C-Level Comic Book Stars You Were Obsessed With

[powersthatbe]

Adam Warlock, The Man called Nova( I never understood why he wasn't more popular back then he had that peter parker formula). Also in my college age days I loved Denny Oneil's The Question. When Wesley's Snipes did Blade I became very interested in him and tracked down Tomb of Dracula comics. Heavily was into The New Gods.

[sprytel]

As a kid, I was really into war comics like GI Combat/Phantom Tank, Sgt. Rock, and Blackhawk. Those were big titles in their day, but all of those war comics seem to have been largely forgotten now.

[palitoy]

[RonnyG]

I remember my mom used to tease me, saying the only reason why I liked ROM was because my name is RON. LOL

[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.

[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?

[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!

[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.

[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]

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

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.