Superhero sidekicks were all the rage during the Golden Age of comics, thanks to Robin, Speedy, and Bucky (to name a few). They complimented their mentors and added new stakes to their stories. Some of these sidekicks would even step away from their heroes, creating new names and adventures (looking at you, Nightwing). However, not every sidekick is an instant hit, as evidenced by the sheer number of them who have faded into obscurity. As a whole, the superhero industry is rather quick to introduce new heroes, and even quicker to forget about them. It seems like this process is even more rapid for their sidekicks, which explains the ever-expanding list.
Admittedly, part of the problem is that sidekicks aren’t as fashionable as they once were. While a good sidekick can successfully draw in a younger audience, it feels less necessary these days. Naturally, this has sped up the process, forcing new heroes into retirement before they ever had a chance to grow or develop. Here are 10 of DC’s best sidekicks that have, unfortunately, been forgotten.
10. Arrowette (Cissie King-Jones)
Cissie King-Jones had plenty of opportunities to idolize superheroes. As a young girl, Cissie was forced to train in archery, day and night. The levels of training her mother put her through were certainly abusive, though the character was later inspired by seeing Green Arrow and his sidekick at the time (Speedy) saving the day. Thus, she created her own superhero persona – Arrowette. It may not be the most creative name around, but at least she tried.
Ironically, Green Arrow wasn’t the first hero Cissie worked with. Instead, she teamed up with Impulse for a time. She would then go on to join the Young Justice team. However, following a near-death experience, Cissie swore off being a superhero. Naturally, life had other plans, and Cissie was pulled back into the superhero life, though this time as a field medic during the Imperiex War. Her story has continued on like this, with little changes and appearances, but nothing major.
9. Snapper Carr (Lucas Carr)
Believe it or not, Snapper Carr was once pretty popular. He was introduced as an honorary member of the Justice League of America, making him the first sidekick for the entire team. Snapper Carr, whose real name is Lucas Carr, doesn’t technically have any superhero abilities, and that makes him stand out among the sidekick rosters. In some stories, he’ll gain access to teleportation (thanks to a meta-gene), but this isn’t always a given.
Snapper Carr’s origin is only part of what makes this character unique and interesting. He was basically the team’s mascot, which sounds cute and all – until it suddenly isn’t. Eventually, Snapper Carr got tired of being defined by the heroes around him (a familiar theme for sidekicks) and took drastic measures. Unlike most sidekicks, he didn’t branch off on his own, instead opting to sell the team out. Obviously, things didn’t go too well for him after that, leaving Snapper Carr mostly forgotten these days.
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8. Green Arrow (Connor Hawke)
Much like Batman, Green Arrow has taken on many sidekicks and protégés over the years. One of the more popular examples would be Arsenal (Roy Harper). On the opposite side of the spectrum is Conner Hawke. Connor’s path isn’t quite the standard for sidekicks, as he picked up the mantle after Oliver Queen (his father) died. As such, he had to get all of his training from others. This didn’t stop him from rising to the occasion.
In case it wasn’t obvious, Connor Hawke is an estranged son of Oliver Queen, which explains why he seemingly came out of nowhere. Despite this distance, Conner did a great job as a hero, the problem is that nobody really cared. Connor was equal to his father in almost every way, even surpassing him in a few instances (Batman has reportedly noted that Connor is one of the best hand-to-hand fighters of his generation). However, people simply didn’t care for Connor’s story, eventually letting him fade into obscurity.
7. Aquagirl (Lorena Marquez)
Speaking of superheroes with a long list of sidekicks, there’s always Aquaman. Aquaman has had two different variations of Aqualad, plus a plethora of others. One such hero was Aquagirl, aka Lorena Marquez. Lorena’s story isn’t quite like many of his other sidekicks, as she has no Atlantean heritage. Instead, she gained a metahuman ability that allowed her to breathe underwater.
Aquagirl trained with Aquaman for a time and eventually even joined the Teen Titans. This makes her fading into obscurity all the more surprising, as it seemed she was pretty popular for a time. In a futuristic timeline, Lorena was seen using the mantle of Aquawoman, showing an attempt to become a more standalone hero.
6. Speedy (Mia Dearden)
Speedy is another sidekick to Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow. Ironically, even this mantle has been shared, with Mia Dearden being the second hero to wield the name. Mia Dearden’s story is dark and tragic, which may explain why DC Comics has tried to leave her in the past. Mia Dearden first debuted in Green Arrow #2 (2001), and it was immediately clear that this girl had not lived a good life. Her backstory includes sexual abuse and sex work, all of which happened before she turned eleven years old. It gets dark fast.
Mia’s darker backstory may explain why other heroes, like Roy Harper, are more popular than her. Her story is not appropriate for all ages, to put it mildly. Despite her history, Mia worked hard as a superhero, mastering the bow & arrow and becoming a talented martial artist. She was also a smart hacker, giving her a pretty rounded ability set.
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5. Robin (Carrie Kelley)
Carrie Kelley’s existence opens the door to an interesting debate for Batman/Robin fans. In the eyes of most fans, Tim Drake stepped in to become the third rendition of Robin. However, if one wants to consider all versions of DC history, Carrie Kelley is the third chronological hero to pick up the Robin mantle. It’s a little confusing, which probably helped her story get lost in time.
Carrie Kelley’s story comes from Frank Miller’s take on the Batman universe, with her debut in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 (1986). Like those who came before (and after her), Carrie was trying to step up and do right by Gotham. However, Carrie’s story gets even more confusing down the line, as she continues her superhero path by picking up various known mantles, including Catgirl, Batgirl, and even Batwoman.
4. Flamebird (Bette Kane)
Mary Elizabeth Kane is Kate Kane’s cousin, in case the name didn’t give that away. Naturally, this meant she was destined to play around with a superhero mantle at some point in her life. Bette was one of those people who perfected many things (tennis, beauty pageants, gymnastics, swimming, etc.) and was bored by almost everything. She craved a challenge, the harder the better.
In other words, between Bette’s family connections and her personal tendencies, it was only a matter of time before she donned a mantle of her own. By the time she was 16 years old, Bette had sworn that she’d find a way to meet Robin, as she had unfortunately developed quite the crush on him. For this reason, she crafted her Flamebird persona and began a life of superheroism. While Bette’s reason for becoming a hero is disappointing, she did good work as a hero. She even helped found the West Coast Titans, though the team would later disband. After a few years of being a hero, Bette eventually took a good, hard look at herself and decided to change her ways.
3. Robin Beyond (Matt McGinnis)
Fans of the animated Batman Beyond series probably remember Matt McGinnis – Terry’s younger brother. While he barely appears in the show (because Terry is so busy between life, school, and superhero business that he’s rarely home), Matt plays a much bigger role in the comics. Terry’s role as Batman likewise continued in the comics, with the stakes getting higher by the day. As such, things eventually hit a point where there was no way one hero could handle it all. After a lot of debating (and fighting), Matt stepped up to become the new Robin, aka Robin Beyond.
By the time Matt became Robin Beyond, Terry knew full well what the price of being a hero could be, and he didn’t want his brother to experience this. As such, he’s always resisting Matt’s help. This was made so much worse after the futuristic version of Scarecrow infected Matt with fear, sending him on a mission to kill his brother. The comic series coming to an end largely ended Matt’s run as a superhero.
2. Catwoman (Holly Robinson)
Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, likes to make everyone believe she’s a confident and independent woman. While the first part of that statement is true, Selina relies quite often on those around her. For example, she’s had several sidekicks over the years, including Holly Robinson. Selina first met Holly in Gotham, of course. Seeing how the young woman needed a change in her life, she began training her as an eventual replacement.
Holly Robinson has had a long and winding path in the comic book industry. For a long time, she was dead, but in true comic fashion, that bit of her story was later undone. She would then go on to become Selina’s sidekick and even step in to cover for Selina while she was pregnant. DC Comics would then go and change Holly’s story again, turning her into a killer Selina was desperate to cover for. This effectively put her out of the running to continue as Catwoman’s sidekick.
1. Pieface (Thomas Kalmaku)
It may be hard to imagine any Green Lantern needing a sidekick, butThomas Kalmaku defied those expectations impressively. This young hero stemmed from the Silver Age of comics, entering the scene as Hal Jordan’s mechanic. In other words, he was first introduced while working for Ferris Air, but with time, he began helping Hal more and more. He was one of the few who knew about Hal’s big secret, putting him in a position to aid and cover for the hero as needed.
In many ways, Thomas Kalmaku was sort of Hal’s version of “man in the chair.” He didn’t have any superpowers, but he did have the ability to create clever excuses for Hal, and boy, did he need the help there. In a different version of the story (Millennium), Thomas Kalmaku was chosen as one of the New Guardians. Eventually, Thomas Kalmaku was phased out of the comics.
What sidekicks do you think should have made this list? Let us know in the comments!
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