The Top 10 Best Original Superheroes from Movies

5. Riggan AKA Birdman- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

From Batman to Birdman, Michael Keaton is no stranger to superheroes. In fact, after playing the Vulture in Spider-man: Homecoming, he almost made it onto the 10 Actors Who Played Multiple Comic Characters list. However, Birdman is not a comic book character. Birdman is a completely unique character even for this list. Instead of being the center of the movie, instead, he’s a figment of the imagination of an actor that once played him in movies. These days though he struggling to make a comeback and is stressed enough by everything to see his alter ego following him. As the film goes on Birdman becomes stronger and stronger until we get to see him in action flying through the sky to save the city. While he might be an odd choice, he’s definitely a memorable one.

4. Frank Darbo AKA The Crimson Bolt- Super

Take it from Batman, not all superheroes need powers. Before James Gunn introduced the Guardians of the Galaxy to the MCU, he was turning Rainn Wilson into a terrifying hero in his own right. Super follows a short-order cook who sets out to save the love of his life from… Kevin Bacon? After receiving a sign from The Holy Avenger (which may or may not have been a psychotic break) he sets out to deliver justice the only way he knows how by breaking skulls with a big ass pipe wrench. As goofy as it sounds, Super is actually a pretty brutal comedy with more than enough blood to make even the toughest audience members feel queasy. It’s definitely one of the most bizarre superhero movies out there and definitely worth checking out.

3. John Hancock AKA Hancock- Hancock

Hancock actually managed to make an appearance on a list Stars & Popcorn did of the best Black Superheroes to Appear Before Black Panther. There’s a reason for that though since Hancock pretty much takes that whole “with great power comes great responsibility” concept and turns it on its head. What happens when someone totally irresponsible gets great power? Well, for one thing, he makes the collateral damage in Man of Steel seem quaint by comparison. Will Smith place the hard-drinking, foul-mouthed, Hancock. A homeless man who has been “protecting” Los Angeles in all the wrong ways until he gets a manager that decides to help him live up to his potential. It’s a rough road, but even Hancock manages to become the hero LA deserves.

2. Alex J. Murphy AKA Robocop- The Robocop Franchise

It’s strange to consider Robocop a superhero, especially since it’s kind of his day job to protect the city from its criminal underbelly. However, there have been plenty of government-sponsored superheroes in comics before (just take a look at Alpha Flight). Besides, there have also been plenty of badass cyborgs that were superheroes. What makes Robocop deserving of being on this list though is that he wasn’t just a mindless drone following orders. When the chips were down he did the right thing even if it went against his orders or prime directives (technically making him a vigilante at that point). He risked his second chance at life over and over to save the innocents of Detroit from the 1% that wanted to rule with an iron fist. Too bad he could overcome Detroit’s greatest enemy, a crippling economic recession.

1. David Dunn AKA The Overseer- Glass

M. Night Shyamalan might not have the best reputation these days, but I feel like he’s been slowly making a comeback with his most recent films. One of his last really good movies before his slump was Unbreakable which took a more realistic approach to superheroes. Bruce Willis plays David Dunn, a man who has no idea that there’s anything special about him. That is until he walks away from a train wreck without a scratch on him. He slowly discovers that he has super strength and near invulnerability (among other powers) and sets out to achieve his destiny. As interesting as Unbreakable was, we don’t really see David as an actual superhero until years later in Glass. At that point, he’s fighting crime in his trusted green poncho and even has a side-kick to boot. As much as it might seem like The Beast and Mr. Glass are his archenemies, his true nemesis turns out to be mankind.

Animated Shout-Out: The Parr Family AKA The Incredibles- The Incredibles

Pixar has a habit of making incredible movies, so it’s no wonder their take on the superhero genre came in at number one on this list. It’s the tale of a world that wants no part of superheroes anymore and those that used to protect it have to live normal lives. That proves to be more than a little difficult for one family and soon they find themselves thrown back into saving the word once more. For me, The Incredibles became an instant classic and one of my favorite Pixar movies to date. The fact that there’s going to be a sequel to it has me pretty gitty, even though the studios’ track record with sequels is a bit inconsistent (I’m looking at you Cars 2). If you’re looking for an awesome superhero movie that parents and kids will both love, your search is over.

Honorable Mention: Melvin Ferd AKA The Toxic Avenger– The Toxic Avenger  

The 80s were a magical time when toxic waste could do anything. Dump it down a sewer and your get ninja turtles. Toss it in some kid’s eyes and you get Daredevil. Push a criminal into it and you get a clown-themed toxic relationship. While The Toxic Avengers might not be as easy to look at as some of those other heroes, he’s become a cult classic character over the years thanks to Troma fans. He even got his own short-lived cartoon series for a while there. Alas, this is one superhero who is incapable of having an alter-ego, because his “mask” just doesn’t come off. To make up for his gut-wrenching looks, The Toxic Avenger was granted super strength that he uses to take out the trash on a regular basis. He’s definitely one of the weirdest original superheroes out there, but that’s all part of why he’s getting an honorable mention.  

Shout-Out: Brandon- Brightburn

Superheroes are cool and all, but what about supervillains? Some of the characters above had an archnemesis or two of their film careers, but their baddies were laughable compared to Brandon. A visitor from another planet who arrives on Earth as a baby, Brandon’s childhood was incredibly similar to Superman’s. His powers also mimic the Man of Steel’s as well. The big difference is that Brandon is a budding psychopath. A lack of empathy, combined with those troublesome teen emotions, and no understanding of long term consequences, turns the boy from a potential savior to a nightmare. Moreover, Brandon goes about killing in much the same way a kid would torture an insect, enjoying the godlike control he has over something so much weaker than him. All the original superheroes above might not be enough to stop this threat, which is why Brandon is getting a shout-out.

There you have it, 10 of the best original superheroes we’ve seen in movies. While Hollywood might be pretty obsessed with adapting comics right now, I’m hoping that there are still a few creative writers and directors out there that want to create original characters. How about you? Do you love original superheroes on the big screen or would you rather see characters you’re more familiar with? Leave a comment below and be sure to check back since this list will be updated from time to time as more movies hit theaters.