By most definitions, characters need not have actual superhuman powers to be deemed superheroes, although sometimes terms such as costumed crimefighters[2] are used to refer to those without such powers who have many other common traits of superheroes.
The folkloric Spring Heeled Jack came to be featured in a series of Penny Dreadfuls, first as a villain, then as a crime-fighter with a disguise, secret lair, and gadgets, halmarks of superheroes.[3]
Character / Team / Series |
Year Debuted |
Creator/s |
First Appearance |
Flash |
1940 (January) |
Gardner Fox, Harry Lampert |
Flash Comics #1 |
Hawkman |
1940 (January) |
Gardner Fox |
Flash Comics #1 |
Johnny Thunder |
1940 (January) |
John W. Wentworth, Stan Asch |
Flash Comics #1 |
The Shield (Archie) |
1940 (January) |
Harry Shorten, Irv Novick |
Pep Comics #1 |
Captain Marvel (DC Comics) |
1940 (February) |
C. C. Beck, Bill Parker |
Whiz Comics #2 |
Electro (comics) |
1940 (February) |
Steve Dahlman |
Marvel Mystery #4 |
The Spectre |
1940 (February) |
Jerry Siegel |
More Fun Comics #52 |
Hourman |
1940 (March) |
Ken Fitch, Bernard Bailey |
Adventure Comics #48 |
Black Marvel |
1940 (March) |
Stan Lee, Al Gabriele |
Mystic Comics #5 |
Blazing Skull |
1940 (March) |
|
Mystic Comics #5 |
Robin, the Boy Wonder |
1940 (April) |
Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson |
Detective Comics #38 |
Bulletman and Bulletgirl |
1940 (May) |
Bill Parker |
Nickel Comics #1 |
Doctor Fate |
1940 (May) |
Gardner Fox, Howard Sherman |
More Fun Comics #55 |
Uncle Sam (Quality Comics) |
1940 (July) |
Will Eisner |
National Comics #1 |
Green Lantern |
1940 (July) |
Martin Nodell, Bill Finger |
All-American Comics #16 |
Red Tornado |
1940 (November) |
Sheldon Mayer |
All-American Comics #20 |
Justice Society of America |
1940 (Winter) |
Gardner Fox |
All Star Comics #3 |
Daredevil (Gleason Publications) |
1940 |
Jack Binder |
Silver Streak #6 |
Quicksilver |
1940 |
Jack Cole, Chuck Mazoujian |
National Comics #5 |
The Red Bee |
1940 |
Toni Blum, Charles Nicholas |
Hit Comics #1 |
Scarlet Avenger |
1940 |
Harry Shorten, Irv Novick |
Zip Comics #1 |
Doc Strange |
1940 |
Richard E. Hughes, Alexander Kostuk |
Thrilling Comics #1 |
Sargon the Sorcerer |
1941 (May) |
John B. Wentworth, Howard Purcell |
All American Comics #26 |
Mr. America(Americommando) |
1941 (June) |
|
Action Comics #33 |
711 |
1941 (August) |
George Brenner |
Police Comics #1 |
Aquaman |
1941 (November) |
Mort Weisinger, Paul Norris |
More Fun Comics #73 |
The Atom |
1941 |
Ben Flinton, Bill O'Conner |
All-American Comics #19 |
Blackhawk (comics) |
1941 |
Will Eisner, Chuck Cuidera |
Military Comics #1 |
Black Terror |
1941 |
Richard E. Hughes, Don Gabrielson |
Exciting Comics #9 |
Captain America |
1941 |
Joe Simon, Jack Kirby |
Captain America #1 |
Captain Flag |
1941 |
Joe Blair, Lin Streeter |
Blue Ribbon Comics #16 |
Captain Marvel, Jr. |
1941 |
Ed Herron, Mac Raboy |
Whiz Comics #25 |
Catwoman |
1941 |
Bill Finger, Bob Kane |
Batman #1 |
Green Arrow and Speedy |
1941 |
Mort Weisinger, Greg Papp |
More Fun Comics #73 |
The Human Bomb |
1941 |
Paul Gustavson |
Police Comics #1 |
Johnny Quick |
1941 |
Mort Weisinger, Chad Grothkopf |
More Fun Comics #71 |
Miss America (DC Comics) |
1941 |
Quality Comics |
Military Comics #1 |
Professor Supermind and Son |
1941 |
Dell Comics |
Popular Comics #60 |
Nelvana of the Northern Lights |
1941 |
Adrian Dingle |
Triumph Comics #1 |
Phantom Lady |
1941 |
Arthur Peddy |
Police Comics #1 |
Plastic Man |
1941 |
Jack Cole (artist) |
Police Comics #1 |
Sandy the Golden Boy |
1941 |
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby |
Adventure Comics #69 |
Seven Soldiers of Victory |
1941 |
Mort Weisinger |
Leading Comics #1 |
Starman (Ted Knight) |
1941 |
Gardner Fox, Jack Burnley |
Adventure Comics #61 |
The Whizzer |
1941 |
Writer unknown; Al Avison & Al Gabriele, artists |
USA Comics #1 |
American Crusader |
1941 (August) |
Writer and artist unknown |
Thrilling Comics #19 |
Liberator (Nedor) |
1941 (December) |
Writer and artist unknown |
Exciting Comics #15 |
Air Wave |
1942 (February) |
Murray Boltinoff or Mort Weisinger, and Lee Harris |
Detective Comics #60 |
Johnny Canuck (as superhero) |
1942 (February) |
Leo Bachle |
Dime Comics #1 |
Manhunter (Dan Richards) |
1942 (March) |
|
Police Comics #8 |
Manhunter (Paul Kirk) |
1942 (April) |
Jack Kirby, Joe Simon |
Adventure Comics #73 |
Yank |
1942 (July) |
|
Wow Comics #6 |
Captain Commando [8] |
1942 (August) |
S.M. "Jerry" Iger, Alex Blum |
Pep Comics #30 |
Kid Eternity |
1942 |
Otto Binder, Sheldon Moldoff |
Hit Comics #25 |
Mister Terrific (comics)(Terry Sloane) |
1942 |
Chuck Reizenstein, Hal Sharp |
Sensation Comics #1 |
Mary Marvel |
1942 |
Otto Binder, Marc Swayze |
Captain Marvel Adventures #18 |
Robotman |
1942 |
Jerry Siegel, Leo Nowak |
Star-Spangled Comics #7 |
Superboy |
1942 |
Don Cameron, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster |
More Fun Comics #101 |
Wildcat (comics) |
1942 |
Bill Finger, Irwin Hasen |
Sensation Comics #1 |
Wonder Woman |
1942 |
Charles Moulton(William Moulton Marston), H. G. Peter |
All Star Comics #8 / Sensation Comics #1 |
Canada Jack |
1943 (March) |
George Menendez Rae |
Canadian Heroes Vol. 1, #5 [9] |
Miss America (Marvel Comics) |
1943 (November) |
Otto Binder, Al Gabriele |
Marvel Mystery Comics #49 |
Grim Reaper (Nedor) |
1944 (May) |
Author unknown, artist Al Camy |
Wonder Comics #1 |
All-Winners Squad |
1946 (Fall) |
Martin Goodman, Bill Finger |
All Winners Comics #19 |
Black Canary |
1947 (August) |
Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino |
Flash Comics #86 |
Moon Girl |
1947 (Fall) |
Gardner Fox, Sheldon Moldoff |
The Happy Houligans #1 |
Character / Team / Series |
Year Debuted |
Creator/s |
First Appearance |
Captain Atom |
1960 (March) |
Joe Gill, Steve Ditko |
Space Adventures #33 |
Elongated Man |
1960 (May 12) |
John Broome, Carmine Infantino |
The Flash vol. 1 #112 |
Justice League |
1960 (Feb.-March) |
Gardner Fox |
The Brave and the Bold #28 |
Fantastic Four |
1961 |
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby |
The Fantastic Four #1 |
Flygirl |
1961 |
Robert Bernstein, John Rosenberger |
Adventures of the Fly #13 |
The Jaguar |
1961 |
Robert Bernstein |
The Adventures of the Jaguar #1 |
The Hulk |
1962 |
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby |
The Incredible Hulk #1 |
Ant-Man |
1962 |
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby |
Tales to Astonish #27 |
Spider-Man |
1962 |
Stan Lee, Steve Ditko |
Amazing Fantasy #15 |
Thor |
1962 |
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby |
Journey into Mystery #83 |
Wonder Wart-Hog |
1962 |
Gilbert Shelton |
Bacchanal |
Doctor Strange |
1963 |
Stan Lee, Steve Ditko |
Strange Tales #110 |
Doom Patrol |
1963 |
Bob Haney, Arnold Drake, Bruno Premiani |
My Greatest Adventure #80 |
Iron Man |
1963 |
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Don Heck |
Tales of Suspense #39 |
Magnus, Robot Fighter |
1963 |
Chase Craig, Russ Manning |
Magnus Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. #1 |
Nick Fury |
1963 |
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby |
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 |
X-Men |
1963 |
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby |
Uncanny X-Men #1 |
The Avengers |
1963 |
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers |
Avengers #1 |
Daredevil |
1964 |
Stan Lee, Bill Everett |
Daredevil #1 |
Metamorpho |
1964 |
Bob Haney, Ramona Fradon |
The Brave and the Bold #57 |
Teen Titans |
1964 |
Robert Haney, Bruno Premiani |
The Brave and the Bold #54 |
Wonder Man |
1964 |
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby |
Avengers #9 |
Zatanna |
1964 |
Gardner Fox, Murphy Anderson |
Hawkman #4 |
Judomaster |
1965 |
Joe Gill, Frank McLaughlin |
Special War Series #4 |
Mighty Crusaders |
1965 |
Jerry Siegel, Paul Reinman |
Fly-Man #31 |
Animal Man |
1965 |
Dave Wood, Carmine Infantino |
Strange Adventures #180 |
Black Panther |
1966 |
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby |
Fantastic Four #52 |
Nightshade |
1966 |
Joe Gill, Steve Ditko |
Captain Atom #82 |
Silver Surfer |
1966 |
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby |
Fantastic Four #48 |
Batgirl |
1967 |
Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino |
Detective Comics #359 |
Carol Danvers (a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, Binary, Warbird) |
1968 |
Roy Thomas, Gene Colan |
Marvel Super Heroes #13 |
The Creeper |
1968 |
Steve Ditko |
Showcase #73 |
Character / Team / Series |
Year Debuted |
Creator/s |
First Appearance |
Dazzler |
1980 |
Tom DeFalco, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern |
Uncanny X-Men #130 |
She-Hulk |
1980 |
Stan Lee, John Buscema |
Savage She-Hulk #1 |
Omega Men |
1981 |
Marv Wolfman, Joe Staton |
Green Lantern #136 |
Alpha Flight |
1983 |
Chris Claremont, John Byrne |
Uncanny X-Men #120 |
New Mutants |
1983 |
Chris Claremont |
The New MutantsMarvel Graphic Novel #5 |
Outsiders |
1983 |
Mike Barr, Jim Aparo |
The Brave and the Bold #200 |
American Flagg |
1983 |
Howard Chaykin |
American Flagg #1 |
Beowulf |
1984 |
Jerry Bingham |
|
Femforce |
1984 |
Bill Black, Stephanie Sanderson, Mark Heike |
Femforce Special |
Northguard |
1984 |
Mark Shainblum, Gabriel Morrisette |
New Triumph featuring Northguard #1 |
West Coast Avengers |
1984 |
Roger Stern, Bob Hall |
West Coast Avengers (Vol. 1) #1 |
Zot |
1984 |
Scott McCloud |
Zot! #1 |
Fleur de Lys |
1985 |
Mark Shainblum, Gabriel Morrisette |
New Triumph featuring Northguard #5 |
X-Factor |
1985 |
Bob Layton, Jackson Guice, Josef Rubinstein |
X-Factor #1 |
Booster Gold |
1986 |
Dan Jurgens |
Booster Gold #1 |
Watchmen |
1986 |
Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons |
Watchmen #1 |
Excalibur (comics) |
1988 |
Chris Claremont, Alan Davis |
Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn |
New Warriors |
1989 |
Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz |
Thor #411 |