DC Comics is known for having some of the most popular characters in the entire world. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash are just a few of DC’s big names, and each and every one of them is known around the world, well outside the normal superhero or comic book circles. These characters transcend their genres and mediums to be known by practically everyone, and it’s easy to see why they have, but DC has more than just their popular characters. They have hundreds upon hundreds of amazing characters, and unfortunately, when there are so many names being thrown around then it’s inevitable that some will slip between the cracks. For people to be at the top there have to be people at the bottom.
But just because these characters are not popular does not mean they aren’t just as interesting or awesome as their better known counterparts. Some of these characters definitely deserve their own fanbase, so why don’t we take a look at five of the least known and most deserving?
1) Ragman
Ragman is by far my favorite character on this list simply because of how awesome his powerset is. Rory Regan inherited the magical Suit of Souls after his father was killed by criminals, the Suit being an ancient cloak stitched together in the 16th Century by the same people who created the Golem of Prague. Each rag that makes up the Suit of Souls represents a soul that it has absorbed, as the Suit hungers to absorb the corrupt who have not faced justice. Ragman is able to draw power from these evil souls, granting him superhuman strength and agility, and even the individual’s skills and memories. The souls continue to offer their power until they have redeemed themselves for their vile actions, after which they are released to go to the afterlife. Ragman is an awesome concept, and deserves to headline some awesome supernatural stories at DC.
2) Monkey Prince
Real name Marcus Shugel-Shen, the Monkey Prince is the clone/son of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong. The Monkey King was trapped in the Phantom Zone by Darkseid, and centuries later, after Superman villain Ultra-Humanite tears open a portal to the Phantom Zone, the newborn Prince was discovered by his soon to be adoptive parents Laura and Winston. As if his family life wasn’t destined to be complicated enough, his parents are secretly career henchpeople for supervillains all across the country, and Laura is the daughter of the Ultra-Humanite. The Monkey Prince has all of the powers of his royal father, he just has to learn how to use his extreme strength, immortal healing factor, and cloning abilities. His powerset and crew of characters just screams fun, and I would love to see him star in another series all his own in the future.
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3) Bronze Tiger
Bronze Tiger may not be well known, but he is one of the greatest hand-to-hand fighters in the DC Universe. Ben Turner grew up in Central City, but when he was ten a burglar broke into his home and attacked his parents, leading to Ben killing the man with a kitchen knife. This awakened a deep rage inside of him, and he studied martial arts to learn to control and master himself. His training definitely paid off, letting him become a legend of fighting skills at the same level of the indisputable best like Black Canary and Lady Shiva. Heck, Bronze Tiger has consistently and repeatedly beaten Batman in fair, one on one combat. Anyone who can do that deserves to sit at the top of awesome character lists.
4) Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld
After her parents are killed by her destined archenemy Dark Opal, Princess Amethyst is hidden away on Earth, where she is adopted by a human family and named Amy Winston. Once she reaches her thirteenth birthday, Amethyst returns to the mystical land of Gemworld, where she reclaims her throne and becomes the world’s greatest defender. Simply put, Amethyst is awesome. She’s been a member of plenty of superhero teams over the years, like Young Justice and the Justice League Dark, and she certainly has the power to back up those positions. At her peak, Amethyst has been able to go toe-to-toe with the Spectre and Doctor Fate, which are two people I would never want to be on the bad side of. She’s going to be starring alongside Starfire in the Tamaranean’s upcoming animated series, and she definitely deserves the recognition.
5) Ethan Harrow
Ethan Harrow is a special entry on this list, because unlike the rest of the people here, he’s not a superhero. Ethan was a bullied teenager who helped his best friend Brandon pull a school shooting scare, only for Brandon to use real bullets instead of blanks. Trying to stop him from hurting anyone, Ethan awakened to his psychic powers and accidentally killed Brandon. Ethan was sentenced to fifty years in prison, and the rest of his DC Focus series Hard Time follows his prison life. Ethan is a very interesting character, but what really earns him his place on this list is the fact that he is the perfect character for the Suicide Squad. He seems like the exact type of person Amanda Waller would recruit, given that he’s a superpowered person with nothing to lose, and he’s not even an uncontrollable villain like Parasite or Silver Swan. Ethan has plenty of awesome storytelling potential, and I think bringing him into the mainline DC Universe would open up awesome avenues for cool new comics.
So there we have five DC characters that you probably haven’t heard of. There had to have been at least one you didn’t know, but do you know any characters that you think no one else knows about? Let us know in the comments below!
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