50. Captain Planet

Captain Planet is vital on more than one level. He’s a superhero who knows full well he can’t exist on his own. He needs the help of five mere mortals to bring him to life. He and his crew of devoted humans (the Planeteers) remind us that we must protect the Earth. It’s the only one we’ve got.*

*As of now.

(Photo: DIC Entertainment)

49. The Tick

Yes, he has superpowers, like his prodigious strength. But the Tick might possess the most underrated ability of all: “drama power.” The unique skill allows for the Tick to gain power as the situation becomes more dramatic. The Tick was a loud, muscular, inspirational and high-spirited vigilante who provided probably the best satire of the genre. Anyways, “Spoooooon!”

(Photo: New England Comics Press)

48. Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Animals can be superheroes, too! But who is to say Leonardo is the best of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Michaelangelo is a fan favorite, what with his pizza scarfing and cool-dude speak. Donatello is the loveable one, with his infatuation for April. Raphael is equipped with strength, skill and drive. But Leonardo has something the others don’t: the innate call to lead. He not only rallies the team, he encourages each of his brothers to be better.

(Photo: New Line Cinema)

47. The Green Hornet

The Green Hornet is a masked vigilante, who drives a sleek black car. Sounds familiar, right? But what separates him from other superheroes is that many people believe he’s actually a villain. The Green Hornet uses this to his advantage to infiltrate evil organizations, while leaving behind any incriminating evidence.

(Photo: DC Comics)

46. Black Widow

First appearing in the early ‘40s, Black Widow is one of the first super-heroines. That’s pretty important, considering she rolls with the Avengers: a supercharged group pumped full of testosterone. Someone has to keep those fellas focused on saving the world (while kicking significant ass on her own.)

(Photo: Marvel)

45. Colossus

Conceived in 1975, Colossus is a gentle giant… when he needs to be. He has an imposing metallic stature that might be intimidating to some, but Colossus only uses his powers in combat for the betterment of mutant and mankind. He’s also one of the first comic book heroes to come out as gay.

(Photo: Marvel)

44. Dani Moonstar

If you don’t know Dani Moonstar, get on the bandwagon. She’s a mutant member of the X-Men crew, she wields Uru metal (take that, Thor) and she rides a badass winged horse named Brightwind. She’s also one of very few Native American superheroes.

(Photo: Marvel)

43. Star-Lord

Peter Quill, better known as Star-Lord, has some incredibly important powers. Along with his superior fighting skills and a silver tongue, not many superheroes have the uncanny ability to unify a rag-tag group of superheroes and turn them into the Guardians of the Galaxy. Many superhero groups have failed trying to band together, while Star-Lord and his “loser” companions were able to save the Nova Empire capital world Xandar in the recent Marvel flick.

(Photo: Marvel)

42. Hellboy

Though everyone would dismiss him as a wretched demon, Hellboy was brought up from the depths because he is just so much more than that. He’s an honest guy with a caring heart who just wants to help. Hellboy is a paranormal superhero who teaches us that you can’t judge a book by its cover.

(Photo: Dark Horse Comics)

41. Hancock

Hancock simply doesn’t care what you think. He’s going to do his job the way he wants, OK? Los Angeles city officials love that he keeps the city safe, but they hate all of the expensive damage he creates. Hancock reminds us that even the toughest superheroes can be tender at times.

(Photo: Columbia Pictures)

40. The Green Lantern

Though Hal Jordan himself is very important (currently facing adversity from his own colleagues), his original storyline and characters are equally vital. His love interest just so happens to be his boss. Yep: That’s a female character in charge who’s capable of love. His best friend is an Inuit with serious skills and smarts. Yes, a competent person of color. In the mid-20th century, this was groundbreaking comic book writing.

(Photo: DC Comics)

39. Thor

OK, actually Thor is more of a god than a superhero. Technically, he’s an alien god. Grounded to Earth (bummer), Thor really comes into his own. And that’s just it: even when pushed out of his comfort zone, Thor finds a way to shine. Now, with the Avengers, he continues to wield biceps that hammer for good.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

38. Catwoman

As with basically all of these characters, there are two sides to a super-heroine. Selina Kyle and Catwoman illustrate this perhaps better than any other example. Is she good? Sometimes, yes. Especially as Selina Kyle. But sometimes she’s bad, generally when the Catwoman part of her sinks her claws in too deeply. Why is she important? Aside from being one of only a few bisexual superheroes, she shows us that no one – superhero or otherwise – is 100 percent anything. We are all multifaceted, even when it comes to who we choose to fight and who we choose to love.

(Photo: DC Comics)

37. Jesse Custer

Anybody whose guiding spirit is the ghost of John Wayne is OK in our book. That’s Jesse Custer, the hero from Preacher, who is on a mission to find God and punish him. He’s a fun, old-school Western hero whose only weakness is his code of honor. And every hero should have a code, right?

(Photo: DC Comics)

36. Ant-Man

He may be small, but Ant-Man played a giant role in comic book lore. He was one of the founding members of the Avengers in the Marvel Comics. Whether it’s in the comics or the film, Ant-Man reminds us that family comes first, no matter how big or small you are.

(Photo: Marvel)

35. Namor the Sub-Mariner

Namor the Sub-Mariner was created in 1939, and along with Captain America and the Human Torch, he rounds out Timely Comics’ three top comic book heroes. The son of a sea captain and a princess of the undersea kingdom Atlantis, Namor played an important role in comic books as the medium’s first antihero. Namor remains an important character in comic book lore, having aided other Marvel heroes including the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

34. Supergirl

Multitasking doesn’t begin to describe the life of Kal-El’s younger cousin. She works at a media company while keeping the city safe as Supergirl. It’s a lot for a young woman to keep up with, in addition to managing a pretty intense love triangle. But she does it, proving the superheroes are so much like us it’s a bit scary.

(Photo: CBS)

33. Spawn

Created in 1992, Spawn is a murdered CIA agent who returns to Earth as an immortal Hellspawn. The demonic creature became a vigilante, and proved that heroes can come in all shapes and sizes. And even from the depths of hell.

(Photo: Image)

32. Dr. Manhattan

Dr. Jonathan Osterman was originally a nuclear physicist who, in 1959, was transformed into Dr. Manhattan, a blue-skinned, radiated powerful being. What separates Dr. Manhattan from other heroes — other than his blue skin, of course — is that he’s motivated by love (of his father and love interests, Janey Slater and Laurie Juspecyzk) rather than ambition or rage.

(Photo: Warner Bros.)

31. Pootie Tang

Only one man could save the inner city from the leader of corporate America, Dick Lecter. That man is Pootie Tang. Armed with his crime-fighting belt and unintelligible speak (to confuse The Man … perhaps), Pootie Tang proves that it’s not always about rescuing an entire city. His main goal is keeping the inner city Tippi Tais (that’s the kids) safe.

(Photo: Paramount Pictures)

30. Elastigirl

Yes, she’s a super-stretchy superhero. But she’s also a mom, which is like being a double superhero. While others are out protecting society at large, Elastigirl does all of this while simultaneously keeping her family safe and happy.

(Photo: Disney Pictures)

29. Deadpool

Move over, Tony Stark. Deadpool might just be the most entertaining Marvel hero. First appearing in 1991, Deadpool is a deformed mercenary with superhuman fighting and healing abilities. As he often breaks the fourth wall, Deadpool proves not every superhero needs to be taken sooooo seriously.

(Photo: Marvel)

28. Rogue

Rogue is considered one of the most powerful X-Men. Not only does she have her own list of powers, she also can absorb and emulate the powers of those she comes into contact with. Woah. Plus, hers is one of the best bad-girl-turned-good storylines.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

27. Dr. Strange

Stephen Vincent Strange is a former doctor who becomes Sorcerer Supreme in the Marvel comics. What’s the Sorcerer Supreme’s job duties, you ask? Well, he’s just the primary protector of Earth, which is kind of a big deal.

(Photo: Marvel)

26. Cyclops

Many X-Men have to sacrifice a lot because of their mutant powers, but Cyclops might have given up more than any other mutant. Scott Summers has foregone much of his youth and happiness to help others. Cyclops embodies the X-Men and Professor Xavier’s vision by dedicating his life to helping his friends and fellow mutants.

25. Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones has powers, but that’s not what makes her one of the most important superheroes around. She put her cape – so to speak – away in order to become a private eye. Her main clients? Powerful people of her own ilk. Jessica Jones proves that being a typical (flying, fighting, disappearing and reappearing) superhero isn’t the only way to make a huge difference.

(Photo: Marvel Television)

24. Powerpuff Girls

When they flew onto the scene in the late ‘90s, The Powerpuff Girls gave kids something that no other cartoon superhero crew did: a solid team of pint-sized female crimefighters. Girls were no longer limited to the Supermans and Spider-Mans of the superhero realm. Not with Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup in the picture.

23. The Punisher

Frank Castle is the gritty hero the Punisher, a Vietnam war veteran who struggles to re-assimilate into society. After his family is murdered, the Punisher has one purpose: Revenge. The Punisher is a grim, yet refreshing view of a vigilante who will do anything for his ultimate goal.

22. Green Arrow

The Green Arrow was originally created in 1940 to give DC superheroes Batman and Superman some much needed time out of the limelight. The difference between the Green Arrow and those heroes is that he is able to dedicate himself wholly to vigilantism AND philanthropy. Green Arrow is often the moral compass of the DC heroes. He’s more than willing to not only stand up to the corrupt system, but also to other DC superheroes.

(Photo: DC Comics)

21. Kitty Pryde

Katherine Anne “Kitty” Pryde is important for several reasons. First, she was the youngest mutant to join the X-Men team. Second, she was one of a handful of females on said team. Third, she was born to Jewish parents, giving young Jewish readers someone they could very much relate to. And it wasn’t just Jewish kids that could relate to Kitty. Because her parents were divorced, children from similar families found themselves in her triumphant storyline.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

20. The Wasp

The Winsome Wasp is one of the first Avengers and akin to Ant-Man as far as her powers are concerned. Janet van Dyne didn’t just become a super-heroine. She made herself one, being a hella-smart scientist and all. She’s also super important because The Avengers wouldn’t be the Avengers without her, considering she came up with the name.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

19. Nightwing

After starting as Batman’s sidekick, Robin, Dick Grayson turned into the agile superhero Nightwing. Nightwing even graduated from helping the Dark Knight protect Gotham to defending the city Blüdhaven. Any hero that can evolve from a lowly sidekick to a badass superhero is pretty damn important.

18. Black Panther

This Marvel Comics star is the first black superhero in mainstream comic book history. That’s a pretty big deal, folks. His name, Black Panther, denotes his chief status in his Wakandan tribe. So he’s the head man in charge. That might be part of the reason why Storm was so drawn to him. Boss recognizes boss.

17. Isis

It’s easy to see why Isis was important. The Secrets of Isis was the first American live-action superhero show (airing weekly) to feature a female lead. In Isis, which aired Saturdays on CBS, Andrea Thomas was a harmless schoolteacher who just so happened to kick major butt as the powerful Egyptian goddess Isis.

(Photo: CBS)

16. Miss America

America Chavez aspires to be like her two mothers, who gave their lives to save their home planet. Since said planet was safe and sound, Miss America struck out on her own to find people to save. It was easy, considering she can glide from dimension to dimension like a run-of-the-mill road trip. Oh, she’s also impervious to bullets and a lesbian. Let all her awesomeness sink in.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

15. Professor X

Charles Xavier, a.k.a. Professor X, is the unquestioned leader of the X-Men. Throughout his life, Professor X has worked to create a world where humans and mutants can co-exist. Despite his best friend turning into his nemesis, Xavier’s vision of a peaceful world has never faltered. His power, intelligence and discipline also prove that being the biggest, strongest and fastest hero can only take you so far.

(Photo: Marvel)

14. Human Torch

Without the Human Torch, Marvel Comics would certainly not be what it is today. The Human Torch debuted in Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939) as one of Timely Comics’ three signature characters, along with Captain America and Namor the Sub-Mariner. Timely Comics was, of course, the earliest iteration of what would become Marvel Comics in the 1960s.

13. Wolverine

Before becoming an X-Man, Wolverine was created to be a weapon of war in the super secretive Project X. Logan’s catchphrase “I’m the best there is at what I do” might be a badass quote, but it also gives a clearer picture of this conflicted hero. As part of the X-Men, Logan is participating in creating a world without war, where, if he’s successful, his strengths would essentially become useless. He’s the best there is at what he does, but it’s also the only thing that he knows he can do successfully in this world.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

12. The Flash

Many know the Flash as Barry Allen, but the first iteration of the character was Jay Garrick. He debuted during the golden age of comics in the 1940s, but when the superhero genre started fading, DC Comics decided to reboot the character as Allen. It was the first re-imagining of a character in comic-book history, and it helped revive the entire genre.

(Photo: DC Comics)

11. Blade

The character Blade had a much bigger impact on heroes than you could even imagine. The quasi-vampire was the first Marvel comic book superhero successfully adapted to the big screen. Without Blade, many of the big Summer movies that we enjoy today might have never been made. Blade’s success also helped popularize both superhero and vampire films, which are two of the most successful movie genres today.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

10. Daredevil

Created in 1964, Daredevil is “The Man Without Fear.” He is one of the few superheroes who also suffered from a disability – the loss of sight. The Daredevil has helped to raise public awareness with people who struggle with impairments. This hero helps give ordinary folks the power to focus on their strengths and abilities, instead of their disabilities.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

9. Jean Grey

Who’s afraid of death? Not Jean Grey, also known as the Phoenix or Dark Phoenix. She has died more than once and yet she comes back to use her powers for good again and again. It’s no wonder the fearless mutant is basically running things at Xavier’s Mansion. No mind reading necessary: She is super important to the X-Men and to all of us.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

8. Iron Man

First blasting onto the scene in 1963, Iron Man proved that even a notorious ladies man with an unruly ego can save the world. Sure, Tony Stark uses his billions for good. But he doesn’t come with a pristine record like that of, say, Superman. Regardless of his showy persona, it isn’t his stash of gold coins that matter, it’s his heart of gold (or Stark Industries machinery, as it were).

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

7. Goku

Goku, based on a classic Chinese character and initially appearing in a Japanese magazine, is one of the most visible, Asian-created superheroes around. But that’s not the only thing that makes Son Goku important. He also has the best attitude! He’s jovial and fun, but he’s able to focus intently when he’s fighting for those Dragon Balls. That type of control truly is super strength.

(Photo: Toei Animation)

6. Storm

Why is Storm important? Let us count the ways. She is both the hottest and the coolest of the X-Men. She’s a princess (and also a queen, technically, due to her previous marriage to Black Panther). She was born in Kenya, raised in Harlem, spent a few years in Egypt … the woman is well-traveled. She’s part of the X-Men crew, but also jumps in with the Avengers and the Fantastic Four when needed. She is versatile and always excels, no matter what situation she’s placed in. She’s also a style icon. In addition to all of this, she’s one of the only black super-heroines in existence.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

5. Captain America

Captain America is so old school that he was fighting the good fight before Marvel Comics was even a thing. Being the “first Avenger” comes with a certain amount of accolades, including being one of the most important superheroes ever. We salute you, soldier.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

4. Spider-Man

Superheroes are sometimes born out of the most unlikely places. They can even happen by accident. Take Spider-Man. One smarty-pants science student gets bitten by a random insect and falls head first into a big vat of danger … all because he’s now half man, half genetically-modified super-spider. The best part? He wins. He didn’t ask for the responsibility, but he’s facing it head-on with those big bug eyes.

(Photo: Marvel Comics)

3. Wonder Woman

It’s not just about her flashy and powerful accessories. Rising from nurse to secretary and all the way up to Major, Diana Prince continually placed herself in situations “not fit for a woman.” That’s just it–the thing that makes her so incredibly important. Wonder Woman showed the world that she was just as intelligent and competent as her male counterparts. More so, in many cases.

(Photo: Warner Bros.)

2. Batman

What makes the Caped Crusader so important is that he’s the first non-hero superhero. He has no super abilities, but his talents include a utility belt, his physique and his developed detective mind. Batman was the first superhero to have his own base of operations – the Batcave. The Dark Knight is significant because, unlike many heroes, he’s known for refusing to kill … most of the time.

(Photo: DC Comics)

1. Superman

Created in 1938, the Man of Steel is quite simply the first significant comic book superhero. By 1941, Superman appeared in six different comic books, had his own radio show, newspaper strip and an animated cartoon series. Without the popularity of Superman, there’s a good chance that the rest of the heroes we’ve grown up with would be non-existent … or, at least, very boring.

(Photo: DC Comics)