12 Best Superheroes And Villains NOT Created by Marvel or DC
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Whenever you hear the term “superhero” now, you probably think of Marvel or DC superheroes. Some of the best superheroes ever were never created by Marvel or DC. Wildly popular superheroes like Homelander, Hellboy, Teenage Muthat Ninja Turtles, and Spawn were all created by independent creators and publishers. Here are 12 more examples.
1. Spawn
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Spawn is probably one of the most famous superheroes not created by Marvel or DC known to fans. Al Simmons is a mercenary who died and went to Hell for the evil he committed on Earth. Simmons makes a deal with a demon to return to Earth and reunite with his family; however, Simmons returns horribly burned and unrecognizable to his family. Now imbued with super strength, immortality, and his skills as a mercenary, Spawn uses the powers of Hell to fight evil on Earth.
2. Nexus
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Nexus is a 1980s and 1990s-era superhero published by a few independent publishers, including Dark Horse, but not Marvel or DC. Set 500 years in the future, the comic centers on Horatio Hellpop. Hellpop becomes a cosmic executioner named Nexus after being given star-based powers by a God-like alien called Merk. Nexus must kill a quota of serial killers and mass murderers per cycle selected by Merk or suffer from violent headaches and nightmares that affect him physiologically.
3. Savage Dragon
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Savage Dragon is a green-skinned superhero with super strength, a healing factor, a mohawk-like fin on his head, and severe amnesia about his origins. Savage Dragon becomes a Chicago-based cop and battles the mutated criminals wreaking havoc in the city. Not created by Marvel or DC, Savage Dragon was created by Image Comics co-founder Erik Larsen.
4. Midnighter
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Midnighter is a cult-favorite character who first appeared in Wildstorm Comics as a member of The Authority back in 1998. While not created by Marvel or DC, DC Comics now owns the character after Wildstorm was legally absorbed by DC. Midnighter is a violent, LGTQ+ version of Batman with bio-enhanced super strength and reflexes that are seldom seen outside of costume. Midnighter is an antihero whose brutal tactics barely rank him above villain status.
5. Nemesis
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Nemesis is an independent comic book character created for Icon and Millarworld, not Marvel or DC. Nemesis is a villainous take on Batman. The comic tries to imagine a world where a mentally deranged, billionaire vigilante acts as a terrorist against governments and authorities for his own amusement, and not as an altruistic vigilante. Nemesis wears an all-white Batman-like costume and commits atrocious acts to avenge the perceived humiliation of his parents.
6. Judge Dredd
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Judge Dredd is a dystopian and satirical comic book character created in 1977 in the long-running British anthology comic book 2000 AD, not by Marvel or DC. Judge Dredd is a character imbued with the powers of cop, lawyer, judge, jury, and executioner who acts as vigilante-at-will in the lawless and sprawling Mega City One, a city the size of a continent.
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
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Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1983 via their own home-based, independent company Mirage Studios, not with the help of powerhouse publishers Marvel or DC. TMNT is the story of baby turtles exposed to radioactive sludge who become humanoid, trained by a martial arts master mutant rat, and become vigilantes while using the New York City sewers as an HQ. TMNT is a billion-dollar merchandising entity that is still creating comic books, films, cartoons, video games, and merchandising to this day.
8. Invincible
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Invincible is a teen superhero with the powers of Superman. The character and his father, Omni-Man, are now wildly popular due to the popular animated series Invincible. The comic book series is about a teenager who learns that his father is an evil Superman-like villain who came to Earth to colonize it for an alien race. Invincible was published by Image, not Marvel or DC.
9. Hellboy
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Hellboy is an occult-investigating superhero created by Mike Mignola in 1993. Hellboy is a human and demon hybrid with the aesthetics of a red-skinned demon. The character continuously breaks and grinds down the horns on his head to fit in with others. Actors Ron Perlman and David Harbour portrayed the character in films. Actor Jack Kesy will portray the character in the upcoming film Hellboy: The Crooked Man.
10. The Crow
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The Crow is a supernatural entity that resurrects, empowers, and guides recently murdered souls who can’t rest until they avenge their tragic deaths. Multiple characters have assumed the mantle and powers of The Crow, but the most well-known is Eric Draven as portrayed by Brandon Lee in the 1994 film. Actor Bill Skarsgård will reboot the Eric Draven role in a new The Crow film this year. This is a strongly independent and cult-favorite character that wouldn’t fit at Marvel or DC.
11. Tom Strong
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Tom Strong is a pulp comics-era-inspired superhero not created by Marvel or DC but one who would seem a natural fit for either company. The character is an enhanced science-based superhero given his powers via lab experimentation and the regular ingestion of roots known to indigenous peoples only. Tom Strong is like a mix of Mr. Fantastic’s intellect with Superman’s aesthetic brawn. Tom Strong was created by comics icon Alan Moore for the independent imprint, ABC Comics, in 1999, originally distributed by DC.
12. Homelander
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Homelander is the Superman-like villain who is the leader of the cynical super team, The Seven. Homelander is a cynical and hedonistic version of the traditional superheroes seen in modern comics by Marvel or DC. A corporation developed Homelander in a lab and told the world he was an alien who crash-landed on Earth as a PR ploy. Meanwhile, the company is barely able to control the violent, petulant, and cynical Homelander, who can barely keep his impulses in check. The character is portrayed by Anthony Starr in the wildly popular Amazon TV show The Boys.
Best Superheroes And Villains NOT Created by Marvel or DC
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The MCU, DCEU, and the upcoming DCU have created a billion-dollar industry where casual comic book fans are more familiar with their characters than others. Still, the success of shows and films like The Boys, Invincible, and the Hellboy films show there is a world of superheroes not created by Marvel or DC that you can learn more about.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
