C-Level Comic Book Stars You Were Obsessed With

[Wee67]

Before we get going, I recognize the difficulty are labeling a character as an A, B or C-level character. Of course, Batman and Captain America are A-listers. I would argue that characters like Martian Manhunter or the Vision are about the B tier.

So, given those VERY loose guidelines, were you obsessed with any deeper cut characters when you were a kid? Maybe it was because it was one of the few #1's I could pick up off a rack growing up, but I clearly remember grabbing Ragman #1 and wanting to get every issue.



I assume others will argue he's not C-level, but another for me was Deadman

[Nostalgiabuff]

i always loved the aesthetic of Hawkman. arguable about whether he is B or C maybe, but DC never really knew what to do with him and were constantly reinventing him. but i still love the look of the classic version. as a kid my brother and I even tried making our own custom figure. mask was cardboard and tape and did not last long, lol. wings were cardboard too

[KingKickass1983]

Faust, love of the damned.

Probably Z grade level character... but he got a movie at least...an awful, but fun movie.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I was, and still am obsessed with the Earth-Two version of Robin. It's why my Name is Earth 2 Chris. Yes, Robin is an A-list hero, but the Earth-Two version is certainly pretty obscure! And while I love the goofiness of his Batmanesque costume, I much, MUCH prefer the red/green/yellow adult update, designed by Neal Adams, but modified by others. I prefer his look in Brave and the Bold #182 by Jim Aparo above all others. Also, my favorite comic of all time, with a wonderful story by the master Alan Brennert!

[PNGwynne]

Totally agree about Hawkman, such a great-looking character but hard to categorize or characterize. Ditko's Creeper is similarly oft-reinvented, and I'd put him on the C-list with the equally interesting and well-designed Deadman and Ragman. I always thought Ragman was very cool. I discovered him in Brave & the Bold and collected the Broderick run.

It's hard to answer this. Other than Batman & Flash, I collected B-listers (Aquaman, Shazam!, Firestorm, & Daredevil). I was very fond of Green Arrow and Falcon, also Bs.

I'll have to mull over newer characters with brief runs or backup features.

[PNGwynne]

Well, if we're also discussing Earth-2 B-listers who are Earth-1 C-listers, I'd suggest Dr. Mid-nite. I always thought he was great.

Where would Doom Patrol fit in? I'm still obsessed with them, but they always seemed marginalized in so many ways.

[Makernaut]

DC had a character named Air Wave that was making infrequent appearances in various books in the late-70s/early 80s. For some "only a kid gets it" reason, I was always on the lookout for stories where Air Wave might show up. I believe it was a Golden Age character that they brought back with a new, modern identity and he had ties to Hal Jordon. They even reverted to the Golden Age Air Wave for some All-Star Squadron appearances since he was around in that period of comics.

[MRP]

For me, it might even have been D-listers.

Ulysses Bloodstone

Claw the Unconquered

Starfire I (not Kory form Titans, the 70s sci-fantasy heroine DC published)


Jack Knight and Shade

Shang Chi

not sure if Vision from Marvel would be a B or C lister, but he was my favorite Avenger as a kid and Avengers was my book of choice through grade school and high school.

Would Phantom Stranger Dr. Fate, Madame Xanadu and Spectre be B or C level characters pre-film era? If you are putting Hawkman at C level (and I love me some Hawkman) they would have to be C level as well. They (along with the Hawks) were my favorite DC heroes for a long time.

-M

I like the big guns as much as most comic fans, but I've always dug into the secondary and tertiary characters in the shared universes because they were much less status quo constraints on the stories you could tell with them.

[Wee67]

Ditko's Creeper is similarly oft-reinvented

Oh yeah! The Creeper was another one I absolutely loved. More than Ragman or Deadman, TBH.

Where would Doom Patrol fit in? I'm still obsessed with them, but they always seemed marginalized in so many ways.

I don't know if they even make the C List, despite having a TV show. You remind me of another C-List group I was fascinated by- Metal Men!

[PNGwynne]

Yes, I would consider Phantom Stanger, The Spectre, and Elongated Man as notable C-listers.

[Makernaut]

Yes, I would consider Phantom Stanger, The Spectre, and Elongated Man as notable C-listers.

I may have to re-evaluate my understanding of what makes a C-lister as I named "Air Wave" and the characters you listed are waaaay less obscure than Air Wave was. I'm probably putting a Z-lister way too high.

[PNGwynne]

^ I recall Airwave in DC Comins Presents, he was fun. I suppose Adam Strange is a C-Lister to me, too. Just my opinion.

I was a big fan of Starman in two later incarnations, he definitely seems C-list.

[Wee67]

I may have to re-evaluate my understanding of what makes a C-lister as I named "Air Wave" and the characters you listed are waaaay less obscure than Air Wave was. I'm probably putting a Z-lister way too high.

Yeah, I think it best to keep the C qualifications pretty loose. In my post, I had originally listed Hawkman instead of Manhunter, but I didn't want the thread to devolve into an argument over Hawkman. I'm just interested in those lesser known characters y'all loved and the responses have been great!

[RonnyG]

I was a big fan of Rom: Spaceknight, and Dazzler comic books growing up. I bought their number one issues off the rack, and that hooked me in. I collected every issue each month until I grew tired of them. I think Dazzler changed artists and one point, and the new style didn't appeal to me anymore. I don't remember exactly why I stopped buying Rom comics. I think the stories got too sophisticated for me, and were geared towards an older audience. I know Rom has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, but during the late 80s and 90s, I think he was at the C-level. Maybe he's moved up to B-level now?

[Makernaut]

^ I always thought the idea of ROM was cool as a kid. I certainly knew who the character was, but I really don't remember getting any of the comics. I'm guessing one of my friends was into ROM and I probably only knew what I was told by my friend.

There was a period in my kid days when I was really into The Human Fly. I bought a good chunk of the comic's run directly from the rack and filled in the holes years later from the dollar comic bins. Not truly a Super Hero, but masked and costumed nonetheless.

Edited to add that I was naïve enough as a kid, and deluded by my own devotion to a C-lister, to be on the lookout for a Mego Human Fly.