DC Comics gave the world this thing we call the superhero, but it can’t really be said that DC is cool. This is one of those things that happen when you’re the originator. You’re the one who started it, you set the rules, you’re what everyone is rebelling against. In a lot of ways, Marvel’s success in the Silver Age came about because they were the company telling stories that weren’t like the ones that DC were doing. However, DC has timeless cool on its side, and that has helped the publisher stay vital while Marvel took all the kudos. Marvel is honestly one of the best things to happen to DC Comics, since it showed DC what the superhero could be. DC, though, has done one thing over the years that Marvel didn’t teach them how to do — create characters with that certain aura.
Aura gets talked about a lot nowdays — we’ve all heard the term “aura-farming”. Aura is a thing that the best characters have, and it’s what has helped make them popular. Some characters just have a certain it factor, and that can’t be denied. These characters are the ones that everyone loves, the ones that DC puts front and center. Aura is different for different characters; one’s character’s aura can and should be different from another. DC has a lot of heroes with an amazing amount of aura, and these ten DC heroes have the most.
10) Barry Allen
Barry Allen is a character that for many is the opposite of what you would consider cool. However, this is the charm of Barry Allen. Barry Allen is the kind of person who gives it his all every time. Diligence is the name of Barry Allen’s game, and that’s helped define who he is. Barry Allen is lame in the best possible way, because you know that while he can pretty basic, you also know that you can trust him perfectly. Barry gives off responsible dad energy. You look up to him every time he walks into the room because you know he’s going to bring his attention to whatever is wrong and use everything that he has to make it right. Barry Allen’s sacrifice in Crisis on Infinite Earths is the epitome of the character, because it’s a man who is willing to end his own life to solve the problem. That’s who Barry Allen is and how he works. He plays an important role. He’s not cool, but you still want him around.
9) Mister Terrific
Mister Terrific has long been a hidden gem of the DC Multiverse, one that people are finally getting to experience thanks to Superman. Mister Terrific’s had years of adventures, and has developed his own aura. There’s a toughness to Mister Terrific that is evident when he’s facing off against henchmen and world-destroying enemies alike. Mister Terrific feels like he’s made of metal, an implacable monument of strength. There’s also the feeling that he’s going to solve any problem. Batman is looked at as the master planner and the guy who can always win with enough prep time, but Mister Terrific takes that to the next level. Mister Terrific is the smartest guy of any room he walks into and it’s apparent from the moment that he enters any room. However, even under all of that is this feeling that he’s doing it because he cares so deeply. Mister Terrific solves problems because he wants everyone to have their fair chance. That’s what has made Mister Terrific a DC favorite for a quarter-century.
8) John Constantine
John Constantine has always had undeniable aura. From the moment he strolled onto the page of Swamp Thing, a cigarette in his hand and a rakish smile on his face, John has been the coolest person you could ever imagine. Constantine is magnetic; people want to be around him because he’s so cool. However, there’s also a sense of danger that follows him. You know that hanging out with him is going to be cool, but you also know there’s a good chance you’re going to die — possibly by his hands. Then there’s the sorrow. John Constantine is a sad man, one who has seen and done terrible things to make sure the sun rises another day. The regret is palpable, both because of what he’s done but also the knowledge that he’s going to have to keep doing the most terrible things until the day he dies. John Constantine is an icon, a character that’s complexity gives him the most delicious aura imaginable.
7) Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter is the last of his kind, a regal powerful presence that knows things that very few other people can. Superman was a baby when he lost everything, but Martian Manhunter was an adult. He watched his people burn, watched his family die, and survived. He’s seen the most terrible thing that anyone could see and he’ll do anything to make sure that doesn’t happen to the Earth, his adopted homeworld. Martian Manhunter is a survivor and he wants to give everyone else on Earth the chance that he couldn’t give the people of Mars. There’s a sense of power to Martian Manhunter, the sense of a person who can do anything and will if it comes right down to it. Martian Manhunter wants to make the world into a place he could never make for his home, and nothing will stop him on that mission.
6) Aquaman
Aquaman is the king of the largest kingdom on Earth. The oceans are his home, and he’s seen things in the depths that no one on the surface can even imagine. He’s battled against the natural and the divine to keep his kingdom going, living in a world of darkness lit only by the power of Atlantis. He has faced threats from without and threats even from within; his own brother wants to destroy him and take his place. He’s seen his greatest enemy kill his son, and has kept fighting. Aquaman brings all of this weight with him when he comes to the surface, and holds it all on his back. There’s a severity to Aquaman that can only come from royalty. There’s also a sense of surety. His friends know that Aquaman can be trusted in any situation because he knows that his existence serves his people as much as his heroics do. Aquaman is a warrior king, and he knows what those titles mean better than anyone else.
5) Superman
There’s some dialogue in Superman that I think describes the character’s aura perfectly. Lois is trying to show that he’s too idealistic to like punk rock because he cares so much, and Superman answers, “Well, maybe that’s the real punk rock.” And that’s who Superman is. Superman is a being that cares so much about everything that he’s nothing like anyone else. If punk rock is all about questioning society and authority, Superman’s ultimate goodness is the most punk rock thing in the universe. Superman is a complicated character, but he seems simple because he follows that rule we’re all taught as children — be kind to everyone and do everything you can to help them. However, Superman takes that to an extent to no one else does. He shows how truly greedy and self-centered the rest of the world is. Superman is the ultimate good guy to such an extent that it is rebellious. That’s why Superman is cool. Much like Barry Allen, he doesn’t seem cool, but everyone knows he is because of how far he takes his beliefs.
4) Hal Jordan
The Earth has a lot of Green Lanterns, and the reason why is because of Hal Jordan. Green Lanterns have to be without fear, and Hal Jordan has always completely been without fear. Hal can overcome anything, and that’s what makes him such a great Green Lantern. Even looking at his worst moments — after the destruction of Coast City, when Hal was driven crazy by grief and pain — Hal never gave up in his mission to bring back his people, running through the entire Green Lantern Corps and becoming something of a demi-god. Hal Jordan doesn’t understand the meaning of the term “give up” and that’s what has made him a legend. He holds everyone else to this same standard, and tries to surround himself with people that are like him. Hal Jordan is an amazing person, someone whose will and uniqueness radiates off him.
3) Nightwing
Nightwing has always had undeniable energy. Dick Grayson watched his parents die in front of him, just like Bruce Wayne did, but instead of retreating into the shadows, he remained in the light. He was a splash of color in Batman’s black and white world, always ready with a joke and some amazing physicality. Nightwing always fought, but he never let the pain win. Dick Grayson is a beautiful person, inside and out, and that draws everyone to him. Even at his worst, he’s willing to help everyone be better. Everyone trusts Nightwing and looks up to him. They know that the minute Nightwing shows up, everything is okay.
2) Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman was raised to be the greatest of the Amazons, and they succeeded. Wonder Woman can seem outdated, much like Superman can, but that’s because we’ve seen her do so many awesome things over the years. Wonder Woman is the perfect warrior, not just because she’s amazing in battle, but because everything she does is perfect. She’s fighting for truth, for the people who can’t fight. She’s serving as an example of everything good in the world. Wonder Woman may go further than her compatriots like, but they all know that she’s working for the betterment of everyone. Wonder Woman is love and truth, but she’s not naive; she knows that the world is a hard place and if you stand for love and truth, you have to also be ready to do things that no one else will to win the fight.
1) Batman
Look, we all knew it would be Batman. There is no character that benefits more from his aura, both in-universe and in meatspace than Batman. It’s easy to get Batman wrong, and the character becomes a parody of what he should be, but Batman done right is amazing. Bruce Wayne witnessed something that no person should have to, and made it his mission that no one else would suffer the way he would. It’s a hopeless quest, but you get the feeling that if anyone could succeed at it, it is Batman. He’s a regular man who has become a myth, someone who seems unstoppable. Batman can walk up to the most powerful beings in existence — gods, aliens, and monsters who can eat universes — and they’ll know fear before he does.
What DC heroes do you think have the most aura? Sound off in the comments below.
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