In 2034, Superman and several other DC Comics characters will officially join the public domain. If a character is in the public domain, it means that they are no longer copyrighted and are free for anyone to use, without permission or payment. Examples include the original versions of Arthur Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’s Monster, who countless companies have used to tell new stories. After Action Comics #1 introduced Superman in 1938 and he became a massive hit, everyone tried their hand at creating their own superheroes. However, after World War II, most of these heroes were no longer selling, and their companies didn’t renew their copyrights. While losing copyright protection was a negative outcome for the creators, it meant that all these heroes were now free for the public to use as they wish.
The 1940s saw the rise of many superheroes, many of whom, while forgotten today, were pioneers for their time. These are the greatest superheroes in the public domain with no ties to any one comic book company.
5) Fantomah
Before Wonder Woman’s first appearance in 1941, there was Fantomah: Mystery Woman of the Jungle. Fantomah first appeared in 1940 and is usually credited with being the first female superhero. She is a mysterious, god-like spirit who protects the jungles of Africa. While, at first glance, she appears to be a normal woman with blonde hair, when angered, she transforms into a glowing, blue-faced skeleton whose reality-warping powers allow her to decimate any murderers, thieves, or tyrants that threaten her home. Among her most remarkable feats, she teleported a criminal to a dinosaur-infested asteroid, turned a pair of thieves into bug monsters, and even made it rain lions over a squadron of bomber planes. With her distinctive supernatural powers, Fantomah was an important forerunner for the many female superheroes who would follow her.
4) Captain Midnight
A genius inventor and pilot, Jim Albright took to the skies as Captain Midnight in 1941. Initially, Captain Midnight was a fighter pilot who led a team called the Secret Squadron in World War II, fighting alongside the Allied Forces. After the war ended, the character was reworked into a superhero. Using a gliding suit, Captain Midnight could travel great distances and attack criminals from above. He was immensely popular and starred in a radio show that ran for nine years. He even had his own movie, Captain Midnight, which came out just a year after his comic book debut. And while the character’s fame has dwindled today, in 2023, Dark Horse Comics released a 25-issue series chronicling the exploits of this Golden Age hero.
3) Miss Fury
Despite looking like a Catwoman rip-off, Marla Drake, aka Miss Fury, was one of the first female superheroes to have a solo comic series, which was launched in 1942. She was also the first superheroine created by a woman, June Tarpé Mills. Marla was a socialite who began her vigilante exploits after stopping a murderer’s escape attempt. Since then, other writers and companies, including Marvel Comics, have given her new backstories and new powers such as superhuman strength and agility. Depending on the backstory, she obtained these powers as the result of either a chemical accident or a magic potion. Whatever the source of her powers, Miss Fury was a trailblazing heroine who inspired many future characters like Marvel’s superhero Hellcat.
2) Black Terror
First appearing in 1940, Robert “Bob” Benton, aka Black Terror, is in many ways a fusion of Batman and Superman. He has the Man of Steel’s strength and the Caped Crusader’s dark costume. Bob and his assistant, Tim Roland, were pharmacists who accidentally inhaled chemicals that gave them superhuman strength and invulnerability. Taking on the name Black Terror, with Tim as his sidekick, Kid Terror, he waged war on evil. They fought local gangsters and international threats like the Nazis during World War II. Black Terror has been adapted and retooled by almost a dozen different comic book companies, including Dynamite Entertainment, AC Comics, and Image Comics.
1) Daredevil
Not to be confused with Marvel’s character of the same name, Bart Hill, aka Daredevil, is arguably the most well-known superhero in the public domain because of his continuous appearances in Image Comics and Dynamite Entertainment. First appearing in 1940, Bart’s parents were murdered while the family was away in Australia. Left alone in the Outback, he was found and raised by a tribe of Aboriginals. They trained Bart to be a skilled fighter and proficient with boomerangs. Upon returning to the United States, Bart became the hero Daredevil, with a group of young sidekicks called the Young Wise Guys. Today, Daredevil continues to make regular appearances across various comic book companies, including as a side character in Image Comics’ Savage Dragon series. While most superheroes in the public domain have been forgotten, Bart continues to fight crime as the death-defying Daredevil.
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