bionic arm. Any 11 year old in WWII is a superhero in my book.
@Thursday Or an idiot.
@Thursday So you want 1940′s Bucky in here? Because 2011 Bucky can punch through a car, so he gets DQ’ed.
Also, I vote a honorable mention for Dick Grayson. He is a more likable and better adjusted Batman and he used to beat people up with sticks.
I feel as if Rorschach could bump the Question off this list. (I guess you could fill this list with any Watchmen hero except Dr. Manhattan.)
@kingdomofevan To quote Vic Sage, “Rorschach sucks.”*
*This is not me making trouble or character-bashing, it just happens to be a thing the Question said once. Thanks, Denny.
.
And i don’t think Tony Stark can count as having ‘no powers’ anymore. He’s got all kinds of techno-organic enhancements.
Hawkeye fell out of favor at #4? I thought there was a strong set of random, absurd rules when it came to these things.
@kingdomofevan Rorschach was based on the Question, so by default, he doesn’t outrank him. But I did think about it.
@josh — Isn’t Hawkeye “based on” Green Arrow?
@wallythegreenmonster Not that I know of.
Great list. The Question doesn’t get mentioned enough these days.
@josh — on the surface and based on the time frame he was created in there are pretty obvious comparisons. I’m sure over time he’s evolved into his own thing.
Right after I saw Nick Fury on the list I wondered “how many post before someone questions that one?”.
I would put Scott Pilgrim on this list.
I think Nick Fury is 2nd only to Batman, Black Widow should not be on this list and Red Robin should but that’s just me
I always like how Batman is “powerless” but all the powered heroes in the JLA are afraid of him. Never makes any sense, but is always awesome nonetheless.
@wally:
Everyone should be scared of the goddamned Batman. The goddamaned Batman knows where you live.
@josh Fair enough. Though being a copy of another character doesn’t always make the copy inferior (cf. the Comedian vs. Peacemaker).
@kingdomofevan Alright, maybe it’s not by default. But I just like the Question.
Yay for Vic Sage!
Glad to see the Question on here. I like him a lot more than Rorschach.
@MisterJ You could easily populate this list entirely with Batman and the people he has trained! And I’d put Dick Grayson at the top arbitrarily, because when you make a list you can play favorites
@josh I can respect that.
When I saw the list I immediately thought of “Phantom Reporter” from the Twelve…not that he should be on the list (no way), but talk about chutzpah, this guy literally just walked around with a domino mask on…and that’s about it. Yup, he was awesome.
@Barnabas http://marvel.com/universe/Black_Widow_%28Natasha_Romanova%29
“Government treatments have slowed her aging, augmented her immune system and enhanced her physical durability.”
One could argue those are “powers”.
@Urthona God that series needs to get finished because out of everything JMS has written that series hooked me the quickest and held me interested until it went on hiatus
I saw this list and though: ”There’s going to be some argument on 2 & 3″ and sure enough, there is. I think if you have to think about whether they have powers or not it’s okay to put them on this list.
The only thing supernatural (or, rather, super-scientific) about Nick or Natasha is the slowed aging. Neither of them are at peak human efficiency the way that Steve Rogers is (who technically also has no powers) and either would only beat Steve in a fight by being sneakier or more ruthless than him.
Tony Stark got disqualified the minute Extremis hit him. While the virus isn’t in him anymore, he’s still physically changed by it so that he IS Iron Man. The suit is literally under his skin.
Bucky got disqualified the minute he got the robot arm.
I approve of this list.
@queenrikki @Diabhol And I love you both.
Does Dc’s the Stranger have any powers? What are they? I rember him looking alot like the question!(yeah, I know wikipedia is my friend)
Dr. Strange? Baisically, he memorizes incantations from a book!
The Phantom Stranger? He’s like Wilson from Home Improvement, but immortal.
@Jesse1125 –he’s immortal, omnipotent, can travel through space and time…hell the Spectre can’t even kill him. He’s got powers. =)
@PaulMontgomery GUFFAW!! ok,but I’ll be damned if I actually saw him do ANYTHING
The best offense is a good defense.
@josh And I wish I knew how to quit you.
What about Artie: THE STRONGEST MAN — IN THE WORLD!
@josh The Punisher does not like you either
After reading through all the omnibuses currently out there, I would say Jack Knight would be somewhere on my list. Can’t wait for that last Omni so I can see how his story finishes.
@Neb OH! Good one.
I would totally buy a Question mini series. Never read anything with either of them in it, But i’ve always liked the design
@Josh wha!!??! ye don’t like Punisher? I’ve always put him in the Jessie Custer category. Maybe it’s the way other people have written him over the years. He used to have a sense of humor in the 90s, now whether his creative MOs fits your definition of humor….
@Neb If Jack Knight is in there, so is Hal Jordan. I think there should be a separate list for guys who wield power gadgets…
@Glassford @Neb, I was just about to make the same point about Hal Jordan when I saw yours… and I’m afraid, by extension, Tony Stark.